When Sirius finished his narrative, everyone was silent. Richard and Jean looked at each other and then at the man in front them. They both tried to imagine what he'd been though and neither could truly succeed.
"Harry and I found Pettigrew sneaking around Hogwarts the day after everything happened at the Ministry," Hermione said. It wasn't entirely a lie since they had found him in the closet with Winky. "We were able to capture him and turn him over to the Ministry."
"So…how did you save Mr. Black's life?" Jean asked her daughter.
"It was at the end of my third year. The ministry wouldn't believe he was innocent, not without Pettigrew. Sirius was locked in a tower awaiting Dementors to arrive. Harry and I rode a Hippogriff to save him."
"But…but…you could have been arrested?"
"We had to dad, he was innocent," Hermione argued.
"And because he was Harry's godfather?" Jean asked with a raised eyebrow. "Even then you'd risk your life for him wouldn't you?"
"We were meant for each other," Hermione said. "I have and will do anything that I have to do to protect him."
"I know," Jean replied as she silently worried about what 'anything' might consist of.
"Anyway it's a lot of bad coming to end tomorrow," Sirius said. "I doubt Pettigrew's trial will last long. With him being the one who captured Harry so Voldemort could return…"
"What do you mean captured Harry?" Richard asked. "When did that happen?"
Hermione sighed. "Mum, dad there is a lot that's gone on and I promise I'll tell you everything if you want me to. Just realize that it will probably make you worry more than you'll already be worrying."
Richard looked at Sirius, "What about you? Are you comfortable with these kids fighting and killing people?"
"Do I wish my godson and Hermione as well as their friends didn't have to fight?" Sirius asked. "Of course, but I'd prefer them fighting over being killed without trying. Voldemort doesn't care about age. Heck he tried to kill Harry when he was one year old and has tried to kill him several times since and failed each time."
"But…"
"Don't underestimate Harry and Hermione," Sirius said. "Your daughter is as smart of a witch as I've ever seen and Harry…Harry is someone special."
"So I keep hearing," Richard muttered.
"Richard we're late," Jean said as she stood from her seat.
"I apologize again for my earlier prank," Sirius said as he held out his hand again to Richard.
"As long as you're house-trained," Richard replied.
Sirius grinned. "Well I am…as long as the Minister of Magic isn't in the room," He turned to Hermione. "Don't know if Harry told you, but Tonks snuck into Remus' room last night under an invisibility cloak. Trying to prove he wasn't a danger to her."
"He didn't smell her?"
"I helped with that," Sirius smirked. "Accidentally dropped some of that foul smelling potion used for joint pains. He wasn't smelling anything else all night."
"Remus Lupin," Jean said remembering the full name Sirius had used earlier. "Wait, didn't you have a Professor with that name last year or was it the year before?"
"That was him. It was our third year. We didn't know who he was or anything about Sirius or the Marauders at that time."
"Why would someone need to sit with him all night? Why would he be a danger to someone? Is he sick? Infectious? Is it something we can help with?"
"They don't know about his 'furry little problem'?" Sirius asked Hermione.
Hermione shook her head. As she gazed at her parents she bit upon her lower lip. Finally she sighed. "No mum, Professor Lupin is a werewolf."
"You don't mean a real…werewolf do you? Full moon and…and everything?" Jean asked as she sat back down. "That's it isn't it? Last night was a full moon."
"Yes, but…but mum he's the nicest man you could ever meet," Hermione replied. "And he was the best Defense professor we've had."
"But…but Sirius just said someone sat with him to prove…"
"That's the point Jean," Sirius said. "Maybe I shouldn't have brought this up, but it's better to get it all out since I did. Moony, that's Remus' nickname, Moony isn't dangerous as long as he takes a potion several days leading up to the full moon. He keeps his mind then and he'll just curl up and sleep."
"And if he doesn't?"
Sirius shrugged. "He will."
Jean and Richard stared at Sirius for several seconds and then moved their gaze to Hermione. "What else haven't you told us? Are there Vampires as well?"
Hermione nodded. "Yes, but I don't know any of them," This was technically a lie since she had met one at Slughorn's sixth year party. "There are also giants. I know a half-giant and again he's one of the nicest people I know. You've seen the Goblins at Gringotts and there are Leprechauns as well. I saw those at the Quidditch World cup."
"Why haven't…no never mind," Richard started and then answered his own question. "You were afraid we'd not allow you to go back if you told us wouldn't you?"
"I'm sorry but yes that's the reason."
"And you're going back no matter what we want?"
"We've already been through that," Hermione replied. "I'm a witch and that world is part of me."
"If I may add," Sirius spoke up. "It's not as dangerous as it sounds. You've only read muggle interpretation of the wizarding world. I would presume they like to glamorize the dangers. Werewolves are just wizards with a disease. For all but one night a month they go about their lives as best they can. In fact I'd bet sometime today or at least in the next week, you'll walk past a werewolf and not even realize it. Look for someone today who's pale and seems like he aches in every part of his body. He just might be one."
"It's even possible you have a werewolf as a patient," Hermione added. "Because of the biases of the Ministry of Magic, many of them live in the muggle world."
That caused the Grangers to both develop contemplative looks as each thought of their patients and if any of them seemed unusual.
"You'd never know it," Hermione said.
"So werewolves are okay, what about the rest?"
"Very few vampires live in this country," Sirius said. "But there are some that do. The ones who do live here keep to themselves mostly. They know if they attack people they would be hunted mercilessly. They might kill an animal every so often for fresh blood, but nothing much beyond that. Giants…well the full-blooded giants are aggressive and deadly. We don't have any giant colonies in the country anymore so unless they come across the channel they are not a problem. Besides, there are only about sixty or so left in the world."
Hermione decided not to tell her parents about Grawp or about the giants joining Voldemort. She'd seen the newspaper story about the wind storm that had struck the West Country and knew it had really been giants. She and Harry had been glad to see the destruction and loss of life had been very light compared to last time.
"Leprechauns are harmless enough unless you try to steal their gold," Sirius was still explaining. "And don't ever take any gold they offer you as payment. Within a couple of hours it will have vanished."
"Mum, you and dad need to go to your practice," Hermione said as she looked at her watch. "Harry's coming over this evening so we can discuss this further if you wish. I would just like to point out that whether I'm a witch or not, vampires, giant and dragons will still exist. Any non-magical person who hikes into a wrong valley can easily be killed by dragons or giants. Isn't it better that I know they exist and have the means to defend myself than to live in ignorance? Haven't you always told me how important knowledge is?"
Jean sighed as she exchanged another glance with her husband. They both turned back to Hermione and Richard was the one who answered. "Obviously you have a good point and we understand your reasons for not saying anything earlier, but we'd definitely like to discuss this later. We just need to understand."
"Dear," Jean said as she stood up from her chair and went over to her daughter. "We're worried we're losing you to the magical world. When you left us to go off to Hogwarts we thought you'd still be our Hermione, just able to do that magical stuff like the lady did. Now it's clear it's an entirely different world and sometimes we wonder if someday you're going to leave us and never come back. I mean how can we share in your life if we don't really know what your life is like?"
"I'll always come back," Hermione promised. "Harry will make sure of that. As for everything else, Harry and I will tell you what we can tonight."
Jean kissed her daughter on the cheek and pulled her into a hug. "That's all we can really ask for."
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