I want to start out by saying that today's shout out goes to my dear sister Si!! The adorable Scheming Southern Angel and CIC of the Draco Minions (don't make her mad!)


The Scroll of Forgetfulness


Sirius spent the next few days watching as the staff arrived from summer holiday and got Hogwarts ready for the students. Some, like Hagrid and Filch, spent all year on the grounds, but most did not. Sirius kept his distance, unsure of who was aware of his presence and who wasn’t. Dumbledore had mentioned telling staff members about him, presumably those who knew him during his first time here, such as McGonagall. It was a really odd perspective seeing the school like this, coming to life. The house elves, normally inconspicuous, darted all over cleaning up and cooking for the feast. Teachers set up their classrooms in anticipation of the students to come. The Heads of Houses readied their House’s common rooms. Professor Flitwick and Professor Sprout could frequently be seen going in and out of the Ravenclaw and Hufflepuff dormitories respectively. Professor McGonagall, drill sergeant-like, oversaw it all, not only the readiness of Gryffindor House and her transfiguration classroom, but instructing the house elves on details for the feast, organizing the set up for the Great Hall, consulting with Hagrid on the arrival of the first years and preparing the roster for the sorting ceremony. Only one Head of House was conspicuously absent from the preparations. The Head of Slytherin House was nowhere to be seen.

Sirius had been wandering the castle restlessly. Now that the school year was upon them, he was anxious to get it going. At the same time, he was having last minute doubts regarding the wisdom of his new assignment. As was his nature, however, he brushed these feelings aside. When had he ever not walked boldly into a challenge? He could handle this. There was, of course, the added benefit of spending time with Harry. So he prowled the castle as he once did, re-acclimating himself with the secret passages and other points of mischief he and his friends had once discovered. He supposed he could be using this time to look at his school books while he waited, but he rarely cracked open a book the first time he was here, why start now? Sirius had that effortless type of intelligence that allowed him to pick up on his lessons without much visible studying, to the chagrin of his teachers and fellow students alike.

He was on his way back to his guest suite to get ready for the Welcome Feast, which was only a few hours away, when he heard voices approaching from just around the corner of the hallway. One he knew instantly, the other he had never heard before. Sirius quickly ducked behind a suit of armor as the speakers entered the corridor.

“I trust you brought the requested item with you?” the first voice, a man, asked.

“I did,” a woman answered.

“One of Dumbledore’s more hair-brained schemes, in my opinion,” Severus Snape sneered.

“I’m afraid I’m not privy to that information,” the woman neither agreed nor disagreed with the statement.

The pair was crossing in front of Sirius’ hiding place. He risked a glance around the suit of armor. He could see Snape in profile, but nothing of the mysterious second person as Snape blocked her from view. Did he just look this way?

“I’m not sure if I’m comfortable with this deception, Severus,” the woman continued softly.

“I don’t see that you have a choice,” Snape answered.

The woman sighed, “he trusts me, it just doesn’t feel right.”

“If you’re having reservations, then you never should have accepted this position,” Snape replied meanly.

The voices faded as Snape and the unfamiliar woman turned the corner at the end of the corridor. Sirius waited several moments until he was sure the pair must have moved on. He ventured out from his hiding spot and was confronted by a scowling Snape.

“Taking to lurking in dark corners now, are we Black?” the potions master drawled.

“No, Snape,” Sirius spat “we’ve already decided that’s your department.”

Snape smiled without mirth. “I see your experience with the veil has returned you to you last known maturity level, how fitting.”

Sirius grinned impudently, “I’m sure you wish you could – No, wait! You were miserable as a student and you’re just as miserable today. Probably better off as you are now, closer to being put out of your misery.”

Snape’s wand was suddenly in his hand. “Don’t tempt me Black, you may be under Dumbledore’s protection, but that doesn’t mean I can’t make your life a living hell. Just remember who has the authority here and who does not.”

Sirius leveled his wand at his old foe. He was quite aware of the new disparity between him and Snape in magical ability, but he never backed down from a fight. “Try it! What will you do? Dock house points?” he challenged sarcastically, “for all you know I could end up in your own house, wouldn’t that be funny?”

“I would like nothing better to have you in Slytherin House,” Snape sneered. “As much as I enjoy our little conversations, I have more important things to do. So, the Headmaster asked me to give you this.” The potions master reached in a pocket and brought out a tiny rolled up scroll. Sirius took it warily. “And this,” Snape pulled an envelope addressed to Sirius in Dumbledore’s handwriting, but pulled it away before Sirius could take it. “But, you won’t be needing it,” Snape raised his wand and tapped the envelope. “Incendio,” the bottom of it started to burn.

Sirius started to lunge for the item, but Snape had already tossed it on the floor and swept away, mean laughter in his wake. Sirius was tempted to aim a well deserved jinx at the professor, but it was never his style to attack someone from behind. Besides, he needed to salvage the letter. Luckily, he was able to stop it from being completely destroyed, using a counter spell. He took the items back to his room and started by opening the letter from Dumbledore first. It read:


“You now have in your possession a Scroll of Forgotten Identity, which at some point may become useful to you during your time here. It contains the incantation for a very specific memory charm. It is a spell that has been used in the past by witches and wizards who wished not to be recognized, often the wealthy and famous who wanted to be able to go out in public and not be troubled. It eventually became limited in it’s use by the Ministry due to abuse by wizards with nefarious intent. To use the spell, you must speak the incantation clearly in conversation with the intended target. That person will instantly forget your true identity, being left with a vague sense of déjà vu instead. There are a few things you must remember before using the scroll:

1. As I mentioned, the use of this spell is limited. You will have ten uses only, so use them wisely.

2. The effects of the memory charm are not permanent. Furthermore, the spell will work for a shorter period of time each time it is used on the same person until it no longer has any effect at all.

3. The spell has no effect on those who know you are in possession of it.

(“So that rules out using it on Snape,” Sirius thought wryly.)

4. Most importantly, and I can’t warn you enough…


The rest of the letter was burned away. Sirius muttered a few well chosen oaths about his soon to be Potions professor and unrolled the scroll next. It said:


Read and Memorize:

Alieno!

After a moment these words faded away and were replaced by:


1.
2.
3.
4.
5.
6.
7.
8.
9.
10.


Sirius re-read Dumbledore’s letter with mixed emotions about using the spell. Clearly, the Headmaster felt there was a chance that Sirius may be recognized, most likely by Harry. He had to trust that Dumbledore wouldn’t have him use anything harmful on his godson, because if that were the case, this whole ruse could go hang. “What are the chances that Harry would recognize his new appearance, anyway?” Sirius wondered. After all, the boy had only seen him in a couple of old pictures and a few stolen moments in the pensieve. Surely, the boy’s attention was directed more toward James then himself? Would Harry really make the connection between the new student at school and the youthful appearance of his dead godfather? It seemed a bit of a stretch of the imagination, but anything was possible. Sirius hoped he would not be needing to use the scroll anytime soon. He tucked the letter into his trunk, the scroll he put in his pocket. He would think about what to do if he was recognized later. He had the Welcome Feast to get ready for now.