Harry stepped into the common room and watched Hermione caressing Crookshanks. Everyone was already past tired. Harry made a gesture to the backpack, he turned the dial to the setting, home away from home, and pulled Hermione inside. The mini tiger followed.

Once inside the deceivingly modern flat. He turned the light on, and the two went to sit in the living room. After Hermione had taken a look around, she sat and waited. Harry said, "The first memory of you was when you went to Surrey and gave a birthday card and two, no three gifts."

"I gave you two gifts," countered Hermione.

"No, you gave me three," said Harry, and then raised his hand to stop the argument. Hermione nodded to the hand gesture and Harry explained. "You gave Dudley and his band of thugs the runs, you gave me a card, but you dropped this," he showed her a bobby pin.

"I see," said Hermione.

"This was the only thing I was allowed to keep, Vernon, Marge and Petunia, almost killed me with the thrashing I got, after Dudley accused me of poisoning him. Petunia snatched the card and ripped it to pieces," said Harry in a low tone of voice.

Hermione began breathing deeply, she repeated in a chant inside her head, while her body trembled. " You're alive, you're here, you're alive, you're here,"

"That happened over two years ago, I survived, I'm here, the third gift, the only thing that I could keep, was your bobby pin, it was a reminder, that you were real, and you were my friend." Said Harry.

Hermione had tears in her eyes, Harry, breathed in and out, and said, "The next time I was able to open my eyes, a black gunk seeped from my forehead, and a new voice, he called himself Jamie. I don't know, somehow, I lost my marbles. I developed a second personality, maybe, but Jamie is the meanest bastard that I've met. I think I'm possessed, but here's the kicker, I don't mind, just like I didn't mind not knowing you before my birthday in 1989, and yet you knew where to find me, make me laugh and left me with the need to find you again."

Hermione felt like tears were not enough, she was grateful and also felt guilty for causing in any shape or form pain for Harry. She said, "I went to sleep on the 30th of July 1989. I did something stupid, I was curious, I've always had things happen around me, scared my parents, and felt so awkward, and nobody gave any explanations, and really I only received the answer to my question in 1990. I digressed, sorry, I did something stupid, my paternal grandmother had recently passed away, at the end of her life she was under heavy medications, due to chronic pain. My parents and I went to clean her house, my late grandmother's. I had a splitting headache, I kept one tube of meds, one her prescriptions. I think I overdosed,"

"Fuck," said Harry in response.

"The next day, I knew a lot of things. I knew your name, I was so excited, but better yet, I knew how to use my brain to get everything I wanted. I knew that magic was real, but I did not acknowledge myself as Hermione, but as Jane. I even questioned myself, why would a thirty-five-year-old assassin be interested in manifesting in this body? I think I lost it too, I developed a second personality, I too, don't get it. But Jane, Jane is cold like the terminator, but unlike the machine her heart is made of gold. She's part of me," said Hermione.

Harry summoned his jumping rope and began jumping. Hermione nodded and began meditating. After a while, Harry excused himself and went to the bathroom and showered.

Harry walked out wearing a different set of pajamas. He noticed Hermione had prepared hot milk and gave it to him.

"Thank you," said Harry, and took a sip of the milk. He raised his eyes to her and said, "I was this close to losing it and ranting at you, but I decided to keep quiet. Let's be honest, if it wasn't for the near-death experience you and I had, we wouldn't have met, not until today, right?"

"Yeah," said Hermione as tears stained her face.

"One thing is for sure, I'm glad you reached out to meet me that day in the swings, Hermione or Jane or both, I felt happy, and no beating could take the memory of your eyes, please don't cry."

Hermione shook her head, unable to stop her messy sobbing as she held onto Harry with desperate need to either remember she was still breathing or that her friend had endured that hell, just to see her again. Regardless, they hugged to remind their souls that not even death could keep old lovers apart, or new friends from finding each other in a sea of trivial longing and magical indifference.

Crookshanks looked at his human girl. Then the monkey she was holding and thought to himself. " Love is blind, "

Hedwig, Harry's snowy owl. Turned her gaze to the ugly cat and rolled her eyes. " Oh, look a jealous cat, like the world hasn't enough of those, "

Both Harry and Hermione began laughing at their pet's disagreement.

Albus Dumbledore stared at his diary, and wondered why so many of his plans failed ever since the disappearance of Harry Potter and Sirius Black.

Phineas Nigellus knew Albus was aware of his surroundings and if he smiled, Albus would know that most of his failure was because he was being targeted by a Black.

Phineas closed his eyes in apparent boredom. The old headmaster would reserve his smile. His Lord Black, Arcturus had reshaped and revitalized the family tree. He had seized the Lestrange vaults, he had Narcissa divorced from Lucius and had taken the dowry from her marriage back. Draco was a Malfoy, but not allowed to return to the Malfoy Manor, until he became Lord Malfoy. Andromeda was reinstated into the family and the dowry had been paid to barrister Tonks. Sirius was now the heir and his heir was adopted to the Black family.

Albus was out of his depth. Phineas knew it, and just like Albus. Phineas would continue hoarding the information. After all, it was for the greater good. The greater good of the Black family . So yes, the greater good.