Hermione just sat there with a blank expression on her face. Pureblood? This can't be right. She had been muggleborn all of her life. Surely her parents were playing some kind of joke on her. How come her parents have never used magic? Or why haven't they brought Hermione up in the wizarding world? There had never been any signs. Her childhood had been filled with muggle child stories, and Hermione had gone to muggle primary. Her parents had never even used potions or other wizarding artifacts in their house.
She heard Ginny gasp softly next to her.
"Hermione, darling?" her father asked.
"Pureblood? Like, pureblood witch? That's not right."
"Why don't you think it's true?" asked her mother.
"Because I've grown up as a muggle. You two have never used magic in front of me before."
"Well that's because… we're squibs."
Hermione thought for a moment. That could explain why she'd never seen her parents using magic. But why then would they raise me as a muggle? Hermione thought.
"I don't believe you." Hermione said simply.
Her parents looked at each other. Then without saying a word, her mother got up and left the room.
Hermione was lost in her own thoughts. It wasn't so ridiculous to think that it could be true. Hermione remembered back to when she first found out she was a witch. They weren't too surprised when she got her letter, but more excited. And they hadn't sent a wizard to her house to explain things, as they usually do with muggleborn wizards. She only got a letter. And her parents had no problems guiding her onto platform 9 ¾.
Her mother returned a moment later with some picture frames in her arms. She sat them down on the coffee table in front of Hermione. Pictures. She wanted to show her pictures. Well, thought Hermione, I supposed they could prove something.
She picked one of the pictures and examined it. It was a picture of her eleven year old father hugging his mother and flashing around a letter and looking very proud of himself.
"Is that a Hogwart's letter?" she asked her father.
"Yes, but look closer."
She studied it. It was just a regular picture of her young father moving around in the frame.
"It's moving." Hermione had momentarily forgotten that muggle pictures were still. "I suppose that proves you're magic. But it doesn't prove that you're purebloods. And squibs don't get Hogwarts letters."
"I had powers. But I lost them in a horrible school accident when I was fifteen. I was allowed to continue school, but since I couldn't use magic I could only learn the theory and history of magic. As for the pureblood matter…" he picked up the three largest picture frames and handed them to Hermione.
They were birth certificates from St. Mungo's. They showed her and her parents birthdates and times like muggle birth certificates, but they also had a line labeled 'blood status.' She studied each frame, one by one. And each of the three lines all read 'pureblood.'
"Why didn't you tell me this before? Before I got my letter?" She felt betrayed. Why would her parents keep this a secret for so long?
It was her mother who answered. "We were worried that you were going to be a squib too. We didn't want to get your hopes up. So we decided to live amongst the muggles and raise you in the muggle world. And then you got your letter on your 11th birthday, and had to learn this whole new life. We didn't want to overwhelm you. And we knew Dumbledore believed that you-know-who would return, and we trusted Dumbledore. We only wanted to keep you safe for when that time came. Turns out though that we didn't have to worry about that." Her mother gave an attempt at a soft smile.
Hermione's feelings of betrayal disappeared at this statement. So her parents were trying to protect her. I guess that's not so bad, she thought.
Hermione was never able to stay mad at her parents. "Well, I guess I'm glad that you finally told me."
The conversation continued for the next two hours between Hermione and her parents. Ginny just listened in silent shock. They talked about her parents' experiences growing up as squibs and their transition into the muggle world. Hermione's parents were very patient in answering all the questions she was asking of them. Finally, the questions slowed down and her parents had decided to turn in for the night. They left Hermione and Ginny to discuss this newfound revelation.
Hermione and Ginny sat on the couch in their pajamas, snuggled up in a nest of blankets with two pints of ice cream and a muggle movie that they weren't paying any attention to playing in the background while they talked quietly.
"So, your purebloodedness. How does it feel being better than the rest of us peasants?" Ginny joked.
"Have you forgotten that you are also a pureblood, then?" Hermione flicked ice cream from her spoon at Ginny. It hit her squarely in her nose.
"I'm going to have fun with this," said Ginny, wiping away the ice cream.
"Well, I'm basically still a muggle at heart so I don't see how a stupid blood status changes anything. Besides, everyone already knows me as a muggleborn and I'm just fine with that. I really don't think I'm going to tell anyone other than my closest friends. Really, it doesn't matter to me."
"If that's how you feel then that's all that matters. I mean, we literally just fought a war and won all because of everyone's blood status. I'm just glad it won't go to your head and turn you into a Malfoy."
"You dare speak to me, Weasley? My father will hear about this!" Both girls burst into laughter.
"I suppose we should get some sleep. We leave in a few hours," Ginny said, looking at the clock on the wall.
"Yeah."
Hermione pulled out the couch bed. Ginny stared in amazement.
"I love muggle houses!"
And with that, they laid down and went to sleep.
It was morning and the girls found themselves in the car on the way to platform 9 ¾. Hermione and Ginny were in the back seat with her parents up front. After they reached the train station, Hermione's parents offered to grab both trunks from the car and wouldn't listen to Hermione's protests.
"You don't have to do that. We can carry them," said Hermione.
"Nonsense. It's your last year, and we want to start it off with a small gesture of kindness," said her dad. Hermione shrugged her shoulders and grabbed the basket with Crookshanks in it.
They crossed the invisible barrier into platform 9 ¾. Almost immediately, she heard a high pitched squeal and was swooped up into a hug. Luna Lovegood and Neville Longbottom had been waiting for them by the gate.
"Neville! Luna! It's great to see you both!" said Hermione.
They moved on to embrace the redhead that had come through the barrier behind Hermione.
"Hi guys!" said Ginny, embracing them back. They stepped back and beamed at the pair. Hermione saw them grab hands.
"What? No way! When did this happen," she asked, gesturing to their interlocked fingers.
Neville blushed and grinned while Luna just looked at her with her signature dreamy expression before answering.
"It was right after the battle, of course. We talked for hours after it was over. It was very romantic," she said.
Ginny cleared her throat. "Shall we go find a compartment?"
"Oh, we already found one," said Neville.
"And I've got to go to the prefect's compartment to meet everyone and instruct the new prefects of their duties."
"Oh, yes. We finally get to find out who Head Boy is," said Ginny.
Hermione kissed her parents goodbye and they went to drop their things off on the train. Luna and Neville headed off to the compartment. Hermione and Ginny put their trunks in the luggage rack and sat down across from them.
"You're not going to the prefect's compartment?" Ginny asked Hermione.
"I've got a few minutes before I actually have to be there," she said as she felt the great scarlett steam engine lurch forward. "But I suppose I'd better set a good example and not be late. She stood up and walked over to the door. She turned around and looked over the compartment. "And anyways, I'm dying to know who Head Boy is. Hopefully it's someone I'll be able to stand, as I have to share living quarters with them. I hope is isn't one particular snobby, stuck up, big-headed pureblood."
"As if he'd show his face around Hogwarts," said Ginny.
"Gee, thanks Granger," said a familiar voice.
Hermione felt her blood turn icy cold in her veins. She slowly turned around to see none other than Draco Malfoy. And on his chest shined the proud, shiny, Head Boy badge.