All Alone With the Memory

I don't own Harry Potter, Girl Meets World, or any part of the MCU!

Is the title for this chapter from "Memory" from Cats? ...Maybe...Don't judge me.

Maya didn't care for school. It was mostly boring and she didn't see the point of some of it. When would she ever need to know how to calculate the area of a triangle or whatever? But she liked art class, they were doing a pottery unit, and Mr. Matthews history class, she even enjoyed english most of the time, especially if they had a teacher like Harper.

Her favorite part of school was her friends. Maya knew her friends. She knew how Farkle looked when he was working on a particularly difficult science problem, she listened when Lucas and Zay started talking sports.

Riley was different. Maya knew Riley like she knew herself. So when Riley started acting weird, Maya noticed right away. She was quiet, she didn't interact in class, she barely reacted when Maya tried to pull her out of herself.

Mr. Matthews was acting weird too, well weirder than usual. He kept dropping things, and he wasn't connecting his lessons to their lives anymore. It was unsettling, and Maya didn't like it, not one bit.

After a week and a half of weird, trying and failing to get an answer out of Riley, they walked into history class and took their seats.

"Psst." Farkle hissed "Your Dad's late."

"We're getting a sub." Riley refused to meet their eyes.

"WHAT?!" Farkle started to panic "Why are we getting a sub? I don't want a sub! Where is your father?"

"He's at home."

"Is he sick or something?" Lucas asked, trying to calm the genius down "What's wrong with him?"

"Nothing. He's fine."

"Then why isn't he here? Is Auggie sick?"

Riley bit her lip "Not Auggie."

The pieces slotted into place in Maya's head. Riley's withdrawn behavior, her reluctance to answer questions, the faint tremble in her voice as she told them without telling them. It wasn't Auggie who was sick, it was Thea. Something was wrong with Thea.

"Guys, drop it." Maya decided firmly "It's just one day. We can talk about it later."

Farkle looked ready to argue but Maya's look stopped him. The sub's lesson wasn't very interesting. Cory had left a worksheet and a film, so it was peaceful at least. Maya spent most of the class watching Riley, tracking the solitary tear down her cheek.

Maya dragged Riley into the bathroom after class "What's wrong with Thea?"

Riley's eyes filled with tears "There was..." She choked "There was an accident."

"What kind of accident?" Maya asked, dread filling her chest "What happened?"

"There was a break in at her school." Riley whispered "I don't know everything."

"Is she okay?"

"Mom says something happened with her memory. She hit her head or something."

Thea had been obliviated, just like Maya had. When Riley heard that her first thought had been that her sister had deserved it, it was karma. As soon as she thought that she regretted it, nobody deserved to have their memories taken. Stolen. But Riley couldn't exactly tell Maya that.

Maya's breath caught "When did it happen?"

"Halloween." Riley let the tears start to fall.

"Why didn't you tell me?"

"I thought she was gonna be alright. But she's coming back to see a specialist and rest and I don't know if she is." Riley flung herself into her best friend's arms "I don't think she's gonna want to see me, Peaches. What if she doesn't remember me?"

Maya gently smoothed Riley's chocolate waves as she cried "Well, if she's forgotten, we'll help her remember. Maybe you can rebuild your relationship better than it was before."

Riley cried harder "It doesn't work like that."

"Why not?"

"If she has forgotten and I tell her then she'll hate me again." Riley sniffled.

"She doesn't hate you."

"But if I don't tell her then I'm lying to her and you know I'm a terrible liar, she'll find out and she'll hate me again."

Maya hesitated, she could see Riley's point "I guess the best thing we can hope for is that her memory isn't all gone. Or it comes back if it is. It'll be okay, Riles, whatever happens we'll figure it out!"

"I don't want to go home tonight." Riley pulled away, rubbing her red eyes "I'm afraid."

"Then come stay at my place tonight." Maya offered "We can talk it all over and make a plan. Thea's coming back today, isn't she? That's why your Dad's not here?"

"There's some specialist they want her to see." Riley whispered "And they don't want her going back to school for a while, she'll probably be here a few weeks."

"Then we have time." Maya was determined "It'll be okay. Wash your face, I'll cover for you next class if you need a minute."

Riley smiled wetly "You're a good friend Peaches."

Maya headed towards english, she knew Riley wasn't telling her something, something to do with Thea. She didn't know what it was, but Riley was right, she was a terrible liar. Maya had spent a lot of time trying to get it out of her over the last five years but Riley wouldn't tell her. Right now it didn't matter though.

Topanga had bundled her eldest daughter in blankets the moment they got home. Thea was tucked into the couch with a bowl of soup in her lap.

"I'm fumble-ugh I'm fine, Mum!" Thea shook her head in frustration, she was sick of mixing up her words and it got worse when she was irritated "Really, I'm okay."

"Are you warm enough?" Cory came at her with another blanket "Can we get you anything? Do you need one of your potions?"

Saint Mungo's had sent her off with a plethora of potions prescriptions. Most of them were only as needed but her Dad was examining the instructions religiously, searching for anything he'd missed.

"My next dose of memory potion isn't for a few hours, please calm down!" Thea wiggled out of her cocoon and plucked a calming draught from the bag of potions "Drink this if you have to!"

Cory, not paying attention, uncorked the potion and took a sip "Whoo!" He sat down next to Thea looking slightly dazed "That did something. What was that?"

Fighting a smile, Thea took the vial back and replaced it "Calming draught, sorry. You were going a little overboard."

"That's nice, sweetie...that's nice."

Topanga settled next to them, handing Thea a cup of tea "So what exactly happened? I still don't understand. Professor McGonagall said there was a break in and your memory was modified but how? Who broke in?"

"Of course it was McGonagall who called, Bumbledore-ugh Dumbledore's too much of a coward to do it himself." Thea grumbled "It was Sirius Black, he was a supporter of You-Know-Poo, I mean who. He broke out of Azkaban over the Summer. Apparently he got in during the Halloween feast while everyone was still in the great hall, made his way up to Gryffindor tower but he didn't have the password so the Fat Lady wouldn't let him in. He cut up her painting and ran for it."

"But how did you end up meeting him?"

Thea shrugged "I don't remember. Last thing I remember was saying goodnight to Professor Lupin, and next thing I knew I was waking up in the hospital wing. Dumbledork-dore! Dumbledore! Said he must have knocked me down the stairs, stunned me, and obliviated me."

Topanga was not pleased with this explanation "How did he get in in the first place? I thought Hogwarts had all kinds of protections and things?"

"And dementids." Thea shook her head, the sooner she could get her words straight the better "Wait, dementors. They're the guards of Azkaban, awful things."

"And this Sirius Black still got in?"

"Appaten-ugh apparently."

"And the obliviation, the memory charm, is why you keep messing up your words?"

"And why I got confused when you picked me up from MACUSA. Yeah." Thea sighed "It's driving me crazy."

"Maybe you should have that calming drink thing..." Cory mumbled, his head drooping a little "It's good stuff."

Topanga gave her a look "How much of that did you give him?"

"He just had a swallow, I think he's just not used to it." Thea giggled "Is this what he's like when he's drunk? He looks like Charlie when Mr. Weasley gave him his first taste of firewhiskey."

They both burst into laughter, even Cory joined in with a disjointed giggle. It took five minutes for them to collect themselves.

"It'll wear off." Thea gasped when she had enough air "A strong cup of tea and maybe some toast, he'll be fine."

"Toooaaasssttttt!" Cory sang loopily, sending both his wife and daughter into another fit of laughter.

"I think he needs these more than I do." Thea wrapped him in the blankets he'd brought her "He'll be okay."

Topanga caught her daughter in a hug "Are you okay? Really?"

Thea let herself sink into the embrace "I'm frustrated." She admitted with a sigh "I hate that I can't remember what happened, I hate that I keep mixing up my words and my memories, and I really, really hate that I left everyone at Hogwarts because I can't protect them if I'm not there. I'm worried because Sirius Black got into Hogwarts once, and they don't know how so he could do it again, and he's after Harry and I'm worried about him because he doesn't know. He might do something reckless or stupid and I won't be there to stop him or help him."

Topanga let her rant, filing away the information that this Sirius Black was after Harry to come back to later. That seemed serious.

"I'm pissed as hell at Dumbledi-Dumbledore because Hogwarts is a school! It should not be this dangerous to get my magical education! Demunders, ugh dementors, You-Know-Who,Lockhart? What's next? Dragons?"

"Please God, no." Topanga mumbled "My heart could not take that."

"Mine neither!" Thea laughed wildly "I know I'm getting better, I know it's not as bad as it seems and I'll be back soon, but I can't think about it because I'm worried about Harry, Ron, Hermione, Ginny, and the twins. I'm worried about my OWLs because I'm missing weeks of class and I'm too young to be going grey!"

(A/N I was writing this in the exact moment my tiktok shut down. Like right in the middle of the last paragraph. I started crying, it was a whole thing.)

"My sweet girl." Topanga brushed a lock of hair from her daughter's face "It'll be okay. Professor McGonagall said you're doing wonderfully in all your classes, all your homework is being sent along so you won't fall behind. Fred and George said they'd send you copies of all their notes from class and Percy said he'd tutor you if you need it. And you're seeing the specialist tomorrow, she can help with the mixing up words and confusion. You're going to be fine, I know it's hard to see it now, but you will. You will make it through this because you are my strong, brave, amazon warrior. My Althea."

Thea seemed worn out, exhausted and stressed. So Topanga took the chance to grab the potion vial labeled "Dreamless sleep" and press it into her baby's hands.

"Drink, rest. Let me handle it now." She smiled "I'm your Mom, it's my job."

It was a testament to how tired Thea was that she didn't argue. She didn't even say anything, just gulped the potion down and let her mother lay her on the couch. Cory was snoozing and didn't even react to his wife draping them both in blankets. Topanga knew when Auggie got back he'd probably curl up with his big sister and not let her go for anything.

Her phone chimed and lit up with a text from Riley.

Staying at Maya's tonight. See you tomorrow.

A week passed, Thea's days and several nights were spent at the Salem Institute as the healers tried different treatments to help her memory and the unfortunate side effects of the memory charm. When she wasn't getting poked and prodded by curious healers, Thea was at home, struggling through her mountain of homework. Dumbledore had gotten permission for her to use magic within the confines of the Matthews apartment so she could practice her spellwork. At the moment Auggie was watching her practice the locomotion charm, putting away the dishes she'd just finished washing.

As the last bowl landed in the cabinet he clapped excitedly "What else can you do?"

Thea glanced around for an idea, landing on her empty cup of tea. With a flick of her wand the cup grew legs and hopped off the table. Auggie squealed as it darted towards him and started running around the armchair. Distracted by her baby brother's laughter, Thea barely noticed the front door unlock.

Riley had been staying at Maya's every night for the last week, she hadn't seen her sister at all, too afraid of what she might find. But Cory had insisted she come home after school that day. So Riley had walked home, taken as long as possible, hoping that she wouldn't run into Thea. But as luck would have it, as she opened the door, she caught a glimpse of Thea casting a spell on a leggy teacup and stooping to pick it up.

"Oh, it's you." Auggie glared, good mood evaporating "I thought you were staying at Maya's?"

Riley glanced at Thea who was making herself busy clearing away the teacup "I, uh, Dad said I should come back."

Auggie huffed "Thea's showing me magic, go away."

"Auggie." Thea tried to gently warn him off, she didn't need a fight with Riley right now, but she still didn't turn around.

"Can I...?" Riley hesitated "Can I watch?"

Auggie scowled, but looked over at Thea, it was her decision. Could she interact with her sister at all? She remembered Riley, those memories were painfully intact. Or could this be an olive branch? Was there a chance Riley regretted her behavior?

Thea pulled her wand from her pocket, decision made "Wingardium Leviosa."

An apple from the bowl on the kitchen table lifted into the air and floated up to the ceiling.

Riley's eyes were wide as she tracked the flying fruit "Whoa."

Thea opened the living room bay window, reaching out and plucking a small rock from the fire escape. She set it on the sill and smiled, picturing a New York pigeon in her mind's eye.

"Avifors."

Auggie scampered forward to watch as the rock morphed into a bird. The color of it's feathers matched the rock it had come from, and it's coo sounded a little gravely, but it stretched it's wings and flew out across the skyline. Thea shut the window, with a smile.

"Colovaria!" And Auggie's green tee shirt was red "Rictusempra!" Auggie doubled over, giggling madly as invisible fingers tickled him.

Thea cast the countercharm before Auggie could get too tired, she glanced around for something else she could do. She spotted a potted plant next to where Riley was sitting on the couch, watching in amazement, and an idea sprung into her head. Topanga had many talents, a green thumb was not one of them.

"Herbivicus!" The struggling plant burst to life, turning green and healthy looking as brilliant pink flowers bloomed from every stem.

Riley gasped in delight, quickly leaning in to smell the flowers "That's amazing! How did you do that?"

"Professor Sprout taught that last month, it's used to increase the growth rate of plants and make flowers bloom." Thea explained.

"And the other spells?"

"A levitation charm, makes things float." Thea gestured to the still airborne fruit above their heads "Then I transfigured the rock into a bird, used the color changing charm on Auggie's shirt, then the tickling charm, and the counter charm."

"And you learned all that at Hogwarts?" Riley took a deep breath "I can see why you love it there. I'd love it too, if I got to learn all that."

"Yeah, well," Thea sighed "It's not all that great. Basilisks and dementins, ugh, dementors around every corner."

"What's that?"

Thea looked away "It, uh, doesn't matter. Don't worry about it. Yeah, Hogwarts is great."

Riley frowned "If you don't love it there, why do you keep going back?"

"I do love it there. The castle, the people, the feasts, the classes, I love it all." Thea thought back to the last three years "But it's dangerous too. The wizarding world has bad people just like the muggle world, and they do bad things."

"Like erasing your memory?"

Thea bit her lip, this was dangerous territory "Yeah. Like erasing my memory."

"...What happened?"

Thea couldn't go into detail, not with Auggie in the room, she didn't want to scare him "One of those bad people broke into Hogwarts, he cut up a painting, and ran for it. Dumb-as-a-door thinks I must have met him on a staircase and he used magic to knock me out and remove my memory of him so that I couldn't tell anyone what happened."

"Dumb-? Do you mean Dumbledore? Your Headmaster?" Auggie asked, giggling "You're mixing up your words again."

"I said what I said."

"You're messing up your words?" Riley asked "Why?"

"Side effect of the memory charm." Thea sighed "It's getting better, the specialist I'm seeing at the Salem has me on some new potions. It seems like it's working."

"Oh." Riley hesitated "Did you forget anything else?"

Thea studied her sister for a moment before she realized what she was asking "Auggie, go upstairs please." The little boy pouted but did as she asked "You're asking if I remember you. The things you said to me."

Riley winced, she didn't even remember everything she'd said to her sister, she'd been so angry.

"Yes. I remember all of it."

"If you remember then why are you showing me magic, and being nice to me?" Riley whispered "I don't deserve that."

"I'm not being nice." Thea corrected "I'm being polite because I don't want to fight right now. I have enough going on, I don't need an argument with you on top of all of that."

Riley stared silently at her feet. Whatever she wanted to say next was stuck in her throat like a stone. She should apologize, she should say she was sorry, that she didn't want to fight either, but she just couldn't get the words out.

Thea stood up "I'm going upstairs, I have an essay for Professor Snape I need to finish."

Riley could hear her sister's footsteps up the stairs and the echo of her bedroom door closing "I'm sorry." She finally whispered to the empty room.

It was another two weeks before the healers signed off on Thea's treatment. She still had a handful of potions to take that she'd probably be on for another month or so and she'd follow up when she came back in the summer. But Thea was cleared to return to Hogwarts! Her portkey was set for three days out and Dumbledore had sent a message that one of her professors would be retrieving her from the Ministry to bring her back to school.

Thea excitedly used her mirror to call Fred and George, and they promised to spread the word. She'd been gone for nearly a month, leaving right after Halloween, spending a week in Saint Mungos and three back in the states. Memory charms like this required long term treatment. She was lucky not to be in a ward like Lockhart was after his botched memory charm.

There were only two weeks left of term before the holiday break and Thea decided to stay at Hogwarts for Christmas to use the library and catch up. So, she took her parents and Auggie to the magical shops downtown to get their gifts, she even invited Riley, but her sister declined.

Auggie picked out a toy broomstick that levitated a few feet off the ground, an enormous box of magical chocolates, and a book on ancient magical fables and myths. Cory got a bottle of firewhiskey and a collection of magical figurines, he was particularly interested in the tiny Merlin who's staff would glow periodically. Topanga found a book on goblin revolutions, a string of real fairy lights, and several different flavors of Droobles Best Blowing gum. For Riley, Thea snagged a little silver bracelet with the rune of confidence as a charm and a box of Bertie Botts Every Flavor Beans.

It wouldn't be fair to leave her sister out, even if they weren't really on speaking terms. Riley wasn't staying with Maya anymore, sometimes if Thea was practicing a spell in the living room she'd come watch, but they hadn't spoken since that day. It was a tenuous peace, but peace nonetheless.

Instead of dwelling on it, Thea focused on looking for gifts for the Weasleys, Harry, and Hermione. They returned from their shopping spree laden with bags.

A surprise came in the form of Riley's friends in the living room.

"Thea!?" Farkle dropped his apple when he noticed her "What are you doing here?"

Thea set her bags down to accept the hug from the genius "Long story."

"Don't you have school?" Zay frowned, it was barely December and it wasn't like a British school would have Thanksgiving break.

"Yeah, it's...a long story."

"Riley, why didn't you tell us Thea was back?" Farkle looked at Thea "How long have you been back."

Thea spared a guilty Riley a glance, this explained why her friends hadn't been over the whole time she'd been home "A couple weeks. I go back to school in a few days."

"You've been here for a couple weeks?" Farkle looked hurt "Why didn't you call?"

"I haven't really been availabibble, available."

"Is it time for your po-medicine?" Cory quickly corrected himself.

"I'm fine, Dad."

"When did you have your last dose?"

"This morning." Thea sighed "I'm okay, stop fussing."

"I'm going to check the schedule." Cory was still anxious every time his daughter mixed up her words.

"What medicine?" Farkle asked.

Thea took a deep breath, she didn't have much choice, she hated not having a choice "There was a break in at school. I got hurt, hit my head, it messed up my memory a little. I'm fine now."

Farkle gaped "Do you need to sit down? Wha-I-water? Your meds?"

"Farkle, look at me." Thea put her hands on his shoulders, holding him still "I am fine. My words get a little mixed up sometimes, that's it. I am okay. Stop freaking out."

"Wait, so someone broke into your school? Why?" Lucas put down his pencil.

"Well, it's an old castle, there's loads of valuable stuff there. They were probably after that." Thea shrugged, lying through her teeth "Not like it'd be the first time."

"What?" Topanga asked sharply.

"Nevermind." Thea quickly smiled "Uh, yeah, old paintings, artifacts, stuff like that."

"Did they catch him?"

"No." Thea scowled "He got away."

"Thea come take your medicine!" Cory called from upstairs.

"I'd better go." Thea gave Farkle another hug "Good to see you lot."

Farkle watched her hurry up the stairs before he rounded on Riley "So this is why you've been so weird the last few weeks. You were worried about Thea. Why didn't you tell us?"

"I didn't know what to say." Riley mumbled "She's fine, I didn't want to worry anybody."

"You should have told me." Farkle grumbled "She's your sister but she's my friend. You can't lie to me every time she comes back, it's not fair."

"I'm sorry." Riley did seem genuinely apologetic "You're right, I should have told you."

"Have you apologised to her yet?" Zay asked "For last summer?"

"Not...exactly."

"Well, what are you waiting for?"

"I'd like to know that too." Topanga said pointedly "Riley?"

"I just...I'm waiting for the right time." Riley struggled.

"She leaves in three days. The 'right time' better be before then."

Topanga left the kids, Auggie was trying to get into his chocolate frogs so she'd better get the gifts upstairs before that happened.

Riley slumped as her mother and brother headed off "Thea doesn't want to hear it. She's not talking to me."

"Are you talking to her?" Farkle asked.

"Well, not really. A little."

"It's you who has to apologize, you were in the wrong, you have to take the first step." Zay nodded sagely "She's not gonna come to you when she hasn't done anything."

"She left." Riley whispered, but it was a weak defense and she knew it, Thea might have left all those years ago but she came back. She always came back.

"You've got three days to talk to her." Lucas sighed "She seems like a reasonable person, and if she's anything like you, she'll forgive you."

"That's the problem." Riley buried her face in her hands "If I apologize, she will forgive me. And I don't deserve to be forgiven."

"Why?" Zay asked "You feel bad, you know what you said was wrong, you're sorry. If you apologize, why don't you deserve to be forgiven?"

"Because I hurt her." Riley got up and started pacing "I said those things to hurt her. I wanted to hurt her. She's right to hate me, she shouldn't forgive me for that."

"Maybe she won't." Maya spoke up "Maybe she won't forgive you. Maybe you're right and you don't deserve to be forgiven and she won't. But that's not your decision. It's Thea's. She's the one you hurt, she's the one you have to apologize to, she's the one who has to decide if she'll forgive you or not. You can't make the choice for her. I grew up with Thea just like you, she likes choices, she likes options. Give her the option to forgive you. She doesn't have that unless you apologize."

They lapsed into silence as Riley processed her best friend's words. It was good advice, and she was right, Thea had always liked choices. But was Riley ready to be forgiven? She didn't think she was. She would apologize to Thea, but not yet, Riley wasn't ready yet.

Word count: 4594 words

Side-note, the reason the memory charm is affecting Thea differently than it did Maya is because Maya's obliviation was done by MACUSA trained obliviators, who do this every day, and Thea's was done by Sirius who, while he's a very good/powerful wizard, hasn't done any magic since his arrest, aside from the animagus transformation. His wand was taken or more likely destroyed when he went to Azkaban, he uses Ron's in the shrieking shack and then Snape's. We don't see him use a wand in Goblet of Fire either. He has one in Order of the Phoenix, probably supplied by the Order or Dumbledore.

Y'all I wrote like a 7 page paper for a class a few months ago on how Sirius Black's human rights were violated. My teacher didn't even read it, he just gave me an A because it was supposed to be like 1-2 pages and he said, verbatim "I'm not reading all that, you're clearly very passionate. A" Honestly, I respect it.

Please don't forget to comment, vote, and add to your reading lists! #AllEyesOnRafa #FreePalestine

Love,
The Author