Chasing Memories
by cinderalex
Chapter Three: Forgetful Heroes
Disclaimer: Anything or anyone you recognize does not belong to me.
Pansy timed it perfectly, gliding past the shop door just as her prey exited. Her fingers clasped lightly around a slender wrist.
"Hello Luna."
Luna continued walking, making no attempt to free herself from Pansy's grip. "Hello, Pansy. I would say it was pleasant to see you, but it really isn't pleasurable at all, so I wont."
Luna's steady composure unnerved her. "I would have thought you'd be surprised to see me still alive."
"No, I had a sneaking suspicion you were the real culprit behind the plot to dungbomb Time Square."
Luna Lovegood could be a flake, and Pansy didn't have the patience for her daftness. Still, the girl have some intelligence; she had been a Ravenclaw. Perhaps she was simply trying to irritate her. "I don't have time to play your games, Looney," Pansy warned, using the spiteful nickname from their school days.
"A game? However much I enjoy playing games, I don't think I'd play one with you. You aren't much fun."
Pansy scowled. She quickened her pace and hauled Luna into a small alley between two buildings. Shoving hard Luna against the brick wall, she spat, "We're going to have a little chat, you and me. Some girl talk."
Not bothering to protest the rough treatment, Luna tilted her head, looking utterly perplexed. Taking in her flowing, patchwork skirt and loose, cotton tee-shirt, Pansy thought disgustedly that the young woman could use a lesson in dressing herself.
"Alright, we can do this the easy way or the hard way. Harry Potter. Is he working in that restaurant?"
"Harry Potter no longer exists." Luna answered, looking dreamily over Pansy's shoulder.
"LIAR!" screeched Pansy, shaking Luna so hard that her wand fell from its usual perch behind her ear and onto the ground. Neither witch noticed. "You wrote an article or two about him being still alive in that rag of yours. I have it from a very good source that the diner you visited is the one at which he works. Did you visit him there?"
"No, I didn't," Luna said carefully. "That was Harry Cotter."
"Are you trying to be funny? Because I'm not laughing," snarled Pansy angrily.
When Luna didn't respond, Pansy raised her wand.
"Did you or did you not visit Harry Potter this afternoon?"
Brows furrowed, Luna continued to regard Pansy silently.
"Crucio!"
Luna collapsed into a heap, her entire body contorted in pain, but she did not scream. After a minute, Pansy lowered her wand.
"Are you ready to answer me now?"
Luna nodded, "I wanted to answer you before, but wasn't sure of the truth. He has the same body, the same soul, but he's different." The explanation seemed to tumble out of her mouth haphazardly.
Pansy watched her intently. "What do you mean? Why is here? Why did he leave the wizarding world?"
"I don't know."
"Surely you must have learned something on your visit to see him. He must have given you some explanation."
"No."
"Perhaps, he'd tell me." She smirked. "From what I hear, he enjoys pain."
"He won't tell you anything either," Luna replied with certainty.
"You underestimate my powers of interrogation. I could get him to tell me everything."
"Not if he doesn't know."
"What do you mean?" Panic swept over Pansy. Were Harry's memories damaged somehow?
"He doesn't remember anything."
Studying her intently, Pansy decided she was telling the truth. Every plan they'd made was ruined. Draco would blame her. She took out her frustration by kicking Luna in the shins. "You have just outlived your usefulness." She raised her wand in order to utter the killing curse.
"The Quibbler can still use me. My writing is well regarded."
Pansy laughed harshly. "Too bad they aren't here."
"They will be here. To investigate Harry Cotter. It'll be all over everywhere soon. People will be pouring in from all over the world to check up on the rumor."
Understanding hit Pansy like a brick. They didn't need masses of wizards flooding into New York City and blowing their cover. "You'll need to print a retraction."
"But it's true." Luna stated simply, clearly not understanding why Pansy would ask her to print a lie.
"Do you want to stay alive another day?"
"Yes."
"Then you'll print a retraction."
Luna did not respond. Pansy began to drag her along the alley, trying to decide the best place to keep her. If she didn't want to write the retraction, then Pansy could kill her and write it herself. Actually, she thought brightly, she could do that anyway.
Suddenly Luna stopped.
"Merlin's beard!" cried Pansy almost losing her balance from the pull of the still Luna.
"Okay... I think I'll write the retraction." She smiled at Pansy.
Less than five seconds from ripping out her hair, Pansy muttered, "Damn right you will."
Aching from exhaustion and heavy physical labor, Neville Apparated into his living room. After spending the day at work, he was ready for a warm shower and a long sleep. He didn't usually work on Sundays. He usually spent Sunday's at his gran's house, but he'd been called in around mid-afternoon when someone had broken into the greenhouses where he worked.
The Ministry Greenhouses supplied most of the magical community in England with necessary plants and housed many experimental species being bred and tested. It was through his own experimentations, as well as his innate ability to make things grow, that Neville had been able to rise among the ranks of greenhouse workers in the few short years he'd been working. He now managed one of the thirty greenhouses on the premises. His greenhouse just happened to be one of the four broken into the previous evening.
The Magical Law Enforcement Squad was certain the burglars were into the business of dealing Ministry regulated substances because the greenhouses broken into had all contained plants quite popular on the black market. The Squad had wanted to inventory his greenhouse to assess the stolen items, but he wouldn't hear of having loads of Ministry wizards trampling his plants. Instead, he'd volunteered to do the job himself. He found, to his surprise, that the only popular regulated plant housed in his greenhouse, Venus' Hair, an overpowering aphrodisiac when smoked, was still intact. However, the Papaver memoria, in the next bed, was missing. The effects of the Papaver memoria were so disturbing that not even the most desperate wizards would dare go near it. It's disappearance made Neville particularly upset because he had several tests currently underway attempting to control the effects of its pollen, hopefully making it less dangerous, and therefore more useful medically.
All thoughts of work were wiped from his mind when he entered his dining room to find a mountain of presents on his table next to a heavily frosted cake, its candles still twinkling. It was his birthday today! He'd completely forgotten.
Moving toward the table, he saw someone had left him a note. He picked it up and read:
Dear Neville,
Happy Birthday, Honeyy! You're twenty-four and we're so proud of you, what with everything you've accomplished. Not only are you an amazing herbologist, but you're a hero to the entire wizarding community, and we love you.
When you didn't show up at Gran's, we thought we'd surprise you here. However, you aren't answering our owls, and we've waited three hours. It's about ten o'clock and Gran is very tired, so we're heading home.
I must admit, I was a bit worried about you at first, but Gran explained everything to me. You should let us know next know next time you aren't going to be able to attend Sunday dinner. Enjoy your presents and owl us when you get home.
Love,
Mum (and Dad and Gran)
P.S. I hope you don't mind, I ate a piece of cake. Also, how about next week you bring this mysterious girlfriend with you to Sunday dinner instead of skipping off with her. We'd really like to meet her. She sounds spectacular.
Overwhelmed with guilt, Neville helped himself to a rather large piece of cake and wished he actually had the girlfriend he'd told Gran about.
Author's note: I apologize for any errors, my beta (aka my sister) has disappeared for a couple days. This chapter was supposed to finish with a lovely H/G flashback, but I decided I like it better with the next chapter, so you'll have to wait. I now have all the major plot points mapped out. Oh joy. Please review.
To my Reviewers:
FreeWinky- Hello friend! JKR's Harry is incredibly modest and I like him that way. Elle's Bells- This update is posted purely in fear of your nutritional anthropology skills, but don't get too excited about the pairings just yet cause I intend to switch things up several times before we're through. danaluv- I suggest you play some games while you wait. How about the ever popular "Rock, Paper, Scissors, Avada Kedavra"? Amarillia- I'm glad you liked it! Luna is my favorite, so she's going to be very important. Zubieda- Mmmm... cheese... Makokam- Thanks for the encouragement and suggestions. Length just isn't my strong suit and I really doubt it ever will be. Arwen12323- THANKS
Thank you all so much and keep 'em coming!