The Files
One day, she heard her parents talking. This wasn’t uncommon. What was so unusual was the topic they were discussing. They were talking about her. She had heard Professor Dumbledore’s name and decided to do something she hadn’t done in years. She eavesdropped on their conversation. “Do you think she suspects something?” her father asked. “I don’t know how she could. We’ve been so careful around her.” That was her mother. It was then that she heard a third voice, one she didn’t expect to hear during her summer vacation. “You both have said that she was acting differently, more reserved. Perhaps it may be because of everything that happened during the last school year? It was extremely trying for all of us.” Professor Dumbledore sounded like he was trying to convince himself that his statement was true. “Whether she knows or not, we should have a plan. I will monitor her at school. Just in case.” he added. Her father spoke again, “Well, as long as we keep the files in the safe, she’ll never know.” Hermione heard something close and assumed it was the safe they had mentioned. She heard the Professor leave and went back to her room. She didn’t know why, but something about that conversation set off her senses. Most would call her paranoid, but she knew something was wrong. She decided to find the files and go from there. She would need to act now, because she left for school soon.
Hermione waited until her parents left for work the next day. She spent nearly the entire morning searching for the safe. Finally she thought of her parents bedroom and searched there. She found the safe in their closet. Suddenly, she was glad that she knew wandless magic so well. A quick ‘Alohomora’ had the safe door opening and a few repeats of ‘Duplicare’ gave her copies of every file from the safe. When she was done, she placed the originals back into the safe like she had found them. Once she put the safe back, she took her duplicate files back to her room to read.
As Hermione read the files, she grew more concerned. Nearly every file was that of a dead or missing person. The police hadn’t found the person or people responsible for any of the murders. Hermione had an alarming thought. Either her parents -the people that raised her, who she had known her entire life- were MI5 or MI6 and she had missed it, or they were involved in these cases somehow. She loathed the thought of the latter, but given the unlikelihood of the former, this was the only other option she could think of.
Hermione went downstairs to the phone but paused. She wasn’t truly one hundred percent certain she was correct. She then decided to call her Uncle Abraxas. Correct or not, he would know the right thing to do. Abraxas was an old family friend and an inspector for the local police department. Finally he answered, "Inspector Blackwalsh," was all she heard. "Uncle Brax!" Was all she could get out before she heard her parents car pull into the driveway. "Hermione? What's wrong? Mia, talk to me." Abraxas said, trying to calm her down. He was worried. Hermione had never sounded so panicked, so lost. Not even when she had gotten lost in town when she was a toddler, had she sounded like this.
"Uncle Brax, I need you to come to the house! Please! I found something and I need your help." Hermione said in a rush. "What is it, Angel?" Asked Abraxas. "I can't tell you over the phone. Just come to the house, please! I have to go. Mom and Dad are home. I'll be in my room. Make something up. Just hurry!" Hermione hung up the phone and raced up to her room as her parents were coming through the door. Back in his office, Abraxas stood suddenly, causing his partner to jump up as well. "Is something wrong sir? Is your niece alright?" Asked Inspector Anderson. "I'm not sure. But we're going to her house to check anyway. She hung up when her parents got home. I hope this isn't a bad situation. Let's go."
As they pulled up to the house, Abraxas stopped Anderson from getting out. "We don't know what we're walking into here, John. This could be an anything goes situation. Because her parents might be the reason she's panicky, as far as they're concerned, I'm here to say goodbye before she leaves for school. You are to stay downstairs and monitor them while I talk to Hermione. Understood?" Anderson nodded at Abraxas. "Yes, sir. I understand." He said. They got out of the car and started towards the house.
As Abraxas moved to knock, the door opened. Alan Granger stood in the doorway with a wide smile on his face. "Abraxas! What a surprise! Emma said you might be stopping by to talk to Hermione." Alan led them into the kitchen. "Yes, I wanted to say goodbye before she left for school. Is she in her room?" Abraxas asked after he gave Emma a small hug. "Yes. She's probably studying again. You know we can never get her away from her books for long. See if you can get her down here will you? She almost bit my head off when I tried." Emma said while rolling her eyes. "I'll try." Abraxas said while starting up the stairs.
As Abraxas got close to Hermione's door, she opened it and dragged him inside before checking the hallway. Once she saw it was clear, she closed the door and ran towards him. She threw her arms around him and started crying. “Hey, it’s alright. You’re okay. Just talk to me.” Hermione looked at him and told him everything; from the overheard conversation, to the files. “I didn’t know what to do or what to think, so I called you.” Hermione finished. “Here. These are the files they had. I don’t want to think the worst of them, but… given the alternative.” she shrugged. Abraxas stared at Hermione for a moment. “You were right to call me. I can’t think of another reason for them to have these particular files. Give me a minute while I look at them.” He sat down at her desk and started reading. As Abraxas got to the end, he stopped at the second to last file, Hermione saw him stiffen. His hands were gripping her desk hard enough to split the wood.
“What’s wrong Uncle Brax?” asked Hermione. Abraxas turned towards Hermione, his eyes blazing with barely contained fury. “This file is on my parents. The Grangers were involved in the deaths of my family.” He said holding up a file. Hermione gasped in shock. “That’s not all. Hermione, the last file… it’s yours.”