Disclaimer: The following is a work of fiction based on the characters and events of the Harry Potter series, written and trademarked by J.K. Rowling. I claim no ownership to any of the characters I have borrowed and tortured from her franchise. Said torturing occurs for the lone purpose of free entertainment and does not dare to call itself part of the official storyline. No financial profit will be gained from the creation and publication of such torturing. I'd like to express my gratitude to J.K. Rowling, without whom, my childhood would have been dull, and my fascination with the martyrdom, persecution, and distress of her characters unexplored.
Alert: To anyone who has already been following this fic, please go back and read it again. I've massively reworked a lot of the plotline, which you will miss without rereading the first two chapters. Plus, the original first chapter has been split into two, so the previous second chapter is now the third chapter, and all of them have gotten longer. Good? Okay, you may go.
Chapter Four: Who Harry Needed to Be to Cope
2001
Delivered by Appa-Owl to Mr. Harry Potter, Sept. 20th at 3:37 p.m.
I met someone in Australia 5 months ago. We've become something more than friends since then. I meant to tell you earlier, but was afraid and thought it would fall through, but as of two weeks ago, we are engaged.
I'm sorry you have to find out like this.
-Ginny
_o_
Delivered by Appa-Owl to Seeker Ginny Weasley-Potter, Sept. 20th at 5:20 p.m.
I want to talk to you face-to-face.
_o_
Delivered by Appa-Owl to Mr. Harry Potter, Sept. 20th at 5:43 p.m.
That's not a good idea.
-Ginny
_o_
Delivered by Appa-Owl to Seeker Ginny Weasley-Potter, Sept. 20th at 5:57 p.m.
I don't fucking care. I'm going to be there in an hour.
_o_
Delivered by Appa-Owl to Mr. Harry Potter, Sept. 20th at 6:04 p.m.
You won't have any luck, Harry. I'm not at the hotel anymore.
-Ginny
_o_
Delivered by Appa-Owl to Seeker Ginny Weasley-Potter, Sept. 20th at 6:13 p.m.
Then I'll come to the next match. You can't avoid me forever.
_o_
Delivered by Appa-Owl to Mr. Harry Potter, Sept. 20th at 6:28 p.m.
I'm resigning in a week, Harry. It's not a good idea to meet in person.
-Ginny
_o_
Delivered by Appa-Owl to Seeker Ginny Weasley-Potter, Sept. 20th at 6:43 p.m. Howler charm disarmed. Message is as follows. Uncertain words have been put in parentheses for your convenience:
Why the (duck) would you do this to me Jenny| Was (is) I always a good husband | Did I give what you need | I deserve to (me) face to face | Give me that at least |
_o_
Delivered by Appa-Owl to Seeker Ginny Weasley-Potter, Sept. 20th at 7:34 p.m.
So you're ignoring me now?
_o_
Delivered by Appa-Owl to Seeker Ginny Weasley-Potter, Sept. 20th at 7:49 p.m.
This is childish. Answer me.
_o_
Delivered by Appa-Owl to Seeker Ginny Weasley-Potter, Sept. 20th at 8:04 p.m.
I mean it.
_o_
Delivered by Appa-Owl to Seeker Ginny Weasley-Potter, Sept. 20th at 8:12 p.m.
We at least have to meet to discuss divorce, don't we?
_o_
Delivered by Appa-Owl to Seeker Ginny Weasley-Potter, Sept. 20th at 8:56 p.m.
Fine. Have fun fucking your new toy.
Delivered by Appa-Owl to Seeker Ginny Weasley-Potter, Sept. 21st at 3:26 a.m.
Whatever I did, I'm sorry.
_o_
Delivered by Appa-Owl to Seeker Ginny Weasley-Potter, Sept. 21st at 12:25 p.m.
Are you going to come by to get your things?
Sent through Appa-Owl to Seeker Ginny Weasley-Potter, Sept. 22nd at 8:36 a.m., Message Canceled by Sender
I miss you.
Hermione's Journal - October 20th
Harry went to see a therapist today. He only went after I got Kingsley involved, which is pretty much the only way I get him to do things like this. And by "this" I mean things that might confront him with irrefutable proof that everything isn't fine, the way he wants to think. His therapist suggested that we all write journals concerning our thoughts on Harry's illness - observations, doubts, concerns, etc. Of course, neither he nor Ron are all that enthusiastic about it, but they aren't enthusiastic about anything other than Quidditch.
I'll have to keep a close eye on him, I think. Even as we're all writing our first entries, he keeps looking at me, like he's waiting for me to turn my attention elsewhere.
_o_
Harry's Journal - October 20th
Hermione's staring at me while I'm writing this. I'm still not sure how it's supposed to help, but with her here, I have to write something.
Yes, I collapsed last Thursday. It's not as if it's that big a deal. We knew there would be some long-term effects from Voldemort's curse. It isn't new information.
Except Hermione, McGonagall, and Kingsley all apparently think it is.
It's happened before, but I was fine about ten minutes afterwards. So obviously I was provoked. Malfoy's always been a git, and it's his fault I got all worked up. So really, there's nothing to worry about.
Delivered by Appa-Owl to Mr. Harry Potter, Oct. 20th at 8:56 p.m
Harry, please just leave it.
-Ginny
Hermione's Journal - Nov. 1st
Harry's been getting worse ever since he went to Malfoy Manor. This morning he finally told us that it had begun 2 1/2 years ago. How he managed to hide this long, I'll never know, but there's no way he could have hid it much longer. He faints just about every week, and each time he's obviously distressed. I haven't mentioned it to Ron, but I think Ginny leaving hit him harder than I thought. I caught him crying over a paper three days ago, and when I asked about it, he clammed up and wouldn't say anything. He still wears his ring, which can hardly be an encouraging sign.
Ron's Journal - Nov. 23rd
I don't know. Harry's been acting all fucky lately. We all know he has trouble with his left leg, but whenever any of us try to help him with anything, he snaps and starts to pout. Mione's going out of her mind with worry, especially since he moved back into his and Ginny's old flat. Kingsley tried to bully him into keeping some guards around the place, but before he could finish, Harry shut the door in his face and wouldn't come out. Then he started shouting about how he wouldn't let anyone kill themselves for him.
He might be going out of his mind.
ERROR. We were unable to deliver your message to "GINNY WEASLEY-POTTER." There are not (currently) any person(s) by that name. Did you mean "JENNY WEASLEY-PORTER," "GINNY WEASLEY" or "GINNY PIPER"?
We are very sorry for the inconvenience, and suggest that you check the spelling and punctuation of the name.
Your aborted message is as follows:
Please come back.
Thank you for choosing Appa-Owl for your long-distance messaging purposes.
Timestamped Nov. 30th.
Hermione's Journal - Dec. 16th
It's his own fault really. But this only proves I was right to worry. He should have let Kingsley place some aurors in the flat with him, because now look where he is. Lying in a hospital bed again, unconscious. Obviously, they knew where he lived, he was never careful about that. And the wards weren't very strong. We're just lucky that Ron and Seamus were visiting, otherwise I fear they may have carried him off.
In other news, I've begun to screen Harry's mail after I saw the Appa-owl letter that bounced. After a few days of even darker depression, he tried to send it again, without the Potter at the end, but I threw it away. I haven't let him send anything since.
2002
Harry's Journal - Jan. 14th
Yeah, so it happened again. Even with the safehouse Kingsley put me in. I really feel fine. A bit of a headache, but that's all. Besides, I could have taken them by myself. There were only three, after all.
Ron's Journal - Feb. 27th
Harry's in the hospital again. I told Hermione that at this rate, we might as well just buy season passes, but she didn't seem to appreciate my sense of humor.
March 11th, Present Day: St Mungo's Hospital for Magical Maladies and Injuries
There was a troll beating on the inside of his skull. A very angry troll, at that. To Harry, there seemed to be no other explanation for the splitting pain that plagued him, unless someone had splattered his head on the pavement and then promptly sewed him back together, but he couldn't remember anything like that happening.
He blinked, and the troll beat harder. "Did it happen again, then?" he asked aloud, hoping there was someone nearby to hear him.
"Harry! You're awake!" A delighted Hermione appeared above him.
"Of course I'm awake," Harry muttered irritably. "I woke up every time before, didn't I?"
"Yes, but that's not the point," she replied matter-of-factly before her tone turned serious. "The nurse said that it's progressing."
Harry groaned. "Hermione, not this. I'm tired of hearing that I'm going to die. I've been hearing that ever since first year in Divination. Can't you just leave it?"
Frowning, Hermione shook her head. "I can't leave it alone unless you're going to deal with it, and I don't see that happening without some prompting."
He looked away, ignoring her the best he could.
Faced with the side of his head, Hermione sighed and relented, turning to more pressing matters. "There's been a new development I thought you might like to know about," she began, noticing the way that it immediately seized his attention. "They weren't all Death Eaters this time."
Eyebrows raised, Harry waited, and, when he noticed her pausing, gestured for her to go on.
"By the time we got there, two of them were gone, but when forensics ran a residue test, we found the Stupefy that one of them cast, and it matched up with an American auror from New York who went missing a month ago."
With a sigh, Harry sat up a little further, wincing as a shot of pain ran through his brain. "You mean the Death Eaters managed to convert an Auror?"
"It gets worse."
"Don't tell me."
"He was working one of the Unspeakable cases."
"Dammit."
Hermione looked at him with an unreadable expression. "You know, I'm not supposed to be telling you this."
"I'm not a china doll like those Ministry idiots keep trying to tell you. I can handle it."
"But your injury, Harry. If you'd just-"
"Hermione, I thought we went over this." His tone was resigned. "Can we just leave it?"
She looked as if she wanted to pursue the subject, but he was saved by a tall black man who entered only after a soft knock.
"Harry. I trust you're recovering well?" The man came to a stop beside his bed and checked the clipboard hanging on the wall.
"I trust I'm recovering better than that poor man you sent to guard me without my knowledge," Harry replied tiredly, finding himself lacking the strength for anything more vicious.
With a sigh, the man met Harry's faintly spiteful gaze. "For your protection," he clarified. "The Death Eaters are primarily attacking you, someone we can't afford to lose."
"What are you possibly going to lose?" Harry wondered bitterly. "A figurehead for your pointless campaign? A body taking up space? Another worry on your mind?" He ignored Hermione's scandalized exclamation and continued. "I don't know why you bother, Kingsley."
The man shook his head and changed the subject. "Unfortunately, there are no safehouses in which we can currently place you-"
"Good," Harry muttered.
"-but we are working on finding a suitable match as fast as we can manage."
To this, Harry didn't answer and simply stared at the acting Minister until, with a weary manner, he departed.
"Does he really think I'm going to go along with this?" Harry asked rhetorically, glaring at the door.
"He managed it last time," Hermione murmured softly, returning his angry gaze with a level stare. "Besides, Harry. He's right. We can't let them have you."
"Why not? It's not as if I'm good for anything anymore."
"Don't say that, Harry-"
"But it's true, and you know it! With this damn thing plaguing me, I can't imagine what good I could possibly do."
"The people need moral suppor-"
"Oh fuck the people. They don't give a fuck about me anymore! They all think Voldemort's gone, and so now I'm just a little trophy hero sitting on the shelf."
"Harry, you don't understa-"
"Fine."
Hermione sat back, looking hurt by the venom in his tone. He almost wanted to assure her that everything was alright, and that he didn't really mean anything he said, but that would be a lie, and he was done with those.
"I'll go get some lunch," she murmured softly, avoiding his gaze as she swept out of the room.
As the door swung shut behind her, Harry groaned quietly, massaging his temples. She would probably be in the elevator crying now, and when Ron came, he'd want to know why, and then probably get mad, and then everything would become a vicious circle. Maybe he ought to go get the nurse to put him out.
But instead, something more interesting walked through the door and smiled at him.
"Hi Harry, do you remember me?" the Patil sister asked.
Yes, we're finally in the present day! From now on, the fic should proceed without so many dates and articles and text-letters.
How do you like my Harry? Is he okay? (I've never felt all that confident in my Harrys.)
And I promise I'm not a Ginny-basher, I just... Well, just wait.
That's it for this update, I hope you enjoyed and reviewed! Also, if you made it this far, according to my story stats, you're just about 25%. I'm not asking much in the way of reviews, just maybe a plus or a minus sign to let me know where you liked it or disliked it respectively?