In Every Darkness
Chapter Sixty Six: Waking Up
16.10.1996
Harry was wandering in a warm, secure place, deep within his own mind. It was beyond sleep, almost beyond life, yet not quite at death either.
A golden light was coming towards him, out of the deep maroons, blues and blacks that made up this place.
When the light reached him, he realised it was not just a light, but a light shrouded form.
"Who/what?" he thought/asked, not completely understanding the words that he was using. Indeed, they were not really words, more pictures and shrouded meanings that he sent in the direction of the form.
"Gryfas, you have been away for too long," the figure told him.
"I – Gryfas?" he asked.
"Yes. I am Grypis. I am your friend. You have wandered far, but it is time to go back."
"Why? Here nice," he told it.
"You are needed," was the reply.
Harry sent the feeling of security that he felt here, mingled with the calm serenity of the environment that surrounded him.
In return, the newcomer sent a peaceful scene of green trees and greener grass, adding to it the sensation of a soft wind against his skin. The scene changed abruptly to the open air and the freedom that could be gained there.
Harry contemplated with for a time, then nodded. He would go to this other place. The security would wait. He wanted to feel the wind on his face.
"Ride me," the creature told him.
Harry felt himself lifted up, settling down between the huge creatures wings, his arms slipping around it's neck and his cheek against it's soft feathers.
On either side of him, huge wings spread, and he was lifted from the 'ground' in the safe place, and bourn away from there by Grypis.
As they rose together, memories and experiences swept around Harry's mind. He remembered who he was, and what he had to do. He often wanted to let go of his friend and plunge back down into that safe place, but every time he stopped, because he wanted to feel the wind on his face again.
As they rose, higher and higher through the layers of Harry's mind, Harry became aware of voices above him. Half familiar, though for a long time he could not place their owners.
But he knew that they were friends, and that they meant a lot to him. Now it was not only the wish to feel the wind on his face that called Harry back.
Around a bed in the hospital wing Ron, Hermione, Lily, Dumbledore and Tatsu Kendo were seated. Nearly all of the students in Hogwarts had wanted to stand watch by Harry's bed, and for the first two weeks of his mysterious coma, most of them had dropped by often twice or three times a day.
That had been two days since that had come close a halt, at Madam Pomfrey's insistence, but nothing the nurse could say would make these six people leave.
Classes had gone on, but the three students had been excused, they were too worried about Harry to pay enough attention to make going to the classes worthwhile anyway. The teachers had agreed to help them back up to where the rest of their year was when Harry awoke again.
Most of the time the group was quiet, but occasionally they spoke.
"Will he wake up, Ron?" Hermione asked, pain laced through her voice.
"Of course he will, Hermione," Ron replied, slipping his arms around Hermione's waist, letting her lean against him. They had grown closer than ever when Harry had fallen into this coma, each of them seeking comfort, and maybe even love, with each other. But neither had spoken of this latter thing, nor would they, for a long time yet. So both of them thought.
"Something's happening," Tatsu said suddenly, peering intently at his young ward.
Four days before, everyone's hope had raised when Gryphon had awoken. But it had quickly been lost again, when Harry had shown no signs of life, either before or since.
"What?" everyone's attention was suddenly fixed on Tatsu, and Madam Pomfrey came over as well, from where she had been administering a Slytherin seventh year and a Gryffindor third after a fight in the halls.
Tatsu didn't answer for a time, then, suddenly, he smiled. "Harry will wake soon," he said, and no one could miss the relief in his voice.
"How do you know?" six voices demanded impatiently.
"Colour is returning to his cheeks, and his eyelids are flickering. They weren't before. His breathing is become deeper and stronger, but slowly," Tatsu replied.
"Why, I do believe you're right," the nurse said, peering intently at Harry. "His cat's gone back to sleep though …"
Tatsu only shrugged, and the attention of the group was refocused on Harry. Very soon, everyone could see the signs of life returning to their friends body, and they all thought that soon now he would wake.
The Gryffindor third year crept over, obviously feeling better after the nurse had seen to him. Though no one else noticed him, he too stared at Harry, hoping for the older boy to wake again.
The group started again when Gryphon stretched lazily and opened his eyes. "Well it's all very well you waking up again," Tatsu told it with a smile, "but what would be even better would be for Harry to wake."
The cat gave him a look that seemed to say, "all in due time," and the group smiled slightly at Tatsu's antics, then they all drew in their breath at once, for Harry's eyes suddenly opened wide, their emerald depths alive once more.
He blinked. Twice. Then sighed softly, a smile touching his lips before he closed his eyes again, and his breathing slowed again as dropped into a normal sleep.
"He woke up!" breathed Hermione, relief haunting her voice.
"Finally," Ron agreed. "But … why did he go to sleep again? Is it going to happen all over?" he turned to the nurse.
Madam Pomfrey rested a hand on Harry's forehead, then checked his pulse. "He's sleeping normally now. I'd guess that he is healed of whatever had happened, most likely something within his mind, I do not know what. The next time he wakes, it should be properly."
Gryphon seemed to smirk slightly, and curled up on Harry's chest, drifting into a natural sleep himself, tired after journeying so deep within his friends mind to bring Harry/Gryfas back into the world of the living.
The third year raced out of the hospital wing to let everyone within Hogwarts castle know that Harry Potter had woken up, and should be getting up really soon.
"You three should get back to your classes now," Dumbledore told Ron, Hermione and Lily with a smile. "You know that Harry is alright."
"Yes, but he'll need to catch up with us," Ron protested.
"It's afternoon now anyway," Tatsu pointed out. "Classes are over. You may as well get back to the Common Room and sleep there tonight, properly. Hopefully by tomorrow Harry will be awake."
The three students nodded and stood up, walking out of the Hospital Wing for their first proper sleep in the two weeks and two days since Harry had fallen into this coma.
"Well, that's a relief," Madam Pomfrey said. "I never liked to say in front of the children, but for the past week I've feared that the boy would not wake at all."
"That would have been the doom of the wizarding world, as we know it, should it by some unlucky chance have been the case," Dumbledore replied. "But I knew that it would not be Harry's death – not yet."
"How, headmaster?" the nurse asked with interest.
"Ways and means Poppy, ways and means," Dumbledore mused, standing up himself and walking out of the ward.
Poppy snorted softly at the answer, and turned to look for the other adult, finding Tatsu standing by the window watching something.
With a sigh she went back to the two fighters, before realising that the younger Gryffindor had already left. "Damn," she muttered, going against her normal attitude. "He must have seen Potter wake up – now the whole school is going to come and see for themselves.
With a grim smile, she waved her wand, seeling the door closed and setting a sign on the outside of it: Visitors Keep Out Please, before returning to her Slytherin patient.
Soon she heard the patter of feet coming to the door, and could almost feel the disappointment that whoever was outside could not get in.
She put it in the back of her mind, going about her tasks calmly and ignoring the students as they came first in a trickle and then in a flood to the doors of the Hospital Wing.
Eventually they went away again, to eat dinner. She just hoped that no one deliberately hurt themselves just to get inside the ward – if they did, she would not be gentle with them. She did not suffer fools in her domain, when it could be avoided.
She fixed up the Slytherin student, then dismissed him, closing the door very firmly behind him and quickly cleaning up his bed with a few spells.
Using the fire place, she went down to the dungeons to find the younger McGonagall. "Poppy! What can I do for you?" he looked up from marking papers at his desk.
"I need to replenish a few of my potions," she replied.
He got immediately to his feet and smiled at her. "What do you need?" he asked, leading her to his store cupboards.
Half an hour later, Poppy returned to the Hospital Wing to find Harry sitting up in bed, his eyes half closed and gently stroking the fur of his cat, Gryphon.
He was not wearing his glasses, but, Poppy reflected, that was probably because they were beyond his reach, sitting on top of a huge pile of get well soon presents that was on his bedside table, and littering the floor around his bed.
He turned his head towards her when he heard her footsteps approaching. "Hello," he said pleasantly.
"Well Mr. Potter, you've certainly given us a bit of worrying!" she informed him.
"I'm in the Hospital Wing then? I thought I was. That's what …" he trailed off, as if losing track of the thought, but it was really because he'd nearly revealed Grypis.
"Yes, you are. You've been asleep for a little over two weeks young man, and worried everyone!" Poppy replied. "But enough of that – I'm sure you're starving."
At the mention of food, Harry's stomach rumbled loudly.
"So it would seem," Harry mused.
"I'll be back shortly," Poppy informed him. "Do not try to get up."
"Could you give me my glasses please?" he asked before she could turn away.
"Of course," Poppy told him, giving them to him.
He put them on and blinked as the world slid into focus, watching the matron as she hurried across to her office. Not long after she came back bearing a tray with a bowl of broth on it.
He looked distastefully at the broth.
"It's got a strengthening potion in it," Madam Pomfrey informed him. "But it can't be too strong, I don't think that you are up to much, after that long sleep."
Harry nodded silently and started eating. Tatsu walked out of Poppy's office, surprising her. "I just went down to the kitchen for something to eat," he explained to her. "I thought I'd best use the fire place."
"Of course. Mr. Potter is awake," she added, then turned back to her patient, to find him dozing once more, the finished bowl of broth lying on a tray in his lap, and his glasses still on the bridge of his nose. "Or he was," she smiled, going and taking the bowl away. "Call me if he wakes again – he'll be hungry still, I'll be bound."
Tatsu nodded quietly. "You don't mind if I sleep here again, do you?" he asked.
"Of course not – take the bed on Mr. Potter's right, if you like."
Harry woke three times through the night, starving each time. On all of them, either Madam Pomfrey or Tatsu was awake and brought him some broth, laced with strengthening potion.
When morning sunlight slanted through the windows, Harry was awake, but no longer particularly hungry. He was presented with toast, and a thicker soup than the night before. "You'll be eating normally by the end of the day," Madam Pomfrey said, sounding happy. "And you may go back to your lessons tomorrow – I believe you'll have quite a bit of catch up work to do in the afternoons though."
Harry nodded his thanks. "Will my friends come soon?" he asked.
"Very soon, I'm sure," the matron smiled. She had become quite fond of the boy, after the manner times that he'd been in her ward, hurt by some thing or another.
***
Well, that was quite a bit longer than the last chapter. I'm really in a writing mood after not being able to for 14 days!!
***VOTE RESULTS***
The overwhelming majority of people who voted wanted me to only answer question reviews. (the result was 9-2 with 3 people who didn't care)
From now on, all people will be thanked, in that their name will be written in the thanks place, and those who asked specific questions will be answered. I will also respond in full form to the letter reviews – because it's amusing to write, and hopefully to read also. Thank you!
Thanks to:
AthenaKitty, Butler, Wynjara, shdurrani, Chicken Stars, Queen of the Jungle, Locolisa, Dweem Angel, Kraeg001, OriontheHunter, Rain Warrior, Flame of Shadow, PhoenixPadfoot89, TuxedoMac, HermioneGreen, BurningTyger, dnd4ever, Penny, Morgaine, Mel, Maxx77, Nicoletta, Anztgr01, Gaul1, Nasser Himura, fanofthisstory, FlyingGoat, MiakaChan5, Oklina, Elvira, Gryffies#1, SillyPaulie, MikiBaby, Stix-the-Rebel, Tamsy, Evil Anti-Patriotic Elf Named Cin, LonelySpirit, Mr. Happy Java Man.
Elvira: Harry won the court case – you'll discover more about that in a few chapters though, promise!
MikiBaby: That's just because it's not Harry, it's both of them, so the thoughts are a bit confused, on both sides. It's more an idea of self that's being portrayed, and to get that in words, I chose to write it that way.
To the High Lord of Coffeenia,
Our heart is chilled by the welcome you send us. We look forward to conversations with you at a later point in time, as well as now. While We were away, We took over a Goddess of Death, and have taken the title Lady Death, to add to Our list of titles. We would be happy to attend your annual Caffinefest. Please send Us a date so that We know when to attend!
Sincerely,
WolfMoon,
Lady Death,
Queen of Tenebralia,
Goddess of Darkness and Evilness.