Blood

The Ritual

"Alright, Mr Potter, I need you to cut your palm and squeeze three drops of blood into the goblet... Miss Granger, now you do the same... Perfect. Now, I shall add in the bonding potion... Ah, Perfect... Now you may each take a drink from the goblet."

Harry and I glance at each other nervously before he lifts the goblet to his lips and chokes down a drink, quickly passing it off to me and trying not to gag. As soon as the smell hits my nose I know why he's having to force himself not to vomit, it smells truly vile. Like acid and copper. Taking a deep breath I lift the goblet to my lips and down the remainder of the potion in one thick gulp, flinching as the thickness of the liquid nearly chokes me.

"Now, repeat after me, Mr Potter... I, Lord Harry James Potter of the most Ancient and Noble house of Potter, do hereby extend the blood of my family and the wealth of my house to Miss Hermione Jean Granger."

Harry casts me a small smile before repeating after the goblin, both of us watching as a small gold ribbon begins to materialize in the hands of the creature.

"Now, you, Miss Granger. I, Hermione Jean Granger, do hereby accept the offer of Lord Harry James Potter to share the blood of his family and the wealth of his house."

Letting out a shaky breath I repeat after the goblin and watch as the gold ribbon turns from a shimmering mist into an actual piece of ribbon.

"Clasp you right hand in Mr Potter's left hand and extend them out in front of you."

Harry and I do as instructed and watch in fascination as he ties the gold ribbon around our interlaced hands.

"To finish the ritual, I'll need both of you to say the binding words. So mote it be."

Closing my eyes I squeeze Harry's hand and we both repeat after the goblin one last time, a blinding gold light overpowering the room the moment the words leave our lips.

"From this moment forward Hermione Granger has never and will never exist, instead, in her place, Hermione Jean Potter shall live and breathe. So mote it be."

The goblin says, reaching out to finally untie the ribbon from around our wrists. As soon as the ribbon floats to the ground it bursts into flames and white hot pain rushes through my body with such intensity I feel like I'm being ripped in two.

"Calm down, Mr Potter, that's just the Potter blood activating and taking over in her body. Once the pain stops she'll look much more the part of a Potter."

Along with the scorching pain I find my mind being filled with memories, I hear Harry hiss and assume that his mind is being invaded too.

"The transformation is nearly done, Mr Potter."

It's like somebody flips a switch inside of me and suddenly the pain is gone, completely gone.

"Take your sister to get keyed into the wards of your vault and then your business here today is done. Until next time, Mr Potter."

The goblin swiftly exits the room and leaves Harry and I to stare at each other in wonder... Each of us with a different reason. "Mione, you look... Well you look like me!" Harry exclaims rushing forward to embrace me. "Forget my appearance Harry, did you see the memories that came with my becoming a Potter?"

Harry laughs loudly and pushes me back to examine me again. "Vaguely, I didn't really catch anything in full." He shrugs before grabbing onto my hand and dragging me from the private room at the bank into the main lobby.

Approaching one of the desks he requests to be taken to the Potter vault as for his sister to be keyed in. The goblin sneers at both of us before leading us down to the our vault, grinning snidely as he asks Harry for his key.

After preforming a simple gemini charm Harry hands me a key and then the original to the goblin who growls at the use of magic. The goblin beckons me over and draws a dagger from his pocket, making a small cut on my finger tip.

He drags my hand forward and smears the blood down the door of the vault, watching with a smirk as the wards alter to recognize my presence in the Potter family.

As soon as I'm keyed into the wards the goblin drags Harry and I from the vaults and ushers us out the front doors of the bank, not wanting to have to deal with us anymore than he already had.

"Suppose we should be getting back to the Dursleys, it's getting rather late." Harry says, rubbing the back of his head slightly. "Why would I go to the Dursleys, Harry?" I ask with a raised eyebrow, not at all keen on the idea of staying with the Dursleys.

"Because you're a Potter, and unfortunately that means living with our wretched Aunt and Uncle."