I Will Remember You

First Stage: The Burrow

Hermione suddenly stopped and looked at the starry sky. She thought that she has never seen such a beautiful sky. There were no clouds, and the stars lightened the path.

She felt a hand on her shoulder and closed her eyes.

"Are you ok?" asked Harry, concerned.

"Yes, I am," she answered, smiling and turning her head to face him. "I've never felt better. The stars are so bright tonight."

Harry nodded and looked at the sky. "They are," he murmured. Then he lowered his eyes and looked at Hermione again. "Are you tired?"

Hermione shook her head. "No. On the contrary, I think I can go on walking all night," she answered, looking Harry in his eyes.

Harry smiled. "Let's go, then."

"How long do you think it will take us to get to that place?" asked Hermione, walking next to Harry.

"I don't know, I've never gone there in this way," said Harry matter-of-factly.

"No?" asked Hermione, surprised. "What did you use then?"

"Floo Network."

"Oh, that weird way of traveling with fireplaces? Why aren't we using it right now?" asked Hermione thoughtfully.

"Because there is no longer a fireplace at the Burrow. And even if there was, the Ministry would not have connected the chimney of an abandoned house to the Floo Network," said Harry, feeling bad at the thought that the Burrow was now deserted.

Hermione nodded and she suddenly realized something. "Hey, if you have never gone this way, how do you know that this is the right path?"

At that very moment they reached a bifurcation. Harry pointed at the signals. "Look," he said at Hermione, "we are following the street for Ottery St. Catchpole. That's our destination."

"That place is there?"

Harry looked at her. "Will you do me favor? Will you please stop call it 'that place'? It's the Burrow," he said a little bit more rudely than he intended.

Hermione lowered her eyes. "I'm sorry," she whispered. "I'm really sorry."

Harry felt terribly guilty. "No, Hermione, listen. I'm sorry, ok? You didn't remember the name of that place and I didn't tell you that. I just didn't mean to be so harsh."

"It's ok," said Hermione, looking into his eyes, and then smiling unexpectedly. "So, is the Burrow in Ottery St. Catchpole?" she asked, paying attention to every word.

"It is," said Harry, taking the direction that the signal pointed. "Or better, it almost is. It's near the village, to the south."

"Hmm . . . I think that you should tell me a little bit about it," said Hermione matter-of-factly.

"What?" asked Harry, surprised. "I mean, why?"

Hermione raised her eyebrows. "Because I don't even remember the name of the place, how is it supposed to help me with my memory?" she asked sweetly.

Harry sighed. "You are right, Hermione. And you don't have to think that I don't want to tell you these things because I think that they are unimportant. It's just that it's hard to talk about them for me. It's too early."

"Harry, maybe what you need is talking about these things," said Hermione sympathetically.

Harry seemed to think about what Hermione said. "Maybe," he muttered.

"Harry, please," said Hermione imploringly. "I need to know these things. And you need to talk and be listened."

Harry nodded, but he remained silent.

Hermione was walking on his left and kept looking at him. But she didn't want to force him into something that made him feel bad. They reached another bifurcation where they had to turn left finding themselves in open country.

"Hermione, what do you want to know?" Harry asked her so abruptly that it took her a little while for understanding the meaning of his words.

"What do I want to know?" she repeated uncertainly.

Harry nodded. "Yeah. About the Burrow."

"Well, I would like to know everything, but I think that you can start talking about what it is," she said, after thinking a bit.

Harry took a long breath. "It's a house, or better it was a house. Now it's a leftover."

"Who lived there?" asked Hermione interested.

"The Weasley Family," said Harry, feeling a pain near to his heart.

Hermione looked at him; he didn't seem he wanted to go on talking.

"How am I related to the Weasley family?" Then she understood something. "Am I a Weasley?"

"What?" asked Harry, bemused. "No, no. How did you come to this?"

Hermione shook her shoulders. "I simply don't understand why we are going there. I thought that maybe it was my house."

Harry looked at her realizing something. "Hermione, by chance, did I forget to tell you your surname?"

Hermione nodded. "Yes, you did."

"Well, it's Granger. And you are no way related with the Weasleys. Actually you are a Muggleborn," said Harry seriously.

"I am what?" she asked thoughtfully. "Is it something bad?"

"No, it's not. It just means that your parents were Muggles."

"Muggles?" asked Hermione, becoming more puzzled with every minute.

"Non-magical people. But you are a witch, I can assure that," said Harry, smiling widely.

Hermione nodded and smiled back, "But then I don't understand how I'm related to the Weasleys."

Harry sighed. "Well, we have spent some wonderful summers at the Burrow. We were best friends with Ron Weasley."

Hermione nodded at every single word.

"We have been friends since our first year in Hogwarts," said Harry.

"Hogwarts?"

"Hogwarts was our school; we spent there seven years in there."

"Seven years? Seems pretty important for my memory," said Hermione thoughtfully.

"Yes, it is. It's on our 'Places to Go' list, don't worry," said Harry, smiling.

"That sounds interesting, but now I would like to know something more about the Weasleys and Ron in particular, if you don't mind too much," said Hermione, lowering her voice.

"No, it's ok. Well, let's start from the beginning then."

The hours passed by and Hermione listened, addicted to Harry. He told her how they met on the Hogwarts Express, how he saved Ginny Weasley from the Chamber of Secrets, and, naturally, of Voldemort, and how Ron was disappointed when she went to the Yule Ball with Viktor Krum. Harry spoke about everything that was worth telling her about the Weasleys.

"After our graduation we went to work to the Ministry of Magic," continued Harry. "We worked in the Auror Headquarters; we were all Aurors. Ron, you and I. Ginny joined us a year later, too," said Harry.

Hermione noticed a strange thing. When Harry talked about that Weasley girl, he became sadder. Even sadder than when he named Ron Weasley, who was supposed to be his best friend.

"Did you like her?" she asked him, cutting off his speech.

"What?" asked Harry, taken aback.

"Did you like Ginny Weasley?" she asked again. She feared the answer without knowing why.

"Well, we were very close. We have been together a couple of times, when we were in our sixth year and last year."

"Why it did end?"

"Because all the people that were too close to me were in great danger when Voldemort was alive."

"What about Ron and me? Have we been with you until the end?"

"You were, but that was different. You and Ron were a year older than her and sometimes a year can mean everything."

Hermione smiled. "I'm happy I'm not younger than you."

"I'm happy too," said Harry, smiling back. "Well, you know when you first said, 'What about Ron and me?', I thought that you meant if you were - hem - close like Ginny and I used to be," he added, still smiling.

Hermione placed a hand on his arm and stopped. "Were we?" she barely whispered.

Harry looked at her and kept walking. "I don't know. I mean you were close, of course, you have always been. It's like you and Ron were just meant to be together."

"But?" asked Hermione, looking at Harry.

"But, you were very reserved and Ron was - well - Ron was Ron and that says a lot," said Harry, smiling sadly.

Hermione thought a little bit about that. "Harry, I still don't understand if Ron and I were together," she said matter-of-factly.

"Yes, Hermione, you were," said Harry calmly.

Hermione suddenly felt bad. She let go Harry's arm and stopped.

Harry stopped too and looked at her. "What's wrong?" he asked.

"I don't know. But I feel depressed," she said with tears in her eyes.

"Maybe you are starting to remember," said Harry frantically.

Hermione shook her head. "No, quite the opposite. It's because I can't remember his face."

Harry nodded. It would have been too nice to be true. She wasn't remembering.

"Hey, but you do remember his face," said Harry suddenl,y taking off the back pack and searching in it for the album. "Do you remember it?" he said, giving it to Hermione.

Hermione nodded and picked the album from Harry's hands.

"This is Ron," he said pointing at him. "And that's Ginny," he said, showing Hermione a picture of her and Ginny.

"Yeah, I remember you told me everything about this album," said Hermione, closing the book and giving it to Harry, who threw it into his back pack again. "I think that it will be wonderful when I'll be able to remember all these people by myself."

Harry nodded and started to walk again, at that very moment they found themselves in front of another sign. 'Ottery St. Catchpole 3 miles'.

"Hermione there are still three miles to go, do you want to go on walking?"

"Harry, I told you that I could have been going on walking for all night, I can't wait to get there. Plus I've slept for almost all the day," answered Hermione, smiling.

Harry nodded.

"Are you going on with the story?"

"If you wish," said Harry, looking at her.

"Oh, yes. Please."

"Well, what do you want to know?"

Hermione shrugged her shoulders again. "Something more about Ron?"

"Ron." Harry seemed to think hardly. "Ron was fantastic. The best friend anybody would like to have. He was great fun; he didn't take anything seriously. It was great staying with him. He was really a devoted friend and has always been a helper for me. You know he was the first friend I've ever had."

"What about me?" asked Hermione.

"You have been the second one," said Harry, smiling.

Hermione smiled back.

"You know, you and Ron have been very important for me," said Harry unexpectedly.

Hermione felt the urge to hug him tightly. "And you and Ron were important for me?" she asked.

"Yes, I think we were," said Harry thoughtfully.

They passed by a small cottage, with a Ford parked next to it. The lights in the house were all turning off.

'If there is a house, we are probably getting near to the village,' thought Harry. He looked at Hermione. She was wearing a strange expression. It was like she feared something, and in the mean time, she was excited and happy. Indeed, she was happy.

They passed by another house that was a little bit bigger than the previous one.

"Do you think you are going to recognize the Burrow?" asked Hermione, looking at the house.

"Of course I am," said Harry, "Why shouldn't I?"

"Because you told me that it is destroyed, so it will certainly be different from how you remember it," said Hermione matter-of-factly.

"I know perfectly well where it is. And if you had your memory you would remember it as well," he said sweetly.

They saw another house.

"I think that we are almost there, look at all these houses," said Hermione.

Harry nodded, "Yeah, I thought that too."

They walked for another half an hour without speaking. Finally they reached a small village. A big signal at the beginning of the main way said 'Welcome to Ottery St. Catchpole'.

"Here we are," said Harry, stopping under a street lamp.

The village was quite little, with small cottages and a white church. It was empty. The only noise they were able to hear was the gurgle of the Ottery River.

Hermione searched for Harry's hand and she seized it tight. Harry looked at her.

"There's nothing you have to worry about, it's just a Muggle village," said Harry in a reassuringly tone of voice.

Hermione nodded. "Where is the house?" she asked, looking around.

"Oh, it's over there," said Harry, indicating towards South.

Hermione followed Harry's finger and looked in South direction. "I cannot see anything," she said, rubbing her eyes twice.

"I bet you don't," said Harry smiling. "The Burrow is behind that hill. It is well hidden by the trees."

"Oh, it's pretty awkward to get there, isn't it?"

"Well, if you are a Muggle it is. All the Muggles here don't even know that the Burrow is there. But if you are a witch or a wizard, and you have spent almost all your last summers over there . . . well, it's pretty easy finding the way," said Harry, smiling.

"How long will it take us to get there?"

"Do you see the river?"

Hermione nodded.

"We have to pass through that river and follow the street for half a mile and then we have to take a path. It won't take too long." Harry checked the clock on the church's bell tower; it was 2 a.m. "Let's say that we will be there for 3 a.m."

"Ok, let's go. Curiosity is killing me," she said, sprinting towards the river.

Harry followed her.

They reached a small bridge on the Ottery River. The water under them was black and threatening. The street that opened in front of them was pretty large, but it was not asphalted. They followed it with their gaze until it disappeared between the hills.

"I can't wait to be there," said Hermione for the hundredth time.

"Me too," said Harry, trying to sound happy.

They walked down for the entire street. When the last house was far behind them, Harry stopped and started to look for something on his right.

"It must be here," he said, looking in the woods.

"What?" asked Hermione.

"The path for getting to the Burrow. Muggles cannot see it, but we should be able to find it. It must be around this point," said Harry, checking intently the ground.

Hermione walked quickly in front of him and started to do the same thing some feet away. Unluckily there was no moon that night and the light of the stars didn't reach the under wood.

"Can't it be here?" asked Hermione, pointing her finger in the woods direction.

Harry moved forward to where she stood. Inches away from her feet started a small, almost invisible, path. It was completely different from how Harry remembered it. It was covered with leaves and roots. The trees were so compact that only a person at time could have passed in that place.

"Good job, Hermione," said Harry placing a hand on her shoulder. "You found the path for the Burrow. Let's go," he added, heading for the pathway.

Hermione followed him very closely. Under their feet, the path was barely visible under the leaves, but Harry seemed to know perfectly where he was going. Every step they took led them in a darker place.

"Ouch," moaned Hermione.

"Hermione, is everything alright?" asked Harry.

"Yes, it's just that a branch hit me on the cheek," she said, touching her cheek.

"I'm sorry," said Harry, trying to pay more attention at what he was moving.

"No, it's not your fault. It moved by itself," said Hermione, getting closer to Harry.

"Oh, well, they must be enchanted or something like that. You know, for undesired guests," said Harry, trying to get over an over-size root.

After some indeterminable minutes, they managed to get out of the trees. They looked at each other; Hermione's cheeks were covered with small cuts, like Harry's hands.

Harry pulled out his wand and, after some seconds, they were back to normal.

When they turned for seeing where they were, they found themselves in a huge, grassy field. It was like a big, green valley.

"It's wonderful," exclaimed Hermione. "That's the most beautiful place on Earth," she said, taking a step on the grass.

Harry looked at the place. It was everything like he remembered; they were in the right place. The only thing that didn't fit was the Burrow or, better, the fact that the Burrow wasn't visible from where they stood. With its four stories, it should have been clearly noticeable.

"Which way?" asked Hermione, without taking her eyes away from the field.

"This way," said Harry, surpassing her.

Hermione followed him. Harry was walking quickly towards the tall grass - a little bit too quickly for Hermione.

"Harry, slow down, I can't reach you," she said, panting.

When Harry stopped, Hermione almost ploughed into him. They were exactly were the Burrow should have been, but there was only grass.

Harry fell on his knees and placed his hands on the ground.

"Harry?" Hermione whispered from behind.

"Hermione, the Burrow is vanished," said Harry bitterly.

Hermione looked around, trying to find something in that place that remembered her something. Nothing.

She walked up and down the place where Harry said that the Burrow was. Nothing.

"Harry, are you su-" Something that was glittering a couple of feet away captured her attention. She walked quickly towards it without even finishing talking to Harry.

Harry noticed that she was walking away and got on his feet to follow her. "What have you found?" he asked her as she kneeled next to the glittering thing.

"What's this?" she asked him.

Harry gazed at what looked like a wing mirror. A blue wing mirror, half broken.

"It's a piece of a car," said Harry, looking at it.

"A car?" asked Hermione, bemused.

"Yes, a Muggle way of traveling," said Harry, looking around.

Then he felt butterflies in his stomach. Some feet beside the place where Hermione found the wing mirror there were the remains of a house. There were stones everywhere. Pieces of roof, Muggle artifacts from Mr. Weasley collection, broke broomsticks and old books.

"Hermione, I was wrong, the Burrow was over there," said Harry excitedly, walking quickly in the direction of the things.

"Oh, my gosh," muttered Hermione when they get there.

Harry nodded. "Pretty awful, isn't it?"

"Are we near the place where you have fought the Battle?" she asked, concerned.

Harry shook his head. "Nope."

"Oh, my gosh," repeated Hermione. "If we aren't even near the place where you have fought the Battle, what about the other places?"

"We will find out in due time," said Harry. "Now we have to find something familiar here."

Harry kneeled and started to pick up piece after piece. It was full of plugs and batteries.

"What are these things?" asked Hermione, picking up some batteries.

"Batteries," answered Harry. "They are Muggle things."

"Muggle things?" asked Hermione, examining them.

"Yes, Mr. Weasley collected Muggle things," said Harry matter-of-factly.

"They are so many," said Hermione, looking around.

"Well, he had a lot of this stuff," said Harry, moving towards the ruins of the Burrow.

"Hermione, I think that we should sit here and look for something," said Harry, sitting on the remains of a wall.

Hermione took place next to him. "For example?" she asked, picking up a piece of sheet.

"I don't know," muttered Harry.

They spent hours on the ruins of the Burrow. Hermione questioned Harry about all the things she picked up. But she couldn't remember a thing about that house.

"Are you sure you aren't remembering anything?" Harry asked her for the tenth time, while the sun was rising behind the hill.

"I'm sure, Harry. I'm sorry," said Hermione miserably.

"No, it's ok, I just wanted to know," said Harry reassuringly.

"Harry if I tell you a thing, will you get angry?" she asked him, putting down another piece of a book.

"Of course not, Hermione," said Harry, smiling.

"I'm hungry," she said, looking simply at him.

Harry smiled. "I was wondering when you would have asked me for breakfast," he said, pulling out his wand and moving it over their heads. A couple of small trays appeared out of nowhere in the air and placed gently on Harry and Hermione's laps. They were fitted with tea and cookies.

"Thank you," said Hermione, smiling.

"You're welcome," answered Harry, smiling back.

They ate everything without speaking. Then Harry moved his wand again and everything disappeared. Hermione got up and stretched her arms over her head. Then she looked around at the ruins lightened by the sun.

'The house that was here must have been really big,' she thought, looking around. She tried to concentrate on the place she was standing. 'Come on Hermione,' she thought, closing her eyes. 'Come on, why can't you remember?'

"Hermione, are you ok?"

Hermione opened her eyes. "Yes, I'm ok. I was trying to remember."

"I don't think that it works that way," said Harry, smiling.

"Which way?"

"That you concentrate on something. Maybe you just have to look around and then your memory will come back by itself."

Hermione seemed to think about Harry's words, but didn't answer.

"Hermione, I don't know about you," Harry broke the silence. "But I'm tired." He yawned.

Hermione looked at him and yawned too.

Harry smiled. "Why don't we take a little nap?"

"And what about all the things that are here? I mean we checked just a small part of them," said Hermione, waving her hand towards the grounds.

"Well, I don't think that they are going to help you in any way. Maybe there is too little left of the Burrow," said Harry sadly.

"Maybe you are right," said Hermione miserably.

"So, are you tired?"

Hermione shrugged her shoulders. "Yes, I think."

Harry kneeled down and picked up pieces of sheets and blankets that lay on the ground and put them all together. Slowly, something that looked like a big bed was created on the grass.

Harry looked at Hermione. "At last, we will be a little bit comfortable," he said.

Hermione smiled. "It's great, thank you," she said, sitting on the 'bed'.

Harry sat next to her. "It's snug," said Harry, lying down.

"It is," said Hermione lying down next to him, taking his right arm between her hands and pulling herself closer to him.

Harry felt her warm body next to his. It was a wonderful sensation. He closed his eyes and smelled her scent.

"Harry?" Hermione called him.

"Yeah?" said Harry snapped out of his thoughts.

"What is the next stage?"

Harry opened his eyes and looked at the sky. "Hogsmeade."

"Hogsmeade?"

"It's a village. A Wizarding village."

"Maybe it will help me more than the Burrow," she said, getting even nearer to Harry. Now he could feel her breath. He stayed there without moving for a while, thinking about how happy he was at that very moment.

"You know, Hermione, the only problem is that I don't know how we will get there," said Harry.

He waited for an answer from Hermione, but it didn't come. He turned his head towards her and found her asleep. He lowered on her face and kissed her gently on her forehead. Then he closed his eyes and fell asleep as well.

The first thing that he thought when he woke up was that he hadn't had any nightmares. Then he felt something hard next to his head. It was like he was sleeping on a rock.

He opened his eyes, but it took a little for him to focus on what was lying next to him. It was big and turquoise.

'What the hell?' thought Harry, rubbing his eyes behind his glasses. He sat up and looked at Hermione who was still sleeping next to him on the 'bed'.

He turned his face and looked to the thing that had woken him up.

When he realized what it was, he couldn't help but scream for happiness.

"Oh, my God," he said, looking at the Ford Anglia which was parked next to him. Hermione moaned on the bed and turned her head on the other direction.

Harry got nearer to the car. "If you could speak I would like to know how you can still be here," he said, opening the door and sitting on the seat in front of the hand wheel. He checked out all the knobs and the buttons.

"Seems like everything is ok," said Harry, patting the dashboard.

The car answered to him causing the engine to rumble.

Hermione woke up because of a very irksome noise. When she opened her eyes, she saw that the sun was high in the sky. She stretched her hand behind her.

'Where is Harry?' she thought when her hand only touched the air.

She sat up and jerked her head towards the place where she heard that noise and found herself almost face to face with a blue monster.

She would have liked to scream, but at that very moment Harry jumped out of the monster.

"Hermione," he said happily. "Hermione, look I've found a way to get to Hogsmeade quickly," he said, waving his hands towards the car.

"What?" asked Hermione bemused.

"Do you know what this thing is?" asked Harry, helping her to get on her feet.

Hermione shook her head while she was looking at the thing.

"It's a car. A flying car. We will go to Hogsmeade with it," said Harry.

"Is it dangerous?" asked Hermione uncertainly.

"No, of course it's not. I would never let you do something dangerous, would I?" asked Harry, almost laughing. He decided that it was better if he didn't tell her that she used to be afraid of flying.

"No, I don't think you would," said Hermione, looking at the car.

"Get on then," said Harry, throwing the back packs on the back seats and sitting on the driving seat.

Hermione opened the left door and sat next to Harry. "But I'm a little bit hungry. Can't we eat before?"

Harry sighed. "We will eat while we are flying," he said, turning the key.

The car coughed for a couple of seconds and then the motor rumbled. Harry pushed the flying button and the car moved, but it didn't rise from the ground.

"Are you really, really sure that it's not dangerous?" Hermione asked again and fastened her seatbelt.

"Yes, I am," said Harry, glaring at the car. "Lets try again."

Harry pushed another time the button, this time the car lifted from the ground a couple of inches. Then it started to rise more and more. Harry pushed the time lapse and the car started to fly away from the Burrow.

Second stage, Hogsmeade.