Achieving Light [Book 2 of Through Darkness and Light]

Chapter 16: The Forgotten

She opened her mouth to speak, when Draco suddenly sat upright. His eyes stared fixedly at Harry’s right hand. Had it been his imagination?

No! It hadn’t!

He bolted out of his seat. “Call a nurse,” he said frantically, as he raced into Harry’s room. Harry’s hand was moving, and his eyes were beginning to flutter. “Harry?”

Harry didn’t respond, though his eyes began to open. Faintly, Draco heard Harry’s aunt call for aid, before she rushed in with a doctor and a Mediwitch.

“Good, he’s waking up,” the doctor said. He turned to the Mediwitch. “Take notes on how responsive he is.” She nodded, before moving over to the other side of the bed. Draco had a gentle grip on Harry’s hand, as she bent over.

“Harry, can you hear me?”

“Yeah…” His voice was cracked, but it was Harry. Draco nearly cried with relief.

“How do you feel?”

“I’m thirsty. May I please have some water? I promise I’ll clean up afterwards…”

Draco frowned, leaning forward. That wasn’t Harry…

The Mediwitch seemed to sense the same thing. She glanced at the doctor, who nodded. “Harry, darling, how old are you?” she asked softly.

Draco held his breath.

“Four…”

~ + ~

“Draco, calm down…please. It’s not good for you to be like this,” Petunia pleaded. Draco was pacing back and forth, his hands clutching at his head.

“He doesn’t remember me,” he moaned. “I’m his Inima, and he can’t even remember who I am! He doesn’t know my name or anything! Not that he’s a wizard, not Hermione, not Ron…the only person he knows is you!” With a small, choked sob, he collapsed into a chair in the hallway. Petunia sank down beside him, tentatively putting a soothing arm around his shoulders. “This is all my fault…if I hadn’t brought him…this never would have happened…I’m such an idiot…”

“Draco, it’s not your fault. That’s already been established. No one knew Vernon would react like that…it was an accident. Don’t worry…with time, Harry will remember you. That’s what the doctor said. They’ll just work with him for a week or so, and by then, he should be back to normal…”

“But what if he doesn’t go back?” Draco lifted his head to look at her. His eyes were red rimmed, as he said in a strangled voice, “What if he’s like this forever?”

“Be reasonable. He won’t be four years old forever. With time, he’ll grow, and more memories will come back…”

“But I don’t want him to remember all the bad memories…only the good ones.”

“And what good will that do him?” Draco looked at her with a small frown. Petunia met his gaze evenly. “Draco, if you had no bad memories…how would you be able to tell what a good memory was?” Made some sense… “If Harry had no bad memories, he wouldn’t be the young man he is today. He wouldn’t be the man you married. I have no doubt that every bad memory, as horrific as some were, helped to shape his personality, and give him the courage, kindness, and loving manner that is evident in the events you told me about. Without them, he would not be the same person.”

Draco sighed. “But they hurt him…I can’t stand to see the pain and fear when he remembers…I hate how he has to fight it alone…”

“But he’s not alone. He has you. Yes, they’re painful and terrifying. But he has you to help him through it all. Now, he needs your help once more.”