Disclaimer: I own nothing.

Well, I just uploaded, chapter 10, and am starting chapter 11. (Of course, I have no idea when I will finish this chapter.)

So, here we go with the part of the story based on Harry recovering from his torture. This chapter also deals with the Durselys. So, enjoy it more than Harry will.

Hardly anyone reviewed the last chapter, so please read/review this time. I need to know what everyone thinks.

Chapter 11: Baby Steps

"Mr. Dursley," Dumbledore said quietly as he entered the room where the three family members were being kept. "The time has come for you to be tried for your crimes."

"What crime?" Dursley asked indignantly. All of the time he had been locked in that room, with little privileges, and unable to return to the muggle world, his anger at the wizards had boiled over. They fed them, and allowed them bathroom privileges, but the Dursleys seemed to be held prisoner. Vernon Dursley may have been a loud mouth to his captors, but he did not care to fight them. He knew what a losing battle it would be.

"You know the answer to that," Moody growled, appearing from behind Dumbledore.

"Come with us quietly, or we will hex you," Lupin said, appearing from the other side. The Dursleys quietly obliged, not wanting to anger the wizards. They followed Dumbledore to a large room in the building where they were being kept. The room contained many of the Order members, anxiously waiting to convict the Dursleys of mistreating Harry. They already knew their verdict; they just wanted to go through the formalities of a trial to say that justice was served.

Kingsley Shacklebolt stood in front of the rest of the room, as if to act the part of bailiff, making sure everything ran smoothly. Dumbledore, as leader of the Order, was the one who would act as the judge. The Dursleys were escorted to three chairs waiting for them, and sat down. "Don't I get a lawyer?" Vernon had nerve to ask.

"No," Shacklebolt answered. "You will act as the attorney in your family's defense. Not that there is one," he added quietly.

"Let us begin, then," Dumbledore said. "Vernon Dursley, you are being tried for the mistreatment of Harry Potter. Petunia and Dudley Dursley, you are being charged with being accessories to the crime. How do you plead?"

"Not guilty!" Dursley said.

Tonks rose from his chair, and strode over in front of the family. "Vernon Dursley, is it not true that while your nephew was home from vacation this summer, you beat him into unconsciousness? Then left him alone at home?"

"I…" Vernon stammered. "What if I did? He deserved it. He always caused trouble. It's his fault bad things kept happening."

"That is your excuse?!" Lupin shouted from a place not far away. The look in his eyes was one that would kill.

"Do I need another?"

"Well," Tonks interrupted. "That's all the proof we need here." She turned to Petunia. "And you. He is your own flesh and blood. And while it may not have been you who stuck the boy, you did nothing to stop it, and nothing to help after. You are sickening. What is your excuse?"

"He may be my sister's son, but I loath him as much as I did her if not more. Why should I help him? All I've ever done for that ungrateful brat is feed him and look after him. I didn't want him as a responsibility. He should have gone somewhere else, not to my home." The whole room was tense with anger and astonishment.

"You, Dudley Dursley," Tonks said, "are just disgusting. You yourself are an accessory, just as much as your mother is. Anything you wish to say?"

"N...no," he stammered, terrified of all the wizards surrounding him.

"Now for your punishment," Dumbledore said.

"Wait! No verdict?" Vernon yelled.

"We already knew our decision," he responded calmly. "This whole trial was only a formality. We are civilized enough to give you a fair trial."

"Fair!"

"We gave you a chance to explain your actions, and you did. And just as we thought, you were guilty. Now, Vernon and Petunia, what we are going to do is this: we will frame you for murder."

"What!" the three shouted. "But he's alive," Vernon said.

"I'm afraid you're wrong, there," Dumbledore said sadly. "Harry Potter died as a result from his injuries this morning. Therefore, you are murderers."

"You can't do that!"

"Oh, yes we can," Lupin said.

Dumbledore continued. "What we are going to do is leave blood and hair at your home…"

"Our home was destroyed," Petunia said.

"We reconstructed it. It was drawing far too much attention. We will leave an anonymous tip with the muggle authorities. They will find evidence of his murder. Now, you may not serve full time because of insufficient evidence, but you will serve time in prison. And trust me, prisoners do not take well to child abusers."

"We will tell them!" Petunia threatened.

"They'll think you're mad!" Lupin said. "We don't exist to the rest of the world, remember? You tell them that, and they'll lock you up in the asylum. Either way, you will pay for killing Harry."

"What about me?" Dudley voiced.

"You will go to a boy's home," Dumbledore said. "There, you will be forced to live in a modest lifestyle. After all, your Aunt Marge will not take you, we'll see to that. You will be reformed to be a better citizen. There may be a chance for you yet. Court adjourned."

&

"Drink this," Poppy told the boy. He took it quickly. This potion was a new one to him. He had just completed the strength potions and the blood potion, now he was taking one to help him be able to walk again.

"Now, Professor Snape is coming in here, and I want him to help you learn to walk again."

"Why him?"

"Because he is the only one available at the current time, is why," she said calmly. "I will fetch him now."

Harry sat back and sighed. He wanted to be helped by anyone but Snape at the moment. The man still resented him. It had been five days since he had awoken, and the term would start fairly soon, he was certain, even though he knew not the exact date. He was trying to figure it out when the hospital wing doors open and a very disgruntled looking Snape walked in.

"Well," Snape said. "Stand up, boy!"

Harry hesitated for a moment, then tried to do as asked. He moved the covers off, and attempted to swing his legs over the bed. It was very hard to do in his condition, and he had to move his legs with his hands in the end. His feet fell to the side as though tossed like a rag doll. He couldn't feel them, really. There was only a tingling sensation as the potion began to work. Harry moved his body a little more with his arms, and his feet found the floor. The second he let go, he fell. Snape issued a heavy sigh and walked over to help him up.

The boy hated holding on to his worst professor, and the only though that kept him from lashing out was the fact that his life had been saved by the man. Snape helped him to balance upright, which was difficult to do. "I don't think I can walk yet," Harry said.

"We have to keep you moving after you ingest the potion, otherwise it will not work properly." He turned himself and the boy in the opposite direction, and started to move. Harry tried to move his feet but it didn't work. "One step at a time," Pomfrey said, watching from a distance away. "You have to focus."

Harry tried, but as he willed himself to walk, he realized his legs were not going to listen to him. They dragged on the floor as Snape tried to help him. The tingling sensation eventually faded, and he felt as he had before. "Do you just feel numb again?" Pomfrey asked. Harry just nodded.

Snape pulled him back to his bed, and he sat up, trying hard not to feel too sorry for himself. "It will take a lot of work, but we will have you walking before term begins," she said. "You need to take this potion twice a day. Once in the morning, and again in the evening. During your evening consumption, we will try to get you to walk."

Harry listened, but though he heard the optimism in her voice, he felt he would not walk again on his own.

Two days later, after much practice, he still couldn't move on his own. It was time for his morning dosage, and he sat resigned in the hospital bed. Poppy left him alone, and he tried to figure out what to do. He decided that the only thing he could do was to try and walk on his own. He made up his mind then that he would work independently to get his legs functioning normally.

He swung his legs from the bed, and stood up. He never let go of the bed, knowing he would fall the second he did. His legs still tingled with small sensations, as feeling was restored partially to them. He used the bed, and dragged himself forward. He still could not feel anything, though, and try as he might, his fight to walk failed. Harry let go of the bed and balanced on his numb feet for a few seconds. He could feel himself beginning to fall. He tried to catch himself, but was not quick enough. He landed with a thud face down on the floor.

Professor Snape heard the loud crash and came running into the room, only to see Harry pushing himself up with his arms. "What did you do this time, Potter?" he sneered. Harry didn't answer. Before Snape could even make it over to him, he was halfway up. Professor Snape stopped a few feet away, and watched as the boy pulled himself up using the foot of the bed. After he was standing again, Snape took him by the arm and led him back to the bed. "Don't try that again on your own."

Still Harry said nothing to his professor. He only sat on the bed, and watched as the Professor left the room. The night session approached where he was supposed to learn to walk, and Harry did not feel like dealing with Professor Snape that evening. He was dwelling how much he loathed learning to walk when a figure walked in that the boy recognized immediately; Remus Lupin. He walked into the hospital wing, and finally stopped near the foot of Harry's bed. He smiled in a tired manner but happy manner. "You look much better than when I last saw you."

"Thank you, sir," Harry said.

"I thought I would give Professor Snape an evening off and assist you with the walking."

Harry didn't want anyone to see him at his weakest, but he would have rather had Lupin with him than Snape any day of the week. They started the same as he always did, with him consuming the potion and trying to walk him around the room. But this time, something was different. Instead of his legs just tingling slightly, and not moving any, they started to feel normal, and by the end of the evening, he had moved them slightly. The potion began to wear off, though, and he found that he could not move his legs anymore, although the tingling did not fade this time.

"Were you only here for today?" Harry asked.

Remus nodded. "I have work to do, and the full moon is in a week. It would not be safe if I were to stay here. I will see you again soon, though."

Harry nodded reluctantly, and Remus left the room. Harry sat back in the bed, wishing that he could visit with the rest of his friends, if only for a moment. He wanted to make sure that they were safe, and that Voldemort and his lot had not found them. The dreams had worried him greatly, and he had the uneasy feeling that it would truly happen.

When the next morning came, Harry once again tried to walk on his own. At first, he felt like giving up, since all that happened was that he very nearly fell again. But determination set in, and he knew he could not give up. He did not want to stay in that bed for any longer. With the thought of being confined to the hospital bed for any longer, he tried harder to walk.

He let go of the bed post, and instead of concentrating on walking, he concentrated on what he wanted. What he wanted was to be able to see his friends safe again. He wanted to keep Voldemort away. He wanted to play Quidditch again. He wanted…

And he found that he had moved on his own. His legs had carried him almost to the bed across the way from his. He had walked on his own without much difficulty at all. He decided that if he could do it then, he kept going. He kept it up until he had reached the opposite wall. He was very pleased with himself, and found that a silly yet triumphant grin had found its way onto his face. A cough from the other end of the room caught his attention, and he looked over to see Professor Snape standing in the doorway.

"You managed that by yourself?" Snape asked with an eyebrow raised. Harry nodded, the smile now faded from his face. Harry would have said that Snape almost looked impressed, but that faint looked vanished as Snape demanded he make his way back to his bed. Harry obliged, finding he was willing to walk anywhere to practice.

After Harry had made it back to the bed, Snape left, not saying another word. Harry was a bit confused. Later that afternoon, Poppy Pomfrey walked into the hospital wing, caring a long wooden stick. She handed it to Harry, saying, "Professor Snape told me to give you this. He said that the way you were improving, you would need it soon." Without waiting for Harry to say anything, she left the room.

Harry turned the cane over in his hands, examining it carefully. It seemed to be made of Oak wood, and had the image of a Phoenix carved on the top of it. It was sturdy and the wood was smooth. Smiling, Harry thought that he couldn't wait until he could use his cane to walk again.