Harry Potter and the Curse of Ages

Chapter 10 Roaming Hogwarts

"Caramel Kumquats!" called Harry to the entrance to the Headmaster's office. Soon Harry was riding up the moving spiral staircase. He had just apparated to Hagrid's cabin after his Apparation Instructor examination at the Ministry. Hermione, Ginny and Ron had accompanied Harry and Arthur Weasley going to the Ministry. Ron and Ginny said they wanted to cheer Harry on, but he suspected they were just as interested in seeing Percy splinch himself deliberately. Harry had to admit that Percy proved himself a very thorough examiner, putting himself through some of the most painful and complicated apparition accidents Harry could imagine.

After the test was over, he asked Percy, "What would you have done if you had stumped me with one of those?"

Percy looked back puzzled. "I know you, Harry. The thought never crossed my mind."

After that, even Ron couldn't hold a grudge. He slapped an arm around Percy's shoulders and said, "You're an officious git, but I guess you really are all right."

"Why would you have thought otherwise?"

Before Ron could give an answer that would re-open old wounds, Ginny and Hermione had each grabbed him by an arm.

"Come along, Ron. We have appointments to look at apartments," said Hermione, hustling him out the door.

Ginny made sure he was through the door before she doubled back to give Harry a tender kiss. "Have a great week at Hogwarts. I'll be expecting you Friday evening when you're done."

"I'll count the minutes."

She laughed. "Yeah, right. Just make it as soon as you can. You, too, Percy. Mum and Dad would love to have you around more."

"I can't," he replied.

"Oh, come on, Percy. Things were tense for a few years there, but it's okay now."

"No, I mean it, I can't. I've been to the address that Bill gave me, but I can't find the house. There must be a secret-keeper or something."

Harry thumped his head. "That's right! You weren't in with the rest of us when the Order was using it, so Dumbledore never gave you the address. I'll get him to write it down for you. I'll meet you in the lobby on Friday afternoon and we'll go together."

"Splendid, Harry. And while we've been talking, I've been able to finish up your paperwork. Here, you keep these copies, post this certificate on your office wall, keep this fuchsia copy in a file in your desk, take the amber form and give it to Dumbledore, file the ochre one with the Bureau of Educational Standards, give the ecru one to the Hogsmeade town clerk, and post this one in the Apparation instruction room at the school."

Harry was bewildered, as he shuffled through the papers he was given. "Erm, this one goes ... on my bureau, and this one goes in the wall, and this one ..."

Percy laughed uproariously. "Got you, Potter! The advantage of being thought not to have a sense of humor is that people don't suspect you when you're having them on. I know no one could remember all of that. Trust me - I've simplified matters considerably already. There used to be over thirty different certificates that went to 23 different locations. I've got it down to seven, plus a certificate. But now I'll file the one for Educational Standards and you just give the rest to the Ministry Compliance elf at the school. She already knows the spell that reveals what to do with each one of them. You're all set. See you Friday. I'll plan on 5:30 unless you owl me otherwise."

Harry and Ginny told Ron and Hermione about it all as they took the elevator to the lobby where they could apparate out. They were amazed at Percy's jape, but then Hermione observed, "You know, he must be feeling brilliant. He really is in his element now, with the government agencies, and now that he and your Dad are not at odds, the sky's the limit for him. No wonder he was so, well, giddy for him."

When he arrived at Hagrid's cabin, Harry was unhappy at seeing how many things had already been packed.

"Sure, Harry. Got to be out before the end of the summer, an' I've still got to give me language potions time to work before I start teachin' at Beauxbaton's."

"So they have a position for you? Sleeping your way to the top, eh?"

Hagrid cocked his head at Harry. "If it were anyone else but you joking like that, ..."

"By the way, Hagrid, what's a language potion? I've never heard of those."

"Yeah, they don't teach them. They're a pretty narrow specialty. There's a slightly different formula for each language. Like polyjuice, you make the basic formula, and then you customize it with a bit of the native cheese - it gives you the proper culture. You take one a week for a couple o' months and at the end you can speak the language pretty well - not fluent, mind you, but enough to make y'self understood. Professor Snape's brewing up a series of 'em for me as a wedding present."

"English or French?" asked Harry with a bemused smirk.

"Why, French, of ... Hey, there, Harry. You're being awfully cheeky today. What gives?"

"I don't know, Hagrid. I'm sad to think of you going, and I think occasionally about the good people who were killed, but otherwise, everything's just so amazing. I've got a future and no one's gunning for me. I've just been pranked by Percy, so that puts me in a silly mood. I had a great weekend with the Weasleys and Hermione, so that made me feel great."

"Especially the private time with Ginny?"

Harry grinned from ear to ear. "Well, yeah. I got the impression you didn't mind the faculty meetings this past year that included only half-giants, either."

Hagrid beamed. "I never thought I'd have someone in my life that'd want to marry me. I'd enjoyed me life before pretty well, but with someone you love in't, it's just beautiful."

"Yeah. If I hadn't seen for myself how happy Maxime makes you, I'd be trying to convince you not to go."

"I'll miss you, too, Harry. Hey, you still owe me some Apparation lessons. When you're done with Dumbledore this evening, come around. We'll work on't some and then pop around to The Three Broomsticks for dinner and drinks and just be a couple of mates out on the town."

"Sounds great, Hagrid. Just don't start any bar brawls."

"S'matter, Harry. Don't think we could hold up in a fight?"

Harry laughed at that and hurried on to meet with Dumbledore. Harry reached the top of the stairs and knocked at the door.

"Come in, come in, Harry," called Dumbledore. The door popped open, but Dumbledore was not at it. He was levitating a case which made a tinkling sound as it was lowered from a high shelf, and guided it to his desk, next to where the pensieve sat. "One of the most important functions of a Hogwarts headmaster is to maintain a memory collection of as many of the critical moments of the school's history as possible," he explained. "Those who come after can consult this information should the need or interest arise later, and they can relive it, rather than merely read about it in Hogwarts: a History. I'm afraid I have been rather remiss in collecting for several years."

"You've had a lot to keep you busy," offered Harry.

"Ah, yes, truly I have, but it is time to make amends as well as possible. We have lost the opportunity to gather memories from a number of students, from Cedric Diggory and Marietta Edgecombe to Ernie MacMillan and the others lost in the past week."

Harry nodded. "But, how can you ask people to give up their school memories. Don't they need them, or at least want them? I thought pulling from the mind took them out, and they would need to be put back for a person to be able to remember them."

"Indeed, Harry, that is just how it works. If it didn't, then the excellent function of the pensieve in helping one to sort out disparate thoughts could not work. However, the pensieve can also be used to make duplicates, so that the donor can take his memories back, but we can also keep them in our storage case. Let me show you. I've been wanting to preserve your recollection of your adventure in the Chamber of Secrets. Take your wand out. Now think about going to the Chamber's entrance. Touch the wand to your temple and gently pull the memory out. Place it in the pensieve. Now think of how you opened the Chamber; now use your wand again. Just keep going and let me know when you are done."

Harry went step-by-step through the time in the Chamber, trying to remember every detail. He had some hesitancy when he came to some of the feelings he had not previously recognized that he had felt for Ginny at the time, especially as she was only 11 then. However, he remembered that he was only twelve at the time and that came along as part of the memory that he pulled out.

"I think that's it - it's hard to remember."

"That's the idea. Now, what can you recall about the Chamber of Secrets? Conversations, Fawkes, carvings, anything?"

"Nothing, Albus. I feel as vacant as Lockhart, at least about that."

Dumbledore laughed. "An excellent description. Now we'll put some blank memory potion in," he said as he unstoppered a bottle and put some light grey potion into the silver pool of Harry's memories. Then he stirred it around gently with his wand gently. "Duplicate memories do not like to be in the same vessel, and it gets worse the more duplicates you have, so as I stir, the blank potion will only duplicate the memories that have not already been duplicated. Putting in the same amount that you put in means we'll get one exact copy. Now Harry, the memories have been copied. Dip the tip of your wand in, lift out a strand, and return it to your mind. Again, because the duplicate memories are not comfortable in the pensieve together, as you remove memories, the ones with multiple copies in the pensieve will migrate to your wand. Look, there, that little bump on the surface - you missed a duplicate strand and its twin is trying to evict it. Get it. Now, let's see. Yes, that's it. There's just a single set in there. I'll just place this set in a bottle and have a look later."

"You're going to go through my memories?"

"It's part of my curatorial duties, to examine the memories we are collecting. I'll be asking you for a great many, as you can imagine. Don't worry. Other than the headmaster, they are almost never viewed except under extreme circumstances."

"Is that why you set up this meeting, to mine my head for memories?"

Dumbledore glanced sideways at Harry. "You sound a little suspicious, Harry."

"I've been manipulated quite a bit over the past several years."

"Yes, you have. Fair enough. Then the answer to your question is no, it's not just an opportunity for me to acquire your memories. I will also be taking all these memories with us and showing you events involving various locations around the school. I expect in the years to come, should problems arise, people will want to rely on you - you should know as much as possible about how problems arose before and how they were addressed. So we will be filling your head with memories, just as we will be preserving your memories should others have need of them. I wanted to get the Chamber of Secrets memory first, because unlike the others, it has not been contaminated with later visits to the site. Our memories can become overlaid with later experiences, particularly if those experiences bear strong similarities, such as locales, smells, companions, that sort of thing."

"That makes sense. I'm not sure I could sort out every detail of every quidditch game I've played, and I've only played, let's see, I think fifteen of them, at least official school games."

"If you're ready, then, why don't we start at the top with the Astronomy Tower and work our way down."

"Lead the way. I know lots of passages, but I trust that you know even more."

"Indeed, but I do not pretend to know them all, so wherever either of us knows of a choice of paths, we must point them out. And even so, the point is not necessarily that we get to particular places, but that we have an edifying journey through as many of the mysteries of this venerable castle as we can. Remember, not all who wander are lost."

It was midafternoon when they reached the corridor in front of Moaning Myrtle's bathroom.

"Ah, I was hoping we would be able to reach this spot early enough," said Dumbledore. "It is important that we have your memories of the times you were here."

"I thought you seemed to be choosing the route to get us here," said Harry.

"There are many ways through the castle, so we can cover some of the corridors we did not take another day. I would like you to use the pensieve now to duplicate the memories of the first time you found the painted message on the wall."

"Okay. Now as I recall, what led me up to this point was hearing the basilisk in the walls during my detention with Lockhart. Shall I start with that?"

"That's a good place, yes. My only reluctance is that a great amount of the memory will no doubt consist of Gilderoy prattling on about himself."

"Must I return those memories to my mind?" asked Harry, grinning.

"As much as I can understand your reluctance to do so, you never know what details wrapped up in those memories you may need at some point. You'd better put them back and file them away. While you are doing that, I will call for Dobby."

"Dobby? What for?"

"To assist us in the Chamber of Secrets, of course."

"Oh, I didn't realize we would be going there so soon."

"No time like the present. This will probably be my only visit to it, actually. I think we should both have a look around, so that we have both of our magical awareness attuned to any interesting charms or hexes."

After Harry had completed duplicating and storing his memories of the various times he had significant events in the corridor, they went to the bathroom. Harry took the lead, giving a light knock, then opening the door a bit and calling, "Hello! Anybody in here? Myrtle?"

"Who's that?" answered Myrtle sulkily from a stall.

"It's me, Harry."

"Harry who?" she said huffily.

"Harry Potter. You know my voice well enough."

"Maybe I do. Maybe I don't want to. You haven't visited."

"It's a girls' bathroom. May I come in?"

"You never asked before. Why would you worry what I think now?"

"Just trying to be polite, Myrtle. I have some people with me." Dobby squeaked with delight at being referred to as a person.

"Oh? Who?"

"Professor Dumbledore and Dobby, he's a ... how do you describe yourself to witches and wizards, Dobby? You look like an elf, but you aren't one entirely. It would be confusing to call you a goblin."

"I usually calls myself a free elf, Harry Potter," replied Dobby. "I find when I proudly say I am free, no more questions are asked."

"I'll bet. So Myrtle, can we come in. We need to talk to you about using your bathroom."

"You can come in, but I don't want you using my bathroom. Boys are too messy in bathrooms. Hello, Professor Dumbledore, it's been years."

"Yes, it has. Almost six, I believe. The wizard who caused your death is now gone."

"Ooh, really," said Myrtle, fascinated. "Who did it? Who was it? I hope he didn't die of old age!"

"No, Myrtle. It was Tom Riddle."

"No! Really? He was always so charming. I had to wonder though when he put the blame on Rubeus. Oh, yes, I was already back and paying attention. I knew it wasn't him, because the voice I heard was way too high, but I didn't know it was Riddle's voice because of that funny language he spoke. So how did he buy the farm?"

"Harry, here, battled him and induced a sort of crisis of conscience that undid his magic."

"Ooh, Harry, you killed him? We must talk all about it," said Myrtle, as seductively as she could.

"Erm, well, Myrtle, I reckon we'll have plenty of opportunities. You see what we want to do is close off this bathroom so that I can use it to explore the Chamber of Secrets."

"Oh, I see. Well, I don't suppose it would actually cut down on the traffic in here - no one comes in anyway. So you'd be the only one coming in here?"

"Well, Dobby would come with me. He's my assistant for the exploration. Erm, maybe you'd like to explore it with us?"

"Oh, sure, Harry, you're just humoring me now. Don't be rude."

"Actually," answered Harry sincerely, "I hadn't really thought it through before, but you would be very helpful in the Chamber. You can check the ceilings and things that are hard for Dobby and me to get to, and if there are dangerous things, you won't be hurt and you can warn us."

"Two problems with THAT, Harry," she replied crankily. "Ghosts don't trigger most hexes, so I wouldn't be much help that way, and I can't go into unplottable spaces - no ghost can. How kind of you to remind me of my limitations - not!"

And with that, Myrtle wailed and dove into a toilet causing a splash all around the floor. Dobby dried the water with a wave of his hand.

"That went very well for dealing with Myrtle," observed Harry.

"Hmm," said Professor Dumbledore, "I didn't know ghosts couldn't go into unplottable places. One learns new things every day. I suppose that explains why the ghosts never found the Chamber when they were asked to assist."

"It's just as well, Albus. Remember what happened to Nearly-Headless Nick: if the ghosts had been going through the Chamber, then in the course of a millenium it would have been stuffed full of petrified ghosts."

"A grim spectre, indeed," said Dumbledore, with a wink.