“Your common sense,” Eliza muttered, running a finger along the spines of several books. Jack pulled a face. “Actually, we’re looking for anything that has to do with my mum or daddy or both.”

“And they would be in the school library, why?” Jacob said more than asked. “I mean, I know that your family’s motto is ‘When in doubt, look it up’, but don’t you think that’s a bit extreme?”

“Absolutely not. Mum and Daddy have got to be in here somewhere, even if it’s just because they helped in Voldemort’s second downfall.” To prove her point, she pulled down the book next to her ear that was entitled Famous Witches and Wizards of the Past 100 years. Flipping to the index and then to a page, she slid it under Jacob’s Weasley-like nose. “See, Mum’s in there.”

“Okay, but so are Jack’s parents and my entire family. This only gives a biography. I thought you knew about your mum.”

“Well, I know she’s muggle-born, her parents are dentists, and that she was prefect and then Head Girl. I know that before teaching here, she was an archivist for the Ministry and that her and Daddy got married in 2000, right after Jack’s parents got married and right after Voldemort was brought down. I know that she started working here in 2009. But I want to know what happened between 1999 and now that makes my parents such enigmas.”

“You think you’re going to find that information in here?” Jack asked, turning the pages of Famous Witches and Wizards of the Past 100 years to a page where his father was waving up at him.

“It’s a start,” Eliza admitted after taking down a second copy of the book. Jacob rolled his eyes and took down a third copy (there were five) and started flipping through the pages. After silently reading for ten minutes, Eliza let out a squeak. “Found something!”

“Really?” Jack asked. He was reading the biography of James Potter.

“Yes. Listen to this: ‘Hermione Granger, upon graduation of Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry, was trained as an auror with friend Harry Snape and Ronald Weasley. The cause of this training was, and still is, unknown, as Ms. Granger then became an archivist for the Ministry of Magic, London branch.’ Now, if that doesn’t scream out mystery, I don’t know what does.”

“True. Who’d picture Professor Snape as an Auror?” Jacob asked. He looked back at his book and then poked Jack. “Hey mate, what does Aunt Ginny do?”

“Nothing… she stays at home with Andie. But Dad owled me this morning and told me she’s pregnant. Again.”

“And you didn’t tell me? Your aunt?!” Eliza said indignantly, faking hurt.

“Never found a time. Besides, I would have thought Dad owled you separately.”

“Right. Anyway, why did your mum have auror training like Eliza’s mum and our dads?” Jacob asked, pointing to a paragraph highlighting Ginny Weasley Snape’s achievements. She was apparently the youngest female to survive auror training.

“I haven’t a clue. Maybe Dad can tell us,” Jack said, pulling his quill out from behind his ear. He quickly scratched out a short note to Harry and then tucked it into his pocket to send later. “Hey, I hate to be the one to spoil our fun, but it’s nearing dinner.”

Eliza nodded absently and continued her reading. “I’ll leave here in five minutes. Go on without me,” she said while scribbling some stuff onto parchment.

“Sure you will,” Jacob said, picking up his schoolbag and following Jack out of the library.

Down in the Great Hall, Hermione looked up from her lamb chops and nudged Snape. She had just seen Jacob and Jack wander into the hall sans their daughter. “Where’s Eliza, do you think?” she asked.

“She probably has her head stuck in some book in the library,” Snape replied, chewing thoughtfully on some green beans. He noticed that Hermione was watching the door more than she was eating. “Hermione.” His wife didn’t look at him. “Hermione, look at me,” he said, pulling her face towards his. “Eliza’s a lot like you were at 12. She’s probably got some idea, that will no doubt lead to a lot of trouble, in her head that she’s researching. Don’t worry. If she misses one meal, she misses one meal.” He paused a moment to let Hermione nod. “Besides, I’m sure Jack has no qualms about lending her his Invisibility Cloak so she can nick some food from the kitchens.”

“You’re right, I’m sure,” Hermione said, going back to her meal.

“Of course I am. I did have the pleasure of teaching Harry, Weasley, and yourself for seven years. Not to mention Malfoy. I think after you three I had taken off points for every single infraction of rules and with Malfoy I learned that there’s no limit to how much lying one will do to get out of trouble.”

Hermione shook her head and then noticed a commotion at the door. Eliza had finally run into the Great Hall for the meal, but knocked over three 5th year Slytherins in the process. The three fifth years looked like they were out for blood. Eliza, however, ignored them and shoved all of her books back into her bag and went to her seat the Gryffindor table.

At the table, Jack slid a plate towards Eliza. “Eat up. I had to keep everyone else from eating the plate so that you’d at least have some food.”

“Thanks Jack,” Eliza mumbled, pushing some food onto her fork.

“Find anything?” Jacob asked as he reached for a plum.

“Find what?” Thomas (or Jerry) asked as he took said fruit from his cousin.

“Nothing that involves you,” Jack said, filching the fruit from his brother and sinking his teeth into it before anyone could get it.

“Hey! First you shrink our robes and now you take my fruit? This is not in the little brother handbook,” the twin complained.

“Then deal with it.” Jack took another, slow bite out of the plum and then grinned devilishly at Jacob and Eliza. “Honestly. Dad tells me stories about how Uncle Fred and Uncle George were so horrible to him and Uncle Ron. But the twins aren’t that bad.”

“I think it’s because you’re not the youngest brother,” Jacob said, going for an orange.

“Probably. Now, what did you find out, Eliza?” Jack asked, finishing his plum.

Eliza looked up from her goblet of pumpkin juice and grinned like a Cheshire cat. “I’ll tell you in the common room. Too many ears in here.”

“That important?” Jacob asked, dividing his orange into sections.

“Yes. I had to go into the Restricted Section.” Jacob and Jack both looked at her with curious eyebrows. “Oh come off it. I just told Madam Pince that Daddy wanted me to get him a certain book. I even gave her a title, so she believed me.”

“How would you know the title of a book in the Restricted Section?” Hermione asked. She had been passing by the Gryffindor table and overheard her daughter’s conversation.

“Oh, just heard it from somewhere,” Eliza said, biting into a turkey leg.

“Right,” Hermione commented before leaving. She had the weirdest expression.

Jack shook his head and lightly hit Eliza on the head. “One day, you’re going to do something to cause your parents to lose all their trust in you.”

“Probably, but I haven’t done it yet, so no worries.”

“That’s what you think,” Jack muttered.