HOLY FRIGGIN' BARBECUED CRAP ON A STICK. I've got twelve reviews. TWELVE. One of them is mine, mind you, but it wasn't placed there intentionally to raise my ego, or anything like that. So, that brings our number to eleven. ELEVEN. WOOO HOOO!!! To show my appreciation, I'm beginning a (yes, you saw it coming) "Bold and the Beautiful" column at the end of each chapter which will contain all of your loverly names---in BOLD!!! Why? Because I'm high on caffeine, that's why, and a college student without her caffeine is like Harry without his glasses, Linus without his blanket, and Scooby without his Scooby Snacks. That makes sense…doesn't it? Enjoy!!! ~8]

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Disclaimers: See Chapter 6 snort

Chapter 7: Spells, Lies, and Enervate

"Harry?!"

Those who had not already been awakened by the events in the Gryffindor bedroom were jolted awake by Dean's outcry. He had witnessed everything, even the fleeing form of whatever the hell it was on top of Harry. He turned and grabbed his wand, but it was an idea that had come too late. When he spun back around, Dean saw only that the nearest window was hinged wide open, the curtains flapping wildly against the drafty breeze.

Dean leapt out of bed and ran over to the window, leaning across the ledge to have a look at the ground below. Though it was over a ten story fall, not a single broken or bleeding body lay in sight.

Pushing aside any confused notions that his mind was attempting to entertain, Dean turned and kneeled at his classmate's bedside amidst the bemused looks of the other waking Gryffindors. He couldn't have been any less prepared for what he saw.

Harry's head had lolled to the side, his mouth open in a silent gasp. And while tears still ran from his eyes, it was from his scar that blood flowed copiously, trickling down his bruised cheek and onto his pillowcase.

"Good Gods, mate, what the bloody hell happened to you?" he whispered quietly to Harry. By now Neville and Ron had stumbled up behind Dean. Neville gasped when he saw the blood, and looked up at Dean, who had turned to face them.

"Dean? What's going on?"

"Harry!?" Ron's eyes grew wide upon seeing his friend, kneeling at his bedside as he fervently tried to shake him awake. He felt tears welling in his eyes when his efforts failed, wiping at the blood on Harry's forehead the best he could with his hands. "Somebody get me some towels!" he called over his shoulder, alarmed at the amount of blood pooling onto the pillowcase. Neville and the others ran into the bathroom to grab some, while Ron remained with Dean.

The red-headed boy turned to his other friend, his eyes pleading. "Dean? Who did this?"

Dean shook his head. "I didn't see much of what was going on, but then he looked at me. And I know this sounds crazy, but…it was Harry."

Ron turned away as he closed his eyes, clenching his jaw tightly in anger.

"You want us to go wake Dumbledore and McGonagall?" Seamus asked as he pulled shut the window panes, stifling the draft in the room.

Ron sighed heavily, nodding his head. "Yeah," he replied quietly. Seamus clapped a stunned Neville softly on the shoulder as he led him out the door. Dean shook his head sadly as he listened to Harry's ragged breathing, Ron doing his best to soak the blood from his friend's forehead. It pained him to see the fresh bruises appearing atop the old ones, themselves a reminder of what took place only two days ago. He was now certain that this wasn't of Draco's doing; no human could've jumped from such a high distance and have gotten up so quickly afterwards.

Dopplegangers seem to be perfectly harmless…

Ron paused momentarily, Hermione's words earlier in the Library slowly sinking in. He then didn't know whether or not to laugh or cry when he realized that, for perhaps the first time in her life, Hermione had been wrong. Horribly, horribly wrong.

He continued his ministrations a few minutes more before a rather alert Dumbledore strided into the room, followed by a drowsy-eyed McGonagall. The old wizard's heart sank when he saw the condition of his famed student. He had long since learned that fame came with a price, and wondered if this had been a direct result of that once again.

Minerva gasped audibly at the number of bloodied washcloths that Ron had already gone through. He was on his fourth one, and it looked as if it might take a fifth for the bleeding to finally subside. Ron stood up as Dumbledore gently motioned him aside with a nod, taking his place at Harry's bedside. Albus withdrew his wand and placed the tip upon Harry's scar. "Clottus," he declared, terminating the bleeding. He then placed it atop Harry's shoulder, quietly commanding, "Enervate."

Harry sucked in a great breath before his eyes flew open, frantically searching the space around him. He no sooner began to lift his head up when Dumbledore gently smoothed his head back down onto the pillow. "Harry," he began in a calming voice, "do you remember what happened?" The worried face of the Headmaster belied his calm demeanor, and it took but two moments for Harry to remember why. His eyes instantly filled with fresh tears as he nodded his head. "Y-yes, sir," he answered shakily. McGonagall had appeared on the opposite side of his bed.

"Who attacked you, dear? Was it Vol…the Dark Lord?" Harry shook his head, though wondering why his twin's touch had made him feel as if he'd been electrocuted. "No, it was…" he paused to glance at Ron, who was rather curious of the answer, "…wasn't. I didn't really get a good look. M-my glasses weren't on." Harry closed his eyes, cursing himself for not telling them the truth. Momentarily blinding himself, however, didn't prevent him from hearing Ron exhale a loud and disappointed sigh.

Dumbledore nodded, and asked him another question. "What did this thing do to you to make your scar bleed, Harry?" Harry froze. He couldn't tell them, or they'd surely suspect Voldemort. If that were to happen, then he'd be confined under lock and key by both staff and student until he graduated. He had long grown tired of having his every movement monitored in secret by his friends and classmates, like he was some volatile chemical that might explode at any given moment. He supposed it was his fondness of privacy and theories of other possible suspects which propelled him to lie to both his Headmaster and Professor.

Harry's mouth began to quiver as he responded. "It...cut my scar with…something sharp. That's the last thing I remember." "Did it hurt?" McGonagall questioned. It was then that the first tear slid down his face. He squeezed his eyes shut as his breath hitched in his throat. "I screamed…but, it had its hand over my mouth. That's when it started…hitting me." Even though his eyes were closed, Harry could feel Ron's glare bearing down on him. He figured this way his other, older bruises could be thoroughly explained away.

Dumbledore nodded sadly, standing up. "Mr. Weasley, if you and Mr. Thomas wouldn't mind watching Harry for a moment, Professor McGonagall and I are going to help Madame Pomfrey prepare the clinic." Dean nodded. "Don't worry, sir. We're not going anywhere." As Dumbledore and McGonagall passed into the hall, he could see that Seamus and Neville were trying to keep some curious students who had heard the commotion at bay.

Ron closed his eyes when they door finally shut, anger rising within him. "Why didn't you tell them?" he asked, the disapproval heavy in his voice. Harry opened his mouth to speak, surprised when Dean answered, instead. "I didn't want them thinking I had gone crazy, Ron!" he exclaimed, throwing up his hands. "Besides, it was dark. I not sure if it was what I first thought it might have been." Ron nodded, as if he had meant to speak to the other boy all along. "Well, I…guess you're right. Would you mind helping Neville and Seamus out in the hall? I think everyone's up by now and wondering what's been happening."

Dean nodded, casting a last disheartened glance at Harry as he left. Certain that the door had shut, Ron knelt next to Harry once more. "Harry--"

His friend shook his head. "Ron, I'm sorry. I didn't want them thinking I was crazy, either. I've had enough of that to last me a lifetime. We're not even sure that it was Vold--You-Know-You." He turned his head away, once again avoiding his friend's gaze. "I just don't want to bother anyone, is all." Ron placed a hand on Harry's shoulder. "Harry, you're our friend, and that of the entire school--well, three-fourths of it, anyway--as well. We're here to help you. The three of us have tried to go it alone against something much bigger than us, Harry. It's alright to ask for help once in awhile." Ron felt his friend's shoulder give a shake underneath his fingers, and then moreso as Harry broke down into tears.

The pain in his head felt fifty times that of the worst migraine, only it racked his entire body. He clasped a hand to his scar to try and stifle the agony, something he had wanted to do ever since Dumbledore had enervated him. "Ron," he choked, "when he touched my scar it felt like I was being electrocuted. And all he did was touch it….that's all…"

"It's alright, Harry," he replied soothingly, letting his friend grip his hand as the pain in Harry's body nearly tore him asunder.

Harry whimpered quietly with his hand clutched to his forehead. As he listened to his friend's heartwrenching sobs, Ron idly pondered how the doppleganger had gotten into the room in the first place.

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Elsewhere, deep within the darkened corridors and passageways of Hogwarts, a very irate individual hollered and cursed the very name of his adversary for the hundredth time that day.

"POTTER!! WHERE ARE YOU, YOU BLOODY GIT?! WHEN I FIND YOU, I'M GOING TO FUCKING KILL YOU!! CAN YOU HEAR ME, POTTER?! POTTER?!"

Although Draco Malfoy had been screaming himself hoarse the past few days, nary an utterance could be heard coming from the Slytherin's mouth.

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Ah, the end of yet another chapter. I know it's kind of short and rather actionless, but, hey, it had to be done. I think I'll take a break from writing it now… ::Ducks barrage of frying pans aimed at head:: Okay, okay…maybe not… ::Narrowly avoids Hedwig's beak pecks:: Okay! Okay! I'll keep writing it! I promise!!! Besides, it's too much fun J And finally, here it is, the very FIRST edition of the "Bold and the Beautiful": Thanks, guys!!!

Rollllll Callllll: Lady Foxfire! Raven! Allocin! Loopy! Lily Malfoy! Taracollowen! AAAANNNNNDDDD Iris! Yay!!!!