Chapter 7 - Food, Friends and Life
It took another week in the hospital before Harry's recovery was complete. Months of sleep and food depravation had taken its toll on his body, and coupled with Harry's state of mind over that time, Madam Pomfrey was not taking any chances. To his great surprise, Harry learnt that he had been unconscious for three days before he had woken up, so that his current stay in the hospital was his record: seventeen full days. During his final week, Harry's frail body had to build up muscle tone, and recover from having arms and legs that had shattered like glass because of his fall. Ron played Wizard's Chess and Exploding Snap with him whenever he had time, and Hermione insisted he continue with his homework, even going so far as to go to Professor Trelawny's room in the North Tower to collect his Divination assignments. Ron was horrified at these actions, but Harry didn't mind. It felt so good to be interested in life again.
Hermione took it upon herself to find out what he had been cursed with, spending hours with him in the ward, pouring over books from the library. She turned red with either anger or embarrassment, he wasn't sure which, when Harry asked Professor Dumbledore what the curse could have been while she was present, and he explained all about Mentiladarkus to them, making all her research null and void:
Mentiladarkus curses someone to feel extreme guilt at the smallest things. At first it is barely noticeable, but as the person in question feels more and more guilty, the curse becomes stronger, until finally the person is a wreck. In your case Harry, the things you feel guilty for are much more serious than not finishing an essay in time, and so the effects were dire, with nightmares and hallucinations among the symptoms. This also explains why your transition was so quick. Usually the curse would take much longer to bring someone to such a level that you fell to. Hermione noted that it sounded horrible, and Harry confirmed that it was.
Finally the day came when he could leave the ward. Madam Pomfrey, for once, wasn't annoyed that he no longer needed her care. She gave him a few bottles of Dreamless Sleep Potion - Just in case, she said - and strict instructions to eat, sleep and laugh. Harry practically skipped from the confines of the Hospital Wing into the brightly lit corridors, and he grinned, for no particular reason, all the way to the Great Hall for breakfast. The food smelt so enticing as he stood just outside the door; eggs and bacon, toast and marmalade, porridge and treacle. He wanted to try it all. A bubble of laughter escaped him as he entered the Great Hall, and there was suddenly a great hush. He ignored it, as always, and jogged over to Ron and Hermione at the Gryffindor table, well aware that everyone was watching him. His friends grinned at him, then continued with their breakfasts. The other students, however, did not. They stared at him as if he were the most interesting thing in the world. He frowned at the Gryffindors, then at the Hufflepuffs and Ravenclaws. At the Slytherin table, Draco was pointing at him and talking, and the students around him were giggling. Harry glowered at them, but said nothing to or about them. Instead, he stood on his chair and addressed the students in general.
If you don't eat up, the house-elves might get discouraged and not cook anymore. Then what would we do? he said loudly. The Ravenclaws, Hufflepuffs and Gryffindors all grinned at him, and turned back to their previous conversations. Harry jumped off his chair and delved into the mountains of food. Not long after, a lone screech caught everyone's attention, and they looked up at the bewitched ceiling.
Post's already been, Ron noted, confused. Through the window a gorgeous snowy owl soared in, swooping over the tables until it spotted whom it was looking for.
Harry cried. Hedwig landed delicately on his shoulder and nipped his ear a few times affectionately. Harry grinned at her, feeding her some of his bacon. I've missed you, he murmured to her. She hooted, and nipped his ear again before taking off. Harry smiled at her retreating form, before settling himself back in his seat. He looked up at the High Table. Snape was stubbornly staring at his plate, and Harry wondered briefly if he had been reprimanded for calling him stupid. Dumbledore and McGonogall were both smiling kindly at him, relief evident on their faces. Harry felt the familiar tremor of guilt at causing everyone so much anguish, but he quickly snuffed it. He was through with feeling guilty about things that were totally out of his control. He grinned up at the table before he turned to his friends and immersed himself happily in the conversations around him, and the delightful food before him.
END