When Harry woke up, the first thing he realized was the lack of pain. Oh he was definitely sore, but it was more comparable to a hard session of quidditch than being tortured for hours and then having an unexpected night sex shower. Just thinking about it, he felt the warmth on his cheeks. It had been glorious. He could still feel this hands touching his body and... a shiver passed through all his body.

"I assume you slept well?" Blaise's voice.
"Yes, thank you. You certainly know how to exhaust someone." He heard him laugh a bit.
"You don't regret it then...?" Was it uncertainty?
"Really? That was glorious! There's no way I could regret this. I've never thought sex could be this good. I just hope Poppy never discover this, or we would die in the hour." Another laugh.

"I'm afraid she already knows. And we are still alive."
"What? How?!"
It was bad. Very, very bad.

"Well, I discovered after you fell asleep that she has a certain kind of monitor charms on the bathroom. She luckily didn't heard a word, but she knows what we did."
"Indeed." Poppy's voice was heard from behind the curtains. "And if I didn't, I certainly would know now. You are quite loud this morning Mr Potter."

Alright, he was dead now, he was sure of it. Well dead for dead...

"Damn. At least I can die happy now that I've experienced this. I'm ready Poppy, you can execute me." And he laid his arms wide open in a dramatic fashion. To his surprise, she laughed. Laughed at him! Was it the end of the world?

"If you are quite finished being cheeky, I have breakfast for you. I'm sure after such a bonding night, Mr Zabini will be qualified to help you eat. And we will never speak of that night again, is that understood?" Harry nodded and he heard Blaise acquiesce.

"I am glad that you don't regret it Harry. Not everyone is that lucky, and I feared the worst since it was so rushed. Maybe you can learn to know each other now." Added Poppy, softly, and then left the both of them at their breakfast a bit shocked by this declaration.

Blaise bring him a plate and some fruit, but Harry had to ask him too.

"Do YOU regret it?"
"No." Blaise answered immediately. And his tone showed he meant it. He was becoming quite good at judging people just by the sound of their voice.

"Was it... your first time too?" Now that he could relax, Harry felt a bit curious. Blaise had seemed really confident last night.

"No... but like Pomfrey told you, mine was..." He sighed heavily. "It was in the summer between our second and third year. One of my friend's cousin took a liking to me. And he used a party to make me drink alcohol, when I thought I was drinking orange juice." Harry could feel the frustration in his voice, the story seemed a bit painful to tell. "I was becoming curious about sex, my grandfather gave me 'The Talk' a few weeks before and... with a few drinks I followed that guy in his bedroom. It was... forceful, he only thought about himself, not letting me relax, and he didn't care that he hurt me. Not even respecting the fact that I wasn't interested in bottoming. In a sense it was my first time last night. The way I wanted it anyway."

"I see... hmm thank you for being so nice to me. To be honest now that I think about it, if it had been planned, I would have been really anxious at the idea to ... err put something in there. But now that it's done I can't imagine not liking this. Is it possible you were just not relaxed enough?"

"It is exactly the problem Harry. I don't like giving up control, that's why I can't imagine myself relaxing. I'm pretty surprised that you are able to, you seem just as much of a control freak as me."

Control freak eh? I've never heard this before but it does seem to fit me.

"I certainly am. But the way you were touching me, the tone of your voice... it was like you would not let anything bad happen to me. I usually always have to take care of myself and saving my skin, for once it felt nice having someone I felt I could trust, and I.. just let everything go. I don't know if that makes sense."

Blaise hummed. "It is actually pretty logical. I know my mother will always be here if I need her, but she always taught me to be in control of the situation. You, however had to develop this to survive. The moment you felt someone you could trust, you probably jumped on the occasion."

The way Blaise explained it made a lot of sense to Harry. And he liked that someone took the time to understand him.

"Can I ask you a personal question?" Harry was ready to refuse, but after everything, if someone deserved one answer it would probably be him.

"Go on..."

"I've seen your entire body now and... I've seen the scars. It wasn't just this summer, they probably abused you for years..."

Ah, that's it. He had a nice night but I'm not good enough. At least he wasn't cruel about it.

"Does that disgust you?" He tried to keep his voice firm but he could hear himself being a bit shaky.

"What? No!" And he laughed. Now Harry was utterly confused. "Harry, I think I proved yesterday how much you affect me, don't you think?" And his voice was so soft. He wanted so badly to believe him. He felt his eyes tearing... he certainly would not cry! He hadn't cried since he was five years old when he swore to himself he would never be this weak again!

But suddenly he felt himself being pulled between two strong arms. "Harry, I'm sorry, I didn't want to hurt you. I only wanted to understand why you kept going back to them." 'Them' being told with so much hate, it was no doubt his relatives. And for the first time Harry believed someone could accept him completely despite being such a mess. So he broke.

Poppy Pomfrey was in a foul mood. She still couldn't believe that foul woman was literally torturing students! And worst of all, Albus and Minerva knew about it and did nothing! he Ministry had their hands tied! Bah!

She shivered when thinking about last night. When she saw Harry with a hand so damaged... the depth of the cut, he probably had used the damn quill for five or six hours straight. She didn't like to think about it but a little bit more and his life could have been seriously threatened. And then what happened after... well Harry was still in the process of assimilating what he did. The previous day had been too much for him between the quill, his eyes and then his first time to completely admit to himself what he had done. He seemed happy about it but he could still change his mind, especially if the Zabini boy hurt him in the following days. The first time someone had sex was a life changing event and she feared for the boy she had grown to care a bit too much if she wanted to stay professional.

She was interrupted from her thoughts when she heard someone crying. She focused, not recognizing the person it came from. And with dread, she deduced it came from within the curtains. Fury grew in her but then she heard a soft voice, trying to be reassuring.

"It's alright Harry, everyone needs to cry sometimes. My mother always used to tell me that only strong men allowed themselves to cry, when I missed my father. And you are certainly not weak. Not after everything that happened to you."

And she had to admit, it was true. She may have judged that boy a bit too quickly. Maybe he could be good for Harry in the end. He had lost someone too, and he seemed level headed. And she still felt herself blushing every time she thought about what they did in the shower together. Teens!

Once he was calmed, still in Blaise's arms, Harry felt actually free. Maybe Blaise was right, and that he needed to cry sometimes. Still, it was a bit embarrassing, even if they had been intimate they barely knew each other!

'Maybe that's why you allowed yourself to cry' he could swear he heard a little voice telling him.

"Hmm, I'm sorry I broke down on you like that. The last time I cried was more than ten years ago, I don't know what happened."

"Harry, it's alright. I meant everything I said you know." Again with that soft voice. Now that he thought about it, it might be this that made him feel so secure.

"To answer your initial question..."
"Wait Harry, you don't have to answer if it's too hard." Now Blaise sounded panicked. It made Harry laughed a bit.

"Don't worry, it's not thinking about them that made me cry. When you talked about my scars it made me remember how I used to be so ashamed of them. I thought no one would find me attractive and I would end up alone. I ... was terrified to talk about it in my trial but my lawyer convinced me it would sway everyone to my side. He was right but it was strangely cathartic too. I know I said I shower with the guys on my team but... the truth is it's the first year I do. Before I was always too ashamed to show myself. The fact that I showed myself in front of you, so easily is proof that I am past it but hearing you talk about it...I guess we could call this a relapse or something.

Anyway, it's not that I liked going back. It was more I had nowhere else to go. The Weasleys are nice but I'm still a stranger, or a family friend maybe... It will never be my home." He stayed silent for a moment, not knowing if he should speak about Sirius. But after all Sirius never got judged, so living with him couldn't be punished by law. "Do you remember in our third year, Sirius Black escape?"

"Yes. Everyone thought he would come after you. They didn't catch him and yet they brought back the dementors to Azkaban, despite the fact that he came into Hogwarts. I always felt this stupid."

"Yes, but that is Fudge for you. Especially since Sirius is innocent. I've met him that year you know. Turned out he wasn't after me, but Ron's pet rat. Because he wasn't a rat but an animagus whose name is Peter Pettigrew." He spat.

"I see. That makes sense. Draco always liked to say it was funny Black was innocent, but Fudge was so sure he was guilty. He used to say proudly that once he would be Lord Black he would strip him of his very own magic."

Harry smirked and it didn't escape to Blaise. "Draco will never be Lord Black. He will be surprised when he learns who is the next in line. But to resume my story, Sirius has been on the run since the end of our third year. I had sparse letters in my fourth year because he was worried with the tournament, but when I woke up this summer after my uncle and I nearly killed each other, I was actually in a very old house, belonging to the Blacks. I've lived with him all august and... it was the happiest period of my life. And even if the house itself was old and a bit rusty it still felt more home than anywhere else. I used to think Hogwarts was my home but now that I've tasted it there's no way I will return in that house. I know Dumbledore expect me to return there, and he will say I have no reason to refuse since my uncle will most likely end up in prison. But I will not stay there anymore."

Speaking it felt... different somehow. Like he just signed a contract and made a deal official. He felt warm tingling on his chest. And Blaise got up from the bed. "What's that? Harry are you ok?"

"I... my chest feels warm, but it's getting hotter..."

"Don't move I'm getting help!" He heard Blaise shout at him. He vaguely nodded and then darkness took him.

Blaise ran to the mediwitch office, not bothering to knock. She was at her desk, checking her files. She looked at him with a stern glare but he spoke first.

"There's something wrong with Harry!" He didn't checked if she followed him and got back to him. He was unconscious and the glow on his chest was more pronounced.

Okay, I'm openly panicking now.

"Do calm yourself Mr Zabini. And explain how it happened please." She was casting diagnostic charms now so he took a deep breath and described the situation.

"I don't know... we were talking, and he was explaining that he spent half the summer with his godfather, that he finally felt he had a home, how he was happy and then he told me he would never come back to their house ever again and then a little glow appeared on his chest and..." The healer paled visibly.

Okay. She probably knows what it is then. But it's probably not good news.

"You know what it is." Not a question. But she still nodded. "What helped you in what I said?"

She pinched her lips. Damn it, he would not lose him now, he needed to know! "Tell me! Can't you do something?"

"When you told me he declared he would not go back in that dreadful house. I know there is intent based wards there." And she stared at him intensely. And everything clicked on his mind.

"Are you telling me these wards were tied up to his very own magic?! Is that a magic recoil?! Who is so foolish to tie up wards to a child who has not even completed his magical development?"

"Don't look at me like this Mr Zabini. I knew the existence of intent based wards, NOT that they were tied to him! And I think you know perfectly who is responsible. But I fear this is not the only problem. The magic... is not integrating his body properly. It should go all over is body, slowly getting familiar with it, but instead it's focusing into his chest as if fighting something. If it is what I think... I will kill that man. And sadly I can't do a thing for Harry."

"Explaining to me could be appreciated, I am seriously panicking right now."

She didn't have to, because a little shockwave coming from Harry's chest pushed the both of them. Now the magic was spreading all over his body, but it still wasn't settling. Instead it was even more chaotic.

A block. He had a block on his magic, that's the only explanation. He was gonna ask her confirmation but she started yelling.

"Damnit Albus! A block added to wards! Are you insane! Either of them are already risky but the both of them!"

Well, it said everything. I never would have expected 'the stone mediwitch' to lose control. But it is deserved. he thought. Said mediwitch was pacing furiously now.

"If only he could regain consciousness, he could just canalize his magic and slowly drain it. But intervening ourselves is too risky, it could kill him. What to do...Calm down Pop's you can find a solution. Right now the magic from the wards wants to enter the body and the magic from the block wants get out, because it has been hindered for so long, if only I could redirect them to a single objective..."

She was talking to herself, while walking in circles. He felt hope losing him but a change in the pattern stopped her rumblings. The magic seemed to regroup just in front of his lighting bolt scar. It touched it... like it was cautious. And then it penetrated the scar. Harry screamed until his voice broke. Pomfrey looked completely lost right now. After five minutes a black smoke erupted from the scar. It screamed, and Blaise thought for a moment he was asleep having a nightmare. The feeling this magic was giving was disgusting. If he had one word to describe it, it would have been evil. Then this feeling disappeared. The screaming stopped. And Harry calmed down.

Pomfrey tried to pull herself together even if she had tears on her cheeks, and cast diagnostic spell after diagnostic spell, with a trembling hand. Blaise could see the scar had bled a little, but weirdly it was now more faint. Maybe it was because whatever had stayed in it was now gone.

"He will be fine, I believe. His vitals are all good, and his magic is stable. I... don't know what happened but I think, maybe hearing me talking about a focus, his magic felt what was left of the dark magic in the scar and just... destroyed it."

He wasn't expecting this. The magic heard her? "Are you saying magic is sentient?"

"It certainly is to an extent. Intent based wards are proof of it. And there is a lot of others examples. Patronus, Fienfyre, animagus are famous examples. But it's the first time I've seen magic acting like an intelligent force. It's the second time it's happening to Harry."

She looked like she wanted to continue but people barged in the infirmary. She activated what he thought were quarantine wards and left them both. Blaise in a very unexpected act of lucidity considering the situation disillusioned himself and tried to hear what he could.

"Poppy, what is going on? The wards were going crazy five minutes ago?" McGonagall asked.
"Yes my dear, can you explain yourself? I know you have young Harry in here. How is he?" Dumbledore. Well, she may rip him a new one. Pomfrey looked more furious than ever.

"Don't 'my dear' me, Albus Dumbledore! What you felt was the conflicting result between the recoil of the wards you foolishly tied up to a child's magic still developing, and the destruction that followed of the foolish block you put to the same child! Were your intention for him to become a squib?! It's a miracle he could use magic if anything! And I'm not talking about the problems it could cause to him now! I should kill you Albus! What you did is criminal! It's already bad enough that you refuse to act on the evil that lurks in your school, but this! The little respect I still had for you is gone. Get out of here!"

Good one! Note to myself, never anger that woman. I can understand why Harry thought she would kill us this morning.

"Poppy... you must understand I had my reasons. And it's really important I check on Harry now. It could be a disaster if what I tried to limit all these years ago happened now."

"So you admit it?" McGonagall sounded heart broken.

The old man sighed heavily. He looked way older now. "Yes, I do. But you have to understand, I feared he would be possessed if what lies in his scar had enough magic to feed and grow stronger. I could not take the risk to ask for help, for if word got out that Voldemort was still alive, we never could have peace."

"And you don't have contact abroad obviously. You were not the supreme Mugwump for many years mmmh?
In the end you chose to potentially sacrifice a child Albus, you disgust me."

Blaise was enthralled. Pomfrey was really magnificent. But he was pulled out of this fantastic scenery by a moan. Harry was sat on his bed and hold his head. A heavy grimace showed how much pain he was in.

"Sleep... I need to sleep, please.." Blaise didn't think for a second and cast a basic sleeping charm, usually used on babies. It worked very well and in seconds Harry calmed himself. Blaise felt the wards go down, and a Poppy Pomfrey still angry with red cheeks appeared followed by McGonagall and Dumbledore who looked at him curiously.

"What happened?!" Pomfrey demanded to know.

"He woke up and was in pain. He was begging for sleep, I just used the minima spell."

She nodded slowly. "Good thinking. His brain is... the correct word would be overworking? It seems like the same process everyone has when sleeping, but much more intense." She conjured a towel and wet it, then wrapped Harry's head with it. "That's the only thing I can do for him. We need to keep his brain to a decent temperature, since I don't know how long he will stay like this."

Dumbledore then tried to approach the bed but Pomfrey stopped him. "Poppy, I need to..." But he was rudely interrupted and he looked appalled. "No! I already said I wanted you out of here. Do it before I configure the wards to forbid you entry!"

"Very well, I hope you are not condemning us to despair with your actions my dear." If it was supposed to make the healer guilty, he failed. She snorted and pushed him out. Minerva McGonagall seemed conflicted and looked pained when she put her eyes on Harry, then departed without a sound.

Only Blaise stayed, not willing to let Harry alone while Pomfrey was absent, and at this point, it felt like they were both trusting each other in order to protect him.