A/N: From Chapter 1 to chapter 8, I've probably lost 90% of my readers, and after last chapter, I probably just lost another 9%. Congratulations to the 1% of you who are reading this! hehe.
On to the chapter!
Chapter 13: The Trouble with a Revealed Secret pt 1
--------------------------------------------------------
Blood.
He could smell it close by.
Closing in on the animal, his senses were going wild. He was a beast himself. A hungry beast.
Oh, the need for blood was overwhelming.
Biting into the creature, he could feel the veins pulsing rapidly. The animal struggled to get away from this creature sucking away its life.
Oh, how he loved feeling the warm liquid glide over his tongue and feel the heart of the beast desperately beating its last beats.....
'NO!!!' He ripped himself away from the animal, breathing rapidly.
No! He hated it! Gods, what had he done?
Turning away from the now lifeless creature in self disgust, he washed his face off in a nearby stream, removing the blood from the corners of his mouth and chin.
It was too close of a call for his liking, he thought, turning back onto the path he had deviated from.
--------------------------------------------------------
"Where do you think he is?"
Hermione, Ron, and Draco were sitting in a private room in the library, a large archive room of Daily Prophets. No one ever went in here, so they knew they wouldn't be disturbed. Hermione and Ron were getting impatient, however. It was 3:30, and Harry still hadn't shown up. Draco turned after Hermione questioned him. He may have been looking at her, but his mind was clearly elsewhere.
"He has his reasons if my hunch is correct."
"And how would you know him so well, Malfoy?" Ron sneered, leaning over in his chair to glare at Draco. Draco glared right back.
"Because in case you haven't noticed, I've been Harry's friend since you two betrayed his trust!" he snapped.
It was a lucky thing Harry looked the way he did when he walked in precisely as Draco ended that statement, as it took the group's minds off of killing one another.
Harry looked terrible. His face was flushed although underneath very pale. His eyes were wide and the emerald one sparkled in fear and seemed focused on something just outside their line of sight. Dark circles lay under his eyes. His hair was full of twigs and leaves, and his robes seemed as thought they had been snagged in several places.
Hermione and Ron sat there astounded at Harry's appearance. Draco pulled a chair next to his own, got up and over to a shaking Harry, and helped him sit down. Draco already had a glass of some blue liquid in front of Harry and helped Harry keep a hold of it with his terribly trembling hands. Hermione and Ron watched that as Harry was finishing the potion, Draco was whispering some sort of spell to get the items out of Harry's hair and then to fix his friend's robes. All the while he was speaking softly to the shaken boy, who seemed to be relaxing quite a bit. Whether it was the potion, Draco's help, or both Hermione didn't know. After about ten minutes, Harry seemed composed enough to speak, though still quite pale and looking very faint.
"I suppose you want to know why I called you here," he said to Ron and Hermione. Draco got up and placed a silencing charm on the group and a locking charm on the door. Obviously, this conversation was not to be overheard, thought the girl as she watched Draco sit back down.
"I believe I might already know," said Hermione softly, meeting Harry's eyes with a penetrating stare.
"I thought you would, Hermione," said Harry softly, while giving a small toothy grin. He thought he saw his friend's arm flit towards her heart involountarily. He could just see a vein it that arm. Beating and pulsing with the sweet red nectar....
Harry gripped at his head, attempting to shake the thoughts clear. He was getting chills and becoming dizzy. Draco seemed to notice, and said to his friend," Why don't you go up to Madam Pomfrey's for a while? You know she'll be expecting to see you today. You're going to give out soon. Sure you can make it?"
Harry nodded, giving his friend a sad look filled with regret, and turned to the other two Gryffindors in the room. "Listen, I'll let Draco fill you in, all right? I don't think I can be around people right now, and Pomfrey is expecting me. Perhaps, we could meet later... after the.... discussion?" He eyed Hermione fearfully. He was positive she knew.
"Sure, Harry, go get some rest. We can meet tonight, okay?" said Hermione, understanding flowing through those eyes which had held coldness for him just yesterday.
Harry nodded and turned to say something to Draco, but that was as far as he got. Hermione and Ron watched helplessly as their friend gripped the table for support, his eyes contracted in what seemed to be pain, hair sticking to his forehead from icy sweat. Draco grabbed a handkerchief from Harry's pocket and gave it to his friend, who was coughing violently. Draco saw Ron's eyes widen considerably when Harry began coughing up blood. The Slytherin knew Weasley wouldn't be of any help for the moment.
"Granger," he said turning to her. "You need to run ahead of us to the Hospital Wing. Tell Pomfrey to expect Harry coming to her waning red. She'll know what it means."
Before he could blink, Hermione had taken the locking charm off the door and was running out of the library. Draco turned to Ron.
"Weasley, temporary truce until we get to the Hospital Wing. Can you perform a Weightlessness
Charm?"
"Yeah, why?"
"Cast it on Harry so I can carry him up to Pomfrey," he said as he took Harry's violently coughing
body into his arms.
As soon as Ron cast the charm and Draco felt Harry become a feather in his arms, he took off following Hermione's route and took as many shortcuts as he knew of that would get them there faster. He arrived in the Hospital Wing and set Harry down on the bed Madam Pomfrey indicated in a private room as she went to grab some vials. Draco was worried; his friend was still coughing up blood which seemed to be increasing in volume. He'd never seen Harry cough up this much blood before, not even that time....
Ron and Hermione watched as Pomfrey knocked Harry asleep with some sort of sleeping spell. Following what seemed to be like a routine, Draco crawled under Harry's back and supported his friend's shoulders and head while Pomfrey poured the vials one at a time down his throat. It seemed whatever they were, it seemed to stop Harry's coughing and made his tense mucles turn to putty. Draco took a wet cloth from a basin on the nightstand full of water when the matron left to tend to others and gently wiped Harry's face to leave coolness where there had only been blood and sweat. Hermione and Ron sat down in chairs next to Harry's bed, where Draco let out a small sigh and turned a weak smile on them.
"You know," said Hermione quietly, looking at Harry though speaking to Draco,"I now truly believe that you are Harry's friend."
Draco shook his tired head and sighed, trying to put on his normal sneering mask but failing miserably. "It certainly took you long enough."
Hermione, for some odd reason, smiled. Draco had no idea why. Why would she be smiling at someone that had never spoken a kind word to her?
"For the longest time," started Hermione," I thought it was all some sort of trick. I mean, you and Harry friends? I was sure you had altered his mind, or that Voldemort had through the post. Maybe you were doing it to intentionally hurt Harry after you had gained his trust and shatter him. I spent so many nights telling myself these were the reasons you two were friends.
I was so angry when it seemed I was going to be proven wrong. That you two were friends of your own accord. I then thought Harry's friendship with us had meant nothing if he was willing to go off and befriend you of all people. But today, you two have proven me wrong. You two need eachother as friends. You've given Harry the help he needed when we weren't at his side, and he gave you something I doubt you've ever had before."
Draco, who was looking at a shifting Harry, said," What? What has he given me?"
"A true friend who would give his life for you without a second thought. Somehow, I expect you've never had that kind of friend before."
Draco looked at the wall opposite the bed. It was true. He never had had a friend like that before. How had he not realized it until now? He looked down at Harry, who was snuggling the pillow on Draco's lap like a small child and wrapped his arms around Draco's thighs. Hermione and Ron were looking at him.
Trying to lighten the charged mood, he suddenly looked around and at Harry and said," Well, it looks like I'm stuck. Um, do either of you happen to have some sort of tool to pry him off with?"
Both Hermione and, surprisingly, Ron laughed while they watched Draco, face contorted with concentration, as he tried without success to pry the sleeping Harry off of him.
---------------------------------------
When Harry woke up a few hours later, he was panicked for a few moments trying to figure out where he was. However, after fully waking up, he realized where he was. This was his private room in the Hospital Wing. He also noticed four people sitting around his bed. One began speaking in a kind and tired voice.
"Well, Little Prongs, you seem to have had quite an interesting morning. Draco has told me that you have figured out the secret, and I'm sorry that I had not told you earlier. Everyone expected it to kick in when you left school. You should have told me."
Harry looked into Lupin's new face and around to the other faces. Draco was sleeping in his chair next to Lupin's and on the other side of his bed were Hermione and Ron. Harry let out his little "ho" sigh, and decided to tell the people in this room his story, as they deserved to know, and he didn't know when the next time he had the courage to would come around.
"Well, it had started back as far as I can remember. Little accurances every once in a while. No one ever noticed, not even when I came to Hogwarts. A little cut her, a little cut there, it kept me satisfied. I never thought it was odd to like blood. I thought it was just something that happened because it was the only thing I could drink when locked in that closet for days. For some reason, it comforted me at school. I always waited until everyone in the dormitory was asleep before I did it."
He paused as Draco was beginning to wake up, and so he could get a glass of some liquid from the bedside table. He took a little sip to wet his dry mouth and continued his story looking at Draco. He didn't want to look at the others faces right now. Draco was the only one that understood. Understood only too well.
"Well, as the years went by, I started having to do it more often. Before it was only once about every three months. By fifth year, however, I knew something was starting to turn wrong. I found myself cutting more often with Sirius' gift blade and taking more blood than I used to, which often left me ill. When I would stop and refuse to give in to my mind's requests for it, I would become snappish and angry."
"So that why you were like that last year," said Hermione. Harry nodded, closing his eyes now. Draco knew how hard the next few parts were going to be.
"When I got back from school to the Dursley's last summer, I had no way of venting myself. Sirius' knife had been destroyed in the Department of Magical Mysteries, and the Dursley's would have noticed blood stains if I had been cutting and drinking. I was beginning to lose the fight against myself; I could feel my conscious self slipping away, so I began to spend more time in my room. I began to limit myself to time spent with other living creatures. I told Hedwig if I ever came toward her during the night, to go to Grimmauld Place. I couldn't afford biting her.
"The amazing part was, it had only been a week into the holidays. I knew I was getting worse if I couldn't even go that long anymore. I never wanted to worry the Order, however. That's why I never told anyone in my letters.
"I remember the night of the incident. It had been a very bright full moon that evening on Monday, hadn't it, Moony?"
Remus, who had been listening so raptly, was startled out of his concentration. He did remember that night. It had been very bright and he knew Dark creatures everywhere were feeling it. He remembered the wolf inside him on that night had almost killed him.
Harry continued, with a dead and defeated look in his eyes, and fingered the scar along his face softly. "That night, my battle was furious. My conscious and subconscious were going at it while I softly and silently walked into the hallway outside my room. I could smell blood coming from the room next to mine, and it gave power to the creature of my subconscious. I remember walking silently into Dudley's room, praying to the creature not to do it. But he knew we both needed the blood. We had become weaker and weaker without it; I was surprised I had walked the few yards to Dudley's room, actually. I walked to the side of Dudley's bed; he was laying on his back and was wide awake watching me. He had heard me coming in. He asked me what I was doing in his room. I bit straight into his neck. I don't remember much but his initial scream. By the time my aunt and uncle had woken up and gotten to his room, I had already claimed my first victim."
Harry hung his head. Draco took Harry's cleaned handkerchief and began drying his face. Harry barely acknowledged he had been crying. He took the cloth from Draco and looked up. Draco was giving him a comforting smile, Remus had begun muttering to himself. He gulped and looked to the other side of his bed. Ron's eyes were wide and staring, and Hermione.. . was crying into her hands. Harry sighed, crawling on the bed to sit in front of Hermione's chair, only just noticeably flinching when Ron pulled back.
Hermione was shocked when she felt gentle hands removing her own from her face and felt something dabbing her tears away. Looking up, she saw it was Harry. She let out a sob and pulled him into a hug that would have put Mrs Weasley to shame. Harry hadn't been expecting this, and hugged her back awkwardly.
"Hermione, you need to let go while I still have the will to tell my story," Harry whispered in her ear. She nodded and let him go, and he returned to sitting at the head of the feather bed.
"Well, needless to say, my realtives didn't take too kindly to this, and my other side tried to fight against the angry man now strangling me. He shouted at Petunia to get something while he gripped my neck even harder, causing me to cough and a little of my cousin's blood to run down the corners of my mouth. I suddenly felt an excrutiating pain on my face as my uncle had let go of me and had taken what Petunia had been sent to receive: a cross from their bedroom. Well, since my other half was still controlling me, the cross burned both of us as my uncle dragged it down my face from the tip of my scar to here," he said, indicating the scar on his face. He pointed to his eye and added," My uncle never stopped and dragged it over my eye. He managed to carve 'FREAK' into my chest before my consciousness was able to take control again. The rest is what you already know. My relatives beat me continually, tortured me, and locked Hedwig and I in the closet. Hedwig died after a week, but I never took her blood. I only survived because I took it from the open wounds I had and because of the link with Voldemort. I took some of his life force like on Halloween night."
"How did you survive at Grimmauld Place after we took you, though?" asked Lupin, looking at Harry. "You seemed to get a little better there."
"It was because of me," said a new voice, startling all of them. Madam Pomfrey had just stepped into the room.
-----------------------------------------------
A/N: It was getting just a bit too long for me, so I decided to cut it off here. Well, now that we know what Harry is ( and in case you don't, the actual term will be used next chapter), how will everyone react? And how did Pomfrey help him? And how did Harry and Draco become friends anyway? How did Draco "understand only too well" what Harry was going through? All this to be answered next chapter. This story has just taken a twist!
(September 18- 20)
"You know, you're not the first person to tell me I'm one of those people who will eventually snap and pull a Columbine...." - Me (Just because I'm quiet and a bit eccentric, I've been told that
at least 12 times. It is rather irksome.)
Review responses:
KazenoYama: Yes, I know, ice cream. I'll just get you a carton of that for Christmas, okay, and you can have all the fun you want with it, you schmuck!
Magami: Wow, what an honor! Thanks so much for reviewing! It means a lot, and I'll try to update as much as possible. I like to get at least one chapter ahead when time allows. Thanks!
Wow! I got my first flame! You know the funny part? They said that the slash in this story was disgusting! I'm thinking,"Wait, I didn't put any in my story..." Whatever, it provided me with five minutes of amusement anyway.
On to the chapter!
Chapter 13: The Trouble with a Revealed Secret pt 1
--------------------------------------------------------
Blood.
He could smell it close by.
Closing in on the animal, his senses were going wild. He was a beast himself. A hungry beast.
Oh, the need for blood was overwhelming.
Biting into the creature, he could feel the veins pulsing rapidly. The animal struggled to get away from this creature sucking away its life.
Oh, how he loved feeling the warm liquid glide over his tongue and feel the heart of the beast desperately beating its last beats.....
'NO!!!' He ripped himself away from the animal, breathing rapidly.
No! He hated it! Gods, what had he done?
Turning away from the now lifeless creature in self disgust, he washed his face off in a nearby stream, removing the blood from the corners of his mouth and chin.
It was too close of a call for his liking, he thought, turning back onto the path he had deviated from.
--------------------------------------------------------
"Where do you think he is?"
Hermione, Ron, and Draco were sitting in a private room in the library, a large archive room of Daily Prophets. No one ever went in here, so they knew they wouldn't be disturbed. Hermione and Ron were getting impatient, however. It was 3:30, and Harry still hadn't shown up. Draco turned after Hermione questioned him. He may have been looking at her, but his mind was clearly elsewhere.
"He has his reasons if my hunch is correct."
"And how would you know him so well, Malfoy?" Ron sneered, leaning over in his chair to glare at Draco. Draco glared right back.
"Because in case you haven't noticed, I've been Harry's friend since you two betrayed his trust!" he snapped.
It was a lucky thing Harry looked the way he did when he walked in precisely as Draco ended that statement, as it took the group's minds off of killing one another.
Harry looked terrible. His face was flushed although underneath very pale. His eyes were wide and the emerald one sparkled in fear and seemed focused on something just outside their line of sight. Dark circles lay under his eyes. His hair was full of twigs and leaves, and his robes seemed as thought they had been snagged in several places.
Hermione and Ron sat there astounded at Harry's appearance. Draco pulled a chair next to his own, got up and over to a shaking Harry, and helped him sit down. Draco already had a glass of some blue liquid in front of Harry and helped Harry keep a hold of it with his terribly trembling hands. Hermione and Ron watched that as Harry was finishing the potion, Draco was whispering some sort of spell to get the items out of Harry's hair and then to fix his friend's robes. All the while he was speaking softly to the shaken boy, who seemed to be relaxing quite a bit. Whether it was the potion, Draco's help, or both Hermione didn't know. After about ten minutes, Harry seemed composed enough to speak, though still quite pale and looking very faint.
"I suppose you want to know why I called you here," he said to Ron and Hermione. Draco got up and placed a silencing charm on the group and a locking charm on the door. Obviously, this conversation was not to be overheard, thought the girl as she watched Draco sit back down.
"I believe I might already know," said Hermione softly, meeting Harry's eyes with a penetrating stare.
"I thought you would, Hermione," said Harry softly, while giving a small toothy grin. He thought he saw his friend's arm flit towards her heart involountarily. He could just see a vein it that arm. Beating and pulsing with the sweet red nectar....
Harry gripped at his head, attempting to shake the thoughts clear. He was getting chills and becoming dizzy. Draco seemed to notice, and said to his friend," Why don't you go up to Madam Pomfrey's for a while? You know she'll be expecting to see you today. You're going to give out soon. Sure you can make it?"
Harry nodded, giving his friend a sad look filled with regret, and turned to the other two Gryffindors in the room. "Listen, I'll let Draco fill you in, all right? I don't think I can be around people right now, and Pomfrey is expecting me. Perhaps, we could meet later... after the.... discussion?" He eyed Hermione fearfully. He was positive she knew.
"Sure, Harry, go get some rest. We can meet tonight, okay?" said Hermione, understanding flowing through those eyes which had held coldness for him just yesterday.
Harry nodded and turned to say something to Draco, but that was as far as he got. Hermione and Ron watched helplessly as their friend gripped the table for support, his eyes contracted in what seemed to be pain, hair sticking to his forehead from icy sweat. Draco grabbed a handkerchief from Harry's pocket and gave it to his friend, who was coughing violently. Draco saw Ron's eyes widen considerably when Harry began coughing up blood. The Slytherin knew Weasley wouldn't be of any help for the moment.
"Granger," he said turning to her. "You need to run ahead of us to the Hospital Wing. Tell Pomfrey to expect Harry coming to her waning red. She'll know what it means."
Before he could blink, Hermione had taken the locking charm off the door and was running out of the library. Draco turned to Ron.
"Weasley, temporary truce until we get to the Hospital Wing. Can you perform a Weightlessness
Charm?"
"Yeah, why?"
"Cast it on Harry so I can carry him up to Pomfrey," he said as he took Harry's violently coughing
body into his arms.
As soon as Ron cast the charm and Draco felt Harry become a feather in his arms, he took off following Hermione's route and took as many shortcuts as he knew of that would get them there faster. He arrived in the Hospital Wing and set Harry down on the bed Madam Pomfrey indicated in a private room as she went to grab some vials. Draco was worried; his friend was still coughing up blood which seemed to be increasing in volume. He'd never seen Harry cough up this much blood before, not even that time....
Ron and Hermione watched as Pomfrey knocked Harry asleep with some sort of sleeping spell. Following what seemed to be like a routine, Draco crawled under Harry's back and supported his friend's shoulders and head while Pomfrey poured the vials one at a time down his throat. It seemed whatever they were, it seemed to stop Harry's coughing and made his tense mucles turn to putty. Draco took a wet cloth from a basin on the nightstand full of water when the matron left to tend to others and gently wiped Harry's face to leave coolness where there had only been blood and sweat. Hermione and Ron sat down in chairs next to Harry's bed, where Draco let out a small sigh and turned a weak smile on them.
"You know," said Hermione quietly, looking at Harry though speaking to Draco,"I now truly believe that you are Harry's friend."
Draco shook his tired head and sighed, trying to put on his normal sneering mask but failing miserably. "It certainly took you long enough."
Hermione, for some odd reason, smiled. Draco had no idea why. Why would she be smiling at someone that had never spoken a kind word to her?
"For the longest time," started Hermione," I thought it was all some sort of trick. I mean, you and Harry friends? I was sure you had altered his mind, or that Voldemort had through the post. Maybe you were doing it to intentionally hurt Harry after you had gained his trust and shatter him. I spent so many nights telling myself these were the reasons you two were friends.
I was so angry when it seemed I was going to be proven wrong. That you two were friends of your own accord. I then thought Harry's friendship with us had meant nothing if he was willing to go off and befriend you of all people. But today, you two have proven me wrong. You two need eachother as friends. You've given Harry the help he needed when we weren't at his side, and he gave you something I doubt you've ever had before."
Draco, who was looking at a shifting Harry, said," What? What has he given me?"
"A true friend who would give his life for you without a second thought. Somehow, I expect you've never had that kind of friend before."
Draco looked at the wall opposite the bed. It was true. He never had had a friend like that before. How had he not realized it until now? He looked down at Harry, who was snuggling the pillow on Draco's lap like a small child and wrapped his arms around Draco's thighs. Hermione and Ron were looking at him.
Trying to lighten the charged mood, he suddenly looked around and at Harry and said," Well, it looks like I'm stuck. Um, do either of you happen to have some sort of tool to pry him off with?"
Both Hermione and, surprisingly, Ron laughed while they watched Draco, face contorted with concentration, as he tried without success to pry the sleeping Harry off of him.
---------------------------------------
When Harry woke up a few hours later, he was panicked for a few moments trying to figure out where he was. However, after fully waking up, he realized where he was. This was his private room in the Hospital Wing. He also noticed four people sitting around his bed. One began speaking in a kind and tired voice.
"Well, Little Prongs, you seem to have had quite an interesting morning. Draco has told me that you have figured out the secret, and I'm sorry that I had not told you earlier. Everyone expected it to kick in when you left school. You should have told me."
Harry looked into Lupin's new face and around to the other faces. Draco was sleeping in his chair next to Lupin's and on the other side of his bed were Hermione and Ron. Harry let out his little "ho" sigh, and decided to tell the people in this room his story, as they deserved to know, and he didn't know when the next time he had the courage to would come around.
"Well, it had started back as far as I can remember. Little accurances every once in a while. No one ever noticed, not even when I came to Hogwarts. A little cut her, a little cut there, it kept me satisfied. I never thought it was odd to like blood. I thought it was just something that happened because it was the only thing I could drink when locked in that closet for days. For some reason, it comforted me at school. I always waited until everyone in the dormitory was asleep before I did it."
He paused as Draco was beginning to wake up, and so he could get a glass of some liquid from the bedside table. He took a little sip to wet his dry mouth and continued his story looking at Draco. He didn't want to look at the others faces right now. Draco was the only one that understood. Understood only too well.
"Well, as the years went by, I started having to do it more often. Before it was only once about every three months. By fifth year, however, I knew something was starting to turn wrong. I found myself cutting more often with Sirius' gift blade and taking more blood than I used to, which often left me ill. When I would stop and refuse to give in to my mind's requests for it, I would become snappish and angry."
"So that why you were like that last year," said Hermione. Harry nodded, closing his eyes now. Draco knew how hard the next few parts were going to be.
"When I got back from school to the Dursley's last summer, I had no way of venting myself. Sirius' knife had been destroyed in the Department of Magical Mysteries, and the Dursley's would have noticed blood stains if I had been cutting and drinking. I was beginning to lose the fight against myself; I could feel my conscious self slipping away, so I began to spend more time in my room. I began to limit myself to time spent with other living creatures. I told Hedwig if I ever came toward her during the night, to go to Grimmauld Place. I couldn't afford biting her.
"The amazing part was, it had only been a week into the holidays. I knew I was getting worse if I couldn't even go that long anymore. I never wanted to worry the Order, however. That's why I never told anyone in my letters.
"I remember the night of the incident. It had been a very bright full moon that evening on Monday, hadn't it, Moony?"
Remus, who had been listening so raptly, was startled out of his concentration. He did remember that night. It had been very bright and he knew Dark creatures everywhere were feeling it. He remembered the wolf inside him on that night had almost killed him.
Harry continued, with a dead and defeated look in his eyes, and fingered the scar along his face softly. "That night, my battle was furious. My conscious and subconscious were going at it while I softly and silently walked into the hallway outside my room. I could smell blood coming from the room next to mine, and it gave power to the creature of my subconscious. I remember walking silently into Dudley's room, praying to the creature not to do it. But he knew we both needed the blood. We had become weaker and weaker without it; I was surprised I had walked the few yards to Dudley's room, actually. I walked to the side of Dudley's bed; he was laying on his back and was wide awake watching me. He had heard me coming in. He asked me what I was doing in his room. I bit straight into his neck. I don't remember much but his initial scream. By the time my aunt and uncle had woken up and gotten to his room, I had already claimed my first victim."
Harry hung his head. Draco took Harry's cleaned handkerchief and began drying his face. Harry barely acknowledged he had been crying. He took the cloth from Draco and looked up. Draco was giving him a comforting smile, Remus had begun muttering to himself. He gulped and looked to the other side of his bed. Ron's eyes were wide and staring, and Hermione.. . was crying into her hands. Harry sighed, crawling on the bed to sit in front of Hermione's chair, only just noticeably flinching when Ron pulled back.
Hermione was shocked when she felt gentle hands removing her own from her face and felt something dabbing her tears away. Looking up, she saw it was Harry. She let out a sob and pulled him into a hug that would have put Mrs Weasley to shame. Harry hadn't been expecting this, and hugged her back awkwardly.
"Hermione, you need to let go while I still have the will to tell my story," Harry whispered in her ear. She nodded and let him go, and he returned to sitting at the head of the feather bed.
"Well, needless to say, my realtives didn't take too kindly to this, and my other side tried to fight against the angry man now strangling me. He shouted at Petunia to get something while he gripped my neck even harder, causing me to cough and a little of my cousin's blood to run down the corners of my mouth. I suddenly felt an excrutiating pain on my face as my uncle had let go of me and had taken what Petunia had been sent to receive: a cross from their bedroom. Well, since my other half was still controlling me, the cross burned both of us as my uncle dragged it down my face from the tip of my scar to here," he said, indicating the scar on his face. He pointed to his eye and added," My uncle never stopped and dragged it over my eye. He managed to carve 'FREAK' into my chest before my consciousness was able to take control again. The rest is what you already know. My relatives beat me continually, tortured me, and locked Hedwig and I in the closet. Hedwig died after a week, but I never took her blood. I only survived because I took it from the open wounds I had and because of the link with Voldemort. I took some of his life force like on Halloween night."
"How did you survive at Grimmauld Place after we took you, though?" asked Lupin, looking at Harry. "You seemed to get a little better there."
"It was because of me," said a new voice, startling all of them. Madam Pomfrey had just stepped into the room.
-----------------------------------------------
A/N: It was getting just a bit too long for me, so I decided to cut it off here. Well, now that we know what Harry is ( and in case you don't, the actual term will be used next chapter), how will everyone react? And how did Pomfrey help him? And how did Harry and Draco become friends anyway? How did Draco "understand only too well" what Harry was going through? All this to be answered next chapter. This story has just taken a twist!
(September 18- 20)
"You know, you're not the first person to tell me I'm one of those people who will eventually snap and pull a Columbine...." - Me (Just because I'm quiet and a bit eccentric, I've been told that
at least 12 times. It is rather irksome.)
Review responses:
KazenoYama: Yes, I know, ice cream. I'll just get you a carton of that for Christmas, okay, and you can have all the fun you want with it, you schmuck!
Magami: Wow, what an honor! Thanks so much for reviewing! It means a lot, and I'll try to update as much as possible. I like to get at least one chapter ahead when time allows. Thanks!
Wow! I got my first flame! You know the funny part? They said that the slash in this story was disgusting! I'm thinking,"Wait, I didn't put any in my story..." Whatever, it provided me with five minutes of amusement anyway.