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This Story was voted first place in the Hidden Scrolls September 2004 Challenge

Reality

By: Lauren Freeman (Iniysa)

Disclaimer: I do not own Harry Potter or anything from the books or movies. In writing this, I am making no money, what's so ever.

A/N: I have to admit the basic idea for this story is not mine. Around four or five years ago, in a completely different fandom I read a story where the main character could not tell what was real. I don't remember the title, author or even where I read the story. But the very basic idea was not mine. G I just can't believe I finished it on time! LOL!

Thank you to my two WONDERFUL beta readers: Erica (HollyMahogany) and Christine

Reality

By: Lauren Freeman (Iniysa)

CHAPTER ONE

Pain. Unbelievable pain was the first thing Harry noticed upon waking. He didn't remember going to sleep, and really had no clue why it felt like someone had stabbed him in the stomach over and over. Slowly his senses began to come back to him. He could feel he was in an awkward position sitting on something soft and wet. Any thoughts of moving to a different position were squashed immediately upon slightly shifting. The pain radiated from his stomach all over his battered body and Harry suddenly was afraid to open his eyes.

Harry's hearing came on line next, people screaming, it sounded like a crowed was yelling for some odd reason. Someone yelled that help was on the way and someone closer touched his shoulder. Slowly Harry opened his eyes to stare into a pair of unfamiliar blue ones.

"Try to stay still, you were in a car accident and are pinned to your seat. Emergency crews are on the way, but you have to stay still for me. Can you do that?" The man asked. Harry began to nod, but was stopped quickly.

"No, no, no. No moving remember? Just speak yes or no." The man, with an American accent smiled.

"Okay." Harry croaked out.

"Good, my name is Jacob Freehill, what's your name?"

"Harry Potter." Harry whispered. The mans eyes widened.

"Are you really? So I suppose you were coming back home from school?" He asked. Harry almost nodded. "No moving."

"Yeah, how are the Dursleys?" Harry asked suddenly being reminded of them.

"There doing fine, they are out walking around. It's you I'm worried about."

"Why?" Harry asked.

"Because there is a metal rod currently going through your stomach, and pinning you in the car. I won't lie to you, it's a serious injury and it must hurt like hell." The man explained.

"Yeah." Harry looked passed Jacob at the crowed now being blocked off by police. At the front he could see a group of odd looking people trying to get through. Upon further inspection he could tell that they were Order members. Another jab of pain raced though his body as someone knocked into the car. Harry let off a loud groan and the sound of apologizing from the outside was heard.

Then something caught his eye, something to the right almost beyond his range of vision, a dark blue candle with a blue flame. In stead of smoke coming off of it, it looked to have tiny gold stars sparking off of it into the air. Someone bumped into the car again this time harder. Black spots dotted around his vision until they took over and Harry knew no more.

Harry slowly opened his eyes, feeling just as bad as before. The pain in his stomach was incredible, thankfully he was no longer sitting in that awkward position anymore but it didn't seem to matter anyway. He could tell he was lying on a soft bed. The smell of potions wafted over him, as some one set something down near him. But wouldn't he have gone to a Muggle Hospital? Maybe the Order got passed the police and rescued him.

Slowly Harry opened his eyes once again, to see Remus Lupin sitting beside him in an uncomfortable looking chair, holding his hand. Harry groaned gaining the attention of both Madam Pomfrey and Lupin.

"Hey there, Harry. How are you feeling?" Lupin asked.

"Like someone stuck a rod though my stomach." Harry whispered. Lupin smiled and nodded.

"Yeah, the disease has been know to cause feelings like that I'm afraid. But don't worry, you will get through it. Were all here for you." Lupin grinned and squeezed his hand. Harry looked at him confused.

"Disease?" Harry asked looking down at his stomach. There were no bandages over it, just a bunch of tiny spot all over the skin over his stomach.

"Dragon spots, Harry. I told this to you before but you were at the height of your fever so I'm not surprised you don't remember." Poppy stated, lifting his head and feeding him a green potion.

"What about the car..." Harry started.

"What car, Harry?" Lupin asked.

"The Dursleys car. There was a wreak...on the way back to there house...from picking me up." Harry said.

"That was just a dream, Harry, not real. Now just calm down and I will tell you about the disease." Harry nodded.

"Dragon Spots is a disease only magical folk can get. It really has nothing to do with dragons except that the spots in your stomach look like the spots on a lot of dragons. Most people never get it, and it's unknown how you get it. Some think it's heredity, but no one in your family has ever reportedly gotten it." Harry just started at him. "The disease mainly affects your stomach. It produces high fevers and hallucination, along with sever pain.

"Oh, what time is it and how long have I been sick?" Harry asked. Lupin pointed at a large clock on the wall in front of his bed. It read seven. Upon further inspection of the window next to it, he concluded it must be morning.

"It's seven in the morning, you have been sick for a week now. You fell in the train station holding your stomach and screaming. You were immediately brought back here." Lupin explained. Harry felt himself getting tired, his eyes began to droop. Hermione then walked in.

"Oh is he falling back asleep?" She asked sounding a little disappointed.

"Yeah, I think he is." Lupin replies softly. The last thing Harry saw was the blue flame suddenly appearing in front of the clock.

Harry woke still feeling as horrible as before. Not wanting to jar anything in fear of more pain Harry kept still and couldn't help but notice that things felt...different. At first Harry could not place it, the room smelled like hospital chemicals but not Hogwarts hospital chemicals. No potions field the air, no strange waft of something foul. Everything smelt and felt incredibly to sterile. It was unnerving and this new mystery thankfully seemed to somehow ease the pain.

Upon further inspection, his room sounded different, almost hollow, the walls seemed to unnaturally absorb any sound made. Harry was almost afraid to open his eyes, a headache was forming at the back of his eyes, this wasn't right. Harry opened his eyes, this couldn't be real. However, it looked, sounded and felt real. Then again, so did all the other, what could he call them...realities.

It was a small hospital room with one major difference, which explained the absorbing sound; padded walls. White seemed to be the theme with the white walls, padding, and a door with no handle only a lock. There were white sheets which covered his white hospital gown. Harry knew that if he had to stay in here for very long he was going to hate the color white. If he didn't know any better based on what he had seen on the few Muggle television shows he was aloud to see, he would think that he was in a...

"Hello Harry, I see we are a bit sick today." A man who looked exactly like Snape, in a white lab coat smiled as he walked in. The door clicked as it shut behind the man. Harry looked at the name badge on the mans coat and read Dr. Snaps. Harry looked at him strangely and decided to play along. He hurt too much to fight.

"Yeah." Harry answered in a whisper.

"Well I'm afraid you caught a sever stomach bug from another patient. I am just going to hook you up on an IV which is going to give you fluids and will serve as port for us to give you your medicines."

"Can't I just take a pill or something?" Harry asked looking at the long three needles. "And I can drink from a cup."

"Why Harry! This is the most fluid I have ever seen you. Maybe we should just keep you sick, huh?" With that, he stuck the needle into a vein. Harry instantly didn't like this man.

"To answer your question, were going to put you on some heavy medications which work better from an IV." The medicine began to slowly drip into his veins. He could feel a slightly burning sensation as it went in. Harry began to feel the effects almost right away. His world began to spin, and his thoughts didn't seem to come out in any proper order.

"Can't you just transfer me to Hogwarts?" Harry heard himself ask slurred. The answer made his blood run cold.

"That is all part of your giant fantasy world, Harry. You know that. But then again, that's why you're here isn't it. It's not real, Harry. There is no such thing as Hogwarts, or magic. Or anything else from that little would you choose to live in, to replace reality."

"It is! Please send me to Hogwarts!" Harry yelled.

"Your to sick to get worked up right now, I'm afraid I am going to have to sedate you." More fluids were injected into his IV and Harry felt himself being forced to calm down. The wasn't right, this couldn't be real. The doctor left the room without another word to Harry, only mumbling about incurable patients who lived in other worlds, all elaborately built in their minds. With a key in the slot the door opened Harry found himself alone again.

The doctor had only been gone a few minutes when the door opened again and another man Harry hated with a passion walked in, as fat as ever.

Peter Pettigrew, also known as Wormtail, walked in twitching his rat looking face, he was carrying a Firebolt. Through the unnatural calmness, Harry was panicking, had he come to kidnap him? However, the man merely smiled at him before he began to sweep the floor.

'He's sweeping the floor with a Firebolt? I'm seeing things, I must be...maybe I am crazy.'

The blue flame reappeared; Harry fell asleep wishing he would wake up someplace else.

The infamous words, 'Be careful what you wish for!' popped into Harry's head as he immediately opened his eyes regretting he ever shut them in the first place. Horrible, almost glowing red eyes were the first things he saw.

"Bloody hell..." The words spilled out without Harry's notice. He got a quick chance to view the dark horrors of his surroundings. A black room with a silver thrown, silver metal snakes popped out of the corners as if watching your every move. The arm rests and legs of the giant curvy silver chair were also snakes, tongues sticking out testing your loyalty. Hundreds of Death Eaters stood cramped around the room watching Harry with anticipation.

"Welcome, Mr. Potter, I guess your wondering how you ended up here, hmm? It was a very cleverly simple plan by some of my most devious servants. Your only job in the plot was to step out of that stupid train station. You stupid little guard had already apperated away. The first massive Muggle attack of this war and you were the prize, immediately you were stunned and port-keyed here. Don't fret though, you never had a chance, and neither did those stupid scared Muggles you have for a family." Harry gasped as another spasm hit.

'He killed the Dursleys?' Harry thought. 'I don't know if I should be happy or sad.' That thought alone scared Harry. He choose to think of other things, like what Voldemort was saying.

"Feeling a little pain are you? My resident potion master brewed you up something really nice. Made sure it was given to you before we woke you. I know your feeling it. The debilitating stomach cramps, how incredibly sore your whole body feels? Good. You will have trouble doing anything for a very long time. Not that you will live long enough to feel it. But enough rambling, let's do an experiment. Let's see how you feel after this. Crucio!"

Harry could not help but scream, he was in agony, every nerve in his body jerking begging for reprieve. The pain went far beyond the normal horrors of the Cruciatus. Harry desperately wanted to fall into unconsciousness but lady luck seemed to leave for a restroom break. Finally after what seemed like and eternity, the curse was let off.

"How did that feel?" Voldemort grinned right before he kicked Harry in an already very sore stomach. Much to Harry's horror and delight, the kick caused Harry to puked vomit and blood all over the bottom of Voldemorts black robes, and onto the already stained brown floor. Harry was relived afterwards, the kind of relief you always get after throwing up.

Harry's world once again began to spin as he felt unconsciousness finally returning, in the far corner over a group of Deatheaters heads, the blue flame shimmered into existence. Harry finally fell into unconsciousness two Cruciatus curses later.