Chapter 11 - St Mungos
The mood around number 12 Grimmauld place was subdued and quite. Mrs Weasley had convinced Bill to take Ron home to the burrow. Fred and George were usually busy at their store and dropped around only for news of Harry. Order meetings had become few and far between as no one really had the heart for business under the current circumstances. Order members took it in turns going to St Mungos and staying with Harry, waiting for any signs of him waking up.
The doctors had examined Harry when they had taken him to St Mungos, and determined that the illness Harry suffered was self inflicted and resulted from not eating. The nurses had cured the fever in an instant, but Harry wouldn't wake. Sirius was riddled with guilt for not having come back sooner. He knew that the reason Harry was not getting better was that he had given up. He knew that if he had just gotten back sooner, that Harry would have been alright.
"How is he?" Sirius asked as soon as Remus walked in the door.
Remus looked tired and extremely worried.
"There's been no change" he said softly.
Sirius sank back into the chair and put his head in his hands. Remus looked down at his friend with a mixture of sympathy and worry. He knew that the reason that Sirius had fought death itself to come back for Harry. He worried what his friend would do if something happened to Harry.
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Harry was in a dark room. He looked around, but could see nothing that would tell him where he was. He tried to move, but he couldn't. Every inch of his body felt like it was being stabbed with white hot daggers. He saw the door open and Voldemort walked in. His red eyes looked down at Harry gleefully. He began laughing. Harry shuddered.
"Crucio" Voldemort cried.
The pain intensified. Harry couldn't stand the pain anymore. He wanted to die. Voldemort removed the curse from Harry and Harry laid on the floor, gasping for breath. Voldemort's high pitched laugh changed to a female's laugh. Harry looked up and saw that it was no longer Voldmort, but Bellatrix Lestrange. He felt anger seize his heart.
"Aw, did baby Potter love my worthless cousin" she mocked him.
Harry tried to lunge at Bellatrix, but couldn't move. Bellatrix laughed harder. Harry could hear a loud beeping sound, but couldn't make out where it was coming from. Bellatrix lifted her wand and pointed it at him
"Crucio" she yelled.
Harry's body filled with pain again. The beeping got louder. Harry opened his eyes to see where the beeping was coming from. He realised that his eyes were blurry. He couldn't move, his whole body felt like lead. His head was spinning and he stopped trying to move and closed his eyes. After the spinning stopped, he opened his eyes again and turned his head.
He looked over to where the beeping noise was coming from. A small box attached to a large pole was beeping. Above the box, there was a bag of liquid and a small tube hanging down underneath it. He followed the tube with his eyes and gasped when he realised that the other end of the tube was inside his arm, held on by a clear piece of tape. He heard footsteps and the curtain was pulled back. A very worried looking Remus stood there. He looked at Harry for a moment and Harry saw relief flood his face.
"He's awake!" Remus called out and Harry heard more hurried footsteps.
Tonks and Mrs Weasley appeared beside Remus. Both of them looked as if they hadn't slept in days.
"Thank goodness you're alright Harry! We've been so worried!" Mrs Weasley said as she ran over to him and hugged him tightly.
Harry felt his head spinning and closed his eyes. Remus noticed this
"Molly, leave him be, he isn't well" he said softly.
Molly let Harry go and he sank back into the pillows. He opened his eyes again and saw that Mrs Weasley had tears in her eyes. Tonks came up beside him.
"Wotcher Harry" she said in a cheerful, but quiet voice. She smiled at Harry, but the smile didn't reach her eyes. She was still worried about Harry. He had grown so thin since the previous summer, and considering that he had been too skinny the previous summer, that was saying something. A nurse came bustling into the ward and saw that Harry was awake. She ushered the three visitors out and attended to Harry. Once she was done, she came out to see the three anxious people waiting at the door. Her face was grim.
"I'll get the doctor to see him tonight. Go in and see him now, but he's very weak. If he goes to sleep, then just let him be. It's better that he rests" she said softly.
The three of them nodded and approached Harry's bed cautiously.
Harry lying back on the pillows with his eyes closed. He heard them come in, and his eyes sprang open again. He looked at them with sad eyes.
"How are you feeling Harry?" asked Mrs Weasley softly.
Harry felt tears welling in his eyes, but blinked them away. He shrugged slightly, though it took most of the little energy he had to do it. He didn't feel like talking to anyone about what he was going through.
"Well Harry, I'm sorry I have to leave you, but there's a lot of other people who are worried about you at the moment, and I'd best get back and tell them you're finally awake" Remus said quietly.
Harry looked up at him, finally willing to talk.
"How long have I been out for?" he asked.
"3 days" Mrs Weasley said quietly, straightening his covers in a motherly sort of way.
"Everyone's been very worried about you dear. You gave us all quite a fright" she added.
"Molly, you'd best be getting home too. There are some.. arrangements.. .that need to be made for when Harry gets out" Remus said quietly.
Harry looked at him, but didn't question. He didn't care about what Remus was talking about or that he was being left out. All he cared about was that Sirius was dead. Molly nodded and got up. Tonks sat beside Harry as Remus and Mrs Weasley bade Harry farewell and left the room.
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"Sirius?" came a quiet voice from the doorway.
Sirius recognised the voice and turned slowly as Mel walked into the room. She was holding a cup of tea, which she handed him. He sighed and accepted it gratefully.
"What are you doing out here?" she asked softly.
He turned back to look over the backyard.
"Thinking" he replied.
There was silence for a few moments.
"I'm worried about you" she said so softly that he almost didn't catch it.
He turned to face her once again.
"I thought you didn't care" he said earnestly, his face was expressionless, but his eyes betrayed the hope that he was keeping hidden within himself.
"I always cared" she said softly, turning her head as she walked over to the seat on the small veranda.
His eyes suddenly became cold.
"Really? You cared? But that didn't stop you going and sleeping with someone the minute I left did it?" he said bitterly.
She looked up at him with sad eyes. She surveyed him for a moment. He was so frail. She had never seen him like this before.
"I didn't" she said softly.
His eyes flashed with anger.
"Don't lie to me! You told me when the first night I got back that Megan wasn't mine. How can that be if you didn't sleep with someone else?" he spat at her.
Tears began running down Mel's face.
"I lied to you" she admitted softly.
"Damn straight" he said. "Who is her father anyway?"
She swallowed hard and took a deep breath. She raised her eyes to meet his.
"You" she said softly.
Sirius' expression dropped into astonishment, but quickly hardened again.
"You're lying" he said suddenly. "You just feel sorry for me because of Harry"
Mel took another shaky breath and stood up. She walked towards him and placed her hand under his chin so that he was forced to look straight into her eyes. He could see nothing but sincerity in them.
"She's your daughter." Mel said softly. "If you don't believe me, take look for yourself. She looks just like you"
He was silent for a moment, a look of awe on his face. He closed his eyes trying to gather the information.
"Why didn't you tell me?" he asked her.
"I was afraid that you would leave us again. I didn't want Megan to go through what I went through after you left" she said simply. She let go of him and turned to go back inside, but he grabbed her arm.
"Mel" he said softly.
She looked into his eyes and could see his yearning for her. She pulled out of his grasp.
"I can't go through it again" she said softly and with a swish of her robes, she had gone back inside.
Sirius sighed and leaned again the railing, trying to pull his thoughts together. He sensed someone behind him and looked up. It was Remus.
"Harry woke up" Remus said after a moment.
Relief flooded through Sirius and he sank back onto the chair. He gave a loud, husky laugh to stop the tears of relief that threatened to spill. Remus seemed to sense that Sirius would like to be alone and walked back inside again. Sirius put his head in his hands, though this time, he was happy. He just wished that he could go and see Harry.
The mood around number 12 Grimmauld place was subdued and quite. Mrs Weasley had convinced Bill to take Ron home to the burrow. Fred and George were usually busy at their store and dropped around only for news of Harry. Order meetings had become few and far between as no one really had the heart for business under the current circumstances. Order members took it in turns going to St Mungos and staying with Harry, waiting for any signs of him waking up.
The doctors had examined Harry when they had taken him to St Mungos, and determined that the illness Harry suffered was self inflicted and resulted from not eating. The nurses had cured the fever in an instant, but Harry wouldn't wake. Sirius was riddled with guilt for not having come back sooner. He knew that the reason Harry was not getting better was that he had given up. He knew that if he had just gotten back sooner, that Harry would have been alright.
"How is he?" Sirius asked as soon as Remus walked in the door.
Remus looked tired and extremely worried.
"There's been no change" he said softly.
Sirius sank back into the chair and put his head in his hands. Remus looked down at his friend with a mixture of sympathy and worry. He knew that the reason that Sirius had fought death itself to come back for Harry. He worried what his friend would do if something happened to Harry.
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Harry was in a dark room. He looked around, but could see nothing that would tell him where he was. He tried to move, but he couldn't. Every inch of his body felt like it was being stabbed with white hot daggers. He saw the door open and Voldemort walked in. His red eyes looked down at Harry gleefully. He began laughing. Harry shuddered.
"Crucio" Voldemort cried.
The pain intensified. Harry couldn't stand the pain anymore. He wanted to die. Voldemort removed the curse from Harry and Harry laid on the floor, gasping for breath. Voldemort's high pitched laugh changed to a female's laugh. Harry looked up and saw that it was no longer Voldmort, but Bellatrix Lestrange. He felt anger seize his heart.
"Aw, did baby Potter love my worthless cousin" she mocked him.
Harry tried to lunge at Bellatrix, but couldn't move. Bellatrix laughed harder. Harry could hear a loud beeping sound, but couldn't make out where it was coming from. Bellatrix lifted her wand and pointed it at him
"Crucio" she yelled.
Harry's body filled with pain again. The beeping got louder. Harry opened his eyes to see where the beeping was coming from. He realised that his eyes were blurry. He couldn't move, his whole body felt like lead. His head was spinning and he stopped trying to move and closed his eyes. After the spinning stopped, he opened his eyes again and turned his head.
He looked over to where the beeping noise was coming from. A small box attached to a large pole was beeping. Above the box, there was a bag of liquid and a small tube hanging down underneath it. He followed the tube with his eyes and gasped when he realised that the other end of the tube was inside his arm, held on by a clear piece of tape. He heard footsteps and the curtain was pulled back. A very worried looking Remus stood there. He looked at Harry for a moment and Harry saw relief flood his face.
"He's awake!" Remus called out and Harry heard more hurried footsteps.
Tonks and Mrs Weasley appeared beside Remus. Both of them looked as if they hadn't slept in days.
"Thank goodness you're alright Harry! We've been so worried!" Mrs Weasley said as she ran over to him and hugged him tightly.
Harry felt his head spinning and closed his eyes. Remus noticed this
"Molly, leave him be, he isn't well" he said softly.
Molly let Harry go and he sank back into the pillows. He opened his eyes again and saw that Mrs Weasley had tears in her eyes. Tonks came up beside him.
"Wotcher Harry" she said in a cheerful, but quiet voice. She smiled at Harry, but the smile didn't reach her eyes. She was still worried about Harry. He had grown so thin since the previous summer, and considering that he had been too skinny the previous summer, that was saying something. A nurse came bustling into the ward and saw that Harry was awake. She ushered the three visitors out and attended to Harry. Once she was done, she came out to see the three anxious people waiting at the door. Her face was grim.
"I'll get the doctor to see him tonight. Go in and see him now, but he's very weak. If he goes to sleep, then just let him be. It's better that he rests" she said softly.
The three of them nodded and approached Harry's bed cautiously.
Harry lying back on the pillows with his eyes closed. He heard them come in, and his eyes sprang open again. He looked at them with sad eyes.
"How are you feeling Harry?" asked Mrs Weasley softly.
Harry felt tears welling in his eyes, but blinked them away. He shrugged slightly, though it took most of the little energy he had to do it. He didn't feel like talking to anyone about what he was going through.
"Well Harry, I'm sorry I have to leave you, but there's a lot of other people who are worried about you at the moment, and I'd best get back and tell them you're finally awake" Remus said quietly.
Harry looked up at him, finally willing to talk.
"How long have I been out for?" he asked.
"3 days" Mrs Weasley said quietly, straightening his covers in a motherly sort of way.
"Everyone's been very worried about you dear. You gave us all quite a fright" she added.
"Molly, you'd best be getting home too. There are some.. arrangements.. .that need to be made for when Harry gets out" Remus said quietly.
Harry looked at him, but didn't question. He didn't care about what Remus was talking about or that he was being left out. All he cared about was that Sirius was dead. Molly nodded and got up. Tonks sat beside Harry as Remus and Mrs Weasley bade Harry farewell and left the room.
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"Sirius?" came a quiet voice from the doorway.
Sirius recognised the voice and turned slowly as Mel walked into the room. She was holding a cup of tea, which she handed him. He sighed and accepted it gratefully.
"What are you doing out here?" she asked softly.
He turned back to look over the backyard.
"Thinking" he replied.
There was silence for a few moments.
"I'm worried about you" she said so softly that he almost didn't catch it.
He turned to face her once again.
"I thought you didn't care" he said earnestly, his face was expressionless, but his eyes betrayed the hope that he was keeping hidden within himself.
"I always cared" she said softly, turning her head as she walked over to the seat on the small veranda.
His eyes suddenly became cold.
"Really? You cared? But that didn't stop you going and sleeping with someone the minute I left did it?" he said bitterly.
She looked up at him with sad eyes. She surveyed him for a moment. He was so frail. She had never seen him like this before.
"I didn't" she said softly.
His eyes flashed with anger.
"Don't lie to me! You told me when the first night I got back that Megan wasn't mine. How can that be if you didn't sleep with someone else?" he spat at her.
Tears began running down Mel's face.
"I lied to you" she admitted softly.
"Damn straight" he said. "Who is her father anyway?"
She swallowed hard and took a deep breath. She raised her eyes to meet his.
"You" she said softly.
Sirius' expression dropped into astonishment, but quickly hardened again.
"You're lying" he said suddenly. "You just feel sorry for me because of Harry"
Mel took another shaky breath and stood up. She walked towards him and placed her hand under his chin so that he was forced to look straight into her eyes. He could see nothing but sincerity in them.
"She's your daughter." Mel said softly. "If you don't believe me, take look for yourself. She looks just like you"
He was silent for a moment, a look of awe on his face. He closed his eyes trying to gather the information.
"Why didn't you tell me?" he asked her.
"I was afraid that you would leave us again. I didn't want Megan to go through what I went through after you left" she said simply. She let go of him and turned to go back inside, but he grabbed her arm.
"Mel" he said softly.
She looked into his eyes and could see his yearning for her. She pulled out of his grasp.
"I can't go through it again" she said softly and with a swish of her robes, she had gone back inside.
Sirius sighed and leaned again the railing, trying to pull his thoughts together. He sensed someone behind him and looked up. It was Remus.
"Harry woke up" Remus said after a moment.
Relief flooded through Sirius and he sank back onto the chair. He gave a loud, husky laugh to stop the tears of relief that threatened to spill. Remus seemed to sense that Sirius would like to be alone and walked back inside again. Sirius put his head in his hands, though this time, he was happy. He just wished that he could go and see Harry.
