Forgotten Memories

Exams season passed and Y/N felt quite confident about her performance, especially in Potions. Despite her struggles with Wiggenweld, she studied day and night for any possible question that could have been on the test, and any surprise questions that only older students would know were covered by her summer learning. The practical exams were a breeze, as well. She brewed her Forgetfulness Potion in record time and it was practically perfect. After Potions the next easiest subjects were Charms and Transfiguration. Making a pineapple tap dance across a desk and transfiguring a mouse into a snuff-box in record time as well, not a single exam had stumped her. Professor McGonagall said she had made one of the prettiest snuff-boxes she had ever seen, and that was not an easy feat. 

No matter how happy she was, though, there was always one looming reminder that made sure she was never too happy. Despite her attempts, it seemed she couldn’t reach Riddle anymore. It was as if one night the mirror just stopped connecting to the network Riddle had set up. With the centaur’s warnings about a possible battle and her contact to Riddle being cut off, she was increasingly worried. There isn’t a single thing in the world that could quell the raging storm that had started building up in the girl. Her temper started running short and her tolerance of rules became almost nonexistent. Everything was a reminder of the world she was torn from and she was regretting her choice of staying on this side of the mirror. The threat of Voldemort returning and waging war on the entire wizarding world worried her to no end, she wasn’t prepared to fight in a war.

Y/N was holed up in her dorm once again, researching and preparing for the eventual visit she was going to make to the Third-Floor Corridor. What Harry said about not interfering with the stone didn’t sit right with her, and she could tell with every passing day he was less and less convinced by his own words. Visiting Fluffy was inevitable, so she might as well make sure her friends don’t die because of a moronic mistake.

“Ugh, my head hurts, I need some air.” Y/N grumbled as she slammed her book shut. She slid her shoes on and started to wander, nowhere specific in mind. Her subconscious seemed to have a place in mind, though, as she walked her feet led her to where her Gryffindors were enjoying some sunlight. A wide grin took over her face as she ran down to their area in the grass. An owl flew past her, a note clutched in its beak; she watched the animal with great interest as it looked oddly familiar. Specific things like fresh parchment and roses had started giving her an uncomfortable feeling, like there was something she was forgetting or that she couldn’t quite remember.

“What’s up with you guys? When I first saw you guys it looked like Harry was yelling?” The girl questioned them with a skeptical look on her face. Harry rarely ever yelled, not unless it was important, so this must’ve been serious.

“Nothing,” Harry said before jumping to his feet, “We’ve got to visit Hagrid!”

“What? Why?” Y/N asked before she hurried up the grassy hill to keep up with him. ‘What is it with people and only answering the first question they’re asked and then ignoring everything else?’

“Don’t you all find it strange that the one thing Hagrid wants in the whole world is just suddenly handed to him one night in a pub by a stranger? Who just carries dragon eggs in their pockets, especially one as rare as a Norwegian Ridgeback? It’s illegal, is it not?” Harry rushed to get to Hagrid’s hut as Y/N’s eyes widened. He was right, it was suspicious. How had she not seen it before?

“What?” Ron asked dumbly, it didn’t seem like he fully understood what Harry was saying. He did look quite exhausted, exams probably got his sleeping messed up. The three tried to keep up with Harry as he dashed across the lawn and yelled out to Hagrid.

“Hagrid! The stranger who gave you the dragon egg, what did he look like?”

“He kept his hood up I wouldn’ know, why d’ya ask?” Hagrid replied casually.

“Did you talk to him about anything else? Hogwarts, perhaps?” Harry asked frantically. Hagrid raised a brow at the panic in Harry’s voice, but responded calmly.

“Mighta talked ‘bout Hogwarts and my job as the gamekeeper. Can’ remember too much, he kept buyin’ me drinks… Told him all I ever wanted was a dragon an’ he said we could play cards fer the egg he had. Told him after Fluffy a dragon wouldn’ be nothin’—”

“Was he interested in Fluffy?” Harry quickly asked, interjecting before Hagrid could even finish his sentence.

“Well o’ course he was. How often d’yeh come across a three-headed dog?” Harry looked conflicted and Hagrid chuckled at that, “Told him that takin’ care o’ any beast is a piece o’ cake if yeh know how ter calm ‘im. Take Fluffy fer example, jus’ play ‘im a bit o’ music an’ he’ll go straight ter sleep—” Hagrid immediately regretted his own words, a horrified look crossed his face. “I should'ta told yeh that— Where are yeh goin’. Hey!”

The four students ran away from Hagrid the minute he let slip how to put Fluffy to sleep.

“Where’s Dumbledore’s office? We have to tell him, it was either Snape or Voldemort under that cloak and they know how to get past Fluffy!” The group had reached the Entrance Hall and stopped to collect their thoughts and come up with a last minute plan.

“What are you four doing inside?” Professor McGonagall asked with a quirked brow; she was carrying a stack of books in her arms.

“We have to see Professor Dumbledore immediately! It’s urgent!” Y/N said to McGonagall with a pleading look. McGonagall’s harsh stare softened as her gaze shifted to where the Ravenclaw was standing.

“I am afraid Professor Dumbledore isn’t here. He received an owl from the Ministry of Magic about an urgent matter and left ten minutes ago. Why do you need to see him?”

Harry swallowed audibly and shifted on his feet while Y/N gave him a desperate look. They had to tell Professor McGonagall, if Dumbledore wasn’t there, she was their next best bet. Hermione laid a gentle hand on Y/N’s shoulder to calm her down but it was no use, her fuse was running short and she was getting frustrated. The girl tried to keep it in, as yelling at a teacher would get her points deducted and possibly in for detention.

“It’s about the Philosopher Stone!” Y/N blurted out before Harry could beat around the bush.

The books in Professor McGonagall’s arms tumbled out and she didn’t bother to pick them up. Y/N did, though. The girl crouched down to pick them up as McGonagall stuttered out a response.

“How—how do you four know about the stone?” She whispered harshly.

“Professor, please.” Hermione begged, “we think someone is going to steal it.”

“Might even try tonight.” Ron added absent mindedly, though it did not help their situation.

McGonagall didn’t want to hear another word from the Gryffindors—nor from the Ravenclaw who silently handed her the books she had dropped. Though McGonagall did make a mental note to add 5 points to Ravenclaw for the kind gesture.

“I don’t know how you found out about the stone—nor do I want to know—but I can assure you that no one is going to steal it. It has been put under protection by the entire staff. I don’t wish to hear you speak another word of this, I suggest you go back outside and enjoy the weather.”

Y/N was feeling bummed at the thought of her favourite professor being mad at her, but she couldn’t just stand there idly while the stone was stolen and Voldemort was brought back.

“We have to stop Snape,” Harry whispered once Professor McGonagall had walked a good distance away from the group, “it will be tonight, I know it. He’s going through that trapdoor and we have to stop him from getting the stone. He knows how to get past all the protections, he just needed to get rid of Dumbledore. I bet the Ministry is going to be surprised when Dumbledore arrives, there’s no way that letter is a coincidence. I’ll bet Snape sent it.”

“What should we do—” Hermione stopped speaking and gasped. Y/N’s eyes widened at the sight of Professor Snape walking towards them. Harry and Ron turned around as fast as they could to see what had scared Hermione.

“Good afternoon.” Snape said coldly, “What is a group of young students doing inside on a day like this?” Snape’s face became a twisted look of mirth and disdain.

“Well, we were just on our way outside!” Y/N quickly came up with an excuse before any of the Gryffindors could dig their grave deeper. “Professor McGonagall dropped some books so we decided to help her before going out to enjoy the sunny weather!”

Snape looked impressed with her, but not convinced. “Well then, Ms. HalleWell, you should go do that. A group of students inside on a day like this might cause someone to think you are… up to something.”

Y/N nodded with a polite smile before turning around and letting out a breath she didn’t know she was holding. Before they could get outside, though, Snape called out to them.

“Potter, next time you are caught wandering the corridors at night I will see to it you are expelled. And Ms. HalleWell, I expect to see you in my classroom tonight. I will send you an owl with more details later, I have something I want to discuss with you. Good day.” Snape strode off to the staff room and Y/N scrunched her nose. What could he possibly want with her?

“Well, I might not be able to help you guys with the stone tonight, but I can distract Snape so you reach the stone before he does.” The three nodded at the Ravenclaw’s words before continuing to plan as they made their way outside.

The Gryffindors tried to get into the Third-Floor corridor as Y/N and Hermione waited outside of the staff room to distract Snape if he were to come out. Key word, tried. That plan turned out to be a fluke, as McGonagall had caught the boys no sooner than when they reached the door, and she threatened to take another fifty points from Gryffindor.

Snape walked out of the staff room and asked the two what they were doing, they looked at each other and Hermione said, ‘We are waiting for Professor Flitwick.’ and then they booked it when he went to get Flitwick. Y/N followed Hermione to the Gryffindor common room, though she doubted the Fat Lady would let her in. But, to her surprise, after Hermione uttered the password the door swung open and let the two in. The boys’ jaws dropped when they saw the Ravenclaw step into their common room. They were lucky no one else was in there, as she probably would’ve been expelled had anyone else seen her enter another house's common room.

“Snape caught us,” Hermione sighed disappointedly, “he walked out of the staff room and asked what we were doing, so we said we were waiting for Flitwick and he went off to get him. We ran the minute he was out of sight, I have no clue where he went.”

“So that’s it, then?” Ron said with a dejected look.

“That can’t be it!” Y/N yelled, she was outraged that they would let their plans fall through like that. “We can come up with a new plan! Harry shouldn’t have to die because we failed after our first attempt! Nothing in the world would be what it is if everyone gave up after their first failed attempt! Come on, have faith!”

“We can’t, we’ll be expelled!” Hermione whined.

“There won’t be a Hogwarts to be expelled from if Voldemort comes back!” Harry yelled back, fired up by Y/N’s words. Harry glared at Ron and Hermione as they flapped their mouths open and shut, trying to find an answer to the upset Harry and outraged Ravenclaw.

“I’m going through that trapdoor tonight.” Harry stated.

“We’re going through the trapdoor tonight.” Ron said.

It was Harry’s turn to be surprised. Hermione scoffed, “Come off it. We’re not going to let you go there alone. Since Y/N has to meet Snape tonight, she can distract him while we get the stone, does that sound alright?” She asked as she looked at Y/N. The girl nodded in agreement and that was that. They had their plan, now, they just had to execute it.

Y/N taught the three the things she researched when planning for this, she told them she knew they weren’t going to leave it alone, so she learned everything she could to help. The main thing she taught them, though, was the Disillusionment charm. Just in case all three of them didn’t fit under the Invisibility Cloak.

“I’ll use this charm to catch up with you guys after my meeting with Snape just to ensure that he doesn’t go to the corridor after I’m dismissed.” Y/N said as she stood up and stretched, “I need to go to my common room, Snape said he would owl me the time I would be meeting him and more information. Good luck, and please if not anything else, come back in one piece.”

Back in her dormitory, Y/N checked her bed and saw a note was left for her with Professor Snape’s signature emerald snake seal.

Ms. HalleWell, you are to meet me in my classroom at ten o’clock sharp. We will be discussing your exam scores and a task that I am going to assign to you. More will be explained during the allotted meeting time.

Professor Snape.

‘My exam scores? And I was feeling so confident about them, too.’ Y/N sighed dejectedly, it was clear the reason he wanted to discuss her exam scores was because she bombed the exams and needed to do summer schooling or something along those lines. No matter how ‘advanced’ she was in a technical sense, she was still a first-year, and a muggle-born nonetheless.

When the clock struck a quarter till ten, Y/N took the note with her as a sort of hall pass and left her common room, her wand in her cloak and a Wiggenweld potion or two for her meeting with the trio. One can never be too careful when it comes to a heavily protected magical object.

Knock knock knock

“Professor Snape?” Y/N called as she opened the classroom door.

“Come in, Ms. HalleWell.” Snape responded as he put his quill down and pulled out two papers that were marked with red ink. Y/N grimaced at the red, what had she done wrong? She was sure she would have at least gotten an eighty on the exam.

“Professor, if this is about me failing my written and practical exams, I will take full responsibility for them and do summer schooling—” Y/N was cut off as Snape put a hand up and held out her exam papers to her. A big, red ‘100’ was circled on the multiple choice sheet as well as the one labeled Practical Examination Notes. Her jaw dropped.

“You scored perfectly on both the written and practical portion of my exams. Your Forgetfulness Potion was brewed in the time it took some of my other students to gather the ingredients,” Snape sneered at the thought of the no doubt failed students, “and it was an exact replica of the one from the textbook, though I noticed when you were brewing it you made some… interesting changes to the process. Do tell me why that is?”

Y/N blinked at him before sputtering out a response, “Well— er, you see, Professor Snape—I noticed some inconsistencies when I was practicing brewing it—I spent weeks revising every possible potion we might’ve brewed—and made a few tweaks here and there to get it correct every time. I have uh, quite the stock of Forgetfulness Potions, now. You see, the recipe calls for adding Valerian Sprigs, but it never specifies how. Despite most people just saying to add them all in the minute the recipe calls for it, I figured if instead of just adding them all in one go, sprinkling them in through the process and stirring would give a better product, and I was correct, it seems. Potion making is similar to baking, in that sense—”

Snape nodded along with her words, he seemed to be deep in thought, but what was a surprise wasn’t the impressed look on his face, no, it was the proud look in his eyes that caused Y/N to stop speaking. He raised an eyebrow at her sudden silence, but gave her a look full of mirth as he spoke.

“You’re just like me when I was a student at Hogwarts. I was always trying to find ways to improve potions and the process, all of my old school books are full of notes on potions. I’ll get straight to the point, I think you’re talented at potions and have a future in it. I would like for you to take one of my advanced potions classes next year, of course, I would give you an assessment to determine where you would fit best. You would be with third or fourth years depending on how you do on my assessment, if you’re up to the challenge?”

Y/N squealed with excitement before clearing her throat and nodding with a mock serious look on her face, “Of course, Professor, I would be honoured to take an advanced potions class. It is the class I am most interested in, after all, so getting a higher education would be quite beneficial to any possible potioneer professions I would like to pursue.”

Snape chuckled at her reaction. He saw a bit of himself in her, the excitement and joy on her face when talking about her passion for potions and interest in a career in potioneering made him give a soft smile to her. “I will give you your assessment during tomorrow’s Potions class period. Now, off you go to bed, it is well past curfew.” He sent her out of his class with a note for any passing prefects or staff member to read to prevent any detentions. 

Y/N felt bad for assuming he wanted the stone. She should have just stuck to her assumption about Quirrell, he was too reserved to not be in cahoots with Voldemort. She also felt bad for pocketing the note and using the Disillusionment charm to get into the Third-Floor Corridor, but she promised her Gryffindors she would help them and she’d be damned before she broke a promise to them.

The door creaked as she slowly opened it, only to hear growling coming from Fluffy. She panicked as she thought they had put him to sleep. Quickly, she waved her wand at the Harp in the room and made it play a calming tune to make the three-headed dog fall asleep. After it finally calmed down and went to sleep, she nudged Fluffy’s paw and jumped down the hatch, falling into a pile of black tentacle looking things. She recognised it as Devil's Snare from Herbology. The girl’s arms were restricted, so she couldn’t cast Lumos, which panicked her. She took a few breaths before relaxing to think of a plan when she felt the Devil’s Snare’s snake-like tendril’s relax slightly around her limbs just enough for her to pull her wand out and cast Confringo. That was the one spell she didn’t teach the three Gryffindors, fire spells weren’t really taught or needed in Hogwarts, it would be weird if she knew a powerful fire spell that isn’t found in any books in the library, at least, any books outside of the Restricted Section. Her late night adventures were to be kept secret from everyone but herself, she was quite good at the Disillusionment charm, after all, it wasn’t like prefects would catch her.

As she escaped the Devil’s Snare, she saw a door slightly ajar, indicating her Gryffindors were either in or past the next room. She walked down the corridor and into the room. It was full of keys flying, tiny wings attached to them, that were stuck in the shut door to the next room. She walked to the door and turned the handle to test it, and it was unlocked. As she opened the door she heard yelling, evidently coming from Hermione.

“No! You can’t!”

Y/N ran into the room but stopped in her tracks as she saw a massive Wizards Chess board with crumbled stone pieces and her Gryffindors.

“Do you want to stop Snape or not? You guys have to go on! If I don’t give myself up then we’ll never prevent You-Know-Who’s return!” Ron yelled at them before stepping forward. The white queen struck Ron in the head with her arm, sending him crashing into the floor with what had to be blood running down his temple. Y/N muffled a scream behind her hand, eyes wide at the sight of Ron bleeding, unconscious, and most likely concussed. Hermione didn’t muffle her scream, though, and it was blood curdling. The white queen dragged Ron’s body to one side and Harry took his turn, checking the king and winning the game. Hermione and Harry wasted no time running into the next room, Y/N hot on their tail.

“Guys!” She yelled after them, causing them to look back.

“Y/N, you made it!” Harry yelled as they entered the next room. He pulled her into a bear hug, obviously shaken up at watching their other friend get knocked out. She wrapped her arms around him and patted his back while he sniffled into her shoulder. Pulling away, Y/N put both of her hands on both sides of Harry’s face, turning it left and then right to check for injuries. When she determined he wasn’t on death's door she moved onto Hermione.

“Are you guys alright, I watched what happened to Ron.” Y/N asked as she teared up at the thought of Ron’s body in the previous room.

They both nodded before all three of them turned to their current room’s challenge. She was so worried about her friends she hadn’t even noticed the room’s putrid smell. Covering her nose, she looked at the large troll that was out cold with welts all over its body and a massive, bloody, goose egg on its head.

“Glad we didn’t have to deal with that one. Come on, I can’t breathe.” Harry grunted as he stepped over the troll’s giant legs. The girls followed after him, nodding in agreement with scrunched noses.

The next room was Potions. Y/N smiled at the thought of the fond look Snape gave her before she departed from him. “It’s Snape’s.” Y/N said.

“What do we do?” Harry asked as Hermione approached the table. The minute they stepped through the door purple flames sparked up behind them and black flames blocked the door ahead.

“We’re trapped.” Y/N grumbled, forgetting how happy she was just seconds earlier. She walked up to the table Hermione was at and saw a roll of parchment with writing:

Danger lies before you, while safety lies behind,

Two of us will help you, whichever you would find,

One among us seven will let you move ahead, 

Another will transport the drinker back instead, 

Two among our number hold only nettle wine, 

Three of us are killers, waiting hidden in line. 

Choose, unless you wish to stay here for evermore, 

To help you in your choice, we give you these clues four: 

First, however slyly the poison tries to hide 

You will always find some on nettle wine’s left side; 

Second, different are those who stand at either end, 

But if you would move onwards, neither is your friend; 

Third, as you see clearly, all are different size,

Neither dwarf nor giant holds death in their insides; 

Fourth, the second left and the second on the right 

Are twins once you taste them, though different at first sight

Y/N and Hermione grinned at each other. Snape was brilliant, really. A logic puzzle! Even the most powerful wizards struggle with logic, as most were raised around nonsense and magic! As Hermione explained the puzzle two Harry, Y/N read the scroll over and over again.

“I got it!” Y/N exclaimed as she walked towards the blue bottle, “This, will get us through the black flames,” she then walked down the line of potions to the purple potions bottle, “and this one will let us go back through the purple flames. Quite a simple puzzle really!”

Harry gaped at her as Hermione read through the scroll a few more times to confirm Y/N’s answer. “She’s right.”

“How did you do that so fast?” Harry asked, astonished.

“I mean, it isn’t actually that simple to someone who isn’t logical, but it wasn’t too difficult for Hermione, being the genius she is. From what the riddle says, three of them are poisons, two of them are wine, and one will get us to the next room or back where we came from. I personally worked backwards, I don’t know about ‘Mione. The fourth clue says that the second left and second right are twins, which rules them out from being our way forward or back, as those are different potions. The third clue tells us that—actually, I’ll tell you later, we have a problem.”

Harry’s brows scrunched as she cut herself off, “What is it?”

Y/N grabbed the bottles that will get them forward and back, “There’s only enough in here for one person to go forward and one person to go back. It’s obvious that you have to go forward, Harry, and Hermione doesn’t deserve to be stuck here, so she should drink the one that will bring her back. I’ll find a way out, trust me.” The Ravenclaw said as she shoved the respective potion bottles into their hands without another word. She starts pacing and brainstorming up a way to get out.

“There has to be a way for you to go with me or Hermione, Y/N!” Harry complained.

Hermione nodded and her lip started to tremble, “Harry, you’re an amazing wizard, and Y/N, you have gotten us out of I don’t know how many pinches, you two have to go forward. I know there’s a charm to duplicate things, I just can’t remember—”

Y/N yells, “THAT’S IT!” She ran to hug Hermione quickly before she let go and cast Gemino on the blue bottle. “Hermione, you’re a genius.”

Hermione flushed at her words as Harry whispered embarrassedly at Hermione's previous words, “I’m not as good as you, Hermione.”

“Me? Books and cleverness? There are more important things—like friendship and bravery. Please, be careful.” Hermione scoffed, a fond look on her face as she smiled and drank the potion that allowed her to pass through the purple fire unharmed.

Y/N and Harry nod at each other before downing the contents of the blue potion bottle. The potion didn’t taste too pleasant, but the moment they downed it, it felt as if their body temperature dropped and they were encased in ice.

“Are you ready, Harry?” Y/N turned to him and asked.

“As I’ll ever be, Y/N.” He gave her a small smile as they walked through the black fire into the last chamber. As they were passing, all Y/N could hope was that they were wrong. That Snape wasn’t the one after the stone, that it was Quirrell, like she had suspected all along. Finally passing through the darkness, she was met with a jaw dropping sight.

“YOU!” Y/N screamed.