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Chapter 4 - CH 4

"Has every one got that? That means that whatever I do is within the rules of the task and the tournament. So, while what I do might seem inconsequential or irrelevant to the task to you, does not mean it's against the rules of the tournament. Therefore, just because you cannot understand what I'm up to, does not mean you have the right to interfere with what I'm doing."

Turning slightly to his right, he snapped his fingers.

Immediately, his dark khaki, British Army 'army surplus' echelon bag appeared with a pop before him.

"I bet you're all wondering how I did that," he snarked. "Too bad I refuse to tell you. If you cannot figure it out for yourselves, I think you're too daft to be told."

Popping his wand back up his sleeve, he reached down and unzipped the bag. From within the wizard-spaced interior, he pulled out a hip-height pedestal and set it firmly on the ground. Then made sure it was as close to level as he could get it by squirming it into the sod under the pedestal base.

Next, he pulled out a pensieve and placed it atop the pedestal.

Next out of the bag was a common folding 'banana' sun lounger. He immediately set it up so the pedestal was alongside it with about a three foot separation and with the foot of it facing the judges section in the stands. The pedestal was on the lounger's right. Next came a novel with a bookmark within. He dropped that onto the lounger.

And, finally, he drew out a rack of vials. Each was numbered and contained memory strands.

One at a time and in sequential order, while holding the rack with his left hand, he pulled out a vial and poured the memory contents into the pensieve. As each strand went in, he tapped a rune on the edge of the pensieve with his wand. This added them to show in the sequence they were entered.

With all memory strands added he returned the rack of now empty vials to the bag.

Turning back to the audience he redrew his wand and, once again, cast Sonorus on himself. "Because it might take quite some time for me to figure out just how I'm going to complete my task with only three and a bit years of magical education under my belt, I've brought some... entertainment... for you all.

"Be very aware: While the entertainment I'm providing for you is playing, I'll be trying to figure out how to complete the task. I'll be concentrating on that, so any distractions from you I will consider hindering me. Again, you have been warned."

Cancelling the Sonorus he then tapped the activation rune on the pensieve to show the memories in the air above the bowl. As soon as the first began, he immediately enlarged it to about twice human size.

The memory showed him, in his Hogwarts uniform, standing in a bare white room. He called this 'Memory-Harry'. He'd recorded it in the Room of Requirement, late at night.

Memory-Harry was speaking. "Testing... testing... one... two... three. Testing... testing."

As the memory played, the real Harry adjusted the volume so that everyone in the stands could clearly hear it.

"Testing... Testing... One... two... Are we ready yet, Harry?" asked Memory-Harry. "Yep, all set to go!" the real Harry loudly replied.

"Excellent!" said Memory-Harry, appearing as if he was looking back at the real Harry. "Make yourself comfortable. This is going to take a while." There was a short pause before he added a short bark of laughter and said, "What am I saying? Of course you already know that. You set this whole thing up!"

As the real Harry, now with everything set up, turned away from the pensieve and went to the lounge, he loudly replied, "Damned straight!" Then picked up his novel, turned and carefully sat on the lounger, before then swinging his legs around to lie on it. "I'm ready!" he loudly declared, opening the novel and lying back to read it.

"Alright!" declared Memory-Harry, from where it looked like it was watching him. It turned back to 'face front' facing the judges table, drew his wand and held it to swear an oath. He intoned, "I, Harrison James Potter, swear on my magic and my life that the memories you're about to see played over the course of the beginning of my first task of the 1994 Tri-Wizard Tournament are a true account of my actual memories. As I say, so I swear, so let it be written!"

Real-Harry looked up for a moment, gave a snort, and returned to reading his book. "Now that the oath is out of the way," said Memory-Harry, tucking his wand away again. "Let's get on with them.

"Since this is going to take quite a while you should all know before we begin that there is no time limit on completing the task. I can take as long as I want. And I intend to do just that.

"So, if you had plans on leaving within the next fifteen minutes or so, I'll disabuse you of that belief right now. You're going to be sitting there for a while.

"If you need to visit the loo, do so. Just don't make a scene or any noise while you do. Leave and return... quietly. Remember, if you distract me, it may cost you your magic." Memory-Harry let that hang for a moment before he continued. "Many of you, at least those who were students during that year, have been left wondering just what happened in Hogwarts during the last few weeks of the 1991-92 school year. You've probably heard a great deal of rumours. For example, what really happened to Professor Quirinus Quirrell? You may even have started one or two of them yourselves. Now you're going to learn the truth. Watch as I show you Harry's... my... memories of just what happened.

"However, before we get to that and keeping this part of things chronological, I'm going to show you a few scenes of what happened during the year leading up to that." "First is the troll incident of Hallowe'en, 1991. This is what happened in the Great Hall during the Feast."

The memory was a short 'clip' of the students and staff all enjoying the feast when Quirrell ran into the Hall and wailed about a troll loose in the dungeons, before then fake-fainting. Then all the students panicking and Dumbledore standing up and roaring for silence. The students calming down. Dumbledore ordering the prefects to lead the Houses back to their common rooms. And the students beginning to file out a lot more orderly than there were only a few seconds earlier.

"Right," said Memory-Harry, coming back. "What's wrong with the scene you just watched? First: When Quirrell apparently fainted, the first thing I wanted to do was laugh. Why? Because he's supposed to be our DADA Professor and he's fainting because he saw a troll? Yeah, right. And, secondly, the way he supposedly fainted was so fake I thought he was performing comedy. People, included witches and wizards, do not faint like that. They topple forward like a bloody tree. And when it's on a hard surface like the flagstones of the Hall, they'll usually break their nose, teeth, jaw or similar.

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