An. Yes it has been a horrifically long time since i last updated. I apologise profusely, but at the moment i'm doing a work placement 9-5 (meaning i have to leave the house at 7 to get there on time) do two 4000 word essays, revise for 2 exams and research various things to do with mental illness...as well as this and a plethora of other stuff. I wont abandon it ever you have a solemn promise on that but things are really tough for me right now.

On with the story.

Chapter 36

The next staff meeting was as hectic as usual but there were a number of noticeable differences. For one Albus Dumbledore was conspicuous by his absence, Minerva sitting in his preferred seat was one another. As well as this many of the staff members weren't shouting to get their concerns recognised like they had been a month ago. The files of all of the students were being addressed keeping all the staff up to date with the various issues within the school. Dumbledore had, had a habit of trying to brush things under the carpet. That hadn't meant that they hadn't addressed those issues. It had meant they had to use different routes with less weight behind them.

Poppy had her contacts within St Mungos hospital, with which she could usually liaise with if the headmaster had blocked her attempts of getting a student sufficient health care. In so cases this hadn't been possible due to various oaths he had made her swear over the years and so she had gone straight to their family. In Harry's case neither of these had been possible as she hadn't been able to get any mail to them.

Minerva knew a lot of the people in the Auror office due to her friendship with Alastor Moody. He was a man who had always taken her concerns seriously regarding Albus. He most certainly wasn't the type of man who would trust anyone blindly and Dumbledore certainly had a large number of foibles. Such contacts had been invaluable in getting children emancipated, moved out of inappropriate home environments, passing on dark magical items found in the school etc.

"I would like to raise the issue of Hermione Granger's change in personality." Filius piped, drawing the attention of the rest of the room. "Recently she has become rather mean spirited and bigoted. I think it's something that we should monitor, due to its sudden onset."

"Filius I agree with you, it is most unlike her. I thought that maybe it was to do with her dating Ronald Weasley, who seems to be particularly possessive of her." Severus added, by now the entirety of the staff was looking concerned. As if there wasn't enough going on here at the moment without something so suspicious going on.

"I'll ask her to come in for a check up on Monday and do some in depth scans." Poppy stated, brushing a crumb from her ginger newt off of her apron.

"That is a good idea, she might open up if she's on her own." Aurora Sinistra called from her place beside the muggle studies teacher.

The first lesson that Harry had to attend was Potions, first thing on a Monday. Breakfast that morning hadn't been as bad as it had yesterday. Sunday was the day that he had been released from the hospital and as news about his release from the hospital wing had slowly filtered through the school, Harry had noticed the level of staring increase. A tiny little first year, who he was unable to recall the name of had run up to him as soon as he entered the great hall for breakfast, wrapping her arms around him tightly and had then promptly burst into tears.

He had stood there in shock for a few moments before his caring instinct took over. As best as he could, he bent down, taking her into his lap and carding his fingers through her curly brown hair. Given the chance to get a proper look at her, he was able to see that it was the same little girl that he had helped find her way back to the Slytherin dorms at the beginning of the year. It had been the first night in school after the summer holidays and he had felt the need for a late night wander around the castle, having spent the past two hours tossing and turning in his bed.

Under the cloak, and with the map clutched protectively in his left hand, he had crept down to the fifth floor Harry had intended to go to the kitchens to see Dobby, but had been surprised upon finding her standing in the middle of the corridor crying. He had been so caught up in ensuring that the teachers, Filch and Mrs Norris where nowhere to be seen that he had completely forgotten about making sure that there wasn't anyone else out there.

Luckily his footfalls were soft, having learned over the many years that he had spent at his aunt and uncles house how to get around without waking them up. She hadn't noticed him and so he had backed off back round the corner of the corridor, his heart beating a tattoo loudly in his chest. It wouldn't be right t leave her there on her own like that. After all she looked to be a firstie who had lost her way, through the maze that was also known as a school.

It had only taken a few moments for him to divest himself of the cloak, and stow the map in his back pocket, before he came back round the corner determined to help her. Seamus would say that it was his savng people thing going off once again and in a way he had to agree with him.

Taking her back had taken all of half an hour but ever since then she had become rather fond of him. In a way she reminded him of Luna. Hannah Shout was her name; it had come to him in a flash as he looked back down at her. Being so long in the Hospital wing had left hi rather detached from the rest of the world and the revelations that had taken place had left him wallowing in self pity. In the midst f all hat he hadn't really had the chance to think about how people would react, beyond what his mind had thought the worst scenarios could be.

When he finally made it to the Gryffindor table Neville and Dean had made sure that there was a space in-between them so that he wouldn't be stuck next t one of the overly inquisitive house members. Harry shivered slightly the hall was s mc colder than the infirmary what with it being such a large room and so close to the main entrance. People seemed to have grown bored of staring at him by now, as they had returned to their meals, though the occasional person was looking over at him every now and then in a way that was completely obvious.

Ronald Weasley was seated about ten or twelve seats away from them and was eating with his usual lack of manners or skill, glaring at him whenever he paused to wipe the bacon grease from his face.

The knot of anxiety within his stomach clenched ever tighter and he didn't think that he cold stomach anything this morning. Though it was painfully obvious that he was going to have to that didn't mean that he wanted to. Neville, Snape and Madame Pomfrey weren't going to let him get away with skipping meals. Lowering his left hand to his stomach and massaging it gently in a hope to release the cramping feeling there, he began to assemble some food together. Fruit was something that he enjoyed, but was also something that Neville would keep an eye on the amount that he was eating. There were plenty of vitamins and minerals but few calories. For that component of his diet he settled on a bowl of 'Shreddie' like cereal.

"Potions this morning ey, Harry!" Seamus exclaimed happily buttering some granary toast in a rather slapdash manner.

"Don't remind me." Harry replied, forcing down the cocktail of drugs that he was now required to take before every meal.

An. I hope that you liked the new chapter, as slow moving as this story is... PM me if you want to know more about what's going on in my life XD