Standing in the Dursleys hallway, Hermione took a deep breath and tried to regain her composure, she did not want to frighten Harry before she even spoke to him. As soon as she was certain she was calm enough Hermione knocked the locks from the little door of the cupboard and as it swung open she saw Harry. He was lying unconscious on the now worn out blanket that Dumbledore had once wrapped him in.
After checking Harry's injuries Hermione decided to only heal his damaged ear drum for now, if it was left too long there was a chance that he would remain deaf in that ear even after a visit to St Mungo's.
Pulling Harry into the hallway Hermione heard the familiar crack of three people apparating into the garden; she suddenly found her self dodging spells that were being sent at her by three Aurors. Annoyed at their stupidity at casting spells without checking who they were endangering, Hermione retaliated, she froze two of the Aurors with her first three spells. She disarmed the third one with her fifth spell.
Storming out into the garden to face the fools who had risked injuring Harry further, she put a full body bind on the one Auror who had remained conscious.
"Damn idiot, who the hell trained you?" she yelled at the surprised man.
The Auror stuttered and stammered as he tried to answer her questions, but he was too shocked to actually make any sense.
"I'm here trying to rescue Harry Potter, you may have heard of him, you moron. You know who I mean, The Harry Potter, young boy, hero of the wizarding world, and you come along and nearly kill the boy," she yelled at him.
She would later come to think of the episode as rather funny, a little eleven year old girl yelling at a full grown wizard and scaring the pants off him.
Hermione suddenly remembered her age and had to think fast, she needed to get Harry to St Mungo's and she had to think of a way to cover up why an eleven year old Muggle born was able to perform spells that a sixth year at Hogwarts would have problems with. As she looked back in to the house at Harry and she remembered her last visit to the Dursley house when they had used polyjuice to fool the death eaters.
Taking a breath she thought 'oh well I'll never know if I don't try' . Turning to the Aurors she used her best bossy voice "Right I am going to set you free, and will you stop staring, have you never heard of 'polyjuice potion'. When I set you free you will take Harry to St Mungo's and you will stay with him, you will guard him with your life and if he isn't there when I arrive you will wish you had jumped in front of one of my less powerful spells, do you understand me," she yelled.
As the man nodded to her she added "And you will not, on the pain of death, let that moron Fudge who we have for a minister or any of his lackeys anywhere near the boy." Hermione waved her wand and the Auror was set free, she then revived the other two Aurors and together the three of them took Harry to the hospital.
Hermione left number four with Vernon out cold on the kitchen floor, Petunia petrified for the next hour and the front door wide open, she had some where else to visit and she vanished from the lawn.
Appearing out side Hogwarts Hermione rang the huge bell hanging from the school gate. It was not long before a huge man arrived to open the gate for her.
"Hello Hagrid, I'm here to see Albus," she said casually as though she did it every day.
Hagrid was surprised that the child knew him and he decided to take her up to the school to see Dumbledore. As they walked Hermione discussed various magical creatures with him, she touched on his love for dragons and she reminded him that taking dragon eggs from strangers was a bad idea because it lead to eggs being stolen leaving an unhappy mother dragon. By the time the dragon topic was over they had reached the gargoyle outside Dumbledore's office.
Hagrid went up first to see if the head master would see Hermione, when he came down he told her that Dumbledore was quite happy to meet her, and he then left her to go up the spiral stairs while he walked back down to his hut.
Hermione entered the office to be met by professor McGonagall and Albus Dumbledore. It did not take Hermione long to lose her temper with the headmaster. After she had told them about sending Harry to St Mungo's Dumbledore spoke. Just the words 'Harry must return' were enough, and Hermione knew exactly what he was about to say, before he even knew what was happening she had him locked firmly in a full body bind.
Albus Dumbledore supposed to be the most powerful wizard alive was totally shocked to find he could not break the bindings the girl had placed him in, nor could he counter the silencing charm she had put on him. It was the first time in over fifty years that he had been unable to free himself from such spells and he stared at Hermione in amazement.
"First Professor you can either help me or you can make your self an enemy of myself and my soul mate. I am taking Harry Potter home with me as soon as he is healed of the injuries caused by that gormless child beating Muggle you placed him with.
Hermione went on to tell the head master and Minerva of the cruelty that Harry had suffered thanks to Dumbledore's stupidity. She told them about the injuries that he had suffered that very day, and she ended with giving the head master the choice of helping place wards around her parents home if he could actually find it, or never seeing Harry again.
"Oh and those stupid blood wards you keep on about, the ones that are supposed to keep him safe. Well they don't work if the people he is with don't want him and they have no love for him, and they don't work if Harry doesn't think of the place as home, so you messed up on that idiot's idea you foolish old man.
Why the hell you never checked up on him I don't know, and don't even dare to tell me you did check on him because it may well be the very last thing you ever say," Hermione fumed at the staring head master who knew he had finally met someone far more powerful than he was.
Minerva looked at Hermione with a look of pride, "How did you learn so fast child?" she asked as Hermione seemed to be cooling down.
"Let's just say it was all heaven sent, and when it comes to protecting my soul mate, who happens to be Harry James Potter. Well I am willing to do anything it takes, and I mean 'anything'," Hermione replied.
Once Hermione had cooled down a little more and was able to see past her anger she decided she had had her say so she set Albus free. Then the three of them left the office by portkey on their way to St Mungo's hospital. They arrived at the hospital to find a really confused young boy who had three of the wizard world's security force standing guard over him. He had absolutely no idea what had happened to his aunt or uncle and no recollection of how he had arrived at the hospital.
While Minerva and Dumbledore explained to Harry that he was a famous wizard, Hermione looked around fondly at the part of the hospital they were in, recalling some of the incidents during her 100 years here as head healer. She then remembered some of her training years and the people she had started out with. Her biggest surprise had been when her other best friend Ron Weasley entered training with her although he failed dismally to become a healer or anything else for that matter, the man lived all his life failing.
'Maybe that's why I decided to marry him'she thought as she watched a memory of them both bumping into each other as they walked with their heads buried in a text book, 'Maybe I saw something in him that wasn't really there to see.' Well at least this time I shall know better.
Albus gave a small cough as he looked at the thoughtful, small, bushy haired, brown eyed, bundle of fiery witch. She was eleven years old, she had known about the magical world for just a few hours and she had already shown an amazing amount of power. It seemed as far as he could tell, that she didn't even have to know any spells or charms she seemed to just wish for something to happen point her wand let her magic go and quite simply it did happen. Add to that the fact she seemed to be a seer 'she was going to be one heck of a powerful witch when she is full grown', he thought.
Dumbledore's cough brought Hermione out of her memories; she looked up at the Aurors and told them they could go, giving the one she had questioned previously the task of reporting the cruelty of the Dursleys toward Harry Potter to the proper people.
She then turned her attention to Minerva. Having spoken to the deputy head out of Dumbledore's hearing, and eliciting a promise not to reveal her address to any one, especially the head master. She ended their conversation by telling the head mistress to be aware that Dumbledore was some kind of mind reader "I felt him poking around in my mind, but I quickly put a stop to that," Hermione said as they walked back to Harry's room.
Hermione asked the healer if Harry could leave, first the healer gave Hermione some potions that would correct the years of malnutrition and neglect Harry had suffered along with a list of previous injuries received, most of which had never received treatment. Hermione shoved the list violently into Dumbledore's face "Make a copy and memorise what you made Harry suffer you senile bloody fool," she yelled at him before she turned to Harry and then taking his hand in hers she said goodbye to the two professors. Dumbledore sat stunned as Hermione led Harry out of the door; they had nearly reached the main entrance when Dumbledore caught up with them.
"I will need to know where you are taking Mr Potter," he said as he tried to catch his breath.
"No that won't be necessary, a fool like you might be a liability," Hermione replied "if you can't find him then we don't need to worry about who ever you are hiding him from now do we, so you can just toddle off back to your school and keep your senile old nose out of our business."
With that Hermione still holding tight to Harry left the hospital, just three seconds after the door closed in Dumbledore's astonished face, with Harry held tight in her arms Hermione disapparated without a sound taking Harry with her.
Dumbledore marvelled again at the witch that had just vanished silently, it had taken him the best part of fifty years to be able to do that, 'she's already one heck of a powerful witch, I would love to have power like that. It must be how our first ancestors used magic before the time of spells and charms', he thought
Having arrived in a strange house with a strange girl who it seemed had rescued him from his uncle, Harry felt lost, disoriented, and a little afraid. He had no idea where he was or why he was there or how these things were possible; finally finding his voice he timidly asked what was going to happen to him now, and "Am I in trouble for something."
Hermione's heart went out to the little scared ten year old boy she had brought home with her, she knew first hand how brave he was, so to see him shaking a little in fear brought forward all the love she felt for him. She noticed there was a slight change to the love she had felt for him in heaven and she wondered if love was always magnified in that wonderful place.
She told him he was to be staying with her from now on, "You will sleep in my room until I am sure we are safe, mum and dad will be looking after us as well, and they are the exact opposites of your aunt and uncle."
When Hermione had finished talking her mother pulled her to one side "What on earth do you mean he will be sleeping in your room? He's a boy."
Hermione smiled "Mummy I know he's a boy, he's the boy I am going to marry and have my babies with, and we're going to be a family."
Helen Granger could not believe what her little girl was saying "Hermione you can't mean that, you're eleven years old for petes sake. You don't even know the lad, I mean look at him, he… he's… well just look at him."
Hermione stared at her mother for two whole minutes before she was calm enough to speak "Yes just look at him. A little terrified boy, who was beaten half to death today by an uncle ten times his size. A little boy who just spent two and a half hours in a magical hospital where healing a broken arm takes around twenty seconds. Just look at him, a half starved body in the thrown away clothes of his huge obese cousin. Yes Mum you should just look at him and then you should look at your self because I don't know who you are right now."
Hermione walked away from her mother and found Harry telling her father about the way the Dursleys treated him, and she was shocked. All through her other life Harry had so rarely spoken about his childhood, about the cruelty, he had only finally told her about it as he lay dying, just a couple of years before she herself became fatally ill.
Then she listened to her dad's answer, when for reasons she did not understand she saw a very pale thin beam of blue light form a connection between Harry and her dad.
Later Hermione was in the bathroom getting ready for bed when her mother knocked on the door and asked if she could come in. Hermione unlocked the door then went back to the sink to continue washing her face.
Helen Granger entered the bathroom and she felt guilty. Her little girl was doing the right thing, and all that she and Richard had taught her about helping people. Helen had seen only a little scruffy looking boy in her house, and in her daughter's heart. Now she felt bad for the way she had acted.
"Your dad really likes Harry, but then he always wanted you to have someone to play with, a little brother. Hermione love, what I said earlier, well I'm sorry, it's just so many things happening," Helen tried saying.
"Daddy always wanted a little boy, did you have something go wrong when you had me, is it my fault you only have one child?" Hermione asked sounding worried, she had never wondered before why she was an only child.
Helen paled before she answered "No dear we decided…" Helen looked down at the tiled floor, she felt more guilty than she ever had before. She had thought that allowing Richard to have the one child would be enough. She had hoped that the joy he got from their little girl would end his desire for a larger family but now she had seen him with Harry she felt guilty for not wanting to have children.
Hermione turned and stared at her mother, over 150 years as a healer had taught her many things and one of those things was when a wife did not want children. It was something she had been approached with many times as women begged to be sterilised just like the Muggles are.
"You never wanted me; you never wanted any children, that's why you don't want my Harry here isn't it?" Hermione accused "at least it's nice to know my father wanted me."
Hermione turned once again to the mirror and started to brush her teeth, "Oh look I fixed my teeth, I must be a better dentist than you," Hermione said wanting to hurt her mother for what she had revealed.
Richard Granger found his wife lying on their bed crying, he had no words of comfort as lying down with her he placed his arm around her waist. She would tell him what was wrong if and when she was ready too.
"I think I just lost my little girl, I don't think she loves me any more," Helen sobbed.
"What happened?" he asked gentleness in his voice.
"We were talking and it came out about me not wanting to have any children," she answered as more tears fell.
Richard had always expected his wife would regret her decision some day but he had never expected this and he did not know how to deal with it. He could still find no words of comfort to offer his wife. He had known that Hermione was a compromise because she had feared his desire to have children might take him away from her, so he just lay there with her in his arms.
When Hermione climbed into bed she looked over at Harry, he was almost asleep in the single bed she had conjured for him; she smiled and whispered good night.
"I like your dad Hermione, g'night," he answered as his eyes drifted closed; he had had a long day.
Hermione began to think about her mother, she was still furious with her. Not for not wanting children, that was her own decision. But Hermione knew from how her mother spoke that she had married dad before she told him she wanted no children. To Hermione that was almost an imprisonable crime, especially if her dad was anything like Harry. She remembered Harry had wanted a family for as long as she had known him, right from when they were eleven years old. She knew just how devastated Harry would be if that had happened to him.
Hermione fell asleep as she wondered if she should be any different with her father. Finally deciding she would just carry on showing him she loved him, she had a smile on her face when she remembered the connection she had seen between Harry and dad; 'dad has an adopted son now even if he doesn't know it yet'. with that thought she drifted off to sleep.