Chapter 4: Memory
Sorry this chapter has taken so long, but I have epilepsy and have been having seizures recently.
Harry, Ron and Hermione ascended the stairs to the South Tower. Harry hadn't told Ron and Hermione about what he had seen in Hope classes for Bunnymund had been adamant not to.
'So we've had "her" for Defence against the Dark Arts,' Ron began counting off the new classes on his fingers, 'Cookie man for Wonder,' 'COOKIE MAN?' Harry and Hermione said in unison. Ron ignored them. 'And the kangaroo for Hope.' 'You're very disrespectful, Ronald. Anyway, we've got Memory classes next,' Hermione confirmed out loud checking her timetable.
The class was lined up outside of a very ornate door. It took them so long to get from the grounds to here, that as early as they had left hope, they were only just in time. As Harry, Ron and Hermione approached, it opened. Hovering there was a small swarm of fairies. One of them flew off into the room. The rest flew up to different members of the class and began peering in at their teeth. They then pushed everyone into the room.
A collection of gasps echoed through the group. The room was huge and didn't seem to have a true wall. It seemed to be a collection of towers of pink and golden colours. Between them were flying hundreds of specks that turned out to be hundreds of fairies. One flew past Harry holding something white. On closer inspection Harry saw that it was a tooth.
The fairy flew up to a small box in the wall which opened revealing a small collection of teeth. The fairy placed the tooth in the box and flew up to a small golden machine. It pressed a button on the machine which read "Pound" and a small coin ran down a chute. The fairy picked it up and flew away with it. Another machine next to the Pound machine read "Galleon." Ron smiled and pressed the button. 'OUCH!' He said as he received a sharp electric shock.
'Where's Professor Tooth?' Parvati asked. 'Up there,' Hannah Abbot said pointing. Indeed hovering on top of the highest of the towers was Professor Tooth. She seemed to be gesticulating to the different fairies. The class ascended a small ramp up to the tower top. Once they were close enough, they could hear what Tooth was saying.
'Chicago, Sector six: thirty seven molars, twenty two bicuspids, eighteen central incisors. Moscow, Sector nine: twenty two incisors, eighteen premolars. Uh oh, heavy rain advisory! Des Moines, we've got a cuspid at 23 Maple. Head out! Montreal, sector six: ten premolars, eight incisors and twelve canines. Steer clear of the wild goose migration. Ontario, sector nine: five canines, two molars, and fourteen incisors. Is that all in one house?' She stopped to consider something. 'I think I've forgotten something.'
'Um, Professor Tooth?' Lavender said stepping forward. Tooth jumped in mid-air (which no one really thought possible) and turned around. 'Oh hello. Yes?' 'We've got a class with-' Hermione began but... 'San Diego, sector two! Five incisors, a bicuspid and a really loose molar on stand-by. No, sorry' Tooth said, slapping her hand and dragging herself back to the class.
'Take a seat,' Tooth said. Every one sat down on the floor. Tooth quickly took the register before continuing. 'Now, does anyone know why we collect the teeth?' Tooth asked. No reply. 'Did anyone know that teeth contain the most important memories of childhood?' Again no reply. Tooth reached over to a box and looked at the front. 'Ronald Weasley.' Hesitantly, Ron raised his hand. 'Here are your memories,' Tooth said handing him the box.
Ron took the box. He gently rested his hand on the box's surface. With a mechanical clicking the box opened. Inside was a set of baby teeth. Harry raised his eyebrow feeling unimpressed. He looked up at Ron, but Ron was staring at the teeth with a faraway look in his eyes. 'Ron?' Harry said waving his hand in front of Ron's eyes. He didn't react. A tear slid down his cheek. Ron smiled gently.
Suddenly with a jerk, Ron snapped back to reality. He was breathing heavily. 'Did you see that?' He gasped. 'See what?' Hermione asked. 'Only you saw,' Tooth said gently. 'Just like only yourself or my fairies can open the box.' Harry was impressed, he'd never seen Ron like this before.
Tooth hovered into the air. 'Now, I have a list here for each of you.' She held out several scrolls of parchment. Everyone took one. 'Read the instructions to my fairies while I go and look for all of your tooth boxes.'
Harry looked down at his list. It was naming cities, sectors in those cities and numbers of types of teeth. He heard a buzzing in his ear. Looking up he saw a small croud of fairies hovering next to him. 'Umm...,' Harry fumbled before checking the list. 'Beijing, sector 5, twelve biscuspids, four incisors, one canine.' Several of the fairies buzzed in confirmation before flying off to one of the coin dispensers, collecting a few coins and then flying off through the window.
Tooth flew off around the tooth class. Every now and then she took a small box of the shelves. She pulled out one and checked the name. "Harry Potter." It was glowing. She pressed her fingers to the golden box surface. It opened and Tooth saw the memories.
Baby Harry was sitting on his mother's lap while his father conjured stars to entertain him. The baby giggled while he tried to catch them. The memory changed. Now Harry was sitting on the sofa at what was Christmas. His parents were handing presents to him from under the tree while a cat sat next to Harry and purred. The vision changed to Easter. Harry was hunting eggs. Now it was Harry's Birthday and Harry was riding a toy broomstick.
Now it was Halloween. Harry was in his cot. His mother was sitting next to him on the floor. She was crying. The door was blasted off its hinges. A tall dark figure was standing in the doorway, but Tooth noticed another dark figure standing almost unnoticeable in the shadows in the corner of the room. Tooth had no trouble recognising that outline. Pitch!
Tooth pulled herself out of the memories as the bell rang. She quickly hurried over to the class and pushed them out of the room. She sat down and began to think. A tunnel opened next to her and Bunny hopped out. 'Tooth, we've got a problem,' he said.
From the mountains surrounding Hogwarts, the dark figure of Pitch stood surveying the castle. One of his nightmares nuzzled his arm. He stroked its mane. 'Soon,' he said, 'Very soon.'