Rating: PG-13
Summary: Giving in to a deeply rooted depression, Harry is lost in a world where there is no Voldemort, no tragedy and no pain. Can Sirius convince his godson to give up the paradise in his mind for cold reality?
Takes place: the summer following Book 4: Goblet of Fire
Archived: The Weather Witch's Domain
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Chapter 3 (Added 14-Jul-02)
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(Excerpt from Dreamscapes and the Worlds Within)
…Dreams then become an important part of having a fulfilling rest. Indeed, potions meant to discourage dreams run the risk of the victim developing a dream debt (a muggle term) in which they owe themselves some dreaming time. In magical terms, a dream debt can pile up until the dreams become all encompassing and the dreamer is left unable to determine reality from fantasy…
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Sirius sat in the overstuffed chair Poppy had left for him next to Harry's bed. It was weird in a way; in all the time he'd known Harry, he was almost always in some kind of motion. Even when he'd been injured and Sirius had stayed in the infirmary much the same as he was doing now, Harry's sleep had been anything but restful. Tossing, turning, feverish mumblings - even simple acts like turning over and cuddling up to his pillow dominated his nights. What he was doing now, Sirius reflected morosely, was a remarkable impersonation of a corpse.
" I wonder what's going on in that head of yours, kiddo," he muttered, rubbing his own eyes blearily. Dumbledore and Poppy had disappeared several hours ago to study the book he and Remus had found in Harry's things, and he had been running on adrenaline ever since he had returned from running around the countryside for the Headmaster.
" I believe we have the answer," came Dumbledore's familiar voice. Sirius snapped his head around.
" Sir?"
Poppy moved past the Headmaster, taking a seat next to Sirius. Remus had been asked to join them so they could all hear what was happening. He took the other side of Sirius but preferred to remain standing.
" What's going on then?" Remus asked. Poppy held up Harry's book, already open to a marked page.
" This is called the Heart's Desire Dream Spell." She smiled slightly. " A rather odd name but it was developed in the sixties by a pair of med-wizards who were fascinated by the muggles of that era."
" I've never heard of it," Sirius said, shaking his head. Remus echoed him. Poppy smiled, a little more brightly.
" That's because neither of you are med-wizards." She tapped the page to emphasize her point. " This is a very dangerous spell, very highly restricted. You're not even allowed to learn the spell until you've been trained as a med-wizard for several years."
" How did Harry get his hands on something like that?" Remus asked in astonishment.
" This copy normally resides in the Restricted Section of our very own library," she said dryly. " Mr. Potter here has proven himself adept at finding ways around the various security measures we employ here."
" What does the spell do?"
" It's actually a very important spell, used in cases of terminal illness or death," Poppy admitted. " Have you ever heard of the Muggle organization, The Make-A-Wish foundation?"
Sirius drew a blank but Remus nodded slowly as though recalling a hazy memory from the deeper recesses of his brain. " Vaguely."
" Well, the organization collects money to be used to grant the wishes of terminally sick and dying children," the Nurse explained in a gentle voice. " The little ones are granted their last wish so that they can experience what they've always wanted to – but will never get a chance to any other way."
" Sounds like a noble cause," Remus remarked, nodding his head. Poppy acknowledged him with a smile.
" It is indeed. These kids are granted essentially, their heart's desire. Two famous med-wizards discovered this foundation and approved of it so much, they wanted to find a way to apply it to the wizarding world. So they developed the Hearts Desire Dream Spell.
"The Dream Spell was used for sick little wizards and witches – and the older ones too of course - that couldn't be healed through magic – things like diseases for which there is no cure. Cancer, leukemia – things like that. The spell was designed to ease the pain of their passing."
" Excuse me?" Sirius blinked.
" Which would prefer Sirius? To die in pain, your mind neither whole nor coherent, unable to recognize your loved ones or to be able to move? Or would you prefer to pass on in a painless world, where your every dream came true, and death was only a comforting sleep?"
" It does sound like it had its uses," Remus admitted.
" It did. Milder version of the spell are used to keep victims from going into shock from serious injuries – their mind is protected, safe in a beautiful dream, until they're ready to handle the pain in their bodies."
" Sounds pretty powerful."
" It is," Dumbledore said quietly. " In fact, Poppy here, may only administer such a spell in cases where death is imminent. Otherwise she requires the consent of the next-of-kin – or myself, if there is no one else to notify, as I am responsible for all of my students here at Hogwarts."
Sirius scowled. " I'd still like to know how Harry was able to manage this, if it's such a restricted and powerful spell."
Dumbledore turned his strangely luminous eyes on him. The twinkle reflected by his crescent-shaped spectacles was somewhat muted which Sirius absently attributed to the severity of the situation. " I think you'd agree, Mr. Black, that Harry is nor ordinary young wizard." He sighed and looked past Sirius to where Harry lay in repose on the stiff cot. " Mr. Potter is indeed very powerful. Powerful enough to defeat Voldemort as an infant. Powerful enough to subdue a basilisk, and able to draw the very sword of Godric Gryffindor out of the Sorting Hat. He is a Parslemouth that is friends with a Light Phoenix. " His gaze returned to a very sombre-looking Sirius Black. " I imagine performing a difficult spell is one of the very least things he can do when he puts his mind to it."
" I'd drink to that if I drank," Remus said quietly. " His Patroneous was the strongest one I'd ever seen in my life – and to master it at such a young age…"
" Precisely Mr. Lupin."
" So Harry's stuck in a dream world? And he's been there for quite some time?" Sirius neatly turned the topic back to their current predicament.
Dumbledore frowned. " I'd wager he's not trapped, Sirius – but rather a very willing victim. He is living his Heart's Desire – and that is a powerful addiction indeed."
" How long has he been in there?" Remus asked. Poppy also frowned.
" He's been doing this spell for a while – I would say since the term ended, at the very least. You say Petunia mentioned that he'd been sleeping a lot? I'd wager he'd been inside that cupboard in this state for over twenty-four hours easily. The longer one does the spell, the more it takes over your waking moments, until all one can think about is returning to that perfect world they 'left behind' when they woke up. Eventually, the dreamer is no longer able to wake up and their physical body just wastes away." Poppy shook her head. " That's the downside of the spell. It must be monitored very, very closely."
" So how can we get him out of there?" Sirius asked, rubbing his hands together. " I'm not letting him get away with out a fight."
" We'd never suggest otherwise," Dumbledore smiled. " The truth is, Harry has to see his world for what it really is – a fake – and willingly denounce it. The seductive nature of the spell however, makes it nearly impossible to do. In the dream world, they are unaware of their physical aches and discomforts from the real plane of existence. They are whatever they want to be, owning whatever they desire, doing whatever they wish. Who would knowingly give all of that up?"
" Harry would," Sirius said promptly. " I believe in him. He wouldn't abandon the harshness of life just to please himself."
Dumbledore once again turned that eagle eye on him and Sirius shuddered at the considering look he was on the receiving end of. " What did I say?"
" Sirius, did you know that Harry, during his first year, viewed the Mirror of Erisid?"
Remus blinked. " Isn't that the mirror that shows you what you desire most?"
Dumbledore nodded. " That is correct, Remus."
" He did? He never mentioned that." Sirius frowned. " What did he see."
" He saw his parents, standing with him. His family."
Sirius went cold inside. A gasp near him told him Remus felt the same way. Harry hungered for knowledge about his parents. He had always told him how jealous he was of Ron because the boy had such a large and loving family. If what Dumbledore was telling them was true, then theoretically, Harry was in world where his parents were with him. Harry would never willingly give that up, even if he knew it were fake. At least, not on his own.
Sirius looked up and saw the knowing gleam in Dumbledore's eye return. " You want me to bring him out."
" In a word, yes. In fact, it's not very complicated at all, to bring someone out of this particular spell. It's not the first time someone has succumbed to it so readily or easily, due to its attractive nature. " But Dumbledore's voice didn't sound very enthusiastic, and Sirius understood why.
To save Harry's life, he would have to go into his godson's mind and show him the ugly truth about his beautiful fantasy. He would have to point at Harry's parents and tell him that they were not real, that they were dead, had been for years, and that the reason for their deaths was constantly hunting him down to kill him. In essence, Sirius had to go and be the one nightmare that could bring Harry out of his self-induced prison.
Remus was looking at him in horror. " Oh Siri…let me do it-"
" No." His voice was raspy but he clenched his fists and looked back at the Headmaster. " I'll do it. I owe him that much."
Dumbledore nodded. " Sirius…you realize that once you enter his mind, you will become part of his illusion. If Harry is indeed dreaming of his parents, you will meet James and Lily face-to-face. If you get caught up in the dream too…"
His voice trailed off but Sirius didn't need him to finish that sentence. He swallowed roughly, nodding once. " I understand sir."
Poppy disappeared into her back room for a few minutes and then returned holding a small vial. Inside, a bright blue fluid glinted in the light. Poppy shrugged.
" I always keep at least a sample of every potion I've ever had to administer on hand," she said. " One never knows what one will have to treat next. Though I have to admit, this-" she gestured at the comatose Harry Potter. "-never crossed my mind as something I'd have to handle." She handed the vial to Sirius, biting her lip.
" Perhaps you'd be more comfortable if you lay down on this bed first," Dumbledore suggested gently. " You don't know how long it will take to convince Harry to return to us.
Sirius nodded and climbed onto the bed, relaxing back against the pillows. He looked over at his godson and nodded once to himself. Then, with a small wink at Remus, he uncorked the vial and tilted his head back. The fluid was sweet, tasting vaguely of sugar and butterbeer and he surmised that Poppy must have done something to hide the taste just for hi—
Dumbledore caught the vial before it could fall to the floor as Sirius went completely limp. Poppy's wand was already out and she held it over Sirius's head for a long moment before doing the same thing to Harry. She smiled at Remus's worried face.
" They have a strong connection," she told him confidently. " Sirius will bring Harry back, just you wait."
Remus nodded and settled back on the chair Sirius had formerly occupied. Now he had a vigil of his own to keep.
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Another crossword puzzle?
They're fun! And he seems to like them, so there.
Yeah! And this one doesn't look very hard, either.
Are you going to help us or what?
Yeah, yeah. Of course I—
What's wrong?
Hmmm? Oh – nothing. But I'll be right back. You guys get started on this.
Where are you going?
Oh not far. Like I said, I'll be right back.
Okay. Hey, what's an eight letter word for "wooden container normally found in a kitchen?"
Try 'cupboard.'
It fits!
Wow – you actually got one?
Didn't you say you were leaving?
Oops! Heh heh – I forgot. Be right back.
Okay!
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End Chapter 3
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