THIS FIC NOW HAS FANART! ... which unfortunately ffn won't let me link here, but you can find it on the Ao3 version.
Regarding the rating bump: it's not because anything happens in this chapter (well, I guess some stuff does happen…), but because of the violence and innuendo from previous chapters that made me think '...yeah this isn't really a G rated fic anymore is it?'
Harry's vision is blurry when he wakes up- he's no longer wearing his glasses- but he's visited the Hospital Wing enough times to recognize it from the fuzzy outlines of hospital beds and the scent of antiseptic potion. He sits up, rubs his eyes, and searches the nightstand next to his bed until he finds his glasses.
"Ah... you're awake." Professor Dumbledore says from a chair by his bedside. He folds his copy of The Evening Prophet and gives him an expectant look.
Harry hoped he'd say a little more, perhaps an explanation on how he ended up here. He's finding his most recent memories jumbled and scant. Trees casting eerie shadows in the Forbidden Forest, Krum glaring at him with a stern expression, a jet of red light striking him in the sternum. He concentrates, forcing the pieces to form a coherent story, but his efforts are rewarded with a dull headache reminiscent of an oncoming migraine. Harry groans and massages his temples.
"Professor… what happened?"
"I believe I should be asking you that question," Dumbledore says with a slight smile. "Earlier tonight I received word that you stumbled upon Barty Crouch in the Forbidden Forest. When I went to investigate however, I found you and Viktor unconscious and arranged in a way to suggest you'd had a duel."
A duel? That sounds... familiar. Something clicks in Harry's memory, and a scene plays like a movie in his head:
"What is your relationship with Herm-o-ninny?"
"None of your business."
"She's my Girlfriend, of course it's my business."
"She only likes you because you're famous. She plans on ditching you for me as soon as you're gone."
Their argument strengthens in intensity, reaching its tipping point when Krum challenges him to a duel. Things get a little hazy after that. Harry has half-formed memories of negotiating terms with Krum and convincing Cedric- who for some reason he knew was nearby- to leave with a hastily formed lie. Then he and Krum drew their wands, spewed out spells, and the last thing he remembers is a beam of red light striking him in the chest, knocking him back and slamming him hard against a tree.
"So, am I in trouble?"
Dumbledore raises an eyebrow and gives him a peculiar look. "That depends. Did you see Mr. Crouch tonight?"
"No," he says flatly, listening to the voice in his head insisting this above all else isn't true. "I only told Cedric that so he'd leave. I didn't want him to overhear us."
"Why that specific lie though?"
Harry shrugs. "It was the first thing that popped into my head."
"Then I must say, it wasn't very wise of you to pick a duel with your competition."
Harry scoffs. "He started it."
"What was your duel about then? Something to do with the Tournament?"
"No. It was um… personal stuff."
"Ah… could this 'personal stuff' have to do with the Witch Weekly article on your and Viktor's relationship with Hermione?"
"Er… something like that, yeah." Harry shifts uncomfortably in his hospital bed. While he likes Professor Dumbledore a great deal, he'd rather not chat with him about his feelings for Hermione. The romantic feelings he definitely has for Hermione. He got into a duel with Krum over them, so he must mean he fancies her. Why is it then, when he thinks about how he fancies his best friend, his headache swells to near unbearable?
"So your duel was over the affections of Hermione Granger? You're certain of this?"
"Pretty certain, yeah," he says through gritted teeth. He's struggling to focus on anything other than how much his head throbs.
Dumbledore strokes his beard, as if pondering something. "Poppy, are Cho and Cedric still waiting outside?"
"Yes, shall I send them off to bed?"
"No, have them come in. I'd like their assistance with something."
Madam Pomfrey tsks and mutters something Harry doesn't catch, but she opens the hospital doors, revealing Ron, Hermione, Cho, and Cedric huddled together in the four of them rush for the entrance, but only Cedric and Cho are permitted inside. Ron and Hermione attempt to protest as Madam Pomfrey slams the doors shut once again.
"Harry! You're awake!" Cho says.
"Are you alright? I'm so sorry it took me so long to get help," Cedric says.
Cho and Cedric grin at him with expressions of relief. They have very nice smiles, Harry notices, and he has an urge like a reflex to reach for their hands and reassure them he's fine. He has this hazy feeling that the three of them are friends... or…. No, he fancies Hermione. He had a duel with Krum over which of them fancies Hermione more. Merlin's beard- why does his head hurt so much?
"You guys were waiting for me?" He asks.
"Of course! We've been worried sick about you," Cho says.
"When Professor Dumbledore and I found you and Krum unconscious, we feared the worst," Cedric says. "Was it Mr. Crouch? Did he attack you and Krum?"
"No, Mr. Crouch wasn't-"
"That's what we're trying to get to the bottom of," Dumbledore says before he can finish. "Harry, I'd like to ask you a few questions to test your memory. I'm hoping your friends' presence might help you a bit."
"Er… okay," he says. He stares at Dumbledore, hoping he'll further explain his logic- so far Cho and Cedric have only made him more confused- but he receives in response only a patient smile.
"What's today's date, and who's the current Minister of Magic?" Dumbledore asks.
"May 24th and Cornelius Fudge."
"Can you name the band that performed at the Yule Ball?"
"The Weird Sisters."
"And who did you take to the Ball as your date?"
"I… um..." He trails off, finding his memories of the Ball frustratingly fuzzy. He remembers shiny black hair, a dimpled smile, the calloused fingers of a seeker. Not Hermione, she went with Krum. His date was probably someone he asked as a last resort since he couldn't take his crush. Except… his hazy memories have a pleasant air about them. Whoever his dates were, he gets the feeling he cares for them quite a bit.
"I… I think…" He winces. His head throbs, and there's a tinny ringing in his ears. "No, I clearly remember dueling Krum about Hermione-"
"What?!" Cho shouts. She and Cedric wear similarly bewildered expressions. "No, you must be remembering things wrong. There's no possible way that could've happened."
"Harry, are you sure you're alright?" Cedric asks. "Krum didn't seem cross with you, and you were dead certain you saw Mr. Crouch."
Harry closes his eyes and concentrates, willing the events of the Ball to come back to him. He's slow-dancing with someone, he can almost make out their face, then... he's in the Forbidden Forest taunting Krum about how close his bond with Hermione is. His memories are like identical poles of a magnet, the harder he tries to make them fit, the more they repel each other away.
"Don't think too hard on it. What feels most correct to you?" Dumbledore asks.
What feels most correct? The duel of course. It's what he remembers clearest- almost too clear. Like something he saw happen instead of something he experienced. The longer he concentrates on it, the more something about it feels off, artificial almost. So he sets it aside and focuses only on the sights and sensations of the Yule Ball. Grey eyes, lightly freckled cheeks, iced pumpkin juice, a face- no, two faces he wanted to kiss.
Harry focuses on Cho and Cedric. His memories of them are a bit jumbled, but the feelings of warmth and fondness he gets when he looks at them tell him all he needs to know.
He loves them.
"It was you two." He says with certainty. Cedric and Cho grin back at him, two dazzling grins he can't help but return. "But I still don't understand, why do I remember-" he groans and rubs his still aching head, "I must've hit my head on something?"
"While that's possible, I have another theory involving significantly less blunt force trauma to the head," Dumbledore says. He looks at Cedric. "I believe Professor Sprout's mentioned you've taken an interest in healing magic."
Cedric nods. "Uh… well... I've still got a lot to learn, but I enjoy it."
"He's being modest, he's really good at it!" Cho says. "He's been helping me study for my Charms OWL and he's taught me all these healing spells and incantations."
"Then maybe one of you is familiar with the Adversa Memoriae effect?" Dumbledore asks.
Cho frowns and shakes her head, but Cedric's expression shifts to one of alarm.
"Adversa Memoriae! That only happens when someone has memories falsely-implanted in their head," he says. "Professor, do you think Harry's memory was modified?"
"What? No, I don't think anyone's messed with my memory," he says. Sure, his memory of the duel doesn't fit with what he knows is true, but that's probably because he's a bit groggy from being knocked out.
When Professor Lockhart's memory was erased he couldn't remember his own name. Harry's not that lost.
"But you wouldn't remember if someone messed with your memory, would you?" Cho asks.
"I suppose not."
"And you're showing all the symptoms of Adversa Memoriae," Cedric says. "You've got headaches, confusion, seemingly contradicting memories."
"I... guess so."
"Then it goes to reason that your duel was a by-product of a poorly-planned memory modification spell," Dumbledore says. He chuckles. "It makes far more sense than this supposed duel for Hermione taking place, considering the three of you have been in a relationship since April."
"You um… you know about that?" Cedric asks, his cheeks turning a bright shade of pink. Cho bites her lip and shifts awkwardly next to him.
Dumbledore smiles, not unkindly. "In the future, you may want to be more careful which windows you fly in front of during your more... intimate moments."
Well this settles it. The duel definitely did not happen. If it did, and he really does fancy Hermione, he would not be feeling such a deep sense of mortification right now.
"So um... how do I get my real memory back?" He asks, hoping to move the conversation along to anything else.
"Well… that's the thing," Cedric says, "it's really hard to recover memories erased by magic, especially when they're modified instead of outright obliviated."
"So I'll never remember?" He asks. While he's relieved he has a diagnosis and he's not losing his mind, there's still the mystery of what actually happened to him tonight. Something had to knock him and Krum unconscious. If not a duel, then what? What could he have done that was so important, someone made certain he forgot all trace of it? He worries it's related to his dreams about Voldemort regaining his strength, especially since he's attacked him in the Forbidden Forest once before.
"Not necessarily," Dumbledore says. "Memory is a tricky thing, hard to control even with magic. Perhaps you'll never remember, or perhaps you'll wake up tomorrow with your memories completely restored."
"And we can glean some stuff about tonight even without your memories," Cho says. "It sounds like whatever happened involved Mr. Crouch."
"Indeed, Alastor and Hagrid are searching the grounds for him as we speak," Dumbledore says. He stands and tucks his newspaper under his arm. "Well… that's enough for tonight I think. I imagine Poppy wants to have a look at you. Will you let me know if anything comes back to you?"
"Yes, Sir."
After Dumbledore exits voluntarily and Cho and Cedric are kicked out, Madam Pomfrey starts her examination. There's some sore spots on his back and a scar on his sternum that looks like a cigarette burn, but otherwise she finds nothing unusual. As Dumbledore theorized, no blunt force trauma to the head. Madam Pomfrey wavers on whether to keep him overnight, but to his relief, she declares him well enough for discharge- though not before giving him strict orders to avoid strenuous activity for the next week.
Harry barely has one foot out of the Hospital Wing before four pairs of arms are throwing themselves around him. His friends' and his partners' voices all blend together as they ask how he's feeling and reassure him everything is going to be okay.
-O-
Harry does not wake up the next morning with his memory restored. All he has to show for the previous night is a lingering migraine and a soreness between his shoulder blades like someone shoved him against a wall. A tonic from Madam Pomfrey relieves his physical pain. Too bad restoring modified memories isn't as easy as chugging a potion.
Later that week Professor Moody confirms neither he nor Hagrid found any trace of an intruder, Mr. Crouch or otherwise, and through the social grapevine Harry learns Krum's memories were similarly modified. It appears the only person who knows what happened is their attacker. So far every clue about their identity has led to a dead end. He's ruled out the possibility of an outsider, and an insider seems equally unlikely. Karkaroff's Death Eater ties point some suspicion his way, but he wouldn't attack his prized pupil. As for Voldemort- Harry can't deny the possibility- but he's fairly certain if he were involved, he would've used something a bit deadlier than a memory modification spell.
To distract from his quasi-amnesia, Harry throws himself into preparations for the Third Task. It helps, but Ron and Hermione's company helps more. Together they spend their evenings in the library, flipping through books on spells, potions, magical creatures, and anything else that might be of use. Harry keeps a list of things that seem promising. By Friday night it's three pages long.
"Huh, here's an interesting one," Harry says, reading from a page of Humberto's Handbook of Helpful Hexes , "the Foliconsumpto spell. It shoots out an acid that kills weeds," he laughs. "Hey, maybe I could use it to disintegrate the hedges."
"That's a brilliant idea!" Ron says.
Hermione glares at him. "I hope you're joking."
"No, I'm serious. You should do it. The judges seem to like it when you show some cheek."
"Yes, but there's a difference between showing cheek and totally disregarding the rules. If the goal of the Third Task was to reach the cup as fast as possible with no holds barred, Harry may as well summon his broomstick again."
"Oh yeah, that's even better!"
Hermione sighs. "And you completely missed the point of what I just said."
"Well… Mr. Bagman didn't explicitly ban going around the walls," Harry says, hesitantly, not wanting to add more ammunition to their squabble. "But maybe I should check with him first? I wouldn't want to get disqualified over it."
"I dunno," Ron says, "it's like Fred and George say, sometimes it's better to ask for forgiveness than permission."
Hermione tsks and shakes her head. "Of course they'd say something like that."
Harry writes the spell down anyway, just in case, ignoring Hermione's look of disapproval as he does. He glances out the large library windows at the courtyard below. He's itching to get out and try some of these spells, but spell-practice is considered to be a "strenuous activity" and he isn't supposed to over-exert himself, as Ron, Hermione, Cedric, Cho, Hagrid, Sirius, Madam Pomfrey, et cetera are keen on reminding him.
Speaking of Cedric and Cho, the large clock over the library entrance chimes for the hour.
"Damnit, I'm late," he says.
"Late for what?" Ron asks.
"Date night."
When searching for rooms without anti-PDA charms, Harry found their choices somewhat limited. They settled on a dungeon in the basement, the same one where Cho brewed his life-saving potion for the Second Task. Their plans weren't particularly extravagant. Cho wanted to study a bit more, Cedric promised he'd nick some sweets from the kitchen, but after everything Harry went through this week, he can't think of anything he'd enjoy more than an easy night in with his partners.
Hermione gives him a concerned look. "Are you sure it's okay to be sneaking around after curfew, especially after what happened earlier?"
"I think so. We're just meeting up in a spare classroom. We're probably as safe there as we are here."
"Yeah, they'll be fine. It's not like they're going to do something stupid, like sneak off for a snog in the Forbidden Forest," Ron says.
"Well… okay. But be careful. And don't stay out too late. Ron and I will wait up for you to make sure you get back safe."
"Hey, how do you know I don't have plans for tonight?" Ron casts her a cocky smile. "Maybe I've got a date tonight too."
"Do you?" Hermione asks.
Ron frowns and his ears turn red. "Well… no, but it would have been polite to ask."
The three of them part ways at the library entrance, Hermione and Ron discussing a knitting project as they climb the stairs to Gryffindor tower. Harry checks the Marauder's Map as he heads for the basement. Curfew isn't for another hour, but leave it to Snape to question him about what he's doing in the dungeons at this time of night. Except Snape isn't on the map, nor are most of his Professors. The only ones he can locate are Trelawney in the Divination tower, Moody in his office, and Madam Pomfrey in the Hospital Wing. Maybe Hermione was onto something about safety, or maybe he should take comfort in the fact that it's highly unlikely more Professors will find out about their relationship tonight.
When Harry arrives Cedric is fiddling with a loud, staticy wireless, and Cho's brewing a potion that gives off a strong, lemony odor. Harry didn't have a good chance to look around the last time he was here- he was a bit distracted by everything going on that morning. This must be an old potions classroom. Rows of empty ingredients cabinets line the walls and there's a layer of dust on everything except a few tables Cedric and Cho have claimed. They've added a few touches to make the space a little homier: candles, a plate of sweets, a few pillows and blankets in Hufflepuff and Ravenclaw colors. Harry grabs a biscuit and gives each of them a kiss on the cheek.
"Sorry I'm late," he says. "Looks like you guys have kept busy."
"Yup. Give me a minute, I'm almost done." Cho says as she sprinkles a powder into her cauldron that turns her potion bright yellow.
"And I've almost got this thing to work," Cedric says. He smacks the wireless with the heel of his hand, but it only makes the static louder. "The noise isn't bothering you, is it? I wouldn't want to aggravate your headaches."
"No, you're fine. My headaches have mostly gone away. Though, I'm slightly concerned someone might hear the noise and come to investigate."
Cedric smirks and looks as though he's stifling a laugh. "Oh don't worry, no one's going to overhear us tonight."
Harry raises an eyebrow. "You sound awfully certain of that."
"Yeah, do you know something we don't?" Cho asks.
Cedric pauses. "Alright, but you can't tell anyone. The Professors went out to Three Broomsticks tonight so it's just the Prefects supervising, and I may have pulled a few favors and asked them not to come down this way on their patrol."
Harry and Cho exchange grins. That explains why nearly every adult vanished off the map. Though, why anyone would want Snape for a drinking companion is beyond him.
"How long until they get back?" Cho asks.
"Midnight? Maybe a little after? Don't worry, we've got plenty of time." Cedric leans in, giving her a flirtatious look, but he inhales too much of the scent from her cauldron and sputters. "Wow- that is quite strong. What are you making?"
"It's called the citrilludent potion. It makes everything you eat and drink taste like lemons."
Harry scrunches his nose, wondering why anyone would spend time creating a potion so useless. Cedric also makes a face, though it's one of concern rather than disgust.
"Oh no, not the citrilludent potion. Sorry, I wish I'd known. I would've stopped you."
"What's wrong?" Cho asks. "Davies said it comes up on the OWLs a lot, so I thought it might be worthwhile to study."
"Uh... no, it's never on the OWLs. It's a prank. Some people think it's funny to watch fifth years waste their time and struggle to eat a meal that tastes like sour lemons."
Harry makes a mental note next year for when he's taking exams because it sounds like the kind of thing Fred and George would try. Cho sighs and takes out her wand to vanish the potion, but Cedric holds out his hand to stop her.
"Wait, save some and slip it into Davies' breakfast tomorrow," Cedric says.
"Oh, that's devious. I love it." She smirks. She spoons a small amount of the bright yellow solution into a crystal vial, then vanishes away the rest. "So what potions should I actually study?"
"Well, for last year's OWLs I had to make a sleeping draft, a strengthening serum, and Polyjuice potion- or part of it, we weren't able to finish since it takes several months to stew."
"I was reading about the Polyjuice potion. I wanted to try it, but a bunch of the ingredients were missing in the storage cabinet."
Harry shrugs. "Sounds like a lot of people have been studying it too."
"I doubt they'll have Polyjuice potion on the exam twice in a row," Cedric says, "but if you're really determined you could owl order the missing ingredients."
"I considered it, but they're a bit out of my price range." She holds out an empty palm at Cedric. "Care to spare me 60 galleons for some boomslang skin?"
Cedric laughs and shakes his head. "Sorry, check back after the tournament."
"I won't need it then, though if you'd like to spend your prize money on a Firebolt for your favorite girlfriend..." Cho smiles and bats her eyelashes.
"We'll see. How much do those things cost anyway?" Cedric asks, looking at him.
"Dunno, mine was a gift," he says, and because he's certain their next question will be: 'From who?' , he changes the subject. "What would you do with the prize money if you won? I still haven't decided."
"Well, I'd start by paying Cho back for our tea date," Cedric says, then kisses her nose.
"I wasn't being serious about that," Cho says, laughing.
"I know, but I'm going to do it anyway. Then... Harry, your birthday's in July, right?"
He nods. "It's the 31st. When's yours? I haven't forgotten it, have I?"
"No, it's not until October. October 9th to be exact."
"And mine's even later, December 11th," Cho says.
"Right so, I'll get both of you birthday presents at the appropriate time," Cedric says. "After that… I know it's boring, but I'll probably save most of it for after I graduate."
"No, that's practical," Cho says. "Have you decided what you want to do after you graduate?"
He nods. "I think I'm going to try for a healing apprenticeship, but I haven't decided which hospital yet."
"St. Mungo's?" he suggests.
"Maybe, but they're really selective. They only take one or two apprentices a year and I already know six people who want to apply."
Harry laughs and brushes a stray strand of hair out of his boyfriend's eyes. "Cedric, you're a Tri-Wizard Champion, a prefect, a quidditch captain, and a shoo-in for Head Boy next year. You're probably over-qualified for their apprenticeship."
"I know, but that's not a guarantee they'll choose me. It'll probably come down to my NEWT scores."
"And you got seven Outstandings on your OWLs last year. As long as you remember to study, I think you'll be alright," Cho says. She reaches up to caress his cheeks. "You're incredibly brilliant, incredibly handsome, and any hospital would be lucky to have you as an apprentice."
Cedric rolls his eyes. "How does being handsome help me get a healing apprenticeship?"
Cho laughs softly before standing on her toes and kissing him.
They don't say much of anything after that. Their lips are otherwise occupied. They start fumbly and awkward, but it doesn't take long to find a comfortable rhythm. Taking turns really is the answer to 'How will they all kiss?' , and when one of them isn't kissing his lips, they're kissing his cheeks and neck and shoulders. He loses track of who's hands belong to who, not that it matters because it feels so good and they're both so hot and he doesn't want them to stop.
Somehow they end up sprawled across their pile of pillows and blankets, enveloped in warmth and an easy silence, aside for the wireless still humming with soft static. Harry lies with his head in Cho's lap, Cedric not far away. The top few buttons of his shirt have come undone, revealing the newly formed scar on his chest.
"That looks like it came from a stunning spell. It should fade in a few weeks," Cedric says. He runs a finger lazily along his sternum.
"Yeah, that's what Madam Pomfrey said."
"I'm really sorry I couldn't get Dumbledore quicker. When I got to the castle-"
Cho cuts him off with a quick kiss. "Hey, we talked about this. It's not your fault. You did the best you could."
Harry squeezes Cedric's hand. "Yeah, and I was knocked out so soon after you left, I doubt you could've gotten Dumbledore fast enough."
"How do you know that?" Cho asks, "Do you remember something?"
He'd meant it to be reassuring, but there's one memory that's stuck with him, feeling more grounded than the rest: a beam of red light striking him in the chest. When he digs down and concentrates so hard his head hurts, the spellcaster shifts from Krum to someone else, a distant figure with a familiar voice, though he can't quite pin down.
"No… just a feeling."
"Well, if you get any more feelings, you ought to tell Professor Dumbledore about them."
"I will."
Cho strokes his hair while Cedric takes his hand and kisses his fingertips. He can worry about his missing memories later. Right now he's busy making new ones with two of the people he loves most.
1. I did it! I successfully inserted a "snogging in the Forbidden Forest" My Immortal reference.
2. Astrology is fake, but I'm a sucker for Symbolism so I gave the trio compatible star signs (according to whatever authority decides which signs are compatible).
3. My Latin's a little rusty but:
Adversa= opposing Memoriae=memories
Folii=leaf Consumpto=to burn or kill
Citri=lemon Illudent=to mock or fool
(I took four years of Latin and I hope my Magistra is proud of how I'm using it now)
Comments and likes are always appreciated!