Disclaimer: this isn't mine!
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Harry and Ron walked into the Weasley's kitchen to see everyone gathered around the kitchen table. Harry saw on that table a very angry-looking leprechan, shaking its fists in the air at Fred and George.
Harry opened his mouth to ask what was going on, when he noticed something.
"Is that Percy?" he asked, amazed.
"Yep," said George brightly, until he caught sight of Mrs. Weasley, when his grin disappeared and his gaze returned to the table. Seeing the leprechaun, he couldn't help smiling again. Even Mrs. Weasley was smiling, though she was careful to wear a disapproving look whenever Fred or George looked up.
"It was some tea that did it," Ron whispered to Harry. "He should know by now not to accept anything from them...it should wear off in a few minutes."
A few minutes later, the angry little leprechaun turned into an angry looking Percy, who hit his head on the ceiling when he changed back because he was standing on the table.
"Ow!" he said, rubbing the top of his head. Then his eyes widened in anger at the sight of Fred and George, and they ran, Percy leaping off the table to run after them, but tripping over his robes and falling flat on his face on the ground. Fred and George turned and laughed as they ran backwards away from Percy before he could get up. Everyone was laughing. The twins ran full out out the front door when Percy pushed himself up and was running as fast as his wizard's robes would allow. It was all a very amusing scene.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
That night, before taking the dreamless sleep potion, Harry sat on his cot, a distant look on his face, deep in thought. They were dark thoughts, full of regrets, but his face was nothing but distant.
Why did he have to stop me? Just... half a minute more. Five more minutes, to be sure I was finished off completely, and it would all be okay. Why? Why did he have to come?
Maybe I was being selfish... yeah, it was all for myself. But... that look, on Hermione's face this afternoon. And on Ron's... No, they were worrying too much, I can't let them do that. I can't let them be a burden to me anymore.
Next time I'll go deeper into the forest, where they can't find me. Yes, and then they can't stop me and can't save me.
Harry nodded to himself.
"Harry?" asked Ron, jerking Harry out of his trance.
"Hm," Harry said, looking up.
"What's up?"
"Oh, nothing."
"Alright."
Then Mrs. Weasley bustled into the room, holding the goblet of dreamless sleep potion in her hands and smiling.
"Here you go, dear," she said, handing the goblet to Harry.
Oh, this is so embarassing. All this trouble just for me. Oh, this *is* embarassing. Everyone worrying about me...
Harry forced a tight-lipped smile and accepted the goblet, drinking it all. There wasn't so much as the night before last, only a bit more than what he drank last night. He fell into a sweet, dreamless sleep.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
The lazy days at Ron's house all just blended together. One afternoon, Harry and Ron were playing chess in the living room, Hermione and Ginny were watching, and Fred and George were making loud exploding noises in their room.
Harry tried to move his bishop forward three squares, to take out one of Ron's pawns. It wouldn't move.
"Harry," said Ron, patiently. "That's a bishop."
"Yeah..." said Harry.
"Bishops can't move like that."
"Oh," said Harry. "Well, where was I?"
Ron rolled his eyes.
"Honestly, Harry, you're worse than Hermione." Ron said. Then he laughed at the fake look of indignation Hermione gave him, but then she and Ginny laughed as well. Harry faked a laugh a little bit. Then Ron moved his bishop diagonally and it took out Harry's queen. Ginny and Hermione made identical looks of sympathy.
"Hmm..." Harry said, wondering what to do next. Then all of their attention went into the kitchen, where Mrs. Weasley was washing the floor, when they heard her scream.
They all rushed into the kitchen to see Mrs. Weasley breathing rapidly, a hand over her chest, and... Albus Dumbledore.
"I'm very sorry, Molly, I never meant to startle you," he was saying in his deep, soothing voice. "Hello Mr. Weasley, Miss Weasley, Mr. Potter, Miss Granger," he said then, turning his attention to the new people in the room. "Your summer's going well?"
They all nodded, quite as surprised as Mrs. Weasley to see their headmaster appear in the kitchen.
"I've just come for a word with you, Molly. I think, a cup of tea." He magicked two cups and saucers from the cupboard, and filled them with tea from the end of his wand, then conjured up a plate of crumpets. "You do not mind, do you?"
"Oh, no, not at all, Headmaster," said Mrs. Weasley, sitting down opposite Dumbledore.
"Please, call me Albus."
"Albus," she said.
The two of them sat in silence for a few moments, Dumbledore drinking his tea, Molly sitting expectantly, with curiosity.
"Go back to your game, all of you," she said suddenly, realizing that Albus wanted to talk to *her,* and probably without the rest of them in the room.
"Ah, chess," said Albus. "I challenge you to a game, Ron, once I've finished speaking with your mother." Ron's ears tinged pink, and he and the rest of them left the room.
Mrs. Weasley and Professor Dumbledore sat quietly again for a minute, and then Mrs. Weasley said, "What did you want to discuss, Albus?"
"Ah, yes," Albus said, setting down his tea. "It's about Harry."
Mrs. Weasley sighed.
"I understand he's been taking Dreamless Sleep potion?"
"Why, yes, Headmaster, he has."
"You must take him off the potion immediately."
Mrs. Weasley gasped.
"Headmaster, surely--"
Albus held up a hand to silence her.
"Molly, I must insist. Dreamless Sleep potion is good in the short term, but over long term... he may suffer from dilusions, confusion, and hallucinations."
Molly gasped.
"Dreams are very important to our sanity, Molly. And although the dreams Harry's been having may do more harm than good, I'm afraid that he must dream sometimes."
"But Albus..."
"I recommend that, for tonight, we give him ordinary sleep potion, so that he must have his own dreams. He may go back on the Dreamless Sleep potion tomorrow, but he should have ordinary sleep potion every fourth day."
Molly had a pained look on her face, a sad look in her eyes.
"Professor..." she pleaded.
"Molly, I know you want the best for him. Which is why we must do this. I know it will hurt him now," he paused, a pained look on his face, his eyes lacking their usual twinkle, "but it will harm him more in the long run not to do so."
They were silent for a moment. Then Molly sighed and nodded her head.
"Yes, Professor. I suppose it will be for the best."
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Harry and Ron walked into the Weasley's kitchen to see everyone gathered around the kitchen table. Harry saw on that table a very angry-looking leprechan, shaking its fists in the air at Fred and George.
Harry opened his mouth to ask what was going on, when he noticed something.
"Is that Percy?" he asked, amazed.
"Yep," said George brightly, until he caught sight of Mrs. Weasley, when his grin disappeared and his gaze returned to the table. Seeing the leprechaun, he couldn't help smiling again. Even Mrs. Weasley was smiling, though she was careful to wear a disapproving look whenever Fred or George looked up.
"It was some tea that did it," Ron whispered to Harry. "He should know by now not to accept anything from them...it should wear off in a few minutes."
A few minutes later, the angry little leprechaun turned into an angry looking Percy, who hit his head on the ceiling when he changed back because he was standing on the table.
"Ow!" he said, rubbing the top of his head. Then his eyes widened in anger at the sight of Fred and George, and they ran, Percy leaping off the table to run after them, but tripping over his robes and falling flat on his face on the ground. Fred and George turned and laughed as they ran backwards away from Percy before he could get up. Everyone was laughing. The twins ran full out out the front door when Percy pushed himself up and was running as fast as his wizard's robes would allow. It was all a very amusing scene.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
That night, before taking the dreamless sleep potion, Harry sat on his cot, a distant look on his face, deep in thought. They were dark thoughts, full of regrets, but his face was nothing but distant.
Why did he have to stop me? Just... half a minute more. Five more minutes, to be sure I was finished off completely, and it would all be okay. Why? Why did he have to come?
Maybe I was being selfish... yeah, it was all for myself. But... that look, on Hermione's face this afternoon. And on Ron's... No, they were worrying too much, I can't let them do that. I can't let them be a burden to me anymore.
Next time I'll go deeper into the forest, where they can't find me. Yes, and then they can't stop me and can't save me.
Harry nodded to himself.
"Harry?" asked Ron, jerking Harry out of his trance.
"Hm," Harry said, looking up.
"What's up?"
"Oh, nothing."
"Alright."
Then Mrs. Weasley bustled into the room, holding the goblet of dreamless sleep potion in her hands and smiling.
"Here you go, dear," she said, handing the goblet to Harry.
Oh, this is so embarassing. All this trouble just for me. Oh, this *is* embarassing. Everyone worrying about me...
Harry forced a tight-lipped smile and accepted the goblet, drinking it all. There wasn't so much as the night before last, only a bit more than what he drank last night. He fell into a sweet, dreamless sleep.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
The lazy days at Ron's house all just blended together. One afternoon, Harry and Ron were playing chess in the living room, Hermione and Ginny were watching, and Fred and George were making loud exploding noises in their room.
Harry tried to move his bishop forward three squares, to take out one of Ron's pawns. It wouldn't move.
"Harry," said Ron, patiently. "That's a bishop."
"Yeah..." said Harry.
"Bishops can't move like that."
"Oh," said Harry. "Well, where was I?"
Ron rolled his eyes.
"Honestly, Harry, you're worse than Hermione." Ron said. Then he laughed at the fake look of indignation Hermione gave him, but then she and Ginny laughed as well. Harry faked a laugh a little bit. Then Ron moved his bishop diagonally and it took out Harry's queen. Ginny and Hermione made identical looks of sympathy.
"Hmm..." Harry said, wondering what to do next. Then all of their attention went into the kitchen, where Mrs. Weasley was washing the floor, when they heard her scream.
They all rushed into the kitchen to see Mrs. Weasley breathing rapidly, a hand over her chest, and... Albus Dumbledore.
"I'm very sorry, Molly, I never meant to startle you," he was saying in his deep, soothing voice. "Hello Mr. Weasley, Miss Weasley, Mr. Potter, Miss Granger," he said then, turning his attention to the new people in the room. "Your summer's going well?"
They all nodded, quite as surprised as Mrs. Weasley to see their headmaster appear in the kitchen.
"I've just come for a word with you, Molly. I think, a cup of tea." He magicked two cups and saucers from the cupboard, and filled them with tea from the end of his wand, then conjured up a plate of crumpets. "You do not mind, do you?"
"Oh, no, not at all, Headmaster," said Mrs. Weasley, sitting down opposite Dumbledore.
"Please, call me Albus."
"Albus," she said.
The two of them sat in silence for a few moments, Dumbledore drinking his tea, Molly sitting expectantly, with curiosity.
"Go back to your game, all of you," she said suddenly, realizing that Albus wanted to talk to *her,* and probably without the rest of them in the room.
"Ah, chess," said Albus. "I challenge you to a game, Ron, once I've finished speaking with your mother." Ron's ears tinged pink, and he and the rest of them left the room.
Mrs. Weasley and Professor Dumbledore sat quietly again for a minute, and then Mrs. Weasley said, "What did you want to discuss, Albus?"
"Ah, yes," Albus said, setting down his tea. "It's about Harry."
Mrs. Weasley sighed.
"I understand he's been taking Dreamless Sleep potion?"
"Why, yes, Headmaster, he has."
"You must take him off the potion immediately."
Mrs. Weasley gasped.
"Headmaster, surely--"
Albus held up a hand to silence her.
"Molly, I must insist. Dreamless Sleep potion is good in the short term, but over long term... he may suffer from dilusions, confusion, and hallucinations."
Molly gasped.
"Dreams are very important to our sanity, Molly. And although the dreams Harry's been having may do more harm than good, I'm afraid that he must dream sometimes."
"But Albus..."
"I recommend that, for tonight, we give him ordinary sleep potion, so that he must have his own dreams. He may go back on the Dreamless Sleep potion tomorrow, but he should have ordinary sleep potion every fourth day."
Molly had a pained look on her face, a sad look in her eyes.
"Professor..." she pleaded.
"Molly, I know you want the best for him. Which is why we must do this. I know it will hurt him now," he paused, a pained look on his face, his eyes lacking their usual twinkle, "but it will harm him more in the long run not to do so."
They were silent for a moment. Then Molly sighed and nodded her head.
"Yes, Professor. I suppose it will be for the best."