THC/The Houses Competition
House:Gryffindor
Class:DADA
Prompt(s): [Introductory] Meeting someone/something for the first time. Introducing yourself/somebody/something. Re-introducing yourself. [Time/Day] 07:38 am. Friday.
Word Count: 1446
Summary: After the war Hermione tracked down her parents in Australia and restore their memoirs of her.
Title: Restoring Memories
Ever since Hermione was a little girl she dreamed of going to Australia, to see the Great Barrier Reef, to cruise the Kimberley. To be able to see two billion years of natural history, to get up close to the rocky shores, secluded beaches, ochre-cloured gorges, lush waterfalls and complex river systems. Australia offered you the chance to discover and learn about first nations history in the red centre, the spiritual heart of Australia. Hermione dreamed of being in the middle of the thirty six domes that make up Kata Tjuta, a place that had stood for twenty-two thousand years.
Hermione thought that watching a tiny turtle emerge from an egg and scamper into the sea at Queensland would be the experience of a lifetime.
She wanted to explore Melbourne Laneways, to be able to see the many colourful laneways of Melbourne's inner-city that offer up dozens of hidden small bars, local hole-in-the-wall cafes and restaurants.
Hermione always wanted to set foot on Kangaroo Island, which sits off the coast of South Australia. It was known as a nature lover's dream. It is one of the best places in Australia to see wild native animals such as koalas, kangaroos, sea lions and seals.
Ever since Hermione read about Australia in school she wanted to go. This was one of the many reasons she decided to send her parents there after she erased their memories of her existence to protect them from the war. She always thought that Australia was a beautiful place and if she had to send her parents away it would be to some amazing place.
Hermione cried herself to sleep for weeks at what she did, the thought that her parents would never remember her broke her heart but she knew it had to done. Her parents didn't have any magic to protect themselves with and she knew they would become targets. She knew that Death Eaters would torture them and that they would stop at nothing to find out where she went. She couldn't have her parents suffer for her; she couldn't let her parents suffer the fate of the Longbottoms.
While she was on the run with Ron and Harry she would spend the night imagining what her parents might have done during the day. She would imagine that they would sail the calm seas of Whitsunday Island and enjoy the beautiful scenery. She pictured her parents on the white sandy beach of Lucky Bar next to a kangaroo. She could see her parents snorkelling the Great Barrier Reef, swimming with unique marine life. Imagining the life that her parents might be living, It was the only thing that kept her going, knowing that her parents were safe until it was time to bring them home, which was today.
It was 7:38 A.M. on a Friday as Hermione made her way into a small coffee shop called Paramount Coffee Project, located on 80 Commonwealth St, Surrey Hills. The airy space of the coffee shop was inviting. Tall, color-daubed wooden doors lead to a light-filled, double-height space with a long counter bar, communal wooden tables, a mountainscape artwork, white-tiled walls and alfresco seats outside which was where Hermione found her parents seated.
Hermione's eyes filled with tears as she watched her parents have breakfast, a little chuckle escaping her lips as she watched her dad spill avocado toast on himself. As Hermione watched her mother grab one of the napkins from the table and helped her father clean himself up she was reminded of the days they would spend breakfast together.
Hermione would sit down at the table in front of freshly made blueberry pancakes her mother made; her father would ask her how her studies were coming. Though he understood very little of magic he would sit, listen, and ask her questions.
It was funny that it was the small things you miss the most. Hermione missed having tea with her parents, she missed the hugs and "I love you's". She missed having her mum yell at her because she left one of her books somewhere. Now that she was standing just a couple of feet away from her parents she was afraid. What if the spell for them to regain their memories didn't work? What if all those happy memories she has were just that, memories?
She couldn't think about that - she had to try. She promised herself that once it was safe she would track down her parents and give them their memories back; she couldn't turn back, not now.
She took out her wand, making sure that no eyes were on her from any onlookers. With a quick flick of her wrist she cast the spell, with all her hope hanging on one word "mementor" She watched a bright light surround her parents before slowly fading away into nothing. Hermione waited but soon became scared when there was no reaction to her spell. It was as if nothing had taken place.
With hesitation Hermione took a small step forward and then another and another until she found herself standing in front of her parents.
"I'm…" Hermione froze when she saw the confused faces of her parents, it was obvious by their expression that they didn't know who she was but with all of her strength she continued, telling herself that she needed to see it though. "I'm Hermione Granger, your daughter. I was born on the nineteenth of September in 1979. Dad, when I was home from school, every Sunday you would take me for ice cream. I would always get a chocolate, strawberry swirl and you would get double chocolate fudge and then complain that there was too much chocolate," Hermione explained. "On my sixth birthday you took me to a princess tea party and you told me that I would always be your little princess, no matter what."
Hermione then turned to her mum. "One night we were camping under the night sky and you told me to look up into the stars. You told me that the stars represent our desires, goals and even our true spirits. You also told me that the stars symbolized illuminating, clearness, faith and hope. You told me if I ever lost my way, I was to look into the stars because they would be able to show me the way. You always read Alice in Wonderland to me. It was one of my favorite books growing up. It still is. I would host tea parties for you and dad," Hermione cried, "Just like the Mad Hatter. When I got my Hogwarts letter you two were so proud of me. You didn't see me as different but someone who was special and when things started to get hard at school you made sure that I knew I was able to do anything because I was strong…because I was a Gryffindor."
Hermione cleared the tears from her eyes as she looked at her parents only to see two blank faces staring back at her…until…suddenly the recognition appeared in their eyes as if out of nowhere their memories came back in full.
"Hermione, sweetie!" Hermione's mother cried as she got up from her chair and wrapped her arms tightly around her daughter with Hermione's father following suit.
Hermione cried out in relief as she tightly hugged her parents back, afraid if she let go she would lose her parents all over again. "I'm so sorry I took your memories, I'm so sorry." Hermione cried. "I had to or they were going to hurt you. I couldn't let that happen, I couldn't let you suffer because of me…not because of me. I had to protect you, I couldn't let them hurt you. I had to…I had to," Hermione explained.
"It's alright sweetie," Hermione's father spoke softly. "It doesn't matter, all that matters is that you're here now, that you're safe," Hermione's father said, glad that he got his daughter back.
During his days in Australia he always felt like something was missing, as if he was missing a piece of himself but he could never figure out what it was. Remembering his daughter made him whole again.
Hermione sucked in a shaky breath as she nodded. "It's all over...he's gone and he's not coming back," Hermione said as she continued to hug her parents. After a year and a half on the run, a year and a half in believing that she will never see her mum and dad again, believing that she would be alone. She finally got her parents back and she wasn't planning on letting go any time soon.