Preparations and Precautions
Chapter 31: Preparations and Precautions
The Great Hall buzzed with the usual breakfast chatter, but Dipak (Harry) barely registered the noise. His mind was consumed by the visions from the previous night, the weight of foreknowledge pressing down on him. He mechanically spooned porridge into his mouth, nodding absently at Ron's Quidditch talk while his thoughts raced through the intricate plans he needed to set in motion.
As soon as he could politely excuse himself, Dipak (Harry) slipped away from his friends and made his way to an empty classroom. The door creaked as he pushed it open, the silence inside a stark contrast to the bustling halls outside. He shut the door softly, the click of the lock echoing in the quiet room.
“Dobby?” he whispered, his voice tense with urgency.
With a soft pop, the house-elf appeared, his tennis ball-sized eyes wide with excitement and concern. “Harry Potter sir called Dobby! How can Dobby help?”
Dipak (Harry) knelt down, speaking in a low, urgent voice. “Dobby, I need your help with something very important and very secret. Can you find me books about memory charms? Especially advanced ones? But you can’t let anyone know, not even Dumbledore.”
Dobby’s ears quivered with a mix of concern and determination. “Dobby will help Harry Potter sir. Dobby knows where to find such books. Dobby will be most secret!”
As Dobby vanished with a determined nod, Dipak (Harry) couldn’t help but feel a twinge of guilt. He was asking a lot of the little house-elf, and for something that made his stomach churn with unease. But the memory of his visions steeled his resolve. He had to be prepared, no matter the cost.
Within an hour, Dipak (Harry) found himself poring over arcane texts on memory magic, the pages filled with complex diagrams and dense explanations. The ancient parchment crackled under his fingers as he took furious notes, his quill scratching across the paper. The complexity of the spells was daunting, and a deep unease settled in his chest as he absorbed the implications of what he was learning.
As he meticulously copied a particularly intricate charm, another thought occurred to him. “Dobby,” he called softly, and the elf reappeared with another soft pop. “I need some rats for… practice. Ones that look like Ron’s rat, Scabbers. Can you get those for me?”
Dobby’s eyes widened slightly, but he nodded vigorously. “Dobby can find such rats, Harry Potter sir. Dobby will bring them tonight.”
With that piece in place, Dipak (Harry) turned his attention to the problem of rendering the rat unconscious. His first thought was chloroform, but the idea was quickly dismissed as impractical. How would he even begin to procure such a Muggle chemical at Hogwarts?
During Herbology, Dipak (Harry) sidled up to Neville, who was expertly pruning a Venomous Tentacula, its sinuous vines writhing under his careful hands. “Hey, Neville,” he began casually, trying to keep his tone light, “you know a lot about plants. Do you know of any that could, say, knock someone out? Or a small animal?”
Neville looked surprised but thoughtful. “Well, there’s Sopophorous beans. They’re used in sleeping potions. And Valerian sprigs can cause drowsiness. Why do you ask, Harry?”
Dipak (Harry) shrugged, feigning nonchalance. “Just curious. Thought it might come in handy for Potions or something.”
Neville nodded, but there was a flicker of suspicion in his eyes. “You sure you’re alright, Harry? You’ve been a bit… distracted lately.”
Dipak (Harry) forced a smile. “Yeah, I’m fine. Just got a lot on my mind.”
That evening in the common room, Dipak (Harry) noticed Ron looking anxiously at Scabbers, who was huddled in the corner, eyeing Crookshanks warily. Dipak (Harry) saw his opportunity.
“Ron,” Dipak (Harry) said, “Scabbers looks stressed. Why don’t I look after him for a while? Keep him away from Crookshanks?”
Ron seemed relieved. “Would you, Harry? Thanks, mate. I’ve been worried about him.”
As Dipak (Harry) carefully picked up Scabbers, a sudden wave of dizziness washed over him. The common room blurred, replaced by flashing images: moonlight on grass, a black dog's snarl, a rat scurrying through shadows. He stumbled, catching himself on the arm of a chair.
“You alright, Harry?” Hermione asked, concern etching her features.
Dipak (Harry) forced another smile, though his head still throbbed with the remnants of the vision. “Yeah, just tired. Think I’ll turn in early.”
As he settled into bed, his thoughts were consumed by the day's events. He had successfully arranged for the rats, learned about potential knockout plants, and gained Ron's trust with Scabbers. Now, he had to focus on the next stage of his plan.
In the privacy of his bed curtains, Dipak (Harry) set up a small makeshift enclosure on his bed, hidden behind the drawn curtains. He placed the stunned rat, which looked remarkably like Scabbers, in the center. Then, he carefully positioned a small piece of cheese a short distance away from the rat.
“Rennervate,” he whispered, reviving the rat.
The rat’s nose twitched as it caught the scent of the cheese. It began to move towards the food, whiskers quivering in anticipation. Just as the rat was about to take its first bite, Dipak (Harry) raised his wand.
“Stupefy,” he said softly, and the rat froze, falling onto its side.
Heart racing, Dipak (Harry) opened the book on memory charms. He had studied the theory extensively, but this was his first practical attempt. His hand shook slightly as he pointed his wand at the unconscious rat.
“Obliviate,” he murmured, concentrating on erasing the rat’s memory of approaching the cheese.
For a moment, nothing seemed to happen. Then, a faint silvery mist seemed to emanate from the rat’s head, dissipating quickly in the air. Dipak (Harry) held his breath, his heart pounding in the silence of the enclosed space.
“Rennervate,” he said again, his voice barely audible.
The rat stirred, blinking as it regained consciousness. It looked around, seemingly confused for a moment. Then, its nose twitched again, catching the scent of the cheese. To Dipak (Harry)’s amazement and relief, the rat began to approach the cheese as if seeing it for the first time, with no hint that it remembered its previous attempt.
Dipak (Harry) felt a surge of excitement mixed with a twinge of guilt. The spell had worked, but at what cost? The rat’s blank stare as it approached the cheese again unnerved him. He was playing with something powerful and dangerous, and the ease with which he could manipulate the creature’s memory made his stomach churn.
Encouraged by his success but disturbed by the implications, Dipak (Harry) decided to repeat the experiment several times, each time erasing the rat’s memory of approaching the cheese. Each attempt was successful, with the rat consistently behaving as if it was seeing the cheese for the first time.
As he concluded his experiments, Dipak (Harry) felt a mix of elation and unease. He had proven to himself that he could perform memory charms effectively, even on a small scale. This was a crucial step in his preparations for the challenges ahead.
As he tidied up the last of the mess, his mind began to wander to the next step in his plan. He needed to practice on a larger scale, perhaps with more complex memories. The weight of his goals settled upon him, and he felt a familiar sense of determination wash over him.
Just as he was about to settle into bed, his gaze drifted towards the window, where the moon cast an eerie glow. That's when he saw it - a shadow flickering at the edge of his vision, a silent reminder that the line he was walking was dangerously thin.
In that moment, Dipak (Harry) took a deep, steadying breath. Whatever the cost, he had to be prepared for what was coming.