CHAPTER 14. Anger and Upset

"What have I done?" asked Harry. "I have just woke up. I .. I don't understand? How could I have upset Hermione?"

The two McGonnagle witches looked at each other, gave a slight small smile and shrug to each other, the looked again at Harry. The Professor spoke first.

"Meghan, you go see to Hermione, I will stay here and talk with Harry. Once she has calmed down, bring her back in. I have a notion that what is said in here Miss Granger may want to hear. Well, some of it anyway."

Meghan gave her aunt a nod. "Five minutes. She'll be fine."

Meghan went out into the living room and seeing no trace of the young witch there, continued on through to the parlour. Sure enough, Hermione was standing by the door, leaning against the door frame, looking out over the island to the glorious views away in the distance. She was sniffling, holding a tissue to her nose. Meghan walked over to her, placed a hand on her shoulder and turned Hermione towards her. Giving her a small smile, Meghan asked,

"Hey, do you want someone to talk to? Looks like you need it."

An initial shake of the head was Hermione's first answer, but when Meghan pulled her closer and gave her a hug, the sobs started again so she returned the hug. Meghan whispered,

"Hermione, I think my words to you when we first met just a few minutes ago, about you and Harry, are closer to the mark than you would like to admit. You and Harry may not be an item, but I think your feelings for that lad in there have overwhelmed you a bit. Have they hit you today for the first time?"

There was no answer for a few seconds before a small voice gave Meghan an answer.

"I … I don't know what I am feeling. I … I have loved Harry and Ron as my best friends for ages. But with Harry, he has so much on his shoulders, responsibilities, expectations from the whole wizarding world, but he is not even 15 till next week.…. It's not fair! I feel for him, I really do. Last year, nearly the whole school loathed him. He has been treated really badly by people he thought would back him; even most of our house, Gryffindor, treated him like a liar and a cheat. Yes, at times he got angry or really down, but deep down, when he is just being Harry, he is the sweetest, kindest, most generous boy you could ever meet. So protective of everyone really, especially his friends and …. Even more especially, me. Since back in first year he has been my knight in shining armour. I have seen him injured before, magically and physically, and I have been upset for him then, but the injuries have been as a result of magical attacks, but seeing him like he is, with those … those …OH! I cannot even say their name! ….His relatives, his mum's sister, having attacked him so … it makes my blood boil! I want to hex them into oblivion! But, seeing him all smashed up like he is, it … it… Oh, Meghan! I am only fifteen, but I love him so much! I think I have done for ages, but somehow, seeing him now …. " and the tears kept flowing.

The Head of House Gryffindor looked once more at her most troubled and sought-after pupil. Now that she was alone with him, what she saw made her want to hang her head in shame and at the same time fired her up to do better in the future. This 15yr old lad, well, 15 in a matter of days time, battered, stabbed, broken and bruised, already scarred up beyond imagination, brave, frightened, puzzled; a lad that the magical world either adored or reviled, praised or condemned, put on a pedestal or wished to grind into the dirt. He was a legend and a pariah in his own short lifetime. In the muggle world, the three 'relatives' that should have cared and nurtured him treated him abominably, no better than a starved slave. (Although not anymore, she knew). What he had been through already was more than countless adults went through in a lifetime. Well, it was stopping here.

"Mr. Potter …. Harry. First things first. Your injuries and the pain, how are you feeling?"

"I'm ok, Professor." Seeing his Head of House's sceptical look, he added, "I still ache everywhere, some bits more than others. If I move to suddenly my shoulder and knee create a bit. They are the worst. Move my head too much and my nose lets me know about it. Same with my ribs. I have a thumping headache, but if I stay still or only move gently, it is all bearable."

"OK. Do you need any pain relief, would a potion or two help?"

Harry frowned and when he spoke to her it was very evident from his demeanour and tone of voice that he was angry and hostile.

"No, because I don't want to be dozed up to go to sleep again. All this stuff happening around me and it's all about me and I want to know what is going on. I am not going to be treated like some little kid anymore. I cannot trust anybody to tell me the truth, except maybe Hermione. Oh, and so far, Doc Meghan. She seems good. She hasn't bullshi … lied to me or tried to deceive me. She was upfront about my injuries and … and … she listened to me about stuff that I have told no one before and that includes Hermione. Sorry if I don't include you on that short list Professor. You are letting me stay here and getting Meghan and Hermione and everything, but you haven't done much else over the years…. But, thank you for setting up Dobby with the knowledge of this place of yours. You and Dobby got me out the shit, at least for a bit anyway. And, I'm sorry if I am speaking a bit rude to you but it is how I feel. I'm hurting, I'm angry and just a bit fucked off with people hating me, lying to me, setting me up to get killed and just messing me about. I have enough problems with old Snake Eyes hunting me down without everybody else chucking in their four galleons worth as well!"

"I have no problems with plain speaking Harry. In fact, it is very useful in the right circumstances to put over one's feelings. Your plain speaking and attitude to me is …. understandable."

Harry lost it.

"UNDERSTANDABLE! YOU BLOODY WELL TOLD ME THAT YOU KNEW ALL ABOUT DUMBLEDORE PUTTING ME WITH THE FUCKING DURSLEYS! THAT YOU KNEW WHAT THEY WERE LIKE WITH MAGICALS! WITH BLOODY ANYBODY! THEY SHOVED ME IN A CUPBOARD TO FUCKING WELL LIVE IN IT. MY BEDROOM WAS A CUPBOARD UNDER THE FUCKING STAIRS FOR TEN YEARS. NO LIGHT. NO WINDOWS. THEY PUT LOCKS ON IT. I DID NOT EVEN HAVE FUCKING BED! I HAD AN ANCIENT, STINKING, FILTHY DOG MAT TO LIE ON AND A COUPLE OF WORN, THIN SHEETS. AND YOU SAY MY ATTITUDE IS FUCKING UNDERSTANDABLE? I HAD NO CLOTHES OF MY OWN. NO FRIENDS BECAUSE MY THUG OF A COUSIN AND HIS FUCKING GANG WARNED EVERYBODY OFF OF ME OR BEAT THEM UP, AND ME, IF THEY EVEN TRIED. MY, SO CALLED, AUNT AND UNCLE BEAT ME TO A FRAZZLE VIRTUALLY EVERY FUCKING DAY. I NEVER HAD A MEAL, NOT ONE. I WAS FED SCRAPS. I HAD TO STEAL FOOD TO LIVE. I HAD NOTHING. I HAD NO FUCKING LIFE! AND YOU AND DUMBLEDORE PUT ME THERE!"

'CRASH!'

A bedside cabinet with lamp on top flew across the room, smashing against a wall, the lamp shattering. The spare chair by the side of the bed took off as if by its own accord and hit the bedroom cabinet.

Hermione burst into the bedroom in shock and disbelief at Harry ranting at their Professor, but she had heard every word through the partially open door. She saw the rage in Harry and the shaking and his tears, she saw the anger and… his magic! It was emanating from him in a red and purple haze, the air pulsing around him. She saw the unlit ceiling lamp swaying as the pulses hit it. There were objects flying around the room. She saw the awe in the Professor's face at the sheer magical energy present. There was also fear in that face. Hermione was teary, again, but there was no fear in her. She knew Harry would not let his magic, even his uncontrolled magic, harm her. She went to Harry's bed.

"Harry …. Harry, please… please calm down. Your hurt enough, you're not helping yourself. Please Harry!"

She took the hand she could reach, the one in the sling. She grabbed his glasses from the floor then she got on the bed beside him and pulled him to her, taking his head in her hands and looking directly into his eyes. She felt him shuddering from the rage and upset that was welling up inside him.

"Shhh. Calm down, Harry. It's me, Hermione. I won't let anyone else hurt you, Harry. It's alright, there is no one here that will do you any harm. I am going to put my arms around you Harry, to hold you. Shhh! Calm down, calm down."

She placed Harry's glasses on his face then slowly put her arm around him, putting her hands on his back, drawing herself to him so as not to cause further harm to his injuries. She placed her head against his, all the while whispering calming words to him. Meghan McGonagle had rushed into the room behind Hermione. She had never in her life seen anything like she was seeing now. She was astounded. The magical power in that room could literally be felt in the pressure of the air, it was crackling with static.

As Hermione held Harry, slowly the magical tension in the room eased, objects that had been flying around dropped to the floor, onto the bed, gravity once more having taken over. .

"Good Harry, really good. You don't have to defend yourself here. There is only the Professor, Doctor Meghan and me here. Everyone here is on your side, Harry. No one is going to hurt you…. " The shuddering stopped and his breathing slowed. "…that's it, shhh now, your calming down. That's good, Harry. Easy now, easy."

Hermione turned and lent back against the headboard, bringing Harry's head slowly down to her shoulder. She nodded at the two older witches and mouthed soundlessly 'OK, he's OK'.

As Hermione held him, he could feel the rage leaving him, feel his calmer senses slowly returning, feel his magic ebbing, his breathing gradually getting back to normal. He could feel the closeness of Hermione and her calming influence, here her words of comfort. He felt safe and … felt some other feeling coming from her, a feeling he had not felt before. He looked up at the two witches in front of him, couldn't see the face he was looking for, but he felt her arms around him and her hand on the side of his face. She was there, holding him.

"Hermione! I'm …. I'm sorry. I'm sorry. I …. I got angry and I lost it. Professor, Meghan, I'm sorry. I'm sorry if I frightened you. I didn't mean too!" Then he saw the mangled ruin of what was, a neat and tidy bedroom. "Oh Merlin! Did I do this?"

Professor McGonnagle was still shocked at what had happened. Only once before had she even known a wizard had such power at fifteen and that was only through word of mouth and record, she was not even born when it had happened. The historical pupil files about Hogwarts relate to an incident about Albus Dumbledore at the same age when he lost his temper with an older pupil, destroying a classroom with such an expulsion of magic as she had just witnessed from Harry Potter. Just how much power was in him?

HJP & HJG