To Kill You With a Kiss

Chapter 18

Harry nodded. "That's right. I wondered at first whose memory it was, but then I understood that it was mine. I was the one who remembered all those things after I returned to my own time, and I was the one who left the memory in Dumbledore's office."

Alphard buried his lips in Ginny's hair. "But that makes no sense at all, Harry. You entered your own memory of the past before you had traveled to the past and experienced the things you remembered. How is that possible? Who could have left that memory there for you before you had even remembered those things? And who enchanted the memory so that you could travel into it? And who wrote to Professor Dippet and told him that you were Elias Black?"

Harry sighed. "I have no idea, Alphard. Maybe I will do all those things myself? No, that doesn't make sense; I would only want to do all those things after traveling back in time and falling in love with Tom... But I only traveled back in time because someone had already enchanted the memory."

"I wonder how one does go about enchanting a memory so someone could travel into it," said Alphard thoughtfully.

"I think there are ways," said Tom softly. "If you had a vial containing a memory, and a time turner, and some rather advanced knowledge of magic-"

"That's what Hermione said!" Harry broke in eagerly. "But she didn't think a regular wizard could do it; it would have to be someone extraordinarily powerful, someone like Dumbledore or... well, like you, Tom."

Alphard turned to Tom. "Do you think you could enchant a memory that way, Tom?"

Tom smiled. "Oh, I suppose. I am rather good at magic, you know. I could probably go back to Dumbledore's office right now and enchant Harry's memory if I could borrow the time-turner, but it really wouldn't explain a thing. There would still be a causal loop: I would only wish to enchant the memory because Harry already traveled into it and fell in love with me."

"Oh, I wasn't just thinking of that memory, Tom." Alphard grinned. "Thinking of that just makes me dizzy. I was wondering if you could enchant a different memory as well, one that I happen to have in my possession. I have some memories that belonged to Regulus. He... he must have known that he was going to die, and he must have wanted to leave the knowledge he had of the Dark Lord behind. I found a few vials after his death. There are several memories in them, recollections of conversations Regulus had with Voldemort. They had quite a few conversations alone, the Dark Lord and my nephew. If someone was able to enter those memories and experience them through Regulus' eyes, they would be alone with an unsuspecting Dark Lord..."

"So if Regulus' memory was enchanted, someone entering it would become Regulus while in the memory?" Tom's silver eyes glittered. "Interesting idea... The Dark Lord would never suspect his assassin. I'm ready to try. Tom Riddle against Voldemort..."

"Or," said Harry quickly, "it might make more sense for someone who could actually read the Dark Lord's mind to become his assassin. If it has to be done, I should be the one to do it. I would have an advantage, Tom, since I can read his mind and you can't."

"Yes, but I've got - pardon me - more experience with murder than you do, my love. You are so terribly soft-hearted, you'd probably end up making out with the Dark Lord instead of killing him."

Harry glared at Tom. "I would not! You are just jealous!"

Tom stroked his hand through Harry's hair. "Jealous? A little bit, yes. But my point..."

"Ahem. Perhaps we should take this conversation elsewhere." Ginny glanced up and down the quiet suburban street. "Draco did say that the death eaters have been keeping an eye on this house for a while now."

"Excellent idea, Ginny." Alphard reached for her hand. "Let's stop by the headmaster's office at Hogwarts, shall we? Tom, you can enchant Harry's memory, and the rest of us can watch you and get a headache trying to figure out the time paradoxes involved."