A/N
Hi! I plan to keep the author's notes to a minimum here, but I just wanted to say a quick thank you for clicking on this story, and explain why I'm writing it.
I am writing and uploading one chapter a week, and if I finish the story faster I may update more frequently. I have not read the Harry Potter books in quite a long time, so some of my facts might not be 100 percent accurate, so I hope you will forgive me if I take some creative liberty. I am primarily writing this story to improve my creative/story writing abilities. Most of the my writing over the past ten years has centered around papers written for high school and then college course work, so I haven't written anything creatively in a long time.
I hope you enjoy this story!
Chapter One
Hermione's heart pounded in her chest and the blood rushed in her ears in such a way that she was afraid she would be unable to hear what Kingsley Shacklebolt had to say after he finished processing her three-year-old secret. Hermione had promised herself that if she made it out of the war she would ask for help in reversing her secret, but she had purposefully forgot about the part where she would have to admit to doing underage magic at 15 years old.
"You really erased your parents' memories between your fourth and fifth year?" Kingsley clarified with slightly raised eyebrows. All Hermione could do was nod as Kingsley shook his head, and took more time to think.
"I know you have to punish me somehow to make an example," Hermione said after a few more minutes of unbearable silence. "But please help me find a way to restore my parents' memories. I understand if you can't let me come back to Hogwarts, or if I have to give up my magic, or—"
Kingsley raised a hand and gave a small smile.
"Revoking your wand and keeping you from finishing your eighth year would be too strong of a punishment after all that has happened," Kingsley said gently. "I will meet with Professor McGonagall and let her find a better suited punishment. You will be around her the most, and she likely knows a punishment that will actually teach you something."
Hermione sighed in relief that she wasn't losing her magic or being expelled. She refused to dwell on what kind of punishment Professor McGonagall might come up with when it came to light that Hermione had performed such a spell on her parents in such a public place just three years prior.
Hermione spent a few more moments in Kingsley's office to confirm what she knew about the spell she had used to obliviate her parents' memories and where it was best to start to figure out the best way to counter the spell. Hermione had used a stronger obliviate than the standard one wizards and witches used on muggles just in case she hadn't made it out of the war to keep her parents from ever remembering her.
Once Hermione and Kingsley agreed on where to start—Kingsley would contact mind and memory specialists and Hermione would start her research at the Hogwarts library—Hermione left the Ministry and made her way to the apparition point.
Hermione arrived just outside the train station in Hogsmeade and saw Harry and Ron were already there waiting on her. She could hear the whistle of the train coming to a stop as she walked up to her two best friends that she had seen only hours ago.
When Hogwarts sent out letters offering the previous seventh years spots to complete the year as eighth years Hermione immediately knew she would be attending the school once again. But she was less sure about her two best friends. Harry and Ron had never been that interested in school, so she honestly thought they might try to use their war hero status to skip school and go straight into their careers as aurors. However, Kingsley determined that would not be the route for them. Kingsley and the head of the auror department promised Harry and Ron training positions as aurors as soon as they left Hogwarts as long as they completed their eighth with acceptable NEWTS. Harry and Ron hadn't been particularly happy to be forced into returning to school, but they also knew they both still wanted to be aurors.
"How'd your meeting with Kingsley go?" Harry asked while they waited for the rest of the students to pile themselves out of the Hogwarts Express. Hagrid's giant form and several groups of thestral pulled carts were coming into view from the direction of the magical school.
"It went fine," Hermione shrugged. She hadn't yet told the boys why she had to meet with Kingsley, and if she was lucky she wouldn't have to. The boys knew she had obliviated her parents, but they thought she had done it just before they went on the run last summer. She didn't want to deal with the pity, and maybe anger, the boys would feel if she told them she had forced herself into being a practically homeless orphan for the last few summer breaks and school holidays.
Hermione, Harry, and Ron greeted Hagrid when he appeared, and the half giant seemd unable to keep from giving them a bone crushing group hug and well wishes for a better school year. The trio loaded themselves into the first thestral pulled cart just as the other students came out of the station and began loading up themselves.
As they made their way to the school, Hermione couldn't help but stare at the creatures she was able to fully see for the first time in her life. It was amazing but sad to now be able to see the creatures that had taken her from the train station in Hogsmeade to the castle so many times. Hermione stared at the thestrals and wondered at the punishment she would face and what the school year might be like so soon after a war.
The sorting ceremony had been unusually quiet compared to all of the years prior, but really that was to be expected. So many of the students had been effected by the second wizarding war in some way or another, and the only students who seemed chatty and excited were the new first years.
None of the house tables were quite as crowded as normal. Some of the eighty year students had chosen not to come back, some students from all years had parents who had sent them to other wizarding schools for now, and still other students had died in the war that ended just a few months prior.
Hermione contemplated whether or not any of the deceased students might show up as ghosts while she pushed a potato around her plate. But she immediately brushed the thought aside. It was too morbid and sad to think about her former classmates roaming the halls of Hogwarts for the rest of eternity to become legends for future students.
Dinner reached its end, and Professor McGonagall rose from her headmistress position in the middle of the faculty table. Professor McGonagall appeared to clear her throat in preparation for projecting her voice.
"Now that dinner is done, I have a few important notes for the start of the year," Professor McGonagall started. "First, and as always, the forbidden forest is off limits unless you are accompanied by an adult as part of a lesson or detention. Secondly, no discrimination of any kind will be tolerated this year. There will be no second chances given. If you express hate towards any student based on their blood status whether they are muggle born or pureblooded you will be expelled and sent straight home."
Professor McGonagall looked around the room and appeared to try to make eye contact with several students, especially those at the Gryffindor and Slytherin tables.
"Lastly, all third year pureblood students will find revised class schedules on your beds tonight," McGonagall did not pause long enough for students to start grumbling yet. "Muggle studies has been made a required course for all pureblood students from third year through seventh year, and this year eighth years. Now, it is time to get some rest. First years please stay seated while the everyone else clears the great hall, and your prefects will lead you to your common rooms."
Hermione joined her group of friends as they made their way to the Gryffindor common room. She hadn't really expected to hear about her punishment tonight, but she was hoping she would so they knot in her stomach might go away. Hermione knew she would most likely receive a note from Professor McGonagall or be summoned to the headmistress's office sometime tomorrow, so for now she began to think about where she would begin her research to restore her parents' memories.
