During his sleep, the man was restless. Flashes on life came to him like fragments of many broken plates. They never quite fit together, but to be complete each fragment relied on the next. When he woke up, he wouldn't remember any of it, but it was a new day, and the man would eventually remember everything, including who he was.
The man woke up slowly and left out a large yawn. He stretched his arms, and heard his back crack. Just like every other morning, he thought to himself as he went to stand up from his bed. The only problem was that there was no bed. Slowly the man's eyes came into focus, and he screamed. What he had convinced himself to believe was a dream, was reality. It didn't make sense. He didn't know why he was in that place, a place he thought he knew about in the back of his mind. From what he remembered, this was a bad place, where wizards and witches went when they wronged. Have I wronged? If so, how? Have I performed an unforgivable curse...?
His last thought trailed off, somewhere in the back of his mind, another memory came to him. He focused on it, but it was gone almost as swiftly as it had arrived. Could I have performed an unforgivable curse? Why would I do that? Did I kill someone?
"I WANT SOME ANSWERS!" He bellowed into the empty cell, and sat listening as it bounced down the corridor outside his cell. No reply came. Not even the screaming from the night before. Determined to find out why he was here, he yelled out again. "CAN ANYBODY HEAR ME? TELL ME WHY I'M HERE! I DON'T WANT TO BE HERE, PLEASE, SOMEONE TELL ME WHY I'M HERE!" Still, no answers, but he wouldn't give up. He spent the better part of the day yelling for someone. He screamed until he was hoarse, and that was when the first real memory came back to him. He had just finished yelling, and had trailed off in quiet voice "What have I done?" It was those words, uttered from his mouth once before, that took him back.
He saw a man, him, presumably, kneeling in a pile of rubble, crying. No, crying was a bad way to explain it, the man was bawling. Yet, at the same time, muttering incoherent sentences, like the ramblings of a madman. "What have I done? How could this happen. I will kill him for this. He'll suffer the way they did. I'll never rest until I have his head. What have I done?"
Suddenly, there was a noise behind the man, someone walking towards him. He turned, and saw an enormous man standing there, tears in his eyes as well. "I didn't mean to Hagrid... I never knew." The man muttered.
The one he called Hagrid seemed not to notice what he said, but simply walked over to him and placed a large hand on his shoulder. The man buckled under the pressure, but said nothing. It was not the time to mention such trivial things.
"Yeh all righ' there?" Hagrid asked him. "It's a sad thin,' but Dumbledore wants the lil' tyke gone before ...he... comes back." The large man finished.
"Of course, Hagrid, Dumbledore will know best. Here, take that." The man said, pointing a finger over his shoulder. "I won't need it where I'll be going."
Hagrid looked at him confused, but said nothing. The man knew that this giant sized man didn't know, and he would have liked to keep it that way. The man turned and walked away, tears streaming freely down his face.
The man was in his cell again. For whatever had happened, it had been his fault, and that was why he was here now. He just wished he could have remembered more. What he wouldn't give to know what he'd done to deserve such a fate.
It was now bright in the cell, and the man could finally see. There was nothing in it, except him and the chains. He looked out the door, and saw a cell facing his. He craned his neck to see if it was occupied. It was. The man set back quickly, not wanting to seem nosey.
"So, it is true than, what they're saying on the block. They're dead, and it's yours entire fault." The man in the opposite cell sneered, but seeing the look of regret on the man's face, he shook his head. "Of course, how many of us aren't in heres for murder? Name's Pondex, pleased to meets you." The man was about to stammer his name, which is when he realized that he didn't know it.
"Ah, no needs to introduce yourself. I know whos you are. True servant to the Dark Lord you are, rights in his inner circle. His favorite, some even says." Pondex scoffed, "You don't looks like someone who might entertain the company of the Dark Lord, and you certainly don't sounds like one." Seeing the look of disbelief on the man's face, Pondex continued, "Yeah, we heards you screaming last night. Nah, don't worry; it happens to the best of peoples in this place. But, I guess that's why we're heres, because we're not exactly the bests of people. You're a right quiet chap, ain't yeh?"
The man simply nodded, and turned his back on Pondex. He heaved a sigh, and felt the makeshift bandage on his head. From behind him, he heard Pondex whispering to someone. The man realized Pondex must have had a cellmate, so he turned around in interest.
Pondex wasn't whispering to a cellmate, however, he was just whispering to the people in the cells on either side of him. The man noticed how Pondex's cell had a place large enough to stick his head out of, his own cell didn't.
Pondex noticed him with his head stuck out, and looked at him quickly. "Nah, yous don't get one. You're a high security prisoner, too much risks. Tells ya what though; how's about you let me introduce you to some buddies of mine. On my left, your right is Jim. He's only in here for a small joint, just a few months. Got caught Muggle Baiting, didn't ya, Jim?" Pondex asked, jerking his head in Jim's direction.
"Right as uhhh, rain." Was all Jim said.
"And on your left, is Wallace. Here's we calls him Hoot, because he resembles an owl so much. What you in for Hoot? Oh yeah, I forgets. You stole all them wands from Olivanders a ways back, and then sold 'em off to all the First Years at Hogwarts. Created lots of havoc he has, he's got one long spell in here. What's it now, Hoot? You's must be up to at least five years now, right?" Pondex finished.
"I was just having a little fun was all, honest. But, it's a pleasure to meet you, sir." Wallace said, as he swept low in a bow directed towards the man in the cell. The man who knew more about these people than he did himself.
"And I's, well, boy, I tells ya, it'll be a cold day in hell before I gets out of this place. I'm here for life, my friend. Committed the worst one of them all..." Pondex trailed off. "But then, it's not quite the same was what you did, killing twelve muggles, and a wizard like that, than flat out denying it, although there must have been thirty witnesses. So's... Why deny it?"
"I don't know," was all the man could mutter.
The three other men in his cellblock looked at him, but with fear in their eyes. The man tried to bring himself to look at them, but found he felt like he was falling.
He fell hard against the wall, and everything went black.
Author's Note: Well, there's chapter two. If you haven't guessed who "The Man" is by now, I swear, you find out in the next chapter. Hmm, Hagrid, whose memory could he be in?
Anyhow, thanks to everyone who reviewed, now I'll have to reply.
SinfulColours: I can't tell you what's going on! That would spoil it for everone else. Just keep reading, you'll get it figured out really soon!
Moony's Angel: I'll look into those stories you recommened, thanks! I'm not sure about writing more stories, but I am sure that I will be writing more chapters to this story :)
absentmindedgenius: I'm glad you think you know who it is! Of coure I'm continuning with it, I couldn't leave you all hanging! I can't say how far I plan on taking it, because that might give some of the story line away to others who haven't got it figured out yet, but hopefully you'll stick along for the entire thing! Oh yes, thanks for saying it has real promise!