Wade Gerald Hamilton read the letter from Pomona Sprout with sadness in his heart. He looked out the window of his office that provided a distant view of Bellyhara in County Mead, Ireland. If he'd been raised to believe anything it was that land was worth everything. He couldn't even say who taught him that. He was pretty certain it was an O'Hara though. That it ran deep in his blood. This was his third letter in as many years from his former Herbology professor complaining about vegetative growth near and around Hogwarts, including the Forbidden Forest.

He'd been researching since he'd received her first letter. He wasn't sure what he could do for her, but he wanted to try and do something and she'd claimed he was one of her most gifted students.

He had diaries and letters for his family going back to before the American Civil War.

As this generation's oldest boy it all fell to him. Not that he minded.

He had reached out to his cousins who lived in the Atlanta, Georgia area to ensure no documentation had been left there. They probably thought he was trying to hoard all of the O'Hara/Robillard/Hamilton/Kennedy secrets. That wasn't it at all. No one else that he was aware of was magical. And their family tree was a rather prolific one.

He'd always been curious where his magic had come from. Living here at Ballyhara he'd always been aware of … things.

It wasn't until recently he'd discovered that he might just have the answer to Pomona Sprout's problem. And really it wasn't just the herbologist's problem. It was all of magical Scotland's problem. And Britain's. And Ireland's. And it could trickle to other countries if some of the vegetation native to the Forbidden Forest was gone. It could affect people getting proper medical care if ingredients for potions were no longer readily (and cost-effectively) available.

He sat at his desk at his family-owned pub, waiting for his guests to arrive. Heroes of the war, they were, and he knew they would at least hear him out. It helped, he supposed, he'd asked Pomona to put in the good word for him with their supervisor. Professor Snape would remember him, too. He'd been a first year the professor's first year teaching.

Wade stood from his desk and left the office when he felt a magical presence nearby. Part of his connection to the elements, he supposed.

Or they wanted him to know they were arriving.

The two walked in, eyeing the establishment with suspicion. Three years removed from the war but neither of them had stopped keeping on the offensive.

"Miss Granger. Professor Snape," he said, offering the witch his hand first. She smiled at him, taking it. He returned the gesture to his former professor.

She was pretty in a somewhat simple way, though he had never met or seen her before this moment aside from Daily Prophet articles.

He wasn't invited to balls and such.

"Mr. Hamilton."

"Thank you for coming. Can I get either of you something to drink? Or eat?"

Both looked around the pub, which was currently empty except for a couple of regular patrons at the bar.

"We're fine," his former potions professor said.

"All right. Our table is over here," he said.

He waited as the other two got comfortable, taking a breath.

"I know that you can't tell me what you do, but I have my suspicions."

Neither expressed anything. They were good. Of course he expected that.

"I have a way that we could perhaps help our situation here. The vegetation."

Professor Snape's eyebrow arched at him. He appeared bored, but Wade could tell he had his interest somewhat. Not for much longer if he didn't get to the point.

"My fourth great grandmother was an American named Scarlett O'Hara. I haven't been able to find any documented cases of wizards or witches in my family tree, but the O'Hara side. Well, most of the records here in Ireland were lost. The Robillard's side. No one would dare document a witch or wizard was among them, but it was certainly a possibility. My sixth removed great grandmother paternally, Scarlett's maternal grandmother, has always been described as eccentric, well. Anyway. However, I've been looking since Pomona first wrote to me, wondering if I had any muggle solutions to her vegetation problems near Hogwarts and Hogsmeade."

"Is there a point to all of this? I can assure you we didn't come here for a genealogy lesson."

"Severus," Hermione said. "Let the wizard speak."

He huffed, shaking his head but sighed and nodded.

"Scarlett was married to Rhett Butler. The Butler's side does have some magic via Rhett's mother, Eleanor, so the Berg side. In fact, they have from what I could find was a very rare magical ability. You might be able to find more if what I suspect about your careers is true, but I have not found other documented cases of it. They have the ability to control, manipulate, and accelerate plant life."

Professor Snape's eyes widened a smidge.

"The problem is that the Berg bloodline died with Rhett and Scarlett's daughter in 1873. Rhett had a brother and a sister but neither ever had any children from what I could find. Their mother was an only child of an only child."

"And your point? I still don't see what this has to do with you bringing us to the middle of nowhere in Ireland one hundred and thirty years later."

"Well, as I said, I have my suspicions as to what you do for the Ministry. Not only was there a daughter who died, but there was a miscarriage. That is at least two children who could have been magical and inherited this ability."

Professor Snape opened his mouth but Miss Granger cut him off.

"Let him finish, Severus."

His former professor huffed and rolled his eyes.

"Fine."

"I have pinpointed a point in time based on various memoirs that I think would be an acceptable time to go back. If someone were to say, intervene. Stop the miscarriage from happening and, of course, the death of the child that was born."

"What date?" Miss Granger asked.

"Well, I don't know exactly. April 1871. Ashley Wilkes' birthday is in April. I couldn't find documentation of a specific date. From the memoirs I've read. There was an … altercation. A misunderstanding really. Ashley was seen embracing, comforting Scarlett as they were old, childhood friends. This was taken out of context, but it was that event that caused an irreparable rift between them. If that can be stopped. If someone could prevent Ashley's sister, India, and the town doctor's wife from seeing the embrace, things would happen as they were headed. India happened to be sister to the woman Scarlett's first husband, my fourth great grandfather Charles Hamilton, was supposed to marry, Honey. He married Scarlett instead. They never married from my research. India nor Honey, I mean. Honey did move away from the Atlanta area after the war. India never did. Bad blood I think played a role in what she did despite it being her own brother she was accusing of wrong doing."

"So you are suggesting that someone with the ability, if such an ability existed, go back one hundred thirty years to prevent a home from being wrecked by a jealous old maid?"

"Well, I can see where you'd think that. I mean, of course I'd like to see my ancestors not estranged even if Mr. Butler wasn't my blood ancestor. From memoirs and diaries he treated Scarlett's children from her first two husbands as his own. No, if it weren't for this rare magical ability I wouldn't suggest such an action. As I said, you'd be saving at least two magical lives that would surely have this ability. Hopefully, those two magical lives would produce more magical lives and so on. To the point there would be multiple descendants here today to fix the problem. I think this magical ability could be useful to solve it. Pomona has been in contact with me because of my muggle herbology skills. I visited the Forbidden Forest and the surrounding areas with her after her first letter shortly after the war ended. None of my muggle suggestions have done any good. I was looking through notes on how my descendants dealt with droughts and such over the years. We've been landowners here in Ireland and in America for centuries. It's just a fluke I happened down this trail that led me to Mr. Butler's magical lineage. And I know Pomona is capable enough to apply fertilizer correctly, muggle or not. My thought is. Well, Scarlett was only twenty-six when she got pregnant with the baby she lost. That's at least two magical children with the potential for more if that rift doesn't occur and the couple can remain together. It isn't just plantlife either. I'm trying to ensure countless beings don't die or leave the area of Hogwarts altogether."

"Could you give Master Snape and I a moment, Mr. Hamilton?"

"Wade," he said with a polite nod. "And of course. Are you sure I can't get you something to drink or eat?"

"We're fine, and thank you," Miss Granger said.

Hermione waited for the man to retreat to the bar area before turning to regard her partner. Her friend now, though that hadn't been easy to accomplish. She'd like there to be more, but getting this far hadn't been easy. She thought he wanted there to be more, too. She was in no hurry.

"You are not actually contemplating this," Severus said to her after casting Muffliato around their table. She could have cast it, but he could do it not just wandlessly but without even moving his hand. She opened her mouth to defend herself and he shook his head. "Of course you are."

"We were sent here by Mr. Chapman for a reason."

"He obviously is short on amusing anecdotes today and wants to laugh at my expense."

She couldn't help but smile at that. He said this often about their superior, Mr. Chapman. He was from Australia and as such had never had Severus as a student or professor so he was rather unbiased when it came to his opinion of Severus Snape.

"Or he realizes that a potions master might not like the idea of all that the Forbidden Forest and the grounds around Hogwarts represent being permanently destroyed."

Severus leaned back in his chair, crossing his arms over his chest. She'd struck a nerve with that one. She did not know all that the Forest and surrounding grounds provided, but she suspected it was a lot.

"We could be gone for years, Hermione."

"It's not as if we aren't prepared for that possibility anytime we do a job."

He nodded. It was true. They never knew job to job how quickly they'd get done.

"And you realize we would be going to an area where prejudices are high, plantation owners are still upset about losing their free labour, people of colour are still referred to as darkie and negro. Or worse. There would likely be an active group of Klansmen in the area. If not more than one. And you cannot interfere in such things. That would not be our task."

She huffed. He knew her too well. She would, indeed, be so tempted to interfere. To stop the hatred, but she knew. She glared at him.

"I know you, Witch."

"I am aware of the time he's talking about," she said simply.

Severus waved Wade over.

"Can you provide us more specific dates so that we can tell our superior that we did in fact meet with you and obtain the facts. April 1871, you said. When does the daughter pass?"

"I don't know specifically beyond the summer of 1873. For certain before September 1873. She was deceased prior to her aunt's passing, my fourth great grandfather's sister. Who as it happens was married to Ashley Wilkes."

"What a small world," Severus said sardonically. Hermione scowled at him and he grimaced.

"Yes, well," he shrugged. "I'm named after their son. Scarlett and Charles' I mean. Wade was her oldest son and Gerald was her father. He was from Ireland, this area," he said, gesturing around them. "I could give you copies of the journals and memoirs if that helps."

"It would."

"Let me get them," he said. He left them, returning after more than just a few minutes with a box.

Hermione hadn't said anything in the wizard's absence. Severus wasn't in a talking mood so she wasn't going to push him. The potential for this, though! To save two children. To save a magical line. To heal the Forest!

"Here you go," he said.

"Fine," Severus said. "Then we can review your case to see if there's anything that can be done. You understand we cannot divulge whether we find merit to it. And that this meeting will be obliviated?"

"I do," he said. "I know your skills well enough, both of you, to know that I have nothing to fear. And if it saves the Forbidden Forest it's worth it."

"Take the box and go, Miss Granger," Severus said.

She rolled her eyes. They were well past calling one another Miss or Mister but he insisted in front of people they do. It was ridiculous. As if he didn't want people to know they were friends.

More than friends? She liked to think they were getting to that point. He came to her home most evenings for dinner. Or they ate out together. He even allowed Harry and Ginny to join them on occasion.

She offered her hand to Mr. Hamilton, which he took. "It was a pleasure to meet you, Mr. Hamilton."

"You as well, Miss Granger."

She grabbed the box then, surprised (though why with well over one hundred years' worth of things contained in it) at how dense it felt. She made her way out of the pub and then apparated back to London. She would wait for Severus before returning to the Ministry building. He wouldn't be too long behind her.

Obliviating so short of a conversation didn't take that long.