Home At Last

A Much Needed Conversation

"We need to talk..." Harry said.

Hermione frowned, she grabbed her bookmark and set the book aside once her page was marked. "Harry? This seems serious, what's wrong?"

Harry heaved out a breath, "I- I.."

Harry was cut off as a door to the right suddenly burst open to reveal Hermione's parents, worried and frantic.

"Who is this boy, darling?" Hermione's mother questioned, eyes narrowing on the slightly familiar figure. " Hermione's dad stepped into the room with suspicious eyes, lifting up a fire iron rather threateningly. ("Dad!" Hermione protested in a mix of irritation and secondhand shame.)

"I'm Harry, Hermione's friend from school, I need her help with fi- something." He rushed, hands going up on either side of his head.

"And it couldn't wait until your next year?" He asked skeptically.

"I'm afraid I will lose any chance of finding my real family if I'd waited till the next year. Dumbledore would find a way to clear my memory of my new knowledge or something like that." He shared solemnly. It was more than he should have said, but there was no taking it back now.

His eyes softened and took on a hint of curiosity. "How are you so sure Hermione will be able to help you? How are you sure she even will help you?"

Harry held eye contact with his best friend's father, "If anyone can do it, it's Hogwarts' top student. And she'd do it because she's my best friend since first year."

Mr. Granger returned the fire iron to it's place. "You're Harry Potter, aren't you." He stated more than asked.

"Erm....sort of?" Harry tried before shaking his head and starting over. "I am who everyone thought was Harry Potter. You see, today's my birthday and since I've turned sixteen, I came into my Inheritance. A wizard always does so at sixteen. This is when wizards with creature blood can finally realize the prescience of their creatures and figure out exactly what creature they are. Anyway, during my Inheritance, I learned that the Potters weren't my real parents and that I was stolen from my birth parents by Dumbledore. Hermione sent me a book on creatures as a birthday present and she and Ron haven't trusted Dumbledore in a while..., which is what led me to believe I can go to her for help in this."

Hermione gasped. "You've finally figured it out, haven't you?" A slow grin spread across Harry's face at those words, "So you can help me?"

Hermione laughed, throwing herself at her friend and brought him into a tight embrace. "Of course! You won't believe what my Inheritance revealed to me about my family! Although..., I must warn you, neither Ron nor I know the whole truth. I mean, we only pieced together Dumbledore's true motives a few months ago."

She pulled away and frowned thoughtfully, she stood up and pulled Harry up with her. "Come on, let's compare our Inheritance papers, maybe we can piece together a little more of this puzzle."

As Hermione dragged harry towards her room, her mum (who's name Harry had shamefully forgotten) called after them, "Would the two of you like some snacks?"

Harry paused and turned, sending Hermione's mother a gentle smile, "That would be amazing, thanks!"

When they walked into Hermione's room, Harry took a minute to let his eyes roam around the pictures hung on the walls, the trinkets and trophies placed on the desk opposite the bed and the books that were placed on the large bookshelf. This was definitely Hermione's room.

His best friend - well, female best friend - seated herself on the bed, folding her legs and pulling out a roll of parchment from the bedside table. "My Inheritance papers." she provided, noting Harry's questioning look. Harry mouthed an 'Oh!' of understanding and nodded his head, eager to see the brunette's results.