Before Things Change, Harry Potter Year 6

17. A Sluggish Memory

Lilly's POV
The Ministry had decided to use Floo Network to get students to Hogwarts rather quickly and safe and sound. Neville and I used his fireplace in his living room; his grandmother saw us off. We arrived in Professor McGonagall's office and quickly headed to the common room. We arrived just in time to see Hermione ignore Ron completely and Ron snog Lavender... It was quite disturbing. It was unfortunately burned in my mind forever, I was tempted to use a Memory Charm on myself...

Neville and I sat in the common room for most of the day. Harry and Hermione were talking about what happened before holiday at Slughorn's party, the information he gained over the holiday, and about the row Harry had with the Minister. Neville and I mostly read our books we got each other and later went to bed.
The next morning, the sixth years got quite the surprise; a message was posted on the notice boards in the common room.

"Apparition Lesson

If you are seventeen years of age, or will turn seventeen on or before the 31st of August next, you are eligible for a twelve-week course of Apparition Lessons from a Ministry of Magic Apparition instructor. Please sign below is you would like to participate. Cost: 12 Galleons."

Hermione went talking to Ginny after seeing Lavender cover her hands over Ron's eyes and ask, "Guess who, Won-Won?" I almost vomited... I read the board, smiled, and said to Harry and Neville, "I can finally, officially get my Apparition done and over with!"
Neville said, "Why am I not surprised? You already know how to Apparate, don't you?"
I smiled saying, "I don't just know how, I do it loads of times over summer when I work at the Ministry." Ron let slip Harry had the experience of Apparition as well. He almost let slip with who though...
We had questions all through our lessons and at night as well. Harry and I answered them kindly and I answered everyone else's question when he went to his lesson with Dumbledore.
Harry explained to Dumbledore what happened over break with Rufus. Dumbledore said the idea was originally Fudge's, but Rufus continued on with the idea.
Harry said, "He accused me of being 'Dumbledore's man through and through. ' "
"How very rude of him, " Dumbledore replied.
"I told him I was."
Dumbledore opened his mouth and then closed it. Fawkes let out a soft cry and Harry realized Dumbledore had tears in his eyes. Dumbledore spoke quite steadily, "I am very touched, Harry." I smiled with glassy eyes.
They continued to talk about how Rufus is quite interested where Dumbledore has been going to and Harry told Professor Dumbledore about the spying he did on Malfoy and Snape before the holiday. Dumbledore said again thay he trusted Snape and was not changing his answer, whatsoever.

They continued on with Tom and his years at Hogwarts. He was immediately sorted into Slytherin without the Sorting Hat immediately on his head. (That so reminded me of Draco in our first year...) Tom soon found out that the founder himself could speak to snakes, whether he impressed or intimidated his fellow Slytherins did not reach word to the staff. He showed no sign of outward aggression or arrogance. He became a pupil, the teacher's loved him because he was polite, quiet, and had a thirst for knowledge. He was talented and rather good looking, which gave the staff to sympathize with him. The staff did not know of his past. They all seemed to favor him, Dumbledore, on the other hand, did not trust him, but gave Tom the chance for redemption. Dumbledore did keep an eye on Tom as he went through school. He had accelerated rather quickly and had a company of very close friends that many of them became forerunners as Death Eaters when they left Hogwarts.
Tom wanted to know where he came from and desperately searched for his father, whom he believed was a wizard. He found out his mother was the witch, but was shameful to him because she decided to do the ultimate human weakness; die... with the new information he decided to do away with the name Tom and become Voldemort. He then found out about his Slytherin bloodline and found Marvolo Gaunt. When he was sixteen he left the orphanage and went searching for Marvolo.
Young Voldemort found Morfin at the now very old and dirty Gaunt House. Young Voldemort found out his father was alive and living at a big house nearby. Morfin was going to stab Voldemort, but Young Voldemort stunned him, stole Morfin's wand, killed his father and grandparents, stole Marvolo's ring, and Morfin took the blame because of a very powerful Memory Charm, when Morfin didn't commit the crimes he was accused of. I don't like Morfin, but he didn't deserve to go to Azkaban...
Dumbledore explained to Harry they he had appealed for Morfin to be released after he gained this information, but Morfin was dead before the Ministry had made their decision. Harry thought the Ministry would be able to detect underage magic. Dumbledore said they could, but not the perpetrator. Harry was blamed for using the Hover Charm in his second year, but it was Dobby. The Ministry expects the parents of the underage children to enforce obedience within their walls, so the trace can go off when it comes to students, but if done under a roof with another of age wizard or witch in the house, the Ministry is not too concerned... Dumbledore agreed Morfin did not deserve to die or go to Azkaban.

Harry went into another memory. It was one of Professor Slughorn's. They were in his office and Slughorn looked quite young. Slughorn was having his infamous Slug Club dinner party. Young Voldemort was there and he asked the Professor about Horcruxes after all the other boys left. The memory was tampered with, though...
Dumbledore gave Harry honework, to get the memory from Professor Slughorn, the full and truthful one.

I waited up for Harry that night and he told me everything. I said, "I'm turning out to be just like him, Harry! I'm just like Voldemort! I have a thirst for knowledge, I want to find out my history, and I'm loved by the staff... this can't be, I can't be his daughter! I absolutely refuse to be Voldemort's daughter!"
Harry asked, "Why do you want to know, in all honesty, why?" I looked at the dying embers and sighed.
I said, "If I am his daughter, that will be the worst thing I will ever know. I'm a descendant of Salazar Slytherin, I have his blood running through my veins, I'm related to those awful people! I'll have the genetic of craziness in my family! I don't want that, I want to know my mother and father, weren't at all, a Death Eater or the most evil wizard in the world. I want to know that they were kind, loving wizards or Muggles. I don't care if they were magical or not, all I care about is if they actually were decent magical people! If they weren't, then I know, one day, I'll be a bad person because it runs in my family, in my blood."

I was crying by the end. I was angry, frustrated, and sad. Harry didn't know what to do so I ran up to my room and just cried some more.
I desperately need to talk to my mother, even if she isn't my real mother. Maybe she knows the truth and I hope she'll tell me the truth.
I have a plan, it's going to be mental, but it'll work.

I hope...

Thanks for reading! Vote please! :)
-Lilly :)