The Hope Of It All | Harry Potter

CHP 3 : THE BRIGHTEST STAR

  "Try not to make a habit out of this."

I awoke one again, slowly this time, to the familiar room from a week ago. My brain felt like copper and my body was heavy. It took me too much to focus on the figure next to me- Skape? No Snape.

"Where's my dad?" My own voice sounded dead to me.

"You will be glad to know he is currently being taken care of at Saint Mungo's hospital" Snape's said unimpressed. I didn't expect compassion- but I didn't expect whatever this was.

"And the house..." I destroyed it. I destroyed my home.

"You will have some explaining to do about that," he sneered," it was quite in shambles when we were alerted of the situation."

I let my head hit the pillow and stared up. I lost so much in such a short amount of time. Suddenly everything I had ever worried about seemed like a joke.

"Professor Dumbledore will come here soon," he stood up, "in the mean time I would advise you to drink the potion next to you."

What will happen to me now?

I tried not to think too much about the future, since the past was still a big mystery.

'Tom? You are Tom?' Why was he searching for me?

"How are you feeling?" I didn't even notice Dumbledore walking in. His kind voice and sad eyes found mine and I felt calmer.

"I want to say 'fine' but we promised not to lie to each other." I once again set up and stared as he took Snape's seat. "Will my dad be okay?"

"Yes," he said slowly his eyes avoiding mine as he looked at the potion," but his memories will have to be altered."

"WHAT?"

"It is a necessity for his safety," Albus watched me gently," please, understand that."

All the air left my body. "Will he remember me at all?"

"Of course, he will simply think you left for boarding school and he moved into a smaller house now that he is alone." His words meant to be comforting, but as I imagined dad alone, without even Bentley for company, I felt tears slowly making their way down.

"For his safety. Everything for his safety." I repeated hoping to convince myself.

After telling Dumbledore step by step everything he finally left me alone, with promise of food downstairs and explanations later. Not for the first time I wondered if I would ever get any information out of that man.

Changing into the new clothes presented to me and drinking the potion took way too much time than what was necessary but I indulged in the simple and familiar activities. Walking downstairs however, proved to be quite shocking. The highlight of the trip definitely had to be the heads of what looked like small goblins, which were used as decorations. The house itself was bigger than expected, old and with hints of something beneath the surface. Something dark.

I thought I would never find my way to the kitchens in the maze of rooms and locked doors.

"Hey!" I must have gotten whiplash from the speed with which my head turned. I came face to face with two boys- one tall, freckled and incredibly ginger and the other... well the other looked like he was carrying the weight of the world on his shoulders. He had dark messy hair, a handsome face and emerald eyes which were carefully hidden behind a pair of round glasses.