Harry stood outside the Headmaster's Office, frowning as he tried to remember the password. The Quidditch strategy meeting had just ended, and it had left him with a headache. He still hadn't adjusted to Angelina's new tactics.
"What was the password Professor McGonagall told me yesterday... Chocolate... chocolate cake? No, that's not it. Chocolate Basque!"
The door opened. Delighted, Harry slipped inside. "Professor."
Dumbledore stood by the window, lost in thought. When Harry entered, he nodded. "Have a seat, Harry."
"Is something troubling you?" Harry asked as he sat down. Dumbledore seemed a little strange.
"Just the thoughts of an old man." Dumbledore returned to his chair and drew his wand. "Shall we begin?"
Harry nodded, and Dumbledore pressed the wand to his forehead.
Dumbledore began drawing something silvery-white from Harry's head, altering his memories.
He had chosen to extract some memories, then place fabricated ones in Harry's mind.
It wasn't especially difficult. In the original timeline, Hermione had altered her parents' memories before her seventh year, and Slughorn had fabricated a memory in Harry's sixth year.
Slughorn had made that false memory to conceal the fact that he had once explained how to make Horcruxes to a young Tom Riddle.
For Dumbledore, it was simpler still. His reason was simple too: if Harry made contact with Voldemort, he must not reveal any intelligence.
Tonight was the final adjustment. Dumbledore had to make sure Harry's memories contained no gaps and nothing about Will or Snape.
Once they had successfully deceived Voldemort, they would restore Harry's memories.
After Harry left the Headmaster's Office in a daze, Dumbledore did not rest. He waited for someone else.
About fifteen minutes later, the door opened and a red-haired young man entered. Though it was nighttime, he was still impeccably groomed.
"Good evening, Professor