Disclaimer: The characters and places and stuff belong to JKR. But for now, they are at my mercy. *evil grin* I'll return them as soon as I'm finished…maybe.
In this chapter: Insight into Harry's condition, a visit to Hagrid's, a cupboard, letters
~~~
Chapter 6
The next day, Harry slept through breakfast. He would have slept through lunch as well, had Draco not woken him. As soon as Draco touched him to shake him awake, Harry's eyes flew open in fear, and he jerked away. His chest rose and fell with each deep breath he took as he stared at Draco.
"Don't touch me," Harry whispered. "I don't like it when people touch me." Draco nodded and pulled his hands away.
"Uncle Sev asked me to wake you for lunch, since you slept through breakfast," he explained.
"I'm not hungry..." Harry muttered, turning over to go back to sleep.
Draco shrugged his shoulders and went back out to the dining room, where Severus was waiting and reading the newspaper. The older man looked up when he heard Draco pull a chair out and sit down.
"Is he up?" Draco shook his head.
"He said he's not hungry and went back to sleep."
Severus sighed and rose from his seat. He went into the boys' room and stood at the foot of Harry's bed, just watching him for a moment.
He looks so peaceful while he's sleeping, Severus thought to himself. Now I remember why I sent Draco in to wake him instead of trying to do it myself. I don't want to wake him...but I have to.
Finally, Severus went around to the side of the bed and knelt down in front of Harry. He subconsciously reached out to touch the younger wizard's hair, then, realizing what he was doing, he quickly pulled his hand back.
"Potter, wake up," Severus said, loudly but gently. Harry slowly opened his eyes. "It's lunchtime. You need to eat something."
"No," Harry moaned, burying his face in his pillow.
"Yes," Severus insisted, pulling the blankets away from Harry.
"Hey!" Harry glared at Severus and reached down to pull the blankets back, but Severus wouldn't let him.
"Come out and eat a little, and then you can do whatever you want," Severus compromised. "Maybe I'll even let you go outside. Would you like to visit Fang? Albus said he's been lonely without Hagrid." Sadly, the half-giant had been killed during the last term.
"But I'm not hungry," Harry sighed.
"Please, will you at least try?" Severus pleaded. "You're already sick enough as it is. If you want to get better and heal, you have to eat something."
Giving up, Harry reluctantly nodded his head and padded into the dining room after Severus. As soon as all three wizards were seated, lunch appeared on the table. Harry's lunch was smaller than Severus's and Draco's, as Severus had known that Harry wouldn't eat much. In front of him was a small bowl of chicken noodle soup. Harry took a couple small bites, then put his spoon down and looked up to find Draco watching him curiously. Harry sighed and shook his head.
"They starved me for a month," he said, quietly. "I don't have much of an appetite anymore."
"Try a bit more," Severus requested. Harry just shook his head. "Do you want to try something different?"
"No, thank you. Can I go out and see Fang?"
"Get dressed, and then Draco can take you out. You're all right with that, Draco?"
"Sure, I guess," Draco replied, shrugging his shoulders.
He didn't understand why somebody had to go with Harry, and when the other boy left to get dressed, Severus explained.
"We can't let him go anywhere alone until he's completely healed. He's been in a lot of pain, and he's quite ill. He becomes tired easily, and if we let him wander alone, he could get sick or pass out, and we wouldn't know where he is. Also, there are still Death Eaters after him, and we don't want to take any chances."
"What happened to him, Sev?" Draco asked, softly. "Why is he so sick? What happened to his leg?" Severus sighed.
"The Muggles were hurting him. Severely. Potter's godfather was worried several days ago, and Albus sent me to check up on him. Poppy thinks that if I hadn't gotten him out when I did, he may not have survived."
At this, Draco's eyes widened. It had been that bad? And only two days ago, he'd thought Harry Potter was spoiled at home!
A few minutes later, Draco was walking and Harry was hobbling down to Hagrid's cabin. Draco walked right in, but Harry stood in the doorway for a moment, just looking around. He felt tears stinging at his eyes when he saw that everything was exactly the same as he'd remembered it. Everything was in the same place it had always been all the other times he'd been to visit.
Except Hagrid wasn't there to greet him.
None of Hagrid's tea. No rock-hard treacle fudge or cakes. No fire in the fireplace. No interesting creatures lurking about.
Harry slowly made his way inside and walked around the room, gingerly touching all the little trinkets and things that Hagrid had always kept out for him to look at.
Then Harry's eyes rested on Fang. The huge boarhound looked completely miserable as he lay on Hagrid's bed. He was obviously missing his master. Harry sat on the bed, stretching his legs out and leaning back against the wall as he scratched Fang behind the ears. The dog just whined and rested his head in Harry's lap.
"I miss him, too, Fang," Harry whispered, sniffling. He looked at Draco, who was warily eyeing the cabin furnishings. "You don't have to stay if you're uncomfortable." Draco nodded.
"I'll wait outside, then." And he couldn't get out fast enough.
"Dumbledore says you've been lonely," Harry murmured to Fang. "I'll try to come and see you every day, if I can. When I get better, I'll take you for a walk around the lake, all right?"
Fang just let out a canine sigh. Harry glanced around the room again before his eyes suddenly stopped to rest on a cupboard door. His vision began to go slightly fuzzy, and he thought he heard Fang barking.
~~~
It was so dark in the cupboard. The vent had been closed, so no light could shine through. It was too closed in. It felt like a coffin, like being buried alive.
So quiet... The only sounds Harry heard were the sounds of his heavy, irregular breathing. In...out...in...out...in...in...out... Merlin, it hurt his lungs, his chest. He felt like he was suffocating.
There was a game Harry played, when he was locked in the cupboard. He called the game "How High Can I Count Before I Pass Out?"
One. Two. Three. Four. Five. Six. Seven. Eight. Nine...
~~~
As soon as Draco heard Fang barking and whimpering, he ran back into the hut. Harry was nowhere in sight. Draco looked at Fang.
"Where is he?"
Fang nudged at a cupboard door with his nose, whining. Draco threw the door open and saw that the cupboard was empty, except for one Harry Potter. The boy sat on the floor of the closet, curled up in a ball and breathing erratically. Kneeling down, Draco heard Harry's faint voice.
"Twelve...thirteen...fourteen..."
"Potter!"
Draco quickly grabbed Harry and pulled him out. Harry whimpered and struggled in his arms, not yet broken from his daze. Draco held onto him tightly, resting his head against Harry's.
"Shh, Potter, it's Draco," he murmured. "I'm not going to hurt you. Calm down and breathe, Potter."
It took a short while, but eventually, Harry calmed down and was breathing regularly. Draco didn't let go of him, but he made Harry look at his face. Harry's eyes were still a little cloudy and unfocused.
"Potter, listen to me," Draco said, softly, resting a hand on Harry's cheek. "Do you know who I am?" Harry nodded a little. "Do you know where you are?" Another 'yes.' "Do you remember what happened?"
"Flashback..." Harry whispered, closing his eyes and subconsciously resting his head against Draco's chest. "Cupboard..."
"Merlin, Potter, you're pale," Draco muttered. "Do you feel all right, or do you feel sick?"
"Sick... Tired..."
"All right, I'll take you back to Sev. Do you mind if I carry you?"
Harry shook his head, and Draco lifted him up into his arms. He quickly carried the smaller boy into the castle and went straight to the dungeons. Before Severus could ask what happened, Draco took Harry into the bedroom and tucked the shivering Gryffindor into bed. Then Draco went back to the kitchen, where Severus was waiting, somewhat worriedly, for an explanation.
"I was right outside Hagrid's, and I heard Fang barking. When I went back in, Potter wasn't in there, but Fang kind of nudged a cupboard with his nose. So I opened the cupboard, and there was Potter, curled up in a ball on the floor. He was having trouble breathing, and he was counting, for some reason.
"I calmed him down, and after a little bit, I asked him if he knew who I was, if he knew where he was, and if he remembered what happened. He said something about a flashback about a cupboard. Does that have anything to do with the rumors I've heard about him living in a cupboard?"
"I don't think he really lived in the cupboard," Severus said, softly. "His relatives locked him in there for extended periods of time. At the beginning of the summer, he was locked up for two weeks. When I got to him, he'd been in there for two days. I think it's caused him to be claustrophobic. He said it was like being buried alive. He told me he couldn't breathe or think. He passed out a few times, and he thinks he had a seizure. He thought he was going to die in there."
"How could they do that to him?" Draco asked, quietly, as he brought his folded hands to his forehead and rested his elbows on the table. "They were supposed to take care of him, not nearly kill him!" He snorted mirthlessly, shaking his head. "People thought I had a shitty home life. They thought Father abused me, but he didn't. He loved me. He even gave me a choice about my future, unlike some Death Eaters with children. And they thought Harry Potter lived a perfect life, the life of a celebrity. I suppose we have that in common: we're both the exact opposite of what people think we are."
He looked at Severus thoughtfully.
"I suppose it's the same with you as well, Uncle Sev. People assume that the way you act is the way you really are, but it's not. You're not a bastard outside of school. I've known that my whole life, and it pisses me off when people in school talk about you like you're the spawn of Voldemort or something." Severus chuckled.
"Don't worry about it, Draco. I'm used to it, and I've learned to ignore what people say about me."
He was about to say more, but he was stopped by the sound of Harry's voice from the bedroom.
"Prof-- Severus?" Harry corrected himself.
Severus looked at Draco and excused himself, then headed for the bedroom. Harry lay in bed, watching as the Potions Master entered the room.
"Yes?"
"Can I have a pain reliever?" Harry asked, quietly.
"Of course," Severus replied. He summoned a bottle of liquid and helped Harry to drink a bit of it. "Is that better?"
"Yes, thank you."
"Do you want a Sleeping Potion as well?" Severus offered. Harry shook his head.
"I want to get some homework done first, and I need to write a couple letters."
"All right. Draco and I will be around if you need anything."
"Thank you," Harry said again. Severus nodded and left, and Harry summoned some parchment, ink, and a quill and began to write his letters.
Dear Hermione,
Thank you for the book you sent. I haven't gotten a chance to look at it yet, but Padfoot says it's the same one he and my Dad used and that it was really helpful. I have to wait until I get my strength back before even attempting to be an Animagus, and at the rate I'm going...I'm afraid it might take a while.
I'm sick. In my mind and in my body. I keep having flashbacks, and I'm so tired. I can hardly eat anything. Sometimes I wonder if I shouldn't just give up. Voldemort's gone, I'm not so important anymore. Maybe it's time. I don't know how long I'll last.
I guess it's all right to tell you, I'm staying with Professor Snape at Hogwarts. Draco Malfoy's here as well; Snape's his godfather. Before you freak out, it's really not that bad. Professor Snape's been taking care of me, and Draco's been pretty nice to me since he got here. He helped me out earlier today when I had a flashback... Anyway, they're both not as bad as we thought they were.
I have to be going now. I still have to write Ron, then get some homework done if I can stay awake that long. See if you can come and visit soon. I need you, Hermione. You always manage to make things better.
Love, Harry
Ron,
Hey, mate, thanks for the Quidditch Weekly subscription, and tell the rest of your family 'thanks' for their gifts. As for the Dursleys...forget about them. They'll get what's coming to them, I suppose. I just don't want anyone getting hurt again because of me.
I'm staying with Professor Snape and Draco Malfoy at Hogwarts. They're not as bad as we thought. They're being downright nice to me, and Snape's been taking care of me since he got me out of that cupboard. I think, in some odd way, he understands me. And Draco...he's having a rough time, too. We're being civil to each other. Who knows? By the time school starts, maybe we'll actually be friends.
I'm not allowed to go anywhere by myself for a while. I have to walk with a cane because of my leg, and I'm pretty sick. Madam Pomfrey wants me to be supervised at nearly all times, in case I pass out or have a flashback. I've been having a lot of those. One in Diagon Alley, another when I went to visit Fang today.
I miss Hagrid. I cried when I went to his cabin and he wasn't there to greet me. Everything else was the same, but Hagrid wasn't there. Fang was just lying on the bed, completely miserable. I promised him I'd try to visit him every day.
I have to go. I wanted to try and do some homework, but I think I'll take a nap first. I'm so tired. Tell everyone I said 'hi' and that I miss them.
From, Harry
