Chapter 7 Nargle Infested People

The three teens left the Wing arm in arm, and wandered down the deserted hall. Luna took the lead as she guided them to the stairs that were least used. "Now, Harry, since you don't know how to use your tricorder, you need to stick close to us," she said as she firmed her arm that was around his waist. It felt good to have someone to hug. Not since her mum died, had she walked arm in arm with anyone. Her daddy hugged her, but he was a very busy man. It was nice to have friends.

"Don't encourage him," whispered Hermione under her breath, though both parties heard and ignored her.

Right as they were about to descend the stairs, a snowy white owl came winging in their direction. She landed on Luna's shoulders, but her yellow eyes were fixed on Harry.

"Woah, I remember you," he said with a great deal of excitement, making Hermione perk up.

"You remember Hedwig? That's great," she said as she bounced in place, making our hero's eyes drift from the owl to her… jiggling assets.

"Is that her name? Yeah, of course I remember her," he said, turning his attention back to the owl. "She chased off some of the more persistent thieves, when I was on the streets," he explained, as he dropped his arm and petted the owl's chest.

Hermione deflated and just said, "Oh."

"Thanks for that, girl," Harry cooed. "I wonder why she never approached me in the alleys." He had tried almost anything to get her down to him, but she would just hoot at him and stand guard.

"She knows something is wrong with you, but she's doesn't understand what. So like any other animals she's being cautious. She knows you, but she doesn't know how you will react to her. Magical animals are smarter than most," explained Luna in a very serious voice as she too fawned over the owl. "You will notice that she didn't land on you, but she is letting you pet her now. That is because she feels safer in this environment," she added with a general wave of her hand indicating the castle as a whole.

"Well, Hedwig, I am very pleased to re-meet you. I hope for a beautiful friendship with you," Harry said softly as he continued to pet her chest, marveling in how soft those feathers were. "Who does she belong to?" he asked, partly guessing she was his, but wanting to make sure.

"She's your owl," Hermione confirmed.

"Well, that just makes it all the better to be friends with her," Harry said with a big smile. "Why do I have such a cool pet as an owl?" he asked to both girls.

"Hagrid, you remember him, gave her to you. She was your first ever birthday present," Hermione informed him softly.

"Oh, well, that's… good, I guess. I mean, how old was I?" not really wanting to think that his childhood had been so bad that he never received gifts when he was younger. Now he was going to have to reevaluate his opinion of the giant man.

"You were eleven," she answered reluctantly, hoping he didn't get angry again.

"Well, shite," he stated in frustration. He really hated that he couldn't recall his childhood, from what little Hermione had told him, he would really like to… repay, his relatives… generosity.

"Language," the bushy-haired witch said.

"You really need to stop saying that to me, if you want to stay on my good side," Harry said with a great deal of steel in his voice.

She simply looked warily at him and nodded.

Hedwig decided she had had enough human interaction, butted her head on Harry's hand and then flew off.

"Right, I'm hungry, what day and time is it anyway?" he asked, judging from when the old woman picked him up, and how long he had been here it should be early Monday evening, which means close to dinner. He wrapped his arms around their shoulders again and they walked down the stairs.

"It's Monday, November 7, 1994 around 5 pm," Hermione answered as she looked at her watch. Thank Merlin she found a wind-up in a junk store.

"Why weren't you in class then?" our hero wondered, she didn't seem the type to skip classes. Especially not with the way she was trying to get him to attend.

"Classes were canceled when they started the search for you. They were going to do it on their downtime, but the professors protested, so they canceled classes until you were found. If they hadn't recovered you after the end of this week, then the Aurors— magical police— would've been brought in," the bushy-haired girl said with a great deal of resignation. "I overheard Mr. Crouch and Mr. Bagman talking about it," she offered, when they gave her a 'how do you know this?' look.

At that, the other two teens nodded. By this time, they had made it down the stairs and were now headed down another deserted hallway, going towards the kitchens.

"Wait, people were being petrified a couple of years ago and they didn't cancel classes, I go missing and bam they practically shut the school down. Am I really that important that they'd stop your education just to find me? I know what you told me earlier, but really, I'm just a kid. If they are waiting for some fucking hero, well aren't they going to be bloody well disappointed," Harry said with a smirk. He had learned his lesson, and he was no one's hero. There were a few times in the last week, he stuck up for the kids on the street, only for them to kick him in the shins and run off with whatever they could pinch from his pockets. Now he was for himself, and perhaps his friends, which he still didn't know who were.

Yeah, Hermione seemed to know him, but she kept defending the old man and woman, which in his books made her some sorta authority worshiper. He really didn't need someone who would put others first. He was keeping her around, because she knew him and could tell him about his past. That and if he got his memories back, he might find there were other reasons he liked her.

Judging from what little interaction he had with Luna, this was his first time meeting her, and well, he liked her well enough. Even with all her quirks. She had the potential to be a great friend. He was going to keep her close.

"When it comes to you, Potty, we are all disappointed," came the drawl from behind them.

The trio turned to see three teenage boys looking like they were ready to rumble. Well, the two bruisers did, the one in the middle looked like the kind to give orders and watch.

The two witches dropped their arms and pulled their wands, while Harry bent over laughing almost hysterically. He had taken one look at those expensive clothes, the slicked back hair and his bodyguards and knew this boy was a rich snob that hid behind his parents. "Oh my God, did you really just call me that?" the dark-haired boy asked between laughs. Taking deep breaths and wiping the tears of mirth from his face, he stopped, looked at the ponce in front of him and broke down again. "Shite, he's a Daddy's Boy, isn't he?" he guffawed to Luna, who nodded with a smile, but kept her wand trained on the known bullies.

"What on earth is the matter with you, Potter?" the confused blond asked, his eyes looking over his schoolyard nemesis. This wasn't what he expected, though he really should have after the spectacle the boy made earlier.

Quick as a wink Harry sobered. "Listen, Papa's Little Bitch Boy, I don't know who you are, I don't care who your daddy is, and I will only tell you this once… stay the fuck out of my way, and I won't stomp you with my steel-toed boots," he threatened menacingly as he stepped closer and closer to the other boy.

"You can't threaten me," Malfoy sneered as he waved his henchmen forward, causing the girls to point their wands at one each with a spell on their lips.

"Now, now, ladies, gentlemen, I am sure you are not fighting," the Headmaster said as he and Snape rounded the corner. They came to a halt when they were by Slytherins' side. The old man looked over the group with a great deal of grandfatherly disappointment showing in his face and eyes.

Snape on the other hand, was glaring at all of them, Draco and his goons, because they got caught, and the others on principle.

"Of course not, sir," Malfoy stated as he stepped away from Potter with a wary, yet calculating, look in his eyes.

"Bugger off, old man, this is between me and the ponce," the messy-haired amnesiac snarled, his eyes never leaving the blond in front of him.

"Potter, you will show the Headmaster some respect," snapped Snape and was about to say more, when he saw a glimpse of the Baron out of the corner of his eye. Cursing his luck, he settled back down.

"Woah, aren't you an ugly duck," Harry said, when he looked to see who was talking, making the man step forward with his hands out, like he was going to strangle the boy. "Ever hear of shampoo? I'm not sure if it will turn you into a swan, but it can't hurt," he added with a shrug. There was something about this man that said to keep an eye on him. And yeah, he probably shouldn't provoke him, but really, that hair. "Hermione's parents are dentist, maybe you should give them a call. I mean, your teeth look like you eat metal," he finished as he looked the man up and down.

"Why you…" was all Snape got out when the Bloody Baron drifted in front of him.

"Potion Master Snape, control yourself," he barked with a threatening look in his eyes, and then turned. "I heard you were looking for me, Headmaster," he said pompously, though he was fuming at the Potions Master's lack of restraint. He knew he was going to have to tell the old man what was happening if the out-of-control teacher didn't get his act straight soon. Now he just had to figure out how in a very Slytherin way.

Harry's jaw fell when the ghost came into view. It niggled something in the back of his mind, but he couldn't quite reach it, so he shrugged it off for the moment and stared at the very realistic hologram. He looked around to see if there were any projectors, but didn't see any. Maybe, just maybe, there might be some truth to this whole 'magic' thing. He'd have to ask Luna, but for now, he needed to pay attention to what was going on in front of him.

"Ah, yes, it is a blissful circumstance that we four are all here together," the old man said happily as he looked at the three he wanted to talk to, and all but clapping his hands in good cheer. "Mr. Malfoy, you and your companions may leave," Albus said as he made a shooing motion to the fourth year Slytherins. "Miss Granger, Miss Lovegood, you may depart as well."

"The girls are bloody well staying with me, arsehole. I'm not letting myself be alone with some mind-rapist," Harry snarled as he backed up to where his… friends… were standing.

"Harry? Are you sure?" Hermione asked, torn between obeying the Headmaster and standing by her friend. She looked back on what had happened to Harry since his return and then nodded her head and stood her ground.

Luna never said a word, nor did she drop her wand.

"Very well," Dumbledore sighed, and then turned to the other students. "Mr. Malfoy," was all he said.

"Yes, Headmaster," Draco grumbled as he jerked his head at Crabbe and Goyle, and they left. He really wanted to know what Potter meant. It would be wonderful blackmail material on the old coot. He was going to duck in a nearby classroom, but then he couldn't hear anything behind him, privacy wards must have been put up, so he simply continued on.

"Now, there seems to be some confusion," the old man stated as he looked over at Harry, then to Severus, and last at Damien. "When Minerva found Harry, he told her that he ran because a dark-haired, long-nosed man threatened him. The boy also said that there was a… hologram of a man in bloody robes. Now I can only reason that he meant you two," he finished as he looked over his half-moon glasses at Snape and the Baron.

"I did see a child in Gryffindor robes, in the dungeons on All Hollows Eve," the Baron confessed truthfully.

"Why ever did you not tell me?" the Headmaster asked, appearing disappointed. The ghosts were supposed to notify him of everything that went on in the castle. How else was he supposed to know what was going on? His information network of ghosts and portraits kept him well informed.

"Headmaster, there are always children from other Houses wandering the dungeons on that night. It is some sort of rite of passage," Damien said, which was true… about fifty years ago.

"Ah yes, I do remember something about that in my younger years. Very well, what did you do when you saw Harry? And what was he doing?" the old man asked as he stroked his beard in thought.

"Why, I informed the Potions Master, of course," the ghost stated as if it were obvious. "However, the last I saw of the child, he was running, so it is plausible that they never connected." Once again completely true.

"Very well," Albus sighed again, this was not going as he wanted. "Severus?" he turned his inquiring eyes to his… protégé, which was the only polite term he could think of for the man. Everyone else insisted on call Severus his 'pet Death Eater.'

"I did not see the bra… young man after we left the antechamber," the man boldfaced lied, fuming that the dratted ghost would put him in such a position, and at the same time applauding the very Slytherin move.

"Harry, my boy…."

"I Am Not Your Fucking Boy!" Harry snarled as he poked his finger in the hated man's direction. "I note that you call everyone else by their last name. You will do the same with me or we will have further issues," he said pretentiously. There was no way he was ever going to make it easy for this old man. He was going to do everything he could to make it difficult for him.

"Yes, well, can you tell me what you remember?" the old man asked, trying to catch the boy's eyes.

"Are you the police?" our hero asked, folding his arms in an 'I know you're not, and I'm going to be stubborn' way.

"No, I am not part of the Department of Magical Law Enforcement. I am however the head of the Wizengamot, which a body that makes, and tries those that break the laws," Dumbledore stated importantly.

"So you're like the head judge?" Harry asked with a smirk.

"Well, yes," was the answer.

"Now, I don't know nothing about this 'wizarding world', but I do know that in the real world, judges don't investigate crimes. So, if you want answers from me, get a copper here," the messy-haired amnesic stated firmly. "Oh, and I want an attorney," he added. "I do know that that is within my non-existent rights."

"That may be true in the Muggle world, however you are not there," Dumbledore said smugly.

"Then I'll bloody well leave. You can't hold me here forever, you old bastard," Harry snarled as he whirled around and started down the hall. "Come on, girls, let's eat, I'm starved."