A/N: I still don't own Harryyyy Potterrr.

After Dumbledore left him to go to breakfast and then, apparently, to look for a therapist for him, Harry laid back in bed and threw the covers over his head. He closed his eyes tightly and tried to concentrate on going back to sleep. His head was full after his visit with Dumbledore, but unlike last night, his total exhaustion won over his brain's need to pick apart what had just happened to him. Within ten minutes, he'd fallen into a deep sleep. For once, he didn't have terrible dreams that caused him to toss and turn, but he was able to sink into nothingness, something he was blissfully happy about.

He didn't wake up until a few hours later, when he heard a furious, albeit quiet, fight going on next to him.

"Really, Ron, we shouldn't stay, he needs his rest."

"He's not sick or anything, is he?"

"Honestly, don't you listen to anything anyone says, even Dumbledore? He said that Harry was staying in from classes today because he didn't sleep well last night and needed some more rest. He didn't say he was sick."

"Blimey, d'you have to jump down my throat about everything-"

"I'm sleeping, not dead, you guys. I can still wake up you know," Harry said, rolling over and looking at his friends, who were standing next to his bed.

"Sorry, mate. We didn't mean to wake you, we'll just go." Ron said quietly, touching Hermione's arm lightly and turning.

"No, don't go. I want to see you guys." Harry said, sitting up and running his hands through his unruly hair. "I have stuff to tell you. But can we get out of here? Tell Madame Pomfrey we're going to the library to do homework...Dumbledore said I could leave for that." He said the last part in a hushed whisper. Hermione gave him a scolding look which clearly said that she didn't approve of lying to get him out of the hospital wing. "Oh, go on, Hermione. She'll believe you, and we can go to the library so we won't be lying. I want to go for a walk, please?"

"Fine," she said with a huff, and she went over to Madame Pomfrey. At first she was shaking her head back and forth, but after a little cajoling from Hermione, she reluctantly agreed and handed over Harry's backpack and wand to her. Harry grabbed his clothes from his nightstand where Madame Pomfrey had restacked them after he had refused to go to classes, and went to change. Ten minutes later, he was strolling out of the hospital wing with his friends, promising Madame Pomfrey he'd be back within the hour.

As soon as they were safely away, Harry said, "So I sort of lost it on Dumbledore this morning."

"What do you mean, you lost it on him?" Ron asked.

"Like I went a bit mad. I yelled at him and told him I couldn't do...this anymore, and that he was treating me like I'm some psychopath and I wasn't going to let him control me like this."

"No, you didn't," Ron said breathlessly, while Hermione just looked outraged, as if she couldn't believe that Harry would be so bold as to talk to the headmaster of Hogwarts like that.

"Yeah, I did. I meant it, too, I can't stand the thought of another day like this. But he said he's not letting go and he's going to do everything in his power to 'keep me safe', which translates to 'locked up like an animal'." He said gloomily. "Supposedly he's finding me someone to talk to and then he'll let up on the security or whatever. I'm just going bonkers already, I can't imagine what a week or two will do to me."

By then the trio had reached the library, and Hermione was holding the giant door handle, about to open it. She let it go, however, and turned back to look at him. "Listen, Harry," she said in a quiet voice, and he could tell it was taking a lot of courage for her to say whatever she was about to say, "maybe you ought not to fight him on this. I know I said it briefly before but what if this the right thing for you? Yes, it will be hard to be so closely watched, but it's for your own safety and like Dumbledore said, it won't be forever, it'll give everyone peace of mind..."

Harry glared at her coldly. He was hearing everything she had to say, and he knew she was right, but that didn't stop it from annoying him, among other feelings. "You know, just for once I didn't want you to be sensible Hermione. I wanted you to tell me that I was right to be upset about being on lockdown. But you couldn't give that to me, could you?"

"Harry, I'm sorry. I didn't mean anything bad by it!"

"Yeah, I know, but I wanted you to tell me that it sucks! I don't want to hear that I'm a danger to myself and if I'm left alone I could go off the deep end! And who cares about everyone else's peace of mind? I'd like a little of that, for once. Just a little." Ron had been standing behind Harry, quietly watching the scene between the two of them and wondering whether or not he should say anything to break it up. With one last contemptible look thrown at Hermione, Harry turned away from her, and the library, and ran. He heard his friends calling his name and the sound of their feet running after him, but he didn't stop. He darted down corridors, blowing past people who were looking at him curiously. He could feel even more of his freedom slipping away, his chances of spending free periods with his friends would be gone when Dumbledore found out about this, but he didn't care.

For a while, he had no clue where he was running to, but he found himself in front of the place that would give him what he needed and wanted. He was outside of the stone gargoyle that lead to Dumbledore's office, and with him gone finding Harry someone to talk to, it would be empty. He wanted his invisibility cloak, because he was leaving the castle. He didn't know where he would go or what he would do, but he'd figure something out. It wasn't as if he had any parents to yell at him for quitting school-this decision was his.

"Acid pops!" He shouted at the gargoyle, but it remained still. The password had obviously been changed. He ran through a list of possible passwords, and shouted them all out in turn. "Lemon drops! Fizzing whizbees! Bertie Bott's Every Flavor Beans! Cauldron cakes! Treacle tart!" Nothing was working. The complete unfairness of it, the fact that he couldn't have this one thing he desperately wanted, was killing him. He felt angry tears stinging in his eyes. "I WANT MY INVISIBILITY CLOAK!" He yelled at the ever-still gargoyle, and he hit it with his fists. The hot tears came down and he wiped at them angrily. He refused to cry over this. He would find a way to get that cloak, he would...

"Harry Potter," he heard his name being spoken in a soft voice, and he turned around reluctantly and sank to the floor. Professor McGonagall was coming toward him quickly. "What on earth do you think you're doing?"

"I want my invisibility cloak, I want to get out of here." He said.

"Oh, Potter." She said, looking down at the angry boy who was sitting at her feet, who had tears in his otherwise fiery eyes and looked as if he could set the world on fire. The boy who was symbolized hope for the entire Wizarding world, who had so much to live up to and who was an amazing young man, but who was also breaking apart right in front of her. "How can I help you, Harry? Please tell me." She said softly.

Harry remained seated at her feet. "Give me my invisibility cloak so I can get as far away from this as I can." He said.

"You can't go. There's too much here for you, things you can't even comprehend yet."

The truth was, he didn't want to leave Hogwarts. Hogwarts was his home. It was the first place he had ever felt loved and accepted and he never wanted to leave that. But because of Dumbledore, because of his inability to cope with his emotions other than bleeding them out, this home of his had become a prison. He said nothing in response to Professor McGonagall, who, by now, had tears in her eyes as well.

He heard more footsteps striding down the hall towards them, and Harry looked up. Dumbedore was walking towards him and Professor McGonagall, but he wasn't alone. A tall, dark haired man in royal blue robes was with him, a man who was already studying Harry, even from the distance. He felt like he was being watched by him, and it felt slightly uncomfortable.

"Who is that?" He asked Professor McGonagall quietly, but it was her turn to say nothing. Dumbledore came over to them and kneeled down, looking at Harry.

"Harry, are you alright?" He asked.

"I'm fine," he said irritably, knowing that question wasn't going anywhere but nevertheless, he was quite annoyed by it.

"What's happened?"

"NOTHING." He said exasperatedly, shoving himself to his feet and looking past Dumbledore's shoulder. "Who's that?" He asked, not caring much if he came across as rude.

"Oh, yes. Introductions. Harry, this is Alexander Mullivan. He's a Healer and he's going to be speaking with you twice a week. Alexander, meet Harry Potter."

The man in the royal blue robes stepped forward and extended his hand. "You can call me Alex. It's wonderful to meet you. Do you want to have a chat, get to know each other a little better?"

Harry shook Alex's hand and considered him for a moment. He wasn't entirely sure if he was going to like the man, but on the other hand, this was the first step towards getting his freedom back. He knew he had to do this.

"Sure. I mean, I guess. Yeah."