Chapter Sixty-Three

Backup and Restore

Jennifer entered Kingler's Cafe with a smile, taking the time to greet Tony, Sally, Billy, Carlos, and the rest before finally pouring two cups of coffee and bringing them over to the table where Severus sat waiting for her, meeting her alone for a change.

"Can you believe it? Our last rendezvous before I have to return home in two weeks. This year went much, much faster than I thought it would," Jennifer admitted.

"I found it interminable," Severus replied. "So was waiting for you this morning."

"I am sorry that I'm late, Severus," Jennifer apologized, sitting down across from him. "But we had to fill in our blind ballots this morning for who the first officers for the new school board are going to be and it ran over."

"You can make it up to me by agreeing to stay over. We can use that standing offer you have at Coven Suites this evening," Severus suggested in a low voice.

"Yes, alright," Jennifer said with a chuckle. "I could really use a break between all of the school politics and device testing I've been drowning in lately. And now that the hardest part is over with the school... at least as far as I'm concerned, at any rate... I could do with a bit of relaxation."

"You won't hear any arguments from me. Perhaps we should go there directly to try and secure the best room we can for such short notice," he suggested.

"If you like," Jennifer said, hearing someone clear her throat. They looked up to see Sally standing there. "I'll have whatever Carlos thinks Billy needs more practice with, Sally."

"Okay, but I should warn you, it's Eggs Benedict," Sally said.

"It can't be any worse than Jennifer's first attempts. Her hollandaise sauce always came out green," Severus said seriously.

"Oh no, Severus, don't tell her about that!" Jennifer protested with a laugh.

"The usual for me," Severus said.

"You got it," Sally chuckled at them, walking back over to the counter.

"So tell me more detail about this new school board of yours," Severus suggested.

"Well, this first school board will be made up of members that are entirely voted on by the faculty," Jennifer said with enthusiasm. "There will be a chairman to run the meetings, of course, a vice chair, secretary, treasurer, as well as a President of the Academy and a President of the Healer's school. Dean Elk and the Deans of the two extension schools... once that's official... will also sit on the board, along with heads of different internal departments, who'll represent different groups of teachers. For example, all of the teachers in the Physical Arts will elect a department head, who will be a member of the board and vote on the department's behalf. There will also be one for Basic Academics, Magical Arts, and so forth. All of the department representatives and the Deans will have to be employed at the time, of course, but the other offices can be held by alumni... oh, but only one member of any family can hold a board position at one time, which includes everything up to second cousins. So if one of the Masons, for example, gets elected to treasurer, no spouse, child, uncle, niece or so forth can serve at the same time. We put that in there to prevent further usurping the board down the road."

"An understandable precaution. But what of teachers?" Severus asked.

"In that case, it's whoever is best suited for the job regardless of who they're related to, of course. Jim did suggest a clause for that, but when I about strangled him for mentioning it, Lunette stepped in and explained why I didn't think that was a good idea," Jennifer said.

"I see," Severus said with a knowing smirk, sipping his coffee. "You know, Jennifer, I can't help but be a bit envious of this new board at Whitebridge, and having both the Deans and the teachers sitting at the table with the rest of the board."

"Not only that, the teachers themselves will have some voting rights even after the board is officially formed," Jennifer added. "Representatives will always be elected by their departments, and if one of the other spots is vacated, the representatives not only help vote for or against whoever is coming in, but they can request a full faculty vote if there are any disputes." Severus nodded.

"And the Dean positions?" Severus inquired.

"Well, they're to be recommended and decided by the outgoing Dean. As long as the recommendation is qualified, it can't really be overruled. But if there is an emergency or if a Dean ends up being detrimental to the school, the board can request that the Dean be replaced. At that point, the entire faculty will vote on whether or not they are going to be replaced. And if they vote someone out, then the teachers will vote for a new Dean, chosen from of the senior members of the faculty," Jennifer explained.

"I can't help but admit that I'm more than a little impressed. You've thought of just about everything," Severus decided.

"Well, James Buchard had a lot to do with it too. To his credit, he wanted to close all of the legal loopholes. Oh, and I might have asked Wind nonchalantly what he thought an ideal school board might look like when we were looking for subjects to talk about while that security painting was being done," Jennifer added with a mischievous smile.

"There is one thing you may not have considered, however," Severus decided. "What are you going to do if you get elected onto the board? I would be quite surprised after everything you've done if you weren't at least nominated for something."

"Well, yes, I am. But alumnus or not, I highly doubt anyone would be silly enough to elect me for the board, Severus. Everyone at that school knows that I'm going home in two weeks and that my main focus is Hogwarts and always has been," Jennifer replied.

"I see. So is there some sort of clause in the charter saying that you must be local as well as an alumnus to serve on the board?" Severus inquired.

"Well, no, not that I recall, but..."

"Must be a U.S. Citizen?" he asked.

"I'm sure that one isn't in there. After all..."

"And if you did get elected to the board, do you believe even for an instant that Wind Elk would ever let you get out of it?" Severus interrupted. Jennifer made a face.

"Well, no. No, he wouldn't. But it won't happen, Severus, so stop trying to make me worry about it. I'd rather talk about my research anyway, because we've had some limited success with the prototype recently," Jennifer said. Severus was curious enough that he decided to let her drop the subject.

"Limited success?" Severus prompted.

"We've been using it only on short term memory cases so far... people who have missed only a short amount of time up until a week," Jennifer explained. "Lunette set it up with the local Wizard Auror department, where we've been testing it on individuals with gaps and a strong network of family and friends who have vivid memories before and after the event so that we can connect them. Honestly, a lot of the people we've been testing probably could have been cured with the potion version as well, but we're slowly working our way up, you see."

"And how many have you cured by using your new device thus far?" Severus inquired.

"Oh, all of them," Jennifer said. Severus stared at her.

"Then why are you coming off as being so uncertain?" Severus asked.

"Because this machine is for long term cases, not short term, and I'm still not convinced it's going to work, despite my team's enthusiasm," Jennifer said bluntly. "A friend of mine from the Order of Libris, Genie, knows of a student who backfired the Obliviation Curse trying to keep her sister from tattling on her for something over the Christmas break, and she ended up losing several months of memory putting her behind in school this year. We're going to test it on her this week," Jennifer said.

"And once that works you'll be more confident?" Severus asked.

"Well, no," Jennifer said, Severus frowning at that. "But I will know I'm on the right track. To be perfectly honest, there's only one test that'll convince me for certain that this thing works, really. The worst case scenario."

"Then perhaps it's time to set caution aside and simply go for it to see what happens, so that you know going forward just where you stand on it," Severus suggested. Jennifer stared at him.

"Since when do you advocate for taking a chance?" Jennifer challenged him.

"There is a difference between being cautious and being timid, and right now it's perfectly evident that you are doing the latter and not the former. So do yourself a favor and stop waffling on this. Get the necessary permissions, take the necessary precautions, and just do it," Severus said firmly.

Jennifer and Rosemary carefully checked over Jennifer's device one last time to make certain it was put together properly. Not long after the final checks were done, Severus stepped into the New York Auror Station and was led back to the large room the device was in, and glanced around to see who was there.

"This was the best you could come up with?" Severus wanted to know.

Hagrid, Harry, Hermione, Ron, Ginny, and Molly Weasley gazed back at him, Molly clucking softly at the way he had said that.

"Yes, I'm afraid so. I did ask Deacon Aldus, but he wanted no part in it. He said he likes him much better the way he is now," Jennifer explained. She went over to the platform of the device and pulled out a small octagon vessel with a shutter-like opening at the top, then she used a lever to slide it open.

"Personally, I like him better the way he is now too," Harry admitted. "But that doesn't give us the right to leave him like this if there's a way to help him."

"Right now, I have no idea if we can help him or not," Jennifer replied, holding the container out to Harry, who then used his wand to take out a memory strand and placed it inside. All of the others standing there did the same, putting their strands inside.

"He's likely to be a mess afta'll this, you realize tha' righ'? I mean if it works," Hagrid said, putting his own strand in worriedly.

"Yes, I do," Jennifer said solemnly. "That's why I have Conner bringing him today."

"A wise precaution," Severus agreed, putting his own strand in.

"I hope it works," Molly said anxiously, adding her strand last. "I know it'll be hard for him, especially since he's been so happy. But it's the right thing to do."

"How about I just be happy if it works for Jennifer's sake?" Ron said dryly. "I can't stand the old git."

"All the same, I've always felt partially responsible for what happened," Ginny admitted.

"You didn't have anything to do with his part in what happened that year, Ginny, trust me," Hermione said. "But I'm with Ron on this one. I want to see it work for Jennifer's sake more than his."

"Thank you," Jennifer said with a smile, closing the device up and then waving her wand to seal it properly under the platform. "No one can be in the room with him when we do this, but there's an observation area just behind that wall you can watch from."

"I'll show them were to go," offered Harry, but was interrupted when Conner and Roy Lockhart entered the room, shown in by Aurelius.

"I've never been to New York that I recall! I don't suppose we could have a wander about while we're visiting?" Roy chatted excitedly as they stepped in.

"We'll see," Conner said with a smile, but Roy was immediately distracted by the others in the room.

"Why, look at that! It's Harry Potter!" Roy said excitedly. "And Professor Snape! Are you here to see if my memory can be restored too?"

"This device needs the memories of other people who encountered you before you lost your memories for it to work," Jennifer explained. "They've all contributed strands to try and help you. Of course, there's no guarantee that it will," she warned.

"Oh yes, Doctor Donovan has explained all that, and the risks. As well as the fact that no matter what happens, I'll be helping others by getting one step closer to a solution! I am happy to contribute," Roy assured Jennifer. Jennifer nodded at that with a smile.

"Alright, everyone, head to the observation room! Conner, you probably ought to stay with me and watch at the door," Jennifer suggested.

"Good idea," Conner agreed with a smile.

"Jen-girl, I'm going to run along to the observation room and stand with the rest of the team," Rosemary said.

"Alright," Jennifer said. "Come over here, please Roy," Jennifer said, walking over to a circular platform in front of a full-length mirror that was suspended on a metal arm. "I need you to stand in the very center of the platform and look in the mirror."

"Very well," Roy said, doing what he was told, pushing back his long white hair, his tail a bit messy after the trip there. "I look... normal."

"Yes, just stand there for now. I will need to turn off the lights and exit the room while this is going on," Jennifer explained. Once I do, the mirrors will separate into different memories that others have provided. Concentrate the one just in front of you, and the device will do the rest. Do you understand?"

"Yes," Roy said.

"Good luck," Jennifer added, then stood in the doorway long enough to turn off the lights and flip the switch on the device before closing the door, joining Conner in peering out the small open window.

Down the hall in the observation room, the rest of the team and memory donors had a better view; as if they were standing on the edge of the room with nothing in the way. But then, the room went dark and quiet.

"Was that supposed to happen?" Molly whispered, despite the fact that the other room was soundproofed.

"Yes," Rosemary confirmed in a normal voice. "Isolation is the beginning step."

But finally after a long pause the mirror's golden frame began to glow, and they could see both the mirror and Roy's face once more, staring into it in almost a daze, trying to refocus on it. But then the mirrors and the metal arm that it was attached to the platform below his feet suddenly seemed to split and other mirrors appeared, eight altogether, seven for each memory and the one mirror that he started with. They swung around them to form a circle, and after settling for a moment or two, one of them slid in front of the mirror he had been looking into, and he was confronted by a memory of the first time he met Molly Weasley... soon followed by the one where he met Harry Potter.

At first, the mirrors slid in and out of his stationary view; sometimes spinning, sometimes stopping abruptly and going in the opposite direction in a complex pattern.

"I see now. This is very much like the maze Jennifer had to traverse," Severus realized.

"Yes, exactly," Lunette agreed.

"The sorting device next to the memory box is using his reactions in the mirror to help figure out what memories to show him next," Lucky explained. "From his perspective, it'll seem like he's moving the mirrors himself, as he tries to make sense out of them."

"Look, there are only six mirrors all of the sudden," Ron pointed out.

"That means he's done with two of them," Rosemary replied.

"They're spinning faster now. Is that a good sign?" Hermione asked.

"I don't know. We haven't done this with someone whose memory is this far back," Rosemary admitted. "It's actually taking longer than it has before."

"Maybe if they're going faster, it means that he's processing it quicker. If that's true, then it's a very good sign," Liberty offered.

In fact, even as she said that, the spinning arms stopped and there was only five mirrors now, then after a quick jerk in the opposite direction, four, and then three. At last, the two remaining mirrors slid into place, and as the movement stopped completely, everyone in the observation room saw that Gilderoy was staring in the single mirror with tears streaming down his face.

Jennifer opened the door and slowly increased the lighting from dim to bright to give him some time to adjust. He then crumpled to his knees, sobbing profusely, his whole body shaking when Jennifer and Conner reached his side.

"Roy? Are you all right?" Jennifer asked softly.

"What have I done?" Gilderoy sobbed, still shaking as he sat up slowly. "Those poor wizards I condemned to this spell! What did I do?" he said. Jennifer glanced at Conner worriedly, but he gestured for her to give Gilderoy a minute to recover. "I um... surrender. To the Ministry, or by whatever authority can take me. Let me... let me supply a list of names... in case some of the wizards I wronged are still living. Perhaps you can save them as well," he said, feeling for a quill or pen and discovering that he didn't have one.

"I don't think anyone is interested in arresting you, Mr. Lockhart," Conner assured him, then glanced at Jennifer. "Perhaps we should get you checked over at a hospital just to be on the safe side, and then you and I can have a long talk and I'll help you sort out what comes next."

"Yes. Yes, alright," Gilderoy said, letting Conner help him to his feet. "Thank you, Doctor."

"That's what I'm here for," Conner said with a smile. "And on that note, thank you, Jennifer, for making sure I was here today."

"Of course. Thank you for helping him," Jennifer replied sincerely, then smiled at Gilderoy, who gazed at her with a serious expression.

"Professor Craw," Gilderoy said, attempting to regain some composure. "I am certain there will come a day in the future that I will probably want to think you for this, but... not today," he said somberly. Jennifer couldn't miss the pain in his gaze, regretting the loss of his second life.

"I understand," Jennifer said solemnly.

Gilderoy nodded at that and turned to Conner, letting him lead him out of the room. Jennifer gazed after them and realized that Lunette and Severus were standing just inside the door, keeping the others back so that Conner could see his patient out.

Lunette handed Conner a key to the nearby Wizard hospital when they reached her. Having a soft word with Lunette, Conner then led him out towards the reception area so that they could safely key out. Once they were gone, the rest began to file in.

"So Jennifer," Severus asked expressionlessly. "Is it safe to conjecture that the device works now?"

Jennifer gave him a warm smile as the rest filed in, stopped only by Ron who ran over to her and put his arms up in protest.

"Hold it! Hold it! Before you all swarm over here, I want a picture of her with that device first. I get an exclusive, right?" Ron said.

"Exclusive pictures yes, exclusive story, no," Severus replied.

"Wait! The whole team should be over here," Jennifer protested.

"Oh, no, you don't!" Lunette snapped. "I want no mistakes this time on whose project this is. Ron, take a picture with Jennifer and the machine by themselves. I don't want any photos of the whole team posted for 48 hours, or you will face my wrath. I am not prepared to go through all of that mistaken team leader crap again!"

"I agree entirely," Severus said emphatically.

"Okay, okay, I get it already," Ron grumbled,taking out his camera. "I'll just take down their names and put it a few paragraphs in about them or something. Is that an acceptable compromise?"

"Fine," Lunette decided as she and Severus made sure everyone stayed away from Jennifer and her device as they came in and began chatting excitedly about what happened and how ingenious it was.

"So what are you calling this thing, anyway?" Ron asked when he finally put the camera down to take some notes.

"We've just been calling it the memory restorer, really," Jennifer admitted.

"Nah, you can do better than that, Jackie," Lucky said, stepping over to them. "Call it the Restoration of Memory device instead."

"How is that any better than what we've been already calling it?" Kay wanted to know.

"Because then you can shorten it to ROM," Lucky snickered. Lunette laughed.

"It's a computer joke, Jennifer," Lunette informed her.

"Oh. Well, since their destruction rather inspired it, I suppose it's only fair," Jennifer decided, getting another laugh, and then Ron coaxed them into taking some full team photos after swearing he wouldn't release them early on pain of curse.