Thanks to everyone who is reading this story. I'm glad that people are enjoying the flashbacks, as those are my favorite to write. I'm also thrilled that people are reading so much into them! I been leaving a lot of clues in the flashbacks, so please continue to do so.
On a side note, for right now updating every other week is working out really well. I'm pleased with the length and quality of the chapters this process is producing.
Disclaimer: Though I own neither franchise, parts of this chapter contain material that originally appeared in Chapters 3 and 4 of Harry Potter and the Half-Blood Prince.
Chapter 3: Get Out of This Town
Dumbledore sat in the waiting room of St. Mungo's Hospital for Magical Maladies and Injuries, confused as to why his presence had been urgently requested. The healer who had sent the letter was apparently busy treating someone, so the great wizard was reduced to waiting.
"Professor Dumbledore?" asked a young man, no older than forty. Dumbledore recognized him immediately from his time at Hogwarts, though he couldn't quite place a name to the face.
"Yes, hello again," Dumbledore said knowingly, making the young man smile at the thought of his former headmaster remembering him. "I see you pursued your dream quite successfully."
The younger man chuckled slightly, but his face was grim. "I appreciate that sir, but unfortunately I had no one else to contact in regards to this matter."
Dumbledore didn't try to hide the sadness behind his eyes. He went on a lot of these trips, identifying members of the Order who had no living family left. He had hoped that Voldemort's defeat would have led to the end of such events, but they hadn't stopped. Just last week he had to identify Frank and Alice Longbottom as they writhed and twitched from an attack by Bellatrix Lestrange and other Death Eaters. Sighing, he asked, "So where is the body?"
"Body?" the young man replied confusedly. "I'm sorry, but you must have misunderstood my message. This is about a baby."
"A baby?" the elder wizard wondered. "Why did you owl me about a baby?"
The healer motioned for Dumbledore to follow him. "You see, about three weeks ago a man named Sirius Black brought us a baby that was delivered in the home of James and Lily Potter, but they apparently were unable to come to the hospital for delivery or standard neonatal care. Then of course..."
He trailed off, but it wasn't like Dumbledore didn't know where this story was going. However, his news was indeed most confusing. He had never heard of Lily's pregnancy, though he had hardly visited their home since the Fidelius Charm had been placed upon it. They had likely avoided the subject as well, fearing that Dumbledore would perceive their blessing as carelessness, though there was nothing he could do about it now. Alas, under ordinary circumstances they might have been able to have the big family they always wanted.
"We tried contacting Sirius, until we found that he was taken to Azkaban." Dumbledore nodded gravely at the healer's comment, following him into the nursery. "He had given us the names of the godparents, but because of the child's lineage we did not want to risk accidently contacting a muggle. So, we figured that we should allow you to make the proper arrangements."
The healer stopped suddenly at a crib and picked up a small baby wrapped in a pink blanket and handed her to Dumbledore. "What's her name?" he asked, the first thing he had said since the healer began explaining her origin.
"Sirius wrote down Dawn Sumerlyn Potter. Her birth date was given as October 29th and her godparents are Remus Lupin and Molly Weasley. That's all we have on her."
The baby's bright blue eyes met Dumbledore's own, and he smiled at the youngest child of James and Lily, the one they hardly got to hold. Her eyes were curious: they were not the bright emerald of Lily and Harry, nor were they James' deep brown. Her little patch of hair was also a rich black, a deeper shade than James' raven. Her features just seemed to have come out of nowhere. "Dawn Sumerlyn Potter. Quite a pretty name, isn't it? Perhaps a little long for such a tiny thing."
"Obviously the first priority is finding a home for her, but you know who to contact, yes?"
"Indeed I do," he replied with a chuckle. Only very few Ministry officials knew that he had been the one to place Harry in the care of his relatives. However, from what he had heard from some of his spies, he doubted that they would be caring enough to take a third toddler into their home. In fact, he was surprised that they had taken Harry at all. No, he would need to think of some other arrangement, at least until Harry was three and old enough to retain memories.
..::..
"Ah Professor Dumbledore!" Arthur Weasley exclaimed happily. "I was hoping that you would stop by soon. I have a bottle of firewhiskey ready for a celebration!"
The headmaster took a step into the foyer of the Burrow, having arrived by floo. He noticed the scattering of toys around the room, the sound of babies crying, and the red-headed boys running around like banshees. Instantly he felt guilty about coming to ask such a tremendous favor.
"I'm afraid this isn't a social call Arthur," he solemnly stated.
"Yes, they never are celebratory visits, are they?" Arthur nodded with a frown.
"Well, I didn't say that exactly," Dumbledore chuckled, causing Arthur's happy expression to return. "Where's Molly?"
"Upstairs in the nursery with our youngest, Ronald and Ginevra. How's Harry doing? You did place him with those muggles, correct?"
"Supposedly he's doing well." In reality, he wished that Lily's sister was more receptive towards the Wizarding World. If she was, then maybe he could've dropped the baby off with her, but instead his hand was forced. The sound of crying ceased, and he heard the pitter-patter of Molly running down several flights of stairs.
"Professor!" Molly said, embracing him. "What a wonderful surprise."
"Yes, I apologize for that, but I actually come with good news."
"I never thought I would hear you say that," Arthur exclaimed. "But now that You-Know-Who is gone, it seems like there's more good news published every day."
"Yes, among the news that wasn't published was the birth of Dawn Sumerlyn Potter," said Dumbledore, delivering the news with the subtlety of a Reductor Curse.
"That is wonderful news," Molly said. "But surely that's not the reason you're here? The school term is in session after all."
Clearing his throat, Dumbledore continued. "I'm afraid you're correct. Unfortunately, I am not on good terms with the relatives Harry is staying with, and I fear that if I leave another baby on their doorstep, they will refuse to take care of either child."
"So, what does this have to do with us?" Arthur asked warily.
"Dawn's godmother is none other than Molly." Hearing this news, Molly let out a happy gasp. "I was hoping you could help raise her until Harry is a little older and his muggle relatives will be more receptive to taking her in."
There was silence in the room, other than the sound of five young boys running around the house. Arthur and Molly exchanged glances, but they didn't feel as though there was an option. "Well," she began, "there's no question that I will take Dawn in as one of my own."
"The only precaution I shall give you is that this situation is temporary. Harry must not be deprived of having a loving family member. He'll certainly need one."
The parents of now eight children nodded as Dumbledore went to the fireplace to return to his office. Seconds later, he reentered with a pink bundle, the one that he himself had received only hours before, which they accepted into their home and into their hearts.
..::..
The world began coming into focus. Dumbledore found himself keenly aware of the chair he was sitting in, the knickknacks on his desk in front of him, and the light sounds of Fawkes cooing. Staring at him was his Potions Master, Severus Snape.
They sat in silence, neither wanting to comment on what they had just seen. Until, finally, Dumbledore rubbed his temple and asked, "Did you confirm my suspicions?"
The younger man sighed as he sat down. "I can't be sure. You are a skilled Occlumens. It is entirely possible that you were just so prepared for my intrusion that you were able to hide enough of your memory from me."
"But you did see the signs of tampering?"
"It was a little wispy, but most older memories show signs of aging. Beyond that, I can't be sure if I saw anything…suspicious."
Glancing towards his injured finger, Dumbledore raised the thought that both men had been skirting around. "Could this ring have altered my memories?"
"No, it's impossible based on your circumstances. Any damage done to your memories by a curse would have caused the memories to appear damaged when removed from your head. But they looked fine in the Pensieve. Therefore, if you are indeed correct in your suspicions…"
"I assure you that I am."
Snape gave a brief skeptical look before continuing. "If you are correct," he placed an emphasis on the if, refusing to give in to what he assumed were mere delusions, "there would be more damage to your memories than being a little fuzzy. All inconsequential memories show such signs of aging. Surely you know that."
The elder professor stood up from his desk and stared out his window. "But nearly all of memories involving the Potters feel foreign. I've tried every counter to False-Memory Charms I could think of, but yet they still don't feel quite right."
"I am unable to find any proof to confirm your claims. What is it exactly that makes you this skeptical?"
"I can't be sure. It's a feeling that somehow my memories weren't quite what they were before."
Snape looked around his office before his eyes stumbled upon Dumbledore's collections of memories in the cupboard near the cabinet. "Do any of those memories pertain to Harry directly?"
The door to the cupboard suddenly closed. "None of those particular memories have Harry in them. Only one of them actually involves Harry, but it is exactly as I remember it." Dumbledore's sudden dismal of the memories confused the Potions Master, but he disregarded it. The whole ordeal was confusing in and of itself.
"Well, I'm not sure if there is anything that would cause your memories of Harry to show signs of tampering…"
The elder wizard turned to face Snape, whose voice had suddenly trailed off. "Do you have a theory Severus?"
"I may be grasping at straws, but I believe there may have been a global memory spell cast."
"A global memory spell?" Dumbledore muttered under his breath. Yes, of course they were possible. Irreversibly changing the memories of a populace. He had known of Ministry officials tampering with the memory of entire Muggle countries following Grindelwald's defeat, but he had never heard of them casting the spell on wizards. "Why would one be cast?"
"Why isn't the issue," Snape began pulling out papers from his cauldron. "The issue is the strength of the spell. If they were trying to fool an entire population of wizards, the spell would have to be incredibly strong, ancient magic the likes of which we have never seen."
"But, ancient magic wouldn't account for Legilimens," Dumbledore finished. Legilimency was a relatively newer branch of magic, having been discovered only five hundred or so years ago.
"Precisely. Advanced Legilimens would be affected, but not entirely. They would be so acutely aware of their memories that they would notice the tampering…"
"Though we wouldn't be able to uncover the meaning behind the changes," Dumbledore again finished. "What leads you to this theory of ancient magic?"
Snape began rifling through his cauldron and retrieved a slip of parchment, which he promptly handed to the headmaster. On it was a simply written note: "Severus, I require your unique services."
"This is from Voldemort?" Dumbledore asked as he pocketed the note.
Snape nodded. "Indeed, it is from the Dark Lord. And I assume that my unique services are Legilimency and Occlumency."
"He wishes to probe your mind." Again, Snape nodded. "He probably noticed that his memories were tampered with the same way I did and came to a similar conclusion. He thinks that there may be evidence of tampering in your memories as well."
"So, what do you make of it?"
Dumbledore paced around his office. "I think that there must be a reason for such use of ancient magic. Do whatever you can to protect memories that may show signs of tampering."
"If we are correct and there has been some sort of spell cast, then what is the reason?" Snape asked, echoing Dumbledore's earlier question. "It is unlikely that an event was removed from our memory, as that would not affect all of your memories regarding a single person. Rather, something must have been changed in our memories that has drastic repercussions."
"I'm afraid that whatever reason there is, we must discover what was added before Voldemort does. Otherwise, who knows what could happen or who could be in danger."
..::..
"Dawn!" Harry bellowed. "Where did you put my letters?" He had been searching all over their room to find them, but was so far unsuccessful. It had been hard sharing this tiny room with his sister when she was nine and his relatives decided to move him out of the cupboard and into her room. Now, it was near impossible.
"Haven't seen them," she said as she entered the room, putting in her earrings. "By the way, can I borrow Hedwig?"
"Why?" Harry asked, reaching under Dawn's bed for the umpteenth time. "Trying to respond to my letters?"
"I'm telling you, I haven't seen them. Besides, I just wanted to send Ginny a letter. It's past your birthday and we still haven't gone to the Burrow." She picked up a brush from the cluttered counter and concentrated on her hair.
"Dumbledore will let us go soon enough." Harry pulled himself off the floor. "Are you sure you haven't seen them?"
"I don't know. Are they with your papers?"
"I didn't see them there but I'll check again." He moved over to the pile of newspapers and began searching through them frantically. "Why do you look so nice?"
Dawn frowned and looked down at her yellow dress. "Well, you know that Colin lives in Surrey too." Harry was nodding absentmindedly as he tore through his pile of papers. "Well, his mum wants to meet me, so his family is taking me out to dinner. When she was on the phone with Uncle Vernon, she had to rant about how she hated magic until he agreed to give me the phone to finalize the plans."
"That's nice," he muttered, still searching for a piece of parchment whose importance was lost on her. He began tossing the papers aside and she could see the various headlines. HARRY POTTER: THE CHOSEN ONE? SCRIMGEOUR SUCEEDS FUDGE. He began to throw them too fast for her to read the titles.
"You're welcome to come. You know they're dying to meet you almost as much as me. So can I borrow Hedwig or not?"
"I suppose you can." Dawn smiled at his answer and grabbed a slip of paper from the counter.
"Hi Hedwig," she said as she opened the cage, careful to retreat her finger as soon as it was open. The owl hooted slightly, more towards Harry than her. Hedwig never really liked her, especially since she had gotten the owl in trouble for using her without Harry's permission on a few occasions, and often nipped her for no apparent reason. "Can you take this to Ginny?" Dawn asked before beginning to tie the paper to her leg. She looked towards Harry before hooting a tacit approval and taking off through the window.
"It's your turn to clean the cage," Harry said, tossing a newspaper towards her.
"Is not!" she yelled as she threw the paper back at him. "Besides, she's your owl, I'm all dressed up for a date, and I cleaned it last time."
"But you're the one using her to send a letter," he ended the argument by handing her a newspaper and walking out of the room.
She groaned as she pulled the tray out from under the cage. Before she dumped the contents into the garbage can, she noticed the paper used to line the tray. "Uh, Harry. I may have found your letters."
Harry ran back into the room and peered into the tray. He gave the tray a little shake to see his letters used to collect owl droppings. Peering up at his was a letter addressed from Dumbledore. "Dear Harry, If it is convenient to you, I shall call at number four, Privet Drive this coming Friday at nine p.m. to escort you and your sister to the Burrow, where you have been invited to spend the remainder of your school holidays. If you are agreeable, I should also be glad to have your assistance in a matter to which I hope to attend on the way to the Burrow. I shall explain this more fully when I see you. Kindly send your answer by return of this owl. Hoping to see you this Friday, I am yours most sincerely, Albus Dumbledore"
He sighed as he dumped the contents of the tray, including his letter, into the garbage. Dumbledore would be coming to pick them both up tonight, but Dawn would be out. Under other circumstances he would tell her to skip the date, but when it came to Colin, anything Harry did was just interpreted as being done out of hatred.
"Sorry sorry sorry!" Dawn said as she took the tray back from Harry and began lining it with bits of actual newspaper. "I must've been distracted when I was doing it last time."
"It's fine," Harry groaned.
Dawn frowned. She was about to argue, but the sound of a car horn honking interrupted her.
"I guess that's your precious Colin," he said as he walked out the door.
"Where do you think you're going?" Dawn shouted, following him down the steps.
"To give Colin a fair bit of advice."
"No you're not!" she screeched as she slapped his hand away from the doorknob.
"Someone has to tell him exactly what'll happen if he doesn't get you home on time."
"Shut up Harry! I can take care of myself! Besides, we're eating dinner with his parents and his siblings!"
"Listen, just let me be the big brother and I'll let you be the little sister." He again began to reach for the doorknob, but looked up to see Dawn's wand pointed squarely at his face. "You wouldn't dare. Any use of spells in this house will get both of us expelled. Not to mention what Uncle Vernon will do."
She smirked. "No, any use of magic in this house will get you expelled, especially after what happened last year. It'll only get me a warning, since it would be my first violation."
He grit his teeth. "You wouldn't."
They stared at each other for a good few minutes until the car honked again. Harry sighed as he retreated upstairs, but not before getting in the last word. "Just remember, if he touches you, it'll be the last thing he touches."
"It won't be because of you!"
"Just be back before 9 because Dum…"
"Don't tell me what to do!" she shouted as she slammed the door shut behind her. He cursed her ability to always get the final say. However, he returned to their room to finish packing. Regardless of what time Dawn returned, Dumbledore would be coming that night to take them to the Burrow. Hopefully he would be willing to wait if she was not on time, or at least leave a portkey so she could follow them.
Meanwhile, Dawn walked out to the sole car in front of Number 4 Privet Drive, a red SUV of some foreign make she didn't recognize. Colin was waving frantically from the backseat, having already opened a sliding door that would have caused Mr. Weasley to gape in wonder. The flash of his camera made her feel like a celebrity being followed by the paparazzi.
"Hey there beautiful," he said as she sat down next to him. They kissed briefly, before Dawn noticed four other people staring at her.
"Oh hello," Dawn stuttered out, her face lit up brighter than the car. "I'm Dawn."
"We gathered that from your tongue being down his throat," a girl, Colin's younger sister, said from behind her. Dawn turned a brighter shade of red than the car itself.
"Amanda, that's enough," her mother said.
"I'm not saying it's a bad thing," Amanda clarified. "It shut him up."
"Amanda!" her mother chided again. Amanda turned to face out the window. "It's okay Dawn, we know that you weren't snogging." Mrs. Creevey's comments didn't make her feel any better, nor did it make the situation any less embarrassing. Mr. Creevey began to drive and the car was filled with an awkward silence.
"Mum, Dawn's a full year above me in school," Dennis mercifully said from the back.
"Wait, I thought you were Colin's age?" Mr. Creevey asked, though keeping his eyes fully on the road.
"I am, I just didn't make the cut," said Dawn, thankful that Dennis' stupid comment saved her from the awkwardness.
The small talk continued through the beginning of dinner, with many riveting questions: Were your parents wizards? (Yes, though they died shortly after I was born.) Is your aunt or your uncle a wizard? (Funny you should ask. No. Nor do they even like to acknowledge our existence.) Do you have any siblings? (Yes, I'm sure Colin's told you about my brother Harry.) What's your favorite class at Hogwarts? (Charms and Potions.) Did you know about magic before you went to school? (Technically, but only because Harry is two years older and I spent some time with magical friends while he was at school.) Have you ever had a boyfriend before? (No comment Amanda.)
After they had ordered, Amanda excused herself to go to the toilet. "I'll join you," Dawn said, mostly to avoid more questions about her past.
"You didn't have to come with me," Amanda groaned as she ducked into a stall. "I don't need a witch to escort me to the loo."
"I know," responded Dawn as she adjusted her makeup in the mirror. "I wanted to talk. How old are you?"
"Twelve."
"Are you in Year Seven then?"
"Eight. But what do you care?"
"I want to get to know you."
"Why?"
"I think we're a lot alike," Dawn responded. From what Colin had told her about his sister, it certainly seemed like they would have a lot in common. But the younger girl had given her little to work with.
"I doubt it. You're a witch. You…"
"Know how it feels to be overlooked." There was silence in the room, as though Dawn had cast a silencing charm. "I have a brother that's the most famous person in the wizarding world. I live with an aunt and uncle that wish I didn't exist, nearly all of my professors all compare me to my brother, though that's not always a bad thing, and he never stops treating me like I need him to hold my hand in a zebra crossing."
"I guess you do understand," Amanda said with a smile as she exited the stall. "I just wish we had more time to talk. If we spend any more time in here, my mum's going to think we're sick."
They both laughed. "Listen, are your brothers allowed to send you letters via owl from school?"
"Yeah. Don't tell them, but Dad hates it when they do because they always poop on his milk truck. I think it's funny though."
"Then we'll keep in touch. No matter what happens to me and your brother."
"I'd like that," Amanda said, applying some of Dawn's blush.
"Good. It'll give me someone to write to after one of my pen pals had an unfortunate accident." They smiled as they returned to the table. Colin seemed slightly unnerved to see his girlfriend and sister acting so cordially after they had gotten off to such a rocky start, but he said nothing of it.
..::..
Harry resisted the urge to vomit as the pressure from Dumbledore's apparition subsided. A quick glance revealed that he had taken them to the Burrow after their successful visit to Professor Slughorn.
"If you don't mind Harry," said Dumbledore, as they passed through the gate, "I'd like a few words with you before we part. In private; perhaps in here?"
Dumbledore pointed to a run-down stone outhouse where the Weasleys kept their broomsticks. A little puzzled, Harry followed Dumbledore through the creaking door into a space a little smaller than the average cupboard. Dumbledore illuminated the tip of his wand and smiled down at Harry.
After commending Harry on how well he was coping with Sirius' death, Dumbledore broached a more sensitive topic. "Now, I think I am correct in saying that you have not told anybody that you know what the prophecy said."
"Er, not exactly," said Harry. He winced, expecting Dumbledore to be displeased that he had trusted this information to others.
Instead, Dumbledore's usual twinkle was visible through his half-moon glasses. "I'm glad that you saw fit to relax it in favor of your closest friends and sister."
"Not exactly. Ron and Hermione know about everything: the prophecy, the wards, even the near possession. If I learned anything from the last few years, it's that I need to trust those two more. But I couldn't tell Dawn. I didn't want…"
"To worry or frighten her?" Dumbledore interrupted. "Or perhaps, to confess that you yourself are worried and frightened? You can't protect her forever Harry, as you need your sister as much as she needs you."
Harry said nothing, but Dumbledore did not seem to be expecting an answer. He continued, "Has your scar been ailing you?" Harry apparently didn't hide his surprise at the abrupt change of subject, as Dumbledore then said, "It is a matter of great urgency."
Furrowing his brows, Harry said, "I guess no more than usual. It prickles when he's angry, but considering the headlines in the Daily Prophet, I'm not surprised that he has trouble containing his anger sometimes."
Dumbledore nodded, but resumed his line of questioning. "Have you felt him attempt to enter your mind at all?"
"No," Harry said warily. "I thought you said that you didn't anticipate him trying that again."
The elder wizard nodded. "I did say that, but it never hurts one to be cautious." He looked down at his scarred hand and realized the irony of his words. But, if Voldemort was genuinely concerned about his modified memories, he might have attempted to probe the mind of his worst enemy to see if Harry was aware of the changes. Thankfully, that did not seem to be the case, giving Dumbledore time to figure out why their memories were modified.
"On a different, though related subject, it is my wish that you take private lessons with me this year."
"Private — with you?" said Harry, surprised that this statement came out of the prolonged silence.
"Yes. I think it is time that I took a greater hand in your education."
"What will you be teaching me, sir?"
"Oh, a little of this, a little of that," Dumbledore said airily. He planned to teach him more about their enemy, specifically about the Horcuxes, but he was curious to probe Harry's mind. He had only found a handful of memories regarding Harry that weren't modified and he wanted to see the condition of Harry's memories.
After a few questions and stern warnings, Dumbledore escorted Harry into the Burrow. He wanted desperately to explain everything in full, but this was neither the time nor place. Revealing to Harry that he feared some great, unknown, ancient power that had the ability to modify everyone's memories would only scare the young savior.
..::..
"I had a great time tonight," Dawn said as Colin walked her to the front porch. She saw a light flash from her window upstairs and she assumed Harry was on his way to the foyer to keep a close eye on them. "It was so nice to meet your family."
Colin leaned in and kissed Dawn lightly. "I had a great time tonight too. They really seemed to like you."
Dawn reached over to kiss him deeply, sweetly. Colin looked surprised by her willingness to snog with his entire family looking on from the car, not even knowing that Harry was likely behind the door, but didn't seem too upset. "I'm glad they liked me. That'll give them one more thing to talk about on the way home."
"You really are something. Where have you been all my life?" Colin asked sweetly.
"Right under your nose. Goodnight." Dawn gave him her best flirtatious glance before ducking into the house.
However, she was unnerved by the absence of her brother, who she expected to be right at the door, fuming about their long goodbye. "Hello? Harry?"
There was no response, but she didn't want to risk waking her uncle up. It was only 11:02PM according to her watch, but perhaps Harry was asleep too. "Hello?" She lightly knocked on the door to their room before entering. Hearing no response, she opened it, and was shocked to find that all of their belongings, save the sheets on their bed, were gone.
Dawn clenched her fists and grit her teeth. Why was she always left behind? But before she could release her rage on the wall, she noticed a snowy owl rapping on the window. She opened it and let Hedwig in. The owl dropped a letter on Dawn's lap from Ginny. Without reading it, Dawn grabbed a scrap of paper from the garbage. She scribbled on it a simple note: "Next time I see you, you're so dead!"
"Can you give this to Harry?" Hedwig hooted affirmatively. "Can you bite his finger when you do?" Hedwig remained silent. "Can you tell me where he is?" The owl took off through the window, leaving Dawn alone in a room with just two beds. "A simple no would have sufficed!" she yelled after the bird.
..::..
Meanwhile, Harry sat on his bed in Fred and George's room on the second floor. He wasn't quite sure whether it was Fred's bed or George's bed, as both were made up for visitors and it didn't seem like the room had been used by anyone for months beforehand. In fact, with all of Dawn and Harry's belongings in the room along with the boxes the twins had left behind, it looked more like a storage closet than a bedroom.
Although it was customary for Dawn to sleep with Ginny in her room, Mrs. Weasley had insisted that Dawn sleep in this room for the night, as the portkey Dumbledore left for her would be activated at 11PM to whisk her to the Burrow, far too late to get her situated in Ginny's room. Harry had pleaded for the portkey to be triggered by her touch so there wouldn't be any chance of her missing it, but apparently in these times that was too risky. So he hoped that Dawn would be back from dinner with time to spare.
Sure enough, just as a chime downstairs signaled the hour, a bright flash lit up the room and Dawn's hairbrush landed in the center. Horrified, Harry picked it up and saw that his original note was attached: "Dawn, Dumbledore came to pick us up while you were out but we couldn't wait for you so we had to leave. Your hairbrush will portkey you to the Burrow at 11PM."
He put the brush down on Dawn's trunk and cringed. "I'm so dead."
Okay, so maybe it's a little bit of a cliffhanger, but I originally was going to leave out the last Harry part until the next chapter to leave some suspense. Then I realized that I didn't want to leave people thinking that Harry is a jerk.
So, Dumbledore seems to be very worried about these memories, though he isn't exactly sure who is responsible. And a lot of people correctly guessed that there was some significance to the Molly/Dawn relationship after reading the prior chapter. I just figured that there was no way in hell the Dursleys would take in another baby (especially a "freak") to have three kids in diapers in the house at one time, hence why the Weasleys took Dawn in until Harry was three (which is typically the age people can trace their oldest memory to).
Thanks for reading! Please give me feedback so I know that you're enjoying the story! (Spelling and grammar corrections are always appreciated as well!)
