Her mind drifted to the brass jewelry box in her old bedroom as she followed Narcissa into the drawing room. Swallowing, she gripped her leather pouch in one hand, and took Narcissa's in the other. She had everything she needed.

They'd no sooner taken a stiff seat on the sofa then the door opened, and two goblins in waistcoats and trousers filed in, following Hix. One was focused on his pocket watch attached to a golden chain; the other was thinner with a pair of specs.

Narcissa stood and bowed her head. "Welcome. Would you like to sit?"

"No," the thin one croaked. He had puffs of white hair growing from his ears. "Boggleben?"

The other — Boggleben, presumably — waddled forward and dropped a thick folio of aging leather onto the coffee table. He dragged his forefinger down the spine, and it fell open.

"Lucius Malfoy III is dead." Boggleben stated it, but still looked to Narcissa for confirmation.

Narcissa rolled back her shoulders. "Yes. On 24 May."

Boggleben nodded and gave Hix a stern look until he jumped and exited the room. He cleared his throat and stood to the side. "Gnarland will begin proceedings."

Gnarland clasped his stubby hands and said, "As Lucius Malfoy III has passed on, it is incumbent upon Gringotts to ensure that the Wiltshire Manor, along with his remaining estates, properties, and assets, are properly transferred to his named heir in his family line. His next of kin."

Hermione's tongue felt thick in her throat. How could Dolohov's distant relative be Lucius's next of kin? She stole a glance to Narcissa, who was trying to mask her confusion.

Narcissa's voice shook once as she said, "Thank you, Gnarland. And Lucius's next of kin is... who in your records?"

Gnarland peered down at the paperwork. "This estate passes to his daughter. A Miss Hermione M— Granger."

She felt like she was made of stone. There was a ringing in her ears.

Narcissa was still. "Oh?"

Gnarland wobbled to the folio and began gathering documents. "Yes. Gringotts was notified of a new Malfoy during the early hours of 26 July 1998. As the child was said to be—19, we penned a letter to Lucius Malfoy III seeking additional confirmation. On 26 July at mid-day, we received his affirmation using his personal magical seal."

Narcissa's mouth fell open as she took the offered letter. Hermione looked over her shoulder, finding Lucius's elegant scrawl confirming the legitimacy of Hermione Jean Granger as his blood heir.

She blinked several times, her mind spinning in a thousand directions. "Lucius Malfoy told you that he — fathered me?"

Boggleben scoffed. "No. We wrote to him, seeking confirmation. Our books are magically binding. One cannot just create a blood heir out of the ether."

Gnarland mumbled something that sounded like, "Highly irregular."

The letter drifted from Narcissa's fingertips.

Hermione's mind spun. 26 July — after Dover Beach, but before Switzerland.

Before Harry's birthday, but after the first night at Edinburgh.

A flicker of memory shocked her like an electrical current. A flash of a blade slicing a line over her heart. Narcissa's fingers brushing water against her eyes and lips.