Disclaimer: I do not own Harry Potter, I do not have any rights to Harry Potter and I do not make any money from writing these fic's.
A/N: Written for Fire The Cannon's Snake's and Ladders Challenge, when I rolled the dice I got Oliver Wood. This fic will be full of small drabbles and one shots based on the characters I'm given from the snakes and ladders challenge.
Warnings: Injured Harry, bitter feelings, angst, OOC.
What Can I Do To Help?
Anger bubbled deep within Harry as he watched another body on a stretcher covered up by a simple white sheet go pass his hospital bed. While the final battle against Voldemort and his Death Eater's had happened over two weeks ago they were still dealing with the injured and dead that was left behind. Anger turned into frustration as a sharp shooting pain made itself known in his legs causing Harry to grit his teeth and glare at the pain relief potions that sat next to his bed.
'Why can't I do anything to help for?' Harry thought in anger as he glared down at his motionless legs 'All I can do is sit here and watch as they take body after body out of here to be buried...I need to do something, anything.'
Knowing that it would be useless to try and get out of his bed to offer some sort of comfort to those suffering around him Harry let out a loud groan as he allowed himself to fall backwards onto the piles of pillows that had been placed there to support his weakened body. Running a stressed hand through his short black hair and looking up at the ceiling wondering just what he could do Harry never noticed the arrival of Madam Promfrey until she finished pushing a hospital table on wheels up to him and across his bed. Once in place it looked as if Harry had a normal table in front of him through it only had one side to it, it was on wheels and Harry was in bed.
"Madam Promfrey, I thought I already drank those horrible things you called potions for today," Harry said dryly, ignoring the woman as he continued to stare up at the Hospital Wing ceiling.
"You have but I have been thinking on the matter you asked me about last time," Madam Promfrey replied stiffly, a sly look crossed her face when Harry suddenly lifted his head up and looked at her, "Mr. Potter I have found a way for you to help everyone."
"What is it?" Harry asked quickly without missing a beat, "Does it have something to do with why the table is here for?"
"It does as you might need it," Madam Promfrey said with a relived tone, she had feared that she had lost the boy hero to his depression and anger at not being able to help anyone but it seemed her idea was already helping , "You see Mr. Potter I had to go into the muggle world for certain supplies only to find myself bumping into one of my friends who chose a career path in muggle medicine, we got talking and our topic came to the war and you."
"Of course it would," Harry replied dryly ignoring the sharp look Madam Promfrey shot him.
"My friend gave me a very good idea and I thought you might like to give it a try. Not only would it help the people you see in front of you it would also help those who were affected by the war in some way no matter how small," Madam Promfrey said allowing a small smile to flicker onto her face when she noticed the interested look Harry now wore, "I do not know if you know Mr Potter but my friend said that in the muggle world people do things for charities like painting, knitting, sports and even going around the world. My friend then told me about a group of people who meet twice a week and work on their own projects together then sell them, the money they make goes to helping whatever cause they want."
"So I could do something, sell it and give the money to a charity?" Harry asked with a frown on his face.
"Correct Mr. Potter but the idea is for you to start up your own charity. That way you will know just where the money raised goes to. Just think, you could put that fame of yours to good use," Madam Promfrey said, choosing her words carefully, "Through in your current state-"
"I know, I'm useless," Harry snapped out as he glared at the Medi-witch, "I can't even sit up by myself without either being in pain or without the help of these pillows and cushions. While I really like your idea Madam Promfrey I really do not know how I can start my own charity-"
"You can start by making things to sell while you are on bed rest," Madam Promfrey said cutting Harry off as she pulled out her wand, "Trust me in saying that you will not only need to practice a lot but you will need a lot of time to make them."
"Make them?"
"Mr. Potter have you ever heard of Cross Stitch before?" Madam Promfrey asked only to get a surprised look from Harry.
"Yeah, it is where you use some sort of thread to sow little 'x's onto a piece of material to create some really cool pictures right?" Harry asked causing Madam Promfrey to nod her head in agreement, "I once saw aunt Petunia trying to have a go but it turned out she did not have the patience for it. She got angry with the cross stitch because it was not done in five seconds, even though she was doing her very first one ever."
"You are correct Mr. Potter, in the muggle world muggles sometimes do cross stitch to remember things like a baby's birth or a death in the family or a special occasion...or a war," Madam Promfrey said as she watched Harry carefully, "Mr. Potter how about learning to do cross stitch?"
Harry bit his lip nervously as he went over everything in his mind, it would be a good way of helping everyone as he could either make them items or sell the items he made and use the money to help them. It would also give him something to do while his legs and spine recovered from the dark spell that had left him with extremely weak and painful legs and lower spine. Until things improved Harry would be stuck in bed with a bunch of pillows and it might take six months for the spell to start to wear off which would allow Harry to sit up by himself without any support.
"Alright, I will give it a shot but I got to warn you I have no idea how to do this cross stitch," Harry said as he carefully eyed Madam Promfrey, "But I am willing to learn and at least I will be doing something to help others."
End.
