Chapter 7 - Alternatives
Dementors were chasing Harry across the Graveyard with Cedric, jumping over a particularly large one he spotted the grave of Tom Riddle. The horrible rotten breath of the dementors from behind him urged Harry and Cedric on. Then from the ivy strewn house at the top of the hill came a hooded man holding what looked like a child in blankets.
"Kill the spare!" came an icy cold voice from within the bundle. Moments later a wand was raised, a flash of green light issued and Cedric collapsed onto the floor next to him, dead.
"NO!, Not again!" Harry shouted. It all happened so quickly, Wormtail cutting him with his dagger, then everything is own arm, up and out of the cauldron came the dark lord. Death eaters appeared as they were lifted off the grounds, Cedric and his parents reappeared
"We died for this pathetic, scrawny thing" came his mother's voice "Weak, unable, freak"
"We would have been alive if it wasn't for you, and now you've killed one more"
"I didn't , it wasn't my fault!" exclaimed Harry
"It was, you brought me here, now my father will be sonless"
"NO!"
"Your fault!"
"NO!"
Harry awoke in the dark unable to catch his breath, sitting bolt upright with his pyjama top soaked with sweat He thought he was going to die, his hands shook violently as he struggled to regulate his breathing. As it worsened, Harry grabbed his arm, the pain rapidly regulated him into the same numbness as he achieved the night before. Once that was established, Harry was able to regulate his breathing eventually, but it took time. The sun was now peeking through the gap in the curtains.
Harry looked up at the clock on the wall, it was almost 7.30 am he decided to get changed out of his sweaty top before anyone else awoke and saw him in that state. Out of his trunk Harry pulled a long sleeved t-shirt and some shorts, slowly but carefully trying not to put his braced leg to the floor he managed to change and clean up his side of the room which he had neglected to do the previous night. Once he had finished that he sat back down on his bed again and rechecked the time, it was now 8.30am.
Before Harry had a chance to lay back and try to doze there was a knock on the bedroom door followed by a fussy Mrs Weasley entering the room.
"Ah, you are up already" she started walking over to Ron's bed and started to shake him "Ron! Time to get up" she then glanced back at Harry "If you go downstairs Harry, I will be down to make breakfast in five" Harry nodded standing up and hobbling out of the room, as he exited he heard "Oh come on Ron!"
Learning from the previous night Harry looked where he was going down the two sets of stairs down to the kitchen, there he found Sirius, Remus, Ginny and Hermione were sat around the wooden table. Harry sat down next to Ginny and opposite Remus and Sirius.
"Morning Harry" yawned Hermione
"Morning" replied Harry tiredly, looking down into his hands, not feeling like talking to anyone. Suddenly a crack filled Harrys eardrums and made him jump.
"You'll get used to that Harry" laughed Sirius grinning "Morning twins!" Fred and George laughed too. Harry shook his head smiling for a moment before going back to his gloomy aurora. Mrs Weasley then came bustling into the kitchen pointing her wand at the frying pan which eggs, sausages and bacon launched themselves into the pan and were soon sizzling away as she was buttering toast.
As if the smell of food had accelerated the speed Ron arousing from the bedroom, Ron had come running down the stone stairs and into the kitchen as Mrs Weasley plated up everyone's breakfast before sitting down and joining them. Harry looked down at his own, his stomach lurched, he was still full of last night despite bringing most of it back up. Noticing people were glancing over to him he picked up a sausage on his fork and started nibbling the end.
"Right we need to start on the drawing room today, there is a bad infestation of doxy's in the curtains and the cabinet is shaking, I think it might be boggart but best let Mad-Eye come take a look first. I would like you all to be in the drawing room in half an hour." Announced Mrs Weasley
"Yes Mum" replied the Weasley children as Harry and Hermione replied "Yes Mrs Weasley"
"Not you Harry, you need to see Madame Pomfrey and rest, you can't help in your condition" Replied Mrs Weasley
"But" exclaimed Harry, wanting to do anything else but sit down and not help out with everyone else. Ron had obviously started to complain too because Mr Weasley had started to shout
"Ron! Sometimes we have to do things we don't like! Harry physically can't, there is nothing wrong with you. Half an hour, no excuses!" shouted Mrs Weasley. Lowering her voice "Harry dear, you don't want to do any more damage to yourself, it's okay, you need to get better"
Harry nodded understanding where she was coming from and continued to nibble his sausage, negative thoughts protruded his brain once again, everything seemed darker. Harry concentrated on his breakfast eating as much as he could so that no one would question him.
"Harry, Madame Pomfrey is coming here today to have a look at your leg, she will be here in around an hour, hopefully it isn't as bad as we think. In the meantime, Sirius has said you can use the library for your summer homework, as I'm assuming you didn't get a chance at your Aunt and Uncles." Informed Remus
"Kreacher is rather fond of the library, and has managed to keep that in order" continued Sirius
"Alright, thanks" replied Harry. Unable to eat anymore Harry excused himself to the library, stopping off at the bathroom on the way, he couldn't keep his breakfast down. The library was much larger than Harry had expected, rows of books lined the shelves completely covering the walls and rows in the centre only breaking for a window which showed the dark street below. At both ends of the room lay many desks with different lamps on each and three chandeliers lined the ceiling each with its glass hangings glistening on the walls.
It was very quiet in the library and Harry found it rather peaceful as the rain drizzled down the window and pattered against the stone exterior. The floor was polished brightly and there was a dark oak door coming off the side of the room which was open leading to a smaller room with a grand piano shining from the reflection of the lights. The walls of this room were filled with small books for music theory and for practicing.
Much calmer now than he was at the breakfast table, Harry sat down on one of the desk and laid out his Herbology essay that he started at the Dursley's but never managed to write past the heading at the top of the parchment. He also brought out his Herbology textbook and opened it to the page he was reading last and started to read.
An hour later Harry had managed to write a foot of his three-foot essay, much more than he would have ever been able to do with anyone around, it was nice to have some space without any interruptions. Speaking of interruptions, the door of the library opened and in stepped Remus who made his way over to Harry.
"you've managed quite a bit there Harry, well done" Harry looked up and nodded his thanks "Poppy has just arrived, I have come to get you. We are going up to one of the bedrooms on the third floor, away from everyone else, I'm surprised you haven't heard them all, making a racket." Said Remus
"Harry wouldn't be able to hear them, this room has its own silencing charm so that it is always peaceful in here, and so that if someone is making noise on the piano it doesn't disturb anyone else in the house. My dad was the pianist, drove grandfather crazy as he liked to practice at night, so they charmed the room" explained Sirius who had followed Remus into the room.
"That's cool!" exclaimed Harry "Does that mean if someone plays that piano when that door is closed no one will be able to hear them"
"Not quite there Harry, there is a switch on, like a muggle light switch (is that right Rem?) that allows the piano to be heard out of the room and throughout the house, but I the switch is off then only if you are in that room will you be able to hear it" replied Sirius
"Cool!" Harry repeated
"Right let's get you upstairs before you get distracted again" said Remus. Harry nodded and stood up collecting his things together and putting them into his school bag before following Remus out of the room. They dropped his bag in his room before making their way up to the final set of stairs and onto the top landing. Here there were five further doors and a ladder up to the attic. They entered through the first door on their left and found the Hogwarts matron fussing about making a make-shift examination bench.
"Two moments Mr Potter" as she flicked her wand and unpacked what looked like bandages and some magical sort of monitors. Harry had seen these at Hogwarts but never seen them been used why would they be needed here? He thought, worrying about what was going to happen. "Not to worry, let's get you up on the bed" Harry nodded and sat up on the bed, he didn't understand why but he felt very vulnerable as the matron quickly removed the brace and bandages with the flick of her wand. "I am going to scan your leg to see what is happening inside and see what we need to do"
Harry nodded as the matron carried on with her investigation, his leg suddenly became warm as she swept her wand back and forth the injured area. Once she was done parchment was coming out of one of the machines in the background. She ripped the parchment off the scroll once it had stopped moving.
"Right Mr Potter, my scans confirm Professor Lupins hypothesis, the ligaments in your knee have all deteriorated which means there is no connection between the upper and lower bones and so your leg is unstable, the scan also confirms the nasty fracture of the two bones in your lower leg and lots of bruising. I can fix bones in a heartbeat but ligaments are much more tricky, though I can create new ones because your body's natural healing will not regrow ligaments and will need some time for the graft to take to your bone, no magic can help the healing progress." Explained Madame Pomfrey
"So what do you need to do to help Harry?" asked Remus
"The only way I can replace everything in his knee is by cutting open his leg and replacing them that way, it's very high precision magic and replacement surgery, I will not be able to do this without his knee being cut open." Harry who was now feeling very anxious about it all was trying not to panic. "You won't be awake for the surgery boy; you will be asleep. It won't take me long, but I would like to explain the aftercare before I give you potions as you will most likely be groggy afterwards"
"You are doing it right now?"
"When did you think? Next month?" she tutted, Harry shook his head "Right, after care. We will be using a form of that muggle brace, I will modify it to your treatment plan. Once I finish the surgery I will set the brace in a certain way this will then not to be removed, I do not want you to put any weight on your leg for six weeks afterwards we will slowly get you weight bearing again, we are aiming for a total treatment time of about three months, any questions?"
"Will I be able to play quidditch?"
"not while you aren't weight bearing, after that we will see, you need to take it easy so off your leg as much as possible" Harry nodded "Alright, let's get you settled, drink these two potions, one will stop you feeling any pain, the other will put you to sleep" Harry nodded again and took the two potions and downed them both, he was very quickly sleepy and closed his eyes.
"I'll be here when you wake up" said Remus placing a hand on his shoulder before he fell into the depths of sleep.