PRIORI INCANTATEM by Arianna Waters (christmas read aloud TXT) 📕

“Yeah, it was,” Harry said, grinning widely. Though it was childish of him, but he had really enjoyed the Dursleys suffering for once, as a change.

“That reminds me,” Sirius spoke suddenly, drawing out his wand and pointing it at Remus. “Who are you, and what have you done to our Moony?”

James and Lily laughed.

“Yeah,” said James. “I’ve never seen you yelling, or swearing, or losing your temper on anyone!”

“I can tolerate anything happening to me, but not on my nephew,” Remus spoke.

Harry’s heart swelled with happiness and he felt touched on hearing this.

Lily sniffed back a tear. “Oh, Moony!” she cried and hugged him fiercely.

Sirius mimicked Lily. Sniffing, he said, “I didn’t know — could be — so — sentimental — Remus!”

Remus glared at Sirius as Lily smacked him at the back of his head.

“So, where’re we going to spend the night?” James wondered out aloud, after they’d had dinner from the food that lay on the table, which Dumbledore might have sent. No sooner had he said this, the couches were replaced by two single and a double four-poster beds.

“I’ll run back to my dormitory now,” Harry said.

“So, you’re not spending the night here?” Lily asked.

“No,” said Harry. “Ron and Hermione will definitely be up right now and must be waiting for me to narrate the incident.”

Remus passed him the invisibility cloak. “Off you go then, Harry!”

James pouted as Harry grabbed the cloak. He probably had been looking forward to some midnight excursions, but one look from Lily quieted him before he could open his mouth.

As Harry had expected, Ron and Hermione were sitting in the common room waiting for him, and at once bombarded him with questions.

Harry told them all about what had happened at the Dursleys. Hermione didn’t disapprove, but she settled on for a small smile. Ron was not as quiet with his expressions, and laughed maniacally.

“I can’t believe it!” he said. “Perhaps you could show this to us once we’re done with showing the memories to your parents.”

Harry nodded. It had definitely been a long day for him, and he had not yet gotten over the night in the graveyard.

“If you don’t mind now, I’m going to sleep,” he said stifling a yawn.

Ron followed him, as Hermione moved to the girls’ dormitory. Harry fell asleep before his head could hit the pillow.

The next morning was particularly hot, drawing the students indoors. Exams were long over, and three days still remained of the school year, so the Gryffindors had nothing to do other than lazing around in the common room. All, except three.

Harry, Ron and Hermione had sprinted off the Room of Requirement as soon as they’d woken up ad got ready, much to the annoyance of James Potter and Sirius Black, who had been forced to wake up by the three intruders.

“Geoff!”James whined as Harry tried to wake him up.

Ron had brought Pigwidgeon along to serve this purpose. The tiny owl hooted in excitement and twittered loudly, flying around the room in circles and occasionally pecking the two sleepy figures.

But it was Hermione who actually woke them up. “What we need right now,” she spoke, as if thinking deeply, “is a place where we can sit and eat our breakfast, and then watch Harry’s memories.”

The beds vanished, causing James and Sirius to fall down on the floor, and both of them groaned as one.

“Alright —” said James. “— I give up! Oi, Padfoot! Wake up!”

“Fine, Sirius. Carry on sleeping on the floor. Don’t say anything if you don’t get any breakfast later,” Remus spoke.

This had an instant effect. Sirius sat up straight like he had been on a watchman duty for hours.

Lily, Hermione, Harry, Ron and Remus laughed at him.

“Wait,” said Hermione. “Look at this first!” she pointed at the Daily Prophet in her hand.

Everyone looked at her as she read the headline:

SIRIUS BLACK CLEARED OF PREVIOUS CHARGES

Bertha Jorkins, a ministry official, who had been missing for nearly one year now, had turned up during the third task of the Triwizard Tournament. She was rescued by Harry Potter and Cedric Diggory who were taken to a Death Eater’s place via the cup which turned out to be a portkey.

The Ministry has questioned Ms. Jorkins, and now believes that Sirius Black, who was convicted of selling out the Potter family to You-Know-Who and killing Peter Pettigrew along with twelve muggles, was in fact framed. Peter Pettigrew, who is an unregistered animagus, was the real convict, and had faked his own death. Ms. Jorkins gave a testimony under the effects of Veritaserum that Pettigrew is still alive and is now making an army of Death Eaters, Barty Crouch Junior being one of them, who was responsible for all the upheaval at Triwizard Tournament, and has been punished accordingly by nothing less than the Dementor’s Kiss. Sirius Black is informed that the Ministry will hold a trial for him on September the fifth, and expects him to turn up. (Contd. Pg 7)

“Finally!” muttered Sirius as they continued their discussion on the upcoming trial.

After they’d eaten their breakfast, Harry extracted out the memories of his first year at Hogwarts and put them in the pensieve.

The group found themselves in the Leaky Cauldron.

The bartender smiled at Hagrid and reached for a glass, saying, “The usual, Hagrid?”

“Can’t, Tom, I’m on Hogwarts business,” said Hagrid, clapping his great hand on Harry’s shoulder and making Harry’s knees buckle.

“Good Lord,” said the bartender, peering at Harry, “is this — can this be — ?”

The Leaky Cauldron had suddenly gone completely still and silent.            

“Bless my soul,” whispered the old bartender, “Harry Potter . . . what an honor.”

He hurried out from behind the bar, rushed toward Harry and seized his hand, tears in his eyes.

“Welcome back, Mr. Potter, welcome back.”

“I didn’t know what to say,” Harry spoke up. “I had come to know about another world less than twenty four hours ago, and these people were treating me like I was some sort of a hero!”

“But then, you were a hero,” Ron said, getting a nudge from Hermione.

“Oh Harry,” the girl said. “I can understand.”

Harry shook hands with everyone in the bar. One person came over again and again.

“Professor Quirrell!” said Hagrid, pointing to a pale man. “Harry, Professor Quirrell will be one of your teachers at Hogwarts.”

“P-P-Potter,” stammered Professor Quirrell, grasping Harry’s hand, “c-can’t t-tell you how p-pleased I am to meet you.”

“What sort of magic do you teach, Professor Quirrell?”

“D-Defense Against the D-D-Dark Arts,” Quirrell muttered, as though he’d rather not think about it. “N-not that you n-need it, eh, P-P-Potter? You’ll be g-getting all your equipment, I suppose? I’ve g-got to p-pick up a new b-book on vampires, m-myself.”

“That git!” Ron muttered. Harry and Hermione shushed him.

The scene dissolved. They found themselves standing in the Diagon Alley.

Harry and Hagrid withdrew Harry’s money from Gringotts and then went to Vault seven hundred and thirteen.

“What’s in that?” James asked.

“Oh, you’ll find about it by the end of the year,” Harry replied, grinning mysteriously.

“I bet you didn’t have as much fun as we had in our first year,” James said. “We — that is me, Remus and Sirius —” he intentionally omitted Peter Pettigrew, “— found out a way out to Hogsmead in our first year!”

“I wouldn’t be too sure of that, James,” Ron muttered.

James looked at him skeptically.

Harry met Malfoy at Madam Malkin’s.

“That was the first time and last time I talked to Malfoy straightly,” Harry said.

“I don’t believe it! You didn’t know about Quidditch!” James said.

“Don’t make me feel worse, dad,” Harry grumbled.

“Oh, sorry,” James said, smiling apologetically.

At Ollivanders, Harry tried. And tried. The pile of tried wands was mounting higher and higher on the spindly chair, but the more wands Mr. Ollivander pulled from the shelves, the happier he seemed to become.

“I got mine on third try,” Hermione muttered.

“Tricky customer, eh? Not to worry, we’ll find the perfect match here somewhere — I wonder, now — yes, why not — unusual combination — holly and phoenix feather, eleven inches, nice and supple.”

Harry took the wand. He raised the wand above his head, brought it swishing down throwing dancing spots of light on to the walls. Hagrid whooped and clapped and Mr. Ollivander cried, “Oh, bravo! Yes, indeed, oh, very good. Well, well, well . . . how curious . . . how very curious . . .”

He put Harry’s wand back into its box and wrapped it in brown paper, still muttering, “Curious . . . curious . . .”

“Sorry,” said Harry, “but what’s curious?”

Mr. Ollivander stared at Harry and said, “I remember every wand I’ve ever sold, Mr. Potter. Every single wand. It so happens that the phoenix whose tail feather is in your wand, gave another feather — just one other. It is very curious indeed that you should be destined for this wand when its brother — why, its brother gave you that scar.”

Harry swallowed.

“Yes, thirteen-and-a-half inches. Yew. Curious indeed how these things happen. The wand chooses the wizard, remember. . . . I think we must expect great things from you, Mr. Potter. . . . After all, He-Who-Must-Not-Be-Named did great things — terrible, yes, but great.”

“That’s what brought us back to life,” Lily said, smiling sadly. “If you had picked some other wand that day, we wouldn’t have been here, Harry.”

The scene reformed to show Vernon Dursley wheeling Harry’s trunk to the platform.

“What’s got into him?” Sirius said, “Pulling your cart‼”

“You’ll see,” Harry muttered.

A moment later, Remus swore. “I can’t believe that Hagrid didn’t tell you how to get onto the platform!”

“Well, it proved good for me,” Harry said, smiling. “That was how I met Ron for the first time!”

Harry was trying to lift his trunk up the steps but could hardly raise one end and twice he dropped it painfully on his foot.

“Want a hand?” It was one of the Weasley twins.

“Yes, please,” Harry panted.

“Oy, Fred! C’mere and help!”

With the twins’ help, Harry’s trunk was at last tucked away in a corner of the compartment.

“Thanks,” said Harry, pushing his sweaty hair out of his eyes.

“What’s that?” said one of the twins suddenly, pointing at Harry’s lightning scar.

“Blimey,” said the other twin. “Are you — ?”

“He is,” said the first twin. “Aren’t you?” he added to Harry.

“What?” said Harry.

“Harry Potter,” chorused the twins.

“Oh, him,” said Harry. “I mean, yes, I am.”

Everyone laughed at the look on Fred and George’s face.

“Blimey!” said Ron. “It’s highly unusual for those two to be left speechless. Thanks mate,” he thumped Harry’s back.

“For what?” Harry asked, confused.

“Perfect blackmail material,” Ron sniggered.

The journey to Hogwarts turned out to be a pleasant memory for those who were viewing it, giving them a lot to laugh at. James and Sirius especially teased Hermione for her behaviour.

“We never knew then that we would end up being best friends with her,” Ron said.

“Yeah, at that time, he wanted to stay as much away from her as possible.” Harry added, smirking, and winking at James, who grinned in turn.

(A/N: I’ve decided to do the memories in between the chapters, as you all know very well what happened in the four years, and if I do them now, it’ll get boring.)

Harry packed his trunk up in the dormitory on the night before his return to wherever he was going