He awoke to the familiar surrounding of the Infirmary he had often found himself in. Muffled snoring could be heard from the bed on his right. Someone else must be here too, he thought, not too unbelievable. He grabbed for his glasses and swung his feet off the bed
As he racked his brain to remember what had happened to land him here, his gaze fell upon the scene outside. He could see buses and cars zooming by on the road, important-looking business men and women walking around swaying their briefcases. He did another take of the Infirmary only to find that it wasn't the familiar Infirmary.
It was in fact a completely different hospital, and the annoying (yet very important) beep, beep, beep of the respiratory machines finally reached his ears. There was about nine or ten other beds in the room where young teens looking about his age lay on.
Now he was confused.
"Oh, so you're up?" asked a surprised voice behind him. He looked to see a very thin young girl with curly, shoulder-length red hair, and bright, alive, blue eyes.
"Er, yeah. I guess..."
Worry flashed across her face, "Do you know where you are?"
"Well I've managed to figure out in a hospital." He replied sheepishly.
She nodded, "How about why you're here."
He shrugged, "You've got me there." The girl looked like she was about to add something else when the doors creaked open to the infirmary room where a warm and caring looking nurse strolled through. Her name was Megs, or at least that's what he thought after hearing a few of the partially awake teens greeting her.
Megs' eyes lit up when they fell upon him, and he instinctively flattened his bangs, only to mentally kick himself. This is a normal hospital... and why would that matter anyway?! She strolled over to him and felt his forehead, "Well hello there. Look who decided to wake up." A smile crossed her face and she continued to make sure all was right with the newest member of the conscience race, until she looked satisfied.
"Um, excuse me." He hardly recognized his voice, "but what am I doing here."
Megs showed him the second worried glance in the last five minutes. "You don't remember anything? Anything at all?" He shook his head. "Not even your name, boy?"
"--Not... really." He said simply.
"Oh, dear," Megs'.face fell, "Do you know your last name? Or a family member or a friend's name, dear?"
He thought hard, trying to remember something. He honestly didn't know, and he told her just that.
"Hmm. Well, we've been having trouble I.D.ing you." She strolled back to the doors and called over her shoulder, "I'll be right back."
There was a few minutes of silence in which the young man was coming up with the worst scenarios of how he'd come to be here, so when the young girl's voice broke the silence he jumped.
"Oh, sorry. Didn't mean to scare you," she apologized. "I was saying my name's Angela, and it's great to finally meet ya." She held out a hand for him which he reached out across the distance between the two beds to shake.
"Hi, Mr. No-name, at your service," he replied, with a lopsided grin plastered on his face.
"I heard," Angela smiled at him. "You should probably get a temporary name until your real one is figured out."
"What do you mean?"
She laughed a laugh that didn't quite suit her, sounding like it belonged to someone much older then herself. "Well, we can't call you, say, 'Mr. No-name' now can we?"
He thought of this before breaking out into a smile, "No, I guess we can't."
Angela's eyes lit up, "Bob!"
"Bob?" he scoffed. "You want me to be called Bob?!"
Angela put on a fake look of hurt, "What's wrong with Bob?"
"Oh... nothing," he snickered. "How 'bout something a little bit... longer though."
"Bobby." He glared at her. "Fine, I'm just kidding anyway."
They thought together for a moment until Angela took out a sheet of paper. "What's that?"
"Oh this?" She waved it, "It's a list of names I think of while I'm bored. There's quite a lot of kids who come in who have no idea who they are, so we all," she motioned to the half sleeping forms of teens around the room, "try and get 'em to choose a name on our own list they like. Kind of a little competition we have." He must've raised his eyebrows. "Oh, well, we don't have much to do around here really."
"No, it... sounds interesting," he said politely. "What's on your list?"
She seemed-almost honored. "Well, mind you this is just the A's, B's and C's..." she cleared her throat, "Aaron, Andrew, Anthony, Armand..."
"I like Andy. Would you still get... points... for Andrew?" He asked hopefully.
She gave him a sweet smile, "Andy's cute. And I'm sure you could tell the others I told you that."
"You got a deal," 'Andy' smiled at her. She was quite good company.
Angela's chest rose as she filled her lungs, "Hey everyone!" she boomed. They all shot up in bed and some even cursed at her for waking them. "No, no, no! Mr. Sleepy head is up and he picked one of my name's!!" They all seemed quite annoyed at this last statement. Andy was sure he heard someone mumble 'but we didn't even get a chance!'
All who were awake however, offered their greetings. Andy swung his feet back out of bed (which had been lifted in by Megs when she came to check on him) and stood to meet them. He soon realized (of course the hard way) that his legs were too weak and went crashing down, pulling a few bed sheets with him. He cried out when he hit the rock hard floor. In the background he could hear escaped smirks, followed by a few people scuttling over. He looked up to see two of the teens he recognized as from the beds across the room, kneel over beside him.
"What're you doin'? Trying to get yourself killed?" muttered the female of the two. She had messy blond hair tied into a high ponytail, and brown eyes. The male could probably tie someone-Andy knew he knew-- height wise, last time he had seen him, I wonder how huge he is now, and had dark hair and eyes.
"I heard the floor wasn't all too comfy," joked the troll, helping him to his feet and back on the bed.
"Well you heard right." mumbled Andy, rubbing his left knee, which he noticed had a few bandages over it, and just now that it was causing him quite a deal of pain.
The doors banged open again to reveal Megs and an important-looking dark man in a long white coat. (Whom Andy presumed was the doctor). "What in the devils name is going on in here?"
"This guy here fell out of bed ma'am." answered the boy, who scuttled back to bed after ponytail.
The 'doctor' came over to him and mumbled for him to keep his eyes open. "Hello. My name is Dr. Michael. You're at St. Grace Hospital," he directed a light into Andy's eyes. "I'm glad you're finally awake, we we're getting a little worried."
"If you don't mind my asking Dr. Michael, but what am I doing here?" he asked, before he was told to open his mouth for the doctor to stick an annoying stick of wood on his tongue.
"You mean you don't remember anything?" He asked.
Andy waited for the wood to be removed before even trying to answer, "Er.. no sir... nothing special."
Dr. Michael sighed. "Well, did the kids at least name you?"
Angela spoke up, "Yes doc, his name's Andy. From me." Andy could notice she emphasized the last part.
The doctor tried to hide a smile, "Yes well good for you Angela. So 'Andy', how do you feel?"
A sharp pain hit Andy's knee again, and he let his eyes waver over to it again where he was shocked to see blood seeping through the bandages. "Oh.."
Dr. Michael followed his gazed and cursed under his breathe. "Not again," he mumbled. "Megs, would you get me some bandages and close the curtains around his bed please?"
Megs took off after shielding Harry from the curious stares of the other teens. They obviously hadn't had much interesting going on in a while.
After the doctor removed the bandages Harry could see a sight that made his stomach churn. And that's saying something.
Even the doctor winced, "You must've had a nasty fall there, you've ripped through your stitches."
Andy awoke the next morning and it only took a few seconds to finally realize where he was.
"Psst." He called out to his roomie. What was her name? Angie, Angel, "Angela," he voiced.
"Hey." she smiled back. "Feelin' better?"
Actually, he couldn't feel his knee at all, but that was still better. "Yeah."
"Oh, Bart and V asked me to say 'hey'."
"Who?"
"The two who helped you into bed the other day." Answered Angela, "doc was sure fixin' you up for a while hey?"
Andy cringed, "Don't remind me."
She gave a weak smile, "You're lucky." she motioned to her own legs. "I haven't even been able to move these stupid things at all for years."
"Oh... I'm sor-"
"Don't be." She said, "I'm not."
Confusion hit him yet again, "Why?"
Angela sighed, and fingered the necklace Andy had just now notice around her neck. "It keeps me here. This is an orphanage for the sick. A hell of a lot better then all the other one's I've been to."
The questions in Andy spilled out without him knowing. "Orphanage? For the... you're sick? I'm sick?.."
She gave him a that old lady laugh. "Yes orphanage. Yes I'm sick, and no, you're just hurt... as far as I know at least. You are an orphan though right?"
Andy scratched the back of his neck, "yeah... I think I am.."
She let it drop, "Well they couldn't figure out who you where so the put you here. You weren't exactly doing much... just lying there..." she broke off and beamed at the two-Bart and 'V' was it?- who walked over to their beds ('V' with some difficulty it seamed).
"Oh, hey guys. This is Andy. Andy, this V and Bart, two great friends of mine." They all said hello and started with a bit of small talk like, 'how you doin'?' and 'nice weather we're having'.
Over the next little while Andy discovered that V (stood for Victoria!) and Bart where quite close, and were found wandering around together when they where young. They had both been exposed to some kind of chemicals and suffered from a disease with basically the same affects as AIDS. (Unable to heal themselves from simple diseases, and capable to die of the common cold.) It had an actual name but it was so long and confusing Andy didn't even bother trying to remember it. As far as he knew, they were defiantly not related, which was good since he caught them making googly eyes at each other more then once.
He also learned that Angela was in fact not a young little girl, but fifteen with V as well, while Bart and had just turned sixteen. This was hard to grasp for Andy since he was sure Angela was no older the 12. However, the topic of what was wrong with her wasn't brought up, and Andy wasn't about to cause an unneeded uncomfortable moments.
The hours turned to days, the days turned into weeks, and soon enough the four of them had become a close little group. Often though, Bart and V went off together for a little privacy (which was behind the curtains of Bart's bed) and Andy was left with Angela. This wasn't anything bad though, they both soon found out. Andy wasn't sure about Angela, but he felt very comfortable talking, joking, (and exchanging the occasional stolen glance) with her. Neither showed any other sign of wanting anything more then their amazing friendship though, and Andy was fine with that. He couldn't actually remember having a friend, but at times, he was sure he could remember bits of his past life, and just from those, he missed it dearly.
During his stay at the orphanage he caught a glimpse of himself after borrowing a small mirror from one of the girls in his room. He found a teenage boy with unruly black hair and bright green eyes starring back at him. When he took a closer look though, he could've sworn he saw what could only be... no, it couldn't.. Could it? Facial hair! His mouth split into a delighted smile as he inspected... all four. Hmm... well some is better then none I guess... But in the mirror he also saw on the left side of his head none other then Angela, about ready to burst with laughter. He tried to ignore her when she did and brought his attention to the thin lightening bolt shaped scar running down his forehead.
"Angela." called Andy. No use, she was laughing so hard, clamping her stomach, "ANGELA!"
She whipped away a few tears... I'm sure it wasn't *that* funny and panted out a, "what?"
"Did I have this when I came in?" Andy asked, lifting his bangs.
She seemed to calm down at the mention of his scar. "Yeah, you did. We all came up with some interesting stories while you were conked out..." she started to finger her necklace again.
While Angela went on with a few stories, 'Maybe you where just hit by lightning was one of the most popular...' he couldn't stop his thoughts of how this scar on his forehead was probably what held the secret to his past.
And then one of Angela's rambling interrupted his thoughts. "When the police who brought you in put out an 'Is This Your Child' thing, they left out the fact of your scar. I guess they wanted some way to make them prove you belonged to who ever claimed you."
Andy had noticed that necklace of Angela's quite often, and one day, out of the blue, he decided to ask her about it.
"What, this ol' thing?" she lifted up the pendant. He noted it was three lead circles looping into each other, and nodded. "I don't really know where it's from, or what it is. It's very dear to me though. I've never taken it off. I've had it for as long as I can remember."
Andy couldn't resist, "You wouldn't happen to be some lost princess trying to find her family would you?"
Angela beamed, "I knew you weren't sleeping when they were showing 'Anastasia' the other day!"
He smiled back at her, "Ooo, you caught me!"
After a few seconds she seemed to consider his question. "Well, I'm quite sure there haven't been any lost princesses recently, but yeah. I guess it's sorta the same. It's the only thing I have to remind me that someone out there truly cared about me."
The was a comfortable silence until Andy couldn't stop himself from telling her, "I care about you."
Angela's checks went rosy, and she bit her lip. "I care about you too."
Across the room, V let a tear fall onto her pillow.
About half way through the second week he was awake there, Andy was given a wheelchair to roam around the infirmary with. He met a few more friends, and was quite enjoying his new freedom.
He was told by Megs he had apparently been brought in with his lower leg barely hanging on, but the surgeons were able to save it. However, the spill he took after he first woke seemed to had slowed the healing process immensely. And of course, he never bothered trying to walk after splitting his knee open the first time.
V had gone quite quiet when Bart had come down with a cold. It soon turned into something serious, and he was hooked up to some machine that Andy knew was to help him breathe. V was convinced it was unnecessary, and Andy often heard her in the night by Bart's bed assuring him he was gonna be alright.
Andy and Angela decided V really needed to be spoken to about how serious Bart's condition could be. One morning when Angela was still sleeping, Andy wheeled himself across the room so he could talk alone with V. He had started to talk friendly nothings with her, hoping to keep the mood light until the conversation got into more dangerous territory, when he asked about what Angela was sick with. He had never seen V look so serious, even though it was just for a minute.
"To make a long story... less long, it's called osteosarcoma. It's a bone tumor..." she sighed, "hold on, I've got a book somewhere if you want the exact word per word..." She reached under her bed to search for the said book.
Under everyone's bed held their most prized possessions. Often there wasn't much, and instead it was just used as a place to store extra hospital clothes and robes, but other times books, walkmans, even a decent amount of money was there. They were offered lockers in the staff room, but most of the orphaned teens had problems with trust.
V finally found what she was looking for and flipped through the pages of a withered paper back book for a minute. Across the front Andy read 'The Book of Medical Terms and Diseases'. "Yeah, I know, not exactly a best seller, but there's a lot of different sicknesses we hear of, and sometimes the kid isn't even told what it means. I like to let them know... here we go."
She handed Andy the book open to a page simply marked.
Osteosarcoma
A malignant tumor of the bone.
Osteosarcoma may infect any bone but usually occurs in the long bones of the arm or leg. Most common in children and young adults, the malignancy typically spreads to the lungs which is usually fatal.
The was a little more but Andy stopped reading and starred at the sleeping form of Angela. Why hadn't she told him? Fatal? As in...
"As in deadly." Voiced V. "You were talking out loud." She showed him an Emmy deserving look of sympathy. "Look, I know you guys like each other..."
Andy started to protest, "We're just.."
"Friends? Sure. You can tell yourself that. And it's probably best that way too. Your family will be found and you'll be out of here and never speak to us again."
"How do you know I'll get out? I haven't even been able to give the police my real name!"
"That doesn't matter, I just know that you'll be found by your loving and caring family..."
"Alright, say I do. Say I go off to bigger a better things..."Andy paused to let this sink in, "There is no way that I'll forget you guys."
"--You'll go on to your great new life and Angela and Bart... won't." V wiped away a stray tear. At least Bart's finally been brought up "They are my best friends, and I've had to keep telling myself each time I see them that it could be my last. They're both fighters. They are. There aren't many who live with their diseases as long as they have, especially Angela. Bart and I really have half decent chances of living long... semi-happy lives. But even if they keep fighting mentally... there isn't much more they can take physically."
Andy took a moment to register this all in, "So what are you saying?"
"That maybe... you shouldn't get too attached. I mean, I want Angela's last few days to be the best of her life... but then you'll be..." Angela started to have a small coughing fit in her sleep. "I care for both of you. I do. Even though I've only really known you for a few weeks I feel almost as close to you as I do to Bart. If you get too involved with Angela... and one day she's not there..." V broke off and let a few tear fall down her face.
But Andy understood.
He awoke one night from hearing some shuffling on the other side of the room. He opened his eyes to see a figure hunched under the bed of one of the teens Andy never got the chance to meet, but it was rumored his parents had left him quite a deal of treasures.
"Andy," he heard a whisper from his left. He turned his head to see tears forming in Angela's eyes.
"What's going on?" He mouthed.
"I don't know. But that person cut off Bart's oxygen when he was about to scream." She let out a small sob, but Andy was sure the man heard her.
"Pretend to be sleeping." He ordered her, before pretending himself. The man finished filling his bag with the last of the boys' inheritance, before hobbling over to Angela's bed.
No, don't... please don't hurt her. Andy could've sworn he almost heard Angela's pleas that he did something, anything. Come on think! Do something! His pleas with himself were stopped however when he heard Angela scream out. Andy's eyes shot open to see the man blocking his view of her body, but her feet were flailing, and her face was turning an unhuman shade of white.
No, no, no, no, he began to panic. Most of the infirmary was awake from Angela's scream, and were screaming themselves for their defenseless friend. Andy finally shouted a cry for her, though it would do no good, "STOP!"
At his words a chill went through the room and the man was thrown into the wall next to the door. His limp body fell with wall tiles crashing down on him.
There was not a single noise after that. Andy could tell all eyes were on him. He was finally brought back to the here and now when he remembered Angela. She looked deathly pale.
He barley noticed it when Megs had came in demanding an explanation, until she saw the body on the floor. He could make out that she called for help and for someone to call Dr. Michael and the police. She and a few other nurses came rushing in to help those who where now hanging by a thread. His view of Angela was blocked when a nurse pulled a curtain around her to give her privacy from the others teens. He was actually glad for it. And he new there wouldn't be much change in her expression for a while, if not ever. So etched in his mind would be exactly what she looked like, with her shocked, but lifeless eyes, gapping mouth, and chalk white face.
But also in his mind was something else. Something he couldn't ignore. His name was Harry Potter, and he was a wizard.
*~*~*~*~*
The next few hours all mixed into one big blur. The other teens we're all back to how they were (at least, physically) minus Angela. No one told Harry what was going on and he couldn't find his voice to ask. He knew just from looking at her from his wheelchair (permanently by her bedside) that she was in an unconscious state, and had trouble breathing. He awoke back to the present by her frightening coughing fits.
He had avoided conversation with everyone. They had all knew it was he who did... that to the intruder, though they had no idea how. A few times V had tried to ask, but he wasn't ready just yet. No one seemed to be scared or angry with him like how the Dursly's would've been. Ah, yes. The Durslys. He definitely remembered them. Everything was starting to come back in pieces. Hogwarts, and everything about it mostly, which is what he was sure must be the center of his life.
Visions and voices of friends is what he liked the best though. Flaming red hair and freckles he caught glimpses of quite often. He also felt, rather then saw, a brainy young girl whom he was sure was quite pretty. He also though, received a flash of enemies...
He was brought back again when he heard his name called, "Andy?"
It was Angela.
"Oh God..." thanked Harry into her ear, his arms sliding under her back in a reassuring hug. (Reassuring himself, mostly, that she was really there). He felt tears on the brim of his eyelids trickle down his check. He didn't really care. "I thought I'd never see you again."
She sniffed, "I was worried something had happened to you."
He pulled his head back to look at her face, "Me?"
"Yes, silly," she smiled at him. "Who on earth would protect your sorry butt if I was conked out?"
Even under the circumstances, they both let out a laugh, which caused the others in the room to acknowledge Angela's presence. A few cheers and sighs of relief where heard, but no one came up to the two. "Oh yeah. How could I forget."
She lifted one of her wired arms to wipe away his tears. "All this hubbub for me?"
"You were strangled unconscious." Harry whispered. He was really amazed how calm he was acting. "No one was sure if you'd wake."
She pulled him back into their hug and she positioned her mouth next to his ear. "I was awake long enough to see something I wouldn't mind explained."
He closed his eyes with a sigh, "I can't really explain it. Since then I've been getting visions of the past... well, I don't think there's a better way to say this..." He pulled away from her and offered his hand. "Harry Potter."
She beamed a took it into a business-like handshake. "Well, hello Mr. Harry Potter." She might've said it a little loud on purpose, and the room's inhabitants reverted their attention to the two.
Megs' eyes brightened as she turned out the room towards the phone. A few of the teens clapped for their friends remembrance of identity while others just grinned and nodded.
"Hello, and how do you do?"
"I'm quite fine. Anything I should know about you?"
He went back to a calmer voice. "Why yes. As a matter of fact." He sighed inwardly. These were his friends, no use hiding it from any of them, "I'm a wizard."
The was a few gasps but Angela didn't seem at all shocked by this. He asked her why and she said, "Well, when someone flings someone else to the other side of the room with out touching them, usually you should expect the unexpected for an explanation."
He smiled at her, "Good point."
Their conversation was cut short when Harry felt a hand placed on his shoulder. He turn to see a old man with a long silver beard standing there, and Harry was quite sure he knew this man. "Hello, " he said timidly.
"Hello Harry. My name is Albus Dumbledore. I am also a wizard." So Harry must've known him. "I am here to bring you home."
"H-home?" That was every lost orphans dream.
"To our world. The wizard world." The man-Albus-didn't seem to bother to keep his voice down. He seemed to know perfectly well that he was receiving a mix of worried, scared, along with amused and interested glances. "Would you like that?"
Of course I would... "Yes, but can I have another moment?"
"Of course, I'll be waiting outside when you're ready," and with that, the man popped away. Harry was too confused though to gasp with the others.
He turned back to Angela expecting a sad or mad expression on her face for leaving her, but instead saw her beaming at him. "I'm so happy for you," and she threw her arms around him.
"I'll miss you so much..." He began.
"Don't." She pulled away from him. "I suck at good-byes too, so don't say it. We just gotta keep in touch some how... we better, or I'll come and hunt you down."
He smirked, "Sounds fair."
Angela had a sudden idea and reached behind her neck to undo her necklace. "Angela, don't..."
She shrugged him off, "No Harry, I want to." In his palm she placed it, closing his hand around it with her own. "Take this, and don't ever forget me."
*~*~*~*~*
Harry was wheeling himself down the wheelchair ramp. Outside. Fresh air. He hadn't smelt that for a while. Honestly, as long as he could really remember. When he was at the bottom he came face to face with the man he'd met earlier, before the emotional good-b... 'see ya later's.
"Hmm, don't worry Harry, that leg will be as good as new once we're back at Hogwarts." Hogwarts. "What do you say we take a little stroll to answer a few of your questions." Harry didn't need to answered because the old man had already started to wheel him along the sidewalk towards a small town park.
Questions buzzed through Harry's head, all begging to be the first asked. "So.. How do I know you?"
He sensed Dumbledore's smile. "I'm the headmaster at your school Hogwarts. It is full of young witches and wizards such as yourself. I daresay you at least remember your best friends Ronald Weasley and Hermione Granger?"
More witches and wizards? "Mmm.. No. I can't say I recall anyone buy those names."
His wheelchair was steered into the park entrance. "When did you remember your name?"
"Right after I blasted that man away from Angela," and Harry remembered of the necklace he had stowed in his hand.
Dumbledore continued, "Ah, so you will most likely remember more and more once you are back in the wizarding world."
Dumbledore continued to push Harry along and telling tales of magic, adventure and danger around every corner; of dragons, villains and heros. It all would've captured any child's interest, but Harry was only half paying attention to the old man behind him.
When his thoughts were drawn back to the present, he found himself in front of the grandest castle he ever could've imagined. The winding towers lost in the clouds above, the vines crawling up the protective gates around it, to the unseen dungeons bellow. Harry could feel the magic hovering like fog in the air surrounding him.
"Welcome, Harry Potter," said Dumbledore, "To Hogwarts."
End of Chapter One
A/N: So? Continue? (I probably will anyway...)
How? Really, I don't know how. I have the basics all planned out, but suggestions from you guys would be loved. I'm thinking of all kinds of things, but I want to try and not make it h/h, r/h, g/h, d/h... Ron being totally jealous of Harry, Ginny being madly obsessed with him, Harry being the most amazing guy in the world.... you know, the usual. I wouldn't mind that though, if that's what every one likes. I'll tell you that I am a h/h shipper though, so that wouldn't be too bad...:)
What should you do?
Read and Review!