Chapter 1: Returning Memories
September 1st was usually a day of joy for Jo. She loved to get on the Hogwarts Express and chug off to her school. She would see her friends and they'd all play Exploding Snap or Wizardboard on the train, and just be happy. They'd buy Chocolate Frogs and Every Flavour Beans from the lady with the trolley and they'd be quivering with excitement.
.But this year, things were going to be different. For one, Jo felt immensely awkward as she said goodbye to her parents and boarded the train. For another, Jo couldn't find any of her friends in the entire train. And she also couldn't remember anything.
She couldn't remember anything from the summer, to be exact. She could remember the last few days of August, but nothing before that. It was strange. She found an empty compartment and shut herself in there and fell fast asleep.
When she awoke, it was dark growing steadily dark outside. She yawned heavily and put on her school robes, assuming that the train was nearing the school. Then she just sat there, trying very hard to remember, but all she could draw was a blank.
Suddenly the train came to a halt. Jo peeped out the window to see the familiar outlines of the castle and the flickering lights in the village of Hogsmeade, but only dark woods stared back at her. She was even more puzzled when the sliding door of her compartment was opened and she found herself face to face with a Ministry member.
"I think this is her!" yelled the man to his colleague outside. Utterly bewildered, Jo got up.
She asked, "May I ask what is happening?"
"Stockton, right? Josephine Stockton?" the man asked, running a hand through his matted hair.
"Er, yes. But why all-" she never got to finish her sentence because two other Ministry officials dragged her out of her compartment, while the man who had asked her name brought Jo's heavy trunk.
She was brought to another empty compartment by the engine.
"What's this all about?" asked Jo angrily.
"We need to talk," said the man with the matted hair.
"About WHAT?" yelled Jo. She was getting very upset about all this.
The man waved his hand to his colleagues and they left. Then he sat down opposite Jo. The train slowly started rolling forward.
"If you'd please let me in on this!" Jo yelled, frustrated.
"Ms. Stockton," the man said gravely. "I need you to answer some very important questions."
Taken aback by the seriousness in his voice, Jo found herself nodding slowly.
"All right then. I would like to know what happened on July 1st of this past summer."
Jo blinked. She thought back-but she couldn't. She tried again, but all she found was the recent events.
"I-I can't." Jo shut her eyes tightly. When she opened them, she found the man's face lighting with interest.
"Why not?" He asked.
"I-I don't know." Replied Jo flatly. "I-I guess that-I.I don't know." She finished sourly, annoyed at her forgetfulness.
"Ms. Stockton," the man got up and started pacing in the small compartment. "Do you realise that your memory has been modified?"
"What?" sputtered Jo. "That's ridiculous."
"Do you remember ANYTHING from the month of July?" asked the man, still curious.
Jo stared at him but decided to tell him the truth. "N-no. I don't remember anything that happened except for the past few days."
"I see." The man sat down again. "I see."
"I must say, I don't understand anything."
"I know."
"You do?" Jo stared at him in surprise. "What do you know?"
"Ms. Stockton," He turned to her, once again looking grave. "I believe.WE believe, that you witnessed a terrible thing."
"What.terrible.thing?" asked Jo, her throat suddenly tight.
"It has been plastered over the Daily Prophet and all the wizarding newspapers of the world, Ms. Stockton. The dreadful massacre of five Hogwarts students."
"Five.Hogwarts.students." Jo found herself repeating, but she wasn't listening. She was hearing things in her mind.seeing things.
Screams, cold, high, horrible screams.of a boy, a girl, another boy.another girl.another boy.. horrible, horrible.terrible.and then, she saw them.their faces! Their terror stricken faces with their huge mouths hanging open and their eyes wide and screaming in fright.and another sound mingled with the screams.. a cold, high-pitched laughter that chilled Jo to the bone.
"Ms. Stockton! Ms. Stockton!" Jo heard a voice yell, but it was distant and far away.
"Help, help!" came five voices but Jo couldn't bear it. She heard herself scream, a terrified, frightened scream, and then all was black.
September 1st was usually a day of joy for Jo. She loved to get on the Hogwarts Express and chug off to her school. She would see her friends and they'd all play Exploding Snap or Wizardboard on the train, and just be happy. They'd buy Chocolate Frogs and Every Flavour Beans from the lady with the trolley and they'd be quivering with excitement.
.But this year, things were going to be different. For one, Jo felt immensely awkward as she said goodbye to her parents and boarded the train. For another, Jo couldn't find any of her friends in the entire train. And she also couldn't remember anything.
She couldn't remember anything from the summer, to be exact. She could remember the last few days of August, but nothing before that. It was strange. She found an empty compartment and shut herself in there and fell fast asleep.
When she awoke, it was dark growing steadily dark outside. She yawned heavily and put on her school robes, assuming that the train was nearing the school. Then she just sat there, trying very hard to remember, but all she could draw was a blank.
Suddenly the train came to a halt. Jo peeped out the window to see the familiar outlines of the castle and the flickering lights in the village of Hogsmeade, but only dark woods stared back at her. She was even more puzzled when the sliding door of her compartment was opened and she found herself face to face with a Ministry member.
"I think this is her!" yelled the man to his colleague outside. Utterly bewildered, Jo got up.
She asked, "May I ask what is happening?"
"Stockton, right? Josephine Stockton?" the man asked, running a hand through his matted hair.
"Er, yes. But why all-" she never got to finish her sentence because two other Ministry officials dragged her out of her compartment, while the man who had asked her name brought Jo's heavy trunk.
She was brought to another empty compartment by the engine.
"What's this all about?" asked Jo angrily.
"We need to talk," said the man with the matted hair.
"About WHAT?" yelled Jo. She was getting very upset about all this.
The man waved his hand to his colleagues and they left. Then he sat down opposite Jo. The train slowly started rolling forward.
"If you'd please let me in on this!" Jo yelled, frustrated.
"Ms. Stockton," the man said gravely. "I need you to answer some very important questions."
Taken aback by the seriousness in his voice, Jo found herself nodding slowly.
"All right then. I would like to know what happened on July 1st of this past summer."
Jo blinked. She thought back-but she couldn't. She tried again, but all she found was the recent events.
"I-I can't." Jo shut her eyes tightly. When she opened them, she found the man's face lighting with interest.
"Why not?" He asked.
"I-I don't know." Replied Jo flatly. "I-I guess that-I.I don't know." She finished sourly, annoyed at her forgetfulness.
"Ms. Stockton," the man got up and started pacing in the small compartment. "Do you realise that your memory has been modified?"
"What?" sputtered Jo. "That's ridiculous."
"Do you remember ANYTHING from the month of July?" asked the man, still curious.
Jo stared at him but decided to tell him the truth. "N-no. I don't remember anything that happened except for the past few days."
"I see." The man sat down again. "I see."
"I must say, I don't understand anything."
"I know."
"You do?" Jo stared at him in surprise. "What do you know?"
"Ms. Stockton," He turned to her, once again looking grave. "I believe.WE believe, that you witnessed a terrible thing."
"What.terrible.thing?" asked Jo, her throat suddenly tight.
"It has been plastered over the Daily Prophet and all the wizarding newspapers of the world, Ms. Stockton. The dreadful massacre of five Hogwarts students."
"Five.Hogwarts.students." Jo found herself repeating, but she wasn't listening. She was hearing things in her mind.seeing things.
Screams, cold, high, horrible screams.of a boy, a girl, another boy.another girl.another boy.. horrible, horrible.terrible.and then, she saw them.their faces! Their terror stricken faces with their huge mouths hanging open and their eyes wide and screaming in fright.and another sound mingled with the screams.. a cold, high-pitched laughter that chilled Jo to the bone.
"Ms. Stockton! Ms. Stockton!" Jo heard a voice yell, but it was distant and far away.
"Help, help!" came five voices but Jo couldn't bear it. She heard herself scream, a terrified, frightened scream, and then all was black.