As Bill and Madam Pomfrey walked in the room, Bill knew something was very wrong. Ginny was crying in his mother’s arms; Harry and Ron both were lying on the bed next to Hermione, tears running down both faces.
“What’s wrong?” he asked as he rushed to the bed. He could see Hermione was still breathing and some of the weight lifted from his chest.
“Bill, the Healer just told us...there is nothing more he can do,” Molly said. “She is getting worse and may not make it.”
“Nonsense,” said Madam Pomfrey, striding purposely to the bed. “You two, move out of the way,” she commanded. Harry and Ron both got up off the bed quickly. Madam Pomfrey looked at Harry and then shaking her head slightly, opened her bag.
They all watched as she pulled several small vials out of her bag. She went to work putting drops of each in an empty vial. She mixed the ingredients carefully. She turned to Hermione and sat on the edge of the bed. She carefully placed a few drops in Hermione’s mouth. She waited a minute and repeated the process.
The door opened and Healer Derwent came in. “Just what do you think you are doing?” he said as he rushed to the bed. “Who do you think you are?”
“Oh, get off that high horse, Iggy. I am treating one of my students since you obviously can’t tell the difference between an overdose of a potion and an allergic reaction to one,” Madam Pomfrey said. She continued to put drops of her potion in Hermione’s mouth, slowly and precisely.
“Poppy? An allergic reaction? How do you know?” he asked quickly.
“Because her father had the same reaction when he was in school,” she said. “Now, go and fetch me a pitcher of cold water. She is going to be very thirsty when she wakes up. She will need to drink lots of water over the next couple hours to flush the potion from her system completely.”
Healer Derwent sputtered a bit, but left the room. As he opened the door to leave, George rushed in followed by the Grangers.
George looked at Madam Pomfrey sitting next to Hermione and looked at his family for an explanation.
“Harry remembered his father had an allergic reaction to the potion Hermione took. He thought maybe that may be what happened to Hermione,” Molly explained. She turned to the Grangers. “Hermione will be okay. I am sorry you had to come home to this.”
The Grangers looked at Molly before rushing over to Hermione. Mr Granger put his arm around his wife as they looked down at their daughter. Neither spoke as they watched Hermione being treated by Madam Pomfrey.
“George, dear, how did you get back so fast?” asked Molly.
“Well, I went to Kingsley and explained what was going on. I asked him to set up the emergency Floo connections I needed. He told me it would take too long to go by the Floo network. He contacted his colleagues at other Ministries and they set up Portkeys for me to use. I only had to take three different ones. It cut the time down and I found the Grangers right where Hermione said they should be.” George glanced over at Hermione.
“I reversed the Memory Charm and explained to them what had happened. I don’t think they liked travelling by Portkey,” he said chuckling.
They all froze and looked at the bed when Hermione choked on the drops of potion Madam Pomfrey had just given her. They watched as she opened her eyes and looked first at Madam Pomfrey, then at her parents and lastly everyone else.
“Mum? Dad? What is going on?” she asked. When no one immediately answered, she looked directly at Harry. “Harry?”
“Hermione,” he said as he approached the bed, “you had a bad reaction to the pain potion you took.” He sat down on in the spot Madam Pomfrey had just vacated.
“Miss...” Madam Pomfrey hesitated. At the stern look from Harry and the slight shake of his head, she continued, “Hermione, your reaction was similar to the reaction Harry’s father had when he was in school. Harry remembered the story I had told him and Bill came and got me. It is a good thing he did as you may not have lived otherwise.”
This revelation had Mrs Granger gasping. She sat down on the bed and pulled Hermione into her arms. “Oh, Hermione,” she sobbed, “I don't understand any of this.”
“I’m sorry, Mum,” Hermione said as she held on to her mother. She looked up at her father. “Dad?”
Mr Granger looked away from his daughter and at the Weasleys. “I am very grateful to you for taking care of our daughter, and for coming to get us. If you could please give us a few minutes alone with her?” he asked.
Molly nodded. “Of course,” she answered. “Come along, children. We will go upstairs and have a cup of tea.” She went over to the bed and smiled down at Hermione. “We will be up in the Tea Room; take all the time you need.” She leaned down and awkwardly hugged Hermione as Mrs Granger still had her arms around her daughter.
Harry looked at Hermione questioningly. Hermione gave a small shake of her head. Harry nodded and gave her an encouraging smile. He patted her shoulder and said, “Whatever you want to do.” With that, they all left Hermione and her parents alone.
As the door closed behind them, Hermione pulled out of her mother’s arms. “I guess you are pretty mad at me,” she said in a small voice.
“Yes,” answered her mother. "Why did you do this to us?"
Hermione drew a deep breath and then began her story. She explained exactly what she did and why. Every once in a while, Mrs Granger would ask a question, however, Mr Granger never spoke a word. He just stood next to the bed and looked down at Hermione.
“I don’t understand why if this has been over since May, you didn’t come for us sooner,” said Mrs Granger.
Hermione knew this was the perfect opportunity to tell her parents the truth, but could she do it? Should she tell them? She knew she should, she had made her mind up to tell them when she decided to go and get them from Australia. However, now faced with telling them the truth, she didn’t know how to begin.
“At first, it wasn’t safe. There were still Death Eaters who weren’t caught. Then...then...” she hesitated unsure of how to begin. “Mum, Dad, I found something out about a month ago, something that will be hard for you to hear, but I have to tell you.
“I got an owl from Professor McGonagall asking me to come up to Hogwarts before I came to get you,” she said. “Harry and Ron went with me. When we got there, Professor McGonagall told us that Professor Dumbledore needed to tell me something.”
“But, dear, Professor Dumbledore is dead,” said her mother gently.
“Yes, his portrait hangs in the Headmistress’ office. Wizarding portraits can talk,” Hermione told her parents. “He told me...he said...” Hermione started crying.
Mrs Granger once again pulled Hermione into an embrace. She rubbed her back and whispered soothing words in her ear. “There, there, dear. It can’t be that bad. Just tell us what is wrong,” she encouraged.
“Mum, do you remember being pregnant with me?” Hermione asked as she pulled out of her mother’s embrace.
“Yes,” her mother said immediately.
“No,” said her father at the same time. It was the first word he had spoken.
Hermione looked at her father. She knew instantly her father knew, he knew she was not his daughter. “You know, don’t you?” Hermione asked him.
“That you are not our daughter? Yes, I know,” he said. “Oh, I remember the lie of you being ours. I remember all the years of you being our daughter, but I also remember that you aren’t.”
“What do you mean, she isn’t our daughter, of course she is,” said Mrs Granger angrily.
“No, Mum, I’m not,” Hermione said as she took her mother’s hand in hers. “Professor Dumbledore took me from my birth parents when I was minutes old and brought me to you. He performed some Memory Charms and planted the memory of me being your daughter.” She looked up at her father.
“That isn’t possible,” argued her mother. “I remember giving birth to you.”
“Yes, you do. But, what you remember is what Professor Dumbledore wanted you to remember,” Hermione told her.
“Why? Why would he do such a thing?” Mrs Granger asked.
“He did it to keep me safe. My birth parents were the Potters. I am Harry’s twin sister,” she said quietly.
Mrs Granger stood quickly. “I want to talk to this man. How could he tell you such lies?”
Mr Granger reached out and pulled his wife into his arms. “It is the truth. If you want to talk to him, then we will,” he said. He looked at Hermione who just nodded. “As soon as Hermione is up to it, we will go and talk to him.”
He looked down at Hermione. Letting go of his wife, he moved over to the bed. He reached out and brushed the tears from her face. “It doesn’t matter,” he said. “You will always be my little girl.”
At his words, Hermione began to cry in earnest. Both of her parents sat down on the bed and the three of them held on to each other.
The sight of the three embracing was what Harry saw when he walked back in the room. He had used the excuse of finding a bathroom to escape the Tearoom. He knew Hermione would tell her parents the truth and he didn’t want her facing the outcome alone.
As Harry approached the bed, Hermione looked up. She gave a slight nod of her head. The Grangers both looked at him. After a few moments, Mrs Granger stood and went over to him. Hesitantly, she drew him into her embrace.
“Even though you aren’t our son, I hope you will understand if we consider you part of our family now,” she said to him. “I’m still not sure I believe this, but if it is true, it only changes one thing. Hermione is our daughter and if you are her brother, then I guess you are part of our family.”
Harry didn’t know what to say. He looked at Hermione who had tears running down her face. He gave Mrs Granger a small smile before asking Hermione, “Is there anything you want?”
“Now that you mention it, I am really thirsty,” Hermione said.
Harry went over to the small table at the end of the bed and poured her a glass of water. “Madam Pomfrey said you would be thirsty. She also said you should drink lots of water.” He handed her the glass.
Everyone looked at the door when it opened a moment later. Madam Pomfrey came in followed closely by Healer Derwent, who was carrying a pitcher of water. “I need to examine Miss Granger. If everyone would please leave us alone for a few minutes,” she said as she approached the bed.
“Mr Granger, Mrs Granger, would you like to go upstairs for a cup of tea?” Harry asked politely. Both nodded. After hugging Hermione, they followed behind Harry out of the room.
Who Am I? by mudbloodproud
Chapter Notes: I wish again to thank my wonderful beta, Lexi (Harry_Rulz). More chapters will be coming your way soon.
Everything you recognize in this story belongs to J. K. Rowling. I am just thankful to get to play in her world.