Author's Note:

SORRY. Six months... that was unexpected.

For those of you still hanging on, I hope you enjoy this update and I promise more to this story, and all my others, are on the way.

Thank you for your wonderful patience. 3

This is a VERY short chapter as I'm just getting that muse back in action, but I do have a few in progress to look forward to so please hang in there with me!

With Hermione safely asleep, with absolutely no chance of waking, Severus sent a patronus to Tom and Lucius, letting them know he was ready to begin the process of removing the magical blocks and barriers that had been placed upon his daughter.

He settled into a chair by the fire to wait, his head hanging against his chest as he pondered the circumstances that led him to where he now was. Nearly ten years spent looking for his daughter, only to find out she'd been hidden from him by a man he thought he could trust. He knew better but didn't think that Dumbledore would have stooped so low.

Within a matter of minutes, Lucius and Tom arrived, and the three men circled around the four poster canopy bed, preparing themselves for what was sure to be an exhausting amount of spellwork.

"The process can take anywhere from an hour to ten hours, depending on how tightly her core is weaved into the blocks placed upon her," Tom explained, "And once the blocks are removed, Dumbledore will be aware of what you've done. This level of blood magic will be tied to his own magic and he'll feel the change."

Severus nodded, understanding that his life was about to irreversibly change forever. He'd never step foot in Hogwarts as a teacher again, at least as long as Dumbledore stood as Headmaster.

"We've received several owls over the course of the evening regarding the two missing Hogwarts students. Once this is complete, Dumbledore will assume they are here," Lucius said, "Narcissa and I have activated the war wards, and she is writing a missive to the Auror department to be sent once we remove the blocks. It is doubtful that anything will come of it, but if we can report Dumbledore's actions, it may be a step to dethroning him in the future."

"We will begin by highlighting her magical core. It will glow in several different colors. You will see any bonds as well, during this time. Red bonds will connect her to magical family members. We know at least one will connect to Severus. Green bonds are any sort of life debt. She may have one with Professor McGonagall as she did assist in saving her life after the attack," Tom explained, "Gold bonds are incredibly rare but are a soul bond. These are highly personal and we would not expose them under any circumstances, except this kind of blood magic Dumbledore has used can tie itself to bond mates through her. We must ensure we remove it all."

Tom whirled his wand above Hermione, casting silently as the room began to light up in a whirlwind of colors.

Cages and locks thrummed and sparkled above Hermione, blocks placed on her magic and casting. Deep indigo, reds, and blues all swirled together to create what looked like a massive puzzle, waiting to be unraveled.

A red thread stretched between Severus and Hermione, from her heart directly to his chest. A green thread spun slowly out, reaching beyond the room and out into the world. Minerva, Severus guessed.

And slowly, two gold threads spiraled from Hermione's chest.

"Two," Lucius whispered, "That's unheard of."

Severus felt his knees shaking as he slowly began to understand that this little girl, his eleven-year-old daughter, had two soulmates in the world. Soulmates she'd never know about if they couldn't successfully remove the blocks.

One gold thread weaved through the window, heading out over the fields surrounding the manor and beyond. The other lingered in the room before rushing through the door into the hall.

Severus furrowed his brow, confusion upon his face. "Where is it going?" he asked.

"Lucius", Tom said, "Please follow that bond thread. If it's someone in the home, we must try to have them assist in the casting to remove the blocks. The connection will bolster her strength and ability to fight the blocks."

Lucius nodded, striding out of the room.

"Having a bondmate is a blessing, Severus", Tom laughed lightly, looking at the man across from him who was currently wearing an incredibly distraught look upon his face.

"It's probably Potter." Severus groaned. "Of all the people... and she has two? How has her magic supported two soul bonds with all the barriers placed upon her? She should be dead from the strain of it."

"She will be powerful, there is no doubt, but it is likely that she's drawn strength from her bondmates throughout her life. They will not likely feel it until they reach adulthood. If her bondmate is a child, they will not understand the feeling of their own magic bolstering hers in periods of need. If either of her mates is an adult -"

Severus choked, glaring at Tom.

"Oh come on now, we know it's a possibility. We cannot control who a soul bond picks. You may be relieved to know that the largest age difference in a recorded soul bond is 47 years and they didn't even meet until the younger was in his thirties." Tom said, "We have bigger things to worry about now."

Nearly thirty minutes later, a soft knock on the door jolted Severus from his thoughts.

Narcissa stepped into the room, poised and as well put together as ever, but with tear stains on her face.

"Severus," she said gently, placing a hand on his arm, "The bond is to my son. We've explained the situation and he's eager to help, despite the differences the two encountered at Hogwarts. He has been raised knowing he has a bond mate. We found out when he was just a baby, a mediwitch in training cast the spell in front of us."

Severus sighed, placing his hand over hers in a gesture of comfort.

"He has been cruel, to her." He said, "But, he is just a boy. We will need him. Please send him in with Lucius."