It had been two days since Dumbledore had told Harry what he had told him. He still refused to believe it. It just couldn't be. Slowly though things began to sink in. including him. He sunk further into himself into depression. No one had seen him except Dumbledore, Madame Pomfrey and Sirius. Mrs. Weasly had gone home a day ago. She had hugged him goodbye and he had gone as stiff as a log in the sun for a week.
She had apologized and he had acknowledged it with a nod. It was getting easier to nod now with the potions Madame was giving him. He could hardly swallow but she forced it down his throat in that way only she could (A/N OI bad picture EW that sounded wrong didn't it? Oh well…)
Sirius stayed with him always not talking just being there. Holding him when he had nightmares but otherwise sitting. Harry felt once when Sirius looked down on him that Sirius was clean-shaven. He wished he could see. See anything! The wall, his hand, Sirius, Madame, anything. The only place he could see was in his memory. That was all he had now and more bad than good.
Five days after he returned to Hogwarts he heard voices arguing with the strict nurse.
"Let us see him! Please Madame!" Ron. No Ron couldn't see him like this. Couldn't know.
"We um… Have his homework." Hermione too.
"Hermi that's lame."
"Have you never heard of Voice Recognition Quills? Oh… Wait."
"Yes?" Ron asked smugly and Harry could almost see the smirk on his face.
The old married couple strikes again. A voice in the back of Harry's head mused.
Madame sighed and (to get rid of them he suspected) she agreed,
"Five minutes only! I warn you he isn't talking!" their footsteps were hurried and he pictured them. Hermiones hair messy at all angles as she ran a grin on her face. Ron freckles blending into his red face smiling like the cat that swallowed the mouse.
"Hey mate!" Ron exclaimed and Harry who was sitting up looked at the direction of his best friend's voice. Ron gasped then said,
"Oh sorry. It's just. Your eyes." Harry hadn't seen his eyes of course. And was curious he cocked his head questioningly. "They um they're scarred. So anyway how are you?" Harry aimed his head at his hands.
"Harry." Hermione now. "It's just us. Ron and Hermione your friends. You can talk to us." He turned to the direction of her voice and shook his head sadly.
"You can't talk to us? Okay mate we understand only blimey we only want to help you." He nodded and turned away. They stayed for a while filling him in on the gossip. Lavender had gone out with Dean again. Padma Patil was seeing Terry Boot. Ron said exasperated that since Harry wasn't in classes Trelawny had decided to kill Neville who had pulled out his amulets.
This time he had a sort of stone with an eye on it.
"The evil eye!" Hermione exclaimed. "Believed in the middle ages to kill the "stone" was protection especially for children and animals." Well I can forget about that.
"Five Minutes you said" a voice trilled Hermione and Ron both shouted,
"Bye Harry!" and he suspected dashed off the other way. He lay back agianst his pillows. They had tired him with their endless chatter and it hit him how was he going to move about Hogwarts with no vision? Fricking coconut shells! What kind of an insane supermarket? Could he sue? Nah it was his own fault. He deserved it. It was his fault his parents were dead. His fault Cedric was dead. His fault all of it.
His dreams that night were haunted with ghosts
It was a cold dark night and Harry was in the forest. Branches craked under his bare feet and trees swayed with every breath of the wind. He walked in to a dark clearing with shadows upon shadows. Then he heard a twig crack behind him he turned his breath coming fast appering in steam in front of his face as he saw it. The figure of Cedric Diggory left no shadow.
"You didn't save me Harry. You are the "champion" huh? Some champion. You couldn't save a friend? Truly you didn't like me did you? Thought I was a rival. In quidditch and for Cho's affection. Well I've got news for you pretty boy. She'll never like you now!" the laugh was so cold coming from popular, nice, and fair Cedric Diggory. Harry put up his hands
"NO! Cedirc I tried."
"BULLSHIT I deserved to live! Not you!" the fist came toward him but as it did he saw the pink flesh detirorate leaving grey craked bone. He stared at the bone as it crumbled. All the skin on Cedric's body was melting. He grabbed at his hand. "Look what you did to me! Harry Potter thanks to you I am nothing noooottthhhhhiiiing" he shouted as he melted through the floor.
Harry stared at the spot where Cedric had been and as he took a step toward it as he did the world spun faster faster then it stopped dead and he was thrown to the ground on his face dirt and pebbles forced down his throat. Choking and gasping he rolled over
Towering above him was Vernon Dursly cackling fist raised hitting him harder and harder faster faster.
"Stop!" he yelled.
"No Boy." Dursly grinned.
"That's right!" Bertha Jorkins had appeared over Vernon's shoulder. "you deserve to die its your fault so many are dead. So many children cold and starving. Your fault. You let him come back to torment! But does that matter to brave Harry Potter more than his next press interview? Never NEVER you are a bastard! A rotten person! You deserve to die!!" another blow came at him in his face and then it was dark.
Harry awoke in a cold sweat. He bolted upright and regretted it immediately. His head still ached and his ribs burned as if they were on constiant fire. And now his head throbbed so much he thought he might be sick. He lay down again slowly and didn't sleep again for along time. Just lay there listening to Sirius breathing and the ticking of a clock somewhere.
Then right when he believed it couldn't get any worse it did. Unlike his other dreams this one was the dark he was used to. The only thing was the voices. They were soft as if they were traveling over much distance and he had to strain to hear
'Harry Potter is blind my lord. Due to unfourtune' The voice which was cold and utterly cruel cackled with laughter. 'cicurcomestances at his aunt and Uncles!'
'Good work my young deatheatrer you have served your master well you will be rewarded.'
'Thank you my lord you are to genourus.' The man's voice was proud and happy and Harry realized somewhat familiar.
'That I am. How I am wondering did you find this out?'
'My mother cared for him this summer my lord.' The man said ecstatically.
'Your mother?'
'My mother sir, She told me thinking I could be trusted. Thinking I was distrait over Barty Crouch's death and I was. Just the other Barty Crouch!' he cackled evil and was joined by the sound of tiger nails on a chalkborad that served as a laugh for Lord Voldemort..
Harry awoke agian his scar burning, as it never had. He must have cried out because Sirius had him in a tight embrace and he knew he mustn't say anything about who the deatheater was. No. Think of how upset everyone would be. he didn't need to make them more upset then he had already. Pathatic how he couldn't even care for himself. He held his scar and Sirius saw this,
"Harry? Is your scar hurting?" Harry shook his head quickly. Too quickly for Sirius who grabbed the boys face in his hands, Harry's breathing quickened. Sirius saw the ultimate terror the boy's unseeing eyes.
"Harry I won't hurt you but I need to know, Is. Your. Scar. Hurting? Mmm? Tell me." Harry knew it didn't matter if he looked in to his eyes but there was always Veritiserum, so slowly very slowly he nodded.
"Thank you Harry." Sirius said calmly and let go then he ran swearing under his breath. Harry lay there shaking for along time. He was sleeping lightly curled into the featul postion when Sirius came back with Dumbledore.
Dumbledore looked at the sleeping boy. He looked no older than seven when he was infact fifteen years old. Or was it sixteen? A missed placed drop of deageing potion had last year made Harry lose a year of growth. No one knew exactly what had happened.
"I hate to wake him…" he whispered the boy had slept so little latly that the purple.bags stood out from the scars.
"As do I but I think we must Professor." He gently shook Harry who shielded his face with his good arm. Well I say good. Even this arm was bruised and battered.
"Harry down boy," Dumbledore said Harry heard the smile in his voice but it soon grew somber. "I must know did you dream about Voldemort?" a nod was all he received. All anyone had received in weeks. There was only one person he wanted to see he had relized but the nod was all it took. "Thank you Harry care to add any details?" Harry once eager to comply wirh anything shook his head and sighed.
The next day Ron and Hermione were back but Harry didn't even face then. He kept his head aimed at where he knew the wall to be. No matter how hard they tried to get him to talk he didn't listen. No speaking no emotion, No emotion. No more pain. For himself or them. He didn't deserve them anyway.
The visits must have done him some good for he started eating again. Mostly because every meal they would badger him so badly he wanted to throw the plate at them.
He took a bite of chicken from his plate and stared at Ron as if to say happy now? Ron nodded and realizing Harry couldn't see this said,
"Yes." Harry was bewildered but Ron laughed.
"I know you mate." Harry just shook his head. No, he didn't know him not all of it. Heck he didn't know a thing. Soon enough Madame Pomfrey could find nothing else wrong with him so arm still in a plaster he went to the dorm. Ron led him through the halls his eyes facing forward. It was hard walking was. His ankle still ached and it was like plodding in darkness.
His face was shadowed with bruises and the scars ran all around his eyes and forehead. You could count all of his ribs because he didn't eat for so long. The Dursly's considered stale bread food for him.
He was slow but Ron was patient. Holding onto his arm as he trudged Harry's best friend muttered encouragement. When they finally arrived at the portrait the Fat Lady squealed,
"Harry boy you're back. Oh I am just so glad."
"Yeah yeah Circe." Ron muttered. He helped Harry into the portrait hole. "You're lucky mate Dumbledore made sure everyone was in the great hall when I brought you up." Harry nodded and instinctively headed up the stairs to his bedroom. Ron helped him button his pajamas right side up and he went into a deep sleep. Ron stood over him for awhile watching his friends ragged breathing. No one deserved that the Durslys would pay.
Ron despite the deep sleep his friend seemed to be in woke to Harry's quiet tears early the next morning.
