Well, I believe I picked up another follow/favourite after the last chapter so thank you to that person!

CHAPTER FIFTEEN: Making Enquiries

It was fifth year DADA class for the Gryffindors and Slytherins. Professor Souvren was making a long speech about defensive spells, assuring them they would get a chance to try them out eventually. "But first we have to make sure I don't accidentally kill you if you get it wrong,"he added. Everyone waited for him to laugh. He didn't.

Rose stuck up her hand. "Professor?"

Souvren turned to her. "Yes, Miss Weasley?"

"What about memory erasure spells?"

Albus exchanged glances with Scorpius. Both of them were aware that, understandably, Rose had a lot of unresolved issues over what had happened to her mother. All of them were hoping her condition could be reversed some day but Rose, typically, seemed to be becoming more and more obsessed with it.

Souvren looked at Rose cautiously. "That's not exactly dark arts, Miss Weasley. There are many examples of them being used for official purposes."

"Yes, I know, but they can be used illegally, can't they?"

"That is true, as we know with the case of Miss Creevey not so long ago."

"Then we need to defend against them."

"There are defences against that sort of spell, yes, if you know one's going to be cast. And I agree we should cover it."

Rose wasn't satisfied. "Yes, but what if one is cast on you? How do you reverse it?"

Souvren sighed. "I'm afraid that is a far more difficult question. There are examples of memories being retrieved when they have been hidden, often with ill effects for the sufferer. But if you're looking for a safe and sure way of restoring a person to what they once were, that is something that is not known to exist."

Harry sat on the couch at home, leafing through the Daily Prophet as though expecting some great clue to emerge. The problem had expanded beyond simply finding a treatment for Hermione. The attack on young Imelda meant that someone was still at large and still dangerous. Discovering that someone was now a priority, in addition to the search for the escaped Death Eaters who he was certain were involved somehow. Unfortunately, Slughorn had been quite right: A thorough check on both Marlon Fletcher and Crystella Mariotte had confirmed that they were exactly who they said they were and had no history or connection of dark magic. Thus, his only new lead was gone.

Hermione came into the room and then gave a scowl of annoyance. "Drat it, I left my hot chocolate in the kitchen." She whipped out her wand and pointed it in the direction. "Accio chocolate!" The mug flew through the air and into her hand.

Harry smiled at her admiringly. Times like this reminded him that to all intents and purposes he did have the old Hermione back. She was the same person in every way imaginable, missing memories or not. He would still leave no stone unturned to cure her but he knew his life with her would be happy whatever happened.

"You're really taking to that magic thing,"he remarked.

Hermione nodded with a smile. "Don't know how I managed without it." Her brain drifted back over the few months she could remember, hitting the blank wall at the end, and she sighed. "I really don't know how I managed without it."

Harry patted the sofa next to him. Hermione placed the mug gently on the table then cuddled up to him. "You managed fine,"Harry told her quietly.

"Well, you have to say that, you're my husband."

"Yes, I am."

Hermione smiled slightly. "I kind of like that."

It was the following morning that Harry and Hermione headed down to Hogwarts for the Quidditch game. Gryffindor's second game of the season was against Hufflepuff and everything was hanging in the balance. Ravenclaw had already defeated Hufflepuff heavily in their first game, then won a narrow victory over Slytherin to put them ahead in the championship. Gryffindor needed a victory to keep tabs on them.

Rose and Hugo were waiting in the stands as usual. Hugo ran to Hermione and gave her a hug that nearly bowled her off her feet. Hermione patted him awkwardly. "You're acting like you haven't seen me in years." She glanced over his head at her daughter. "Hi, Rose."

Rose smiled back awkwardly. "Hi, Mum."

Harry noticed a familiar face among the adults present. "Shouldn't you be in the Hufflepuff stand?"

Seamus grimaced. "That's what Hannah said. Two children. You'd think one of them would end up in Gryffindor. But no, they both end up in her house and they both end up on the Quidditch team. I was never on the Quidditch team."

Harry remembered Seamus trying out the year he'd been captain: He hadn't been hopeless by any means but neither had he been as good as the students that got on the team. He decided not to mention it.

Harry waved to James, Albus and Lily as they emerged with the rest of the team and was pleased when all of them waved back. Seamus' two children, Sean and Abby, were both Hufflepuff chasers. Sean was in the fourth year while Abby was two years younger than him, playing in her first season.

The game started and it quickly became clear the two sides were evenly matched. Lily, Angela and Natalie were making a brave assault on the goal but Hufflepuff's goalkeeper Martin McManus was as good as Damon and the two beaters, Greg Davis and David Williamson, were as strong as James and Martin when it came to using bludgers for defence. In addition, Sean, Abby and their fellow chaser, team captain Harry Stebbins, were keeping up a determined assault on the Gryffindor goal that meant Damon couldn't stop everything.

Hermione glanced at the scoreboard as Hufflepuff's latest goal was added, making it 50-50. Seamus gave a quiet cheer at Abby's first goal then looked around cautiously to make sure no-one had heard. "What's going to happen now?"Hermione asked.

"All up to the seekers,"Harry replied. It was clear that with the scores so even the catching of the snitch would decide the game. He glanced over at Albus.

Albus was circling the playing area carefully, relying on the team's beaters to keep bludgers away from him. His opposite number was Katie Zeller, who was in Lily's year. He wasn't exactly looking forward to having to get physical with a younger girl but sometimes the game called for it.

Albus spotted the snitch hovering right in the middle of the playing area and shot straight for it, trusting on the other players getting out of the way. The three Gryffindor chasers scattered to give him a clear run. Greg Davis aimed a bludger at him but James was ready for the tactic, redirecting the bludger so it shot straight across the path of Katie, who was trying to copy Albus' move, forcing her to swerve away. Albus' hand encircled the snitch and the scoreboard declared Gyffindor had won 200-60.

A great cheer went up from the Gryffindor crowd. Hermione grabbed Harry and kissed him on the lips.

Harry smiled. "I like it when we win."