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0755 Memories of Hope
🕑 Added 2025-06-23 10:10:57 +0000 UTCWhoosh!
With a sweeping motion of his wand, the fallen beams, rubble, and brick walls that had collapsed in the courtyard—all the broken ruins—seemed to flow backward through time as they flew up into the sky.
With crackling sounds like the satisfying snap of a warm hearth fire, each piece of the building rapidly repaired itself. In the span of few seconds, a two-story building appeared in front of their eyes, restored to its original state.
As the wisps of silver light were gradually peeled away from his temples, Dawlish's eyes which had glowed with hatred and terror just moments ago, became empty and blank.
The memories that Bryan had extracted floated in the air like threads, before being contained within a crystal vial that appeared in his palm. Finally, as the last trace of silver light disappeared from his temples, Dawlish's head tilted to one side and he fell unconscious.
The moonlight that had lit the entire courtyard with its silver sparkle was suddenly blocked by a passing cloud. The earth below was immediately bathed in darkness so thoroughly that it seemed to swallow the entire restored building.
On the balcony of the neighboring yard, a Muggle couple who had been spending their evening admiring the moonlight and stars began to grumble in mild dissatisfaction as their romantic evening was interrupted by the sudden darkness. They got up, picked up their chairs, and walked back into their home.
After their figures had completely disappeared from view, Bryan flicked his wrist and raised his wand once again making the unconscious Dawlish float through the air until it reached his bedroom.
With another subtle gesture, Bryan removed the magical barrier that had concealed their confrontation from Muggle eyes.
Fresh, cool air rushed into the courtyard diluting the lingering dust particles that had been suspended in the air after the magical reconstruction, clearing the atmosphere of any remaining trace of the violence that had occurred.
Bryan took a deep breath, to dispel the dark gloom and murderous aura that had surrounded him during his confrontation with Dawlish. After glancing thoughtfully at the silver-glowing glass vial in his palm, his figure began to waver and fade like a mirage in the desert heat.
With a slight gust of air, Bryan vanished leaving no trace of his presence.
"Encountered some trouble this evening, Bryan?"
The question emerged from the shadows with the timing of perfect coincidence.
When Bryan appeared on the narrow street where the concealed entrance to St. Mungo's Hospital was located in front of the dust-covered display window of that red brick department store, Dumbledore was already present.
He was about to pass through the glass. However, something—perhaps the subtle disturbance in the magical field that surrounded all powerful wizards, or simply the intuitive awareness that came with decades of experience caused him to pause mid-motion.
Dumbledore turned his head to observe the deserted street. The street was empty of pedestrians at this late hour, lit only by the warm yellow glow of a single lamppost that was beside the roadway.
Something about that particular lamppost seemed to catch Dumbledore's attention, but he stepped back from the hospital entrance. The next second, Bryan appeared from behind the lamppost.
"Your sensitivity to magical fluctuations remains as commendable as ever, Professor Dumbledore," After this polite expression of admiration, Bryan's face relaxed into a smile. He walked toward Dumbledore who stood waiting with his hands folded over his abdomen.
There was a line of fatigue in between Dumbledore's eyebrows, and his usually brilliant eyes appeared somewhat dimmed behind his characteristic half-moon spectacles. Obviously, the travels of the past two days, during which he had crisscrossed Britain collecting memories from dozens of different sources, had clearly consumed considerable physical and emotional energy.
Despite his obvious tiredness, Dumbledore remained wrapped in his traveling cloak and still managed to maintain his smile of gentle elegance.
"Please forgive an old man for still possessing such vigorous curiosity," Dumbledore said, his tone consisting the self-deprecating humor that often were his conversations, "but I find myself wondering what exactly made you to take such drastic action, Bryan?"
Bryan brushed the dust off his shoulders and came to Dumbledore's side.
"Oh, I do apologize, Professor Dumbledore, that's a secret I cannot tell you for now."
"For now?" Dumbledore's eyebrows rose slightly, and his voice had a tone of curiosity.
"For now," Bryan confirmed, meeting Dumbledore's inquiring gaze with steady eye contact while pressing his lips together.
Dumbledore's response was a low chuckle that seemed to contain both amusement and understanding.
"I dare say, Bryan," Dumbledore observed with twinkling eyes, "if you were to turn your talents toward writing adventure novels like our former Defense Against the Dark Arts professor, Gilderoy Lockhart, you would certainly achieve far greater success than he ever managed. You possess a natural gift for piquing readers' curiosity."
"I'm afraid that spending entire days cooped up to a desk, making up stories from thin air, strikes me as rather tedious work," Bryan replied cheerfully. "I've always preferred to get out and about."
As he spoke, Bryan made an inviting gesture with his hand, indicating that Dumbledore should head first through the hospital entrance.
Tonight, St. Mungo's Hospital seemed to be experiencing one of its more peaceful periods. The first-floor lobby, usually bustling with activity regardless of the time, was remarkably quiet.
The fat, cheerful blonde witch who typically operated the inquiry desk was currently asleep with her head resting peacefully on the desk in front of her and Dilys Derwent, the former Hogwarts headmistress, was not in the frame facing the main hall—she had either gone visiting other portraits or returned to Dumbledore's office.
Walking up the stairs, Dumbledore and Bryan passed through the double doors on the fifth floor one after the other, entering the narrow corridor with walls lined with portraits of famous healers.
"So, how is your collection of Alice and Frank's memories progressing, Professor Dumbledore?" Bryan asked casually as they passed a ward from which the faint sound of someone's distressed wails could be heard.
"Are you certain that Augusta will agree to treatment for her son and daughter-in-law, Bryan?" Dumbledore asked in return, his voice carrying the same casual tone.
"If the decision were hers alone to make, she might indeed hesitate," Bryan acknowledged. "But she is not making this choice solely for herself—she is also considering her grandson's wellbeing, and she definitely wants Neville to experience the joy of his parents' love."
For some reason, Bryan's voice caught slightly as he spoke these words. However, his facial expression quickly returned to its normal state of controlled calmness.
"You're right in your judgement," Dumbledore agreed, his own voice tinting with a tone of sadness. "Young Mr. Longbottom certainly harbors deep hopes for a family reunion, for the chance to know his parents as the remarkable people they were before their tragic fate."
Dumbledore paused to blow his nose with a handkerchief. His expression grew somewhat melancholy as he continued.
"The collection of memories has proceeded smoothly, Bryan. Augusta contributed memories of Frank's childhood. As for Alice... well, her parents, bless their souls, passed away several years ago. However, I was fortunate enough to locate a Muggle neighbor who had watched Alice grow up. I 'requested' to him to share everything he knew about Alice's past.
Minerva, Filius, Pomona, and Hagrid were all very eager to share their impressions and memories of Alice and Frank when they learned about our intentions. I also found several of their former roommates from school. Of course, I myself was able to provide numerous memories of their time both at school and later as members of the Order of the Phoenix."
His expression grew warmer as he mentioned the other contributors.
"Sirius was also helpful in providing recollections of Frank and Alice's involvement in Order activities. The extended Longbottom family and relatives who knew the Longbottom couple also provided their memories,"
Dumbledore continued with enthusiasm. "Frank's relatives—especially Neville's great-uncle Algie and great-aunt Enid were overjoyed to learn of our plans and eagerly provided everything they could remember about Frank's childhood, and his family relationships.
Even the long-term caregivers here at St. Mungo's, the healers and nurses who have been looking after Frank and Alice for all these years, contributed their own observations and memories of the couple's condition."
Dumbledore's expression grew almost emotional as he described the response he had received.
"The most remarkable aspect of this entire endeavor, Bryan, was that I didn't need to convince any of these people to participate. The moment they learned of our plans, they eagerly volunteered everything they knew and practically begged both you and me to do whatever was necessary to cure Frank and Alice."
A gentle smile appeared across Dumbledore's face.
"In fact, the only convincing I had to do was to persuade all of them to wait quietly at home for news of our success. Without that intervention, I can assure you that we would have found St. Mungo's packed with Longbottom family relatives, former classmates, Order members, and everyone else."
"How deeply moving," Bryan said quietly. "It's reassuring to know that people haven't forgotten the sacrifice that Frank and Alice made for the wizarding world."
Perhaps satisfied with Bryan's heartfelt response, or perhaps relieved that Bryan didn't appear to be struggling under the weight of pressure after hearing about the enormous expectations surrounding their attempt, Dumbledore's tone became lighter and more optimistic.
"Indeed, the response has been overwhelming in the most positive sense," He agreed. "The memories they provided span Frank and Alice's entire lives, from their earliest childhood experiences through their time at Hogwarts, their careers as Aurors, their involvement in the Order of the Phoenix, their marriage, and even the early days of their parenthood before the tragic events that brought them to this place."
Dumbledore's expression grew thoughtful as he considered what they had gotten.
"Of course, we can never hope to recover every single memory and experience they experienced during their lives but I believe what I've collected is fairly complete."
By now, their conversation had brought them to the door of the Longbottoms' private ward. Through the observation window in the door, they could see the situation inside the room.
Both Frank and Alice Longbottom were in their respective hospital beds while their son, Neville, was sleeping peacefully in the chair beside his mother's bed.
The remaining space in the room was now filled with several additional reclining chairs, occupied by Madam Augusta Longbottom, Sirius, Tonks, and even Hermione.
"I thought Miss Granger would be eager to return to Hogwarts to see her two good friends." Bryan said with some surprise.
"Obviously, she has chosen to stay here because she, like all of us, is waiting for the good news that we hope to provide," Dumbledore smiled, and the fatigue from days of travel quickly faded from his features. Now he looked as energetic as usual.
"So?"
Dumbledore looked at Bryan.
"When do you plan to begin, Bryan?"
"Just as you hope, Professor Dumbledore," Bryan replied with a gracious smile. "We'll begin immediately. If all proceeds according to plan, when these good people wake up tomorrow morning, they'll see a completely transformed Frank and Alice Longbottom. I'm particularly looking forward to seeing Neville's expression of joy and amazement."
"Oh, indeed," Dumbledore nodded with satisfaction, his own smile reflecting Bryan's optimism. "That moment of recognition and reunion will be something truly worth witnessing."
Silently, Frank Longbottom and Alice Longbottom floated up from their beds without making a sound.
"We'll need a private ward... hmm" Bryan said. "Let's use Miss Granger's room—"
The occasional caregivers and healers in the corridor had already seen this scene, and some of the portraits on the walls were also peeking, but at Dumbledore's signal, they all remained calm, watching with incredibly expectant eyes as they entered a pitch-black ward.
Dumbledore immediately took charge of preparing the space, and began waving his wand. The room's single bed began to multiply, dividing and reshaping itself until two identical beds stood side by side.
After observing the room, Dumbledore raised his wand once again and began to place protective enchantments around the entire space. Waves of powerful magic flowed from his wand tip, merging seamlessly with the walls and causing them to ripple like the surface of a disturbed pond.
When the walls finally returned to their normal state of calm solidity, the ward had been completely isolated from the outside world—no sound would escape, no magical interference would penetrate, and no one would be able to break through the barriers.
Seeing Bryan remove his outer coat and begin to adjust his sleeves and shirt collar in preparation for the work ahead, Dumbledore also began his own preparations. He took off his traveling cloak and then shook out the wide sleeves of the robes he wore beneath.
"So, tell me the detailed steps, Bryan."
Dumbledore said with a slightly expectant tone.
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