The sitting room at the Granger home smelled faintly of mint tea and lemon polish, like it had just been cleaned, even though most of the house was already packed. Boxes stood stacked by the fireplace, their contents neatly labelled—"Dental Records," "Books—Africa," "Spare Linens."

Hermione stood just inside the doorway, Clarisse beside her. She hadn't been back since she'd run.

Dan and Emma Granger rose as she entered. Her mother's eyes were tight at the corners—not angry, but anxious. Her father looked tired. Concerned.

"Hi," Hermione said quietly.

Emma moved to her first, pulling her into a hug. "You scared us, darling. Two days. No word. Just gone."

"I'm sorry," Hermione said, clinging for a moment. "I should have written. I just—everything was too much."

Dan stepped forward, less demonstrative but no less present. "We're not angry. But disappearing like that, Hermione—it's not something you can do again."

"I know." She looked between them. "I wasn't trying to hurt you. I just… needed time."

Clarisse spoke with gentle authority. "Thank you for agreeing to meet today. I'm Clarisse Marchand, magical guardian registered with Gringotts and the ICW. Hermione asked me to join her for this conversation."

Dan glanced at her, expression neutral. "Magical guardian?"

Emma looked at Hermione, confused. "Why? We're her parents."

Hermione answered softly. "Not to replace you. To represent me in the magical world. There are things you can't do—because you're Muggles. Clarisse can advocate for me where you can't."

Clarisse nodded. "Magical law divides responsibility between realms. When a child's magical lineage is unknown—or contested—a magical guardian is essential. Hermione is asking questions now that no one else thought to answer."

Dan looked unsettled. "Is this about the adoption?"

"It's part of it," Hermione said. "But it's more than that."

She sat down, hands twisting in her lap. "There are things I've written home about for two years—things I didn't understand. And no one ever followed up. Not the school. Not the Ministry. When there was a troll in the dungeon my first year, no one checked on me. When I was petrified last year, I told you after it happened. You didn't even get a letter from the school when it happened."

Emma frowned. "They didn't tell us you'd recovered."

"I had to write you myself," Hermione said quietly. "I don't think they cared."

Clarisse spoke again, her voice like velvet over stone. "If Hermione had been born into a magical family, things would have been different. She would have had private instruction by age eight. Introduction to rituals. Magical etiquette. Family ties. Mentorship from her House, her allies."

Hermione nodded. "At school, I'm always catching up. No matter how hard I study, there are things I'm just meant to know. But I never learned them."

Emma looked at her, stricken. "We didn't know—"

"You couldn't have," Hermione said gently. "You did your best. But Hogwarts wasn't built for students like me. And I can't keep pretending that I understand things I don't."

Clarisse picked up from there. "Hermione's been called names. 'Mudblood' is the one that gets attention. But that's the least of it. She's been excluded from cultural rites. Denied opportunities. Ignored when it came to magical law or inheritance. That's not just bullying—it's systemic disenfranchisement."

Dan sat down slowly. "And a magical guardian helps with that?"

"Yes," Clarisse said. "I don't just protect her rights. I can help her navigate what no one teaches her—rituals, magical networking, protections, options. I can give her the tools she should've had from the beginning."

Emma looked over at Hermione. "And this is what you want?"

Hermione nodded. "I need this. Not just for the test. For everything after."

Clarisse continued, gently but firmly. "And if a biological family is identified, I will protect Hermione's agency. If they wish to claim her—or challenge her status—I will engage a magical attorney on her behalf. You will also have the option of appointing your own representation. The goal is not to replace you. It's to ensure no one can erase what you've built together."

Emma nodded slowly. "That's... reassuring."

Dan hesitated. "You think there is a magical family?"

Clarisse looked at him levelly. "I believe it's likely. Hermione's magical strength is extraordinary. That kind of power doesn't usually come from nowhere. It often skips generations—but not lines."

Hermione's heart thudded.

"And what happens," Emma asked quietly, "if they want her? Really want her?"

Clarisse met her gaze evenly. "Then we let Hermione decide. She will not be taken. She will not be forced."

There was a long silence.

Then Dan said, "All right. What do you need from us?"

"A memory review," Clarisse said. "We'll use forensic recall to examine your memories of the adoption. Any contact you had with magical parties. You'll remain conscious and in control. Nothing will be accessed without consent."

Emma looked at Hermione. "And then what?"

"We'll review the memories at Gringotts tomorrow," Clarisse said. "Hermione begins her school term on the first. We'll have her guardianship confirmed and her genealogy tested before then."

Dan looked at his daughter, then at the boxes by the door. "We were planning to leave next week. For our posting."

"I know," Hermione said. "That's part of why I'm doing this now."

Emma's voice was softer. "You'll come home before you go back?"

Hermione hesitated. "I don't know if there'll be time."

Dan raised a brow. "Even just for the weekend?"

"I'll try," she said.

Emma glanced between her and Clarisse. "And you'll bring Harry?"

Hermione blinked. "Harry?"

"You've always talked about him," her mother said. "And you stayed with him, didn't you?"

Hermione flushed slightly. "We had separate rooms."

Clarisse made no comment, her presence just calm and steady.

Emma smiled faintly. "We'd just like to see you both. Before you go off saving the world again."

Hermione couldn't help it—she laughed.

Clarisse stood. "We'll leave you to gather what you need. I will meet you at Gringotts in the morning, Hermione can bring you through the Leaky Cauldron."

Dan nodded. "Thank you for taking care of her."

Clarisse gave a slight smile. "She makes that quite easy."

Hermione hugged them both once more. And this time, she didn't want to run.