Disclaimer: All recognizable characters belong to J.K. Rowling, and I am not earning anything by writing this story.

Thanks a lot to my beta-reader, xxcassxxcullenxx, for correcting my mistakes.

I also would like to thank my motovation betas!

I'm not a native speaker of English!


Chapter 4 – The Clinic

-II-

"Harry, we would like to talk with you when you have changed and washed. Would you like some tea or hot chocolate?"

"Hot chocolate, please. I will be back in a minute."

Harry nervously bit his bottom lip when he came back into the living room. "Am I in trouble?"

"No, please sit down, Harry."

"You are not telling me that you will divorce, will you. I mean there is still so much more time to—"

"We don't want to speak with you about us, Harry. We need to speak about you."

Harry gulped and sat down. He wasn't sure if he wanted to hear what they wanted to talk about with him, but he knew he had no choice.

-II-

"How are you, Harry?" Ivy asked.

"Fine," Harry answered quickly, too quickly.

Severus and Ivy scowled at him.

Harry sighed. "Maybe things don't go as smoothly as they should."

"Which things?" Severus asked sternly.

"Classes?"

"Harry, I didn't want a question but an answer. A honest one. Henry says you are very distracted and starting to become unmotivated. Your teachers say the same and in my class you have almost blown up three cauldrons, even though Potions was one of your favorites. Then there are your eating habits. Your mother says you hardly eat at all lately and we can't control you during the meals in the great hall." Ivy laid a hand over Severus to make him slow down. It was maybe the first body contact she initiated since the crisis, and so Severus stopped shortly. "Henry says your energy level is down and that this could only been caused by lack of sleep. We are very worried, Harry."

"I'm fine, I will get it under control!" Harry said, agitated.

Both his adoptive parents sighed. "Harry, I can still remember this sentence from last year. Can you also remember how we replied to it?" Severus asked

Harry looked down. He didn't want to see their faces anymore. Whatever the end of this conversation would be, he definitely wouldn't like it, that he was sure about. "That my goal shouldn't be to get anything under control. That I shouldn't pressure myself."

"Exactly," Severus and Ivy said in unison which made them look at each other.

"Harry, we know it is a hard situation for you at the moment. I'm sorry that I'm the one responsible for it, but you shouldn't worry yourself with our probl—" Severus started but was interrupted by Harry.

"No, stop this. I'm sick of hearing you all say that it isn't my problem. It is my problem. Do you have any idea how it is to live for years in a living hell and then be placed in this former perfect little family? It took me so long to feel safe and certain that I won't lose you and now this all is taken away from me like I always feared."

"You don't lose us, Harry. We are still your parents and will always be there for you. It's not as perfect as it may have been before, but you can always go to one of us if you have problems. Severus is still close by, and I never tried to stop you from visiting him," Ivy said.

"It's not the same."

"No, it's not, Harry, but there is nothing you can do about it. Even if you would write Outstandings in all classes this wouldn't change the situation between your mother and me," Severus said sadly. "But we are here to speak about you and not us. Henry and James say we can't ignore your problems any longer or they will become serious. We need to do something. They suggested that you stay at the clinic for some days, so they can—"

"No!" Harry jumped up, and his chair clattered down behind him. "You can't send me away. I will get it under... I will be better."

Severus sighed, and in Ivy's eyes formed tears. "Harry, this is not about getting better in classes. This is serious. Your health is in danger. Look at yourself in a mirror. You are already losing weight and the rings under your eyes are horrible," Severus said seriously.

"I'm fine! I will not go into the clinic. You can't make me go there!" Harry was screaming now.

"Okay, that's enough." Severus was up in a second and grabbed Harry by his arm. "We will go pack your things and then I will bring you over to the clinic."

"No, please!" Harry pleaded and tried to wriggle out of Severus' grip. "I promise I will be... I... damn, I will do whatever you want!"

"I want you to stop fighting me and help me to pack your things for the clinic."

Harry shook his head, but didn't dare to struggle anymore.

Ivy accompanied them and helped Severus to pack a bag for Harry, while Harry was lying face down on his bed and cried. It was unfair. He couldn't do anything against his sleeping problems and that he wasn't hungry lately. He also had no idea why he wasn't able to concentrate and do his homework. For Harry it felt as if they were punishing him for his weakness by sending him into the clinic. He didn't see Severus leave the room while Ivy still packing his things or that shortly after he came back with James in tow.

"What's wrong, Harry?" James asked while he sat down on Harry's bed.

"You know what's wrong. You have convinced them to send me away!" Harry screamed in his cushion.

"This is not meant as a punishment or for locking you away, Harry. We want to make a few tests and see if we can get your sleeping problems under control."

"And then you will find a reason to keep me there, and I will miss more stuff, and then I will have to repeat the year. I had caught up with the others. I was doing well. Now everything is going worse again."

"Things have changed, I know, Harry. Still you need to learn to live with the current situation. Your health is critical at the moment, and we all are worried. We don't want to wait and let it become worse. We will do a few tests and try to get to the bottom of your problems and look for a solution. I think a few days out of here will do you well."

"A few days," Harry said sarcastically.

"Yes, a few days. I think three will do or seven at the maximum."

"I don't want to go!"

"Harry, you need help. Henry and I are certain that it will be better to talk with you outside Hogwarts and run the tests in the clinic. Severus, Ivy and the rest of the family will visit you."

Harry wasn't getting enough oxygen, so he was forced to turn his head to the side to get more air into his lungs. He stared at the wall and pitied himself. Slowly he saw this all as a chance to get some fresh air. He didn't have to feign to be the happy brother to Eathan and Lysander or the good son for Ivy or the strong son for Severus. No longer would he need to see the ruins of his family in front of him. "Three days."

"Seven at the maximum. Next Friday you will be back at least. I'm sure Hermione will supply you with the stuff you will miss in classes. With Henry's help you will catch up with your classmates again. Maybe you will have new energy and power when you are back and it will even be easier. Right now it is only hard work and very frustrating and depressing for you."

James was right. Harry turned on his back. He saw Severus lean against the wall close to the door and Ivy standing in front of his packed bag. She looked very worried, and Harry felt bad for making her even more problems than she already had. "Okay."

James smiled. "Fine." He petted Harry's arm and gestured him to stand up. "Will you both come with us?" James asked in Ivy's and Severus' direction. They both shared a glance and then they said in unison, "Of course."

Harry had never been in the clinic where James and Henry worked. When he stepped out of the fireplace, he was surprised. The walls weren't white like in the hospital wing; they were in a beige tone and many kindly wall paintings and pictures were making the whole place very comforting and friendly.

"Ah, our new guest," a friendly, chubby, elderly nurse said while she came over to them. "I'm nurse Anne. I'm the head nurse of this ward." She offered first Harry and then Ivy and Severus her hand.

"Harry, why don't you go with Anne, and I will do meddlesome paperwork with your parents?" James asked.

Harry nodded and took his bag from Ivy. "Will you two still be there or will you leave?"

Ivy and Severus looked over to James.

"Of course they will still be there. We will come to your room when we are finished, Harry," James assured his patient.

Nervously Harry followed the nurse. She explained a few rooms to him. They passed the big lounge were some kids were watching TV and others played cards and the dining room. A few therapy rooms like the art room and cushion room Harry also saw people on his way to his room. "This is Victor, Harry. He will be your roommate for your stay here. Victor this is Harry."

"As if anyone wouldn't know him," Victor said cheerfully. "Hey, Harry, welcome to shrink city."

The boy was around Harry's age, maybe a bit older, and had short, brown hair and some freckles on his face.

Harry didn't know what he should reply to this and was surprised that Anne just rolled her eyes and smiled good-naturedly at Victor. "Will you help Harry unpack, Victor?"

"Sure," the boy said and jumped up from his bed where he had read a book.

When Anne was out, Harry said, "You don't need to help me."

"Oh, but it will go so much faster when I do. I could show you shrink city then. We have a few cool places here."

"My parents will come soon. They are just doing some paperwork with James, ehm Healer Smith."

"Oh, maybe later then. Still I will help you unpack. Look that's your cupboard. We need to be tidy here. The nurses check the cupboards each day. You also need to make your bed each morning and don't put any clothes on the floor. Otherwise we are very free to do with the room what we want."

"Do we need to spend a lot of time in the room?" Harry asked curious. Not that he was interested in leaving it soon. Still he would like to have some time alone.

"No, only during bedtime and nap time."

"Nap time?" Harry asked, shocked.

"We are supposed to rest and be calm from one to two-thirty in the afternoon. The morning most of us spend in classes or have special therapies or tests or whatever you are here for. After nap time we have open therapies or again private sessions. That all depends on why you are here. I mean... the newspapers wrote a lot about you and..."

"I would prefer not to speak about it. It's my past. I'm not here because of it. I have problems in school and some other small problems. They want to do some test, and I only have to stay three to seven days." Harry shoved the last shirt in the cupboard and closed it. When he looked at Victor, he saw that the boy held Ossy in his hands and stared at it. Why did they have to put Ossy in the bag and when did they do it. Wasn't the Ostrich chick plushy sitting all the time on Harry's bed while Ivy had packed his bag?

"Ehm... my mom packed my things. Give it to me, and I can put it back in the bag."

"It's... strange."

Great. That was what Harry needed. Now his roommate thought he was strange. Harry grabbed the ostrich and his bag and went over to his bed.

"Are you mad now? I mean it really looks odd, doesn't it? Okay, mine doesn't look much better. Sometimes it is more the feeling attached to it that is important or the reason why you got it. Mine is from my mother. She... she is dead."

Harry had avoided looking at Victor, but his last words made him look up worried because Victor sounded very sad. Victor had sat down on his bed and held a penguin in his hands.

"It's very old. She gave it to me when I was four." Victor petted the penguin affectionately.

"I'm sorry," Harry said and felt very stupid for it.

Victor looked up, surprised. "I'm glad you are here. I hate it living alone in this room. The last guy had moved out three days ago."

"How long have you been here?"

"Three months." He pulled his trouser leg up, and Harry could see several wounds. They were almost parallel and of the same size. "I cut myself, and I still can't really control it. I often wish I could do it here as well, but there is no possibility here."

Harry still stared at Victor's wounds. The boy had done this to himself? Only when Victor let his trouser leg drop again because James and Harry's parents came into the room, Harry could pull his eyes away.

"Victor, these are Harry's parents. Will you leave us alone for a few minutes?" James asked.

"Sure," Victor said, cheerful again, and left the room.

Ivy sat down beside Harry, while Severus and James sat down on the two chairs of the room. Ossy was taken from his hands, and Ivy placed the plushy on her lap and petted it. Harry didn't know what he should say or do, and so he just watched Ivy pet his plushy.

"You will not tell me now that you just tricked me, and I have to stay here for months, right?" Harry asked fearfully after an uncomfortable moment of silence.

Ivy sighed. "We didn't trick you, Harry. It's like James had told you. Three to seven days."

"Why are you so sad then?"

"Because I know that we are responsible that you are not well, Harry. I feel guilty for it, and Severus as well. We never wanted to pull you into our problems and still you suffered because Severus and I have a problem." Tears fell down on Ossy, and his already unhealthy looking fur now was looking even worse.

Harry looked down and gulped against the lump in his throat. It was his fault that Ivy felt bad. She was sad because he wasn't able to be the strong son Severus wanted him to be for her. So he had disappointed Severus as well. He was such a bad son to them. He deserved to be sent away. "I will get better. When I come back, you won't have to worry anymore. I promise. I will get it under con..." Harry sighed. He knew that they hated this sentence.

Ivy place Ossy on the bed and laid her hands on Harry's. "Please don't pressure yourself, Harry. You know from experience that this brings you nowhere. Let James and Henry help you, and do the tests they want you to do. We will come and visit you each afternoon." She looked with those sad eyes at him and cubbed his cheeks with her hands. "We love you, Harry. Nothing can change that." She pulled him closer to kiss his forehead. Then she quickly stood up and left the room.

"I'll try to come over as soon as possible, Harry. Maybe I can bring Remus or Draco along one day." Severus laid his hand on Harry's shoulder, but the whole gesture seemed forced and mechanical. For Harry it was a sign of the disappointment his father had about his behavior. Harry hadn't been able to do what he had asked of him. He had worried Ivy even more.

When they had left, Harry just sat on the bed motionless. He could feel James' eyes on him, but it didn't matter. He had failed ,and he needed to suffer for it.


Now you know were this story is leading, but not the whole story will be about his stay in the clinic. I wanted to write this story just about the clinic and a few weeks after it, but as you all convinced me to write a long sequel, I will just go on and write the rest of the year in that sequel. So part 3 will be about the summer then. I hope you are happy now. Please reward me with reviews! :)