Forgotten Memories

The week flew by, and before Y/N realised it, Friday had arrived. The days blurred together—from her first week of classes at Hogwarts to finally uncovering the answers to her dreams—it was an overwhelming experience for just one week. Her headache gradually eased as the memories settled into her long-term memory.

On Friday afternoon, Y/N had two free periods, which she spent working on her Potions homework. Despite it being only the first week of the school year, the professors were already piling on assignments, leaving no student exempt from the heavy workload. For Potions alone, Y/N had to write at least eight inches of parchment on how to concoct the Wiggenweld Potion and its effects. "How can anyone stretch an essay to eight inches when it clearly only takes five inches to be concise and clear?" Y/N grumbled, placing a hand on her forehead and fussing with her hair. The amount of work was already overwhelming for the eleven-year-old. Just as she was about to review her Potions book once more, she felt a tap on her shoulder. Confused, Y/N turned around to find Harry smiling at her.

"Hey Y/N, what are you doing?" Harry asked.

"Oh, hey Harry. I'm just finishing up my Potions homework. Eight inches of parchment on one potion is absurd—I can't seem to stretch it beyond five inches. Doesn't Professor Snape want intelligible essays? Concise ones are far better than padding them with nonsense," Y/N ranted to Harry. He laughed and offered his own thoughts.

"I know exactly what you mean. Professor Snape seems to hate me. He docked Gryffindor two points just for my existence." Y/N hummed in response. "Aside from Snape, I haven't had any issues with the other professors," he sighed, exasperated.

Y/N blinked, processing his words, then quickly shook her head and apologised. "Sorry, I'm feeling a bit out of it right now. All the homework this week has me drained. I can't imagine how much worse it'll be three months from now." Harry waved off her apology.

"No need to apologise—I feel exactly the same. I'm just glad I have Friday afternoons off. I'd go crazy if I were in class right now." Y/N let out a small laugh and nodded in agreement. "I was actually on my way to find Ron so we could go to Hagrid's for tea. If you want to take a break from homework, you could join us."

Y/N smiled at Harry and began packing up her things. "I'd love to join you. I haven't been able to write anything for the last twenty minutes. I haven't met Hagrid—at least, I don't think I have—so it would be nice to meet someone new!"

"You've probably seen him before; you just didn't know his name. He's the giant who led us to the boats when we got off the Hogwarts Express." Y/N let out an "ohh" in realisation and followed Harry to find Ron.

Once they found Ron, they headed out of the castle toward Hagrid's hut, arriving just five minutes before Harry was scheduled to meet him. Hagrid's hut was located on the edge of the Forbidden Forest. It was small and wooden, and it hardly seemed possible that Hagrid could fit inside, let alone live there.

Harry knocked on the door, and the trio heard a flurry of activity from within. Hagrid opened the door a crack and quickly said, "Hang on. Back, Fang."

They were let inside while Hagrid struggled to wrangle a huge black dog. The house was a single room, decorated from top to bottom. Ham and pheasants hung from the ceiling, and a kettle was boiling over an open fire. What Y/N assumed was Hagrid's bed was pushed into a corner, covered with a patchwork quilt.

"Make yourselves at home," Hagrid said as he let go of Fang, who immediately bolted toward Ron and began licking his face. It turned out Fang wasn't as scary as he looked.

"This is Ron, and this is Y/N—they're my friends," Harry said, introducing them to Hagrid, who was pouring boiling water into a teapot and setting out plates of cakes that looked as dense as rocks.

"Another Weasley, eh?" Hagrid said, giving Ron a once-over. "I spent half me life chasin' yer twin brothers away from the Forest." Hagrid sighed as the three began biting into their rock-hard cakes, nearly breaking their teeth. While Harry and Ron politely pretended to enjoy the cakes, Y/N discreetly spit hers out, not wanting to risk accidentally poisoning herself. Hagrid seemed nice, but she wasn't taking any chances. She had just started getting her life in order, and no rock cake was going to jeopardise that.

‘I might be a little dramatic,’ Y/N thought, ‘but being dramatic is better than needing an unplanned dentist appointment because I broke my teeth eating rocks. If I even survive swallowing them, that is.’

While Y/N was lost in thought, Hagrid was listening to the boys talk about their first week of classes. When they finished, they turned to Y/N, expecting her to share her experience. Before she could say anything, Hagrid spoke up. "I haven't met anyone who looks like they could be yer parent. What's yer last name?"

Y/N looked surprised to finally be acknowledged; she had just assumed she'd be more of an observer—not that she had any reason to think she'd be ignored. "My last name is Hallowell. You’ve probably never heard it because my mum is a Muggle, and I don’t have a dad..."

Some things never change, no matter where you are. Despite being in a different dimension, Y/N still didn't have a father figure. Hagrid made a quiet noise of understanding and tactfully moved on, not wanting to upset her. The conversation somehow shifted to Filch and his cat, Mrs. Norris.

Hagrid grunted, "That old git." The boys looked over the moon hearing Hagrid say that. "An' as fer his cat, Mrs. Norris, I'd like to introduce 'er ter Fang sometime. Didja know, every time I go up ter the school, she follows me everywhere? Can't get rid of her—Filch put 'er up to it."

After Hagrid's brief rant, Harry began talking about his lessons with Snape. But, just like Ron had, Hagrid told Harry not to worry too much about it. He mentioned that Snape hadn't liked many students during his time teaching at Hogwarts.

"But, Hagrid, it was like he hated me."

"Rubbish!" Hagrid said. "Why should he?"

Y/N noticed that when Hagrid said this, he subtly avoided making direct eye contact—a detail she picked up on due to her years of training with her mother in Twisted Wonderland. After all, how could she be expected to follow in her mother's footsteps and become a widely renowned doctor without top-tier perception? Watching Harry’s reaction, Y/N saw that he, too, had noticed that Hagrid wasn’t quite meeting his eyes like he had just minutes before. Hagrid quickly changed the subject, moving away from Snape disliking Harry, much too fast for Y/N's liking.

"How's yer brother Charlie?" Hagrid asked Ron. "I liked 'im a lot; he was great with magical beasts 'an animals."

Y/N and Harry exchanged a glance, both realising that something was off—that Hagrid wasn't being entirely genuine. It was as if he knew something about Snape's connection to Harry that Harry himself didn't. While Hagrid and Ron continued discussing Charlie's work with dragons, Harry picked up a piece of paper from under a tea cosy on the table. It appeared to be a clipping from the Daily Prophet, and Y/N leaned in to read it alongside him:

GRINGOTTS BREAK-IN LATEST

 Investigations continue into the break-in at Gringotts on 31 July, widely believed to be the work of dark wizards or witches unknown. 

Gringotts’ goblins today insisted that nothing had been taken. The vault that was searched had in fact been emptied the same day. 

‘But we’re not telling you what was in there, so keep your noses out if you know what’s good for you,’ said a Gringotts spokesgoblin this afternoon.

As Y/N listened to Ron talk about the dragons his brother Charlie worked with, Harry suddenly perked up and shouted, "Hagrid!" The outburst startled not only Y/N but also Hagrid and Ron. Harry continued, "That Gringotts break-in happened on my birthday! It might've happened while we were there!"

While Harry was excited about this revelation, Hagrid didn’t share his enthusiasm. He refused to meet Harry’s gaze and, instead of responding, simply offered Harry another rock cake.

After the awkward end to their afternoon tea, Ron, Harry, and Y/N walked back to the castle for dinner. While Ron and Harry chatted, Y/N walked alongside them in silence, Harry’s questions about the package Hagrid had taken from the vault at Gringotts—supposedly the one that had been targeted in the robbery—echoing in her mind. The courtyard they crossed was eerily quiet, amplifying the tension in the air.

The moment they entered the Great Hall, they exchanged goodbyes and went their separate ways to their respective tables.

While Y/N wasn’t particularly close with her housemates, she had Natalia to keep her company in the common room. Three weeks into school, Y/N had started to settle into a rhythm with her schedule. That was until a notice went up: flying classes with the Gryffindors, Slytherins, and Hufflepuffs. It wasn’t unusual for Ravenclaws to have most of their classes with Hufflepuffs, but Y/N hadn’t expected to share a class with Harry this year. Usually, Gryffindors and Slytherins were paired together, just like Ravenclaws and Hufflepuffs—not Ravenclaws and Gryffindors, or Ravenclaws and Slytherins. That’s just not how it worked!

But when Thursday afternoon rolled around, Y/N got ready in her flying robes and headed to the grounds for her first flying lesson. Unfortunately, Natalia wasn’t in her flying lesson; she was stuck in double Potions, suffering under Professor Snape’s watchful eye. As Y/N made her way through the grounds, she took in the beautiful day—the sun was shining, not a cloud in sight, and a gentle breeze caused the grass to sway.

When she arrived at the field, she saw about forty broomsticks lined up on the grass. Some Gryffindors and Slytherins were already there, along with a few Hufflepuffs. Spotting Harry and Ron waving at her, Y/N waved back and took the spot across from Ron.

Finally, Madam Hooch, the flying instructor, appeared, and the class began. Madam Hooch had short grey hair and sharp yellow eyes, reminiscent of a hawk.

"What are you all waiting for? Stand by a broomstick, quick quick!" she commanded. Once everyone was in place, Madam Hooch continued, "Stick your right hand over your broom and say, ‘UP!’"

Everyone around Y/N started shouting "UP!" so she quickly followed suit, yelling a firm and commanding "UP!" The moment the words left her lips, the broom zipped straight into the palm of her right hand. Y/N noticed that only a few others managed to do the same on their first try. She glanced at Harry, who also had his broom in hand, and smiled. He returned the smile. Ron, however, wasn’t as successful—when he said "UP!" a bit too forcefully, the broom shot up and smacked him square in the face. Y/N giggled, and Harry burst out laughing. Ron glared at them both before saying "UP!" again, and this time, the broom obediently flew into his hand.

Madam Hooch then demonstrated how to mount their brooms and went around correcting students who had an improper grip. Harry and Ron looked delighted when Madam Hooch corrected a white-blond boy’s grip. Y/N raised an eyebrow at them, and Harry mouthed to her that it was nothing.

"Now, when I blow my whistle, you'll kick off the ground, hard," she instructed firmly. "Keep your brooms steady; you’ll rise a few feet and then come straight down by leaning forward slightly. On my whistle. Three, two—"

Before Madam Hooch could finish her countdown, a chubby blond boy suddenly pushed off the ground hard, ignoring her instructions.

"Come back here, boy!" Madam Hooch shouted, but the boy kept rising—fast. Before Y/N could blink, he was falling just as quickly as he had risen. Down, down, down he went until—BAM! He hit the ground with a loud, gruesome crack, lying face down in the dirt. His broom, meanwhile, continued to rise, heading off toward the Forbidden Forest.

Madam Hooch bent over the boy, muttering, "Broken wrist. Come on, it's alright, up you get." She helped him to his feet and turned to the class. "None of you are to move while I take this boy to the Hospital Wing! You’ll leave those brooms where they are, or you’ll be expelled faster than you can say 'Quidditch.' Follow me, dear."

The boy, tears streaming down his face, clutched his wrist to his chest and limped away with Madam Hooch, who had her arm around his shoulders. The moment they were out of earshot, the same white-blond boy Madam Hooch had corrected earlier burst into laughter.

"Did you see the fat lump's face?" he jeered, and the other Slytherins joined in, laughing along with him.

"Shut up, Malfoy," snapped a girl who looked exactly like Padma Patil—Y/N figured she must be Parvati, Padma’s twin sister, whom she had heard so much about.

"Ooh, sticking up for Longbottom? Never thought you'd fancy a fat crybaby like him!" taunted a blonde girl with a bob.

Y/N scoffed, drawing the blonde girl’s attention. "And who are you? A pathetic nobody Ravenclaw?"

Y/N stared at her with a blank expression, then blinked and responded, "Was that supposed to be a 'burn'?" She made air quotes with her fingers. "'Cause if it was, it was a bit lukewarm. Tepid, actually. Who even are you? You can’t call people nobodies when you yourself are a nobody."

Before the hard-faced girl could respond, Y/N continued her tirade. "Make fun of that boy's weight all you want, but it’ll never make you more desirable. Who would want a pug-faced arse who isn’t even good at the one thing she prides herself on—bullying? Honestly, go home if you’re going to act like this. It’s embarrassing, really."

The blonde girl’s face turned bright red, but before she could respond, she was once again interrupted.

“Look!” said the white-blond boy that Y/N now knew was a boy named ‘Malfoy’. He dove towards something in the grass and snatched it up. “It’s the stupid sphere Longbottom’s gran sent him.” Malfoy held the sphere up in his hand so that the entire class could see it and it sparkled in the sun.

“Give it here, Malfoy.” Harry said, though Y/N could scarcely hear him due to how quiet he was, but nonetheless, everyone turned to look at the dark-haired boy.

“I think I’ll leave it somewhere for Longbottom to find, what do you think? Maybe up in a tree?” Malfoy looked at Harry, his nose scrunching up with the nasty smirk he gave.

“Give. it. here! “Harry yelled, but Malfoy had already gotten onto his broomstick and was rising higher and higher till he stopped to hover.

 He called out to Harry, “If you care so much about it, how about you come and get it, Potter!”

Harry gripped his broom, but before he could take off, Hermione Granger, the girl from the train, yelled at Harry “No! Madam Hooch told us not to move. You’ll get us all in trouble!”

Harry was smart, but not that smart. He took off. Y/N tried to comfort Hermione and patted her shoulder as she watched Harry and Malfoy settle things above ground.

“Worst case scenario both of them are expelled and we get detention. Don’t stress it, Hermione. They’re the ones disobeying Madam Hooch’s orders, not us. They’ll get the blunt end of the punishment if we even get punished. We haven’t done anything wrong.” Her words did little to calm Hermione’s anxieties, but the girl appreciated the effort and gave a small ‘thanks’ in return.

Just as the boys were done with their mid-air battle and Harry toppled to the ground with the ball in hand, a whistle was heard and Professor McGonagall yelled “HARRY POTTER” while running towards the class.

There were kids defending Harry, but McGonagall silenced them quickly. Harry was forced to follow her, and the rest of the class was left wondering the fate of the infamous Harry Potter.

“Why do you boys look so smug?” Y/N asked; she knew McGonagall like the back of her hand. Harry wasn’t in trouble. If you looked close enough to her face when she ran to all the students, you would have been able to see the pure glee on her face.

“Because Harry’s obviously going to be expelled, didn’t you see what happened?” The boy to Malfoy’s left said smugly. Y/N rolled her eyes and scoffed.

“You guys obviously know nothing about Professor McGonagall. Harry’s not in trouble. Didn’t you see McGonagall’s face? She looked practically elated when she called out Harry’s name. If anything, I’d be warranted to think that Harry might just get rewarded.”

The Slytherins just looked at her like she was the dumbest person alive before cackling at what she said, as if what she said was so funny they would wee in their pants.

“Y-yeah, right.” Malfoy said between breaths. Y/N just rolled her eyes again before snarkily responding:

“Just you wait, Malfoy. Won’t be so funny when I’m right and you’re wrong. You’ll look dumber than you think I am"