Chapter Thirty Two
The Pensieve
"They t-took them away… one by one" the little girl said in almost a whisper.
"You mean the elves?"
The girl looked confused, but the healer described the creatures with big ears and big eyes and she nodded.
"And where did the elves take you and the other kids?"
The girl shook her head. "I don't know… It was always dark and it was cold..."
"Cold? What do you mean?"
"It was cold… when they came… so cold… so scary…" She shook her head again. "I want to go home!"
The image of the child disappeared and the healer's face came up prominently on the screen before them. She shook her head.
"I can't get anything more out of her," said the healer. "She's too distraught and I don't want to push it. Her parents are here but I'll be keeping her for observation. Hopefully, we can get something more later."
"Thank you," said Chief Atalanta. "Please inform us if there are any changes."
The image of the healer disappeared and lights were restored to the room. Harry gave a tired sigh. He, Ron, De Lancre and the remaining members of Team 2 who were not currently recovering from injuries had just finished viewing the recorded inquiry done on the girl they had rescued earlier in one of the private rooms in St. Mungo's. The girl appeared to be the only one whose memory wasn't erased. She however, appeared to be kept much in the dark of what happened to the other children. She didn't know where she was kept at all, only that they moved her around a lot. She didn't recognize either Draco Malfoy or Diana Mackenzie when she was showed their pictures. All she recognized were the house elves who kept her for weeks in bare rooms, though she appeared to be properly treated with regards to food and hygiene.
"I'm taking this case over personally," Atalanta announced. "Since some of your teammates, including Alastor are out of commission at the moment, I'm including Team 3 in this case. De Lancre, Weasley, I want you back. I don't see any reason why you shouldn't."
"What about Tonks?" demanded Harry.
"I can't place her in yet because of her ties with Mackenzie—and that's the end of it," she added when she noticed Ron was about to protest. "Now, what do we have?"
"Well the ring and the autopsy report confirms it's Draco Malfoy," said one of the older Aurors. "When we found him, he couldn't have been dead for more than a few hours. No idea though how it happened or why. We all assumed he was behind this."
"How about the elves you managed to capture? Have you questioned them?"
Alicia shrugged. "We tried. But they wouldn't say anything but mutter obscenities. At least they haven't been able to escape their bonds."
"Can they be identified if they are Malfoy's?" asked the Chief.
"We've set the ARD on tracking them down. Trouble is, there's no registration for elves, so we can't really be sure who owns them."
"I've asked Dobby but he said he doesn't know them either," said Harry. You think maybe they're owned by someone else?"
"Most likely," Alicia agreed. "I mean, if they were Malfoy elves then Draco would've ordered them to protect him, not let him die while the elves battle it outside against intruders."
"They could be obeying last minute orders to protect him," Ron offered though Harry as well as everyone else in the room knew that it wasn't likely. There was another more chilling theory that everyone was thinking of but were afraid to voice out: that the elves could belong to Mackenzie if she was really the one behind it all. Alicia's team had earlier tried to track down Mackenzie's squib brother, but he seemed to have disappeared just as mysteriously as she did.
Atalanta glanced through the report they submitted earlier. "What about that broken pensieve you found in the room with Malfoy?"
One of the senior Aurors shook her head. "We really have no clue with that. We know he stole ingredients to make it but we don't know why he needed it."
"Torture people by letting them see his horrible memories?" Ron suggested. Everyone except Atalanta fought back snickers.
"Ron, we're being serious here."
"Alright! Geez, it's almost three in the morning and everyone's too tired and frustrated. I was just trying to lighten the mood."
Atalanta smirked. "Very amusing, Weasley. But does anyone else have a theory on this without trying to be funny?"
"On the contrary, Chief, I think my partner may be on to something," said de Lancre seriously.
"I am?"asked Ron in surprise.
De Lancre ignored him and continued. "Pensieves are not just vessels for memories. As we all know, another person can enter it and see someone else's memories. If you place sealing charms while another person is viewing a pensieve, one can be literally trapped inside, forcing that person to watch those memories over and over again. And if the memories are particularly bad… well it just might be a form of torture. That is why pensieves are Ministry regulated and the ingredients for making them are illegal."
The Auror Chief appeared to consider what he said and nodded approvingly. "I suppose you are right then. But what can he gain from letting a person be tortured that way? And what did he want with those children?"
De Lancre shrugged.
"He's just downright sick?" Ron offered again. "Or maybe he wants to see other kid's memories because he's greedy and isn't content with his own miserable ones?"
"Ron!" Harry warned.
"What? Maybe I'm on to something again."
But their partner just rolled his eyes at them and the Auror Chief glared.
"Okay, so that was a bad guess. Can't blame us for it. We just came from a battle after all and it's almost three in the morning!"
Ron rubbed the cut on their shoulder which was hurriedly bandaged earlier. Slash curses were really messy. They healed more slowly than the normal cuts, and they hurt a lot worse. Right now the pain killing potion they had taken three hours ago was starting to wear off and Harry could feel the beginnings of a sting burning again.
The Auror Chief seemed to realize her Aurors were already too tired to brainstorm and had nothing more to offer for the night. She dismissed them all to recuperate. With Team 3, on the case, Harry, Ron and de Lancre had at least a day off until their next report shift.
"I'm beat," said Harry as they trudged outside headquarters. He hadn't felt this drained in months since their last Auror exam. "And this is beginning to hurt. It will feel like hell in an hour. You think we can get something for this before we go home?"
"Sure, Harry. Let's go ask a healer."
They headed up to the fourth floor to the spell damage section, where a number of their fallen comrades, including Moody, were currently recuperating. The area was a hub of activity and all the healers they met there were too busy with other patients to pay any attention to them.
"Let's just go home, Harry," said Ron. "Maybe Hermione could do something about it. She is a healer too."
At the mention of Hermione, Harry began to feel queasy. It was easy to push away thoughts about her when they were in the thick of fighting. But now he knew he had to face it again. He knew Ron was about to fess up to Hermione at the Ball and somehow he just couldn't stand it. He couldn't bear to watch Ron just tell her how he felt. He had to get them away from her somehow. It was horrible of him, but he had never been more grateful when de Lancre had shown up and pulled them out for an emergency. For so long he had kept Ron away from telling her and somehow he had to keep doing just that. He had to stall somehow.
"Can we at least check on Moody first?" Harry asked.
"Harry, it's almost three—"
"I KNOW! Just for a few minutes. IT CAN'T HURT, CAN'T IT!"
"Alright!" Ron replied, irately. "Blimey, Harry. Do you have to be so edgy all the time? What is with you tonight?"
Harry forced himself to calm down. "Look, I'm just tired…"
"If you're tired, we should just go home. You did most of the spell work back there."
"But I'm also concerned about Moody," he added quickly.
"Fine, just a minute."
They found Moody in the same room where the first two rescued muggle born boys had been placed weeks ago. Moody was sitting up in bed, fiercely eyeing the healer, who was using the tip of his wand to glide across the Auror's limp shoulder.
"Mr. Moody, please," the young healer begged. "You must lie back down!"
"I don't need to lie down!" he growled, although Harry could see he was wincing in pain. "I don't need anyone poking around at me. Just give me a pain killing potion and I'll be on my way!"
He tried to stand up, but he couldn't seem to move his only leg and he fell back to bed.
"I tried to tell you Mr. Moody," said the healer. "You won't be able to get up even if you wanted to. Now please, stay put and let me attend to you."
Moody grumbled but sat back down. He noticed Harry and Ron standing at the same time as the healer.
"I'm sorry, but you have to leave," began the healer, but he stepped back as he got a good look at them. "Oh, it's you Mr. Weasley."
"Can you at least make an exception?" asked Harry. "I just want to talk for a few minutes to my superior officer. I promise I won't be too long." He took the healer aside and added in a whisper. "It may calm him down a bit if he talked to me."
The healer nodded gratefully and let him approach from the other side of Moody's bed.
"You don't have to tell me," Moody huffed. "Andrea took me out, didn't she?"
"Sorry Moody," said Ron. "She doesn't want Tonks in too."
"Might as well. She would have taken me out sometime. I was Mackenzie's mentor when she was young. Known her since she was a kid. I trust her same way I trust Tonks or you two—even with the evidence pointing against her."
"Don't worry," Ron assured. "We'll keep you informed just the same. Chief put us with Lancry back on the case."
Moody managed a grimace. "Good boys—Bloody Hell!" he winced as the healer touched a sensitive spot on his arm with the tip of his wand. He shouted a list of invectives that startled the poor healer so much he sent the basin lying on the side table over turn, spilling their liquid contents on the floor.
"Mr. Moody please!" the healer looked about to cry. "That's the second batch of potion I had to get for you tonight and that potion is hard to come by!"
Moody just gave him an irritated huff. The healer used his wand to repair the broken pieces of the basin and muttered a spell to set a mop moving to clean up the mess on the floor then he left to get more potion.
Harry curiously watched the mop move by itself to clean up the spilled potion. "What was that anyway?" he asked Moody.
"Bloody hell I care," grumbled Moody.
"It's a potion to remove imbedded elements of magic Mr. Weasley," replied the healer who appeared with a fresh bottle.
"Imbedded elements of magic?" asked Ron. "What's that?"
"Mr. Moody has been suffering from an imbedded paralysis hex," explained the healer who appeared to be more willing to answer questions from the calmer Auror. "It's very advanced magic. Very few can actually perform it. It's a hex that imbeds a spell inside you—such as a paralysis hex. You can't remove the effects of the spell with a simple Finite Incantatem. You need a potion to do that."
"And that potion can remove it?" asked Harry.
"Yes, it actually draws it out then contains the unwanted magical elements. It's only pretty recently that someone managed to figure out how to do it. The potion's been available for years and we didn't even know we could use it. Could have saved hundreds of lives in the past, if we knew."
The healer poured the contents of the bottle into the basin and used his wand to let it mix by itself. Harry was all set to take his leave when he noticed something. The basin was giving off a familiar silvery light.
"Is that… a pensieve?" he asked.
"Why yes," said the healer. "You know how you can remove memories from your head and put them in there. Turns out, you can also use it to remove unwanted magical elements. It's really a breakthrough on magical healing."
"Ron, could this mean…?"
"I'm getting you Harry. But why does he need them? And what's with the children?"
Harry thought for a while and surveyed the room while he was at it. His eyes fell on a glass of water next to the pensieve and a memory came back to him of the last time they had been to this same room. One of the two boys that were rescued were toying with the water in the glass. Something about trying to make it bubble with magic but he couldn't. Suddenly an idea struck him.
"Moody, I have to go. I think I'm on to something."
"Harry, what is it?"
Harry didn't answer but ran out of the room and stopped a healer passing by. "Where's that girl that was just rescued?" he asked frantically.
"Room 4D," the bewildered healer replied. "But no one's allowed—"
"Thanks!" replied Harry and ran to the appropriate room and burst through the doors, ignoring the protests of two aides and an Auror who was stationed outside.
The head healer was attending to the girl who was sleeping. Next to her was a couple in muggle clothing who were looking bewildered at their surroundings. Harry figured they were her parents.
"Sir—you can't come in here!" the healer cried indignantly.
"Wake her!" Harry ordered the healer.
"Who—how dare you come in here, my patient is in a delicate condition!" she protested.
"I'm an Auror and I'm part of this case and I need to know something right now."
The girl's parents protectively shielded their daughter from them but Harry could see the abject fear in their eyes. Harry calmed himself down.
"I'm sorry," he said gently to the worried muggles. "But I need to know something about her."
"Mr. Weasley, I don't care who you are, but I'm not going to ask again," the healer warned. "Leave now!"
Harry ignored her and looked to the parents. "I was one of those who helped rescue her. I'm not going to hurt her, I just want to help. Please, let me," he begged.
The parents gave him a hesitant look but stepped aside to let him pass. Harry knelt down next to the bed and pointed his wand at the girl.
"Enervate!"
The girl blinked her eyes open and looked frightened for a minute until she saw her parents who held her hand.
"What's her name?" Harry asked the father.
"Emily," replied the man.
"Thank you," Harry looked back at the girl. "Hello Emily. My name's Harry and this is my wand," he held up his wand. "Hold it for me and give it a little wave, will you?" He looked to the parents. "You might want to stand back a bit."
The parents complied and the girl waved his wand.
"Is something supposed to happen?" asked her mother.
"Harry, what are you trying to do?"
Harry gave the girl Ron's wand. "Try this one," he said and the girl waved it again.
Nothing happened. Harry turned to the other witches and wizards present and borrowed all their wands. He handed the wands one after the other to the girl to wave, but the girl couldn't produce even a small spark.
The head healer looked worried. "Why isn't there anything happening?" She summoned an item from another room. It was small crystal-like ball but it felt as soft as a cushion. "Here, Mr. Weasley, let her hold this," she said.
"What's this?" asked Harry.
"It's a magical testing ball, Harry" explained Ron. "Magical parents let their babies play with it. It's a way to determine if your kid's finally showing magical powers. It lights up when they touch them."
"Just what we need. You could have told me, there's such a thing."
"You didn't ask."
He handed the ball to the girl but still nothing happened.
"I thought she was a muggle born witch?" the healer asked.
Harry turned to her. "She was. All those kidnapped children were magical muggle borns. Now, none of them are."
"What does that mean?" the girl's mother asked and Ron echoed her question in Harry's head.
"It was the pensieve, Ron. Malfoy used the pensieve. You were right, you were on to something there. Except that Malfoy wasn't stealing those kid's memories through the pensieve, he was stealing their powers."
The healer looked sadly at the little girl then at her parents. "She'll be alright," she said. "She's going home with you and you don't have to worry about these strange things anymore."
The head healer looked at Ron and Harry. "We'll keep her for observation for another day or two, maybe we could still find something to help the investigation. After that I'm recommending you obliviate all of them. It's best they don't remember this incident anymore. No use when the girl's already a muggle."
Harry nodded. "But tell me something about the pensieve." He told her his theory of using the pensieve to draw out magical powers.
The head healer looked impressed but shook her head. "It's a possible explanation Mr. Weasley, except for one minor flaw. As far as we know, the pensieve can only draw out traces of magical elements and store them. I'm not sure you can draw out entire magical abilities from an individual and store them using a pensieve. There are ways of course to remove all magical abilities like what we do with our capital punishment system, but I've yet heard of a way to store removed magic for someone else's use. Of course I might be wrong. These are relatively new areas of research. Why just the other day, I've read something of a similar nature, but I can't remember all of them. I have to read up on them again."
"Can you perhaps forward the references to the ARD?" asked Ron.
"Of course. Now I'm sorry, but you must really let my patient rest."
Harry thanked her and walked out the door. He fought back a yawn.
"We need to head home," said Ron.
Harry considered it. Hermione was probably asleep by now and he figured Ron was probably too tired to do anything anyway. Still he wanted to stall just a little bit more. "We still need to at least submit a report on this one so Team 3 and the ARD could look it up."
"You do it, Harry. I'm tired."
Harry was about to complain that he was similarly exhausted, but nevertheless complied. He found a piece of parchment in the hospital lobby, hurriedly scribbled their findings and their theory and sent it via one of the public owls in the hospital to Auror Headquarters.
"Oh, can you apparate us home," Ron asked. "My wand's still a bit wobbly from that hex."
"I don't know Ron. I'm all drained out."
"Well if you prefer to floo and get additional bruises to the ones we already have… "
"Alright," said Harry. He took out his wand. He pointed it to himself and with his last bit of energy, apparated them home.
A/N: Thank you again for all your reviews. To those who have been waiting for it, don't worry, the romance with Ron and Hermione is about to come up. But just as a warning, this story is not primarily a romance fic, so it won't delve too much on fluff and it will involve a lot of heartaches along the way.
To froggiesrcool, Orion's name is pronounced as 'oh-rhy-on,' like the constellation. What's a 'Garry Stu' by the way? I never really got how that Mary Sue thing came about?
I noticed that a lot of my readers are leaning towards the Slash genre (I do check the bio and other favorite stories and authors of my reviewers and those who listed me as their favorites). I was actually quite surprised I got your attention with this fic. I never really saw my story as having any inclination towards Slash. It was never my intention and I'm not planning it to be one. Still, I appreciate that you have shown interest in it and I hope you continue to read it.
Disclaimer: In addition to everything else that I borrowed from J.K. Rowling, I reutilized one of her own chapter titles from Book 4 in this chapter.