The Grangers watched as riders streaked around and little balls were hurtling about trying to hit the riders. The memory closed in on a hand outstretched for a small golden thing while the rider was plummeting toward the ground very fast. Just as the hand was about to close around the snitch, a Bludger forced the hand and rider to veer away.
Harry tapped the Pensieve and the image disappeared. "We won that game," He said with a smile as he looked at Jean and Richard again. "That was my hand of course," He explained. "I'm the seeker and I supposed to catch that little golden snitch."
"I know I wrote how well Harry plays Quidditch in my letters," Hermione added.
"It still looks a bit violent," Jean replied.
"It can be," Hermione replied. "But as long as Dobby's not trying to protect Harry, he makes it out of the game pretty well."
"Dobby?"
"That's a long story for another time," Harry replied. "Now this...this is the most beautiful sight I've ever seen at Hogwarts," He continued as he dropped another strand of silver into the basin. An enlarged image of Hermione dressed in her Periwinkle robes the night of the Yule Ball appeared. "Unfortunately I was too stupid to realize what she meant to me at the time."
"Yes you were," Miranda agreed. "But you're doing much better now."
Harry grinned at his wife before explaining. "Miranda agrees that I was a bit dense."
"Can we see Miranda?" Jean asked.
"Sure," Hermione replied and lifted her wand to her head. She frowned when nothing would come out. She tried again and again the memory would not come forth. A gentle chuckling in her mind gave her the answer to her frustration. "Uh...I guess not. I don't think we're allowed or at least unable to get those memories."
"You were in my realm, not the physical world. Your memories from there are not the same," Miranda explained.
"That's too bad," Jean replied.
They spent the next few hours sharing more of the happier memories at Hogwarts until finally when it was well past midnight, Harry stood. "I better get back to my room," He said.
"Is it really that late?" Jean asked as she looked at a clock. "We better get to bed as well. We both have appointments tomorrow."
Richard glanced at his bottle of scotch and realized how much he'd drunk. "I also think I'm not going to enjoy the hangover either," When the Pensieve and memories were packed away; Harry gave his wife a goodnight kiss that Richard tried to ignore. As they walked toward the door to the garage, Richard asked "Are you sure we shouldn't talk to your headmaster? I mean as concerned parents."
"No. It would do no good and might even cause harm," Harry replied.
"Why?"
"Because we know more than he thinks we do," Hermione explained. "And we might have said something or shown something to you tonight that might lead him to find that out."
"So what could he do?"
"Before I answer that, let me say that Dumbledore isn't a bad person at heart, but he believes himself infallible. He believes his way is the only way. Take me being here for example. If he knew we had those cabinets he'd have them removed regardless of our desires. He wants me locked away and even threatened to lock Hermione away."
"What?"
"When he found out Harry and I were magically married, he said I should stay where Harry is for the remainder of the summer so I'd be safe," Hermione explained. "I told him no. I'd lost too much time with you and I wasn't going to lose this summer."
"But if he knew I was moving about in the muggle world," Harry said, "He'd probably force us to stay there by any means necessary."
"He couldn't do that," Jean exclaimed. "We'd…"
"You could very easily have your memories altered so you forgot all about having a daughter," Harry interrupted.
"That isn't likely," Hermione added quickly as her own guilt at stealing her parents' memories rose in her mind. "Like I said, Dumbledore isn't bad or evil; he just believes that the end justifies the means when it comes to the Greater Good."
"And there's nothing that we could say that would stop you from going back there?" Richard asked almost pleadingly but the look in his daughter's eyes as she glanced at Harry Potter answered his question before she said a single word.
The Grangers laid awake well into early morning as they thought of what they'd seen and been told. Witnessing their daughter almost being killed by a troll and then seeing her appear all but dead when she was petrified took an enormous toll upon their souls.
"She'll be alright, won't she?" Jean asked her husband as he put his arm around her.
Silence hung in the night for several heartbeats before Richard answered. "We can only hope so," It was several more seconds before he spoke again. "I do think that she will be if Harry has anything to say about it."
"Harry? Not 'the boy' anymore?" Jean asked.
"No," Richard admitted as he thought of the giant serpent and the dragon the young man had faced. "If he gets my girl through all of this, I will gladly walk her down the aisle."
"Tell him that and someone would have to move heaven and earth to touch Hermione," Jean replied.
"Maybe I will," Richard murmured. "Maybe I will at that."
....
Join my P*atreon to enjoy 60+ advanced chapters.
Link: p*atreon.com/ScarletRosee (Remove the *)
Free members can get 2+ advanced chapters FOR FREE.