Hermione Granger stood outside the door to her parents’ home, her hand poised over the door knocker. They weren’t expecting a visit from her, not this soon after the end of the school year. Hermione had planned to visit old friends after she turned 17, but those plans had changed drastically after last year. Now, everything was more urgent. She knew why she was here, she knew what she had to do, but still, Hermione was having trouble bringing herself to do it. Finally, she knocked.

A few moments later, her mother came to the door. “Hermione,” she cried, throwing her arms around her daughter, “I wasn’t expecting you to be here so soon.”

Hermione managed a smile. “I wasn’t planning to be here this early either, Mum. Can I come in?”

“Of course, of course,” Jane Granger said, opening the door wider. “We don’t have anything prepared, but I’ll make you a cup of tea. Would you like that ?’

“I’d love that,” Hermione murmured. She took a seat on the couch while her mother went into the kitchen. It always felt strange, being back here, after living at Hogwarts for most of the year. It had put a certain distance between them, the fact that Hermione was part of a world that, even though they tried to understand it, her parents could never truly be a part of. Regardless, Hermione still loved her parents, and that was why she had to do this. “Don’t cry, don’t, you can’t, not now,” Hermione muttered under her breath, wiping away a rogue tear before her mother came back into the room.

“Here’s some tea,” Jane said, placing it in front of her daughter.

“Thanks. Hey, could I talk to you and Dad both? I just have something…something I have to tell you.”

Jane frowned. “Are you alright?”

“Yeah, Mom, I’m fine. I just need to talk to you.”

“Alright. He’s in the study, I’ll go get him.”

A minute later, Adam Granger emerged, and sat down on the couch with his wife.

“Hermy,” he asked, using his old pet name for her, “What’s going on?”

“You remember Harry, don’t you? My friend from school?”

Her parents nodded.

“Well, he needs my help, and you need to be safe. You aren’t going to remember much of this, but just know, I love you, more than you can know, and..and..this is the hardest thing I’ve ever had to do.”

With that, Hermione raised her wand. Her hand was shaking slightly, but it stayed steady. “Petrificus Totalus, Petrificus Totalus” Both of her parents fell, paralyzed, with expressions of shock on their faces. From here, she would apparate them to Australia, where she would give them a new life, a new identity. Hopefully, they would never remember what their only daughter had done to them.

But, that could wait. Now, she allowed herself to cry. For a few minutes, Hermione sat, letting silent sobs shake her body. Then, she dried her face, picked herself up, and began the work of packing some of her parents’ things. The time for mourning the past was gone, if she ever wanted to see her future.