Charming Memories

A few minutes later, Snape, Dumbledore, Flitwick, and Pomfrey stood before the sleeping boy on the worn red divan. Dumbledore had taken a last cup of tea, offered Snape some biscuits (which he declined, not feeling very hungry), and summoned the other two professors. The Headmaster briefly informed them of the situation and current plan of action, and they proceeded to Snape's dungeon.

Poppy stepped forward to feel Draco's forehead.

"For God's sake, he doesn't have a fever, Poppy!" Snape snapped. Pomfrey pursed her lips and gave him a dirty look.

"Hmm," said Flitwick, "I shall have to wake him in order to examine him. Severus?" Severus summoned an Enervating Elixir and administered it to Draco. After a few moments, he began to stir.

"I assume he's still in a... delicate state of mind," Snape told them. "Proceed with caution." He wanted to smirk, briefly felt it was inappropriate, wondered why he cared, and went ahead and smirked anyway. Draco yawned, stretched, and opened his eyes.

"Professor Flitwick? Pomfrey?" he said in mild confusion, looking around him as he woke up and oriented himself. His eyes widened suddenly. "Oh God. Now I remember." He moaned and pressed his forehead. "Oh...God." Draco shuddered.

"Don't be afraid, Draco," said Dumbledore kindly. "We're going to help you deal with this."

"You're going to Obliviate me," Draco said with relief. "I couldn't do it on my own, I haven't enough practice. Please, do it quick!"

"We're not going to Obliviate you, Draco," Dumbledore told him.

A brief pause as this registered. The boy's face twisted in outrage. "You've GOT to! I am NOT going to spend the rest of my life with THOSE mental images! My FATHER will--"

"Come, Draco, be sensible," said Snape quickly, stepping forward and turning on the rare charm that had saved his arse on so many other occasions. "Even if your memory was completely purged of the knowledge of... what you know," he opted to say tactfully, less the open mention of Crabbe and Goyle's antics send the boy into a fit, "You would inevitably... stumble upon evidence of it again."

"No! Keep them apart! We can do it! Obliviate me and then never again!" Draco blurted incoherently.

"Listen, Draco," Snape practically purred. Here's what we will do. Crabbe and Goyle will no longer share quarters." Here Draco breathed a small sigh of relief, then quickly looked horrified again at the reminder of what they might do if they did share quarters. "You will also no longer share a dormitory with them. Your bed will be replaced, and your broom--" Snape glanced at Dumbledore, who looked on him placidly--"Your broom will also be replaced."

"It had better be with another Nimbus," Draco scowled.

"Yes, of course," Snape lied silkily. They could deal with that later. "And until you... Professor Dumbledore suggests that in the interim you..." Oh, fuck it, no way was he telling the boy that he would have to see "Professor" Feely. Dumbledore could handle that. Snape glanced at the Headmaster, who picked up his cue.

"I have always thought it best, Draco," said Dumbledore in a grandfatherly voice, "to address the things that bother us, and not pretend they don't exist." Draco was gazing at Dumbledore wide-eyed. "Because of this, I recommend you don't modify your memory." Draco scowled at this. "I realise that what you've witnessed is very disturbing to you--" Snape glanced at Dumbledore, and sure enough, the old bastard's eyes were twinkling--"but you're a very strong young man, and I know you will be able to overcome it. I would like to suggest that you confide in one of our staff members in order to come to terms with your friends' relationship." Draco flinched at the phrase. "We have made room in your schedule for you to make regular visits to the School Counselor, Professor Feely."

"Feely?" Draco whined. He seemed a bit subdued now. "I don't want to see that git! It's pointless!" (Snape suppressed a snicker.) "Listen, just wipe my memory," he pouted.

"I'm afraid we can't allow that, Draco, for your own sake," Dumbledore said gently. "Performing Memory Charms is extremely risky, even by trained Obliviators. We would run the risk of permanently harming your mind. And you have an extremely fine mind, Draco. All the professors inform me that you are one of the top students in every class." This was an exaggeration, Snape knew, but Dumbledore knew how to play upon Draco's vanity. The boy was looking smugger by the second.

Flitwick piped up. "I must agree," he squeaked, "Memory Charms are notoriously unreliable. Every wizard's mind is different, and therefore there can be no certainty at all as to the precise effect a charm will have. It would be disastrous to attempt any modification on your memory, young man! I'm surprised you haven't seriously damaged your mind already! Extraordinarily fortunate! In fact," he paused in thought, "I haven't had the chance to thoroughly examine you, so perhaps you have already permanently damaged your mind!" Quite clever, Snape thought. He was no expert on Memory Charms, but he knew this to be an exaggeration as well. Memory Charms were risky, but Flitwick was playing it up considerably. It was working, too: Draco was looking quite pale. Paler than usual.

"My father..." he muttered sullenly.

"Your father would not be assisted by knowing the situation," Snape said, thinking quickly. "You are certainly welcome to inform him, Draco, but I can only imagine it would upset him--and your mother--unnecessarily."

"I want a new broom," Draco pouted. He had gone from being volatile and enraged to being quiet and sulky. Snape wasn't sure which he preferred less. "Father had better get me a new broom. I'm not using my old one. No way."

"I'm sure he will," said Snape as warmly as he could. "You could tell him the old one was damaged beyond repair," he suggested. Maybe Draco wouldn't tell his father. That was a pleasant thought.

"It is damaged beyond repair," he muttered sullenly, and began mumbling bitterly to himself, too low for them to hear him clearly. Snape caught "tainted," "stupid Goyle," and "rectal juices," before he tried very hard not to hear any more.

Flitwick peered into Draco's eyes, tapped him on the head with his wand a few times, and asked the boy some questions about what he remembered about that day, and about the charm he performed on himself. The Professor was careful to avoid questions that could elicit disturbing details, both for Draco's sake and for their own.

"Oh my," he tutted, "I believe you did indeed strain your mind severely. You must attempt no more memory charms, or there's no telling what might become of your brain!" he warned him. Draco nodded, looking scared. Draco was excused, and Dumbledore told him that they would be contacting him before the evening with information about his new living arrangements.

Flitwick later explained that the boy's mind was, as far as he could tell, perfectly intact. But they all agreed it was better for Draco to believe otherwise, in case he tried more Memory Charms. "We might have to get professional Memory Restorers from the Ministry, if he were to keep Obliviating himself. He'd forget all his studies, it would be a mess," Flitwick had said. "And the potential for scandal..." He tutted again.

"I can only imagine what that Rita Skeeter would write, if she knew about this!" Pomfrey exclaimed.

"Oh, I don't think we'll have to worry about her for some time," said Dumbledore enigmatically, and refused to elaborate, saying only that she wouldn't be causing trouble for at least a year.