Tia and James received their letters informing them of their detention the next day. Tia did not look forward to her detention with James Potter one bit. It was scheduled for that evening with Filch in some pottery room on the third floor. Tia was so upset about the upcoming detention that she didn't challenge any of the teachers that day, nor did she didn't really hear what they were saying. At eight o'clock she and James met Filch in the designated room.
"You need to clean these pots," Filch said gruffly, handing them each several rags. Tia looked around the room. There were rows upon rows in shelves upon shelves of pots to clean. "Start over there," Filch said, pointing to the left side of the room. "Stay together, I've got my eyes on you."
Tia and James dutifully began cleaning the pots on the top shelf. The shelves only got to shoulder height.
"So what was life like growing up with an insane, evil wizard as a father?" James asked once they were well at work.
Tia pretended not to notice that he had spoken.
"Well, I can imagine that it was very difficult," James went on.
Again, Tia did not respond. James glared at her. "Listen, I'm not used to being ignored."
Tia turned on him. "Well get used to it! Because personally, I don't want to talk to you! I just want to pretend that you are not even here!" Tia replaced the pot she had been working on. Then she crouched to get a pot on the bottom shelf.
James sighed and threw up his arms dramatically. Wrong move! His hand accidentally hit the bottom of the top shelf, knocking his end up, and Tia's end down. The end that went down hit Tia hard on the head, and all twelve pots that were on that shelf crashed on her head one by one. Her eyes glazed over, and she fell swiftly into unconsciousness without a word or moan.
"Tia? Tia?" James frantically shook her.
"What's going on?" Filch growled.
"The pots . . . they . . ." James gestured helplessly to the bits of pot scattered on the floor and in Tia's hair.
Filch nodded. "Take her to the hospital wing. You'll finish your detention later." Filch walked off, and James could hear him saying something along the lines of, "I told the headmaster that we should reinstate hanging the kids by their toes, they don't damage themselves that way!"
James hastily put one of Tia's arms around his neck and half dragged her; half carried her to the hospital wing. When he arrived, Madam Pomfrey exclaimed, "what happened?"
James quickly sketched out what had happened. Madam Pomfrey nodded. "Go get Professor McGonagall."
James nodded and ran out as Madam Pomfrey gently laid Tia down on one of the beds. James ran to McGonagall's study. "Professor!" he cried, bursting in.
"What is it Potter?" McGonagall snapped.
"Tia . . . pots . . ." James struggled to catch his breath. Then he told McGonagall what had happened.
"Oh dear!" McGonagall exclaimed. "James, you go to your dormitory, I'll get the Headmaster." James nodded, and ran off. What a thing to happen! I hope that she's all right. James thought to himself.
* * *
Professor Dumbledore sat in a thoughtful silence next to Tia's bed. "So you say that she will have no memory when she awakens?" He asked Madam Pomfrey.
Madam Pomfrey nodded. "Yes, I am afraid that that is so. There's nothing that I can do to prevent it."
Professor Dumbledore nodded. "Professor McGonagall, would you please go get James Potter and Sirius Black?"
McGonagall nodded. "Right away Headmaster." With a swish she left the hospital wing.
Professor Dumbledore sat there in silence, waiting for her return with the boys. When she did, he noticed that both boys looked wide-awake, and expecting this. Sirius Black especially had an ironic twist to his mouth.
"May I speak to these two boys in private?" He asked. Madam Pomfrey and Professor McGonagall left the room and shut the door. "Sit boys." Professor Dumbledore conjured two chairs and the two boys sat down. "Tell me what you know of this girl." Professor Dumbledore nodded to Tia.
"She's the daughter of Voldemort," James answered automatically.
"How do you know this?"
"I asked my parents," Sirius responded.
"So your parents know?"
"They know all about Voldemort," Sirius informed him, the look in his eyes bitter. It wasn't right that an eleven-year-old boy should have such a bitter look in his eyes.
"Does anyone else in the school know?"
The two boys shook their heads.
"Good. Listen the two of you. You must swear right now that you will never tell anyone, not even Tia-especially not Tia-about her past or her father. Understood?"
"Yes, but why?" James asked.
"Because I'm going to give her a different history."
Professor Dumbledore brought a few items to create a potion with to himself. He quickly mixed them and the product ended up to be a skin-colored cream. "The only potion you can possibly make that doesn't require being heated. It's called the Concealment potion. Remember that boys, remember what it does." Professor Dumbledore gently lifted up Tia's right sleeve where the dark mark stood out on her skin. He carefully dipped his fingers in the potion and rubbed it over the dark mark. To the boy's amazement, the mark completely disappeared.
"It would take very strong magic to crack this off. You are to never tell her it is there, understood?" Professor Dumbledore raised his bushy white eyebrows at them.
"Of course Professor." Both boys said hastily.
"What are you going to tell her?" James asked.
"You'll see. Now be off with you!" Professor Dumbledore shooed them off. Accordingly, the two boys got up and left.
Professor Dumbledore looked at Tia for a few moments longer, wondering if what he was doing was the right thing. With a sigh he got up and left the hospital wing, off to contact his brother.
* * *
A week later, Tia woke up. She blinked. "Where am I?" she asked to no one in particular.
"You are in the hospital wing. You have been for the past week. Tia, I've been so worried!" The voice was coming from the right of her.
Tia turned her head to him. It was an old man with a long white beard. "Who are you? Who am I?" Tia asked.
"You are Tia Dumbledore, my niece, I am Albus Dumbledore; don't you remember?" The man seemed anxious.
Tia tried to remember, but her mind was a complete blank. "No, I'm sorry, but I don't."
"Your mother was my sister, she died three months after you were born, and I became your guardian. You would always call me Uncle Albee, remember?"
Tia shook her head. "I don't remember anything."
"We've all been really worried about you, your friends James, Remus and Sirius have been down to check on you every day," Dumbledore told her earnestly.
Tia nodded slowly, taking it all in. "You should probably sleep a bit more, rest, maybe you'll remember more when you wake up."
"Okay uncle Albee," Tia responded, closing her eyes. Dumbledore smiled as she fell back asleep, then he left the room, feeling that his plan was going well.
