Chapter 5: Hope and Memory

Harry (Damien) looked from Ron to the fainted Hermione to Christine back to Ron. He was extremely confused. He walked over to a chair and sat down rubbing his forehead. Ron laid Hermione on the couch but too shocked to do anything else. Christine walked over to the kitchen and got a warm washcloth and set it on Hermione's head. She sat next to her, hoping to revive her.

"Someone please explain what is going on here?" Harry (Damien) said angrily. Hermione then tired to sit up but she looked a little light-headed still. She looked at Harry (Damien) again and almost passed out once more. But Christine caught her and started to rub the washcloth all over her face.

"You're Harry Potter. That's who you really are. I don't know exactly what is going on here Damien but I guess you really aren't Damien." Christine said quietly. Ron couldn't say anything but he had a large smile on his face. He went up to hug Harry (Damien) but Harry (Damien) pulled back. He did not like the idea of being hugged by a stranger.

"Harry, it's me Ron. You're best friend." Harry (Damien) stared at him blankly. Ron was slightly confused and then looked to the girl he did not know. "Why doesn't he know who he is?" Ron said with some anger in his voice. He had spent years searching for Harry and this is not how Ron imagined his reunion would be.

"It's obvious isn't it?" Christine said to Ron. "He has lost all memory of being this Harry dude or whatever. For the last several months he has been Damien, the guy we mysteriously found on the beach." Christine said slowly to Ron. She then looked down at Hermione who was still lying on the couch.

"How about I make us some tea?" Christine said, her voice shaking slightly. It was the only thing that she could think to say or do. Ron nodded his head but he was looking at Hermione. Harry watched Christine as she made her way into the kitchen. In a moment she was joined by a rather confused looking Hermione. The cousins looked at each other and then looked away. Hermione waved her wand and tea appeared on the kitchen counter.

"Always showing off aren't we?" Christine said bitterly. Hermione glared at her but Christine was looking at the floor. "Well would like to make me a strong cup of coffee while you're at it?" She added with the same bitterness in her voice. Hermione rolled her eyes but obliged to the request. Christine smiled weakly when Hermione handed her a large cup of black coffee. Hermione then took the tray out to the living room and was soon followed by her cousin.

Harry, Ron, and Hermione each took a cup of tea and started drinking in complete silence. Harry kept looking at everyone with the same confused bewildered look on his face. Hermione was staring at the tea in her cup while Ron had become extremely interested in his shoelaces. The pounding silence rang in each one of their ears until a frustrated Christine could no longer take it.

She left the living room and headed into the kitchen. She thought it would be best to leave the three of them alone to talk things through. She could soon hear Ron talking but could not make out what he was saying. As Christine drank her coffee tears began to fall down her cheeks. The sudden realization that Harry (Damien) was going to leave her forever when he got his memory back.

"How can you still not remember anything?" Hermione shouted. "After all that we've told you, you still cannot remember anything?" Christine wiped the tears from her eyes just as Hermione stormed into the kitchen. Tears were falling from her eyes as she leaned up against the refrigerator. Christine said nothing to her cousin so she could let her calm down a bit.

It doesn't make any sense. You think he'd be able to remember something after all they told him. Unless he really took a hard hit to the head. Or…maybe it was tampered with. Those people can do those types of things… messing with minds, modifying memories. But why would someone want to do that? Unless he knew something he should not have. Christine thought to herself. It seemed that her mind was going through a whirlwind of thoughts.

"Not your storybook ending is it?" Christine said quietly. Hermione looked up at her with a scowl on her face before burying her face in her hands. "But you got your friend back right? You always get everything you ever wanted." There was a hint of sarcasm in Christine's voice. Hermione did not even look up at her cousin.

"Why are you still going on about this?" Hermione said through the tears.

"I'm surprised you even know what I'm talking about." Christine said harshly.

"Just because you didn't get a letter…" Hermione started but Christine cut her off.

"It wasn't about the letter." Christine said but she could bring herself to say what was really on her mind. For years she thought of what she might say when she saw Hermione for the first time in several years but of course she couldn't bring herself to come down on Hermione right now. But it didn't matter anyways because Christine was too focused on Harry (Damien).

"He has no idea who he is or where he came from. All he can remember is being this Damien guy!" Christine looked at her harshly. Hermione's voice was now shaking with anger again. "You must have done this too him!" Christine was now glaring hard down on her cousin.

"Yeah well why would I do something like that?"

"For revenge… I dunno. We told him everything, showed him pictures, and he still can't remember!"

"Well he must have taken a hit to the head or something because I did nothing to him. He was washed up on the beach when I found him. He was shipwrecked or something. Just give him time, he'll come around. Everything always seems to go your way anyways." Christine muttered the last part under her breath. Hermione was still looking at her cousin.

"Yes well I certainly hope so." There was a long pause in which Hermione took the chance to blow her nose. Christine looked around the kitchen for a moment. Neither cousin spoke to the other and the silence went on for what seemed like hours. Hermione was looking at the tiled floor while Christine was busy looking at the ceiling. Finally Christine could not longer take the silence and so she spoke up.

"Did you ever consider that he didn't hit his head?"

"What are you babbling about now?" Hermione said in a harsh tone. It seemed that she liked it best when Christine was silent.

"Well it's just a possibility that maybe someone damaged his memory permanently. I mean you guys can do that right? I dunno who would want to do such a thing but it is a possibility isn't it?" Hermione just looked at Christine for the idea had not crossed her mind until now. But of course she did not have a long time to process the entirety of the circumstances.

"It is a possibility yes. But I don't see who could have done it?"

"Well unless you were with Da- I mean Harry the entire time then it is very possible that you didn't see them do anything. If you want to solve any part of this mystery I think it would be best if each of you told me your part of the story... unless you think I won't be of any help." She said sarcastically. Hermione narrowed her eyes at Christine and made to head out of the kitchen. Christine followed her slowly.

When they both retreated back to the living room Hermione told them what Christine had mentioned about a memory charm. Hermione then proceeded to tell her all she remembered of that fateful day upon that mountain. Ron, with some reluctance told his side of the story as well. Harry then told all he could remember from the night he found himself in the village with Eliza and Henry Burden. Christine could see that many of the pieces of the story were missing and with Harry's memory gone she knew that they would be harder to uncover.

"Harry... I wanted to ask you earlier.." Ron started after a long hour of story telling , "well you see Hermione and I are getting married at the end of June and since well you were... I mean are my best friend... I was wondering if you'd be my best man?" Ron went through this all very fast and so it was hard to make out what he was saying. "Sure thing mate." Harry replied Christine looked at Hermione. It was news to her that Hermione was getting married. Of course Hermione had always been reluctant to pass on information to her cousin ever since their last meeting. Christine forced a smile at Hermione, trying to convey that she was actually happy about Hermione getting married.

"So did that wedding invitation just get lost in the mail? Or did that owl of yours somehow deliver it to the wrong person. I don't know how fast owl post is compared to UPS or whatever." Christine said with a touch of bitterness in her voice. Hermione just looked at her, wondering how to respond. Christine looked into her cousin's eyes trying to see if their was sincerity in her face.

"Christine will you just give it a rest?"

"Whatever you say princess." Hermione and Christine did not speak to each other the rest of the night.