28 February 1980
"Avada Kedavra!" Bellowed a cloaked figure, John fell to the floor, lifeless. The three figures advanced on the muggle woman who was holding a baby to her chest tightly. Trying desperately to hide her daughter from view.
"The last of them. After her, I will inherit everything." A female voice cackled maliciously as she pointed her wand at them.
"No, please. Take whatever you want. Don't hurt my baby!" Helen cried hysterically.
"Avada Kedavra!" The female hissed, ending Helens life. Her body crumpled to the floor, still clinging to Hermione. As the she raised her wand to the child the doors were blown open and aurors rushed the masked figures, binding them before picking up the screaming baby.
Albus Dumbledore knew he was too late when he arrived on the scene. Severus warned him that some of his fellow death eaters were coming for the Dagworth-Granger heiress, he had hoped that he had contacted the DMLE in time. Taking the tiny infant from an auror, he looked her over for any injuries before he apparated to the one family he knew could take her in out of love and not greed.
"Molly, I know you and Arthur have been trying for a girl for quite some time and I was hoping you could take little Hermione, here. I know you have a full house but her family was attacked tonight and I'm afraid she has nowhere else to go." Albus said with a small smile. Molly and Arthur bent over to take a look at the tiny bundle and immediately fell in love with her warm chocolate eyes.
"Well, I suppose we could...but you know.." Molly trailed off uneasily, she was already late into the pregnancy of her 6th boy and with only Arthur's income, money was a problem.
"We've always made due, Mollywobbles." Arthur said softly, kissing her temple.
"Actually, it appears that Hermione here is the granddaughter of Hector Dagworth-Granger and stands to inherit. There will be a modest stipend to help care for her. However, I was hoping you could officially adopt her. Hide her, because the attack tonight was targeted to end the line forever." Albus said gravely.
"Well, of course my mother had a charm that we could use on her hair but wouldn't people know? I'm not due for another month." Molly was rambling as she rocked the little girl, feeling like she finally found the daughter she had been trying for for so long. "How could I ever say no to those eyes? I don't want her to be resented by the boys if we treat her differently."
"I could keep her until you give birth in a month, a diluted reverse aging potion should help. As far as the stipend, it really isn't much. It would help with the children being in school but really her inheritance is mostly a library, one of the largest known and the potion patents, of course. Unfortunately, the ministry has claimed a lot of gold from the family since Hector died. The royalties will start filling her coffers in the next few years. Then of course, her Hogwarts tuition is already paid for." Albus sipped his tea, his blue eyes twinkled as he watched the couple coo over the tiny bundle.
"It's not about the money, Albus. We just-" Arthur was cut off at the pained expression on his wife's face. Looking down he saw a puddle of water at their feet and immediately sprang to action. Molly tearfully handed the bundle over to Albus.