A/N: Hey. So, I know I was slow at getting this chapter up but that's because I was slow at writing it. I was having such issues with it that I actually stopped trying to write it for a couple days and then went back to it to give myself a break. I'm guessing I'm having issues writing it because I've been writing this story for about 4 or 5 months straight without any breaks from it. It's all just been this story. So, yeah, I took a break from it for a couple days and wrote a different story. Hope you like the chapter. Don't forget to review. :]
"Mr. Manden, pleased to see you have awoken finally," Severus said as he looked up from where he was examining Harry. Caleb Manden was in the bed next to Harry's in the hospital wing, where both boys had been for two days now.
"Hi, Professor," Caleb said and looked at Harry who was still unconscious on the bed.
"What happened? Is he okay?" he asked.
"When he duelled Mr. Fields and Mr. Reed, he used wandless magic to create a shield around you to prevent you from getting hit with any spells. However, wandless magic is draining when not perfected. He had just left my rooms after a training session in which we practiced his wandless magic, so his magic levels were lower than usual. When he erected the shield, he used more of his magic and it drained his magic levels. He has fallen into a magically induced coma in order to replenish his magic," Severus explained and Caleb nodded.
"So, he'll be okay?" Caleb asked.
"Yes, he should wake up sometime today. However, he may have a headache. He hit his head when he fell." Severus nodded.
"Good," Caleb said.
"Mr. Manden, now that you are awake, perhaps you can shed some light on what happened that night," Severus said, standing beside the boy's bed.
"Fields and Reed were beating me up because I had said that Harry was my friend and that there's nothing wrong with you and Harry being friends. They said I was a traitor and I wasn't a Slytherin and they started hitting me. Harry came down the corridor and told them to leave me alone. They started yelling at each other and then sending spells. He stunned Reed and used the Body-Bind on Fields but then he collapsed too and I couldn't wake him up," Caleb explained the events.
"Thank you, Mr. Manden. Mr. Fields and Mr. Reed have been given three months detention and will not be allowed to go to Hogsmeade for the rest of the year. They should not bother you but if they do, I want you to tell me," Severus said and Caleb nodded.
"Yes, sir."
"Very well. Rest for a couple more hours and Madam Pomfrey will examine you. You should be released before dinner," Severus said.
"Yes, sir," Caleb said and settled back down in the bed to try and sleep again.
Severus waited until Caleb was asleep before going back to Harry. When he had heard what had happened, he had been worried and furious. Harry should've known not to use his wandless magic. Severus shook his head. He and Harry were definitely going to have some words when he woke up.
Harry groaned quietly as he drifted, unwillingly, back into consciousness. He felt exhausted, as if he hadn't slept for days. He didn't want to wake up. He wanted to stay asleep. However, his body was not listening to his wishes and he was soon looking up at the stone ceiling of the hospital wing. He groaned again when he realized he was in the infirmary once again.
Everyone was right. He really was accident prone and attracted trouble.
"Good evening, Mr. Potter," a familiar deep voice said and Harry groaned for a third time.
He knew that tone.
He was in trouble.
Great.
Harry turned his head to look to his left and found himself looking into the gleaming black eyes of Severus Snape. He did not look pleased.
"Hi," Harry said weakly.
He wasn't completely sure what had happened to cause him to end up in the hospital wing. He remembered coming across a couple kids beating on another student…
"Caleb!" he said loudly. "Caleb. Is Caleb okay?" he asked.
"Mr. Manden is perfectly fine, Mr. Potter, something you are not," Severus said and Harry breathed a sigh of relief. "He was released a couple hours ago."
"Good. What about the two students that were hurting him?" Harry asked.
"Detention for three months and they cannot go to Hogsmeade," Severus said and Harry nodded. "Now, are you in pain at all?"
"No, I just feel tired, like I haven't slept in days." Harry shook his head.
"That's because, instead of your energy making you feel awake and refreshed, it has been replenishing your magic," Severus said. "Now, I feel compelled to ask. Why in Merlin's name did you use wandless magic?" he asked calmly but Harry could hear the barely concealed anger and worry in the man's voice.
"I didn't mean to. Well, I wasn't even really aware I was doing it. I just wanted to protect Caleb," Harry said.
"You shouldn't have been there in the first place!" Severus said loudly and Harry jumped. "When you realized what was happening, you should've come and got me!"
"I was going to, I swear. Part of me knew I should but the Gryffindor part of me, the part that usually controls me more, kind of won over the other part and I tried to help," Harry told him.
"I don't care what part you listened to! You diminished your magic so much using that shield that you nearly went into a coma!" Severus said and Harry dropped his eyes.
"M'sorry," Harry muttered.
Severus shook his head. "You bloody well better be, Mr. Potter. Due to your actions, we will not be doing any wandless magic for a week and we will be doing an extra day of Occlumency," he said.
"But, Professor!" Harry protested.
"Not a word, Mr. Potter. You're lucky I'm not making you clean the entire dungeons without magic," Severus said and Harry glared at him. "Don't give me that look. This is your fault. You should've known better."
"Yes, sir," Harry said quietly, looking at his hands in his lap.
"Harry." Severus sighed and looked around the hospital wing to make sure they were alone before pulling up a chair to sit beside Harry's bed. "I don't think you understand how dangerous what you did was."
"Severus, you've told me about magic draining and I do get that it's dangerous. I also know that what I did was dangerous. Just because I always do dangerous things, doesn't mean I don't know they're dangerous." Harry chuckled while Severus rolled his eyes. "I honestly didn't mean to do anything like that. All I could think about, though, was protecting Caleb. He doesn't really have anyone to help him when he needs it. He doesn't seem to have many friends in Slytherin, or at all, really."
"Yes, I have noticed that as well." Severus nodded.
"Exactly. I want to help him. I like him," Harry said.
"I know you do, Harry. You're a Gryffindor," Severus said and Harry grinned. "You have to be careful though. I realize we're in war and, whether people are careful or not, we can always be harmed or harm ourselves. However, this was simply a case of school bullying. You must be careful about what you do and always be aware of what you are doing."
"I know," Harry said.
"I don't think you do," Severus said.
"Seriously, I do, Severus. You've lectured me about it a lot in our lessons. I'm dense sometimes but I know when you want me to listen to you," Harry told him.
"I always want you to listen to me, brat," Severus said and Harry chuckled.
"I said I know when you want me to listen to you, not when I actually do," Harry said and Severus rolled his eyes.
"You're a brat, Potter," Severus said and Harry grinned at the man. "I'll do some scans. You should be able to leave and go to dinner," he added and got to his feet, taking out his wand. He waved it over his young friend and muttered some Latin incantations. Lights appeared after each incantation and after a few seconds, Severus put his wand away.
"So?" Harry prompted.
"You're fine, Mr. Potter. Be glad it is the weekend and you can rest. Go to bed early tonight and rest up. You should feel less tired in the morning," Severus told him and Harry nodded.
"What about lessons?" Harry asked.
"Cancelled for tonight, Harry. You need to rest," Severus said.
"But—"
"No, Harry. We are not doing any lessons tonight. You have to rest," Severus said sternly. Harry sighed and nodded. "Go get some dinner, Harry."
"Yes, sir," Harry said and climbed out of the bed. He took his shoes from Severus and proceeded to put them on. "I'll see you later, Professor," he said and headed for the doors of the infirmary.
"Have a good night, Harry," Severus said.
Harry was about to leave the hospital wing, but he stopped and turned back around.
"Severus?"
"Yes?"
"I am sorry. I didn't mean to hurt myself like that," Harry said and Severus sighed, looking at him.
"I know, Harry. I'm not angry. You just had me worried," Severus said and Harry looked at him with a mischievous smile.
"Why, Professor Snape, I didn't know you could be so human," Harry said teasingly.
"Get out of here, you brat," Severus said and Harry laughed. He mock saluted the older man and ran from the hospital wing. Severus shook his head as he watched the doors close.
Why I indulge him and put up with him is beyond me, he thought though not with malice.
"Night, Harry," Ron said as he drew the curtains around his four poster bed. Harry and Ron had finally begun talking again though it was still tentative. Harry knew Ron absolutely detested the idea of Harry being friends with Severus Snape.
"Night, Ron," Harry said from where he was laying on his stomach on his own bed. He had a book open in front of him though he was the only one who could read it if anyone else tried. It was Salazar Slytherin's journal. He had read quite a bit of it already. The school had already been created. Harry was reading it to try and find out about any personal possessions of the other Founders. The goblet that clearly belonged to Helga Hufflepuff hadn't been mentioned again though he hoped it would be.
He continued reading and listened as his dorm mates dropped off to sleep. He read as Salazar talked about his teachings and the students and the other Founders but so far nothing had been said about personal items or Horcruxes or anything even remotely related to what Harry wanted.
He tiredly rubbed his eyes and was desperate for sleep but he didn't want to stop reading. He was desperate. He needed to know about the Founder's personal possessions. They could possibly be Horcruxes and until Harry watched the other memories or did some major research, he would have no other leads.
He wished he had others to talk to about everything. He and Severus talked about it but they were only able to at night in the couple hours Harry spent in his quarters for lessons.
He'd talk to Ron and Hermione but the three of them had hardly talked all year ever since Ron and Hermione had begun dating. Neither of them knew anything about the memories or the new revelations about Voldemort or anything as they rarely spoke to Harry anymore. Harry had taken to hanging out with either Draco or Neville and Luna. He sighed as he thought about Ron and Hermione. He missed being with them but he wouldn't begrudge them their happiness. They were in the middle of a war. Happiness was futile.
Harry sighed and read a few more entries in the diary before slamming it shut in irritation when nothing relevant was mentioned. He pushed it away and buried his face in his arms.
That was it.
He had no more leads.
He had no more ideas.
He snorted quietly to himself. It wasn't like it mattered if he found another Horcrux or not. He still had no idea how to destroy the Horcruxes so, even if he found another, he couldn't destroy it.
Harry groaned. He was so sick of it all.
The puzzles.
The riddles.
Voldemort.
The war.
Everything.
He was tired of fighting. Sometimes he seriously considered giving up but then he snapped back to his senses. However, was the idea of letting the rest of the wizarding world fight the war really that ludicrous? He was only sixteen years old, yet the world had put their faith in him to destroy Voldemort. Why did he have to do it? Why couldn't they? Because of some bloody prophecy told by a woman who had only made one other correct prophecy in her whole life? Was the world truly so desperate that they'd leave a war to a teenager instead of fight themselves?
Harry sighed. He knew that answer.
Yes, they were that desperate. They had already been through one war, back in Harry's parents' time. Now they were in the midst of another war and, this time, it was worse. They had spent years fighting the last war, eleven years to be exact. Of course they didn't want to fight again.
Fear.
War.
Desperation.
They all led people to not think clearly and try to find a way to avoid it, even if it means placing a sixteen year old in the middle to fight for you.
Harry held handfuls of his messy black hair in agitation. He wanted it all to end, to be over.
Harry yawned as he sat between Draco and Luna at the Gryffindor table the next morning at breakfast. As he filled his plate, he looked at the people surrounding him. Draco and Luna were the only ones who were from different houses and sat at the Gryffindor table.
For Draco it was because he was a traitor to the Slytherins, even if those remaining weren't Death Eater prodigies. Once he and Draco had become good friends, Draco began to sit with the Gryffindors.
Luna sat with them because she was a good friend to many of the Gryffindors. It was also because she couldn't care less about the house rivalries. If she wanted to sit with her Gryffindor friends, she would.
It's still going to be a long time, if ever, before the rivalries calm down or disappear, especially between Gryffindor and Slytherin, Harry thought as he picked up some bacon.
He was pulled from his musings when he was elbowed in the ribs. He looked at Draco. "What?"
"There's been another attack," Draco said, unfolding the Daily Prophet. Harry's head snapped up and he looked for Severus. The man was there but was pale than usual and he was glaring harder than normal. Harry felt for those who had Potions that day.
Harry turned back to Draco who held out the Prophet. They sat closer and began reading the article together. It had happened somewhere on the west coast of Wales and the entire town was slaughtered except for a few who had managed to hide. There was a little girl, nine years old, who lost her entire family; mother, father, brothers, and baby sister. Their house had been set on fire but her magic saved her. She had hidden in a wardrobe and when it began burning, her magic kept her from being harmed.
"It's terrible," Hermione said and Harry tore his eyes from the picture of the little girl being comforted by a neighbour.
"They brought Greyback and a few from his pack," Draco said.
"Last night was the full moon," Harry said and Draco nodded. Harry looked at the article again. "No one was turned."
"Their goal was to kill this time, not turn," Draco said and Harry silently agreed.
"The attacks are so random," Ron said.
"It's strange that they're so random. For being deranged psychopaths, there's usually some connection between the attacks," Draco said and Harry spotted the glare Ron sent the Slytherin. He knew a fight was coming and there was nothing he could do without making it worse.
"You would know all about that, wouldn't you?" Ron said and Harry groaned when he saw Draco's eyes flash. Hermione was watching the two boys, clearly trying to figure out how to stop the oncoming fight but, like Harry, knew there was nothing to be done.
"Yes, I do, unfortunately. You pick up on things when you come from a family like mine," Draco said stiffly.
"A family of Death Eaters? Yeah, I suppose it'd be hard to ignore," Ron said and Harry looked at him pleadingly, but the red head missed it.
"Implying something, Weasley?" Draco said with a calmness and steadiness that Harry knew he wasn't feeling.
"No, nothing, Death Eater." Ron shrugged and Harry groaned again, burying his face in his hands as he propped his elbows up on the table.
"I always knew you thought I followed Voldemort," Draco said.
"You've made it difficult to entertain any other possibilities," Ron said. Harry removed his hands when he realized the noise level in the Great Hall had dropped considerably. He looked around and noticed almost everyone was staring at Ron and Draco.
"Have I? I thought I've been pretty clear about it, what with what happened in June, getting kicked out of Slytherin, and having not given Harry to Voldemort," Draco said and Harry could tell Ron was getting exceedingly angry.
"I never said you were a good Death Eater, just that you were one," Ron said casually.
"So because my father is a Death Eater, it must mean I'm one too?" Draco said and Harry exchanged a glance with Hermione. This was not going to end well.
"Yeah, that's about right." Ron nodded.
"That makes me assume you've never heard that the actions of the father do not tell who the son is," Draco said and Harry closed his eyes in resignation.
"Of course I know that. Snape condemned Harry because of Harry's father," Ron said, irritated.
"And you hated Professor Snape for doing that, right?" Draco said and Harry shook his head. You saw it happening but there was nothing you could do.
"Of course! Harry's not his father." Ron nodded.
"So, you hated Professor Snape for doing it to Harry and yet, you're doing the same thing to me now. Can you say hypocrite, Weasley?" Draco sneered and Ron's face turned red in anger.
"I really don't think you can say much, Malfoy! It doesn't matter! All Slytherins are the same, we all know it. You're all backstabbing, evil bastards. Since that's cleared up, you can go on back to your snake pit now, ferret," Ron said, waving a hand at Draco in a motion to shoo him away.
Draco opened his mouth to retort but Harry slapped a hand over his mouth. "Both of you stop it. Now. I know you're not friends and never will be, I accept that. Just stop fighting every time you see each other. Ron, you have got to drop your prejudices and grudges against the Slytherins. They are not the only evil ones in this world, a world that is not split up into good people and Death Eaters," Harry said, remembering the words Sirius had said to him the last time he saw him. "Look around and pay attention to those who are missing from each house. They've been missing since we came back after holidays because they are all the new Death Eaters. Ravenclaws and Hufflepuffs are missing, Ron. Gryffindors are missing. It's not only the Slytherins who have joined Voldemort over the past couple years. You need to get over yourself. This war is not going to end anytime soon and it's going to get worse the longer it goes on. The only way we can get through this bloody war and win is if we all work together and fight side by side."
Ron didn't speak and had lowered his eyes to his plate which he poked at with his fork. Harry removed his hand from Draco's mouth once he was assured the blonde wouldn't say anything scathing to Ron. Harry looked at Hermione who nodded slightly and he nodded back.
"I'll see you guys later. I have some homework I need to finish up before class," Harry said and stood up. "Come on, Draco. You can help me," he added and the Slytherin immediately rose and followed him from the Great Hall.
A/N: I don't really know where the argument between Draco and Ron came from but I guess it kind of works, especially with Harry's speech at the end here. I think I needed Harry to really try and drill it into Ron's head that they're in the middle of a terrible war and he needed to stop condemning the Slytherins, especially Draco and Severus since they are on the Light side. I dunno. It just kind of flowed into an argument and Harry's speech while I was writing. :P Hope this chapter was okay. Don't forget to leave me a review. Thank you so much. :]