"Yes, but it's more than that." Theo looked around conspiratorially. "In the mid-1700's, a spell came into widespread usage called the Memory Charm, followed soon after by its close relative, the False Memory Charm. The former creates a targeted amnesia in someone. The later replaces the erased memories with new ones of the spellcaster's choice. They caused a lot of problems at first, until the Ministry passed laws heavily regulating them. In fact, they were nearly declared Unforgivables, but they were deemed too valuable for use on Muggles in preserving the Statute of Secrecy to ban so completely. They aren't taught at Hogwarts and you're supposed to get licensed by the Ministry to learn and use them, but there are plenty of old families which have preserved them in grimoires so they're still available to learn illegally if you have the right contacts."
"And the Rememberall protects against them?"
"Not exactly – it just lets you know when you've been hit by one. It's kind of a tradition in wealthy old Pureblood families, especially the paranoid ones, to gift them to children starting at Hogwarts. Only the rich ones, though, because they're pretty expensive. It's to hopefully prevent children from being mentally manipulated until they're old enough to develop psychic defenses. They turn a pale red if you've forgotten something naturally, a dark red if you've had memories erased or altered through magic," Theo swallowed, "and a very dark red if you've had lots of memories affected that way."
Harry paled. "Like Neville's did earlier today. Can these memory alterations be reversed?"
"That's another thing Rememberalls do. If you carry one with you at all times, it can gradually reconstruct memories that have been erased or altered by magic. It may take a long time depending on how extensive the alterations are and how powerful the wizard was that cast the spell. That's what the glow meant this afternoon. Longbottom's Rememberall has finally reconstructed his true memories and is ready to restore them."
Harry inhaled sharply. "Did you tell Neville how to do that?"
Theo grimaced. "Yes. For what it's worth, I did tell him that he should probably have someone with him when he restored his memories in case they were traumatic, but he insisted on doing it alone. I guess I should have come and told you anyway, but it seemed kind of ... personal to him."
"Maybe so, but you still should have come and told me." "Well, I'm sorry," said Theo hotly. "I'm not used to all this ... kindness stuff. I wasn't raised for it."
Harry smiled. "I don't know, Theo. I think you might just have a knack for it." Then, he turned back to the parchment, tapped it, and whispered another message.
"Neville is in the first floor boy's toilets. He's very upset. I'll explain why on the way. We'll go as soon as the Feast is over." But just as Harry sent the message, the doors to the Great Hall flew open, and Professor Quirrel entered in a panic.
"TROOOOLLLL! IN THE DUNGEON! ... Thought you ought to know." And then the silly man fainted.
Harry exhaled loudly. "Bugger." There was a brief moment of school-wide panic which the Headmaster shut down before commanding the students to return to their dorms. Harry tapped the parchment again.
"Strike that. We go now. Slip away from the other Gryffs and meet me outside the Great Hall doorway."
Hermione nodded at him from across the room and then rose to leave with her house. Harry also rose, but then Rodney Montague, the Seventh Year Slytherin prefect, called out to his house. "Slytherins, sit back down. Our illustrious Headmaster in his ... haste has apparently forgotten that our dorms, like the Hufflepuffs, are in the dungeons. Ergo, we shall remain here in the Great Hall and once the Lions and Eagles have left, the prefects will seal the doors and ward them. No one, whether human or troll, will get in or out until the crisis is over. Understood?"
The Slytherins all sat down. "Double Bugger," spat Harry ruefully. He closed his eyes and started muttering to himself as he rubbed his temples. "Need a distraction. Need a distraction. Think!"
Theo leaned in and put a hand to his shoulder. "Seriously?!" he whispered urgently. "Are you seriously considering sneaking out of here, defying the prefects, and running off to find Longbottom when there's a troll on the loose?!"
Harry opened his eyes and looked at Theo. "Neville is my friend, and he's in trouble. So I'm there for him. Just like you're my friend, and if you're ever in trouble, I'm there for you." Harry had said it matter-of-factly and without thinking, so he was surprised when Theo jerked back, his eyes widening in surprise. Then, with a twinge of sadness, Harry realized the other boy had probably never had anyone offer him that degree of friendship before. Theo looked around and then put his hands under the table so no one could see as he removed the silver ring he always wore. He handed it stealthily to Harry.
"Put it on the third finger of your left hand. Then, when you're ready, take a deep breath and give it a half-twist. And then, move! It will only last while you hold your breath, and then it will have to recharge for a while. And when you next take a breath, everyone here will immediately notice you're gone. Now go!"
Surprised, Harry put the ring on his finger, took the deepest breath he could, and twisted the ring. Nothing happened. He looked around and no one was paying him any mind. Slowly, he stood. No one turned in his direction. Carefully he stepped over the bench and moved towards the door. When it was clear that everyone was ignoring him completely, he ran, slipping through the gap just as the Slytherin and Hufflepuff prefects were closing the doors. As he ducked out, he noticed that Professor Quirrel was no longer laying on the floor where he'd fainted. Harry continued to hold his breath until he caught up with Hermione, who was hiding behind a suit of armor watching the receding troupe of Gryffindors as they headed towards their tower. Then, when his lungs were burning and he could hold it no longer, he let go with a gasp, and the girl jumped with a small "eek!"
"Harry! How did you do that?! Surely invisibility spells are too powerful to cast at our age!"
"Let's just say," said Harry between gasps of air, "that it was through the power of friendship and leave it there for now. Come on, we have to get to Neville."
On the way the restroom, Harry filled Hermione in on what Theo had said about Neville's Rememberall. "So someone has been tampering with Neville's memories on a repeated basis? I wonder if that's why his memory is so poor generally."
"Probably," Harry said grimly. Suddenly, the two were stopped by a noxious stench that almost made them both gag. From around the corner, they could hear a growl, the sound of smashing stonework ... and Neville Longbottom yelling of absolute terror. Harry muttered bitterly under his breath. "'Troll in the dungeon. Thought you ought to know.'"
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