While You Slept
Lady Countryrose
Ch. 1
Dorea Potter was looking at her family. They were enjoying a Sunday brunch as a family. Which she had fought hard to have. Even the likes against Albus Dumbledore. Who was trying to split her family apart.
She knew that James had to hide away with his wife and son. All because the Headmaster of Hogwarts said so. But she wasn't going to allow some man, get in the way of wanting to see her family. Nope, not one bit.
Dorea had requested that her son and family to come over. Halloween night of 1981. She wanted to see her grandson. Who has been growing like a weed, only to gift him more clothes.
"We need to go, mum," she heard her son tell her, for the third time in an hour.
"Do you really have to." She looked into James' eyes and bagged. "Can't you spend the night? You haven't been around for over a month, James!"
Lily smiled kindly towards Dorea. "Sorry, we barely came tonight. Thanks to Headmaster Dumbledore. But he has said that after tonight, we should come more often."
Dorea sighed, picking Harry up into her arms. Hugging him close. "Charlus, could you go with them. Make sure they had made it home."
The elder Potter male chuckled. "Of course, my dear," he smiled at her. Giving her a peck on her cheek. Before taking Harry from her.
"Take care, dears, I do hope we can have more days like this." While she hugged Lily and then James goodbye. Following them out of the door of Potter Manor. Before they whisked themselves away.
It was the last she had seen her family. Alive or awake. While one, was taken from her. While the rest of her family was unreachable.
Dorea Potter was a tired, aging woman. She was fighting two wars. One, fighting to have Harry to live at her house. And the second, fighting against the medical field to keep her family alive.
Her beloved grandson was living with Lily's sister's house. With her awful husband and son. Which Dorea had heard all the rotten words that family had said about Harry. She had fought against the courts for custody for Harry, but was met with dead ends.
She heard all their reasons and each one of them of petty in comparison. "You're a Black, Dorea. Your family holds no power here. Since there is no heir to fight for your rights, Dorea. Your son and husband are in a deep sleep. While the last living Black heir in is Azkaban."
Nope, Dorea had no help. She even had gone to Albus Dumbledore. Only for him to voice, "He is much safer in the muggle world than our own, Dorea. He is too famous for you to handle alone."
All she wanted to do was cry. But she had used up all her tears. There was no hope in sight, not while Charlus and James were in a coma. She was alone and she hated that feeling.
Over the years, Dorea had managed to see Harry, while he was outside. Picking weeks from his aunt's house. While everyone else was inside. She could see her son, as she looked at Harry. But only to be reminded that he was Harry, do to Lily's eyes.
"Stay strong, Harry," she smiled at him. As she watched him getting close to his eighth birthday. "I just hope your father and grandfather would wake up soon."
Harry turned to her with a sad look in his eyes. It nearly broke her heart, seeing it. "Why do you come, grandma? Why am I even here?" His voice was not full of anger, like she would expect, but deep sadness or despair.
"Reminding you that there is someone out here that loves you, Harry," she whispered softly.
"Hey, BOY! Get your lazy arse in here. Time to start dinner," they heard his uncle call out to him. "Your father was a lazy nobody too!"
"Coming, Uncle Vernon," Harry answered back. He turned towards Dorea with a sad smile. "Bye, grandma." Then he turned towards the house and left her in the backyard.
Dorea had to prevent herself from rushing towards the hateful muggle and hit him. 'I would do a world a service if I give him a good hitting.' But she couldn't afford her crazy Black family anger to come through. "Charlus, James, I don't just need you, but so does Harry."
With a great sigh, she turned on the spot. Heading to the hospital, before she was to head home. She said her hellos to the nurse's station. Before going to shared room, of James and Charlus. She had requested it, back in 1981. When the two were acquitted.
When Dorea had opened the door. She didn't know what she was expecting. But seeing the beautiful eyes of Charlus Potter, was the last thing on her mind. She rushed over to him, laying her hands over his body, as she cried.
"Dorea," he rasped out softly. "What happened, my love," he tried talking to her.
"Shh, I'm going to get someone first," she then turned on her heels and rushed out of the room. "Healer! Please, I need a healer!"
A couple of people rushed over to her. Before heading to the room. Only to see Charlus sitting up, coughing. One healer rushed over to him. Pushing him back down. "Not so fast, Mr. Potter, we need to see how you're doing first."
Dorea stayed by the door. While watching her husband, awake and interacting with the world of the living. Only to find that he was in coma, due to his magical core was dangerously low. Low enough that it might have killed him.
The healer then went over to James' bed. Only to see the healer with a puzzled look on their face. "He is nearly awake, as well. He wasn't dangerously low as Charlus Potter was. But something else had prevented him from waking up."
"What is wrong, sir," she asked the healer.
The man turned towards her with a deep thought. "It looks like a spell was placed on your son, Mrs. Potter. The kind that prevented him to wake, unless your husband had woken up first."
"What," gasped Dorea. "That is dark and ancient magic, sir! Who would dare to use it?"
The healer nodded his head. "Who was the last person that either your husband or son had faced, before they had come here?"
"The Dark Lord," she stated simply. She wasn't going to color it. It was up to the healers to make those kinds of conclusions. But she wasn't going to lie about it. Not when lives were on the line.
"Merlin," gasped the healer. "They're lucky to be alive, then." He shook his head. "I wonder where your son's wife and son are?"
"His wife is dead, sir," she growled at him darkly. "His son, is lost in the muggle world." Dorea wasn't lying. Then again, she could see why Albus Dumbledore didn't want Harry in the Wizarding World.
'My grandson is no God. He will have a normal life!'
The healer bowed to her and left. Allowing Dorea to turn to see Charlus, after he hadn't said a word for a while. Only to see the pain in his eyes.
"So…Lily." he asked.
"She died, Charlus." Tears leaked out of her eyes. "She died saving Harry. You and James have been asleep for a long time. It's nearly Harry's eighth birthday."
"That," gasped Charlus in disbelief. "That long," he pushed himself into a sitting position. "Where is Harry," he demanded.
Dorea teared up again. "In the muggle world, living with Lily's sister."
"We need to get him out of there," he growled out darkly.
"I tired," she whimpered. "While you've slept, I've tried. No one would listen to me, not while you and James were gone."
Charlus turned to see James next to him. With sadness in his eyes. "He will wake up soon, and we will have his son for him to see. Once he wakes up again."
Charlus found his wand next to him and waved it in the air. Only to see a fox, paronus before them. "Alastor Moody, you know who this is, you rugged goat. Come find me, we have work to do!"
Then the fox rushed out of the room. Not before long, a rugged man came rushing into the room like Hell's fire was on his tail. Only for the man to gasp in disbelief. "Charlus Potter, you're finally alive."
Charlus glared at than before him. "Why is my grandson not with my wife?"
Alastor stuttered, "It wasn't my say, Charlus. It was those old school pure bloods."
"I don't care what it takes, Alastor. I want my grandson home!"
"Yes, Lord Potter." He turned from the room. Grumbling under his breath. "He sure took his sweet time to wake up. Here I thought Rouge Death Eaters were going to be a problem."