They're Alive?! (A Harry Potter Fanfic)

Chapter 7: Charms

Chapter 7

"So... Hagrid. Let's discuss... your mission at Privet Drive." Dumbledore started as he folded his hands under his chin. His normally twinkling blue eyes had gone icy. His kind, grandfatherly smile was gone and it was replaced with a no-nonsense look.

Hagrid shuffled his feet nervously as he tried to avoid Dumbledore's gaze. With the way he glared through his half-moon spectacles, it was like he'd be turned to stone if he looked into his eyes.

Dumbledore decided to continue. "I gave you that mission because I knew I could trust you. I even gave you the potion!"

Hagrid's height no longer seemed to tower over Dumbledore. He looked like he shrunk. "B-But... Professor Dumbledore, sir, he..."

"Did I, or did I not, tell you to be careful? I specifically told you that he should drink every last drop of the potion so that he would forget. Why is he still Harry Potter when he should have been Jerome Mitchell by now?!" Dumbledore said angrily, fist pounding on the table.

Hagrid flinched and tried to recall what happened on that day. He surely remembered giving it to Harry but...

His eyes widened. Of course! Harry didn't drink every last drop of that potion. He drank only half and the rest was spilled on the ground. He had been reduced to hacking fits after he gulped the first few drops. Oh no... Dumbledore would surely be angry if he found out. But he had a feeling that he knew already.

"I'm sorry, Professor Dumbledore, sir. I wos careless-"

"Yes, you were." Dumbledore said, taking a look at the pocket watch in his hand. He only had a few more minutes before the spell on Hagrid would wear off. After this, he would have no more recollection about this conversation, whatsoever. The potion he had ordered to be given to Harry was designed so that when he would have drunk it all, all memory of meeting the Harry Potter would disappear from Hagrid's mind. Instead, he would only remember assisting Jerome Mitchell, a boy who lived with his relatives after his parents, Rose and Edward, died in a car crash.

But the unexpected thing that happened was that Harry only drank half of it, which resulted in him only knowing that his aunt and uncle were named differently than what he was used to. That also goes the same for his parents. And with the potions effects being linked with Hagrid, he only knew that Harry was an ordinary boy who needed help with his shopping at Diagon Alley. The name Harry Potter was useless to him because he was being associated with Jerome Mitchell, an identity that he would have had if he drank the entire damn bottle.

Dumbledore looked at the watch again. Only one minute left. He would have dearly loved to punish Hagrid for his carelessness but there was nothing that could be done now. As much as it pains him, he would have to let him off the hook, since his memory would be wiped after this anyway.

"Hagrid, go. Leave me for the time being." he said, gritting his teeth.

Of course, the terrified Hagrid didn't need telling twice and he bolted out of the room. Dumbledore slammed his fist on the desk's surface. A few of the whirring, silver objects that littered his desk fell to the ground with a crash but he didn't pick it up. He was glaring at the empty air in front of him.

He was getting very unlucky. He would need to think up of a new plan to separate the Potters and draw Harry to him. But what should he do?!

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Harry quickly dressed in his school uniform and yelled at Ron to hurry up. Today was officially the first day of school and he wasn't going to be late, even if it meant ditching Ron, who he had to wake up. They only had a few minutes to spend on breakfast before the first period of classes would start. And they haven't even got their schedules yet!