Chapter 39: A Friend In Need

Ron and Hermione walked up to Gryffindor slowly, digesting what they had been told. Harry was not eating; Harry was not talking; Harry was not using magic. They were supposed to somehow help him get past all that; and do it before term started. Not exactly what they had thought they would be doing during the last week of holiday. They walked through the portrait hole and stopped. Harry sat in front of the fire, a book in his lap. He looked up at their arrival, and broke into a grin. Rising to his feet unsteadily, he met them in a three-way hug.

"Harry!" Hermione cried. "We've missed you so much!"

"How are you, mate?" Ron grinned back at him.

Harry stepped back then. He looked at them and opened his mouth. For a moment, Hermione held her breath. Could it be this easy? Then he shook his head sadly and turned away. Hermione caught his arm and led him over to the sofa. She sat him down and Ron sat on the other side.

"Harry, we are your friends. It doesn't matter if you talk or not. We're just glad to be with you." She squeezed his arm.

"Yeah," Ron agreed. "We're the Trio. Remember?"

Harry looked at him quizzically, shaking his head. Hermione sat straighter, "Well, we are. And we will just have to start helping you remember all the things you need to know. Okay?"

Harry smiled and nodded. Ron stood up and rubbed his stomach. "Let's start by seeing what they're having for dinner. I'm starved."

Harry immediately frowned and shook his head again. He gave a look of concentration, and in a moment, Dobby popped up beside the sofa. "Harry Potter needs something?" he squeaked. Then, seeing Ron and Hermione, he squealed, "Master Weasley and Mistress Granger! Harry Potter's best friends! Dobby is so pleased to see you!"

He stopped then, as if listening, looking at Harry. Then he turned back to Ron and Hermione. "Harry is saying for you to go eat. He will be staying here."

"Harry, you have to eat, too. Come on and we can catch you up on what Fred and George have invented now, and about that Siberian Dragon I saw," Ron said brightly.

Hermione caught on to what he was doing. "And I want to tell you all about Rome. Did you know that –"

Dobby interrupted, "Harry is saying he knows what you are trying to do. He will not go down to the Great Hall until Professor Snape comes up here. He wants you to know he remembers what you mean to him … he cares for you too … but he needs Professor Snape …" He looked at Harry, still listening. "He is not whole anymore, and he doesn't think he will ever be, without the Professor."

"Oh Harry," Hermione said sadly, "You can't believe that. Your magic is yours alone."

Harry shook his head and Dobby said, "Not until he pieces it all together. Harry says he won't be whole until he pieces himself together … Harry Potter may be a teenager in his mind again, but he needs what the little boy is remembering … he needs the Professor to help him find him."

Ron looked at his friend and saw the eyes begging him to understand. He sat back down looking at his hands as he thought about what he wanted to say. "Harry, do you remember that you are the hope of our world?" Harry looked startled and shook his head. "You have survived everything Vol- He Who Must Not Be Named-has ever thrown at you. You're the only wizard who might be able to stop the crazy b. But that's not why most people care about you." He reached out and took his friends hand; a little hesitantly, because it felt strange to hold another boy's hand. "You're real. You don't try to be anything but what you are. You don't want to be famous. You just want to be you." He awkwardly squeezed the hand he was holding. "What I'm trying to say is, you've come through some nasty stuff, wizarding and Muggle. Don't let one greasy git get the best of you. You never have before."

Hermione put an arm around his shoulder. "We love you like our own brother. We'll help you do whatever it takes to get back to yourself. Tell us what you need."

Harry leaned into her embrace and pulled on Ron's hand so that he was included. They sat that way for a long time, knowing Harry needed the closeness, the contact with them. He soaked up the feeling of acceptance from them, feelings of a belonging that he had forgotten but was now returning.

Dobby said softly, "Harry is saying for you to go ahead and get dinner. He will think about what you have said while you are gone."

The two friends reluctantly let go of Harry and stood up. Ron tried again. "I'll bring you a pudding, alright?"

Harry shook his head, giving Ron a smile that said he wasn't giving in. He opened his book back up and bent his head over it, not watching as his friends slowly exited the common room. When they had gone, Dobby spoke, "Harry is glad his friends have returned?" Harry nodded. "Now Harry won't be so lonely with just an old house elf for company."

Harry put out a hand and stroked Dobby's cheek. 'You're not just an old house elf. You're brilliant and I don't know how I'd have done without you. I know it's hard to tell others what I'm saying. I don't always have nice words for you to tell.' He thought about the messages of outright refusal and threats he had sent to Dumbledore, in an effort to get Severus to come. 'Thank you for being my voice.' He dropped his hand back into his lap and began to read again. Dobby watched him for a few more moments, hoping he would ask for a snack or a drink of pumpkin juice. When the request didn't come, he popped away.

Hermione and Ron sat down at the table. McGonagall looked at them expectantly.

"You couldn't persuade him either?"

The two gave identical shakes of their heads. Hermione said softly, "I hate to even suggest it, but perhaps if Professor Snape just went and saw Harry for a short while …"

"We have tried to make that happen, Miss Granger," Dumbledore said. "He is just as determined not to as Harry is determined to not eat."

"Well, we can't let him starve himself. Does Snape know that's what he's doing?" Ron asked hotly.

"Professor Snape," McGonagall reminded him.

Ron snorted as he began to load up his plate. "Whatever." He ignored the deep frowns of disapproval from around the table. Hermione elbowed him in the ribs. He shook his fork at her and then Dumbledore, "If he doesn't come around, it'll be all that git's fault. You can expel me if you want, for saying that, but you know it's true as much as I do." He looked around, feeling his anger needed a focal point. "Where is the black bat, anyway?"

Dumbledore barely kept a straight face at the brave words from the red-headed Gryffindor. "Professor Snape no longer joins our mealtimes either." Then, because he was duty-bound to say so: "Mr. Weasley, you will refrain from insulting a Hogwarts teacher … at least you will not do so aloud."

Ron and Hermione looked astonished at this much leeway. Had Dumbledore just looked over Ron's blatant insult with no more than a tap on the wrist?

Hermione paused after a bite was swallowed. "Harry seems very glad to see us, sir. He knows us well enough, but there is obviously something missing, at least to him. Did you know that he feels incomplete?"

Dumbledore looked at her sadly. "I thought as much. I'm afraid that may be a two-way situation."

Hermione eyed him in speculation. "Are you saying that Professor Snape is incomplete without Harry?"

Dumbledore smiled at her. "You are a very intuitive young lady, Miss Granger. What is it telling you now?"

Hermione chewed another bite thoughtfully. Then, she slowly formulated her answer. "I think that whatever that link they share is, it has made them two parts of a whole. I think, as much as it might be disagreeable to some –" she looked at Ron – "that Harry is right. He is incomplete without Professor Snape."

Dumbledore waited for her to go on. Hermione looked around the table at the other Hogwarts teachers. They had all discussed what they might do to settle things. Of course, they wanted Harry back to normal, as much as they wanted their colleague back. Term was about to start. Potions was an important subject. They had not seen Snape in days. How were they to be sure that he would be ready for his classes?

Dumbledore leaned forward. "Is that all, Miss Granger?"

She hesitated to respond, but finally spoke, "I haven't known everything that has happened like you, Professor," She looked at him steadily, "I wouldn't presume to have an answer; just suppositions."

McGonagall leaned towards her, "Well, lets hear it, then. Perhaps we need your perspective, as it might better reflect what Harry needs than ours."

"I think that they each represent something. Harry is of course, the good side, or the Light. Professor Snape is therefore the bad side, or the dark." She looked at them apologetically. Dumbledore motioned for her to continue. She got up to pace as she talked. "Suppose that Voldemort cannot be beaten by pure goodness." She frowned at Ron and the teachers who hissed in a breath at the mention of the Dark Lord's name. "Suppose that Harry will need a measure of darkness incorporated into his light, in order to defeat him."

Dumbledore nodded. "Yes. I see what you mean. Professor Snape is the balance Harry needs, the measure of darkness required."

"Harry feels lost. Ron and I can see that, even if he didn't tell us. Even if he's not back to himself, the Harry we know never dug his heels in over something unless it was truly important. It doesn't matter what Professor Snape has been in the past. Right now, only how Harry feels is important. Right now, Harry needs him. Somehow, we have to make that happen. Can't you talk to Professor Snape and get him to see that?"

"I have tried, dear girl. He has his heels dug in just as firmly as Harry." The table was silent except for the sounds of forks and knives against china.

After a few moments, Ron spoke up. "May I speak freely, sir?"

"Of course, Mr. Weasley, as long as you do not needlessly slander anyone, I think you may feel free to speak your mind." Dumbledore spoke as if he knew that Ron was about to talk about Snape.

"Well, I think you know that Snape, I mean Professor Snape, has never been one of my favorite people." Dumbledore nodded his acknowledgement. "When he came to the Burrow after Harry had been sent back to the Dursley's, he was different, I don't know, not as harsh. Then when Tonks brought Harry back and they saw each other … I never thought I'd see Harry run to anyone, but especially not to Professor Snape. They were like a son and his father." He laughed softly, derisively. "Snape was protective of him, patient in a very un-Snape like way. I knew then that I'd been wrong to doubt your trust in him," he said to Dumbledore. He took a drink of his pumpkin juice. "You don't know how much I hate saying that. Snape has only ever been a right git to all of us in Gryffindor. But even I can see that right now there's something that they both need. They won't find it unless they are together. Why can't Snape see that? He's the adult here. He should be able to do what he has to. What happened to make him just shut Harry out?"

Dumbledore looked around the table before answering, "I cannot divulge his confidences, as I have already told Miss Granger, but you should know that what he's doing, he does out of a sense of protecting Harry, not malice."

They nodded reluctantly. Everyone finished their meal in silence. Ron and Hermione went back up to Gryffindor tower, determined to try again to get Harry to eat at least

a few bites.

They found him exactly as they had left him, with the book in his lap. Hermione went over and sat down, gently lifting the book to glance at the title. Seventh year potions … "Harry, have you really read all of this?" she asked, noting that he was more than halfway done. When he nodded, she asked, "Do you understand it all, or are you just reading?"

He looked at her with exasperation. Dobby popped up beside the sofa. "Harry Potter understands it all. He says to tell you that he doesn't remember it not making sense in the past. Was it a difficult subject, he asks."

"You and Ron always needed my help understanding some of it," she said. "I just wondered if all that has happened somehow made it possible for you to understand it easier. This is advanced material for any of us."

Harry looked at her thoughtfully. Dobby looked back and forth between all of them, as Ron took his place back on the other side of Harry. Then he said, "Harry says he thinks there's a lot that has changed in him, but he doesn't know all. He understands potions, and maybe some other magical subjects better than before. He is not knowing how he did in these areas before, so he is confused by your question."

She laid a hand on his arm. "It's alright, Harry. If you understand and it's all easier now, that's great. You were never stupid or anything, you and Ron just needed to be pushed to study and try to do well. I'm glad that one of you won't be so reluctant to study now."

Ron mockingly reached over Harry and gave her a playful slap on the arm. "So I'm the only one you'll have to drive crazy with your pushiness now."

She rolled her eyes and smiled at him while Harry looked at both of them in turn. Dobby's squeaky voice uttered shyly, "Harry wants to know if you are … close."

Ron reddened and answered, "We've gotten closer over the last few months, mate. But you're still our best friend, too. In fact, you're like our brother, if you'd like to call it that. We both think of you as a brother, as well as a friend."

Harry looked at both of them, his eyes seeming to glow with unshed tears. "Family?" Dobby asked.

"Yes," Hermione answered. "We are more your family than your relatives ever have been."

Harry looked confused at that, shutting the book. Dobby said, "Harry is asking if he has relatives. He isn't remembering clearly how that is."

Ron and Hermione looked over Harry's head at each other, wondering how much to tell him. Ron finally asked, "The Dursleys are the last of your family. What do you remember about them, Harry?"

Harry searched his mind for all the remnants of memory. He frowned even more at images of an angry man and woman, hands raised to hit, voices loud and abusive. Terror, hopelessness, and sadness; all those feelings seemed to be sparked by those images.

He needed something to stop that awful surge. What was it? Prongs. He needed Prongs. He would make it stop. He got up, swaying on his feet.

Ron quickly stood up and grabbed his arm to steady him. Was he this weak from lack of food? He looked at Hermione, who had a look of deep concern on her face, as well.

"Harry, you must eat something. This is not good if you can hardly stand up."

Shaking his head, Harry began to walk unsteadily up the stairs to the dormitory. Ron followed closely behind him, afraid that he might fall.

Hermione looked at Dobby. "How long has it been since he's eaten?"

"Dobby has been trying his best to get Harry to eat and drink for four days, Miss."

Hermione's mouth dropped open. "He hasn't been drinking either?"

Dobby shook his head sadly. Hermione walked up to the boy's dormitory. Ron was standing beside Harry's bed. He gave Hermione a worried look when she came in with Dobby. Harry had pulled the curtains shut on three sides of his bed, and most of the way on the fourth. He was sitting with his back against the headboard, knees drawn up. Prongs was held tightly in his crossed arms.

Dobby said, "Harry is wanting you to stay with him, if you want to."

Ron climbed onto the bed and sat back against the headboard next to Harry and Hermione climbed in on the other side. Harry was rocking himself slowly and they just sat quietly, not sure what they should do next.

"Harry, won't you at least drink a little bit of pumpkin juice or water? It's dangerous for you to go so long without anything." Hermione spoke softly.

He didn't acknowledge her request except to look over at Dobby. Dobby said, "Harry is saying he will not until Professor Snape comes." He was watching Harry closely, then, "Harry asks if you will just talk to him … tell him about things he may have forgotten … he wants to remember his years here and he cannot see it all … he is telling me that he thinks of different things that must have meaning, but he doesn't know what … please talk to him and help him not sleep … sleep has bad dreams in it."

They talked for hours, about how they had met, the classes that they had taken, what they thought about the teachers and other students. Dobby has perched himself at the foot of the bed and occasionally, he voiced a question or comment from Harry. He wanted to hear about what they had done during the summer; hadn't Ron said something about a dragon?

The room got dark, and still Ron and Hermione took turns talking. Eventually, Harry leaned his head down onto Ron's shoulder. Ron looked at Hermione and she just smiled softly over Harry's sleeping face. They worked together to get him under the comforter, pulling it up and tucking it around him and Prongs.

They were about to leave when Dobby started trembling. He was still perched on the bed and he was still watching Harry. Stopping, Ron asked, "What is it?"

"Inside his head … the bad dreams are coming … and Dobby is not knowing what to do."

The two teens stepped back to the bed, studying Harry. His face was now scrunched up in his sleep. A few drops of sweat began to bead on his forehead around the lightening bolt scar. As they looked on, he started twisting restlessly under the covers.

"What is he dreaming? Can you see it?" Hermione whispered.

Dobby shook his head. "Dobby cannot clearly see the pictures until they are very big in his mind. When he dreamed of his family, Dobby didn't see their faces until they hit Harry. Before, Dobby sees mostly colors of fear, like now."

"Is this one about that awful family, too?" Ron asked.

Dobby concentrated and then shook his head. "The colors is worse … the fear is worse …"

On the bed Harry suddenly clutched a hand to his head. At the same time, Dobby fell off the bed with a loud squeal.

"He dreams of He Who Must Not Be Named! That one is coming into Harry's dream!" He pressed his tiny fists into his mouth to stop himself from making more noise.

Ron and Hermione looked at each other as Harry began to moan. Ron climbed back on the bed and tried to pull Harry up. Awkwardly, he patted his back and began to say the only thing he knew might work, even though this was a dream. "Occlude it, Harry. Block it out of your head. Remember how to do it … I know you can, mate. Occlude … Occlude …"

Hermione looked on helplessly as Harry thrashed against Ron and whimpered louder. She glanced at Dobby. "This one is worse, isn't it? Worse than any he's had?"

"Yes." He nodded. "Even the spelled toy is not helping him."

Hermione looked at him sharply. "What do you mean? Spelled toy?"

Dobby pointed to Prongs. "Professor Snape came at the last bad dream when Dobby went and told him how bad it was. He brought the toy and spelled it so Harry would get comforted in his sleep … it is not working for this dream …"

"So Professor Snape did come when you asked him to?" Hermione asked.

Dobby began to cry. "Professor Snape did not want to and he ordered Dobby not to tell Harry he came, but Harry knew. He could smell the professor on the toy, so he knew. It made Harry sad that Professor Snape would still not talk to him …"

Hermione looked back at Ron, who returned her look helplessly. He was still trying to hold on to Harry and whisper in his ear. Harry's frown had turned to an expression more like terror.

Hermione suddenly took in a deep breath and said firmly, "I'm going after the professor. Harry cannot continue like this. Professor Snape obviously does not see the magnitude of this. I'll make him come here."

"No, 'Mione. You can't go by yourself. You don't know what he'll be like."

"I don't care. I'll do whatever it takes to make him change his mind."

Ron shook his head, "At least take Dobby with you." He looked at Dobby, who was still trembling like he was cold.

The Elf nodded. "Dobby will go. Perhaps Miss Hermione can get Professor Snape to help Harry. Dobby will go so he can protect her … Professor Snape is not himself these last few days."

Hermione looked at Ron and he said quickly, "Let me go instead. You stay here with Harry."

She bit her lower lip and finally nodded in agreement. They worked together again to get Ron untangled from Harry and the comforter, then Hermione settled next to him where she began to stroke his back and whisper her own words of encouragement.

Ron watched them for a moment. Squaring his shoulders, he said, "I'm not coming back without him."

Hermione nodded as she watched Ron leave, trailed by Dobby.