With a sudden crack, Harry Potter and Hermione Granger Apparated into Hogsmeade Village. The pair looked around a smile. It felt good to be back. Neither had been up to Scotland in quite a while. Harry had not visited since The Battle of Hogwarts, two years prior. For Hermione, it had only been a little over a year since she had been there, having returned to finish her seventh year of classes. Both missed it.
The formerly named Golden Trio had been caught off guard when, the day before an emergency Floo call came in at The Burrow just after dinner. Professor McGonagall, now Headmistress of the illustrious school known as Hogwarts, had been beside herself. She said she needed their help, and that the situation was desperate.
"I can't imagine a situation that Professor McGonagall couldn't manage." said Hermione as they walked.
"Yeah, it does seem strange, doesn't it?" Harry agreed.
"Surely it's not another dark wizard rising to power."
"No definitely not. We're still rounding up all the follower's leftover from Voldemort. I can't imagine anyone else taking his place so quickly." Harry agreed again.
When they arrived at the castle, everything looked as good as new. It has taken months to repair the damage done by the Battle, the school only being able to reopen just in time for term to start for the new year, the following fall. Neither Harry nor Hermione needed to be shown the way. They knew it on instinct, Harry the most. He had spent countless hours roaming the halls and going to the headmaster's office.
"Oh, Mr. Potter, Ms. Granger, thank heavens you've come. I didn't know who else to turn to." Headmistress McGonagall said as she led the pair into her office. The many hanging portraits of previous Headmasters and Headmistresses snoozed away. Dumbledore was sleeping lazily behind the desk. Amazingly, Professor Snape also had a portrait, and he too was dosing in a comfortable chair.
"No problem, Professor. You were kind of vague when we spoke yesterday, what seems to be the issue?" Harry asked as he sat down in a chair across from Professor McGonagall. Harry had to admit to himself, while he was so used to seeing Albus Dumbledore there, the Headmistress' chair suited McGonagall.
"I've been having an issue with the ghosts in the castle. Apparently, a pair of Death Eaters that invaded two years ago died here, whilst chasing the both of you and Mr. Weasley."
Hermione went pink, apparently remembering shortly after the explosion that killed Fred Weasley, two masked Death Eaters had cornered them on a staircase. Thanks to her quick thinking, she turned the stairs into a slide and the three of them escaped through a tapestry. Hermione had then turned the tapestry solid as stone, the two death eaters must have died when they impacted against it.
"That's terrible. What's happening?" Hermione asked, seemingly feeling responsible.
"They've become a catastrophe! They're disrupting classes all over the castle. They invade classrooms, cause havoc while they're there, threatening the Muggleborn students. They started in the Defense Against the Dark Arts room, but they've spread to the entire castle. It has become so intolerable; we've had to relocate the potions classroom. Horace and his students are accosted several times a day. I've moved them to the Arithmancy classroom in the Bell Tower, it's as close to the hospital wing as I could get. I don't know how many times those two ghosts have caused chaos in the classroom and injured Professor Slughorn and his students. To say nothing of the fact Professor Sprout had her hat eaten by the Venomous Tentacular only yesterday when those two popped down to the greenhouses to terrorize her students!" McGonagall explained.
"That's awful!" Hermione exclaimed.
"By the way, where is Mr. Weasley, I expected him to be with you?" McGonagall wondered.
"Ronald overslept and missed his auror class yesterday, and since it's Saturday, he's in at The Ministry repeating yesterday's tests." Hermione replied, annoyance in her voice.
While Hermione had waited to go to the ministry to work, Harry and Ron had not. Both had taken up Kingsley Shacklebolt's offer to become aurors. Neville had joined them as well. Hermione, once she had finished school and returned her parents' memories, had taken a job as well, albeit a little safer in the Department for the Regulation and Control of Magical Creatures. Both Harry and Ron were doing well at the auror academy, Ron sometimes fell behind. Harry would never tell him, but he was sure it was because Hermione was not there to help him along.
"Hasn't the Ministry tried to act?" asked Harry.
"Why yes, I've written them several times. The Ministry even sent Unspeakables here from the Department of Mysteries. Do you know what they did? Those two Death Eater ghosts, said "What can you do? We're already dead!" and laughed them off. There's nothing to be done. I thought, perhaps the two of you might be able to help, given your muggle upbringing."
Harry thought for a long time, as did Hermione. They did not even have to look at each other to know what the other was thinking. Eventually Harry cleared his throat and turned to Hermione.
"I think I may know what to do." He spoke.
"Are you thinking about, you know, them?" Hermione asked.
"Yeah, I think it's the only option at this point."
"Very well, but you'll have to be specific about what you're wanting. You can't be vague. Do you want me to write it?" came Hermione's response.
"I know how to write a letter Hermione!" Harry said as he picked up a quill, some ink, and a piece of parchment. Harry quickly penned a letter and used McGonagall's official Hogwarts seal to close it.
"We'll drop this in the owl post on our way back. It might take a couple of days or so to get there." Harry explained.
"But Mr. Potter, who exactly are you writing to?" McGonagall asked.
"A special group who deals with ghosts, Professor. We should hear back from them soon." Harry said.
"Are you sure this is a good idea, Harry?" Hermione asked as they walked into the post office in Hogsmeade.
"I think it's our only option. Besides, no one but us really knows about them, do they?" Harry replied as he handed the clerk his letter.
"Well, I would expect any Muggleborn, or muggle raised witch or wizard to know, but it's possible that we only know because of how much I read and how often you've listened to the Muggle news when you lived with your aunt and uncle." Hermione admitted.
"It's settled then." Harry firmly replied and turned to the clerk. "This is going to New York in the United States, thanks." He said as he gave the shocked clerk a few galleons for the return trip