*walks on slowly, a clipboard held against her chest* Umm...Hi. I know what you're thinking! I know because I 've been thinking the same thing! IT WAS ME!!!!!!!! I DID IT!!!!!!! If you don't know what I'm talking about you obviously haven't been to ff.net for the pst week or so. It's been down. *winces* I didn't mean to, I swear! *ducks the various rotten fruits, vegetables and eggs coming her way* It's just the way my luck works you see. In my last chapter I said I was getting these things out about once a week, so of course ff.net just had to go and chuck a wobbly to prove me wrong! *more fruit comes her way, and Olwin, Mevin and all of the rest of the thirteen voices in her head abandon her* I'm really, really sorry! BUT!! I am actually up to chapter fourteen with this thing - uneditted of course - so even if I get writer's block I should still be able to post!! *fruit stops coming, but there are still glares being tossed her way from the umm...not that large, actually...crowd in front of her. Once again I am not particularly happy with this chapter, but I've been through it many times and can't think of anything better, so this is what you're getting. Also, I have some bad news. *people pick up the fruit again* Don't worry, I'm not stopping the story! I won't stop the story! It's just my family are going down to Sydney during the September Holidays (I live in Australia if you haven't guessed, which also accounts for my different spelling), and I have to go along with them, so I won't be able to post for two weeks or so. I'll put one or two chapters up just before we go though, I promise! And when we come back I'm going to get a whole heap of HP goods! YAY!!! Mmmm...Slytherin and Gryffindor T-shirts (which are technically supposed to be for guys, but who really cares?), HP hats, books...I'm going to get a Mrs. Norris doll just so I can give it a boot up the bum...Well, I'd better stop writing this, or it'll end up as long as the chapter, which would be really scary...BTW, speaking of length, I know some of you want longer chapters, but longer chapters = not out for two or three weeks, and I don't want to do it that way. Also, this is the way I write, so deal. Don't worry though, I'm at approximately 20 000 words, and I'm only up to them going to Vernon's trial, so it will be long. As in over 40 chapters, I beleieve...So, as I sit and listen to David Bowie singing Magic Dance from my new Labyrinth Soundtrack (new obsession, don't ask), I bid my fair readers adieu! *looks around and see's everyone has left to read the fic* THAT WAS IMPORTANT INFO, YOU FOOLS!!!!! *shrugs* Don't say I didn't tell you...
Disclaimer: I don't own the goods, okay? I will own some HP merchandise soon, but I don't own the real thing. You're probably glad I don't too, considering the *coughLACK OF TALENTcough* in this fic...
Chapter Seven
That night at dinner, Albus Dumbledore announced that lessons would not be held the next day because he needed the assistance of every student and teacher in the performing of a particularly difficult spell. There was much debate between students about what the spell was, but everyone agreed that it had something to do with Harry. The next morning their suspicions were confirmed when they found the main hall rearranged with one seat in the middle and the rest in a circle around it. Harry was sitting slumped on the middle seat, stupefied. Snape was looking very disgruntled with a nice big bruise and small cut on his face, and one of McGonagall's arms were tinged red, as if it had been struck a glancing blow. The seats slowly filled, and when everyone was sitting, Dumbledore walked up to the front of the hall and addressed the audience.
"I suppose you are wondering what this is all about, hmmm? I believe that all of you should know by now that Harry has a rare form of amnesia," Dumbledore stated, speaking correctly. Rumours had been circulating for days now about what had happened to Harry. "Our esteemed Matron Madam Pomfrey has been searching day and night for a cure, and it seems that the only way that we will ever get Harry back to normal is to perform the Memorius Privatus spell on him. This spell will play the most private memories of his over inside his head. This in itself is not difficult thing to do, but we will have to play all the things that Harry would have tried to get rid of, and that makes it much more difficult. The spell will be performed in waves. The teachers will start, then when I give the signal the first years, then the second years, and so on. Stop when you need to, don't try to keep going. We do not want any more invalids on our hands just yet. Another chance, however slim, is that he will fight the spell, forcing it to change into the Memorius Animatus spell, which will display everything that has happened to Harry for all to see. If this occurs, because of the link created between Harry and the rest of us, we will be able to feel everything that Harry does, hear what he thinks and see what he dreams. The intensity of this side-effect will be extremely muted, but you may not wish to participate, either because of the risk of pain, or that you feel that you would not be comfortable viewing Harry's life. Because of the nature of Harry's illness, the side effect would be played from Harry's point of view; therefore if it occurs we will be watching these events through his eyes. A speed spell has been cast on Harry specifically so that this will not take all day. It will still have the same effect as if it were played at the normal speed however, make no mistake. " No one left the hall, except for the majority of Slytherins. One of the few to remain behind was a timid-looking first year, and Draco Malfoy. The rest of the students nodded, and got ready to cast the spell. Dumbledore chuckled quietly.
"It's nice to know you are all so eager to help a fellow student, but I think it would be wise if we had some breakfast first." He waved his hand, and plates of food appeared in front of all the students, holding a variety of delicious delectables. After everyone had been fed and watered, they prepared to cast the spell. The teachers started, and Harry stiffened in his seat. He frowned, then cried out, and a beam of light shot out Harry's forehead. The worst possible side effect had occurred, and the spell had changed to Memorius Animatus. A few images played on the wall, before flickering and jumping like the picture on a T.V when the video is on the blink. McGonagall, leaned over towards Dumbledore, and said something to him. He shook his head, then told the assembled students that they would have to continue. He gave the signal, and the First Years cast the spell. They continued through until everyone in the Great Hall was concentrating on Harry and the pictures that began to play on the wall in front of him. They watched in amazement as memories that Harry wouldn't have even known he had danced in front of him. They felt him being held by Lily and tickled by James, and saw Remus, Sirius and Peter taking him flying with them as Lily yelled for them to be careful from the ground.
Then one of the memories that Ron and Hermione dreaded began to play. The whole school watched in horror as Lily tried to protect him from Voldemort and failed. They saw the evil wizard raise his wand, heard him say the two deadly words, and watched the green light rush towards them, as if it wanted to jump off the wall and wipe them from existence.
The next few years showed the Dursleys locking him in the cupboard, and yelling at him for various things. Pity filled them as they watched him being beaten by Dudley on his first day of school, how he had been tied to a roughly-barked tree and felt the pain of having your face slammed against it. Teachers and students alike gasped when the ropes that had held Harry so tightly suddenly fell away, and the cuts and grazes on his face stopped weeping blood.
They saw him face off against Voldemort in his first and second year, saw Scabbers transforming into Pettigrew in his third year. Then the part that they had all secretly wanted to see started to play. The gathered witches and wizards saw Cedric fall, and felt the pain of the Cruciatus curse echo through their bodies. The crowd saw his Uncle hit him in the car on the way to the Dursley's house, and watched in disgust as he was forced to clean the house, starved and beaten.
When the memories at last faded from the wall, the assembly of people started to mutter amongst themselves.
"Can you believe that Aunt of his? If it had been me I would have done more then just blow her u p!" A slight, dark-haired Hufflepuff cried indignantly.
"Yeah, I know. If it had been me I would have turned her into a rat permanently!" a girl standing beside her agreed.
Up the front, however, the Teachers were discussing something entirely different.
"I thought that you could only perform magic once before you turned eleven. That is how we find students, by monitoring for use of magic in children isn't it? So how did he do all of that without a wand?" Professor Flitwick frowned.
McGonagall's forehead wrinkled as she tried to remember. "I don't know…I can't really remember." Dumbledore interrupted them all though, effectively shushing the students as well.
"Madam Pomfrey, could you please take Harry to the Hospital Wing? I doubt he will be very pleased with us when he wakes up."
Madam Pomfrey nodded and, conjuring a stretcher and placing Harry on it, hurried off. Dumbledore then turned to address the rest of the school.
"Thank you for your assistance, students. The rest of the day you can use as you see fit, as long as you don't get into any mischief." The students nodded, and hurried off, still discussing everything that had occurred. The teachers were quick to follow, knowing that they would have to monitor the halls to ensure that none of the students decided to make trouble. Soon Dumbledore was the only one left in the Great Hall. He sighed, and turned to head towards the Hospital Wing.
"Exactly how did you do that without a wand, Harry?" he murmured under his breath as he strode away.
