Dawn brought Albus Dumbledore apparating onto the grounds of St. Mungo's. He walked in the door, and stopped to register his presence with a nurse.
He looked up. "Headmaster Dumbledore. Here to visit Mr. Lupin?"
"Yes. Has there been any change?"
The nurse shook his head. "No change. Frankly, some of the staff are beginning to think he might never come around."
"Time will tell. Can I go see him?"
"Yes. Room 539."
Dumbledore made his way to Remus' room, wondering what he was going to tell a man who might not even know he was there. Still, as Harry's only living guardian-Sirius had made Remus his guardian should anything happen to him-he deserved to know what was going on.
He sat down next to Remus' bed, looking at the unnaturally still man. "Remus. I do wish you'd come back to us."
No answer, just as there hadn't been the week before, or the week before that.
"I haven't been telling you some things, Remus. I'd been hoping that matters would resolve themselves, but I was a fool to think so. Maybe if I had interfered before now...."
Dumbledore sighed. "It's about young Harry," he continued. "I had told you that Harry had defeated Voldemort. I had even told you how. What I had not told you, though, was the school's reaction to the news.
"I hate to tell you this, Remus, but Harry had become quite the public enemy. It seemed that no one could understand what Harry had to do. Even Mr. Weasley and Miss Granger turned away from him, quite publicly."
He paused. Had he seen Remus twitch? Maybe it was just his imagination.
"Harry had had quite a rough time of it. He has spent weeks being ignored, insulted, and assaulted by those who he had only tried to protect. I had had no idea of how the boy managed to persevere under all of that. I gave him credit for having more strength than any human could be expected to have."
Again, he thought he saw Remus move slightly. 'Events must have been affecting me more than I thought,' he mused, 'to begin imagining things like this.'
He continued. "I hate being the one to tell you this, and I accept all blame. There must have been something I could have done. But...four days ago, Harry Potter tried to kill himself, and very nearly succeeded. Severus and young Draco Malfoy were able to find and save him, though. He is alive...now...and things are changing at Hogwarts, but I fear that not even half the battle has been fought yet, let alone won. He is hurting, Remus, and I don't know what I can do for him anymore."
Dumbledore stared off into space for a minute. "He misses you, Remus. I stopped in to check on him, before coming over here, and I heard him saying your name in his sleep. He has lost his parents, the rest of his blood family, and his godfather. He shouldn't have to lose you, too. I think...he needs you, Remus. Poppy, Severus...even Draco have been trying to help him, and it *is* working, some, but...he needs something we can't give. I know you grieve for Sirius, but he is gone. Harry isn't, but how long will that last? He has tried to kill himself once...will he again? I don't know. I do know that I do not want you to finally wake up one day, just to find that there is no one left
"I must return to the school, Remus. Swift recovery, and I will see you next week." Without even looking at the man in the bed beside him, he patted Remus' hand and rose to go.
"Take me to him...."
Dumbledore froze, sure he had hallucinated that low voice. "Is anyone there?" he asked the room.
"Albus...take me to him...take me to my Harry."
Dumbledore turned, and was greeted with the sight of Remus' eyes...open. His voice, hoarse from long disuse, repeated, "He needs me, like you said. Take me to Harry."
In shock, all Dumbledore could do was nod.
**********
He looked up. "Headmaster Dumbledore. Here to visit Mr. Lupin?"
"Yes. Has there been any change?"
The nurse shook his head. "No change. Frankly, some of the staff are beginning to think he might never come around."
"Time will tell. Can I go see him?"
"Yes. Room 539."
Dumbledore made his way to Remus' room, wondering what he was going to tell a man who might not even know he was there. Still, as Harry's only living guardian-Sirius had made Remus his guardian should anything happen to him-he deserved to know what was going on.
He sat down next to Remus' bed, looking at the unnaturally still man. "Remus. I do wish you'd come back to us."
No answer, just as there hadn't been the week before, or the week before that.
"I haven't been telling you some things, Remus. I'd been hoping that matters would resolve themselves, but I was a fool to think so. Maybe if I had interfered before now...."
Dumbledore sighed. "It's about young Harry," he continued. "I had told you that Harry had defeated Voldemort. I had even told you how. What I had not told you, though, was the school's reaction to the news.
"I hate to tell you this, Remus, but Harry had become quite the public enemy. It seemed that no one could understand what Harry had to do. Even Mr. Weasley and Miss Granger turned away from him, quite publicly."
He paused. Had he seen Remus twitch? Maybe it was just his imagination.
"Harry had had quite a rough time of it. He has spent weeks being ignored, insulted, and assaulted by those who he had only tried to protect. I had had no idea of how the boy managed to persevere under all of that. I gave him credit for having more strength than any human could be expected to have."
Again, he thought he saw Remus move slightly. 'Events must have been affecting me more than I thought,' he mused, 'to begin imagining things like this.'
He continued. "I hate being the one to tell you this, and I accept all blame. There must have been something I could have done. But...four days ago, Harry Potter tried to kill himself, and very nearly succeeded. Severus and young Draco Malfoy were able to find and save him, though. He is alive...now...and things are changing at Hogwarts, but I fear that not even half the battle has been fought yet, let alone won. He is hurting, Remus, and I don't know what I can do for him anymore."
Dumbledore stared off into space for a minute. "He misses you, Remus. I stopped in to check on him, before coming over here, and I heard him saying your name in his sleep. He has lost his parents, the rest of his blood family, and his godfather. He shouldn't have to lose you, too. I think...he needs you, Remus. Poppy, Severus...even Draco have been trying to help him, and it *is* working, some, but...he needs something we can't give. I know you grieve for Sirius, but he is gone. Harry isn't, but how long will that last? He has tried to kill himself once...will he again? I don't know. I do know that I do not want you to finally wake up one day, just to find that there is no one left
"I must return to the school, Remus. Swift recovery, and I will see you next week." Without even looking at the man in the bed beside him, he patted Remus' hand and rose to go.
"Take me to him...."
Dumbledore froze, sure he had hallucinated that low voice. "Is anyone there?" he asked the room.
"Albus...take me to him...take me to my Harry."
Dumbledore turned, and was greeted with the sight of Remus' eyes...open. His voice, hoarse from long disuse, repeated, "He needs me, like you said. Take me to Harry."
In shock, all Dumbledore could do was nod.
**********