Author's Note: If you are looking for the newly uploaded chapter. Its actually not here, it's at the beginning of the story in the form of a very short Prologue. I added it just to establish some of the things that happened between this story and the first story.
Also you will notice this is no longer titled Wrong Memory 3. Since this takes place between Wrong Memory (which is now subtitled Key Memories) and Atlantis Memories, I changed the title of both stories to reflect that. So Atlantis Memories is now Wrong Memory 3. And Wizarding Memories is now Wrong Memory 2.
Chapter 20: Firebolt
"Aunt Willow?" Harry said uncertainly as he looked at his aunt the day after Hogsmeade. All through their luncheon that day Willow had said not a word. She had not even looked at Harry. Even Harry knew that was uncharacteristic of his aunt. He knew that Willow was normally more upbeat than she was at that moment. "Are you okay?"
"I'm fine, Harry," was Willow's only response.
"Aunt Willow, you—you look terrible," Harry said.
"He's right, baby," Dawn said. "You do look terrible. You have since you talked with Fudge yesterday. You want to tell Harry what the minister said or shall I?"
Willow let out a sigh and then nodded. "Sirius Black is your godfather."
"He's my …" Harry replied.
"Harry," Dawn said. "That's not the end of it. Have you heard of the Fidelius Charm?" Harry shook his head. "It's supposed to keep only those who the secret keeper allows into the place where the charm resides. In this case your home in Godric's Hollow. Sirius Black was Lily and James secret keeper."
"That means," Harry said as he sat down heavily. "He told Voldemort where my parents were."
"That's right," Willow said. "Promise me you won't do anything with this information, Harry. It would kill me to find out you went after Black and got yourself killed. I already lost Lily, I don't know if I could lose you too."
Harry looked at Dawn and let out a sigh. "Aunt Dawn, you know what I see and hear every time a dementor gets too near me."
"What is he talking about?" Willow asked as she looked at Dawn.
Dawn let out a sigh. "I asked Harry not to tell you. You already knew how Lily and James died. I didn't think you would want to know that every time a dementor comes around Harry that he hears his mom screaming and pleading with Voldemort."
"What!" Willow practically shouted as she looked back at Harry. "Is that true?"
"Yes," Harry said.
"Harry," Dawn said. "Black will be caught."
"So, but he also escaped from Azkaban," he said. "That means he can't be held, doesn't it? And he's supposed to be after me."
"That is not what we're teaching you Wiccan magic for," Willow said.
"I know," Harry said. "You're teaching me Wiccan magic so I can protect myself. And that wand magic is too restrictive in that regard."
"That's right," Dawn said. "If Black comes after you, you will do what you need to protect yourself. But don't go looking for him, alright."
"I won't, I promise," Harry said as he looked at Willow. He understood her fears. He held them too about both her and Dawn. He knew that should something happen to them he would go back to the Dursleys. But more than that he would have lost another member of his family, and he wasn't sure he could survive that. And he was sure that was how Willow was as well. She had already lost both her lover, Tara, and her sister, Lily. He was sure that like him, she might not survive losing someone else.
"So Harry, what would you like for Christmas," Dawn asked changing the subject.
Harry looked to his aunts and smiled. He had already received his Christmas gift, his birthday gift and any other gift for times that he could think of for the rest of his life. He no longer lived with the Dursleys but with two aunts and their families that had become his family as well. What other gift could you ever want or need than to be surrounded by people you love. But he knew they would not accept that answer. "A new broom."
"We'll see what we can do," Willow said with a smile.
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As time went by the usual Christmas decorations were put up through Hogwarts, despite the fact that hardly any of the students remained to enjoy them. Thick streamers of holly and mistletoe were strung along the corridors, mysterious lights shone from inside every suit of armor, and the Great Hall was filled with its usual twelve Christmas trees, glittering with golden stars.
And during that time Willow and Dawn took a trip to Diagon Alley. They had one stop in mind, Quality Quidditch Supplies.
"What is the best broom you have?" Willow asked the shopkeeper.
"That would be the Firebolt, ma'am. It is the fastest broom on the market, surpassing the Nimbus Two Thousand One. It has an unbreakable Braking Charm, superb balance and precision, and hovers at reasonable mounting height when let go."
Willow glanced at Dawn who nodded and then suddenly gasped out. "Someone else will send him one, anonymously," Dawn said.
Willow turned back to the shopkeeper. "Have you had any orders for this particular broom?"
"Why yes," the shopkeeper said. "I had an order via owl post to be sent to a student at Hogwarts."
"Have you sent it? And do you know how ordered it?"
"I have yet to send it. There were orders not to send it except by Christmas Owl Post. And I don't know who ordered it. It wasn't signed, which was suspicious enough to have the galleons checked to make sure they were real. They were."
"We're teachers at Hogwarts," Dawn said. "Which of the students was the broom intended for?"
"Harry Potter."
Dawn and Willow looked at each other with the same thought on their minds, Sirius Black. But why would he buy the most expensive broom currently on the market when he was on the run and supposedly looking to kill Harry.
"If you don't mind we would like to take the broom and talk to the Headmaster," Willow said as she looked back at the shop keeper.
"I'm not really …"
"We have an added interest," Dawn said. "We're Harry's aunts and his legal guardians. We would rather Harry wait to get that broom till we made sure that nothing was wrong. Especially when the broom we were buying was going to be for him."
"I see your point," the shopkeeper said. "You want to try and find out who would send it. For someone out to do harm to Mr. Potter, a Firebolt would be a telltale sign as no other student would have one, assuming of course they didn't recognize him first. Very well, I will give it to you as my couriers with the understanding you will deliver it to Mr. Potter. This way if someone asks I can tell them it was definitely sent. What you all do with it once you leave my shop is out of my hands."
"Thank you," Dawn and Willow said.
"Here is the Firebolt you are buying." The shopkeeper handed them a Firebolt. "You will notice that I had it engraved while we were talking for Mr. Potter. This will be the indication of which broom is which as the one from my anonymous buyer is a stock Firebolt, with no engraving."
"Thank you," Willow said again as the shopkeeper handed her the other broom.
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Upon Dawn and Willow's return to Hogwarts they dropped off their present for Harry in their suite and then headed straight to Dumbledore's office with the other broom.
"Dawn, Willow," Dumbledore said as they entered his office.
"We just came back from Diagon Alley," Willow said. "Where we learned that someone had bought Harry a Firebolt."
Dawn held up the broom.
"Yes," Dumbledore said. "I'm acquainted with the broom." Upon the looks of shock he explained. "I do keep up the latest inventions and upgrades in the wizarding community. It is my hope that the wizarding world will eventually catch up to the muggle world in terms of technology. But alas I have my doubts, there are those in the Wizengament that do not want anything muggle in the wizarding world. And they have stonewalled every single effort to incorporate muggle technology. Just think of it, the use of pen and paper would stave off the costs of the students buying the more expensive ink and parchment. But the pureblood families are more traditional in nature of course, as you both well know."
Dawn and Willow nodded. They did know, Muggleborns after all were considered the lowest wizarding class in the wizarding world.
"Now I believe you have a reason for bringing this broom to my attention?" he asked.
"According to the shopkeeper," Dawn said. "He received an order of this broom for Harry. There was no signature, no identifying marks of any kind on the letter that accompanied the money. Nothing other than buyer wanted the Firebolt and wanted it to go to Harry." Just then memories began to flood Dawn's mind. "Wait a minute I am remembering something. Nothing on who sent it. But the shopkeeper was telling the truth when he said it was a stock broom. You all break the broom apart and reassemble it looking for a jink or something else to prove it had or had not been tampered with and find nothing."
"At least that much is good news," Dumbledore said. "But who would send Harry, beside yourselves, an expensive broom such as this? Remus might, but financially I doubt he could afford such a broom. If it was just your salaries here I would doubt the two of you could have done it. But you both still have salaries coming from the ISC do you not?"
"We do," Dawn said. "We suspect it could be Sirius Black. But the problem with that scenario is that well he is on the run. How did he get the money?"
"He would have access to the Black family vaults," Dumbledore said. "His incarceration at Azkaban would not have changed that. Now as we all know he is still Harry's godfather. Which means it is likely something he might do in that role. But if he is out to kill Harry, why would he?"
"He may not recognize Harry," Willow said. "If he has been in Azkaban. He likely did not get the Daily Prophet, correct?" Dumbledore nodded. "The Firebolt would be a telltale sign of who Harry was, because he would likely be the only student here that has one."
"Quite right," Dumbledore said. "Leave the broom with me and I will get to the bottom of this. I assume the reason you found out about this broom is because you were buying Harry one?"
"Yes," Willow said. "And it too is a Firebolt, with one distinction. The shopkeeper had it engraved with Harry's name."
"Good," Dumbledore said. "That should fool Black into thinking it is not the broom he bought assuming he gets a close enough look at it. Bringing him out into the light."
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On Christmas morning, Dawn woke to find Willow laying next to her with her head on Dawn's shoulder.
"Hey, baby," Dawn said when she noticed that Willow was awake. "Merry Christmas."
"Merry Christmas," Willow returned.
When they pulled themselves out of bed they found at the foot of their bed was a small heap of parcels. They opened presents from each of their friends as well as from each other. Around lunchtime they headed down to the Great Hall, on their way they met Ron, Harry and Hermione.
"What's that?" said Ron, looking at a parcel in Willow's hand.
"Harry's Christmas present," Willow said as she handed the wrapped broom to Harry.
Harry ripped the parcel open and gasped at the gleaming broomstick.
Ron's jaw dropped as he looked closer at it. "I don't believe it," he said hoarsely.
Harry's eyes moved from the golden registration number at the top of the handle, right down to the perfectly smooth, streamlined birch twigs that made up the tail and back up to the handle where he noticed his name was engraved.
"Thanks Aunt Dawn, Aunt Willow," Harry said excitedly as he pulled Dawn and then Willow into an embrace.
"Wait till Malfoy sees you on this!" Ron said. "He'll be sick as a pig! This is an international standard broom, this is!"
"Only the best for our nephew," Dawn said.
"This must've been really expensive…" Hermione said.
"Probably cost more than all the Slytherins' brooms put together," said Ron happily.
"Don't worry," Willow said. "We can afford it. We still are under the employ of the ISC and receive a paycheck from that and here."
"Harry, can I have a go on it? Can I?" Ron asked.
Harry looked to his aunts, who motioned to him that it was his call. "Sure," he said. "Right after I do."
When they arrived in the Great Hall they found that the House tables had been moved against the walls and that a single table stood in the middle of the room. Professors Dumbledore, McGonagall, Snape, Sprout, and Flitwick were there, along with Filch, the caretaker, who had taken off his usual brown coat and was wearing a very old and rather moldy-looking tailcoat. There were only three other students, two extremely nervous-looking first years and a sullen-faced Slytherin fifth year.
"Merry Christmas!" said Dumbledore as Dawn, Willow, Harry, Ron, and Hermione approached the table. "As there are so few of us, it seemed foolish to use the House tables … Sit down, sit down!"
The five of them sat down side by side at the end of the table.
"Crackers!" said Dumbledore enthusiastically, offering the end of a large silver noisemaker to Snape, who took it reluctantly and tugged. With a bang like a gunshot, the cracker flew apart to reveal a large, pointed witch's hat topped with a stuffed vulture.
Snape's mouth thinned and he pushed the hat toward Dumbledore, who swapped it for his wizard's hat at once.
"Dig in!" he advised the table, beaming around.
Suddenly the doors of the Great Hall opened again. It was Professor Trelawney, gliding toward them as though on wheels.
Dawn glared at the divination professor. The fact that Trelawney had only given one real premonition in the time she had been employed here made Dawn consider almost a fraud.
"Sibyll, this is a pleasant surprise!" said Dumbledore, standing up.
"I have been crystal gazing, Headmaster," said Professor Trelawney in her mistiest, most faraway voice, "and to my astonishment, I saw myself abandoning my solitary luncheon and coming to join you. Who am I to refuse the promptings of fate? I at once hastened from my tower, and I do beg you to forgive my lateness…"
"Certainly, certainly," said Dumbledore, his eyes twinkling. "Let me draw you up a chair—"
And he did indeed draw a chair in midair with his wand, which revolved for a few seconds before falling with a thud between Snape and McGonagall. Trelawney lowered herself into the empty chair.
McGonagall poked a large spoon into the nearest tureen. "Tripe, Sibyll?"
Trelawney ignored her, she looked around once more and said, "But where is dear Professor Lupin?"
"I'm afraid the poor fellow is ill again," said Dumbledore, indicating that everybody should start serving themselves. "Most unfortunate that it should happen on Christmas Day."
"But surely you already knew that, Sibyll?" said McGonagall, her eyebrows raised.
Trelawney gave McGonagall a very cold look. "Certainly I knew, Minerva," she said quietly. "But one does not parade the fact that one is All-Knowing. I frequently act as though I am not possessed of the Inner Eye, so as not to make others nervous."
Dawn barely managed to stifle a laugh as she whispered in Willow's ear. "All knowing, yeah right."
"That explains a great deal," said McGonagall tartly.
Trelawney's voice suddenly became a good deal less misty. "If you must know, Minerva, I have seen that poor Professor Lupin will not be with us for very long. He seems aware, himself, that his time is short. He positively fled when I offered to crystal gaze for him—"
"Imagine that," said Dawn dryly.
"I doubt," said Dumbledore, in a cheerful but slightly raised voice, "that Professor Lupin is in any immediate danger. Severus, you've made the potion for him again?"
"Yes, Headmaster," said Snape.
"Good," said Dumbledore. "Then he should be up and about in no time… Derek, have you had any of these chipolatas? They're excellent."
The first-year boy went furiously red on being addressed directly by Dumbledore, and took the platter of sausages with trembling hands.
Trelawney behaved almost normally until the very end of Christmas dinner, two hours later. Full to bursting with Christmas dinner and still wearing their party hats, Harry and Ron got up first from the table and she shrieked loudly.
"My dears! Which of you left his seat first? Which?"
"Dunno," said Ron, looking uneasily at Harry.
"I doubt it will make much difference," said McGonagall coldly, "unless a mad axe-man is waiting outside the doors to slaughter the first into the entrance hall."
Trelawney looked highly affronted.
"Coming?" Harry said to Hermione when he, Ron and Hermione had their fill of Christmas dinner two hours later.
Harry, Ron and Hermione made their way out of the Great Hall. Once the door closed behind them Dumbledore turned to Dawn and Willow. "We took a part the broom you gave me," he said. "You were correct, Dawn, that we would find nothing."
"It's unusual, why would anyone send Harry an expensive broom. None of you would do it, even if you could afford it," Willow said. "You all would not want to show favoritism to Harry. Dawn and I on the otherhand can show favoritism cause we are his aunts. Which leaves only one likely person, and if he did send it, it was for nefarious purposes."
