TBAY The Missing 24 hours, the untold story

[Meg Demeranville]

No: HPFGUIDX 42568

The calm waters of Theory Bay beckon as Meg quietly launches her Cal 20 with T.H.E. F.I.R.S.T.-M.E.M.O.R.Y. F.R.I.E.N.D. (Taking Harry Extremely Fast Into Really Secure and Trustable Mother, Embracing Molly who Opts to Receive the Youngster, Friendship Resulting, Interpretates Evanescing, Nuisant Day) written across the stern. Sailing over to the Safe House, she pulls out her shiny brass wolf whistle and blows it just once. A large grey wolf runs from the Safe House, down the wharf and jumps onto the boat. Casting off, she cautiously sails toward the open waters of the bay, occasionally ducking into the cabin to ensure that her can(n)ons are safely stowed. Everyone knows that having can(n)ons on the deck of such a wind-directed vessel would be disastrous. Although her cannons are small, they pack quite a bang.



Since her crew is a rather captive audience, she begins explaining her boat to Grey Wolf. "First, you see, there are 24 hours after the Halloween showdown and when Harry is dropped off on the Dursley's doorstep. Where did Harry go? What was Hagrid doing? Obviously, Harry was taken to the Burrow immediately after the house in Godric's Hollow blew up. It was important to get Harry out of the reach of the Ministry (who couldn't necessarily be trusted) and into the hands of someone from "the Old Crowd". That way Dumbledore could decide what to do with Harry and make the necessary arrangements for Privet Drive that night." Grey Wolf nods in agreement and drops a note signed with a large paw print. Meg picks up the note and reads it aloud "For Molly and Arthur to be included in the Old Crowd in GoF, they must have been in the Old Crowd during Voldermort's reign. Snape is trusted specifically because he proved himself during the dark times, it is a logical extension that Molly and Arthur proved themselves during the dark times. After Voldermort's downfall, becoming part of the Old Crowd would be superfluous."



"Quite right, Grey Wolf. It also would allow for someone to calm little Harry down." Meg reaches overboard to fish out a floating buoy that Richelle left in the bay. Meg reads Grey Wolf the inscription "I would think that in Harry's situation (parents dead, mum murdered in front of him, big bad guy in robe pointing wand at him, bright light, house falling down, all in a matter of minutes) it would take an experienced caregiver to calm him.  With a 15 month old it's not simply a matter of crying himself to sleep.  A traumatized 15 month old could easily make himself physically ill in such a situation (and in situations far less traumatic for that matter). Someone with ample experience in caring for babies would be able to calm him much better than, say, a half-giant.  Also, come to think of it, Mrs. Weasley did have several small children at home.  Baby Ginny, Ron, who must've been about 19 months, a couple of 3 year olds and so on.  There would definitely have been someone to get Harry's mind off his problems there. "



"So you see, Grey Wolf, I am not the only one out here who believes it. I am not saying that Hagrid is not capable of taking care of a small child, it is only that Molly would have been better equipped to handle such a child." Grey Wolf nods his head in agreement and starts to look around the small ship. 



Grey Wolf starts to paw at the two can(n)ons on the boat. "Yes, I know, such small ships shouldn't have cannons unless we are pirates. But as I watched the waters of Theory Bay, I learned it's everybody for themselves. There are some dangerous ships floating around the bay, and we can't be too careful." Meg points to her first can(n)on, a map of England gleaming on its side. "You see, Grey Wolf, Hagrid tells us where he was coming from. Now where did I leave that book?" Meg starts looking around the cabin muttering to herself about her organizational skills. Grey Wolf bumps her leg and drops a battered copy of SS at her feet. "Thank you Grey Wolf. Now let me see, here it is." Meg points to the page.  "He fell asleep as we was flyin' over Bristol" (p. 15). "See, as Pip and you both explained, the only way to fly over Bristol towards Surrey is to come from the west.  Now, where did I put that map? Oh yes, here it is." Pulling out a large map book labeled the Lexicon, Meg flips through the pages till she finds what she was looking for. "Right here, Grey Wolf,  Bristol lies between Ottery St. Catchpole and Surrey. You see, this would explain while Harry is so calm when he arrives at Privet Drive and why Hagrid flew over Bristol. He had spent the day being distracted by the Weasleys, was tired from such a day, and consequently was able to fall asleep during the flight. Otherwise, Harry would have still been screaming from the trauma." Grey Wolf drops a note at her feet that reads "What about memory charms?" Frowning, she glares at Grey Wolf. "Yes, I know they have been brought up. But that is simply impossible. Harry remembers the attack. He dreams about the attack on several occasions. If he was under a memory charm, he wouldn't. And I don't think memory charms wear off. I will have to check my Memory Charm symposium notes, but what kind of masochist would put a temporary memory charm on a child that will spend the next ten years of his life in the company of Muggles? Especially since the memories are back, at least partially when he is eleven." Patting Grey Wolf, she reassures him, "I am not mad at you, I know you are just bringing up things you hear on the mainland."



Moving over to her second can(n)on, marked with MW, Meg points out that it is a little shakier. "I even had to duct taped it down to prevent it from falling overboard." Noticing Grey Wolf's stares at the MW, Meg explains, "MW stands for Molly Weasley. This can(n)on was built on the reaction of the Weasleys to Harry. The kids seem to be in awe of him while Molly almost immediately assumes a mothering role over him. Grey drops a note in her lap that reads "While Molly may be mothering to all children she runs across, Harry's case is overdone, suggesting that she has taken care of him before." This note is signed with a paw print. 

"Of course you are right, Grey Wolf, see, it's right here in SS." Meg reaches below deck to grab the battered copy of SS. "See right here:

"You've already seen him, Ginny, and the poor boy isn't something you goggle at in the zoo. Is he really, Fred? How do you know? 

"Asked him. Saw his scar. It's really there - like lightning" 

"Poor dear - no wonder he was alone, I wondered. He was ever so polite when he asked how to get onto the platform" 

"Never mind that, do you think he remembers what You-Know-Who looks like?"

Their mother suddenly became very stern. "I forbid you to ask him, Fred. No, don't you dare. As though he needs reminding of that on his first day of school." (p. 97)


Snapping the book shut, Meg looks over to see Grey Wolf nodding in agreement. "Let's just put your note where it belongs." Meg places this note under the one of the wheels of the MW can(n)on and it stops tilting to the right. "Much better. See, Molly's reaction is much different from the people in the Leaky Cauldron. There, everyone stopped what they were doing to meet the famous Boy who lived. Molly on the other hand seems more concerned with making sure that Harry is not reminded of the trauma he faced as a child. She keeps referring to him as the poor boy as if she remembers a screaming toddler rather than child she met for the first time a few moments before."



        Scanning the bay, Meg notices a buoy floating in the water. Grabbing her net, she quickly scoops up the offending litter. Inscribed on the buoy are the words Hagrid took Harry to a bar. "Now this simply won't do," says Meg, frowning. "We are talking about time when you didn't know who to trust. The child who had just defeated the dark lord would not have been safe. Any DE could have kidnapped him or worse." Looking down, Meg notices that she has picked the buoy apart and it will clearly no longer float. Meg flings the buoy into the cabin, hearing it hit the wall with a satisfying thud. Regaining her composure, she turns her attention back to Grey Wolf. "Rather," she continues, "Hagrid could have dropped Harry off and then gone on to the nearest pub to drowned his sorrows in a pint or two or six. But before he left, he could have borrowed the fireplace to call and check in with Professor McGonagall. You know, the I won't be at Hogwart's today, official Hogwart's business at all, could you feed Fang, and by the way tell Professor Dumbledore that I rescued Harry from Godric's Hollow and he is safe, we will meet him at 4 Privet Drive, Little Whinging tonight, thanks kind of phone call that would have agitated her enough for her to leave Hogwarts and head to the Dursleys. Besides, it could very well be that the rumors were already flying as the MoM started to investigate the ruins of Godric's Hollow. And besides, Hagrid does not drink when he has a responsibility. He refuses Tom in the pub when he takes Harry to Diagon Alley. He has a drink later when his jobs are done, but until they are completed, he is responsible enough to abstain from drinking. Therefore, I do not think he took Harry, a 15 month old child, to a pub for the day." Retrieving the buoy bits, she waves her wand over them, "Repario". The buoy bits reassemble themselves into a small can(n)on with a large owl on the side. "The owl must be for the rumors that went flying in the 24 hours after Voldermort's downfall." Meg picks up the can(n)on and lugs it to the cabin. "Here, it can guard the head. That's all rumors are good for," Meg says with a giggle.



Seeing that her can(n)ons are safely stowed, Meg turns her eyes back to the open Bay. She guides her vessel over to the Safe House and lets Grey Wolf off. "Thank you for a wonderful day Grey Wolf. Maybe one day you will enlist as a permanent part of the crew?" She watches with a sigh as Grey Wolf runs back up to the Safe House. Pushing off from the wharf, Meg guides her boat back to the open waters of the bay to drop anchor for the night. Hearing a wolf's howl, she wishes on the first star of the evening and hopes that just maybe she might find a small crew to help her with her vessel.

 

A Cal 20 is a type of racing sailboat. Small and quick, it is easily maneuvered out of the way of passing Can(n)ons. 

All references come from SS US Hardback edition.



Meg



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