Remember Treacle Tart
Ch.1: The face you'd never forget.
I do not own Harry Potter.
It should have been a regular day for Harry Potter. 3 years after the war, and had just become an official Auror after 2 years of training. It was a Saturday so he was off of work and planned on meeting Hermione and Ron at the Leaky Cauldron. Apparently they had some big announcement for him. Though he already had an inkling of what it was going to be, he couldn't help but be excited to find out. He at the same time was nervous since he had his own truth to finally come out to them with. But he would never reach the Leaky Cauldron that day, leaving his friends worrying and their big news and his own put on hold for the time being.
He woke up that morning unusually from a nightmare. From the moment his eyes opened he sprang up straight clutching his t-shirt that was soaking with sweat at the rim.
W-what the hell was that? The 21 year old thought, trying to calm his breathing. It was a dream that he had not experienced since he was a child. Even before Hagrid tore off the door to the lighthouse and told him he was a wizard.
No, it was from around the time Harry was, from what he could remember, 6 or 7 years old. Being shoved into a dark closet. The only light seeping through the small bars on the door.
"AND YOU STAY IN THERE. Right in there until you think of what you've done. How dare you hurt our Dudley. No dinner for you tonight, that's for sure." The words still echoing harshly in his mind. He could remember clearly what he had done, more like what he had not done.
Dudley and his friends had been at him again. 2 of them holding him against the stone wall of the school building during lunch. It was away from the tables where no teachers could see. It didn't matter if the other kids did they wouldn't do anything out of fear that Dudley and his group of friends would target them as well. So, there was Harry getting his gut punched repeatedly by his cousins while his friends laughed and jeered at him. His glasses had long fallen off and they were dangling the broken spectacles in front of his bruised face. Finally, his arms were let go of by the kids holding them since they started to get scared of him actually getting hurt. Harry sagged to the ground in a heap, telling himself repeatedly not to let the tears fall from his eyes.
"What's with you letting him go, I wasn't done teaching the ugly thing a lesson yet." His friends didn't respond this time and just watched from a little farther away.
Dudley pulled his stubby leg back for a kick, but the smaller boy saw it coming this time through his blurred vision, and at the last second curled up into a ball. This caused his cousin to clearly miss him and slam his foot into the stone wall that Harry was previously held against.
He chubby boy fell to the ground holding his foot and wailing quite loudly. This got the attention of the teachers and they raced over there.
A couple of them went to Harry first to check on the smaller boy, there had been cases of bullying of him before and him not protecting himself.
"Who started this?" One of the teachers asked to Dudley friends that were staring on wide-eyed, looking at their large friend for what to say. "Well, I want an answer now, who was it?"
"It was Potter!" Dudley voice rang out, pointing at Harry whose was now sitting on his bum with his scabbed knees to his thin chest. "He stepped on my foot! On purpose Miss, I know he did!"
Harry just looked into his hands where his broken glasses were placed by on of the teachers. His mouth twitching into a frown and he let only one tear fall.
"Well, Mr. Dursley, considering your immense record of bullying not just of Mr. Potter but of other the children as well. I am going to have to call your father."
"But Miss-!"
"No but's Mr. Dusley. You're alright with that aren't you Mr. Potter?" She turned towards Harry.
"Yes Miss." But he did not look up which she frowned at.
When Harry's uncle arrived to talk to the teacher, he had been adamant about Dudley's innocent before even walking in the door.
They walked out to the car after, both Harry and Dudley had received a punishment of no recess for 2 days, being shut in the class room Harry wasn't too worried about. He always got bullied on the playground. But being in a classroom with just Dudley wasn't something to be desired.
Harry's punishment with his uncle was of course more severe. A sharp slap to the face when they had gotten home. A good yelling, and no dinner.
Thinking about it now, Harry had no idea how he thought this was normal behaviour for a family back then. He supposed he had never been exposed to anything else. But after being so quickly excepted into the Weasley household, he could not imagine ever going back to how he once lived. Though Dudley did technically apologies for all those times the last time he had saw him, he could probably still not fully forgive him for when they were younger.
Harry sighed and pulled himself out of his bed and stood in front of the mirror to the side of it. He was still lean, but with muscled now on him from Quidditch games and the past couple years of Auror training. He wasn't really happy with his appearance. It was still shorter than most men his age, and his shaggy hair still as shaggy as ever. But his green eyes shined bright through his less than amazing looks. He was happy with himself. Which was all that mattered right now. It had taken him months of therapy to get over the immense guilt he felt after the war.
There was a period of time that Harry could just not bring himself to leave his bed in the mornings. He lost contact with everyone for about 2 weeks as he sulked. And he did little of anything else. Finally Ron and Neville kicked down the door to Grimmaulds Place, somehow getting through the enchantments and literally dragged a kicking and screaming Harry Potter out of his house. He looked like a child having a temper tantrum. At the time it was horrible, but it was now something they often joked about. But Hermione was still called a dark period for him, but he always just laughed it off and moved on to another subject.
Harry got dressed in casual clothing, deciding to skip the robes for the day since it looked pretty warm out. Opting for his muggle jeans and t-shirt.
He made his way downstairs for a quick cup of coffee that was prepared for him by Kreacher.
"Would Master Harry be needing anything else this morning?" The elf asked.
"No thanks, Kreacher. I'm meeting up with Ron and Hermione for some breakfast. I'll probably be back around 1 or 2 ish." He said finishing his coffee and already sliding into his sneakers.
"Yes Master. Kreacher will be seeing you then. Enjoy time with friends." He said before disappearing with a crack. He really had come a long way with Harry, and they had a pretty civil relationship these days which made Hermione overjoyed.
His stomach twisted when he remembered that this was the day he was going to come out to his friends. He had indeed been putting it off for far to long. Harry knew that they probably already had some sort of idea that he was in fact gay. The whole concept of it all had been rolling around in Harry's mind ever since he had first kissed Cho Chang and the lack luster feelings he got from it. After first breaking it off with Ginny before he went out looking for Horacrux's, it had been nearly solidified in his mind. At the time he had no moment to think of it with what was going on. But now 3 years later he knew for sure, yet he was still far to nervous to act on it. The only one who knew of this part of him was Ginny. He couldn't lead her on any more than he already had, and she took it very well to Harry's happiness that there would be no hard feelings. She made him promise that they would go shopping together from time to time, though he had explained to her that just being gay didn't make he love to shop by default. The man promised none the less.
He didn't really know why he kept it from Ron and Hermione for as long as he had, he guessed it was because they were all busy with their lives and being gay for him just didn't really come up often since he was busy with Auror training like Ron. He decided today was the day. They would have big news and so would he.
With that as a final thought, he put his wand into his pocket and locked his door before disaparating.
Tripping on his feet a little when they hit the ground in the middle of Diagon Alley. He had gotten more use to the feeling after doing it numerous times now, but he had yet to manage the land. Laughing softly at himself for still being this clumsy, he breathed in the air that smelt distinctively of the first magical place he had ever walked into.
Harry looked down at his watch, Well I still have some time until I have to meet Ron and Hermione, Might as well take a walk while I'm here He thought.
Taking leisurely steps throughout the shopping area, it came to his attention that Hogwarts must be starting a new year soon. Kids running from store to store dragging their parents along, or running free with their friends if they were older. Harry had not really paid attention to the dates recently but it must be nearing September 1. It reminded him of when he was still a gawky little kid running around in oversized clothing next to a giant like Hagrid. Harry would never forget that day, he still counted it was one of the best days he ever had. The now gawky man smiled and blushed when little children would recognize him and wave their tiny arms at him shyly. He would give a wave back, and their parents would notice and practically glow when they saw the their saviour is taking the time for their children.
It was times like these when Harry couldn't feel any better. These were the people that he truly wanted to protect, the innocent.
He continued down the road, smiling occasionally at the sites.
When passing a particular rowdy group of kids who had made a half circle around a wall of a store he heard a voice cry out.
"Stop it already! It isn't funny. Give 'em back!" The child's voice stopped him in his tracks and he turned to face the kids.
"Oh we are just having a little fun with ya now, aren't we guys?" The apparent leader of the group spoke to his friends dangling the kids books above his head and murmurs of 'yeah that's right' replied.
"Please, just stop it!" The kid nearly pleaded, before anger fell over his face for the first time since Harry had stopped and noticed the situation. The smaller boys foot hit the leaders shin causing him to drop the books upon the other boy who let out a small scream when the hit head and made him stumble into the wall to catch himself. The leaders goonies gasped and stepped back in fear of getting in trouble for being there.
"I'LL GET YOU FOR THAT YOU LITTLE PRICK!" He screeched and grabbed the still disoriented boy by the collar with his fist raised high.
Harry eyes focused solely on the fist and took long strides forward to stop the punch. But just when his hand was mere inches from the bullies he got a good look of the boys face. His expression exactly like Dudley's when he was about to punch him.
Fear suddenly filled him, and he gasped a tripped backwards, landing on his arse. His eyes squeezed shut, as the pain from years of abuse surrounded him and sucked him in until there was nothing left.
His opened his eyes slowly, letting the sunlight back in. He wasn't sure where he was or why he was sitting on the ground.
"Oh my god, that's Harry Potter. Mr. Potter sir, we weren't really going to hurt him! We were just fooling around, you know like kids." Some burly boy in front of him stammered out, behind him stood a freighted smaller boy who was staring at his forehead with wide eyes.
"Uhm, sorry, are you talking to me?" The raven haired man asked with a confused tone. "There's no way I'm Harry Potter, I'm not brave enough at all." He said with a chuckle that he stopped quickly when he noticed the children around him weren't laughing at all. But looking at him like he was crazy.
"Ookay then, well me and my mates are just gonna go now." And they are dashed down the road when his finished that sentence. He looked back at the smaller boy who had just ducked into a near by store.
Well this is just getting stranger and stranger by the minute.
He walked further down before finding a lady who didn't look busy, "Excuse me Miss, can you tell me where I am? I'm sorry I really confused right now." Running his had through his hair nervously.
"Harry! I haven't seen you in ages, how are you? And what type of question is that, Diagon Alley of course!" The lady asked him and his brows furrowed.
"Oh is it? So this is the Wizarding world. Amazing." He looked a around for a moment before meeting her eyes again, "Sorry, do I know you? Someone else just called me Harry and I don't know why people keep confusing me with him." She was asian, with long black hair and a pretty face.
"Wait what do you mean? You've been living the wizarding world for years. It's me Cho." She looked worried and it made him feel uncomfortable. "You're Harry Potter, you know the-boy-who-lived and all that jazz. Are you feeling alright?" She put her hand on his shoulder.
"I feel fine, but I'm not Harry Potter, I know who he is but it's not me. This is my first time ever being here, and I'm sorry but I don't recognize you at all." He said with a frown.
She stared at him for a while before asking, "If you've never been in the Wizarding world, how did you know about it, how do you know who Harry Potter is?" He voice quavered slightly.
He opened his mouth to answer, but found that he didn't know it. His mind was blank. Where did he learn that. Surely it was common knowledge wasn't it?
"I don't- I don't know." He shook his head disbelievingly
"Okay, Harry, that's who you are I promise you, this is starting to scare me a bit. Let me take you to St. Mungo's."
"T-That's the hospital right." He asked.
"Yeah, Harry it is." She said sadly, holding onto his shoulder and disaperating.
Thank you for reading Ch. 1 of Remember Treacle Tart.
Just to clear up a few things, what Harry has is not the Hollywood version of Amnesia, it is a form of it called Dissociative Fugue. It will be described more in later chapters, but a quick google search should suffice. Since there are not too many cases of it, I'm using my creative rights to twist it just a bit. So if you know a lot about the Psychological disorder and find something that isn't correct I probably did it to help fit the story. Either way, don't be afraid to leave a review, I always take constructive critism!
See you next chapter!
~Arin