Disclaimer: I do not own Harry Potter in anyway, shape or form. All belongs to J.K. Rowling of course and Warner Brothers as well
Chapter 1
Awakening
Harry shifted his legs a bit under the bedclothes and his eyes fluttered before he took a deep intake of air and sighed heavily. He pressed a hand to his head subconsciously, it ached with a dull throb and everything seemed foggy. Opening his eyes a moment later he blinked against the dull stream of sunlight that was seeping through a nearby window.
'Ah, good boy, you're awake,' a deep and resonating voice echoed over to him and he turned to face the direction of the sound, blinking in an effort to get his eyes into focus.
Dumbledore smiled warmly and made a slow walk towards Harry's bedside. His hands were clasped together neatly in front – fingers intertwined, his eyes sparking. Next to him Madam Pomfrey emerged who, upon seeing that Harry had woken took more purposeful steps closer towards his bed and before he knew what was happening her hand was flush against his forehead sinking him a little deeper against the pillow.
'Mr Potter, at last!' She said in a business like tone. 'How are you feeling young man?'
Harry stared blankly back at the both of them, trying to dislodge the fuzzy blanket that was shrouding any sense of rational thought.
'My head hurts,' he responded, more automatically than anything.
Madam Pomfrey leaned further over to look into his eyes.
'How many fingers?' She asked abruptly, holding her hand up. Harry shifted his gaze to the fingers – his mind still fuzzy and confused with disjointed thoughts.
'Three?' He answered, though sounding highly uncertain. Madam Pomfrey however nodded curtly and straightened her stance up.
'I'll bring you something for your headache in a moment.'
Dumbledore smiled next to her and then took a seat on the edge of the bed, looking down at Harry through his spectacles.
'Harry, you are a very brave boy – a little rash perhaps – but brave nonetheless.' He leaned in closer and placed a hand to the top of Harry's head. 'You did very well,' he said, almost whispering.
Harry looked back at him, his eyes beginning to feel less hazy and his surroundings becoming clearer to him.
'What did I do?' He asked, before he'd really thought about it.
'You got the stone, Harry. Just as I had hoped the mirror worked marvelously in protecting it. Only those who wished not to use it but to keep it safe could retrieve it – and of course you are such a person.' Dumbledore smiled, continuing to speak in a low, soft hum.
Harry looked across to Madam Pomfrey and then back to Dumbledore, his face creasing like he was trying to solve the most difficult of potion problems.
'What are you talking about? What stone?'
His heart began to beat faster and he suddenly felt a constricted feeling of panic in his chest.
Where was he? Who were these people – he didn't recognise either of them, no names sprung to mind. He didn't know them… did he?
He sat up a little, leaning back on his elbows and scanned his eyes across the room trying to get his brain into gear – nothing jumped out at him though. He turned his eyes back to Dumbledore.
'Who are you?' He questioned, sitting up straighter in a sudden movement and causing his head to spin a little. He brought his knees up to his chest protectively, the blanket stretched over them.
The old man with the half-moon spectacles and the long silvery beard looked across to the brisk looking woman for a moment then fixed his gaze back to Harry. He bent down a little to meet Harry's eyes straight on.
'Can you tell me your name child?' The man asked softly.
Well that was a strange question. Of course he could! He was…
Harry's look of concentration turned into panic in only a few quick seconds. The old silvery haired man seemed to sigh softly and look down at the bedclothes.
'I know who I am!' Harry said desperately at the man's response. 'I'm… Why don't I know my name?' Harry cried out, looking now on the verge of tears and scrambling backwards towards the headboard of the bed in panic. The windows suddenly began to rattle in their frames and a small glass next to the bed cracked. Water seeped out making a small but growing puddle against the bottom of the glass.
'Headmaster,' the business-like woman uttered but the old man held up a hand to her, not wavering his gaze from Harry.
'Shhh, you must try to stay calm child,' the old man uttered softly. 'We've been expecting this.' His eyes turned briefly to the woman at his side.
'You had a rather nasty knock to the head, Harry. You did something very brave - '
'But very foolish,' the woman cut in briskly.
'But you got… knocked out,' the man continued. 'We did wonder if it may cause some memory loss temporarily and it seems we were right. Come back down here child, no one is going to hurt you.'
'Did… did you say Harry?' Harry whispered in a small voice after a considerable silence.
The old man smiled warmly.
'Yes, you are Harry James Potter. You are eleven years old and right now in the infirmary at… school.'
Harry looked down at the smiling man's purple-starred robes and swallowed.
'And who are you?' Harry asked softy, starring at the pattern.
'I am Albus Dumbledore, I'm the Headmaster here, and this,' Dumbledore continued, waving his hand towards the woman next to him, 'is Madam Pomfrey, the matron. She's been looking after you while you've been here.'
The silver-haired man leaned in a little closer and Harry slowly withdrew from the headboard of the bed and scooted a fraction back towards him.
'Do you remember anything at all about us, or school?' The man inquired.
Harry squinted his eyes and held his breath trying desperately for something to make sense to him but nothing fell into place or even felt real. His lip began to tremble involuntary and the old man reached out, putting a warm hand to his knee.
'Why can't I remember anything?' Harry asked in a soft trembling voice.
'Because you've had a nasty knock to the head, Harry,' the man repeated calmly. 'But we will do everything we can to get you mended and back to normal soon, I promise you.' The old man squeezed his foot then looked up to the matron.
'Madam Pomfrey?'
She looked shrewdly at Harry who shrunk back a little at her piercing gaze.
'The best way will be to slowly re-introduce familiar things and people. Hopefully something will jog a point in his memory from which we can expand on,' she replied.
Harry looked at the kindly old man again - what was his name… Dumbly? - and saw him nod to the Pomfrey woman.
'For now, though, he should rest. No visitors yet, Headmaster,' she said in a meaningful tone.
'Understood, Poppy, understood,' The Dumbly man nodded before reaching out and gently pushing Harry down against his pillows, pulling the bedclothes up and over him.
'I'll be back later to check on you, ok? Everything's going to be fine, just rest. Nobody's going to harm you here, I promise you.'
Harry nodded at this pronouncement taking in the kindly old face before him. The Dumbly man stood, allowing Harry to see his clothing in full for the first time.
'Do I usually wear something like that?' Harry asked, releasing a small hand from under the blankets and pointing.
The Dumbly man chuckled. 'No, not usually Harry, now, get some rest and do as Madam Pomfrey tells you, I'll be back a little later.'
Harry watched him turn and go, then sunk deeper under the bedclothes, his eyes still scanning around the room as the Dumbly man and the matron moved into a nearby room and shut the door behind them softy.
'How long do you think it will take Poppy?' Dumbledore asked as soon as they were both inside the office and the door shut behind them.
'I can't give you an answer to that I'm afraid. We must play it by ear for now and see how he goes. Tomorrow we should start introducing him to some familiar things… but Headmaster…what about his background? His magic? You saw what happened in there when he became panicked – the windows and the glass. When all of this starts to sink in properly he is going to start asking questions, how should I respond?'
She sat down behind her desk and Dumbledore took a seat opposite, leaning against the desk's surface, his chin against the top of his interlocking fingers.
'I think it is too much right now to start any of that… though it will have to be soon,' Dumbledore said seriously. 'Right now though try not to give any concrete answers. Don't mention magic or Hogwarts… or his parents,' Dumbledore sighed. 'I will be the one to explain to him – perhaps tomorrow when he has had time to digest his initial fears.'
'Headmaster, he is an inherently inquisitive child, too much so for his own good,' Madam Pomfrey uttered softly. 'I'm not sure how long I can give vague answers for.'
'I understand, just do your best Poppy,' Dumbledore smiled. 'I'll pop back this evening and then tomorrow we'll begin.'
'And his magic? With no conscious understanding he will not be able to control it. It will be similar to a young toddler letting out bursts of unexpected magic without any power over it.
Dumbledore stood. 'I realise that things may happen unexpectedly, especially if he becomes scared or agitated further. If anything disastrous happens call me immediately. We may have to bring forward the explanations. As for now I must go and speak with Severus.'
Dumbledore moved towards the office door.
'His potions expertise may come in handy and it can only serve to be well prepared… as well as another item of discussion that needs attending to.'
Madam Pomfrey raised her eyebrows at this statement but said nothing as Dumbledore wished her well and left.
'No, absolutely not!' Severus exclaimed as he stood up from behind his desk abruptly and leaned down on the knuckles of his clenched hands. 'Headmaster, the potions can be arranged, but how you could even consider the notion concerning the holidays is beyond me!'
Dumbledore stayed in his seat looking calmly back.
'Severus, the boy has lost every shred of memory and it's less than a week from the summer break – he cannot be sent back to his Aunt and Uncle in that condition. He needs someone to be with him at all times - '
'I agree,' Snape cut in, 'however that someone is not me.'
'Then what do you suggest?'
'I should not be suggesting anything! No disrespect, Headmaster, but this situation has nothing to do with me. Potter is not even in my house!'
'Are you suggesting Minerva should take him?' Dumbledore queried softly.
Severus exhaled, trying to calm himself.
'Wouldn't that be a more logical choice, Headmaster?' Snape eventually stated. He moved around the side of his desk towards the cabinets running along the left-hand wall of the office.
'Severus, he is eleven years old. I'm sure that Minerva would agree with me that you have a lot more energy to devote to him as well as your expertise to aid his recovery. It would certainly be more efficient if he were to stay with you.'
'He wouldn't need any recovery if he had stayed within his boundaries and done as he was told!' Snape said sharply.
'Now, now Severus, If it were not for him the stone would most likely be in the most disastrous of hands by now… however,' Dumbledore continued at seeing Snape's mutinous look to this statement, 'I do agree with you that he acts far too rashly at times without any thought to his safety, which is something that I have started to see needs to be addressed.'
'Ha,' Snape scoffed, 'there have been numerous events over the past year Headmaster that I would have gladly addressed if it had been my place to do so,' he said firmly.
Dumbledore leaned back against the chair and studied Snape before him.
'Oh? Well, it seems you just added another point to your list of growing credentials for taking Harry in over the summer, Severus,' Dumbledore said softly, an obvious twinkle to his eye.
'Headmaster, this is not - ' Snape spluttered but was cut off abruptly by Madam Pomfrey's voice echoing from the Floo.
'Poppy, is there a problem?' Dumbledore said, holding a silencing hand up towards Snape who folded his arms, sweeping his cloak around himself as he did so.
'Headmaster, I'm sorry to interrupt but Mr Potter is becoming… difficult,' she stated.
'Oh, of course he is,' Snape said snidely. 'The Golden Boy kicking up a fuss even when he doesn't even realise he's the Golden Boy!'
Dumbledore turned to look at Snape for a moment before responding.
'Wait there Poppy, myself and Severus will be up momentarily.'
Snape raised his eyebrows at this pronouncement but Dumbledore merely motioned towards the door.
'Severus, I would appreciate it if you would accompany me,' Dumbledore stated directly, already walking through the door out into the corridor without looking back. 'You may be able to assist Poppy in a potion or some aid to calm the boy.'
Snape's eyes narrowed as he made an impatient grunt in response before striding after Dumbledore, his cloak whipping the air as he did so.
TBC…
