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 *dodges rotten tomatoes* I know you guy probably don't even remember me or are eternally pissed but I really am sorry. Real life gets in the way of everything! This chapter should semi make up for my absence

          The next morning dawned cloudy and gray. Ginny awoke gradually from the deep sleep she had slipped into. She had to rub her eyes several times before she became coherent. Slowly she dressed and went immediately to the hospital wing; Harry was how she'd left him, and how she'd left him every day. She sighed as she settled into a chair. She began to talk to him as she had everyday,

"I found that law book. Why didn't you tell any of us how you felt? Why'd you do it? For Luke? But if you read that book you wouldn't need to would you? I don't get it Harry I really don't." The door creaked open suddenly and Ginny snapped her head up. The Headmaster stood there.

"Ah Miss. Weasly I thought I could perhaps find you here."

"Hello, Headmaster," Dumbledore sat in a chair next to her and glanced over at Harry's unconscious figure.

"I assume you are trying to find out what happened to Mr. Potter are you not?" he cut directly to the point a quality that many admired in Albus Dumbledore; however, this made Ginny a bit uncomfortable.

"Er… yes Professor I am." She stammered looking at Harry instead of her headmaster. The old man studied her figure for a long time trying to think of exactly what to tell her.

"Well then Miss. Weasly there are certain things that I must tell you about exactly what happens when a wizard tries to take their own life and is unsuccessful particularly if they are saved by a true friend." She raised her eyes to meet his.

"Yes?" he held her full attention and he was aware of this. He sighed before beginning.

"First of all in order for the person ever to leave a comatose state there must be someone who cares enough to bring them out of it in the first place. For Harry that of course is you. I know for a fact you can do it may have infact done so already. There is a catch however.

"In order for Harry to join us again the true reason must be abolished or need them at that moment in order to be abolished or else he will remain lost. No, lost is not the word. You see Harry is not just in blackness now and that complicates things.

"When a person wizard or muggle goes into a coma brainwaves slow and so thought is generally lost. In this case the brainwaves are being used for something else. A dream. That is all I know though it is said to be a dream of the persons fantasy. In a way his hearts desire. That is why unless the reasons for the suicide attempt are found they will remain and will wish to remain in their current state." He stopped talking to let this sink in. Ginny sat wide eyed.

"So let me get this straight" she said slowly. "Unless I get rid of all of the problems that caused him to try to kill himself or unless there is dire need for him to do it he stays like this?" Dumbledore nodded gravely. "So this all rests in my hands?"

"Yes I am afraid so." Quiet tears filled Ginny's eyes but she blinked them back. "Most of your teachers have agreed to let you have some time off. Some of them required a bit of –ahem- persuading but they all agreed in the end."

"Thank you very much Professor."

"You're welcome, and Ginny if there is anything you need from me please tell." She nodded and he left.

"I guess you heard all of that Harry. Well looks like I've got some sleuthing to do. I hope you don't mind. "

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          Harry was trapped in his mind but he didn't mind. He was once again ten years old. He awoke in a bed that he didn't know and yet he did. Methodically he jumped out and began to dress. He bolted down a set of stairs and into his mother's arms.

          "Whoa there Har!" she said laughing and tousling his hair. "Slow down!"

          "Sorry Mum but didja forget what day it is?" he said laughing energetically.

          "Umm… yes of course today I must repot the gardenias!" his blank face caused her to burst out into a musical laughter. "I know it's your birthday you goon!" he broke into a smile and ran past her. His father sat at the breakfast table along with a girl of about eight and a small blonde baby.

          "Well hello birthday boy!" James Potter said jovially. Harry sat down at the table next to his sister Ashley. "Tell me what is that this eleven year old wants on this momentous day?" Harry pretended to ponder this though he'd let them all know it for months.

          "Let's see… a cake… with candles." Ashley was bouncing in her chair.

          "And a broom!" she squealed but Harry ignored her.

          "And ice cream… and Ron to come over…" suddenly a pair of hands was placed over his eyes and he tried to escape them laughing and squirming before they were removed. In front of him was a Nimbus 2000. "Mum! Dad! Thank you!" he squealed and hugged both of his parents.

          "You're most welcome!" Lily chuckled.

          "I helped pick it out!" Ashley said perturbed.

          "And you did a great job, Sis!" he said hugging her too. She pretended to be disgusted but she smiled happily. Harry examined the broom from top to tail twigs. Lily placed a pancake on his plate but, though it was his favorite, he didn't touch it. Before anyone else had eaten their breakfast he was bouncing around on his seat wanting to go outside.

          "Ah not yet Master Potter." His mother said, "You must first open your other presents." He smiled widely and his baby brother laughed.

          "Lukie!" Harry exclaimed "what are you so happy about? It's my birthday!" the baby boy only smiled, his blue eyes twinkling. Suddenly Harry was drawn from the scene into a dark area that he knew well. It was there that he was drawn into his real life when anyone needed him.  He listened to Ginny talk to him and somewhat reluctantly wanted to go back but he knew he couldn't.

          He had attempted to get out of this place between the fantasies that he loved but it was no use. After he heard Dumbledore speak to him he knew why. When Dumbledore left and Ginny began to cry Harry was once again sucked into the dream world even though he wasn't sure that he wanted to be.

          He was outside in the garden with his father who was teaching him how to control the Nimbus 2000. He knew how to fly but this new broom was different than the others he had flown on. It turned faster and braked easier than any broom. He could dive better and fly higher. Around lunch his friends began to arrive. The Weasly's who, were friends of the family arrived first.

          Harry was quick to show Ron, his best friend, the Nimbus and offer him a ride on it. His little sister Ginny ran off with Ashley who, though she was two years her junior, was her friend. Harry felt his eye wander after her for a reason he wasn't sure of.

          Soon more friends arrived, Hagrid the Hogwarts Gamekeeper who had known Harry for years came and surprised him with an owl. His godfather Sirius came and made Luke giggle by riding him around on his back when he was in his animagius form. Then Remus Lupin his fathers other best friend. Indeed all of his father's school friends were there except one.

          Peter Pettigrew Harry knew had been a friend of his fathers who had fallen in with Lord Voldemort. Pettigrew had however let his double life slip at a party one night and had been arrested. The dark lord had later been baited and captured by aurour's.

          His mother's friend Arabella Figg also made an appearance. His mother he was told also had a sister but Harry didn't know her at all, and from what his mother accidentally let slip he didn't want to. The party lasted for hours and Harry had never been happier. As a final present before he went to bed his father presented him with two items.

          The first was his invisibility cloak. That cloak had been passed down from Potter to Potter for generations. James' father had given it to him and his father before him. The next item was Harry's Hogwarts letter which he opened and read with relish. His mother promised to take him to Hogwarts soon.

          Luke came in to say good night dressed in pajamas with feet and his hair newly washed.

          "Happy Birfday 'arry." He whispered sleepily.

          "Thanks Lukie. G'night." he kissed his parents and went to bed. It was then that Harry was once again driven into the dark expanse to watch Madame Pomfrey spoon feed his limp chicken broth.

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          Ginny decided after leaving Harry that the first thing to do was to decide what to do. She took out some parchment to take notes on what she already knew.

Reasons:

Luke she chewed on her quill for a moment before writing,

Voldemort?

Dursleys? She erased Dursleys feeling that they came under the Luke category. Voldemort she could do nothing about that was his ordeal. That of course was the whole problem that rested on his shoulders. She would have to cross that bridge when she came to it.

School? She knew his marks were good. Or were they? Time to talk to teachers. Then there was one last thing she added.

Friends she didn't need a question mark on that one. She examined her short list and decided the first thing to do was to talk to McGonagall.

          She waited until classes were over and went to Professor McGonagall's office. She knocked gently and McGonagall's face went into a smile when she looked up.

          "Ah Miss Weasly here to ask me about Potter have you?" Ginny nodded caught off guard. "Good, it is a very noble thing that you are doing Ginny I admire you."

          'Thank you Professor." Ginny murmured. She walked over to the desk and sat down across from her teacher.

          "Well to get to the point. I never saw Potter doing better than he did this year. He knew the answers almost as well as Hermione did. However this change was not the only one I saw this year. His wardrobe first of all, on weekends especially. That I didn't find alarming. His whole demeanor lately though has been day and night to his normal self.

          "He has not, that I have seen, been with Ron and Hermione much although." McGonagall cleared her throat "they have been doing enough. I digress. He also has spent late nights much of the time. I've seen him in the library in muggle law sections.

          "I've also seen him trying to get his friends attention, trying to speak to them or just to get noticed to no avail." Here McGonagall got quiet. "I should have done something but he always put up a normal front. I should not be fooled by a student's guise but with Potter…" Ginny sat and saw for the first time her transfiguration teacher speechless.  It did not last long.

          "With Potter we've never known what would happen. So much is expected of him that you never know how he'll turn out." She then put her glasses back on and broke out of her reverie.

          "I must get back to my work Ginny. Is that all?"

          "Yes Professor." Ginny stood and left going to her rock by the lake to mull things over. Some of that she already knew and she scratched School off her list. Friends and Luke were left and she wasn't sure how to solve either.

A/N good enough? Review!