Two
The Memory
At nine-o-clock that night, Harry shut and locked his bedroom door, and waited by the window for Anne to come. At 9:05, when she hadn't come, Harry began to ponder. Maybe this is all a joke. Maybe she isn't coming at all. Maybe that discussion I had with myself was all a fake! Maybe-
"Hello, Harry." Anne was standing outside the window, knocking to come in. Harry opened the window but not the screen.
"I don't trust you."
"Actually, I'm not surprised." Anne smiled. "But you should. Please let me in, Harry."
Harry didn't know why he did, but he unlocked the screen. Only then, did he realize the full impact of what he was seeing. Anne was standing outside his bedroom window- which was located on the second floor! "Anne! You're fl-"
"Floating? Yes, I know. And I don't think I can stand it much longer. It's very hard to levitate yourself. Objects and such aren't that hard, but levitating yourself is quite a task! Now, will you please move away, Harry, so I can get in?" Harry quickly stepped to the side and watched Anne glide through the window and land gracefully on the rug. She crossed her arms in front of her. "Now, down to business. Harry, you're a-"
"Wizard," finished Harry. Anne nodded. "After you left, my reflection told me. I didn't quite believe him, but now that two people have told me, I guess it's true."
"Yes, Harry. You're a wizard, and a famous one at that."
"Famous? Why?"
"I thought you would ask that, Harry," Anne said, smiling, "and this is something I can't explain to you on my own. I need to show you something. A memory."
"Memory?"
"Of your parents."
"My parents?"
"Yes, Harry. Your parents. Now, I need you to trust me. Ok, Harry. Take my hand."
Harry stood, unmoving. "I don't trust you," he repeated, "and I most certainly refuse to take your hand. You're friends with Aunt Petunia."
"I only put up with her because it's my job. I work at the Ministry of Magic in the Muggle Relations Department. It's my job to find out what muggles- folks who don't do magic- are like." Harry stared at her. He didn't understand what she was saying at all. "Harry, I know this is hard for you, but this is something you have to see. Now, take my hand! Please!" She was almost pleading with him now.
Slowly, carefully, Harry extended his right hand out to Anne, who took it. As soon as she did, a most curious sensation began to spread through Harry's skin. It was like he was turning around very quickly, although he knew that he was only standing in his room. He felt that all the air was being sucked out of him. and then it stopped, and he was in a bedroom. Not his bedroom, mind you.
This bedroom was covered from wall to wall with posters, newspaper clippings, and photographs. The peculiar thing was that the pictures were all moving. Some were waving, some were walking, and a man with black hair was laughing.
Harry turned to Anne. "What-"
"Shhhhhhh!" Anne commanded. "They're coming. Listen."
Then entered a man and a woman, holding a small child. The man had jet black, messy hair, glasses, and was wearing a long, black robe. The woman had lighter hair and was also wearing robes of black. The child, who looked to be a boy, was fast asleep. Harry recognized them at once.
"Mom! Dad! I'm here!" He yelped, waving his arms around above his head. He ran to give his mother a hug, but Anne held him back.
"Harry! You must not touch anything! Y'understand!?"
Harry shot a look of spite at Anne, but nodded. He did not understand. Why was he here? Why couldn't he touch anything? What was going on? Then, for the first time in his memorable life, he heard his parents' voices.
"James! He's coming!" That was his mother.
"Who's coming?!" Harry asked Anne.
"Shhhhhhhhh!" Anne persisted. "Listen!"
"Don't be ridiculous, Lily," Harry's father spoke, "Unless Peter betrayed us, which he would never do."
"I don't know, James, but sometimes I think it would've been better to keep Sirius as our secret keeper. I think he's much more. trustworthy," Lily commented, as she placed the baby in a crib.
"That's only because you fancied him for five years at Hogwarts!" James taunted.
Lily had to smile. "Oh, ha ha!" she said sarcastically, then ran to give James a hug. Just then, there was a noise from downstairs. Lily and James let go of each other immediately. "I told you!" Lily whispered.
James took charge. He tiptoed to the door and turned out the lights. "Lily!" he quietly commanded, "Get Harry!"
Harry looked at Anne in confusion. "Get Harry? I'm here!"
"SHHHHHHH! Don't you understand, Harry? Don't you understand?! Anne said this almost desperately.
No, Harry wanted to say, I don't understand! But he didn't. At that very moment, the door opened, very slowly, to reveal an illuminated figure. He was very tall; taller than both his parents. Most of his face was covered by the black hood of a cape which trailed down to the floor. From what Harry could see, his eyes were snakelike: dark red, shining slits in his head; and his mouth was twisted in an evil smile. His skin was sallow, chalklike, and gray. Harry was frightened by the mere sight of him. He shrunk back behind Anne and squeezed his eyes shut.
"No, Harry!" Anne pleaded. "Be strong! Watch!" She brought Harry from behind her, held his shoulders, and looked into his eyes. "You're about to find out that all that Aunt Petunia and Uncle Vernon told you were lies. You're about to see your parents' death."
"My parent's. d-death? You mean this isn't happening?" "Well, it did happen. Six years ago. So you can't be hurt. I promise." This didn't reassure Harry much, but he turned to face the snakelike man. Grasping Anne's hand, he felt his scar burn with pain. But he did not turn away. Then, in a flash of movement, the snakelike man pounced. He went for James first. Harry was proud to say, he saw his dad put up a good fight. Dashing around the room, a wand in his hand, shooting beams of colored light at the snakelike man. But it was no use. The man pulled out a wand of his own. there was a blinding flash of green light, a scream, and James lay in a heap on the ground. "NO!" Lily screamed, as the snake-man moved toward her. "Do whatever you want with me, but DON'T HURT MY BABY!!!" She clutched Harry to her chest and turned away. In another flash of light, Lily screamed and crumpled on the bed, leaving the child, alive and well, with the man. Then Harry realized. As the man turned to face the boy with his wand, he realized. "Anne!" he whispered, "That's me, isn't it! That's me! How on earth-" "Watch," Anne said gently, placing her hands on his shoulders. The snakelike man stood opposite the boy, who was wide awake now, an wicked leer on his face. He raised his wand. there was a third burst of light. and then something happened. Baby Harry screwed his face up with concentration, and instead of falling, he leaned back against the bed and smiled. The man looked surprised for a moment, but his surprise turned to horror, as Baby Harry's forehead split open and let the blast of green light back at him. There was a howl of agony.
And then Harry was moving, spinning around and around. hardly daring to breathe, for fear that his lungs would burst. there was a bump, and Harry and Anne were sitting on his bedroom floor. Harry looked at Anne, and broke down into tears.
The Memory
At nine-o-clock that night, Harry shut and locked his bedroom door, and waited by the window for Anne to come. At 9:05, when she hadn't come, Harry began to ponder. Maybe this is all a joke. Maybe she isn't coming at all. Maybe that discussion I had with myself was all a fake! Maybe-
"Hello, Harry." Anne was standing outside the window, knocking to come in. Harry opened the window but not the screen.
"I don't trust you."
"Actually, I'm not surprised." Anne smiled. "But you should. Please let me in, Harry."
Harry didn't know why he did, but he unlocked the screen. Only then, did he realize the full impact of what he was seeing. Anne was standing outside his bedroom window- which was located on the second floor! "Anne! You're fl-"
"Floating? Yes, I know. And I don't think I can stand it much longer. It's very hard to levitate yourself. Objects and such aren't that hard, but levitating yourself is quite a task! Now, will you please move away, Harry, so I can get in?" Harry quickly stepped to the side and watched Anne glide through the window and land gracefully on the rug. She crossed her arms in front of her. "Now, down to business. Harry, you're a-"
"Wizard," finished Harry. Anne nodded. "After you left, my reflection told me. I didn't quite believe him, but now that two people have told me, I guess it's true."
"Yes, Harry. You're a wizard, and a famous one at that."
"Famous? Why?"
"I thought you would ask that, Harry," Anne said, smiling, "and this is something I can't explain to you on my own. I need to show you something. A memory."
"Memory?"
"Of your parents."
"My parents?"
"Yes, Harry. Your parents. Now, I need you to trust me. Ok, Harry. Take my hand."
Harry stood, unmoving. "I don't trust you," he repeated, "and I most certainly refuse to take your hand. You're friends with Aunt Petunia."
"I only put up with her because it's my job. I work at the Ministry of Magic in the Muggle Relations Department. It's my job to find out what muggles- folks who don't do magic- are like." Harry stared at her. He didn't understand what she was saying at all. "Harry, I know this is hard for you, but this is something you have to see. Now, take my hand! Please!" She was almost pleading with him now.
Slowly, carefully, Harry extended his right hand out to Anne, who took it. As soon as she did, a most curious sensation began to spread through Harry's skin. It was like he was turning around very quickly, although he knew that he was only standing in his room. He felt that all the air was being sucked out of him. and then it stopped, and he was in a bedroom. Not his bedroom, mind you.
This bedroom was covered from wall to wall with posters, newspaper clippings, and photographs. The peculiar thing was that the pictures were all moving. Some were waving, some were walking, and a man with black hair was laughing.
Harry turned to Anne. "What-"
"Shhhhhhh!" Anne commanded. "They're coming. Listen."
Then entered a man and a woman, holding a small child. The man had jet black, messy hair, glasses, and was wearing a long, black robe. The woman had lighter hair and was also wearing robes of black. The child, who looked to be a boy, was fast asleep. Harry recognized them at once.
"Mom! Dad! I'm here!" He yelped, waving his arms around above his head. He ran to give his mother a hug, but Anne held him back.
"Harry! You must not touch anything! Y'understand!?"
Harry shot a look of spite at Anne, but nodded. He did not understand. Why was he here? Why couldn't he touch anything? What was going on? Then, for the first time in his memorable life, he heard his parents' voices.
"James! He's coming!" That was his mother.
"Who's coming?!" Harry asked Anne.
"Shhhhhhhhh!" Anne persisted. "Listen!"
"Don't be ridiculous, Lily," Harry's father spoke, "Unless Peter betrayed us, which he would never do."
"I don't know, James, but sometimes I think it would've been better to keep Sirius as our secret keeper. I think he's much more. trustworthy," Lily commented, as she placed the baby in a crib.
"That's only because you fancied him for five years at Hogwarts!" James taunted.
Lily had to smile. "Oh, ha ha!" she said sarcastically, then ran to give James a hug. Just then, there was a noise from downstairs. Lily and James let go of each other immediately. "I told you!" Lily whispered.
James took charge. He tiptoed to the door and turned out the lights. "Lily!" he quietly commanded, "Get Harry!"
Harry looked at Anne in confusion. "Get Harry? I'm here!"
"SHHHHHHH! Don't you understand, Harry? Don't you understand?! Anne said this almost desperately.
No, Harry wanted to say, I don't understand! But he didn't. At that very moment, the door opened, very slowly, to reveal an illuminated figure. He was very tall; taller than both his parents. Most of his face was covered by the black hood of a cape which trailed down to the floor. From what Harry could see, his eyes were snakelike: dark red, shining slits in his head; and his mouth was twisted in an evil smile. His skin was sallow, chalklike, and gray. Harry was frightened by the mere sight of him. He shrunk back behind Anne and squeezed his eyes shut.
"No, Harry!" Anne pleaded. "Be strong! Watch!" She brought Harry from behind her, held his shoulders, and looked into his eyes. "You're about to find out that all that Aunt Petunia and Uncle Vernon told you were lies. You're about to see your parents' death."
"My parent's. d-death? You mean this isn't happening?" "Well, it did happen. Six years ago. So you can't be hurt. I promise." This didn't reassure Harry much, but he turned to face the snakelike man. Grasping Anne's hand, he felt his scar burn with pain. But he did not turn away. Then, in a flash of movement, the snakelike man pounced. He went for James first. Harry was proud to say, he saw his dad put up a good fight. Dashing around the room, a wand in his hand, shooting beams of colored light at the snakelike man. But it was no use. The man pulled out a wand of his own. there was a blinding flash of green light, a scream, and James lay in a heap on the ground. "NO!" Lily screamed, as the snake-man moved toward her. "Do whatever you want with me, but DON'T HURT MY BABY!!!" She clutched Harry to her chest and turned away. In another flash of light, Lily screamed and crumpled on the bed, leaving the child, alive and well, with the man. Then Harry realized. As the man turned to face the boy with his wand, he realized. "Anne!" he whispered, "That's me, isn't it! That's me! How on earth-" "Watch," Anne said gently, placing her hands on his shoulders. The snakelike man stood opposite the boy, who was wide awake now, an wicked leer on his face. He raised his wand. there was a third burst of light. and then something happened. Baby Harry screwed his face up with concentration, and instead of falling, he leaned back against the bed and smiled. The man looked surprised for a moment, but his surprise turned to horror, as Baby Harry's forehead split open and let the blast of green light back at him. There was a howl of agony.
And then Harry was moving, spinning around and around. hardly daring to breathe, for fear that his lungs would burst. there was a bump, and Harry and Anne were sitting on his bedroom floor. Harry looked at Anne, and broke down into tears.
