Ch 9: Memories
Hogwarts, Present Day (Day 4)
Waiting for the headmistress in her office made Hermione feel nostalgic. Barring the red drapes with golden borders, tapestries depicting lush green valleys and frothing waterfalls, sweet fragrance from flowers in a porcelain vase and a ginger cat taking a nap on the table; the room still resembled Professor Dumbledore's office.
Due to Professor McGonagall's knack for dramatic entrances, Hermione had made sure that the cat on the table was not a tabby with square markings around its eyes. Once satisfied; she took to gently stroking its back. The animal however didn't seem to like it as it shot her an annoyed look, jumped off the table and left the room.
Just as its tail disappeared through the open door, the headmistress entered.
"Good afternoon Mrs. Granger. Please take a seat."
She gestured towards the chair opposite as she took her own seat and spoke again as soon as Hermione was settled.
"How may I help you?"
Hermione slightly flushed as she spoke;
"Good afternoon Professor. I have chanced upon the memories of a crucial witness regarding the Gringotts incident and was hoping to take a look into them through the Pensieve."
During the whole time she had been speaking, Hermione couldn't help feeling a little intimidated by Professor McGonagall's gaze. Her eyes seemed to pierce right through Hermione, another thing that reminded her of Professor Dumbledore.
Once Hermione was done speaking, Professor McGonagall calmly summoned a tray with a kettle and a pair of cups on it. Not once meeting Hermione's gaze, she poured tea into the cups and placed them on a saucer. Then, passing one over to Hermione, she asked calmly;
"Is Mr. Potter well?"
§§§
The shallow stone basin studded with stones looked the same as the last time she had seen it. The misty substance swirling in it looked neither liquid nor gas, much like the contents of the bottle Harry had given her. She uncorked the vial and emptied the blue misty memories into the white contents of the Pensieve and swirled it until she could see faint silhouettes form inside the mixture. She took a deep breath and immersed her head below the swirling white mist and felt it almost immediately. She had never gotten used to it; the sensation of falling one second and then being in someone else's memories the next. Harry said that he found it similar to Disapparation but she had always found it different and quite irritating.
Presently, she found herself walking behind Harry heading to breakfast. She could see James grinning at Harry and little Lily in her cradle. She saw Albus race out of the kitchen with a bewitched spoon gleefully. Behind him, Ginny appeared from the kitchen and summoned the spoon back to her. Before heading back she smiled warmly at Harry which made Hermione's heart sink. If she could only have brought that familiar smile back on her friend's face, if only she could somehow ease her pain…..
Quickly checking herself from getting carried away, she focused on following Harry.
After breakfast; Harry, along with Albus left for Diagon Alley. He had promised to buy Albus his new pet that day.
Albus hopped alongside his father; curious about every new thing he saw. He asked questions about everything. Harry answered his questions while smiling lovingly, probably remembering how amazed he had been on his first visit. They stopped by Weasley's Wizard Wheezes where a very cheerful George welcomed them. He chatted merrily with Harry while showing Albus all the new things he had come up with. As they went about the shop, a boy that looked very similar to Neville when Hermione had first met him accidently set off an Exploding Liquorice Stick ("For troublesome mates with a sweet tooth") and Albus couldn't stop laughing until Harry got it all off his face. The child looked horror-struck and apologized several times to Harry, who assured him it was all right and bought Chocolate Frogs for both the children.
After saying goodbye to George, they continued ahead. Next, they stopped for a while at Eeylops Owl Emporium and appeared with a snowy owl in a large cage. As Harry lugged the cage, a young man approached him.
He claimed to be Florean Fortescue's grandson and invited the both of them for ice-creams as Harry had once been a regular customer of Florean's.
Hermione was certain that this man was lying. For she had been to Diagon Alley just two days ago and was sure that Florean's Ice Cream Parlor was closed. In fact, it had been shut for twelve years!