Darkness.
He couldn't move.
He felt like someone had put iron rods through all his bones and was beginning to heat them.
"We will make you scream, Mr Potter"
Voldemort.
The Death Eaters; the memories; the knife.
So he was dead?
There was a dry sob, from somewhere to his left. He forced his eyes to open and groaned with the pain it caused. He couldn't reach for his glasses, but the shock of red hair in the chair next to him led him to realise who it was.
"Ron?"
Ron looked up abruptly.
"Oh Harry! You're awake! I'm. . .I'm so sorry!"
And with that he burst into tears again.
"I. . .I was such a. . .a bastard and. . .I never realised. . .it was all his fault. . .I'm so sorry, Harry, I'm so sorry!"
"Ron? What are you talking about?"
"I was so mean to you, and it was Percy's fault. . .he was Death Eater, Harry, and we never realised, and I believed everything he told me, and it's all my fault, and I'm so sorry, and. . ."
"SHUT UP!" bellowed Harry, and immediately fell back against the pillows. He continued in a softer voice,
"Family is the strongest bond. I would probably have done the same in your position. Don't blame yourself, Ron, mate, it wasn't your fault. The only person to blame is Voldemort."
"And YOU KILLED HIM!" Ron was now beaming, tears still running down his freckled face. Harry was unable to hide his smile.
"And you, Mr Weasley, are depriving the Boy-Who-Incessantly-Lives of his much needed sleep" came a silky voice. With a startled squeak, Ron disappeared, with a muffled "See ya Harry. . .I'm really sorry. . ."
Snape sat in Ron's vacated place and set his inscrutable eyes upon Harry.
"How do you feel?"
"I just got my best friend back. I feel. . .better."
Snape nodded, and Harry looked more closely at him.
"How about you, sir? Are you alright?"
Snape smiled, again, genuinely.
"I must confess to being tired, and not a little hung over. The festivities carried on into the early hours of this morning. . .and the battle was nearly a week ago. I have been busy preparing hangover remedies, not least for your Godfather."
Harry's smile faltered a bit and Snape sighed.
"They all feel terrible, Harry. Mr Weasley in particular, although it was not his fault, is taking full responsibility for the boy who was his brother."
At Harry's confused look, he explained.
"The Weasley family disowned Percy after he admitted to everything under Veritaserum. Then he was given the Dementor's Kiss."
Harry shuddered involuntarily. It was a horrible fate. But then again. . .
"He was sending Voldemort information about the school, wasn't he?"
Snape nodded.
"But, truthfully, Harry, how are you feeling? I know you're not fine, and you'll need to tell someone what happened."
Harry sighed, and turned over so his back was facing Snape.
"I was all alone. They did what they liked to me, and I was all alone. I don't have to answer to any of you."
And Snape couldn't get another answer out of him.
*********************************
Madam Pomfrey refused to let anyone in to see Harry. She was worried about him. He was refusing food, and was reluctant to let her heal him. His eyes were dull and he didn't even talk anymore. Basically he seemed to have no need to live.
Dumbledore had been to see him; so had McGonagall, Sprout, Flitwick, and pretty much every member of staff. Some had left red eyed, some looking shocked, but none with a smile. Madam Pomfrey herself had tried to talk to him; to find out what happened, but he had answered in monosyllables and finally turned away, signalling the close of the conversations. The only amusing thing that had happened in the Hospital Wing was Trelawny coming to tell Harry she had known that all of this would happen. Without blinking he sent her flying headfirst, literally, out of the Hospital Wing. She had landed in her Tower, blinked in confusion, and said, "Oh, of course, I had forseen that."
*************************
Dumbledore sat in his office, regarding Snape over the rim of his favourite teacup.
"Severus, the boy is wasting away! He will not speak to us, he will not accept medical attention or even food. He will die soon, if he doesn't snap out of this!"
Snape bowed his head.
"Everyone has been to see him. He will not explain what happened; not to Weasley or Granger, not to Malfoy or me, not to anyone. I've tried being gentle, threatening, pleading. I have no idea what to do, Albus!"
Dumbledore stroked his beard thoughtfully.
"Then. . .we must resort to force."
That night, Madam Pomfrey knocked Harry out and forced food into him using magic. Snape couldn't bring himself to watch. The grisly routine went on for nearly a week. Then one day as Snape came in, Harry looked at him.
"They've been force-feeding me, haven't they?"
Snape couldn't bring himself to lie to Harry. Looking at the floor, he nodded wordlessly. There was a crash as a painting behind Snape hit the floor, and Harry spat angrily,
"I killed bloody Voldemort! I've been handling an adults responsibility for as long as I can bloody well remember, so why can't you all just treat me like an adult when I want you to?"
"Harry. . .if it was anyone else, it would be the same, no matter how old they were."
Harry looked scornfully at him.
"Whatever."
**************************
When Harry went to the bathroom the next morning to carry out his old ritual of throwing up and cutting himself, he had a nasty shock. His wand was gone, and there were no sharp objects. He went to smash the mirror with his fist, but it was either unbreakable or he was too weak. Probably the former. Then, he couldn't throw up. He supposed Madam Pomfrey had slipped him an anti-nausea potion.
Feeling depressed and with no way of alleviating it, he sank back into bed and fell asleep.
**********************
Snape looked sadly at Harry's wand which lay on his table. They couldn't let Harry have it, because he was certain to use it to hurt or kill himself. But maybe there was a way. A risky way. . .but a way none the less.
**********************
Harry lay staring at the ceiling. Due to bed rest, his nails were long and he had used them to gouge strips of flesh from his arms. The pain felt good, oh so good.
Suddenly there were footsteps, and Harry tensed. Footsteps at night were not good when you lived with the Dursleys. But it was just Snape.
"Harry? Are you awake?"
Harry nodded shortly.
"I want to make a deal with you."
Harry looked at him for a moment.
"I don't actually want to kill myself, you know. I just want things to be like they were."
Snape looked sadly at Harry.
"I believe you, harry, but we can't let you have your wand back. . ."
He didn't like the glint in Harry's eye.
"Oh, but you can, sir. See?" He held out his hand and Snape's wand zoomed into it. "It may not be my own. . .but it will work, to all intents and purposes."
Snape swallowed. The boy who had defeated Voldemort was holding his own wand to Snape's head, and looking murderous.
Oh shit.
********************************
I write this under threat of. . . gangrene-infected purple zebras that will bombard me with blue pancakes this time, apparently. The film was incredible, so much better than the first. 2 best points:
-Lucius Malfoy, played by Jason Isaacs, is amazing. And lovely, lovely hair!
-Ron is so much funnier than in the first film. He has some much better lines too.
Bad points:
-Harry had BLUE EYES! I'm sure he did!
-Tom Riddle was wearing RAVENCLAW robes. Jesus, can these guys not read, or am I going colour blind? (I'm not, because everyone else in the cinema was talking about it. Maybe it was the screen - how can they be THAT thick?)
He couldn't move.
He felt like someone had put iron rods through all his bones and was beginning to heat them.
"We will make you scream, Mr Potter"
Voldemort.
The Death Eaters; the memories; the knife.
So he was dead?
There was a dry sob, from somewhere to his left. He forced his eyes to open and groaned with the pain it caused. He couldn't reach for his glasses, but the shock of red hair in the chair next to him led him to realise who it was.
"Ron?"
Ron looked up abruptly.
"Oh Harry! You're awake! I'm. . .I'm so sorry!"
And with that he burst into tears again.
"I. . .I was such a. . .a bastard and. . .I never realised. . .it was all his fault. . .I'm so sorry, Harry, I'm so sorry!"
"Ron? What are you talking about?"
"I was so mean to you, and it was Percy's fault. . .he was Death Eater, Harry, and we never realised, and I believed everything he told me, and it's all my fault, and I'm so sorry, and. . ."
"SHUT UP!" bellowed Harry, and immediately fell back against the pillows. He continued in a softer voice,
"Family is the strongest bond. I would probably have done the same in your position. Don't blame yourself, Ron, mate, it wasn't your fault. The only person to blame is Voldemort."
"And YOU KILLED HIM!" Ron was now beaming, tears still running down his freckled face. Harry was unable to hide his smile.
"And you, Mr Weasley, are depriving the Boy-Who-Incessantly-Lives of his much needed sleep" came a silky voice. With a startled squeak, Ron disappeared, with a muffled "See ya Harry. . .I'm really sorry. . ."
Snape sat in Ron's vacated place and set his inscrutable eyes upon Harry.
"How do you feel?"
"I just got my best friend back. I feel. . .better."
Snape nodded, and Harry looked more closely at him.
"How about you, sir? Are you alright?"
Snape smiled, again, genuinely.
"I must confess to being tired, and not a little hung over. The festivities carried on into the early hours of this morning. . .and the battle was nearly a week ago. I have been busy preparing hangover remedies, not least for your Godfather."
Harry's smile faltered a bit and Snape sighed.
"They all feel terrible, Harry. Mr Weasley in particular, although it was not his fault, is taking full responsibility for the boy who was his brother."
At Harry's confused look, he explained.
"The Weasley family disowned Percy after he admitted to everything under Veritaserum. Then he was given the Dementor's Kiss."
Harry shuddered involuntarily. It was a horrible fate. But then again. . .
"He was sending Voldemort information about the school, wasn't he?"
Snape nodded.
"But, truthfully, Harry, how are you feeling? I know you're not fine, and you'll need to tell someone what happened."
Harry sighed, and turned over so his back was facing Snape.
"I was all alone. They did what they liked to me, and I was all alone. I don't have to answer to any of you."
And Snape couldn't get another answer out of him.
*********************************
Madam Pomfrey refused to let anyone in to see Harry. She was worried about him. He was refusing food, and was reluctant to let her heal him. His eyes were dull and he didn't even talk anymore. Basically he seemed to have no need to live.
Dumbledore had been to see him; so had McGonagall, Sprout, Flitwick, and pretty much every member of staff. Some had left red eyed, some looking shocked, but none with a smile. Madam Pomfrey herself had tried to talk to him; to find out what happened, but he had answered in monosyllables and finally turned away, signalling the close of the conversations. The only amusing thing that had happened in the Hospital Wing was Trelawny coming to tell Harry she had known that all of this would happen. Without blinking he sent her flying headfirst, literally, out of the Hospital Wing. She had landed in her Tower, blinked in confusion, and said, "Oh, of course, I had forseen that."
*************************
Dumbledore sat in his office, regarding Snape over the rim of his favourite teacup.
"Severus, the boy is wasting away! He will not speak to us, he will not accept medical attention or even food. He will die soon, if he doesn't snap out of this!"
Snape bowed his head.
"Everyone has been to see him. He will not explain what happened; not to Weasley or Granger, not to Malfoy or me, not to anyone. I've tried being gentle, threatening, pleading. I have no idea what to do, Albus!"
Dumbledore stroked his beard thoughtfully.
"Then. . .we must resort to force."
That night, Madam Pomfrey knocked Harry out and forced food into him using magic. Snape couldn't bring himself to watch. The grisly routine went on for nearly a week. Then one day as Snape came in, Harry looked at him.
"They've been force-feeding me, haven't they?"
Snape couldn't bring himself to lie to Harry. Looking at the floor, he nodded wordlessly. There was a crash as a painting behind Snape hit the floor, and Harry spat angrily,
"I killed bloody Voldemort! I've been handling an adults responsibility for as long as I can bloody well remember, so why can't you all just treat me like an adult when I want you to?"
"Harry. . .if it was anyone else, it would be the same, no matter how old they were."
Harry looked scornfully at him.
"Whatever."
**************************
When Harry went to the bathroom the next morning to carry out his old ritual of throwing up and cutting himself, he had a nasty shock. His wand was gone, and there were no sharp objects. He went to smash the mirror with his fist, but it was either unbreakable or he was too weak. Probably the former. Then, he couldn't throw up. He supposed Madam Pomfrey had slipped him an anti-nausea potion.
Feeling depressed and with no way of alleviating it, he sank back into bed and fell asleep.
**********************
Snape looked sadly at Harry's wand which lay on his table. They couldn't let Harry have it, because he was certain to use it to hurt or kill himself. But maybe there was a way. A risky way. . .but a way none the less.
**********************
Harry lay staring at the ceiling. Due to bed rest, his nails were long and he had used them to gouge strips of flesh from his arms. The pain felt good, oh so good.
Suddenly there were footsteps, and Harry tensed. Footsteps at night were not good when you lived with the Dursleys. But it was just Snape.
"Harry? Are you awake?"
Harry nodded shortly.
"I want to make a deal with you."
Harry looked at him for a moment.
"I don't actually want to kill myself, you know. I just want things to be like they were."
Snape looked sadly at Harry.
"I believe you, harry, but we can't let you have your wand back. . ."
He didn't like the glint in Harry's eye.
"Oh, but you can, sir. See?" He held out his hand and Snape's wand zoomed into it. "It may not be my own. . .but it will work, to all intents and purposes."
Snape swallowed. The boy who had defeated Voldemort was holding his own wand to Snape's head, and looking murderous.
Oh shit.
********************************
I write this under threat of. . . gangrene-infected purple zebras that will bombard me with blue pancakes this time, apparently. The film was incredible, so much better than the first. 2 best points:
-Lucius Malfoy, played by Jason Isaacs, is amazing. And lovely, lovely hair!
-Ron is so much funnier than in the first film. He has some much better lines too.
Bad points:
-Harry had BLUE EYES! I'm sure he did!
-Tom Riddle was wearing RAVENCLAW robes. Jesus, can these guys not read, or am I going colour blind? (I'm not, because everyone else in the cinema was talking about it. Maybe it was the screen - how can they be THAT thick?)