Author's Notes: DUDE! I didn't expect over ten reviews in four hours! Thanks! (I'm rubbing this in my sister's face as much as possible) J AHAHAHA! Evil, evil me…oh well. I have discovered my true calling! I'm going to be a pirate! Wouldn't you know that runs in my family? Ok…I have been gone for almost three months. Oops…I kind of had a little bit of trouble. Numero Uno: I was editing for a couple people and I got side tracked. By the way…if anyone out there needs a beta I would be happy to do it! J

Harry's eyes flew open, the world a blurry mass of shapes and colors. He knew he wasn't at the Dursley's anymore because he wasn't in his cupboard, but he didn't know where he was now. He tried to sit up but felt an immediate pressure on his chest, pressing downwards on his lungs and causing him to instinctively clutch at his chest. Harry's hand hit against his glasses and he shoved them on his face, forcing the world into focus. He screamed when he saw what was looking down at him.

It was Ron, yet a horribly mutated and obscene version of him. He still had red hair, but his face looked like a mountain troll had bludgeoned it. Bones jutted out at odd angles and one eye looked as if it had exploded, blood dribbled down his face. With a horrible jolt Harry realized that the monster was holding him down, and a second was coming to join the first. They were going to kill him.

Harry screamed, louder than he ever had under the Cruciatus Curse, and began to thrash wildly on whatever surface he was lying on. The second creature that had Malfoy's blonde hair was grabbing at his hands as Harry tried to use them to shove the monsters off.

"NO! Let go!" he screamed, and swung with his right hand, which connected to the Malfoy Monster's chin. The creature reeled backwards, releasing Harry's wrist and allowing him to roll off the surface he was lying on. Harry struggled to his feet, whirling around to find a door…a window…any means of escape at all. He was panting as if he had run a marathon, his legs burned with pain and his wrist was beginning to give off a dull ache as he clutched it to his chest. Dimly, he was aware that the thunder he was hearing was coming nearer now, and that it wasn't really thunder at all, but footsteps coming down the stairs.

Harry panicked even more, if that was at all possible. The new monsters were worse. They had pale, skeleton white faces that looked like snakes…all with leering, blood red eyes…the blood red that was now trickling down his back and calves, though he was all but oblivious to it.

One creature tried to grab his arm, but Harry used his elbow to slam against their cheek, knocking them back a step.

"Keep away from me!" he shouted hoarsely. He grabbed a chair in front of him and swung it in front of him to block further attacks from that direction. "Don't touch me!"

&*&*&*&*&*&*&*&*&*&*&*&*&*&*&*&*&*&*&*&*&*&*&*&*&*&*&*

Ron watched numbly as his best friend slugged his older brother in the jaw, screaming to keep away from him. Harry looked like he was mad, his green eyes unfocused and glazed over. The wounds that had begun to heal during his short rest were beginning to open again, and a scarlet pool was beginning to form underneath him. It looked as though his legs were about to give out, and Harry reached out to brace himself on the table beside him. Harry didn't quite manage to keep himself upright, but kept him from collapsing onto the floor.

"Please…just keep away from me…no more…" Harry pleaded, mostly to himself. He wasn't looking at anyone in particular, instead staring at some person that only he could see.

"Harry! Please, listen to me! It's just us! The Weasleys! Friends! We're not going to hurt you!" Fred tried to calm the terrified young wizard.

Harry sank to his knees, rocking back and forth as he hugged his arms around himself. "No…no…no…" he repeated to himself.

"Dad, what's wrong with him?" Ron asked shakily.

"Shock. Probably a high fever to boot," Mr. Weasley replied, worry creasing his brow. "If he doesn't calm down, he's going to hyperventilate and pass out."

"NO!" Harry suddenly shouted, leaping up from his crouched position, waving his hand out from his body, sending a rippling force towards an unseen attacker. The wavering force upended the kitchen table, sending it flying into the opposite wall and shattering into splinters.

The entire house was silent, including Harry, except for his ragged breathing.

Draco was the first to break the silence. "Wow, Potter…"

Harry turned towards the sound of his voice, seemingly unable to actually see and instead relying on the sense of sound to find his way around. "Malfoy?" he whispered, the puzzlement evident in the scratchy voice.

"Stupefy!" Mr. Weasley commanded, raising his wand and aiming at Harry. The spell hit him in the chest, immediately knocking Harry unconscious. As he fell forwards, Fred, the nearest to him, rushed forwards and grabbed him before he fell to the ground. Easily lifting the thin frame, he picked Harry up and placed him back on the couch.

"I had to do it…" Mr. Weasley was muttering sadly under his breath as he checked Harry over. "This settles it. He'll have to go to Mungo's in the morning."

"Dad! That's a mental hospital! Harry's not crazy, just sick!" Ron protested vehemently at the statement.

"I know that, son. But Mungo's is also a medical facility. No one mentions it nearly as often as the psychiatric ward. We can't take Harry anywhere else."

"What about Madame Pomfrey from Hogwarts?" Ron argued. 

"Ron, she doesn't live at the school. I don't even know how to contact her! Besides, now is not the time to be calling attention to ourselves. Hogwarts would be the first place You-Know-Who would look for him," Mr. Weasley explained. "I'm sorry, but he must go to Mungo's."

Ron looked down at his friend. He had never seen Harry look so frail and sick before. Ron slowly nodded. "All right."

"That's a good boy…" Mr. Weasley said, patting his son's shoulder comfortingly.

&*&*&*&*&*&*&*&*&*&*&*&*&*&*&*&*&*&*&*&*&*&*&*&*&*&*&*&*&*&*&*&*&*

Voldemort laughed coldly at the scene before him. "So, you're taking the boy to Mungo' s now, eh Weasley? This will be easier than originally foreseen."  The snake-like man shouted for his servant. "Pettigrew!"

The mousy looking man scuttled up next to the Dark Lord. "Y-yes, M-master?" he stuttered, wringing is one good and one phantasmal hand together nervously.

"Remove the spell from the Muggle man, Dursley. He's served his purpose. Potter will soon be vulnerable enough for even you to get him while he's in the hospital. Make sure you don't screw up…and Pettigrew?" Voldemort said silkily.

"Yes, M-master?"

"This is your last chance. Fail me again and you and Nagini will become a lot closer. Now be gone," Voldemort hissed, and waved his hand absently in the direction of Peter Pettigrew, sending the small, pale man soaring out the door. The door slammed shut with a bang and Lord Voldemort was left alone again. He leaned forwards, watching from his throne the comings and goings of the Weasley household through his crystal ball.

"Good-bye, boy."

Yeah, it's short, but I have three tests to study for. The reason for the long gap in between updates (I'm sorry!) is because I lost the disc I had this stored on and only recently recovered it. Apparently, the reason for its absence was because I left it in another state. Sooo…now that it's back, expect some quicker updates. As always, review! Oh, and special thanks to Foxee for finally getting on my tail to write some more. J