Charming Memories

"Come in," Snape called over his shoulder. A vague pang of annoyance at being interrupted rolled through him. He continued to slice thin strips of phoenix beak as he glanced towards the door. It swung open, to reveal Vincent and Gregory, looking pale and thoroughly bewildered. Between them slumped Draco, whose eyes were glassy. He twitched and babbled incoherently, his head lolling.

"What the hell is wrong with him?!" Snape screeched. The knife slipped from his grip and a jagged chunk of phoenix beak skittered across the table. They were fifty Galleons an ounce. Cursing, he ran over to the boys, pulled Draco out from between him, and dragged him over to the divan. Snape tried propping him up, but the boy just slouched against the cushions, still muttering.

"No... my eyes.. it can't... please, stop it! Father, can't you... No! Too much! Will never... clean eyes..."

Vincent and Gregory had shuffled nervously into the room by this point, and stood awkwardly.

"Close the door!" Snape barked quickly. They complied, and stood looking at him beseechingly. Snape pulled up a couple of chairs across from the divan and motioned the boys into them. He himself sat on facing them on the divan, next to Draco, who had now pulled himself into a ball and was rocking catatonically.

"Mustn't... no... too disgusting... can't bear to... brain must... be cleansed..."

"What happened?" Snape growled, his face drawn with anxiety.

"Um..." said Gregory. Both the boys had turned quite red. They never were quick with words.

"Spit it out!" Snape yelled. "Tell me everything you know! The quicker we act, the better off he'll be!" The boys shifted awkwardly, casting furtive glances at each other. Snape slammed his clenched fist into his palm, and the loud clap startled them into speech.

"We were... uh... he cast a charm on himself!" said Vincent.

"We couldn't stop him, he was too quick!" blurted Gregory.

"What charm?" Snape's voice was ominously tight.

"Obliviate," said Gregory. Snape peered at Draco, who was still muttering to himself. He clasped the boy's chin and examined his pupils.

"That explains it," he nodded. "The charm must have gone wrong. He seems to remember... something that traumatized him, presumably the thing that caused him to cast the charm in the first place, judging by his muttering. But he cannot remember anything else... he is unaware of his surroundings. Stand back," said Snape, standing up. He raised his wand, pointed it at Draco, and called out, "Obliviatus Distrugio!" A white light shot from the end of his wand, into Draco's forehead. The boy swayed slightly, blinked a few times, then sat up straight and glanced around him.

"Good," said Snape. "I believe it worked. Draco?" The boy's eyes snapped to his.

"Yes, sir?" He rubbed his forehead. "What exactly happened? I can't seem to remember how I got here." He looked around Snape's office, at the elegant but now slightly tatty furniture, the towering shelves of heavy books, the many jars, vials and dried things that were crammed onto almost every available surface.

"What is the last thing you recall, Draco?" Snape said, as gently as he could. Draco furrowed his brow.

"Well I..." his gaze drifted to Crabbe and Goyle. "OH GOD!" he screamed in horror, as if they were a pair of very hungry-looking trolls. Which wasn't, in fact, so far from the truth. Draco backed up against the divan; his hands and feet scrabbled for purchase as he desperately tried to distance himself from them. "GET AWAY FROM ME!" He turned and tried to leap over the edge of the sofa. His foot caught, and he went crashing down onto the stone flags. He scrambled on his knees to the opposite wall, frantically fumbling in his robes for a wand. "NO! DON'T WANT TO REMEMBER!" He found the wand and was drawing it out, pointing it with a shaking hand to his temple.

"DRACO! NO!" Snape bellowed, and lunged after him, tackling the boy and pinning his wand-hand to his side. They struggled a moment, as Crabbe and Goyle looked on in dumb shock. Finally, Snape wrested the wand from him and backed away, panting. His robes were torn, and his usually-sallow face flushed. "NO, Draco," he repeated. "You tried that before, and it's lucky you didn't permanently damage your mind!"

Draco's gaped and twitched like a landed fish. He was sprawled on the floor, and lay clutching a low shelf, attempting to pull himself upright. "Professor... you don't understand... if you had seen what I saw..." His face darkened. "It's the only way. I'll go mad if I don't." His face cleared. He was shaken, but oddly resolute. "Give me my wand," he said softly, reaching out his hand to his professor.

Snape regarded him carefully, eyes narrowed in critical concentration. "Just a moment, Draco," he said. He strode fluidly over to his potions table and pulled jars, vials and pouches swiftly from the shelf. With one hand he began measuring ingredients, while with the other he summoned a small brass cauldron and used his wand to light a fire beneath it.

"Professor," said Draco, standing. His voice echoed clearly off the stone walls. "Give me my wand." He stepped forwards after Snape. "I've got to--" he broke off as his eyes lit again on Crabbe and Goyle.

"YOU TWO!" he screeched, staggering towards them. "I'll get you for subjecting me to that!" He pounced on Crabbe, who was nearest, wrapped his narrow aristocratic hands around Crabbe's meaty neck, and began choking him frantically. Crabbe gurgled in surprise, then thrust out a thick fist and popped Draco in the stomach. Draco shot backwards, stumbled over the leg of the divan, and cracked his head on the wall. "I'll..." he muttered threateningly, before his eyes rolled back and he slumped to the floor.

Goyle and Crabbe looked in helpless fright towards the Potions Master. Snape pursed his lips in disapproval. "Ah well," he said at last, as he turned back towards the cauldron in front of him, "That's probably best, for now. I'm almost done." He poured the steaming potion into a small flask. It was a pale, almost translucent orange. "A light sedative, mixed with Veritaserum. We'll find out what happened to him, and then have some idea of how to proceed." Snape gently lifted Draco's prone form and laid him on the divan. It was a bit too short for the boy to stretch out on fully, so Snape folded his legs up. He poured some of the potion down Draco's throat, and raised his wand.

"You'd better go into the next room, boys. Your presence seems to... agitate him."

They didn't move.

"Did you hear me? Crabbe, Goyle! In the next room!" he snapped.

They were blushing again, and looking very awkward.

"Um. Professor?" muttered Goyle.

"What?" he barked.

"Um. I think I know what... upset him." Crabbe caught his friend's eye, and nodded miserably.

Snape turned a cold glare on the two of them, a glare normally reserved for other houses. Griffindors and Hufflepuffs, primarily.

"Tell me, Gregory," he said in a strained voice. He had a smile. His teeth were showing. It was a smile filled with barely-restrained, crackling menace. "What is it that upset him?"

The boys just blushed even further, eyes on the floor. Their two heads squatted atop their broad shoulders like lumpy tomatoes.

"Do I have to give you Veritaserum as well?" Snape shrilled. In unison, they shook their heads frantically.

"Then OUT WITH IT!" Thank God he had silencing charms on these rooms. The Slytherin Common Room was not far away, and he wanted to keep this incident discreet, until he had a better grasp of the situation. If the Malfoy boy proved to have harmed himself in any permanent way, Snape had no doubt that Lucius would have his head. Or worse yet... he shuddered, thankful for the protection that Hogwarts grounds provided. And even if the boy was all right, Lucius would assuredly be very upset if any nasty rumours about his son made their way around.

Crabbe and Goyle glanced around nervously, as if they thought someone might overhear them.

"Don't worry, boys," said Snape in the smoothest voice he could muster under the circumstances. These chambers are entirely soundproof." He flicked his wand at the door, and there was a clanking sound. The boys started at the noise. "I have now magically secured the door, so that no one may interrupt us. I assure you," he said, trying to be as calm and charming as possible--and he could be quite pleasant to students of his own house, when he chose--"nothing you say here will ever go beyond these walls. Whatever has happened, whatever secrets you have, are safe with me."

This was a lie. He would be telling Dumbledore as soon as possible, and as many of the other staff members as would be necessary. Poppy Pomfrey would probably know within a few hours, as would Flitwick; both would have to thoroughly examine Draco, determine if there was any damage done to his mind, and repair the damage as best they could. Snape would really rather not inform Lucius, but he didn't see a way around it, unless Draco wanted to keep it from his father. But even then--a chill went down him--Lucius would have ways of finding the information out, and would be quite displeased to find that Snape was keeping secrets about his son from him.

His lie seemed to have worked, thankfully. Crabbe and Goyle looked considerably relieved.

"Um... Professor..." said Crabbe, and glanced at Goyle. A curious look went between them. Almost as if... Oh God. Oh God, no.

"I guess it's okay if you know," Goyle murmured shyly, "since you're our Head of House and all." Oh God, you have to be joking.

"Me and Greg..." Crabbe continued, "we're sort of..." his beefy hand shot out and clasped the other boy's, who gave it a squeeze in return. "Together."