Hermione POV

"And that's how I found out and obtained the book… Now finally the book is with me. But I feel so overwhelmed that I couldn't bring myself to open it. I'm scared.." Luna pats my hand.

"It's okay to feel a spectrum of emotions. Do you know it shows in the aura? And yours is showing muted tones of different colours."

"Can you see them?"

"Yes, as long as it's associated to humans I can see them. Dumbledore's is really faint, I can see only with my spectacles. And Snape's hardly ever is visible. Father thinks it's because of their Occlumency shields." She sighs. "Seeing auras is an inherited trait for my family."

"I wonder if I have any. Do you think my hair could be one? It doesn't resemble my parents in shape or tone. Surely they are brunettes too, but my parents' curls are ringlets and an almost warm blond colour, I'm frizzy all over and cool dark-ish? "

"Hmm, your brown eyes are cool-toned too. And let's not forget you do enjoy lists!"

"Thank you Luna, I feel calmer."

"Good. Why don't we try to open it telling the book what we are looking for?"

"But we don't even know if my family is in the directory. We should make a list of the 28 families and check them one by one."

"Trust your magic Hermione and try to transfer your intent to find your family to the book. Not everything has to be logical."

"Ok and if it doesn't work we comb through." I'm sceptical. It doesn't follow any reasoning, if the DoM cut the familial bond, the book won't perceive my magic as one of the Families. Another if and a big one is the possibility of my family not being in the book. I'll try it anyway so we can move on.

The book unlocks and grants us access to only one family: The Notts.

I really didn't expect the book to answer to my intent, let alone actually select a family. I'm gobsmacked.

Luna however… she's in trance. If she doesn't come back to reality soon I'll have to use Mobilicorpus and bring her to the Infirmary.

"Well, it makes sense." Thank God. She's back.

"Are you okay? Do you want to go see Madam Pomfrey?"

"I'm fine. It's just… Hermione, I think you are right. If the familial cut had taken place, the book would not be recognised."

"Ha, I was right. No, wait, it did grant us access to a family just with intent. I don't understand how I could be right."

"The book shows us about the Notts. And there's a story about them that fits in our search: the Notts had a daughter 9 months before having our classmate Theodore. I don't know the details. Only that nobody talks about it. It's common knowledge that she's never been found but she's alive because the tapestry didn't update a date of death. I wonder if this is the reason Theodore's aura is a bit gloomy, but not dark per se."

A sharp inhale. It's all I can afford at the moment. I try to force myself to say something, to think of something. But it's only numbness.

"Oh, look, it's Crookshanks..." I can't help but chortle, Luna is holding Crooks towards me like in the Lion King trailer.

"Thanks Luna, really."

"That's what a future in law is for." Another cryptic statement because I don't think she will be a barrister.

"Meow."

"Oh, are you hungry Cooks? I have to feed him. See you on Wednesday?"