Hermione Riddle

Chapter 17

Harry slumped back in his seat in a daze, and Severus looked over to him. "So you are my father?" Harry looked over to Severus and suddenly clutched his head as memories started coming back to him. "I-I remember, that night, they took me. The Aurors came and took me away, I wasn't dying, I felt no pain. Some how I was hit with a spell in order to make my symptoms look like I was dying. Then Dumbledore pointed his wand at me. I don't remember anything else. I remember my mother. She brought me to you that night and told me all about you." Harry looked conflicted then stared down at his lap. "You were supposed to raise me, not the Dursley's. Hell they should have never had me anyway, I was supposed to go to you, Sirius, or the Longbottoms. I was never supposed to be left with Petunia." Harry clenched his fists and stood, pacing in front of fireplace.

"Harry, calm down, we will make this right. You are here now and we will protect you, you will never have to go back there, and if you do not wish to go back to Hogwarts we will not send you back their either. You could study here and we could teach you. I know Minerva has been wanting to leave Hogwarts, she could tutor you as well. We have many options and have many people on our side, and with the information we have now, we have enough reason to get more people to defect to our side." Severus looked over to Tom and he nodded. Tom left the room to go wake Hermione and Severus stood, placing an arm out to Harry. "Come here." Harry almost bowled him over in a hug and Severus chuckled.

"Mum always said you were a good man, that you were brave and smart, she never had an unkind thing to say about you. But why did you have to act as if you hated me, if you and Lily and James were such good friends.?" Harry looked up at Severus and Severus sighed. "Wait, so when Lily and James were murdered you did not know it was me then?" Harry looked dumbfounded.

"When I took you to St. Mungo's I thought you had died there, I did not know they had taken you. So when James and Lily were murdered and they took you again I thought you were Lily's child. Dumbledore must have changed some of our memories or used something. Because I remember you being born. I had to hate you as you went through school because I needed Dumbledore to think I was taking out my anger over James not staying on the side of the Order, and getting Lily killed. He does not know where my true loyalties lie, he merely thinks he does. Does that make any more sense?" Severus led him over to the couch and they sat down near each other. Harry nodded and looked over to Hermione's door, Severus was sure Tom was explaining everything the best he could and allowing her to read the reports. Just as Severus turned back around Hermione shot out of the room and engulfed Harry in a hug.

"Harry I am so sorry!" She started to cry and Severus noticed ice starting to form on things near her. Harry's teeth began to chatter and he looked towards Severus for help.

"Hermione I think you are freezing the boy to death." Severus chuckled and Tom started outright laughing at the two of them, Harry was starting to look blue in places. Hermione's head shot up to look at him and she closed her eyes, her hands began to turn red and she placed them where she had been touching him moments ago.

"Better?" She smiled sheepishly and Harry mock glared at her. "Sorry." She offered before giggling at him. "I swear after this is all done with we will take a potion to deage you and let you have a proper childhood for a week, you can call me Aunt Mione." She smirked at him and Harry pushed her off of him.

"Smart ass." He smiled and looked over to Tom. "What do you need me to do?" His featured steeled over into a mask that Severus was secretly proud of and Tom sat in the chair across from them as Hermione took a seat next to Harry.

"Here is a list of things we need to discuss." Tom handed Hermione and Harry the list and they quickly read over it. "We need to teach you how to defend against him, whether that be with a wand or in your own mind. Severus and I will teach you Occlumency and spells. I have a few friends that will be able to help as well. For now, Severus will give you a potion you must take a teaspoon of it every morning you wake up until you can keep Severus out of your head. If you can keep him out then you above anything else we can teach you." Tom looked over to Severus inclining his head, silently asking if there was anything he wanted to add.

"As I explained earlier, if you do not wish to return to Hogwarts, there are always other options and ways around it. There are private tutors, myself, Tom, and the library are at your disposal. You can sit the exams at a public sitting, and possibly go on to Apprentice if you would wish." Severus waited for the information to sink in before continuing. "I would suggest finishing out the year at least, talking to a few people you think can be trusted trying to see who will go against Dumbledore. There is also the fact that we do not go on killing sprees against muggles, muggle-borns, or people who would go against us. We have no hate towards them either. We simply do not want to be persecuted by them for having or magic." Harry nodded in agreement and grasped Hermione's hand, but he still had questions.

"What about Draco and his father then? Why have they been so hateful towards Hermione, calling her that." Everyone knew what word he meant, he didn't even have to say it.