“Mr. Potter, if I am correct the next memory is going to be yours.” Severus said.
“You mean because the last memory was yours?” Severus nodded at the boy. It was approximately four minutes since the previous memory, they had about two to three minutes before the next one.
“But, it could be yours, I mean, I changed your memory, so, we saw my memory at the end.” Potter said.
“That is possible.” He replied. “Potter, what else did you notice other than the pattern in the memories?”
“Um, they all were bad memories.” Potter replied.
“Anything else?”
“They weren't like in a pensive, I could feel the sun on my skin, and wind and I could smell the food like I told you.” Severus gave a short nod, he had noticed that too. “It was like we weren't just watching the memories, we were actually living the memory. I… I could also feel.. stuff.”
“Stuff…” Severus repeated. “I take it you mean… emotions. What did you find unusual about them? Like you said they are bad memories, your bad memories, it is reasonable that you would feel negative emotions, isn't it?” he prodded.
“Yeah, to my memories not yours ,even if some of them were about my mum.” Potter replied, his voice getting quieter at the end, like the boy was uncertain if he should mention his mother.
“I think, I was feeling whatever emotion younger me, or younger you, were feeling in the memories.”
Severus nodded. “Your assumption is correct, Mr. Potter. I felt that too.” He motioned towards the boy's wristwatch. “Potter, it’s about to start again. I want you to try to change the memory again.”
“But I don't know how, I tol-
“Yes, Potter, I know, that is why I said try. Focus on whichever memory you-
“Hermione, move!” eleven year old Potter shouted at the girl.
Severus looked around, they were inside the girl's bathroom on the third floor. He pulled his wand out of reflex as soon as he saw a 12 feet tall troll walking towards MS. Granger.
He watched as Granger started crawling under the bathroom stalls just as the troll crushed the stalls with a huge wooden club. Pieces of wood and metal pipes falling on the girl. Granger whimpered in fear.
He watched incredulously as Potter and Ronald Weasley started throwing broken pipes at the giant troll.
His heart leapt as he heard Weasley yell at the troll. “Hey, pea-brain.” The troll turned towards the boys.
Using the distraction, Granger crawled out from under the stalls to hide under the wash basins.
The troll turned back to Granger and slammed the club on the wash basins, narrowly missing the girl. Granger covered her head as broken Porcelain fell on her. Water sprinkled from the broken taps.
“Help!” the girl shouted.
Potter ran towards the troll, wand in his hand, and grabbed the wooden club just as the troll was about to hit the girl, the troll lifted the wooden club, lifting potter along with it. Potter’s hands slipped from the club and he landed on the trolls shoulder.
The troll twisted his head back and forth, in an effort to dislodge the boy from his shoulder. But Potter held on and somehow managed to stick his wand up the trolls nose.
The troll finally managed to dislodge the boy and then he held Potter by his leg so that potter was hanging upside down.
Severus could feel Potter's fear, his own heart hammering in his chest as the troll swung the huge club at the boy. But Potter just pushed through it and kept dodging.
“Do something!” Potter shouted, when the troll readied himself again to hit the boy with the club.
“What!?” Weasley shouted, flicking his eyes around the room.
“Anything!” potter answered back. “Hurry up!”
Weasley pulled his wand out and Granger guided him through the levitating charm.
“Wingardium Leviosa.” Weasley shouted with a flick of his wand.
The club started to levitate, it rose above the trolls head and than dropped on his head.
“Cool.” The redhead exclaimed with a small quirk of his lips.
The troll let go of Potter, who scrambled away as the troll staggered around and then fell down on the floor.
Severus took a shaky breath, then put his wand away, they were back in present. He turned towards Potter. “What.. was that, Potter?”
Potter just whizzed, trying to calm his racing heart. Severus could empathize.
“You and Mr. Weasley recklessly went after a troll to rescue your friend, instead of informing an adult like you should have, and you couldn't think of more effective spell then a levitating charm to defend yourself? Professor McGonagall was right it’s shear dumb luck that you three survived that.” He said incredulously.
“We were in first year, the only other spell we knew was Lumos.” Potter replied with a shrug.
Severus glared at the boy. “That is exactly why you should have informed a teacher, instead of going on your own.”
“We didn't have time to find someone!” Potter retorted.
Severus just glared at him harder. Potter wisely kept his mouth shut. “Did you try to change the memory?”
“Yes, but I couldn't.” Potter answered.
Severus nodded, he hadn't expected it to work on the first try. He himself hadn't been able to think about anything other than the giant troll trying to kill three first years.
“Just keep trying, Mr. Potter.” He replied.
Chapter 7