Title: Lost in the Abyss

Author:ShadowChild

Summary: Harry does something that brings everyone to reevaluate how well they know him. He tries to kill himself. Only one person cares enough to find out why.

A/N exams next week so the next chapter won't be for a week or so sorry

An owl flew over the skies of Ottery St. Catchpole, flying above the clouds to as not to be seen by the unsuspecting villagers. The day had dawned clear and sunny though several white clouds were now floating through the sky. It was a Sunday August of 1995 and Errol the Weasly's owl was flying Harry's response to Ron.

The owl flew into the open window, on to the kitchen table, and into Fred's cereal.

"Ew Mum can't we get another owl?" he grumbled and then glanced quickly at his twin who winked. His mother leaned against the stove and glanced out the window through which the owl had just come.

"No Fred. I wish we could, but things are hard at the ministry for your father now that he and Fudge are at each others necks." She sighed and turned back to her cooking. Ron had hardly heard any of this. He untied the letter from Errol's leg and ripped it open excitedly.

Dear Ron,

Thanks for inviting me even if it is a bit late. I'll be there Sunday at noon, even though the Dursley's don't want me to come. Sirius came by the other day disguised as a traveling dog biscuit salesman. He was actually there to talk to one of the "old crowd" who just happens to be my neighbor Arabella Figg (always knew there was something "not quite ordinary" about her), she's going to let me floo out of her fireplace…

I think I know why Dumbledore asked me to come here first this year you see Aunt Petunia had a baby called Luke and they are having me take care of him. He's four months old and a good baby but you won't believe how-

"Is that a letter from Harry, Ron?" Ron looked up from the letter and saw that Hermione had entered the room. He couldn't help but stared at how pretty she was.

"Er yes it is." He mumbled and she smiled at him.

"Care to tell me what it says?" she sat down next to him and he put his arm around her.

"Not much says he'll be here today at noon." He was glad he'd get to see his friend and glad Harry could get away from the Muggles but couldn't help mourn the loss of his time alone with Hermione.

They spent the hours before Harry arrived in the garden of the burrow sitting on a bench talking about trivial things and kissing more than anything. Around eleven thirty they had been watching Crookshanks chase a gnome around the bushes.

"Hermi?' he whispered.

"Hmm?" she murmured laying her head on his shoulder.

"Tell me again why you came back from Krum's." She looked at him and grinned.

"You never get tired of hearing that do you?" he shook his head grinning and his face turned pink. "Okay then, my mum and dad decided that it would be educational for me to spend sometime in Bulgaria though they made me swear in blood that Krum and I wouldn't do anything immoral.

"So I went to his mansion that he bought with his quidditch money and I was miserable. His parents live in a separate house and he hardly spends anytime with them. I didn't like that much when he first said it and it got worse when I found out how nice they are. They're older and his mother is sickly but Krum didn't seem to care. He said that he gave them enough money.

"Then I found out he had three houselves that he treated horribly. They lived in the coldest part of his mansion and are whipped by the other servants. It was horrible. I was barely there two days before I begged to come home." Ron kissed her and she kissed back hard. They stayed in this lip lock until a voice startled them.

"Well I suppose you two have made up." They had broken apart and turned to see Harry smiling sardonically.

"Sorry mate I didn't see you."

"Yeah I reckon you didn't you were both busy." Hermione jumped up and hugged him.

"Harry! How are you?" he sat on the edge of the bench leaving Hermione in the middle of Ron and himself.

"I'm okay. I was almost reluctant to leave the Dursley's." Ron's jaw dropped open and strange sounds came out of it. Hermione just stared. Finally Ron recovered enough to speak intelligibly,

"'Scuse me but am I hearing things?" Harry shook his head.

"No. Ya see when I got to the Dursley's I found out they had had a little boy Luke I told you in my letter." Ron blushed ashamed to admit he didn't finish the letter.

"Yeah…"

"So anyway he's so cute. I don't know that much about kids but I knew he wasn't quite on level if ya know what I mean and-" Just then Fred and George ran into the garden caring something large covered with a sheet.

"Oh Ronniekins!" they called.

"What d' you want?"

"C'mon! Hermione can come to and- Oh! Hiya Harry c'mon we have a surprise for Mum!" the three jumped off the bench and into the house Harry maybe a little bit slower than the other two. They proceeded into the kitchen that the red-haired boys mother never seemed to leave.

"Mum." George said grinning so hard his face looked like it was going to split wide open. His twin put a hand on the sheet. Mrs. Weasly turned around with a ladle in her hand.

"What is it George Weasly?" she demanded. Right as she finished a look of pure astonishment came over her face. "Oh my word!" underneath the sheet was a brand new owl.

Later that afternoon Ron and Harry were outside sitting on a rock looking over the village. Mrs. Weasly was still thanking Fred and George and Hermione was off reading.

"So how are you doing mate?" Ron asked looking at Harry who was lying with his hands underneath his head staring at the clear blue sky.

"Okay. I kind of miss Luke. It's hard to figure how you can love a kid that little so much but they treat him just horribly and I find it so much fun to watch him really." He looked over at Ron who was now staring out to space.

"Yeah." He said dreamily. "Isn't she wonderful?" Harry got up on one elbow.

"Who?" he inquired.

"Hermione." Harry sighed and sat up.

'Oh yeh." He stood and walked off.

"Hey, where are you going?"

"Inside."

'Oh. Send Hermi out here will you?" Harry didn't turn back. Later that night, Ron awoke at sometime during the night thinking he heard someone crying, but the next morning he figured that he imagined it. He didn't spend that much time with Harry that summer. Mostly Harry was no where to be found flying his Firebolt high above the fields or sitting somewhere staring off into space.

The day before the end of the holidays he disappeared for the entire day. When he turned up in time for supper Ron cornered him in the living room.

"Where've you been?"

"What you actually noticed I was gone?" Harry scowled at him.

"Yeah I did. Look I just want to know where you went that's all." Harry rolled his eyes.

"If you must know I flooed to Ms. Figgs with a bag of powder she gave me. I wanted to check on Luke." He sidestepped Ron and headed on to the kitchen. Ron caught up with him and put a hand on his shoulder turning him around.

"What? If you don't mind I'm starving! Year old chocolate cake does nothing for an appetite."

"That kid isn't your responsibilty Harry! You're just a kid yourself you don't need to be bothered about it!" Harry stared into Ron's eyes.

"That" he spat "is where you are wrong. I can't let another child be mistreated by the Dursley's and he is there son. You just don't understand Ron. For your sake I hope you never have to." He went into the kitchen leaving Ron speechless.

They didn't speak again until they got to Hogwarts, and even then it was distant. Their friendship both of them knew had been changed forever unless one of them did something about it. The problem was neither of them would make the first move.

***********************************^************************************

"So both of you were just too damn stubborn?" Ginny questioned when Ron finished his story. He nodded solemnly.

"I didn't realize anything was so wrong with him. I admit it was stupid and I know it was just plain wrong of me to ignore him like I've done but I never even thought it would lead to this. God if I had known." He placed his head in his large hands shaking it forlornly.

"If only any of us had known. Problem with that is-" Ginny began.

"-we didn't" Hermione finished nodding.

"Precisely, and now we have to do something about it." Ron squirmed. "Well we do Ron! It's only fair!" Ron stared at her for a second before speaking.

"Do we? I mean when Harry wakes up he'll tell us everything."

"The key words are when he wakes up! We don't know when that'll be and what if he doesn't want to tell us? After the way we've treated him, if I were him-"She was interrupted by Ron.

"You're not him Ginny you don't know what he'll do!"

"My point exactly Ron, I don't know what he'll do and I don't know why he tried to kill himself! I want to find out so we don't lose him, you know I am beginning to figure out exactly what Harry means to me and I realize that it's a lot. I don't know him as well as you or Hermione but if I don't do something I may not get to know him. don't you see?" Ron shrugged but Hermione who had been rather quiet spoke up.

"I think I do Ginny. If we don't do something he might think that we still don't care I mean we always cared but now if anytime we need to show it." She looked pointedly at Ron who nodded.

"I guess Hermione is right. I mean after all Harry is my best friend no matter what. I'll do whatever I can."

"And I," Hermione continued, "need to put my two cents into this."

***********************************^************************************

Unbeknownst to the three of them Harry Potter was dreaming a most wonderful dream. When he had first passed out the world had been full of color but now it was better. It was the best dream he could imagine if only it were real…

a/n I like cliffies. They make you want to read more. Some human instinct I think… you'll find out about the dream at some point though it may be the next chapter and it may not…