Chapter two

The following morning Kingsley and Minerva were talking quietly at the staff table in the ruined great hall. The other staff that wasn't in the hospital wing were also sitting having some breakfast. Students and adults alike were scattered around the large room, some eating, others talking. Kingsley and Minerva saw a stag patronus walked towards him.

'Isn't that Harry's patronus?' Kingsley asked.

'Yes, he is the only person that produces a stag. It's not talking, but then again, Harry might not have learned how to get his patronus to talk.'

'I better go see if something is wrong,' Kingsley hurried from the hall and to the third floor. He knocked and opened the door to Harry's room, 'Harry, are you okay?'

'Kingsley,' Harry called from the other room, 'I need help.'

Kingsley raced into the other room, 'What's going on and why aren't you dressed?'

'Um,' Harry reached out a hand, 'I can't see anything, I couldn't find my clothes.'

Kingsley stepped over to Harry and moved his hand across his face, 'You can't see, what in the blazes is going on?'

'I don't know Kingsley, but,' Harry sighed, 'I've been walking around the room for hours, ended up making a mess, luckily I found my wand to clean up. Can you tell me where the bathroom is and my clothes?'

'Okay, let's start with the bathroom,' Kingsley took Harry's arm and led him into the small bathroom, 'I'll stay just outside the door, let me know where you're finished.'

'Thanks, then I need to see Madame Pomfrey. Maybe one of the times Voldemort dropped me on my head caused this.'

'Yes, it might be, take your time,' Kingsley pulled the door closed then sent his patronus off to Minerva and Poppy. After a few minutes he heard Harry, 'Here, let me help,' Kingsley took Harry's arm again then led him over to the bed, 'Just sit, you need more than your head healed, your body is covered in cuts, burns and bruises. So Poppy will need to see them anyway. I sent my patronus to her, she should be here any minute.'

'Kingsley, what's going on?' Minerva asked as she walked in with Poppy.

'Harry can't see,' Kingsley gestured towards Harry who was looking around the room.

'Let me take a look at you Mr. Potter,' Poppy moved towards him and started to do some healing charms over his eyes and head.

'He dropped me a few times, once I hit my head pretty hard.'

'Just let me concentrate,' Poppy said and kept her wand moving not just over his face but over his bare chest and legs, 'First take this,' she placed a potion in Harry's hand, 'That will help with the cuts and burns you have.'

Harry drank the potion, 'Thanks, but why can't I see?'

'I need you to tell me if a dark spell hit you at all.'

'Yeah, the killing curse, why?' Poppy looked at Kingsley and Minerva, shaking her head, 'You're silence is killing me here, what's going on?'

'Do you know where the killing curse hit you?'

Harry concentrated, 'No, it was too fast. I saw it coming, then nothing. Now what's going on, can you fix my eyes?'

'The spell hit your face, or more accurately, your eyes.'

'Okay, so what can you do?'

'Mr. Potter, you can never heal dark magic completely, it will always leave traces, like your scar.'

'So you're saying I'm blind, is that it?' Harry screwed up his face, but silence fell again, 'Fucking tell me, I'm blind, aren't I,' Harry yelled.

'Calm down Mr. Potter, but yes, I'm sorry.'

'Calm down, yeah, right,' Harry turned his head away from where the sounds were coming from, 'See Kingsley, more shit, it's just one thing after another, it hasn't stopped just because he's dead, I'm still fucked.'

Kingsley jerked his head to the two women to leave, then he sat beside Harry, 'We'll help, you know that.'

'No, I'll find somewhere to go. Where are my clothes?'

Kingsley placed each piece of clothing in Harry's hands and waited until he finished dressing.

'You're not getting a say in this and since you can't see, you can't fight me here. So the first thing is to show you where everything is in this room.'

Harry sagged, 'Why, after everything, why this?'

'I don't know Harry, but we'll help you adapt to this. People can learn to live with blindness, you will as well.'

'All I ever wanted was a normal life, to be like everyone else, now I can't see to dress myself. You can't help Kingsley, you've got the job of fixing our world. I won't let my friends put their lives on hold for me either. It's not bloody fair Kingsley, it's like I'm being punished or something. What have I done to deserve this?'

'Nothing, the spell hit your eyes instead of another part of you, if it did, you probably would have another scar. But as to what you said, yes I have a lot of work to do, but we can work something out. There's plenty of people that can help and there's plenty that will gladly help.'

'No, I don't want anyone to know. Blimey Kingsley, imagine if any of his supporters heard about this, I'd be helpless. So please, as a friend, don't tell the public about this. Keep it just between a few that won't tell anyone.'

'Why do you have to be so sensible and so right? Okay, the public won't know, but I will work on a few people that won't repeat this that can give you a hand until you learn what you need. I'm sure Poppy knows someone that is experienced with blind people.'

'Blind, there goes being an auror or anything else for that matter. It's lucky I'm rich,' Harry sighed, 'I'm fine, why don't you go work, you have enough to do.'

'Not until I show you around this room, that way you won't piss yourself again.'

Harry heard the humour in Kingsley's voice and even though he was angry and upset, he couldn't help smiling, then he hit some part of Kingsley, not knowing which part.

'Prat and never tell anyone about that.'

Kingsley snickered, 'I promise to never repeat that our saviour pissed himself. Now get that arse of yours up and we'll get to work.'

'Fine and when did you turn into a smart arse?'

'I always was, I just couldn't show it before. Think about it Harry, none of us could really show our true selves. This might shock you though, something personal about me that hardly anyone knows.'

'Okay, but not a lot shocks me anymore, so tell me.'

'Did you know I'm gay and I've lived with a bloke for three years?'

'No, so is he like you, dark, an auror, what?'

'You're really not shocked hearing I shag blokes.'

'No, I wasn't shocked when Dumbledore told me he was gay or when Sirius told me he was gay and I'm not even shocked that I think I'm gay, still trying to work that out though.'

'You dated Ginny, from what I heard snogged her a lot.'

'I did, but over the last few months I realised a lot of the times I was with her was a good distraction from what he was doing. I know that's not a nice thing to say, but I think that's why I dated her, it helped. Another thing, even though I never had a chance to think about all this, I had enough to deal with, I wasn't ready to deal with all the snide remarks or crude comments. That would have been distracting.'

'True and people were always talking about you and after what you told me, yes, you needed to stay focused. Now come on Potter, let's show you this room so you don't walk into things and bloody up that face of yours. Oh and think of this, no more glasses.'

'Still a smart arse,' Harry shook his head but stood up. Then Kingsley started to slowly take him around the room, showing him where everything was and more importantly how to get from the bed to the bathroom so there would be no more accidents. Kingsley knew this was going to take a long time for Harry to learn to live with his blindness. He just hoped Poppy knew someone that could help.