Beginning
He woke up on the train.
Didn’t know why he was there or where the train was going. Groggy from sleep, as a habit he patted around himself looking for his glasses.
When found, he put them on but his vision got suddenly very blurry and his head started to ache. Frowning he took them off and looked around confused,
he was almost certain that he needed glasses. Only to realize now that he was seeing just fine without any. - huh? That’s new - he thought to himself then
shrug and examined his surroundings. He was alone in a very cozy compartment; curtains were drawn so he didn’t see to the corridor and outside the
window green fields and forests passing by. - that’s a beautiful view -he though when a wave of nostalgia filled his chest. He knew those fields and forests.
Was almost sure that he has seen those before countless times but couldn’t pinpoint exactly when. Thinking about that, it hit him. His mind was blank,
he didn’t know who he was, where he was and what was happening around. Slightly panicked he started to examine his surroundings. - maybe I will remember at least SOMETHING-
Opposite him on a shelf laid a suitcase trunk. - why this specific word? Must be mine since I’m the only one here.- He pulled it down and examined it from every side.
On one of shorter sides of the trunk were painted golden letters H.J.P only the “P” looked like it was painted over what was there before, he studied the letters confused. Sliding his hand over the letters he could feel the extra layer of paint where the “P” was sitting.
Intrigued he wondered what was beneath it and as the silent wish formed in his head, right before his eyes a faint “B” appeared for a second just to disappear again. To say he was shocked was an understatement of a century. He blinked profusely at what had just happened but deep down he felt like it was normal, natural even.
He opened the suitcase to find black robes and a shimmering cloak. He arched an eyebrow at the second but didn’t give it more thought because the same feeling of similarity washed over him telling him that these things were in fact his he pulled out the robes and swiftly shut the trunk back and put it neatly on the shelf. He sat back and tried to remember anything what could guide him to what was going on.
There were some images in his head and when he focused hard on grasping any useful detail an image formed before his eyes. He remembers lounging on a couch in front of a fireplace, some people talking merrily behind him. He smiled at the memory. It was worm, felt like home.
- okey, so apparently, I was home, what next? - but at the same time word “home” brought a different vision to the surface. A chubby kid who he felt he didn’t like, a sickly thin blonde woman who made a face at him as if he stuck dirty socks under her nose, and a whale like man with no neck.
- I like the first one better, thank you very much. - He thought slightly disgusted. He could only hope that the first one was actually “home”. Then as if someone was pulling files from a drawer another memory raised. A beautiful woman with big soulful eyes sitting opposite him holding his hand.
She was saying something but he couldn’t catch any words. His focus was solely on her big green eyes, where unshed tears started to form.
-why is she crying? - he couldn’t understand. Some of her words started to reach him
- “I know it will be hard, but you have to go back sweetheart, like you always do. Be strong. Remember I’m always with you; he can’t hurt you anymore.”- she smiled weakly barely being able to stop the tears. Then a man’s hand landed reassuringly on her shoulder, she tilted her head slightly to touch the hand with her cheek and the memory ended.
-mum? - he thought. He didn’t know how but he knew that this woman was his mother. And she was crying because of him. Gut wrenching guilt nested in his stomach, and he felt even worse about being on this train if it meant that she was upset. He sighed to himself and took his wand and cast a Tempus to see the time.
He didn’t even think what he was doing, only after did he realize that it was odd thing to do. And with this one wand movement something in his head unlocked. He was a wizard, he was using a wand, and he just checked the time like it was the most normal thing to do. Like a flood; images of classrooms and laughing children around him filled his head.
He started to remember small things, like pieces of a puzzle memories were clicking in his head, he remembered moments and faces slowly putting names to them. On the outside of his head, he decided that it was time to change into uniform. Just as he was pulling the robe over his head the compartment door flew open startling him to death.
- “Harry! There you are mate. We’ve been looking all over for you!”- said overly eager read head boy.
He knew that boy but memories of him were strangely blurred. All he could master on the spot was that his name was “Ron”. Harry studied the intruder and noticed that the robe he was wearing wasn’t as black as his, and looked like it was mended one to many times.
- “you’ve been looking for me? What for?”- said harry trying not to give away the conflict that was raging his head. - we were friends.. I think - was the thought he came up with.
-“What you mean what for?!- I couldn’t find you on the train before and we are nearly at Hogwarts. Plus; Hermione is nagging me all the time. That’s just rude that you didn’t come sit with your best friends!”- the read head was getting angry at this point
- not very ‘bestfirend’ of him if he’s looking for me only to escape this ‘Hermione’ girl - harry thought getting slightly annoyed.
- “Well, here I am, I must have fallen asleep just woke up couple minutes ago”- he said out loud.
-well don’t be standing there we have to go!”-Ron said still angry but looking a little less fumy.
- “Harry?”- he asked
- “hmm?”- came the reply.
-“Aren’t you forgetting something?”-
- “what?”
- “your glasses?”- said ginger condescendingly. He panicked for a second and blurted out first thing that came to his mind
- “oh I don’t need these any more. I’ve got contact lenses”-where did that lie come from, he didn’t know, but he was sure that he didn’t want his ‘friend’ to know of his sudden eyesight correction.
-“you have what?!”-Ron spar terrified.
- “oh, it’s a mugge thing” - he blurted out quickly, hurrying to leave with redhead at his tail. It looked like his lie was plausible, since no more questions came from behind him.
He moved to the front of the train, since he knew that that’s where the least crowded door will be. Somehow, he knew that it was important to keep pretending that nothing changed, that he didn’t just have a weird episode of amnesia, and now he couldn’t remember his chunks of his life and people that he was supposed to know.
Danger was nearby and he could feel it, the longer he could pretend the better chances of figuring out what is going on. When they reached the door the silence between them was awkwardly stretching.
Soon a girl with bushy hair approached them screeching
-“Ronald! There you are. Ditching me and your DUTIES?! That’s just unheard of!”-she tore him a new one as soon as she spotted them. The boy sneered at her.
-“I went looking for Harry, you didn’t even asked where your best friend was, only ‘prefec duty’ this and ‘prefect duty’ that, you are worse than Percy!”-he spat.
At his words She looked like she was just hit in the face and tears started to form in corners of her eyes. Oh, he knew he was supposed to like Ron but right now he did less and less with every passing minute.
Hermione finally found her words and dug her heels -in spite- Harry thought pleased. And answered swiftly
-“as you can clearly see Harry is more than capable to look after himself. I knew that he will be alright, he has half a brain NOT to get lost on a train. Besides taking your responsibilities seriously is not a bad thing.”—“she has a point”- Harry interjected earning himself a firely look from Ron.
-“Oh give me a break both of you”- Ron threw his hands up and left stomping like a toddler.
-“thanks Harry.”- said Hermione smiling weakly
-“where have you been by the way? I didn’t see you today. And where are your glasses? You didn’t break them again, did you?”- she asked quietly pushing herself against the wall next to him and resting her head on his shoulder.-that’s nice- he thought, and opposite as to how he remembered Ron, every memory of Hermione was clear as day.
Before he didn’t notice physical affection from Hermione was a common occurrence. But now he found that he didn’t mind it one bit.
-“I just fell asleep when we boarded, didn’t want to get in the way of your duties”- he answered nonchalantly.
- “As for the glasses, i decided to give contacts a try. You know?” - It looked like the answer pleased her because she only hummed in acknowledgment. Harry took a longer look at her, or the top of her head from this angle.
She was objectively beautiful but he couldn’t find in himself any attraction to her, and also a wild thought entered his head, that he would love to play with her hair. To make it less bushy. Maybe braid it or apply some products to it. As quick as this thought entered his head it went. And he was left wondering why.
-“how are you finding yourself with it?”- he asked her curious. He guessed from her actions and emotions written right there on her face, that those ‘prefect duties”-whatever they were, were a new thing to the girl.
-“oh you know, it’s tough but you know I love a challenge, plus it’s an honor.”- she said a sparkle in her eyes when she looked up at him
-“what about you?”
-“what do you mean?”
-“how do you feel about it… that Ron got it instead of you?”-she asked standing in front of him.
-“oh”-now he was panicking
-“I don’t mind, I don’t really need the extra ‘honor’ you know”-he answered sheepishly and she smiled at him.-good, that was a good thing to say-he thought but at the same time why he didn’t want extra attention he didn’t know.
-“that’s probably true”- she laughed a little
-“plus you know how he can get. Between us I think that he is ecstatic that he is ‘better’ than you at something”- she almost whispered to him mischievously. -oh I love her!-he almost shouted in his head. He didn’t answer, just smirked because Ronald was walking back and the train was coming to a stop. He was first to exit to the platform and caught a lot of stares coming his way. He was most intrigued by a tall blond boy looking his way with perfect indifferent mask on his face but silent question behind his eyes.
Just like with Ron he knew he had memories with him, intense ones, but he couldn’t push through the blur. Not even his name came to his mind. Harry only shrugged his way and tried to ignore people staring at him.
-“why are they staring?”- he asked Hermione when she was close to him, quiet enough that only she could hear. She looked at him confused.
-“you know?”-she started looking at him like he had a second head.
-“because of last summer?”- she continued sounding worried at his lack of reaction .
-“the tournament, Cedric? You know who? The dementors? Harry are you alright?”- she asked seriously.- shit - he thought -I should have known that- so he just nodded trying to ensue her that he knew what she was referring to
- “I thought it was the lack of glasses this time”
- he tried to deflect her suspicion and for a fleeting moment he thought that he succeeded. She barked out a laugh and smiled at him, the suspicion still in her eyes. When they were exiting the carriage in front of the castle gates, he could hear Ron behind him asking Hermione:
- “what are contact lenses?”
- he could only smile at that gazing up at the castle that was flickering its’ lights at them welcoming them back.