Harry felt fine after their first attempt but he knew Nixon was going easy on him just to let him get the hang of it.
Snape stood opposite him now and Harry knew he wasn't going to show mercy.
"Ready, Potter?" he brandished his wand "Legilimens"
Snape's image came as more of a bang in Harry's mind and he felt his scar throb. Harry was standing in his bedroom at privet drive. Vernon came into the room wearing a death eater's mask. He lunged at Harry with a knife and Harry could hear it slice through the air. Harry pushed it away as hard as he could, barely remembering to send Voldemort's parents after it.
This time when he woke up on the floor he found that he was shaking. Lupin gave him some chocolate and he felt better.
They practiced for the rest of the afternoon. Snape and Nixon took turns forcing more powerful images on Harry who began having trouble pushing them back but he knew what to do now.
Just before the teachers were about to leave Dumbledore pulled Harry aside.
"You know what to do. We'll be back later tonight but if you're in bed by then remember if you can't send it back, empty your mind. Remember the Occlumency" he patted Harry on the shoulder then followed his staff from the room.
Ginny, Molly and Arthur came into the room and everyone paused their conversations to look at Ginny.
Harry beckoned her over to sit beside him. He noticed she still had the ultrasound envelope tucked under her arm.
She sat heavily and tossed it on the table.
"What did your parents say?"
"They were angry at first, then disappointed, which was much worse, then they told me they'd support my decisions to keep it. I don't know how I'll afford it though" she dropped her head to her hands and Harry put a supportive arm across her shoulders. Harry let his eyes wander around the room while she cried. Now that no one was focused on him it was interesting to see what people were doing.
Kingsley was pulling his stolen items from inside his shirt, which must have been enlarged like the car because he had a fair bit under there. Tonks was wiping the makeup from her eyes while she told Lupin and Sirius about their run from the death eater and his 'ugly' car.
Molly was in the kitchen cooking dinner and Arthur was telling Fred, George and Moody about Ginny.
Kingsley put his sunglasses on and grinned at Harry before getting up to get a drink.
Draco came in wearing his new jumper, which was plain black and had a hood, which covered his face.
"When's dinner on? I'm starved"
"Mrs Weasley's cooking it now" Harry informed him.
"I might go help then" Draco wandered into the kitchen. He'd become a big hit with Mrs Weasley over the past week, helping in the kitchen, cleaning the house and listening to her problems. She called him the son she wished she had which made Ron crack his knuckles in disgust.
Towards the end of dinner Harry began to feel nervous about that night. What if he couldn't do it? Would Voldemort kill him or cripple him, mentally? Or would he just be sick like last time?
Sirius noticed his anxiousness and sent him off to have a hot shower.
Harry pressed his head against the shower wall while the hot water soothed his back. He clenched his eyes shut and ran his fingers through his hair. His eyebrow and his scar hurt, meaning that the numbing cream was completely gone and Voldemort was preparing his attack.
Harry was just getting ready for bed when Sirius came. Harry, believe it or not, prayed the puppy in his cupboard would stay quiet.
"You'll be ok" Sirius told him, fidgeting with the lock on the window. Harry's parents watched quietly from their picture. Harry watched his godfather with sadness. What would Sirius do it Harry didn't survive the night?
"Never mind me. I can't help what happens. Will you be alright?" Sirius turned and smiled at him. "As long as you're fine I'm fine." He moved forward and stood beside him.
"Hello, James" he said, the sadness re-entered his voice as he and Harry turned to the portrait. "How have you been?"
"He'll be fine, Padfoot." James reassured him. "Now let my son get to bed. He has a big night ahead of him." Sirius gave Harry a one-armed hug and left. Harry turned off the light and crawled into bed.
It was a long time before Harry could sleep. His scar was throbbing gently and when Ron finally came to bed he pretended to be asleep so they wouldn't have to talk. Harry listened to the creaking in the hall outside as the other house dwellers made their way to bed. Sirius opened their door once to check Harry then moved on.
It was only when the house was completely silent did Harry begin to doze.
He dreamt that he was Nixon's clown, dancing around his privet drive bedroom. Vernon came into the room but the knife he was holding turned out to be a daisy.
Suddenly his mind turned white and pain seared through his whole body. He was withering in pain. His brain slowly came to life and he tried to push the pain away. He wasn't strong enough, it would edge from his mind then come bursting back in.
"Oh fuck you!" He screamed telepathically to Voldemort and used all his will to force the pain away. Suddenly it was gone and he quickly sent Voldemort's parents after it. It was Voldemort's turn to feel the pain. His screams came flying back into Harry's head and the boy who lived was forced to sit up, clawing at his own face and pulling his hair.
The light above him switched on.
"Harry?" it was Ron.
"Leave him," that voice sounded like Dumbledore.
Finally the screaming died away and Harry saw the room swirl into view. He vomited and fell out of bed. There were footsteps in the hall outside and upstairs. More lights were turned on and the door opened. Harry vomited again, his scar was searing with pain.
He rolled over and pressed his head on the cold floor.
"Go away" he whispered; the pain subsided in the cool of the night.
"Harry?" Harry rolled onto his back again and opened his eyes. All he could see was blood. His scar had burst open.
Shivering violently, he sat up and wiped it away. Someone handed him his glasses.
The whole household was there, watching his expectantly.
"He won't try that one again" he choked before fainting.
When Harry woke again it was morning and the sun was streaming gaily through the window. He was tucked into his warm bed that had been fitted with new sheets.
The only evidence of the night before was a splitting headache that had burdened Harry's head and the sickly taste of vomit that was still fresh in his mouth.
He sat up, very slowly, and reached for his glasses.
"Your awake!" Ron was sitting in a mass of coloured paper and unwrapped presents. The pug dog was bouncing playfully in the paper.
"Mum left you some water. Said you'd feel sick when you got up." Harry found the glass of water beside his bed and drank it all in one go.
"What time is it?" he asked groggily. His headache was still there.
"Only early. I don't think anyone is up yet… well are you going to open your presents?"
Harry reached over the end of his bed to the large pile of presents. Ron crawled across the floor to watch.
The first one was the homemade jumper from Mrs Weasley. It was red with a lion on the front.
Ron got him a massive load of magical sweets plus some of the twins merchandise.
Hermione got him a book called 'fighting your fears, defeating your enemies'.
"She got me one to," Ron explained, unlatching the puppy from his sock.
Malfoy got him a book on magical snake breeds and how to charm them and a necklace with a snake's fang hanging from it.
Sirius got him a book called, 'controlling magic, no wand needed' and a little bonsai tree.
'Sooth your inner soul' said the note attached to the pot.
He got a friendship bracelet from Claire, and it wasn't one of the cheap, cheesy ones either, it was a real silver chain with a plate attaching the ends.
'Remember me' was inscribed on the underside.
Harry reached down for his final present. It was from Lupin, Tonks and Moody. Harry unwrapped it quickly and a palm sized pink crystal fell into his hand.
'Keep your friends close and your enemies closer' was scrawled on a note in Moody's messy writing. Harry stared at it long and hard but nothing happen exept his headache worsened. He dropped the crystal on the bed, making a mental note to ask Moody what it did.
"Come on I'm starved" Ron said, jumping to his feet. Harry quickly got changed into jeans and an old blue t-shirt before picking up the puppy and following Ron from the room.
"How did everyone know when to come last night?" Harry asked as the descended the stairs. Ron's face became grave.
"You were screaming, mate. It was horrible. Then you fell out of bed and kind of had a seizure. Dumbledore said to leave you. When everyone else showed up you kind of went normal again then you fainted. Sirius thought you'd died. Hermione and Ginny were bawling their eyes out. Remember they didn't know about it. Dumbledore proclaimed you alive and mum clean up your spew and put you back to bed. No one expected you to wake up for a few days." They'd reached the dining room door and Harry hid the puppy behind his back.
"Merry Christmas!" Ron called out, pushing the door open for Harry.
Sirius, who had been writing something, dropped his quill and stood up sharply.
"Merry Christmas" Harry pulled the wiggling puppy from behind his back and dropped it on the table. It scrabbled for a foothold then ran at Sirius, wagging its curly tail wildly.
Sirius' jaw dropped then he grinned.
"On ya, Harry" He scooped the puppy up in his arms and let it lick his face.
"I thought you could do with a friend while no-one's here" Harry sat down; his headache was making his vision blurry.
"Well she sure beats Kreacher."
"How are you feeling, Harry" Lupin was sitting at the end of the table sipping coffee and reading the daily prophet.
"My head hurts. But other wise fine."
Harry could smell something roasting in the kitchen and he knew Mrs Weasley was already starting on the Christmas dinner.
"Dumbledore wanted to know if you had a vision or not" Sirius said. He had the puppy on her back and was scratching her stomach.
"No. It was just white. His screaming hurt the most."
"So you did get the picture to him?" Lupin was watching him avidly now.
"And the pain he sent me. I could feel it at the same time though"
"You did well." Sirius said, "I'm going to call her Jill" he added suddenly. He and Jill were bonding well.
Mrs Weasley came bustling out of the kitchen with a plate of toast.
"Oh Harry! We weren't expecting you for a few days!" she skipped Lupin and offered Harry some toast first. He accepted a piece and took a bite. Suddenly he felt his chest become hot and heavy. He dropped the toast and ran from the room.
He only just reached the toilet bowl before retching and throwing up. Molly was right behind him, rubbing his back and making hushing noises.
"Sorry" he mumbled when he finished.
"Nonsense. You couldn't help it, dear. I'll go and get you some water." Molly left as Malfoy walked in. he saw Harry and grinned.
"Nice performance last night. Does your head hurt?" he washed his face under the tap and inspected his eyebrow piercing.
"Shut up" Harry replied groggily. Malfoy can and sat next to him on the floor near the toilet.
"Salazar showed me something before we left school. Hold still." The blonde boy pressed his silver skull ring against Harry's forehead. Harry slowly felt the pain draining away until he only had half the headache he had before.
"Ouch. Your head did hurt" Malfoy rubbed his own head and closed his eyes.
"What did you do?" Harry's brain was clearing now but his stomach was still feeling unsettled.
"Salazar told me we can share our pain through the rings. Unfortunately I have half your headache now. I need an aspirin."
Malfoy got up and left as Molly came back with Harry's water.
Harry was throwing up again half an hour later.
"It's getting worse. He can't hold anything down, he's getting dehydrated and he has a fever"
Harry lay on the lounge in front of the TV with a bucket tucked under his arm and listening to Molly tell Sirius about his sever vomiting in the hall outside. It was just after lunchtime and he was throwing up every half hour and, every time someone forced water or food down his throat, he would throw up quicker.
Harry turned the TV off and sat up. He was sick of watching the Britney Spears documentary.
"He has to go to a healer, Molly. Your home remedies aren't working." Molly hesitated then agreed with Sirius.
"I'll take him," Lupin offered. "I have to go over that way anyway to pick up some things for Moody."
Sirius came into the dark living room and sat beside Harry.
"Lupin is going to take you to saint Mungo's. Will you be alright to go in those clothes?"
Harry, not wanting to trek upstairs to change, nodded and got up. Lupin helped him out to the car, waited while he threw up in the snow, and laid him in the backseat.
It took them half an hour to get to the magical hospital and it was only in that short time that Harry started shivering.
"It's only the fever setting in," Lupin explained, helping him through the window and into the waiting room. Harry nodded and wiped the sweat from his forehead.
"Second floor" the witch behind the counter said when Lupin explained Harry's problem. She was staring at Harry's scar with deep interest.
Lupin led Harry to the second floor where they were met by a healer who led them along a white corridor and into an observation room.
"So, what's been the problem, Harry?" the healer asked, peering at the boy over his tiny spectacles. Harry tried to speak but found he'd lost his voice so Lupin explained.
"He's been vomiting regularly all day, every half hour in fact, and not long ago a fever set in."
"And what was the boy doing last night? Anything out of the ordinary?"
Lupin hesitated before answering.
"Voldemort tried to kill him through the mind."
The healer's hairy eyebrows shot up past his hairline.
"I see…" he mused, trying to stay focused. "Well. It could be a psychological problem; you-know-who could have damaged his brain. But it may just be a common muggle bug. Has he been exposed to the muggle world recently? You-know-who may have just lowered his immune system."
"You mean I could be mental?" Harry butted in. he wished he hadn't because his stomach began to stir again.
"I highly doubt it. But I'll just run a few tests…" the healer set out, doing strange things with his wand. Harry sat quietly through it all, willing his stomach to stay still. Finally the healer stopped his work and smiled.
"It's just a muggle bug. It should be gone by morning." Harry sighed with relief.
"Is a fever usually part of a bug?" Lupin asked. The healer frowned.
"The fever seems a bit magical. But it is harmless. It's usually due to using lots of magic in a short period of time. It wears the body out." The healer reached into a drawer in his desk and bought out a tiny little bottle and poured half the contents into a goblet. "Drink this. It wont cure you but the vomiting will stop."
Harry gratefully took the goblet and gulped down the substance, which tasted like orange juice.
"I don't feel better" Harry said, wiping more sweat from his forehead.
"It shouldn't. It's best to let these things wear themselves out. It builds the immune system. The drink, like I just said, stops the vomiting so you can drink something now and most likely join in on the big feast tonight. Don't eat to much though or the vomiting will start again." The healer smiled and Lupin signed the bill.
Harry was able to sit in the front seat for the ride down town.
"It wouldn't be the best Christmas you've had, would it?" Lupin said, parking in the main street and turning the car off. Lupin's car was just a little car, one that a not so rich family might have but not an embarrassment to ride in.
"It wouldn't be the worst, either" Harry commented, following Lupin down the street and into a little herbal shop.
"Moody want's herbs? What for?"
"Just a potion. I don't know what kind." Lupin grabbed a sachet of jasmine and two of Eranthis hiemalis. He paid the guy at the counter who looked stoned off his face and they left.
Harry savoured the bitter fresh air on the short walk to the car. He found it stuffy living in a house with countless people.
"Are you feeling better?" Molly asked, quite wildly the second Harry was in the door. Harry hid his face and shook his head.
"Voldemort gave me brain damage. It's only a matter of time before I lose my mind completely. The healer couldn't do anything."
Mrs Weasley gasped in horror.
"Stop it, Harry" Lupin said idly. "Molly, he's fine. It's just a muggle bug and a fever. He had some potion and he should be better by morning."
Harry looked up and smiled kindly at the woman who was much like a second mother.
Molly frowned. "At least your humour's still there. She took Harry to the kitchen and gave him a glass of water.
"Can we come near you, yet?" Draco was standing at the door, smirking at Harry's pale and sweaty face.
"Oh, don't come to close! They said I have rabies!" the two boys laughed and Draco moved into the room.
"Don't come to close, Draco! You could catch it. It is a muggle bug and they spread like wild fire." Molly warned him away.
"We have a resistance towards each other, Mrs Weasley." Draco dipped his finger in the gravy and tasted it. "I'll only get it if Ron or the girls get it."
Molly frowned again. "No doubt they will. You enjoy your good health."
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