5 July 31 1990
Jennie wondered silently if they even remembered todays date; when she saw the Durlsey's leave their house without Harry she waited five minutes before making her way over and rang the doorbell.
"Hi there! Congratulations, you're ten years old!" Jennie beamed as Harry looked up at her, a shy smile on his lips.
"Hi. Yeah I know, thanks," he murmured back, looking as if he was about to retreat into his shell.
"I have presents and cake at my place, race you back?" Jennie smiled and watched his face light up.
Harry won the race with a foot length and seamed very pleased with this; they ate chocolate and strawberry cake and drank soda and Jennie chocked when being told that Harry had gotten a coat hanger and Vernon's old socks; she was sure this must be some kind of dumb joke.
"Is this really for me?" Harry asked once more later that evening as he looked at the unwrapped gifts; a radio-controlled motorbike in silver and black, a copy of Charlotte's Web and a jar of freshly baked raspberry caves.
"Of course it's for you! Do you like it?"
"Yes," the slender built boy said and his green eyes shone happily.
Jennie smiled and offered him more cake.
####
"I'm really not in the mood," said Jennie once more as Daniel's hands wandered downwards her body.
"Just a little… I've missed you," he murmured against her neck and bit down on her skin, making her moan a little.
"Ah, okay, as good as that feels, please get that I don't want to go further tonight. Can't we just make out without sex?" she muttered, half amused by his persistence and annoyed at it.
"Aw, but if I can go on I'm sure you'll be in the mood," joked Daniel and removed his hand from her thigh.
Jennie snorted and pulled him in for a kiss with lots of tongue and no air.
####
She hummed softly as she dried her hair hours later; Daniel had left since he needed to leave extra early the next day and although he didn't say anything, Jennie could tell that he was annoyed that she hadn't given in to him. However, when she wasn't in the right mood Jennie refused to do anything just for his pleasure; after all she didn't pressure him so he really shouldn't urge her on.
"What do you say Shadow? Should I've let him have his wicked way with me?" she muttered to the cat as she dressed in an oversized t-shirt and slipped beneath the covers in her bed. Shadow jumped up to her ad nuzzled her hand while purring.
"I take it you agree with me pretty girl," said Jennie with a grin and turned off the small lamp on the bedside table.
####
She didn't know what had woken her, but she felt strange and wide awake so she resorted to her usual cure for sleeplessness; hot chocolate.
The kitchen wasn't as dark as her bedroom since the streetlights shone into the room, so Jennie didn't bother turning the lights on as she fixed her cup of chocolate.
As she sat down by the table and raised the steaming cup to her lips, the lights died out and she found herself seeing nothing but blackness.
There was a knock on her door and she cursed as she carefully made her way to the door, tried and failed to see who it was, and decided to open the door; she took the umbrella from its hook first so she'd have some sort of defense if it turned out to be a burglar.
It was a figure clothed in black, which was all she was able to make out before she was knocked cold.
####
Her head ached and her body felt numb. Jennie blinked and tried to will the ache away to no avail.
"Where is the boy?!"
A light shone into her eyes, so sudden that she saw nothing but dots before her eyes, and she felt them tear as a result.
"What boy?" she asked, sure that the turn of her night was some absurd mistake. She tried to move and found that she was bound to the chair in which she sat.
"The Potter boy!" snarled the voice and something – instinct, fate or some kind of motherly instinct – drove Jennie to speak with complete conviction.
"I have no idea."
"Don't lie! He was here, I saw him! Where is the boy?!"
"Who are you?" asked Jennie, completely ignoring the question, while she struggled to free her hands from the ropes.
"I'm one with power to kill you muggle!"
Jennie snorted.
"Oh, a wizard then? Well, I don't know where Harry Potter is, but I know that you will never find him; wherever he is, he is protected from crazy people like you!"
"How dare you! Crucio!"
Later, Jennie described the feeling as a mixture of being on fire and outside in a snowstorm, so intense, hot and cold was the pain, with no end and no mercy. She tried to breath, to lean away, to stop but it was oh so useless.
"Stupefy!"
Air had never felt more wonderful even though she hardly felt it as she gulped and felt her limbs spasms.
"Easy child."
The voice was firm but Jennie detected gentleness within it as warm hands cupped her and green eyes looked into her own.
"You did very well and you're safe now," said the woman in a Scottish accent.
"Who… who are… you?" Jennie managed to ask between deep breaths.
"My name is Minerva McGonagall, you will soon remember that you have seen me before," was the answer she got as the woman helped her to stand and then led her into the living room and sat her down on the couch.
"I haven't… seen you before…"
Even though she spoke surely, Jennie felt a strange sense of déjá vu. And she didn't even react when the woman dressed in long green robes swished a wooden stick and produced cups of tea from nowhere.
"Minerva, I thought I told you not to take contact!"
A man stood in the doorway; he had long white hair and beard, blue eyes behind half-moon spectacles and was dressed in a deep purple suit with a long dark blue cloak over.
"I was not going to let her be tortured!" said the black haired woman and scoffed in annoyance as she looked at the man.
"I know you… Why do I know you?" Jennie mumbled as a myriad of emotions found her; anger, confusion, annoyance, curiosity and fear.
"That dear child will be revealed tonight. Memento Statim!"
Three people and a bundle where standing in the dark… A thin man left something at Privet Drive number 4 and then the three people left… The little baby boy grinned up at her and giggled… A man was at her door, in her house… He spoke funnily…
"You made me forget?!"
She found that she could breathe and talk normal again; Jennie turned on the couch and stared at the wizard who had interfered with her life and sent the letter to Petunia about Harry.
"What kind of a man are you? How could you reason that a child had to stay out in the cold just because he had to be found by his relative? Why did you made me forget when I could've helped so much more if I knew the whole truth?!"
"I could not have Harry live alongside someone with the full knowledge, not his first years."
"Are you kidding me? Petunia, his aunt, knew all along!"
Jennie crossed her arms and looked up at Albus Dumbledore, who sighed and seemed to think before he spoke again.
"I see how you view this but, forgive me, I am much older and also very clever than you are, and in this matter I think that I have better knowledge and judgment than you," he said kindly and Jennie barely stopped the urge to roll her eyes, she was after all a grown up.
"Forgive me sir but I think that you are a little wrong here; you are very much involved in this, that much is clear to me, and people involved in important matters are often too caring to be fully objective of the matter, alas you are not smarter than me here, I think," said Jennie calmly and tried to sound as polite as she could, for she did not mean to be unnecessarily rude, she just wanted to tell her view on Albus Dumbledore's rant.
The wizard looked baffled, and Jennie could've sworn she saw Minerva McGonagall smirk, and then Albus Dumbledore smiled widely at her.
"I think my dear, that you might be right; a young mind can see things in different ways than older ones. Now, I would like you to drink this potion to help you heal after the effect of the Cruciatus-curse, and then you tell me if you want to help me with Harry in a closer manner."
"I'll help you," said Jennie and drank the content in the little flask that Albus handed her; she acted on instinct and they told her that he was good and honorable even if he sort of screwed up things as he went on.
"What can I do?" she asked when no one of her magical quests spoke.
"First, I believe I owe you an apology; I should have trusted you that nigh all those years ago, you have a kind heart," said Albus with a soft smile; he looked like a sad uncle.
"No need, the way I see it we have the same goal, to help Harry, we only go about it in different ways. But if makes you feel better, sir, then your apology is accepted," replied Jennie.
"Thank you my dear. Now, what you can do is to go on with what you have done all these years, simply caring for the boy. You can also help Arabella Figg with her watch duty if you think you can manage."
"Mrs Figg? She's a witch?" asked Jennie astonished by the news.
"No, she is a Squib – born by magical parents but with no magic herself – and very valuable to us," answered Albus and Jennie blinked.
"You have strange names for people not like yourselves… I'll help out, she's always been kind to me, and we both like cats, so that could be our cover," rambled Jennie and she saw Minerva nod appreciatively.
"Great thinking, and well spoken!" stated the Scottish woman and fired off a smile that looked like it was only dispelled occasionally. Jennie smiled shyly back.
"It is settled! Minerva, let's take our leave and dispose of the rude intruder, I think an altered memory will be good," said Albus and the two magicians stood and bid Jennie goodbye.
"Wait! How do I contact you? Can I tell Harry?" she asked hurriedly as they made to leave.
"We will give you an owl, Arabella will deliver it, and you can only tell Harry everything next year on this very day," replied Albus and then they were both gone, so fast that Jennie decided they had used magic.
"I need a drink," she muttered and scratched her arm wearily and headed for her liquor cabinet.
A/N: So what do you think of the turn of the events?
Memento Statim means 'remember instantly', I translated it just as Paulisper Oblitus, just so you know that.