Chapter 1: Depression, Abuse, and Sleep
A/N: I took the critiques from my latest fic and have attempted to refine them to something else. I hope you like this a bit better than my first draft, but I plan on changing this up a bit more still, just as soon as I get some reviews. Enjoy!
I almost forgot! Lawyer stuff! I do not own Harry potter or any characters whatsoever. The only thing I own is the plot. (If you see something here that looks like your work, than I'm sorry, because I haven't done it intentionally.
Harry sat on his bed thinking in a similar way to how pooh bear thinks on his log. Harry's anger had faded away into depression. Sirius was dead. His only living relative, the only person who had ever loved him, was dead. Sirius was dead, Cedric dead. Everyone who got close to him died! Not to mention the prophecy didn't make this fact any more settling.
'Its me, or him' Harry thought. Me or him, and Voldemort was obviously a more powerful wizard then him. Harry had been distancing himself ever since he saw Sirius fall through the veil. Ever since he had died, Harry simply wasn't the same. It seemed that the only way Harry could ever keep the ones close to him safe was to run from them.
Even the dursleys were scared of Harry, but not because of his anger. It was the fact that Harry simply did whatever they asked like he was some kind of zombie. They would run him ragged and then Harry would go to bed without any dinner whatsoever.
Just then, Harry had the strange impulse to simply walk, and walk he did. He got a jacket and headed outside into the darkness, the one place where no one could see him cry. He found himself at the playground where Dudley and his gang hung out every once and a while. He sat on a swing and started swinging, attempting to think of anything but Sirius. Eventually harries mind landed on Hermione. If only he had listened to her, if only he hadn't been so thick!
It was just then that Harry realized the hell that Harry must have put Hermione through last year. Harry was surprised that Hermione had even stuck with him through all of his temper tantrums. It was just then that Harry realized that Hermione's nagging was her way of showing that she cared. Harry moved over to a bench and lay down.
That still didn't change the fact though that Sirius was dead. He couldn't simply go back in time and actually listen to hermione for once. There was no going back, and Harry was just 'shoulda coulda woulda'ing for the rest of the night.
He woke up to face of a pohpoh (police man) looking down at him.
"You DO know that the park closes at dark, right? And I suppose you'd have a reason as to why the swings have been slashed?" He said, looking Harry in the eye.
"Wha?" Harry said groggily, rubbing his eyes. " I didn't touch those swings, that's dudley's gang that does that."
"Yea, well, ill have to take your word, now go home. Stay after dark again and it's the pin for you." He growled.
"Yes officer" Harry replied, heading home. He was sure that he would get punished for being out all night, but it didn't exactly matter to him though. He started walking home, well, to his personal hell.
Once he got to the door, Vernon opened it up before Harry could knock. He grabbed Harry by the collar and shoved him to the floor inside.
"What do you think your doing, staying out after night?!?" Vernon screamed.
"I was thinking" Harry said plainly.
"Yeah, well think about this. A week, no food, glass a water a day, 1 bathroom visit every day. Room, NOW!" He yelled, shoving Harry to the stairs. Harry walked up to his room and threw himself onto his bed, but immediately sat up, for his PILLOW WAS ALIVE!
Wait no, that's just pig. Harry watched the flying dust ball zoom around him, waiting for him to finally deliver the actual mail. Sure enough, it was from Ron.
Dear Harry,
Hey Harry, how ya doing? Its great over here in America ('America?' Harry thought)! Yeah, your probably wondering what I'm doing in America ('yeah, I was' Harry thought) Well, anyway, my dad had to do some work with a huge accident involving magical guitars at a muggle concert. Don't ask. Anyway, we've seen the statue of liberty, the PAX center, and several ghettos. (The muggles came from all parts of the country; we've been tracking em down forever) Well, I really hope you're doing well after, uh, yeah. Enjoy your summer. (Or try to)
Ron P.S.- I heard hermione might be inviting you over to her house for the summer. I wonder why.
Harry stared at the last part of the letter. Harry had no idea what Ron was talking about and the fact that Ron mentioned Sirius didn't exactly help his mood. Soon after, pig flew off with his reply.
Harry then got on his pajamas. As he did, he stared at himself in the mirror. He DID have a hot body, but that wasn't what he was really looking at. He was looking at his inside. What was to become of him? What would Harry become, even if Harry DID survive this? Surely a face that only a mother could love. He shuddered at the thought of Mad eye Moody's face, but that also reminded him of something. He DID plan on becoming an Auror, but he hadn't received his OWL's. Harry was left wondering about his OWL scores, which was better than Sirius.
^*^*^*^*^*^*^*^*^*^*^*
Harry woke the next day to a telephone call. At first, Harry didn't know what Vernon meant by, Phone. Before he could get out of his room though, Vernon threw the cordless at him. He didn't have any muggle friends! What was this? He picked up the phone and heard an extremely unpleasant voice. It was Rita Skeeter. Harry wished for once, well once again, that people would leave him alone, especially gossipy, rude, intruding people like Rita and cho.
"What do you want Rita?" Harry said, hoping against hope that this wasn't about Sirius. He had already been crying all night.
"I want to ask you a question." She asked.
"Well what is it?" Harry asked.
"Did you know that Hermione has just been attacked by Victor Krum? How do you feel now?" She asked, as Harry imagined her pen zooming away the moment he answered.
"What do mean, I didn't care for Victor but, attacked by her? I don't believe that load of crap." He snapped.
"Well its true, I didn't even report it. Someone else got the story. Check out The Daily Prophet." She said bitterly. Harry hadn't been reading the daily prophet. It had been developing quite a pile on his desk. Harry stood up and got the topmost issue and sure enough, it was on the headlines. Harries depression was now responsible for Hermione's attack, wait, rape. And that certainly wasn't the way to cheer Harry up.
"Well, how do you feel?" She asked pushily.
"Uhhh, could you call me back?" Harry said faintly.
"Ok" Rita said, severely disappointed. Soon after, Harry passed out, partly from surprise, and partly from not having any food for a week. The combination had finally got to him.
Harry woke up in a hospital. Why the dursleys cared was a mystery to him. The curtains were drawn. Curtains, no, please no! Harry thought to himself. Curtains, veils, both were one and the same to him. Both reminded him of the curtain that separated him from his father, forever.
Just then, Harry remembered that he wasn't protected here! He had to get back! He started to get up but somebody shoved him back.
"No, I've got to get back to the house. Must have protection!" Harry gasped. He was sure he sounded insane to whatever doctor this was.
"No, you don't" The mystery person said.
"Please, Please let me go!" Harry said, barely able to move.
"Harry, look at me, LOOK AT ME!" Harry tried harder to focus on the person and sat up, and the person then handed him his glasses. What Harry saw made him nearly faint again.
"Whoa, no no. No fainting on me Harry!" Hermione said, catching him from falling back. She smacked him clear across the face twice.
That got Harry to focus.
"What did I do to deserve that?" Harry said, rubbing his face. Why did he deserve to be the Boy who lived? Why did HE deserve this task?
"Because you were about to faint again Harry!" Hermione said, a bit worried.
"What are you doing here anyway?" Harry asked, grateful that his best friend had come nonetheless.
"Because it was in the daily prophet that you were abused in our own house!" She replied.
Daily Prophet. That set off a red flag in his brain. Suddenly, the last few days flashed through his brain in a hurry, recollecting the conversation he'd had with Rita, and back to hermione. Hermione noticed what was happening to Harry.
"Seriously! What are you doing here! You were r-" Harry was stopped by hermione.
"Yes, Harry, but, I heard you were attacked. What was I supposed to do?" She said.
'Stay safe! And get some rest, god! Being r-"Harry was stopped yet again.
"Please Harry, I don't want to talk about it. Not right now" She said. Both of them were faintly aware of how their positions were switched during this conversation. "Now, you, Mr. Potter, get some rest, or ill have to shove a sleeping draft down your throat!" She said, doing here best imitation of Snape.
Harry laughed. A genuine laugh. The first time he had done so in nearly a year of hell. Harry saw hermione leaving.
"No! Don't go!" Harry said. He didn't want the peace to leave him.
"Fine, but just sleep some, Ok?" She replied.
"Thanks" Harry said, putting his glasses on the stool next to his bed. He soon after fell asleep, and for once didn't have any dreams at all. For once this summer, the Boy Who Lived slept peacefully.
A/N: Hope ya liked it so far! Review please!
A/N: I took the critiques from my latest fic and have attempted to refine them to something else. I hope you like this a bit better than my first draft, but I plan on changing this up a bit more still, just as soon as I get some reviews. Enjoy!
I almost forgot! Lawyer stuff! I do not own Harry potter or any characters whatsoever. The only thing I own is the plot. (If you see something here that looks like your work, than I'm sorry, because I haven't done it intentionally.
Harry sat on his bed thinking in a similar way to how pooh bear thinks on his log. Harry's anger had faded away into depression. Sirius was dead. His only living relative, the only person who had ever loved him, was dead. Sirius was dead, Cedric dead. Everyone who got close to him died! Not to mention the prophecy didn't make this fact any more settling.
'Its me, or him' Harry thought. Me or him, and Voldemort was obviously a more powerful wizard then him. Harry had been distancing himself ever since he saw Sirius fall through the veil. Ever since he had died, Harry simply wasn't the same. It seemed that the only way Harry could ever keep the ones close to him safe was to run from them.
Even the dursleys were scared of Harry, but not because of his anger. It was the fact that Harry simply did whatever they asked like he was some kind of zombie. They would run him ragged and then Harry would go to bed without any dinner whatsoever.
Just then, Harry had the strange impulse to simply walk, and walk he did. He got a jacket and headed outside into the darkness, the one place where no one could see him cry. He found himself at the playground where Dudley and his gang hung out every once and a while. He sat on a swing and started swinging, attempting to think of anything but Sirius. Eventually harries mind landed on Hermione. If only he had listened to her, if only he hadn't been so thick!
It was just then that Harry realized the hell that Harry must have put Hermione through last year. Harry was surprised that Hermione had even stuck with him through all of his temper tantrums. It was just then that Harry realized that Hermione's nagging was her way of showing that she cared. Harry moved over to a bench and lay down.
That still didn't change the fact though that Sirius was dead. He couldn't simply go back in time and actually listen to hermione for once. There was no going back, and Harry was just 'shoulda coulda woulda'ing for the rest of the night.
He woke up to face of a pohpoh (police man) looking down at him.
"You DO know that the park closes at dark, right? And I suppose you'd have a reason as to why the swings have been slashed?" He said, looking Harry in the eye.
"Wha?" Harry said groggily, rubbing his eyes. " I didn't touch those swings, that's dudley's gang that does that."
"Yea, well, ill have to take your word, now go home. Stay after dark again and it's the pin for you." He growled.
"Yes officer" Harry replied, heading home. He was sure that he would get punished for being out all night, but it didn't exactly matter to him though. He started walking home, well, to his personal hell.
Once he got to the door, Vernon opened it up before Harry could knock. He grabbed Harry by the collar and shoved him to the floor inside.
"What do you think your doing, staying out after night?!?" Vernon screamed.
"I was thinking" Harry said plainly.
"Yeah, well think about this. A week, no food, glass a water a day, 1 bathroom visit every day. Room, NOW!" He yelled, shoving Harry to the stairs. Harry walked up to his room and threw himself onto his bed, but immediately sat up, for his PILLOW WAS ALIVE!
Wait no, that's just pig. Harry watched the flying dust ball zoom around him, waiting for him to finally deliver the actual mail. Sure enough, it was from Ron.
Dear Harry,
Hey Harry, how ya doing? Its great over here in America ('America?' Harry thought)! Yeah, your probably wondering what I'm doing in America ('yeah, I was' Harry thought) Well, anyway, my dad had to do some work with a huge accident involving magical guitars at a muggle concert. Don't ask. Anyway, we've seen the statue of liberty, the PAX center, and several ghettos. (The muggles came from all parts of the country; we've been tracking em down forever) Well, I really hope you're doing well after, uh, yeah. Enjoy your summer. (Or try to)
Ron P.S.- I heard hermione might be inviting you over to her house for the summer. I wonder why.
Harry stared at the last part of the letter. Harry had no idea what Ron was talking about and the fact that Ron mentioned Sirius didn't exactly help his mood. Soon after, pig flew off with his reply.
Harry then got on his pajamas. As he did, he stared at himself in the mirror. He DID have a hot body, but that wasn't what he was really looking at. He was looking at his inside. What was to become of him? What would Harry become, even if Harry DID survive this? Surely a face that only a mother could love. He shuddered at the thought of Mad eye Moody's face, but that also reminded him of something. He DID plan on becoming an Auror, but he hadn't received his OWL's. Harry was left wondering about his OWL scores, which was better than Sirius.
^*^*^*^*^*^*^*^*^*^*^*
Harry woke the next day to a telephone call. At first, Harry didn't know what Vernon meant by, Phone. Before he could get out of his room though, Vernon threw the cordless at him. He didn't have any muggle friends! What was this? He picked up the phone and heard an extremely unpleasant voice. It was Rita Skeeter. Harry wished for once, well once again, that people would leave him alone, especially gossipy, rude, intruding people like Rita and cho.
"What do you want Rita?" Harry said, hoping against hope that this wasn't about Sirius. He had already been crying all night.
"I want to ask you a question." She asked.
"Well what is it?" Harry asked.
"Did you know that Hermione has just been attacked by Victor Krum? How do you feel now?" She asked, as Harry imagined her pen zooming away the moment he answered.
"What do mean, I didn't care for Victor but, attacked by her? I don't believe that load of crap." He snapped.
"Well its true, I didn't even report it. Someone else got the story. Check out The Daily Prophet." She said bitterly. Harry hadn't been reading the daily prophet. It had been developing quite a pile on his desk. Harry stood up and got the topmost issue and sure enough, it was on the headlines. Harries depression was now responsible for Hermione's attack, wait, rape. And that certainly wasn't the way to cheer Harry up.
"Well, how do you feel?" She asked pushily.
"Uhhh, could you call me back?" Harry said faintly.
"Ok" Rita said, severely disappointed. Soon after, Harry passed out, partly from surprise, and partly from not having any food for a week. The combination had finally got to him.
Harry woke up in a hospital. Why the dursleys cared was a mystery to him. The curtains were drawn. Curtains, no, please no! Harry thought to himself. Curtains, veils, both were one and the same to him. Both reminded him of the curtain that separated him from his father, forever.
Just then, Harry remembered that he wasn't protected here! He had to get back! He started to get up but somebody shoved him back.
"No, I've got to get back to the house. Must have protection!" Harry gasped. He was sure he sounded insane to whatever doctor this was.
"No, you don't" The mystery person said.
"Please, Please let me go!" Harry said, barely able to move.
"Harry, look at me, LOOK AT ME!" Harry tried harder to focus on the person and sat up, and the person then handed him his glasses. What Harry saw made him nearly faint again.
"Whoa, no no. No fainting on me Harry!" Hermione said, catching him from falling back. She smacked him clear across the face twice.
That got Harry to focus.
"What did I do to deserve that?" Harry said, rubbing his face. Why did he deserve to be the Boy who lived? Why did HE deserve this task?
"Because you were about to faint again Harry!" Hermione said, a bit worried.
"What are you doing here anyway?" Harry asked, grateful that his best friend had come nonetheless.
"Because it was in the daily prophet that you were abused in our own house!" She replied.
Daily Prophet. That set off a red flag in his brain. Suddenly, the last few days flashed through his brain in a hurry, recollecting the conversation he'd had with Rita, and back to hermione. Hermione noticed what was happening to Harry.
"Seriously! What are you doing here! You were r-" Harry was stopped by hermione.
"Yes, Harry, but, I heard you were attacked. What was I supposed to do?" She said.
'Stay safe! And get some rest, god! Being r-"Harry was stopped yet again.
"Please Harry, I don't want to talk about it. Not right now" She said. Both of them were faintly aware of how their positions were switched during this conversation. "Now, you, Mr. Potter, get some rest, or ill have to shove a sleeping draft down your throat!" She said, doing here best imitation of Snape.
Harry laughed. A genuine laugh. The first time he had done so in nearly a year of hell. Harry saw hermione leaving.
"No! Don't go!" Harry said. He didn't want the peace to leave him.
"Fine, but just sleep some, Ok?" She replied.
"Thanks" Harry said, putting his glasses on the stool next to his bed. He soon after fell asleep, and for once didn't have any dreams at all. For once this summer, the Boy Who Lived slept peacefully.
A/N: Hope ya liked it so far! Review please!