October 31st 1981
Neville stared at the screen in disbelief, his mind reeling from what he had just seen. Hermione was his sister? How could that be possible? The very notion seemed impossible, yet there it was, plain as day. He had known her for years, had fought alongside her in the war, but never once did it occur to him that they could be related.
His heart raced with a mix of shock and elation. A new family member — he had always longed for one. Growing up, he had only his grandmother and Uncle Algie, but now… Hermione. She was wonderful, he thought to himself. He had always looked up to her, valued their friendship above all else. She was the first person who had ever been kind to him, who had ever really seen him for who he was.
He remembered how she had helped him search for Trevor, his toad, on the Hogwarts Express. No one else had lifted a finger to help, but she had stepped up, no questions asked. He couldn't help but wonder what life would have been like if they had grown up together.
Growing up, Neville had struggled with his confidence, thanks in part to the relentless bullying he endured, not just at school but also at home. His grandmother, for all her love, could be a bully herself, demanding that he be more like his father. He was convinced that Hermione would not have let him be bullied, even by family. She was fiercely protective like that.
He felt anger rising within him when he thought about what the time-traveler had done to Hermione's life and by extension to his. The realization that they both had been robbed of the family they were supposed to have hit him like a ton of bricks. But his anger quickly turned to worry as he focused back on Hermione, seeing how deeply she was affected by the news, as her body started shaking with the strength of her sobs.
###
Hermione's mind was in a haze, as she tried to process the events that had just transpired. She was lost in her own thoughts, barely registering Neville's revelation that they were siblings. All she could think about was her dear parents, the Grangers, and their fate. The guilt was suffocating, and Hermione couldn't help but feel that it was all her fault.
In the months before the Horcrux hunt, Hermione had made the difficult decision to erase herself from her parents' memories and implant the idea of them moving to Australia for their own safety. She had thought it was the best decision at the time, to protect them from the danger that Voldemort and his followers posed. But when she finally had the courage to seek out her parents after the Battle of Hogwarts, she discovered that it was all for naught. The Grangers had been killed the day after Hermione had wiped their memories.
The realization that had she not ended up with the Grangers, her beloved parents would likely still be alive was too much for Hermione to bear. She broke down in heart-wrenching sobs, and everyone in the room could feel her pain.
The weight of her grief was unbearable, and Hermione didn't even notice Narcissa's concerned gaze until the older woman rushed forward to embrace her. Narcissa's arms were a comforting presence, and Hermione couldn't help but curl up and cry into her shoulder.
When Narcissa suggested they all stop for the evening, Hermione didn't argue. She knew she needed some time to process what had just happened. Narcissa picked her up gently, carrying her to Hermione's bedroom and tucking her in like a child. Hermione couldn't remember the last time she had felt this vulnerable.
As she drifted off to sleep, still wrapped in Narcissa's comforting embrace, she knew that going forward with this investigation was likely to be just as difficult, if not more so.
###
Narcissa awoke to the feeling of the soft curves of Hermione's body in her arms, and a sense of contentment filled her being. She couldn't help but feel like she was falling hard for the younger woman, and having her in her arms felt like the most natural thing in the world. But as she became more aware of her surroundings, she realized that her hand was gently cupping Hermione's breast, sending shivers down her spine. Though the sensation was delightful, Narcissa knew it wasn't the time for such intimacy, so she disentangled herself from Hermione's body with a heavy heart.
Hermione whimpered in her sleep as she felt Narcissa's body withdraw, slowly awakening from her slumber. Turning towards Narcissa, Hermione looked drowsy but beautiful.
"How are you doing, darling?" Narcissa asked, concern lacing her tone.
"I've had better days," Hermione replied with a shrug. "I'm even more committed to finding this person who took not only your sister from you, took me from my family, and is at least partially responsible for the death of the Grangers."
Hermione paused, reflecting on her thoughts before continuing. "But overall, I'm okay, I suppose. It's just a lot to take in. I never expected to discover that I'm not actually a Granger."
Narcissa took Hermione's hand and gave it a reassuring squeeze. "You're still the same person, regardless of your name. And we'll get through this together."
Hermione smiled at Narcissa, and Narcissa felt her heart leap in her chest. She leaned down, tenderly kissing Hermione. She felt the younger woman respond with fervor, drawing her closer. The sensation of her soulmate's body against her own was intoxicating, and for a moment, Narcissa forgot about everything else. But then, the sound of the Floo in the living room interrupted their passion, announcing the arrival of the others.
Quickly pulling away, breathless, Narcissa suggested they go meet them, but perhaps return to this later. Hermione nodded, looking a bit dazed but pleased.
###
Hermione felt Narcissa's hand tightening around hers as they entered the living room. Ginny was quick to notice Hermione's freshly kissed lips, and a teasing smirk appeared on her face. "Looks like someone had a good morning," Ginny quipped, eliciting a groan from Draco in the background.
Hermione couldn't help but notice the obvious love bites on Ginny's neck. "Looks like you did too," she retorted, causing Ginny to blush furiously while Fleur smirked proudly next to her.
As Hermione was distracted with Ginny, Neville approached her, cautious but with a giant smile on his face. He hugged her, and Hermione returned the embrace warmly. "I couldn't have imagined anything better than discovering you're my big sister," Neville said, his voice full of emotion.
Tears threatened to spill out of Hermione's eyes as she hugged him tightly. "Despite everything else, I already loved you like family, Neville," she said softly. "Finding out you're my brother is the silver lining in all of this."
Narcissa stood behind Hermione, a small smile on her face, as she watched the interaction between the siblings. It was clear that Neville was overjoyed with the news, and Hermione was grateful to have found family in this crazy situation.
Draco cleared his throat, breaking the silence. "So, what's the plan now?" he asked, eager to move forward with the investigation.
Andromeda, who had been quiet until now, spoke up. "I would like to know how it's possible that no one knew about the Longbottoms having a second child. It seems like something that would be difficult to keep secret."
Harry chimed in, "They were active with the Order before going into hiding like my parents because of the prophecy. Maybe we can ask someone like McGonagall about it."
Before Hermione could respond, an owl swooped into the room, dropping a letter on the table. Hermione's face grew serious as she read the letter, handing it to Harry to read aloud.
I see that you ignored my first warning. I know what you are up to, and I will not tolerate any interference. If you don't stop now, you and everyone else will suffer greatly. I have the power to make your worst nightmares come true, and I will not hesitate to use it.
I advise you to abandon this foolish quest before it's too late. Trust me when I say that you do not want to face the consequences of your actions. I have already shown you what I am capable of, and I am not afraid to use my power to stop you.
Consider this a warning. Your actions have consequences, and you will face them if you continue down this path.
Hermione took a deep breath and looked around at everyone, determination etched on her face. "We need to double down on figuring out who is behind this. I refuse to stop investigating. It is simply too important, and we can't just sit around and wait for them to strike."
Draco's jaw was set as he nodded in agreement. "I couldn't agree more," he said firmly.
Narcissa stepped forward, her hand on her son's arm, her eyes scanning the group. "I think it's best if we stay here until we can figure this out," she suggested. "The apartment is already under the fidelius charm and the lab is hidden and secure. We can expand the space to house all of us."
Fleur, Harry, and Luna all immediately agreed. "I have plenty of time off from work that I can use," Fleur offered.
"Same here," Harry chimed in. "I don't have any pressing obligations at the moment."
Ginny spoke up, "It's the off-season for Quidditch, so I can stay too.
Andromeda let out a resigned sigh. "I'm afraid I can't stay because of Teddy. But please, keep me updated. And if you need me, I'll be there."
Neville cleared his throat, his expression determined. "I'll have to speak to McGonagall about getting a substitute for me mid-term."
Hermione nodded in agreement. "We should both talk to her, Neville. Everyone else, gather whatever supplies you need and meet back here in a few hours."
The group nodded, their resolve firm.
"Let's get to work," Hermione said, a note of gratitude in her voice. "We have a lot to do."
###
Hermione and Neville walked briskly through the halls of Hogwarts towards Minerva's private chambers. When they reached the door, Hermione knocked gently.
"Come in," a familiar voice called from inside.
They entered the room, and Minerva looked up from her desk, surprised but pleased to see them.
"Hermione, Neville, what a pleasant surprise," she said, rising from her chair.
Hermione took a deep breath. "We need to talk to you about something important," she said. "Something we discovered about the original timeline."
Minerva frowned with worry, remembering the revelations of a few days ago. "Go on," she said.
Hermione explained everything they had learned about the original timeline the day before and their discovery that Neville was her brother.
Minerva's eyes widened in surprise at the news. "I never would've suspected." she said, glancing between the two siblings.
"It was a shock to us as well, Headmistress," Neville replied. "Do you know anything that might explain how no one knew about my parents having another child?"
Minerva furrowed her brow in thought. "In late 1978, most of the Order were living in safehouses throughout the country to prevent discovery by Death Eaters. We had already lost multiple members, so we started communicating through undetectable means, such as patronuses. If we did meet in person, it was small cell groups meeting to prevent too many people being put at risk."
She continued, "Alice and Frank Longbottom were part of a different cell from me, and the last time I saw them would have been in early 1979. If I remember correctly, most of the people who were in their cell were killed by mid-1979. Anyone else who may have known Alice was pregnant likely thought she miscarried, so never brought it up. I do remember Augusta had once mentioned to me how Frank and Alice had trouble conceiving and had had multiple miscarriages, early in their marriage."
Shaking any morose thoughts aside to be dealt with later, Neville focused on the other reasons for meeting with the Headmistress and asked for permission for time off to help capture the time traveler and right the timeline. Minerva didn't hesitate to agree. "Of course, Neville. I know your abilities well, and I have no doubt you'll be a valuable asset to the team."
Hermione and Neville thanked Minerva and left her chambers, going their separate ways as Neville needed to pack.
###
Hermione walked into the lab, followed a few minutes later by Neville. The rest of the group was already there waiting for them. Narcissa was the first to speak up, pointing to a door that wasn't there before. "I expanded the space as much as possible. There's a kitchen, dining room, 2 baths and 5 bedrooms through there," she explained.
Hermione looked impressed. "That's amazing, Narcissa."
Narcissa smiled. "I figured Hermione and I would share. But we still need two more pairs willing to share a room."
Fleur immediately announced, "Ginny and I will share," causing the younger witch to blush deeply, but she didn't object.
Harry turned to Neville and asked, "Do you want to bunk together? We already have lived in a shared space before and know what to expect."
Neville agreed with a smile. "That sounds good to me."
Hermione was relieved that there was no fuss in splitting up, and internally thought to herself how glad she was to have an excuse to sleep with Narcissa again.
Moving the conversation along, Hermione suggested they continue watching memories on the large display unless someone felt particularly strongly about wanting to go back and watch from inside their younger selves, at least for now as they were still gathering information about what had changed.
With no objections, Hermione pulled up the next memory, a little bit after Voldemort's attack on Harry and his parents. But before she started the playback, she turned to Harry and made sure he was ready. "Are you sure you're okay to watch this, Harry?" she asked.
Harry gave her a determined nod and so Hermione started the playback.
###
October 31st 1981
The night was eerily quiet, and the air was still. A tragedy had taken place, and the only sounds were those of broken glass an d shattered wood. Hagrid forced his way through the wreckage, searching for any signs of life. And then, amidst the rubble, he spotted a small bundle. It was Harry, a mere babe, crying out in distress. Hagrid picked up the child, holding him close as he made his way out of the ruins.
"Come on, Harry," Hagrid said softly, "let's get you out of here."
As he walked outside, he saw Sirius Black arrive on his motorcycle. Sirius leapt off his bike, his eyes scanning the rubble for any sign of James, or Lily. Sirius was shocked at the state of the house. Tears streamed down his face as he took it all in. He knew that he had lost two of his closest friends.
Hagrid approached Sirius, still cradling baby Harry. "Sirius," Hagrid said solemnly, "I found Harry."
Sirius's eyes flicked down to the bundle in Hagrid's arms, and his expression softened. He reached out to take Harry from Hagrid's arms, but the half-giant pulled him back.
"Sorry, Sirius," Hagrid said firmly, "I can't just hand him over. I'm under orders from Dumbledore."
Sirius was furious "Orders? Dumbledore has no right to make that decision," he said. "I'm Harry's godfather, and James and Lily named me as his guardian if anything ever happened to them. I have the legal documentation at my house."
Hagrid hesitated for a moment, unsure of what to do. But Sirius was resolute. "If you, Dumbledore, or anyone else tries to take Harry from me, I'll report you to the Aurors for kidnapping."
Hagrid knew Sirius wasn't bluffing, and he didn't want to risk getting in trouble with the law. He handed Harry over to Sirius, who cradled the baby in his arms.
"Tell Dumbledore that I'm taking Harry out of the country," he said. "I'll bring him back in time for Hogwarts, but until then, he's going to be safe with me. Also Peter Pettigrew was the secret keeper, not me." Sirius said, getting on his motorcycle.
With that drove off into the night, Harry in his arms.
###
Harry sat back in his chair, tears streaming down his face. He couldn't believe what he had just seen. He had been taken in by Sirius after Voldemort's attack on his parents.
"I could've had a life where I never had to live with the Dursleys," Harry said, his voice breaking. "I could've grown up with love not abuse. I wouldn't have had to spend the first 10 years of my life living in a cupboard under the stairs."
"I know, Harry," Hermione said, putting a comforting arm around his shoulder.
"But what's the point of all of this?" Harry asked, wiping his tears away. "What is the time traveler accomplishing by tearing apart our families?"
"I don't know," Hermione said, her voice firm. "But we will find out and fix this, Harry. We won't stop until we do."
Draco spoke up then, his tone determined. "They are not going to get away with this," he said firmly. "We'll find out who they are and put a stop to it."
Hermione nodded in agreement and then went back to the console "Since we have Hagrid's memories, I'm curious how Dumbledore reacted," she said, queuing up the next memory for playback.
###
October 31st 1981
Hagrid returned to Hogwarts, his heart heavy with the weight of what he had done. He knew that he had disobeyed Dumbledore's orders, but he also knew that it was the right thing to do. As he made his way to the Headmaster's office, he couldn't help but feel a sense of dread.
When he arrived, he knocked on the door, interrupting a heated argument between Professor McGonagall and Dumbledore. They both looked up at him, surprised.
"Hagrid, what are you doing here? Why are you not with Harry?" Dumbledore demanded, his eyes narrowed.
Hagrid took a deep breath, steeling himself for what he had to say. "Sirius Black came and took Harry," he said bluntly. "He said he's the godfather and that Dumbledore had no say in the matter. He threatened to call the Aurors if anyone tried to take Harry from his rightful guardian."
McGonagall's face softened at the mention of Sirius, but Dumbledore's expression turned to one of barely controlled fury.
"This complicates everything," he muttered, more to himself than anyone else. "How can I ensure that Harry is raised the way he needs to be if I can't control what he's exposed to?"
McGonagall was about to lay into Dumbledore when a silver patronus interrupted them. It was Bella's, "The Longbottoms are under attack."
McGonagall's face went pale. "I have to go," she said, rising quickly. "We'll discuss this later, Albus."
###
The only part of Hagrid's memory that registered with Hermione was the comment about the Longbottom's being under attack. Hermione's fingers flew over the controls as she quickly set up the console to watch the final memory from Oct 31st.
As she worked feverishly, Hermione completely missed Narcissa commenting about Dumbledore being a manipulative bastard and the others in the room agreeing with her. Her attention was solely focused on the console in front of her.
Finally, she pressed play, and the room fell silent as they watched the memory unfold.
###
October 31st 1981
As the Lestrange brothers and Barty Crouch Jr left the room where Frank and Alice Longbottom lay, their minds twisted beyond recognition, they turned their attention to the nursery, Hermione and Neville Longbottom were fast asleep. Hermione was wearing her favorite lion footie pajamas, while Neville was in his with cactuses on them. Suddenly, Hermione stirred in her sleep and sat up, her eyes wide open. She had sensed something wrong, something dangerous. She looked around the room, and her eyes locked onto the three men standing at the door.
"Who are you?" Hermione asked, her voice still thick with sleep.
The men didn't answer her. Instead, they took a few steps closer, their wands pointed at the children. Hermione knew that something was wrong.
"Leave us alone!" she shouted, her voice cracking. 'Leave us alone!' she repeated, a bit louder this time. "Mummy! Daddy! Help!"
Hermione's heart began to race as she sensed the danger that she and her brother were in. She reached out with her magic, drawing on every bit of power she had, and created a magical shield around herself and Neville. The shield glowed with a bright golden light, and the men were unable to come any further into the room.
Before the three men could even attempt to break the shield, they were attacked by a group of people who appeared from the hallway. The men were outmatched and quickly disapparated.
Minerva and Bella appeared in the doorway, their wands at the ready. They quickly assessed the situation and began to talk to the two-year-old girl, trying to keep her calm.
"Good job, little lion," Minerva said, smiling at Hermione. "You're a future Gryffindor in the making."
Bella rolled her eyes. "With power like that, obviously Slytherin."
Minerva raised an eyebrow. "Standard Bet?'"
Bella stuck out her hand, shaking on it. "Standard Bet."
