Part Eight:
The Returning

Alex walked through the halls like a zombie on her way to Herbology. No, she didn't have her hands stuck out in front of her or anything, she just felt like she was having an out of body experience;like she was watching herself do all these things. Harry had been gone for two months now. No one had seen or heard anything about him. Whoever took him had a good hideout. She passed Ron, who looked just as bad as she did. Everything was so screwed up.
She hadn't run out of hope that they would find him, but it didn't look like it would be anytime soon. She prayed to God everynight asking him to help them find Harry. So far her prayers had been in vain. She went through Herbology that day, then went to her dorm, and to bed. She had no appetite, so she didn't go to dinner either. She eventually fell into a restless sleep-only to have unpleasent dreams.

**

The next day Alex was found in her bed by Hermione. Alex hadn't gotten up for breakfast, and she was worried. She found Alex with a tear stained face, and a cold sweat running down her forehead. Without a second thought, Hermione went to get Ron, and making sure that there was no one but them in the dorm room, Ron picked Alex up and carried her to the infirmary.

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As soon as Harry took even the smallest sip of the strange liquid, he felt like ice was going through his veins. He wanted to scream, but he couldn't. It was impossible for him to control his own actions now. The cold stayed in his body. Even his heart and lungs were cold. His body moved, even though he didn't want it to. He moved into the darkness again. This time the room got hazy, he felt dizzy as he stepped into the haze. He looked around him. He was back! Back at Hogwarts! He was standing in the hallway right in front of the infirmary. The first thing that he thought about doing was running straight to the common room. He couldn't though. Whatever he drank had made him completely unable to do what he wanted. He took a left, and having no idea what he was doing, walked up to a lantern that was hanging on the wall, and said-

"Yerf Mop."

The lantern shook, and the wall opened to reveal door. He stepped in. In his mind he was screaming at himself that he needed to get out of there, but he couldn't stop himself. This must be Madam Pomfrey's office, because there were all kinds of medical instruments everywhere.

" Who's there?"

Madam Pomfrey was sitting at her desk writing on some kind of paper.

" Mr.Potter? Is that you?! Oh it is! Come, we must get you to the Headmaster right away!" she said, but right as she got to him, he put his hand in his pocket( someone had given his wand back ) pulled out his wand, and hit her with some kind of curse. She fell down instantly, and didn't move at all. 'How could you do that?!' he thought to himself.'You'll be in Azkaban for this!' but his legs took him to the next door, which he opened. He was now in the infirmary itself. He stomach did flip-flops when he saw the only other person in the room. ' Alex!' he felt like screaming, but, of course, he couldn't.She coughed into the tissue she was holding.' She's sick.'he thought. Alex raised up and put her glasses on.

" Harry?......HARRY!" she shrieked. She got up, and ran over to him. He noticed as she did so, that she had dark circles under her eyes,she was very thin and very pale. She threw her arms around him.

" Harry! I've missed you so much! How did you get here? When did you get here?..... Harry?" she said. Slowly, she pulled waway from him. Her eyes were wide and fearfull. He felt his eyes narrow as he reached for his wand. ' Run Alex! RUN!' he thought. He pulled out his wand, and pointed it at her throat. He was backing her up against the wall now.

" Harry, speak to me. I know you're in there...somewhere." she said quietly. He moved nearer to her. The tip of his wand was now touching her throat.

" Please? You don't want to do this. Come on fight it Harry, fight it!" she said. He tried. His wand was wavering now.

" Good....come on...come on.." she said. He thought harder than ever. He began to lower his wand. He tried his best to speak, but he sounded like he had duck tape over his mouth. She took hold of his hand- his body resisted. His hand began to pull up again.

" No." she said. She wrenched the wand from his hand, and threw it across the room. His hands then reached for her throat. ' Oh God' he thought.' I'm going to kill her!' She ran to the side, but he grabbed hold of her waist from behind, and threw her against the wall. She was gasping for breath now after trying to free herself from his grasp, but failing. She coughed some more. She was so helpless. He tried even harder.

" A-a-al-ex." he choked out.

" Yes, Harry. Yes I'm here. " she said.

" Heh-help mm-mme." he said. She put her hands on his face.

" Come out Harry. Come back to me." she said.

" I-I'm trr-y-ing." he said. He was trying to catch his breath now.

" A-aa-ll-ex.....Aaa--llex...ALEX!" he said. His legs gave away and Alex wrapped her arms around him as he fell. He put his arms around her, and his head on her shoulder. He wriggled his fingers. He could control what he did now. He felt warm again. He raised his head up to face her. He put his hands on her face. They looked at each other for a moment. Then he kissed her more passionately than he had ever kissed her before. She kissed him back. Her arms went around his neck, and his around her waist. The sat there like that for long while. Just happy to be back together.

(-;***:-)


Afterwards they had gone to Dumbledores office. When they walked into the office Dumbledore saw Harry, put his glasses on, and then smiled.

" Decided to come back to us, eh Harry?" he asked.

" Yes I have." Dumbledore stood up and walked over to him.

" I think there are some people in Professor Hawkin's office that would like to see you. Miss Hawkins, I am sure you will understand if I ask you to go back to the infirmary after you accompany Harry to your fathers office. You know the password." he said.

" Yes sir." she said. Dumbledore walked them to the door and Harry and Alex went to her fathers office, where Mrs.Weasley, Sirius, Remus, and Reese were talking about Harry's current situation. The went berserk when they saw him. Eventually, Alex returned to the infirmary, and Harry and the rest began to try to figure out what had been done to him.