A/N: Hey guys! So, this was suppose to go up yesterday with chapter 16, but it seems that it didn't load! So you get it today :P Hope you like it! :D

Chapter Seventeen: Revelations and Inheritances

The words uttered by Dr. Jacob Wells burst upon Hermione's consciousness with the force of a lightening bolt. Things that she had been wondering suddenly clicked and moved into logical order. Of course. Why had she not thought of that first? Why had it taken Grandfather Wells' comments to open her eyes to what she should have seen from the beginning?

Her face whitened for a moment and Peter moved in to take her pulse with a concerned expression. "Miss Magical, are you okay? You look pale."

Hermione shook her head. "I am fine, Dr. Peter. Perhaps the thought of realizing so many dreams was a bit overwhelming. However, I do have one question."

"Ask away, my soon to be young apprentice," Peter replied, glad to see some color returning to her cheeks.

"Was Harry's birth name Harry Potter?"

She heard someone behind her sucking in his or her breath at her question. Instinctively she knew it was Fleur and she turned to her friend.

"You knew, didn't you? You knew who he was and did not bother to tell me." She was now irritated and short with her French friend. Why had she not trusted her with this?

Although Hermione was feeling hotter with each passing second, she still registered that the two older doctors had respectfully retreated and were leaving her with her friend. Then Harry made his way gingerly to the two women.

"She didn't tell you, Hermione, because it wasn't her secret to share."

Hermione felt confused. Like all of wizarding Britain she had spent two years at Hogwarts wondering where the Boy Who Lived had gone. The looks of disappointment on the faces of the young first and second years of her two years at Hogwarts had remained burned upon her memory – especially when witches and wizards had spoken about the sacrifice he had made to fight off the Dark Lord when he was but a baby.

Then, to see the dark ritual Dumbledore had used to attempt to locate the Boy Who Lived once and for all, only to watch as the Goblet disintegrated when the ritual rebounded and the sad conclusion that Harry Potter was dead.

Harry looked at the bushy haired witch with concern. He had known that once she had sworn the oaths that she could be brought in to the secret, but he had not guessed how she would react to the revelation of who he had been.

Instead, Hermione turned back to Fleur. "How long have you known?"

"Since the first day we met, 'ermione," the French witch replied softly.

"And how could you guys keep it a secret for so long? Thousands in Britain are depending on him – on Harry."

"We could not, 'ermione," Fleur replied. "Once I knew who he was and once he had shared his story, we – Mon Pere, the Special Agent in charge of the Magical FBI for New York, the goblins – we all realized that there was more going on than we had first thought. To protect Harry – to protect this world – from one manipulative Hogwarts Headmaster, we had to keep the secret for now and we have to proceed carefully."

Looking around her, it was clear to Hermione that the three magicals were now alone – that the rest of Harry's family had given them room and privacy to discuss what was obviously a contentious issue. Thus, there were no witnesses to Harry's next move when he reached across to her and placed his hands on either side of her face.

"Hermione, I want you to know that we did not attempt to hide anything from you other than what we felt was necessary to keep the secret both of this world and who I once was. We have only come to know you for little over a week, yet I feel as if I've known you for many years.

"We would have revealed the whole situation to you very soon anyway – I believe that you have information on what the old fool of a Hogwarts Headmaster was planning and we would like to tap your brain for your ideas."

Hermione's initial irritation was evaporating as the sincerity and earnestness of both Fleur and Harry registered. But she was now more confused than ever. "What Dumbledore was planning? I don't understand."

Harry motioned to a group of chairs in an alcove on the edge of the library. "Let's fill you in," he said, moving towards one of the chairs himself.

"I want to ask you right at the start – what had you heard about the Boy Who Lived when you had arrived at Hogwarts?"

Hermione's face went into what Fleur would call her pensive mode. "You were living in a palace or secret place where you were kept from those who would take advantage of you. You would occasionally leave your safe place to help some village or group of magicals with some danger or threat, solve it and then return to your safe place."

Her face then reddened as she thought of where she had learned these facts. "Actually these were stories in some 'fairy tale' books about you. It pictured you as a thin boy with glasses, black hair and a lightning bolt scar."

Harry looked to Fleur with surprise. "Fairy tale books? I am in fairy tales? That does match what I did look like when I first arrived here – glasses, thin size and lightning bolt scar." He lifted up his fringe of black hair and Hermione could see the faint white outline of a lightning bolt scar.

He then sat back and looked again at Hermione. "Would you like to hear the real story about Harry Potter, the boy who lived and then died?" At her nod, he began and in twenty minutes, the legend of the Boy Who Lived died in Hermione's mind forever.

It was to a quiet group that Diana and Erin came half an hour later. Fleur had her arms around a pale Hermione who looked as she was going to be sick and Harry looked drained and exhausted. It didn't take her long to put the whole picture together.

"So you updated Hermione on the true situation, Harry?" Diana asked as she placed her hand gently on her shoulder.

Harry only nodded as Hermione was shaking her head. "I knew Dumbledore was a manipulative old fool, but I never had the idea that he would go that far. I feel sick that he would have stooped so low as the Blood Ritual to summon you, even knowing that if you were not in a position to respond that it could kill you.

"I was in the Great Hall when Dumbledore said the words and cast the spell that fired up the Blood Summoning Ritual. I felt a chill when the spell went out and I actually felt ill when the spell returned and blew up the Goblet.

"To think that it actually killed you magically – I'm so sorry, Harry."

Fleur gave a squeeze to Hermione even as Harry smiled reassuringly at her. "There's nothing to feel sorry about, Hermione. You didn't know and I am just glad that I wasn't there to experience the old man's manipulations. Would I have had a good life if I had been in Britain under his thumb? I doubt it.

"Do you understand how, however, why we had to keep things a secret?"

She nodded her head in agreement. "I will gladly help you and your family in any efforts against Dumbledore."

Then a small voice was heard as Hermione felt the small girl with Diana focus on her.

"You are the third. You will be the anchor that unites fiery passion with the Child of Destiny."

Both Fleur and Harry sucked in their breaths even as Diana turned wide eyes upon her youngest daughter. "Alors, c'est vrai. It's true," Hermione heard Fleur say in a whisper.

Hermione turned confused eyes to Harry and Fleur. "An anchor? Uniting fiery passion with the Child of Destiny? The third? What is she talking about?"

Diana lifted up her eyes to Hermione in sympathy, yet with a glint of humor in her eyes. "I think I know what Erin is talking about, Hermione, and yes, she has been proven to be a Seer as you magicals define it. However, I think Fleur and Harry will be much better to fill you in with what the last statement means. It concerns them more than me anyway."

With that she quickly backed away, leaving Fleur and Harry to look at each other even as their faces grew red. "'Arry, I think you should tell her," Fleur began.

"No, Fleur, you know her better than I. I only have known her for about a week."

"Tell me what, you two? Don't dance around the issue. What was your sister telling me, Harry?" Hermione grew insistent.

"Well, it all began the same day that I met Fleur and saved her life. That same day we met my mom and Erin and then she said something about me and Fleur…."

Five minutes later, Hermione exploded. "You mean…. your sister said you would be part of a threesome? A ménage a trois?" Then she turned to Fleur with an equally severe expression. "And you went along with that?"

Fleur tried to lift up her hands in a placating gesture and Hermione, even though she was irritated and disbelieving, still couldn't help but notice how nonplussed her normally in control friend was now. "Look, 'ermione, at first I didn't know what to believe or think. It is not normal for Veela to share – in fact; there are very few places in our history where such an event has been recorded.

"But we Veela also have the gift of seeing the truth – especially in matters of the heart and love. And the more I saw Harry, the more I realized that my heart was becoming irrevocably tied in with his and he with me – yet I also realized that Erin had the Sight – she is a true Seer."

Fleur's sincerity was making an impact on Hermione. But how was she supposed to react to this revelation? Was she fated to become part of a threesome – knowing only one partner well? What would that mean for her plans? For her future? For her parents?

Her parents…she began to hyperventilate.

Her parents who had bounced around with all the impact of magic on their daughter and had worried that the magical world would be taking her away – how would they react to the possibility that their daughter was 'fated' to be one of a threesome? Something that no longer existed in the non-magical world.

She felt a hand on her shoulder and a wave of calm come over her. Looking up, she saw that her erstwhile two partners had discretely backed away, leaving Harry's auburn haired mother to place an arm around her and sit down beside her.

Diana's eyes radiated only acceptance and concern. There was no hint of worry, but her concern was genuine. "Hermione, I see that my daughter's statement took you a bit by surprise.

"She's been having that effect on all of us since we discovered her gift back in April."

Hermione tried to breathe more slowly and then her words blurted out. "What am I to do? What will my parents think? How am I supposed to act with Fleur and Harry?

Does it just happen…"

Diana's response was low and laconic. "Nothing,"

Hermione sucked in her breath, her building rant halted in midstride. "Excuse me?"

"Hermione, you do nothing."

"I don't understand."

"Hermione, you strike me as a young woman who tackles problems head on and as someone who tries to understand everything as soon as you find out about it. But in matters such as prophecy or matters of the heart, you can't force things. They either will or will not happen – or they will happen at their own time and in their own way.

"You can't bend or twist or force things such as that – and no one here is asking you to.

"May I ask you a frank question?"

The bushy haired pre-med student nodded, her eyes now appearing less frantic and worried.

"What would you have done in regards to Harry and Fleur had my daughter not said anything?"

Hermione began worrying her lower lip in concentration as she considered Diana's question carefully.

"I would have tried to see Fleur as many times as possible – she was and probably still is one of my closest friends.

"As for Harry," here her face blushed slightly and Diana smiled knowingly to herself, "I would probably have tried to get to know him a bit better. Even if he was Harry Potter, that doesn't mean that I don't like him."

"So what's changed?"

"Everything….."

"And nothing. For any twosome or threesome to really work, you have to begin on the foundation that you are already building with both Fleur and Harry. Before love comes friendship and mutual respect – and from what Harry's father, grandfather, Peter, and the rest of us can see – you are already building that with both of them.

"One day, I will have to tell you the story of how Vincent and I came together. We had no prophecy or Seer telling us this – in fact, it is a miracle that I am now here and that Vincent is not dead. But we began as partners seeking to correct a crime and find his son – and from there trust, partnership, then friendship grew – until we discovered that we could not be apart.

"Hermione, I have only met you for one day, but I can tell you that you've already made an impact on our world. I've never seen my two youngest so excited to meet one of Harry's friends and you've gotten my overly shy empathic daughter Catherine to come out of her shell just a bit. Thanks for that.

"I've never seen Father – Dr. Wells – and Peter so excited about a new person in our world. I pity you – you will be experiencing the horrors of working under them and two harder taskmasters I have never met.

"Harry feels comfortable with you – he was worried about how you would react when you found out who he was, but he wasn't going to hide, but I've learned how to read my son and he is at ease with you.

"Besides, he has already been the victim of someone who tries to carry out prophecies based on his own understanding – your old Headmaster, Albus Dumbledore. At least that is what we think the old fool has been working on in regards to Harry's life.

"So, just relax, know that you've become a part of us regardless of what the future brings and allow life and friendships to develop as they will.

"And besides, we may even want to meet those parents of yours for ourselves. After all, this community could badly use the services of dentists."

Hermione's eyes were by now filling with tears, not of worry, but of acceptance and warmth. She realized how lucky Harry really was to have an understanding and accepting family as he did – and now she was a part of it. Abruptly, for a careful thinker such as herself, she did something very spontaneous.

She hugged the red haired woman who hugged her strongly back.

"Welcome, Hermione. You've got a home and family here now. And don't think we are going to let you go that easily."

As the two women stepped back from their embrace, Hermione saw movement out of the corner of her eye and she noticed Fleur and Harry smiling shyly in the distance. Diana stepped away, leaving the three young people to talk.

"You okay, Hermione?" Harry asked carefully.

"I think so, Harry." she replied. "Just let's not talk about threesomes any time soon, okay?"

Fleur also nodded her agreement and then she indicated a tall man in the back of the library. "I'm afraid that your meetings today are not over, 'ermione. Alex Mackenzie of the Magical FBI would like to ask you a few questions – about Hogwarts and Dumbledore."

"I figured as much – once you told me your story, Harry. I'll help anyway I can."

It was now Alex's turn to approach the young witch and within minutes, the four magicals began to learn and plan.

Hermione the next day didn't know how to feel. High, low, confused, warm, accepted, mysterious - all of these were running through her highly efficient brain and she found herself not knowing where to begin.

And then the calls began.

It was 10:00 when she answered her first call, only to find it was the director of Admissions to Columbia University.

"Miss Hermione Granger?"

"Yes?"

"This is Constance Wilkins of the Admissions Department at Columbia Medical School. While this is not the usual way we offer promising young students a medical scholarship, we heard from one of our emeritus professors that it would be a crime if we didn't' move quickly and snap you up. And thus, after careful review with the dean of your premed program at CUNY and a study of your grades, we are pleased to offer you an admission scholarship to our school.

"Will you accept?"

Hermione's mind raced. Who was the emeritus professor? She had to know.

"May I have the name…?

"Oh, I'm sorry. Of course, it is Dr. Peter Alcott. He spoke most highly of you and said he has already made arrangements for you to work as an understudy in his practice. That is very rare and of course, with that recommendation, the result is this call."

"Yes, yes, I will gladly accept."

"We will see that a formal offer will be delivered to you shortly. But in the meantime, Miss Granger, welcome to Columbia."

The phone had barely returned to its cradle when it rang again. She picked it up only to hear the familiar tones of her baby brother. They exchanged pleasantries for a few minutes before her mother got on the line.

"Princess, I was just thinking of you and felt I had to call. I see so little of you these days and are wondering how your plans are coming to get into Columbia."
Emma was startled to hear her normally sedate daughter let out a whoop of excitement. "Mum, mum, you won't believe it. Yesterday, I reconnected with Fleur Delacour, my friend from Beauxbatons, connected with Dr. Peter Alcott, the pediatrician, received an offer to work as his understudy, met a boys' family and just now received an admissions offer to Columbia Med School based on Dr. Alcott's recommendation."

Emma heard the squeal of excitement from her daughter and quickly digested the news. Good – her best female friend was back. Good – she had made the connection with Dr. Peter, one that she had been pursuing for some time. An offer to understudy with him – worth its weight in gold. Excellent – admission to Columbia Med School meant a stronger commitment to staying in contact with her and her husband. Wait – met a boys' family? That marked a first. Time to get more information.

"Princess, slow down. Slow down. Congratulations in getting admitted to Columbia. But let's focus here – you met a boys' family. I've not heard anything about a young man in this picture since we last talked two weeks ago. Give me the details – all of them."

Hermione felt excitement bubbling up within her. Yes, she had a male friend. Well, there were complications, but she had a male friend.

"Mum, I've only met him for little over a week, but he's a student at CUNY taking business – and Dr. Peter Alcott is his family doctor. He's the one who made it possible for us to meet."

"Details, Hermione, details. I want to hear them now – and I won't get off this phone until I get them."

Hermione settled in her comfortable armchair with her coffee in hand and settling the phone more comfortably on her shoulder, began.

"Well, I was working late in the CUNY library when I walked into this….."

"We think that it is time to begin training for your OWLs, Harry," Snagtooth, Alex, Sebastien and Fleur sat around the conference table at Gringotts.

Alex nodded his agreement. "You have picked up magic from the goblins with incredible speed and power, Harry." Turning to Snagtooth, he bowed his head. "I will confess, Master Snagtooth, that your training methods are among the most efficient I have ever seen and I can testify how effective they are."

Snagtooth acknowledged Alex's compliment. "But you are not here to simply commend us on our training methods, Mr. Mackenzie, no?"

The MFBI agent nodded his head. "I am concerned about Harry and his OWLs," he said, looking around the table. "The unfortunate thing is that goblin magical methods are not what is tested on OWLs – what one is taught as a witch or wizard is what is tested. And I suspect when the story breaks eventually about Harry being here in the U S, as it must sooner or later, that old white beard in Hogwarts is going to suggest that only his school – and only Britain can train Harry as a wizard. He may even argue that Harry is not a full wizard until he has at least his OWLs."

There were nods of agreement from both Sebastien and Snagtooth. Fleur didn't know the importance of the point and Harry looked confused.

"Not a full wizard? I don't get it," he asked.

"The OWLs, Harry, are a set of internationally recognized tests that help others around the wizarding world accept that you are a competent adult wizard able to function in the world of magic. If Dumbledore can successfully argue that you are still an unskilled wizard, then he could make the case for you to be returned to Britain to 'complete your magical training," Alex informed him.

"And that is something that we don't want. We want to nail down every possible loophole for him to try to reassert control over you."

"And how am I to prepare for my OWLs? Can Fleur help?"

Fleur shook her head. "I took my OWLs in French, 'arry. It would take me some time to translate the material and relate it back to English for you – and we want you to pass as good as possible."

Then an idea hit Fleur. "But what about 'ermione? She already knows about 'arry and she has taken her OWLs in English here in America?"

Sebastien and Alex both nodded their heads, excitement dancing at the possibility. "Oui, ma Cherie, I think that would be a wonderful idea. Hermione would be a wonderful – if driven – teacher and she had a great reputation as a helper in getting others prepared for their courses," Sebastien said.

It was Harry who broke the silence next. "So how do we tell her – and who gets the job?"

"You want me to what?"

Hermione's eyes had gone wide at the joint presentation by Harry and Fleur. Harry repeated his request, mentally cursing the two older men who had pleaded they were too busy with other affairs to speak to the young bushy haired witch.

"Train me for my OWLS," he said again.

"Harry, I am busy with ongoing studies to complete my pre-med final year and get a head start on my med school courses as well as helping out Dr. Peter and your grandfather once a week. While I have been accepted to Columbia, I still want to study ahead so that I make a good impression. What about you, Fleur?"

Fleur shook her head. "'Ermione, you do remember that I took my OWLs in French, do you not? Harry will need to know what he has to study for in English as he will be writing them in less than a year – at the home schooled special OWLs session at Salem."

Hermione could see what Fleur was saying, but she knew her schedule was already on overload.
"What if I throw in supper at least once a week – Down Below?" Harry offered, a twinkle in his eye.

"No deal, Harry. I'm already there on Wednesdays anyway to help with the clinic below."

"No, I'm thinking of Tuesday evenings. According to your schedule, you get together with Fleur anyway for coffee in the afternoon and then, it is just a simple hop, skip and jump down the alleyway tunnel entrance. Think – an hour or two in the library, then some warm food cooked up by William and then – some quality time with all those books just calling out for a friend to come over, caress their covers and crack them open. Mom even suggested that we get you a chamber of your own for Tuesday nights and then you can simply jump right in and work with the two medicals.

"Although I heard Peter calling you Down Below's own witchdoctor."

The prospect of the library, the meal of William's cooking and staying overnight in the chambers were beginning to wear down Hermione's resistance. Then Fleur joined in, a definite twinkle in her eyes now.

""ermione, did you know they have some rare first editions down there – books that have gone out of print a long time ago? Think, mon amie, of running your hands over the cracked bindings, of seeing dedications in long dead hands, of …."

"Okay, OKAY! I'll do it – only because you are presenting me with a way to save time. By staying in a guest chamber, I don't have to worry about getting back to the apartment and then coming back down.

"But don't think for a moment, Harry, that I will scrimp on your training for the OWLs." At that, she whipped out her day planner and began making notes. "Seeing that it is January, we have nine and a half months to work on getting you up to speed on what witches and wizards are supposed to know for their OWLs. I need to know what you have exactly covered in your studies with the goblins."

Her note taking became more ferocious as Fleur looked at Harry with a pitying glance. ""arry, I forget that she is a demon when it comes to studies. She was the only one among us at Beauxbatons who began working out studying schedules for our June exams – in April."

Hermione chose that moment to smile wickedly at Fleur. "But you did well, did you not, Fleur?"

"Oui, 'ermione, but you forget that people still have lives."

"Did you not win the best student award for your sixth year?"

Fleur slowly nodded her head. "Oui, I did." She then turned to Harry, "You have my sympathies."

Hermione actually gave an evil sounding chuckle. "Oh no you don't, Fleur. I'm including you as my assistant – you can help me connect the contents of the OWLs to what Harry has learned.

"If you've roped me into this effort, then the least you can do is share the task with me."

At Fleur's look of dismay, Harry just chuckled. "Heaven help me, I think we've created a monster, Fleur. Still not a bad idea, Hermione."

Hermione wrote a few more items down and then produced a basic schedule. "We'll start with Transfiguration for a few weeks and then go on from there."

The snow was melting from an early April storm that had appeared out of nowhere and had blanketed the city, but now gave way before the signs of true spring as two young women were seen to be walking along the route to the Magical Mall.

"Where are we going, Fleur?" the young bushy haired brunette asked her silver blond haired friend.

"It's time that we did the inheritance test on you."

"Inheritance test? Is that the one where goblins do a blood test which is banned in Britain?"

"Oui, it is. But you understand the reason for it, do you not?

Hermione shook her head even as they dodged a dirty snowdrift and the small pile of garbage that it had accumulated.

Fleur went on to explain the theory of the goblins that first generation magicals in Britain were more often than not the reemergence of old magical lines rather than the spontaneous appearance of magic in new generations.

"But why would the goblins be interested in doing this?" Hermione asked.

"Think, 'ermione, what is important to a goblin?"

"Battle and gold."

"You do understand, mon amie. You do understand. Think, if a long dormant vault is found to belong to someone who is a descendant of that house, what that would mean to goblins?"

Hermione nodded her head in understanding. "Okay, so they may pick up some new vaults or clients. But why me?"

"The goblins want to test everyone who has come from Magical Britain and Snagtooth asked if you could come by and get checked out. Besides, it is only a quick drop of blood and then – well, you will see if you belong to some long dusty old British magical line or not."

The two friends continued talking as they entered the Magical Mall and then walked up to the doors of Gringotts. Moments later, Fleur caught sight of Griplock who waved them over to his counter.

"Miss Delacour, Miss Granger, please come with me. Miss Granger, this should not take long."

Ushering the two into a small office where a medium sized bowl and parchment already stood ready, Griplock shut the door and motioned Hermione forward. "This will only take a moment and a few drops of blood, Miss Granger – and then we will learn what we will learn."

Hermione watched in fascination as her blood swirled around in the bowl for a few seconds before glowing blue. Then the parchment began to show lines and names.

Then Griplock sucked in his breath.

"This definitely complicates things, Miss Granger. I begin to wonder if everything in relation to Mr. Wells is such an accident or not. We will need to see Snagtooth immediately." Abruptly he rose and exited the office, signaling to the two witches to follow.

"Did you see anything, Fleur?" Hermione asked. "He grabbed the parchment too fast for me to see anything."

"No, but I think it must be significant – we would not normally be on our way to see Snagtooth."

Griplock had halted before another door and he knocked twice in what was obviously a series of signals. The door opened and he signed for the two women to enter.

Snagtooth was seated behind his desk, looking a bit surprised at the visit. Griplock handed him the parchment and then stood by the desk, allowing Snagtooth to glance over the parchment.

The only sign of any reaction from the old goblin was the raising of his eyebrows and the expansion of his eyes for a few seconds. Then a wolfish grin slowly crossed his features.

"Griplock, you have just earned yourself a bonus. Miss Delacour, you have as well. Single handedly, you have just dealt the British Wizengamot and your old friend Albus Dumbledore a serious blow."

Hermione was still in the dark about what the parchment revealed. "Could you please tell me what in Merlin's name is going on?"

Snagtooth looked at Hermione with a smile that showed real teeth. "Miss Granger, Miss Delacour, I would ask you to take a seat. There is much to discuss and some decisions to make.

"Or perhaps I should call you by the magical name that was revealed on this parchment, Miss Hermione Granger-Potter.
"For it appears that you are Harry Potter's cousin eight times removed through your father – and now magic recognizes you as the new Head of House Potter."

A/N: So? Any questions, comments, rude remarks? Send them to us! But remember, flames are used to make food...and I think today I'm in the mood for a chocolate fondue :3