Elliot Tanner and the World's Curse

Retroactive Continuity

"Leave us," Dumbledore said. I was dropped by the floating spell, and the Full Body-Bind Curse ended as I collapsed onto the floor. I stayed on the floor for a long moment, taking a deep breath. As I looked up, I saw all the Headmasters and Headmistresses throughout Hogwarts's history that blessed this office. Professor Spore was in storage when I got her, so I never saw how almost every inch of wall was taken up by potential advisors or annoyers for Dumbledore.

As I rose to my feet, I was impressed by the massive desk that loomed over the office. On it, there was a wide and shallow bowl of water. Faint wisps of vapour spilled over the edge to mark it as an obviously magical artefact. Behind it, with his hands behind his back, his head tilted low with his moon-shaped spectacles, and a smile on his face, was Professor Dumbledore. His silver robe caught the candlelight of the office, making the robe appear to flicker and dance.

"Rowena Tanner," he said softly. "That's what I am to call you, yes?" His voice was too gentle for the situation. I was about to lose my very soul, and the storm outside sounded like a hurricane or an apocalypse. The items on the shelves of Dumbledore's office shook with each roll of thunder.

I glared at him. I wasn't particularly keen to speak with the Headmaster. For a great and powerful wizard who was interested in keeping the school safe from Sirius Black and the Chamber of Secrets, he had done nothing to protect me. I had gone through the past few months alone, with only Myrtle to make me feel less insane. This was the man who was supposed to shield us from Dark magic, not be its advocate.

But his eyes weren't glowing green.

"Feeling defiant?" Dumbledore smiled sadly. "I understand that." He gestured to one of the plush seats in front of his desk. "Have a seat. You must be tired after all that running."

"Do you know about the curse?"

Dumbledore lifted one slender finger and held it against his lips. "Have you seen this before?" He gestured to the bowl in front of him that glowed as though a silver light was below it and shining through. "It's an ancient artefact called the Pensieve. No one knows truly how old it is."

"Why don't they carbon date it?"

"Very good, Ms. Tanner. Ten points for Ravenclaw." He chuckled to himself as my house and name were an amusing joke he was indulging out of pity, like playing pretend with a toddler to keep him from throwing a tantrum.

"They haven't done that because ..." Dumbledore waved his hand to indicate the world. His wand was held lightly in his hand, reminding me that this was a conversation at wandpoint. "Well, you know why."

"Foolish tradition?"

"Because it's not how this world works."

"This world?" A shiver ran up my spine. Were there other worlds? If there was another world I could go to, it meant that I could actually escape the curse here.

"The Pensieve was discovered by the four founders. You've met your namesake of course. Well, she and the others found the Pensieve in the dirt. It was an archeological find in the end, and it was part of the reason they decided to build Hogwarts here of all places. Would you like to see what it does?"

"Is it worse or better than a dementor's kiss?"

"You may be as combative as you want, but that won't bring Miss Campbell back." The castle shook harder this time as the whole office was illuminated with a strike of lightning. Dumbledore casually reached out and stabilised his goblet before the thunder knocked it over.

"Who?" Fucking Dumbledore loved to talk in circles. It made him seem so much smarter than he really was. "Never mind."

"Sad," Dumbledore said, but he certainly didn't look or sound sad. Disappointed maybe. Fine. Fuck him.