Pansy's Pensieve
Harry found himself unable to sleep that night. The mystery was just too confusing. He glanced at the clock and saw that it was early morning. Unable to get back to sleep he slipped out of bed and got dressed. He pulled his Firebolt out from under the bed and crept quietly out of the dormitory. He went out to the quidditch field and took a deep breath of the fresh morning air. He mounted his broom and kicked off of the ground. He never felt happier than when he was on a broomstick. Up in the air he could forget all his problems, all his worries, all his confusion.
"Harry!" He looked down and saw Wood standing on the field below him, staring up at him. Harry pointed his broom down and came to a smooth landing.
"I see you haven't lost any of your moves," Wood remarked. Harry grinned.
"What are ya doin out here so early, Harry?" Harry shrugged.
"Just needed to clear my head." Wood nodded in understanding.
"I know exactly what you mean. I spent a lot of hours out here last year when I was studying for my N.E.W.T.S." Wood glanced over the field, a wistful look on his face.
"You missed it don't you?" Harry asked. "Quidditch." Wood sighed.
"Yeah, I miss it a lot. Never thought I'd get over it when I got hurt and they cut me from the team."
"Wasn't there anything they could do for your sight?"
"The team doctor did everything he could, but there was just too much damage."
"What about Madam Pomfrey? She regrew the bones in my arm two years ago." Wood grinned.
"Ah yes, I remember that very well. But unfortuneatley, nerves can't be grown back the way bones can. There's no potion for that, yet."
"Yet?" Harry said. Wood looked around him nervously.
"Can you keep a secret Harry?"
" Of course I can." Wood leaned in close and spoke softly, as though he were afraid of prying ears.
"I didn't just come back to Hogwarts cause I needed the job. Dumbledore thought that Emily, I mean Professor Dashall might be able to help me."
"Is that why you were together yesterday? She's trying to cure your sight?"
"Yes. Professor Dashall's a genius with potions. I mean she's come up with potions that the best wizards never even dreamed of. If she can invent a potion that could cure my blindness...I could play Quidditch again."
"Well, I hope she can find it Wood. Cause teaching first years to fly is really a waste of your talent."
"Thanks Harry. Now help me get the equipment ready. Quidditch tryouts are today."
"Oh yeah, they are," Harry remembered as he followed Wood to the supply room. "I can't beleive I forgot about that. Who's trying out for Gryffindor?"
"Well, there's Dean Thomas, Marigold Fowler, Sean Willoughby, and Ginny Weasley."
"Ginny's trying out?" Harry said in shock. "She didn't tell me that." Wood looked guilty.
"She asked to remain anonymous. Don't tell her I told you. I don't think she wants Fred and George to know." Harry nodded. Knowing the Weasley twins they'd only harass Ginny if they knew she was trying out.
"We have to hold tryouts for Slytherin Keeper as well." At this Harry's interest perked.
"Has Malfoy been expelled?"
"No," Wood said. "Suspended pending an investigation."
"What about the Truth Potion?"
"We gave it to him. He said he didn't rape Pansy."
"Could the potion be no good?"
"There was nothing wrong with the potion. Dumbledore himself checked it."
"What about Snape?"
"He didn't go anywhere near it."
"So Malfoy didn't do it. Then why is he being suspended?" Wood looked at him sharply.
"I'll tell you Harry because I know you won't spread this around, except to Ron, Hermione and Ginny and they're already involved. Do you know what a Pensieve is Harry?"
"A Pensieve? No."
"Sometimes when someone has too many thoughts in their head they can take them out and store them in a Pensieve. To anyone else it would look like a bowl of water, but inside it stores our memories. After we heard Malfoy's side of things we tried to get Pansy to talk to us. But the poor girl's locked inside her own head, and won't talk to anyone. So Dumbledore made her a Pensieve so we could take the memory of her attack from her head."
"But how does taking the memory from her head help Dumbledore find out what happened."
"Well, if you touch the Pensieve after someone else's memories are in it, you get sucked in and you can see what they saw. You can't interfere, just observe."
"And what did Pansy's Pensive reveal?" Wood sighed.
"We saw Malfoy grab her. He yelled at her, told her he didn't need his girlfriend to stand up for him to the Professors and a whole lot of other nasty things. Then he beat her and raped her."
"But if Malfoy said he didn't do it under the influence of Truth Serum..."
"That's what's so puzzling. And that's why Malfoy's been suspended until we figure this out."
"Could Pansy have been attacked by someone that just looked like Malfoy?"
"McGonagall did suggest a Polyjuice Potion, but an inventory of the Potions lab revealed that none of theingredients to make it were missing."
"That doesn't make any sense at all. Unless, Professor Dashall..."
"Now Harry," Wood said with a warning in his tone. "Don't go accusing Professor Dashallof anything. She's a very well respected witch and if you start pointing fingers in the wrong places, all you're gonna get is trouble. Understand?"
"Yeah, I understand." Harry said nomore on the subject, but he couldn't not shake this doubt in his mindthat Professor Dashall was not all she appeared to be.