–Wow,†said Ron as the others gasped.
Pulling his finger away, Harry stared at it. –Oops. Was that me?â€
–Looks like it, mate,†replied Ron, edging away from Harry.
–Hey…my headache’s gone,†Harry mused. –Where’s Dumbledore?†he asked.
–Not quite sure,†replied Remus. –However, I’m sure he’ll be in later on.â€
–Oh, great—first he dumps me in this place and then he leaves me.â€
–I’m sure that’s not the case,†Arthur replied. A knock at the door made them all turn.
–We need to take Harry in for more tests,†said a Healer, coming into the room. –What happened to the clock?†she asked.
Harry shrugged his shoulders, looking guilty, and turned away from the Healer.
–Right, then we’ll come back in a few hours,†said Remus as they began to file out of the room. Harry got up from his bed, ready to follow the Healer.
–See you guys later on,†he called out to them as they walked down the corridor.
After several more tests Harry had never heard of before, including a CAT scan, Harry was back in his room just in time for dinner which was fish, chips, and peas. Not bad for hospital food, he thought.
Once he had finished Harry was about to nod off and have a snooze when an image popped into his mind. It was a beautiful trio of red circles that formed a triangle. It seemed so familiar and Harry wanted to draw it so he wouldn’t forget it, but he had no pen or paper.
He snapped back to reality when he heard a knock at the door. –Come in.â€
The door opened and Dumbledore walked in with Remus and Arthur behind him. –How are you, Harry?†Dumbledore asked.
–Fine. Just sick of all the tests,†mumbled Harry.
–That should be all finished with now,†replied Dumbledore. –All we need to do is wait for the results.â€
–How long should that be?†Harry asked, feeling rather tired.
–A couple of days, and you should remain in hospital until then.â€
–Oh, great, more boredom and despair.â€
–We could bring you some books and magazines the next time we come,†said Arthur.
–Sure,†replied Harry.
The rest of the visiting hours went by quite fast as they talked about anything and everything. Soon it was eight o’clock and time for them to go. Harry was quite tired from having had no sleep the night before.
–Good night,†he said as they left.
–I will come first thing tomorrow and well see about your test results, Harry,†Dumbledore assured him.
Harry changed out of his clothes and into his pyjamas, then brushed his teeth and went to bed early. But once again couldn’t sleep. Tossing and turning, he began to see images of an old, dusty green thick book with the beautiful red trio of circles that formed a triangle. The trio began to glow…he woke up at that point, sweating and out of breath.
Putting his glasses on, Harry turned on the bedside lamp and looked at his watch. It was only three forty-four in the morning. Sighing, he took off his glasses and turned off his lamp and went back to a fitful sleep.
About six o’clock that morning Harry decided to get up. Putting on his glasses, Harry got up and changed into normal jeans and a blue t-shirt. Breakfast was at eight o’clock, so since he had a few hours to kill he lay back down.
He must have dozed off as there was a knock at the door round seven thirty-five. He got up to answer it and Dumbledore stood there.
–Sir, visiting hours are not till half past eight,†Harry said, stepping aside to let him in anyway.
–I have come to get the results of your tests,â€
Dumbledore said, gesturing toward the hallway. Harry followed him to reception, where Dumbledore asked to speak to the Healer in charge. A few seconds later a plump woman came out and asked them to follow her. As they did, Harry began to get nervous and decided this wasn’t the time to tell Dumbledore about the book he kept on seeing in his dreams.
They followed the Healer into a small office with two chairs in front of a desk; and that was all that was in the room, and there was no window.
–Right,†the Healer said, shuffling through some papers.
–Your blood results came back normal; nothing wrong with them. And the CAT scan also came back norma. Nothing to suggest that a blow to the head could have caused amnesia. That has caused some concern among my staff as to why you got amnesia in the first place, as the usual cases involve a blow to the head. Something traumatic could have happened to you and you passed out. But otherwise you are in perfect health for someone your age.â€
–That’s good,†Harry replied, relieved.
–So if a blow to the head did not cause his amnesia, then something traumatic must have happened to Harry to cause this,†said Dumbledore, taking off his glasses and wiping them on his robes.
–It appears so. Do you remember anything traumatic happening to you?†the Healer asked.
–No,†Harry lied, thinking about the thick book.
–Well, if you do, let me know. It baffles me how you got amnesia,†the Healer said.
–Will do,†Harry said. –Does that mean I can leave?â€
–Yes, that’s everything sorted for you.â€
–Thanks,†Harry said.
–Yes, let’s get you back home,†Dumbledore said, standing up.
Harry followed Dumbledore back to his room. When they got there Harry packed away his things and looked around the room in case he’d left anything, then they were on their way.
–Take my hand, Harry,†Dumbledore said once they reached reception.
–Oh, no, I hate this bit,†Harry mumbled, taking hold of the Headmaster’s cold hand. Again Harry was spinning out of control, and he thought he was going to be sick.
In a few moments, which felt like forever, Harry found himself in the long hallway of Grimmauld Place. He could hear people talking in the kitchen, and Dumbledore led him in that direction. When they got there Harry saw Mrs Weasley serving up breakfast.
–Hey, guys,†he said, going into the room.
Everyone went quiet. –Well?†asked Mrs Weasley. –How did it go?â€
–Everything was normal, no blow to the head, so something dramatic must have happened to Harry that we don’t know about,†replied Dumbledore, sitting down at the table.
–That’s great news,†Ron said, munching on bread. –I mean, except the accident.â€
–I actually remember something. Well, it could be nothing,†Harry said tentatively.
–What do you remember?†Dumbledore asked.
–I remember a really old, thick book. It was dark green with a beautiful trio of red circles in the centre that formed a triangle. And that’s it. I don’t remember anything else.â€
–Where is the book now?†Dumbledore asked, frowning.
–Don’t know. It disappeared,†Harry replied, sitting down.
–How can a book disappear?†Hermione asked. –Unless it was a Portkey.â€
–No, a Portkey takes the person with it,†Dumbledore replied.
–Here, Harry, have some breakfast—some eggs and bacon,†Mrs Weasley said, placing them on a plate.
–Yes, please,†he said, pouring a drink of orange juice into a glass.
–Hermione, could you please pass the salt?†he asked.
She was about to pick the salt shaker up when it disappeared and re appeared seconds later in Harry’s hand.
–How am I doing that?†he asked.
–No one knows,†Remus replied.
–Given Harry’s strange abilities, I think it would be safer if he stayed the rest of the holiday’s back at Hogwarts,†Dumbledore said, taking some toast.
–I couldn’t agree more,†said Remus.
–Well then, we leave after breakfast.â€
–Mum, can I keep Harry company?†Ron pleaded.
–I don’t see why not,†she replied.
–Yesss!†said Ron.
After a nice breakfast Harry and the others went up to their rooms and packed everything away into their trunks. He made sure Hedwig was safely in her cage. Dragging their trunks along, Harry, Ron, Hermione, and Ginny made their way downstairs to find the adults in the living room.
–Take my hand,†said Dumbledore, holding it out.
–Oh, I am going to miss you all!†Mrs Weasley said, dabbing her eyes with a hanky.
Ginny was first in line and took Dumbledore’s hand, then Ron took hers, Hermione his, then Harry was last, grabbing hold of Hermione’s hand.
Once again he was spinning out of control. Harry was feeling rather ill Hrry and was glad when he felt himself slowing down. Opening his eyes, he found himself outside Hogwarts with the others, who were also recovering from the journey.
Dumbledore instructed them to leave their luggage for the house-elves to collect. Harry was about to head into the castle when a swirl of white light appeared in front of him, blocking his way into Hogwarts. When the light subsided, he came face to face with—himself.