Draco didn't even manage to see what was happening.
One thing he knew was that both Harry Potter and he were rushing for the Snitch, both their hands raised to catch it.
It wasn't clear who was going to catch it first.
The next thing he knew there was an extreme pain on the left of his head, and a cool liquid that flowed down which was apparently blood.
And then.
Nothing.
*
Harry Potter caught the Snitch, and was about to raise his hand in triumph when he saw Draco Malfoy falling from his broomstick and towards the ground very quickly.
From the distance, he heard, "Harry Potter has caught the Snitch! 150 points awarded to Gryffindor! Gryffindor wins!"
Shocked, he watched as Draco fell to the ground, unconscious.
He dived down to get a closer look.
He hated Draco Malfoy. He knew that. He just wanted to find out what had caused Draco's fall.
He landed beside Draco, who was already surrounded by the teachers.
He heard Snape mutter, "Took a Bludger to the head. Will probably be out for a few weeks, or even more."
A Bludger to the head?
After Harry heard this, he did not give Malfoy's injury a second thought.
Injuries were common in Quidditch, and receiving a head injury was so frequent.
He turned to face his smiling team-mates, and went off with them to celebrate the Gryffindor victory.
"It was my work, that Bludger," said Fred, grinning.
"I bet Malfoy took that well, didn't he?" laughed George.
"You did good, Harry, catching that Snitch." Oliver was obviously very happy. "We're one step closer to the Quidditch Cup now, eh?"
Harry smiled, and let himself get led away by the cheerful Gryffindor team.
*
It was two weeks later before he woke up.
He opened his eyes, surveyed the unfamiliar looking room.
A lady came to him, in a matron's dress. "You've taken a serious head injury, Mr Malfoy. It's a wonder that you've come to this soon. We expected you to remain unconscious for another two weeks."
Malfoy?
Was that his name?
"I…Sorry, what did you say my name was?"
"Why, Malfoy, of course. Draco Malfoy…" She stopped abruptly. "Mr Malfoy, are you all right?"
"I. Well. I can't seem to remember anything. Where is this place?"
The matron looked surprised. "I think this needs special attention."
*
All Draco Malfoy remembered was a old man with a long beard coming in, his eyes serious behind his half-moon glasses. He was holding an old ragged wizard's hat.
"Relax, Mr Malfoy, and let's see what the Sorting Hat makes of this."
He felt the hat covering his head and his eyes.
Then he heard a voice.
"Why, why. A lost memory? This is serious."
Draco decided not to say anything.
"There's nothing in your head at all. You seem to have not forgotten what your magical knowledge, but you've certainly forgotten who you are, and all the people you know. Not to mention all the places you know."
Draco remained silent.
Then he heard the Hat speak aloud to the man.
"He has indeed forgotten everybody and everywhere he has known. Except, curiously, a name."
Draco heard the man's voice. "Who is it?"
The Sorting Hat hesistated. Then it said, "Harry Potter."
The old man removed that Hat from Draco's head. "Draco. My name is Professor Dumbledore, and I am your headmaster. It seems you have lost your memory after you took that Bludger to the head."
Bludger? Yes, Draco remembered Bludgers. But he didn't remember any of the events that took place, or anybody around.
Except Harry Potter.
All he had was the memory of the name, but he had no idea what the person looked like.
"I believe it's time we let you recognize the person you can remember."
*
Harry Potter, Ron Weasley and Hermione Granger were coming back to the Common Room after a nasty Potions lesson, and they were surprised to see Professor McGonagall waiting there.
"Harry, Professor Dumbledore wants to see you in the infirmary. Apparently it's about Mr Malfoy."
"Malfoy? Why me?"
"I do not understand it myself, but apparently, it's about a lost memory."
"A lost memory?" said Ron. "Malfoy lost his memory?"
"I believe so, Mr Weasley. And Mr Potter is to go alone," Professor McGonagall added, when Ron and Hermione wanted to follow Harry along.
"I'll be fine, don't worry. I'll give you the news when I get back later," Harry whispered to his friends. Ron shrugged, and Hermione nodded.
*
"And so you see, Mr Malfoy has lost his memory. He can remember everything other than the people he knows and the things that have happened."
"And what do you expect me to do?" said Harry.
"Guide him. Help him regain his memory," said Professor Dumbledore.
"What? Me? Help him? Professor…Couldn't you use magic or something? A spell?"
"A normal memory loss is the most binding Memory Charm. Spells wouldn't help now. Mr Malfoy will be taking lessons with you. You must help him, for I believe there is some reason why he held your name so tightly in memory when he was willing to lose the rest." Professor Dumbledore smiled.
"Yes, Professor," said Harry dully. Stuck with Malfoy until he regained his memory! Goodness!
"Arrangements will be made. Ah, I believe Mr Malfoy is waking up."
Draco Malfoy opened his grey eyes and stared.
Standing beside his bed was Professor Dumbledore, and a good-looking tall boy with black hair and green eyes. The boy's hair was annoyingly messy, and he wore a pair of round glasses.
"Mr Malfoy, may I introduce…Harry Potter."
This was Harry Potter?
"You are Harry Potter?" Draco couldn't help but stare. "I don't know why, but I suppose I expected someone… better-looking?"
Harry rolled his eyes. Loss of memory or not, this was still the old Draco Malfoy. Some things never change "Well, sorry to disappoint you, but this is all you get."
Draco looked down. "Sorry. Couldn't resist it. Didn't know why I said that."
Harry nearly jumped. Malfoy saying that he was sorry? To him? Some things do change after all.
"I'll leave you two here, then." Professor Dumbledore smiled, and left.
Harry looked at Draco. What was he supposed to say, anyway? He had never made pleasant conversation with Malfoy before and he didn't know how to start.
Fortunately Malfoy spoke first.
"What age are we now?"
Harry was mildly taken aback by the question.
"We're 16."
Draco nodded. "Okay."
There was an awkward silence.
"Well," said Harry. "I suppose I'd better go--"
"No!" Draco cut in suddenly. "Erm. No. Could you please…stay? Everything's so weird and unfamiliar here and I don't know where to go and all that."
"Er. Okay."
And Harry took a good look and the new Draco Malfoy for the first time. Draco's eyes were averted from his, as he seemed to be determined to stare at the bed sheets. But outwardly, Draco was not the confident boy that Harry once knew. He looked weak and afraid and very very small indeed.
Suddenly, Draco spoke.
"I…I'm sorry. You can go if you want to. I suppose…I'd better just stay here."
"No, it's okay." Harry said gently. "Just ask me any question. Anything you want to know."
Draco shuffled uncomfortably on the sheets. "Erm. So where are we now?"
"Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry. We're in the infirmary where Madam Pomfrey cures all injuries and broken bones and all sorts of things like that."
"I…I suppose she couldn't cure my memory?"
"Yeah, she couldn't." Harry was about to add 'so I'm stuck with you until you get your evil memory back' when he realized that he wasn't talking to the same Malfoy he knew a few days back.
"It's a school, right? And Professor Dumbledore is my Headmaster?"
Harry nodded.
"Don't you have classes, erm, Harry?"
Harry was startled. He had never ever heard Malfoy calling him 'Harry' before other than in a sarcastic manner.
"Yeah, I do… Draco." Harry was so used to calling him 'Malfoy' that he almost forgot what Malfoy's first name was.
"I suppose you'd better go now. I think I'm okay."
Harry was not convinced. "You sure?"
"Yeah. I suppose I need to…adjust." Draco looked around the unfamiliar place. "You'd better go now. You'll be late."
Harry nodded. "All right. Bye, then."
"Bye."
Then Harry got up and left, and Draco just watched Harry's departing back.
*
"He apologized? To you?" Ron was bewildered. "This is amazing!"
"Yeah. And he called me 'Harry'. I suppose his memory is really gone."
"Well, whatever it is, he's still Malfoy. I suppose it would be good not to get to close to him lest he suddenly gets his memory back and tries to hex you," said Hermione.
"Yeah I suppose so. Hey we'd better go. We're going to be late for Transfiguration. You know how McGonagall is with late students," said Harry.
Hermione nodded. "All right."
The three of them left them common room, with Harry still feeling confused over the day's events.
First Malfoy loses his memory. Then he has to take classes with Malfoy. Everything happened so quickly.
The one thing that was most confusing was, why had Malfoy remembered his name when he could not remember anything else?