Power of Hogwarts

by ksomm814

Complete. Sequel to BOAD. Harry has left the wizarding world as a last attempt to save those he loves. However, no one is ready to let him go, whether it is friend or foe. Powers are realized. Friendships are tested. Alliances are formed.

7. For the Love of a Father

Chapter 7

For the Love of a Father

The next time Harry awoke Sirius was at his bedside with breakfast. Of course it was only porridge but it was certainly better than nothing. Sirius wasn't pleased when Harry could only eat half of it but considering the past week, it wasn't a surprise that Harry couldn't eat much. Serving meals hadn't exactly been high on the Death Eaters' priority list in addition to the fact that Harry's appetite had been slim to none at best over the past month. He had been too worried about everything around him including Voldemort, Sirius, his abilities and his job.

As it turned out, Madam Pomfrey had stopped by when he had been sleeping and had given Sirius a handful of potions to help with the final stages of recovery. Swallowing them hadn't been easy though. After the third, Harry suddenly felt extremely ill and was forced to lie back down as Sirius placed a damp cloth over his forehead. His stomach slowly settled allowing him to quickly take the remaining two potions. Why no one could manage to make potions to taste something other than horrible was beyond Harry's comprehension. More like it's something Snape would do just to annoy me.

After checking for any side affects, Sirius grabbed a change of clothes and helped Harry out of bed before ushering him to the bathroom. Harry ignored the subtle waves of dizziness in his head along with the waves of protectiveness around him as he cleaned up and changed. He had to sit down on the edge of the bath a few times when his vision swam but he managed on his own. Looking into the mirror, Harry noticed how pale he was and how thin his face had become in the last week. There was also a faint scar that started at the edge of the right side of Harry's jaw and traveled down his neck. Harry ran his fingers over the mark, trying to remember where it had come from. Most likely the explosion.

There was a soft knock on the door before it opened slowly. Sirius poked his head in before entering completely. The waves of protectiveness increased and were joined with waves of concern. Sirius gently pulled Harry's hand away from the scar. "Just be grateful that's all you have, Pronglet," he said gently. "Snape said you were a mess after the explosion. We tried to find you but Voldemort had so many wards around that place. No one could do any sort of magic without him knowing it. Please believe me Harry. I never would have left you there."

Harry stared at his godfather with tears in his eyes. How could he not believe that Sirius would do anything other than moving heaven and earth to find him? His doubts had never concerned Sirius' ability to protect him. They had rested solely on Harry's own fears and failures. Raising a shaky hand, Harry gently touched Sirius' face and was instantly overwhelmed by bursts of guilt and despair. He quickly pulled his hand away as he swayed only to be caught by Sirius.

"Harry, what is it?" Sirius asked worriedly while trying to help Harry out of the bathroom.

Blinking the confusion away, Harry looked around to see that Sirius was helping him back to his room. The guilt and despair were now at the same level of Sirius' other emotions. "Er—it was acting up again," he said as he rubbed his forehead. "I couldn't block it out. Although, it's never happened by touch before."

Sirius abruptly stopped in his tracks. "Is it still happening?" he asked worriedly. "Am I causing you pain?"

Harry carefully touched Sirius' hand that was resting on his shoulder and let out a sigh of relief when nothing changed. "No," he said with a smile. "Maybe it was just a one time thing."

"Or maybe your magic is still fluctuating," Sirius countered as he continued walking with Harry to Harry's room. "Honestly, I'm really out of my league here. Being an actual empath without relying on spells is extremely rare. There are also different types of empaths. Some rely on touch, some rely on scent—similar to a werewolf and there are the rarest that can just sense emotions. Unfortunately there aren't many books on the topic in the Black family library. My ancestors seemed to be more interested in learning dark magic."

Harry looked up at Sirius' concerned face and bit his lower lip. He could still sense Sirius' guilt and felt awful that he was making his godfather feel that way. "I know you did everything you could, Sirius," Harry said as his gaze fell to the ground. "You have nothing to feel guilty for. It was my own fault. A Death Eater was scouting in the neighborhood I was staying. There were families there…children. I didn't want them to be killed so I asked Fawkes to take me to Diagon Alley. I thought if I was spotted in some place other than Muggle London than the attacks would be called off."

Sirius wrapped an arm around Harry's shoulders and pulled him close. "I suppose being able to feel their emotions didn't help either," he said thoughtfully. "Tonks and Kingsley told the Order about your confrontation with them near the Leaky Cauldron. You do realize that Voldemort was expecting you to do something like that, right? There had been spies all throughout London waiting for you to appear. Several of the captured Death Eaters admitted it."

Harry nodded regretfully. "It makes sense," he said softly. "They were extremely prepared." Staring straight ahead, Harry couldn't help thinking bout the past month. So much had happened and the majority of it could have been avoided. "I can't believe I fell for it all. I should have known the moment I head Dad's voice at the Ministry that something was really wrong."

"Voldemort has fooled a lot of people, Harry," Sirius said truthfully. "He is a master of manipulation. I can't imagine what I would have done in your place. I probably would have listened to James too. Mistakes were made by a lot of people that night, not just you. People interfered who should have left us alone and people broke promises. What's important is that we don't make these mistakes again."

Harry desperately wanted to ask who Sirius was talking about but figured that Sirius was being vague for a reason. Something else had happened the night Harry left Hogwarts or shortly after it; something that still angered Sirius whenever he thought about it. He'll tell me when he's ready. I know he will.

Entering his room, Harry held back a groan as Sirius helped him back into bed. The next few weeks were certainly going to be a challenge. Sirius was going to be extremely overprotective and wouldn't stand for the independent Harry who had spent a month technically living on his own and having a full-time job. Harry knew Sirius had every right to act that way. He knew it was the way Sirius was. But if that was the case, then why did he feel the need to yell at Sirius to knock it off?

Probably because that was what I always said to Dr. Rolands when he tried to act overprotective. I have to remember that Sirius has a right to be overprotective. He has every right after what I've put him through.

"Harry?" Sirius asked, pulling Harry out of his thoughts. "What's wrong?"

Nothing. Everything. "Just thinking," Harry said with a shrug. Change the topic, Harry. "So, I guess you want to know the rest, right?" Not exactly the ideal change of topic but certainly one that would keep everything away from the contradicting urges coursing through his head.

Sirius ran a hand through his hair as he sat down at Harry's bedside. "Only if you're up for it," he said. "I won't pressure you but eventually you will have to talk about it. The Ministry has been hounding Dumbledore for the past few days for a meeting to learn what happened after you had been taken. So far you've been the only one to actually be at Voldemort's hideout."

Harry couldn't help groaning as he buried his face in his hands. The last thing Harry wanted to do was to be involved with the Ministry. He didn't care who the Minister was. The only thing anyone from that place saw was the-boy-who-lived, not Harry. "But I don't know anything," Harry protested. "I wasn't exactly in the best of conditions when I arrived and when I left I was more concerned about running for my life than taking in my surroundings. The place was in the middle of nowhere. It took me hours just to find a road to call the Knight Bus."

"You took the Knight Bus dressed as a Death Eater?" Sirius asked in surprise.

Harry shrugged helplessly. "I really didn't have much of a choice," he said matter-of-factly. "A Death Eater came into my cell to gloat about how they were so close to capturing you and I would have to watch you die! What was I supposed to do? I thought Remus was dead! I wasn't about to lose you too!" Turning his head away, Harry fought to calm himself down but it wasn't working. Why wasn't it working?

Sirius ran his hand over his face in frustration. "I'm sorry, kiddo," he said sincerely. "I didn't mean it to come out like it did. I guess I'm just surprised. With the current state of things I'm surprised they let you on the bus."

"I didn't give them much of a choice," Harry admitted softly. "Once I was on the bus I revealed who I was and they were eager to do just about anything."

Sirius snorted at the comment. "Of course they did," he muttered as he sat back in his chair. "You're 'The Chosen One'."

Harry stared at Sirius in confusion. He suddenly had a feeling that he had missed more than he originally thought. What had been printed in the issues of the 'Daily Prophet' that he missed? Was their a reason Fawkes brought the issues he did? "The what?" Harry asked uncomfortably.

Sirius silently cursed himself. "Nothing, Harry," he said quickly. "Just the wizarding world being it's usual self-serving self. We can talk about it later…when you're stronger. It really isn't that important. I promise I'll explain everything but I think what you've been through takes precedence."

Taking the hint, Harry inhaled deeply and told the rest of his story. He told Sirius about Dr. Rolands, his job at the hospital, and the people he met. He explained a few of his duties, including 'story time' in the children's ward. Harry couldn't help smiling at the memories of the children hanging on his every word. That part of the day had always been what he looked forward to. It was amazing how satisfying bringing joy to others was.

Snapping back to the present, Harry continued on, explaining how he realized his empathic ability and how he used his position at the hospital to test it. He was still hesitant to tell Sirius about his ability to help people to heal. I'll tell him after I try to help Remus, I swear. Harry revealed his weekly meeting with Fawkes and how he learned about the attacks on Muggle neighborhoods. He then moved on to the difficult topic of his imprisonment at Voldemort's hideout. He told Sirius what he could remember and noticed the nervous look on Sirius' face when he revealed what McDaniels discovered although he didn't know whether he was nervous it was concerning what was learned or that Voldemort knew about it.

After three hours of talking, Harry was surprised when Sirius called for Dobby. The Hogwarts house elf quickly appeared and instantly started jumping up and down, telling Harry how happy he was that the 'Great Harry Potter' was safe and home with his 'wolf and dog'. Sirius quickly put an end to Dobby's proclamations that Harry was the greatest wizard of all time by asking for the elf to bring lunch. Dobby vanished with a pop only to reappear a moment later with two trays. Sirius was given a three course meal while Harry had a variety of bland dishes to choose from.

Harry and Sirius ate in silence, both deep in though about what hey had learned in the past few days. The need to see Remus was becoming unbearable. Did he look the same? Would he still appear to be dead? What would he be like when he woke? Would he still be the same Remus or had the poisoning been more than just physical? That was a frightening thought. Remus had always been so kind that it was easy to forget about the wolf.

Eating his soup, Harry didn't notice the occasional glances he was receiving from Sirius. He didn't suspect anything until his bowl of soup was half empty. Everything was starting to feel hazy and the simple action of holding a spoon was difficult. Blinking tiredly, Harry barely noticed Sirius gently pulling the spoon out of Harry's hand and setting the try aside. When his eyes started to droop, Harry realized that something strong had been put in his soup. Cheater.

"Sir'us," Harry said sleepily as Sirius repositioned him so he was lying down completely.

"I know, kiddo," Sirius said, running a hand through Harry's damp hair. "I know you don't want to but you're still recovering. Poppy said sleep is the best thing for you. It's just for a few hours and then we can see Moony, all right?"

Unable to fight the call to sleep anymore, Harry closed his eyes and quickly drifted off. He was so out of it that he didn't notice the monitoring spells Sirius cast around his bed before leaving in a hurry.

---

Darkness surrounded him. In the darkness rested cold, hate and anger. To a normal person, the situation would be frightening but to him, it was home. It had been home for years. He was feared and well known but it wasn't enough to compete with a sixteen-year-old boy with a scar on his forehead in the shape of a lightening bolt. He had attacked towns and killed countless people yet Harry Potter still covered the front page of the 'Daily Prophet'. Because Harry Potter had escaped, the entire wizarding world was optimistic. Because Harry Potter had escaped, he had to abandon a perfectly hidden lair and retire several Death Eaters for their incompetence.

It was pitiful how much the wizarding world depended on a mere teenager. After the Charing Cross Road attack, all the 'Daily Prophet' could report about were possible locations of where 'The Chosen One' may be. Kill a town of people and you strike fear into the population. Abduct the-boy-who-lived and everything comes to a halt. He knew he should have killed the boy immediately but he had taken the boy's immobility for granted. He left the boy alone for far too long.

Harry Potter was certainly an enigma. For someone who had faced so much pain, Potter had a remarkable strength of will. He would have been an asset if he could have been turned. Now he would have to be killed. It was such a waste of talent but his fate had been sealed. Harry Potter proved he could outsmart the Death Eaters and had an annoying habit of surviving like and death situations. There was also the small fact that Harry Potter was the beacon of hope for the hypocritical wizarding world. Killing the mascot would be the first step to ensuring victory.

It was almost comical how daft people were. Ever since Potter's escape had been announced, the 'Daily Prophet' had kept a daily report of Potter's status, notifying everyone (including his enemies) just how fragile the boy was. Apparently, Potter's recovery has been progressing slower than expected. The Ministry had yet to hear from him and Dumbledore wasn't revealing anything. That would raise his suspicions if Severus Snape hadn't revealed that Black was preventing everyone from visiting the teenager. No one was allowed to enter the hidden home other than the blood traitor's cousin, Nymphadora Tonks, and the Hogwarts medi-witch.

That had been another oversight. He should have known the blood traitor would have only called who he trusted to help Harry Potter recover and Poppy Pomfrey was the only medi-witch who was aware that Potter was indeed unique. After all, she hadn't revealed any of her discoveries to anyone. Harry Potter's medical file was the most protected file at Hogwarts (according to Snape). No one was allowed to see the contents without Pomfrey and a guardian consenting to it, something that made it impossible for Snape to discover Potter's secrets. Those secrets were the final piece of information he needed to properly plan Potter's defeat.

Once Potter reappears, his death will be slow and painful. He will beg for death in the end.

A sadistic smile slowly appeared on his face at the possibilities. He knew the boy's ultimate weakness and had every intention of exploiting it.

---

"SIRIUS!"

Sitting up quickly, Harry looked around his dimly lit room only to find that he was alone. He was breathing heavily as if he had just run a kilometer as fast as he possibly could. His shirt was soaked with sweat and clinging to him like a second skin. Panic coursed through him as he quickly pushed the bedcovers away and jumped out of bed, grapping his glasses off the bedside table in the process. Something was wrong. He knew it and it had something to do with Sirius. Ignoring the slight wave of dizziness, Harry hurried to the door and pulled it open. He had to find Sirius quickly. He didn't know why nor did he care. All he knew was that he wouldn't feel at ease until he saw that Sirius was safe.

Harry grabbed the wall and waited for the dizziness to pass before he stepped out into the dimly lit hallway. The only sound was Harry's own anxious breathing. It was too quiet here. Harry didn't like quiet. The quiet reminded Harry of being in the cell. The quiet reminded Harry of the early mornings at the hospital where there was nothing to do but think of the past that haunted him. With silence, your imagination had a tendency to get the better of you.

The sound of someone hurrying up the stairs only increased Harry's panic. Logic had no place in his mind. At that point, it didn't matter how secure Black Manor was. All Harry could think about was that an intruder had done something to Sirius and was now coming for him. He wasn't strong enough to face an attacker. He could barely stand without his head swimming. Reverting to survival mode, Harry backed into the shadows, praying that he wouldn't be noticed. All of the fear quickly vanished at the sight of Sirius entering the hallway in a run. Relaxing slightly, Harry stepped out of the shadows and was instantly checked over by Sirius.

"Harry, what's wrong?" Sirius asked frantically. "Is your scar acting up? Your magic? Nightmare?"

Harry shakily shook his head. "Just a feeling," he said softly. It sounded stupid now but it had felt so real. It had been nothing more than a knowledge that Sirius was in immediate danger. Someone wanted to harm Sirius but he didn't know who. It was both embarrassing and nerve-wracking. He was nearly sixteen and he was acting like a child, acting out because of a dream or nightmare. Why was he such an emotional wreak?

Sirius let out a sigh of relief before wrapping an arm around Harry's shoulders. "It's all right, kiddo," he said with a reassuring smile. "We're safe here, okay? No one can enter without permission, not even Dumbledore. Tonks thought that we would need some time alone tonight and decided to drag Viktor off to some pub. Truthfully, I think they just wanted a different environment to fight in. Those two can't agree on anything."

Harry could only nod in agreement as Sirius ushered him back to his room. It still felt odd that Viktor and Tonks were so close considering that they had only met a few weeks ago. Then again, it took me even less time to warm up to Tonks. Harry's self-proclaimed aunt certainly had a way with people. She was like a female Sirius but clumsy. "Are they dating?" Harry asked as he sat down on the edge of the bed.

Sirius looked at Harry for a moment before he burst out laughing. "Viktor and Tonks?" he asked as he sat down on the chair at Harry's bedside. "I think they would kill each other first. They get along as well as they do because they have to. Viktor believes Tonks is annoying and Tonks thinks Viktor is too serious all the time. Also, they are both friends with Charlie Weasley so they have to put up with each other." Sirius ruffled Harry's hair then sat back in his chair. "Thanks for the laugh, kiddo. I really needed that." His smile slowly vanished as he stared at Harry. "Do you want to talk about it?"

Harry shrugged his shoulders as he rubbed the back of his neck nervously. "I just had a feeling that you were in danger and I panicked," he said sheepishly. "It was so quiet and it sort of reminded me of…"

"When you were being held prisoner?" Sirius offered. Harry nodded, his gaze falling to the floor. "Harry, it's understandable that you would be a little jumpy after what's happened. I'm sorry I wasn't here when you woke. Molly fire-called. Apparently, Ron, Hermione and Ginny are driving her mad. They want to see you, if you're up for it."

Harry bit his lower lip. Was he ready to face his friends? Not really. Was he ready to tell them what he had been through? Certainly not. Was he ready to reveal the secrets that he had been keeping for years? I'll never be ready for that. "Er—maybe after I see Remus?" Harry asked hopefully.

"We can do that," Sirius said as he rose to his feet and extended his hand to Harry. "Are you up for a short journey?"

Harry nodded while taking Sirius' hand and was quickly pulled to a standing position. His vision swam for a moment, forcing Harry to blink repeatedly and wait for the slight dizziness pass to pass. This was already becoming annoying and it had only happened a few times. Harry didn't know why it was taking him so long to recover from this. Well, you've never had your magic suppressed before. This is probably normal.

"Sorry about that," Sirius said sincerely. "I keep forgetting that occasional dizziness is a common side affect with the majority of the potions Poppy has been giving you. Are you all right or do you need to sit back down?"

Harry shook his head, willing for everything to return to its rightful place. I'm not going to lose my stomach. I'm not going to pass out when I'm so close to seeing Remus. "I'm okay," Harry insisted. "How much longer do I have to take that stuff?"

Sirius loosely grabbed Harry underneath the right arm for support. "Poppy refused to give me an answer to that question when I asked her," he said as they slowly walked out of the room. "I guess the timeframe varies from person to person depending how magically strong you are. Poppy was also upset at your weight loss so she has been giving you nutrient potions twice a day."

"I didn't lose that much weight," Harry protested, walking towards Remus' closed door.

Sirius looked at Harry with a raised eyebrow. "Harry, you lost half a stone in a month!" he said in disbelief, stopping at Remus' door. "For someone who didn't really have any extra weight to lose, that is a cause for alarm! Did you even eat at all?"

Harry shrugged his shoulders helplessly. "I wasn't hungry," he said softly. With everything going on how could he worry about food?

Sirius shook his head as he turned the knob and pushed the door open. "Well Poppy's not too happy and neither am I," he said firmly. "Remember how much you loved Dumbledore and Poppy being on your case during the Tournament?"

Harry couldn't help groaning in annoyance. He had hated the ultimatum then and he was going to hate it now, especially if Madam Pomfrey was involved. The woman was so persistent that Harry always found himself doing what she wanted just so she would leave him alone. Thinking back, Harry realized that Madam Pomfrey's overprotective nature towards him actually started before his third year. That was really when everyone's attitude towards him had changed. It had been a shock to learn that the pampered savior of the wizarding world was nothing more than an abused child.

If Sirius hadn't rescued me I would have probably died in that house.

That night had been the turning point in Harry's life. Because Harry had formed a friendship with Midnight, he had sought the dog out at Hogwarts and demanded answers. Because Midnight helped a boy in need, Harry formed a father-son relationship with Remus Lupin. Harry didn't want to think what his life would have been like if he was still living with the Dursleys. That life seemed so long ago. He had been a completely different person then; independent and naïve. Harry still had the independence in him but emotionally he was completely dependent on his family. That was why he still couldn't believe that he had left it behind like he had, left Sirius behind.

Letting out a frustrated sigh, Harry followed Sirius into the room and instantly moved to the bed. He couldn't bring himself to blink as he stared at the figure that appeared to be frozen in time. The trademark light brown hair was still flecked with gray, showing how much stress the wolf had caused him. Kneeling down at the bedside, Harry tentatively ran his figures over the extremely thin face that still bore signs of silver poisoning. The purple lines that had been so distinct before had faded to simply tinting the skin slightly. Remus still felt so cold. If Harry didn't know better, he would have believed his guardian was indeed dead.

Sirius pulled up a chair and motioned for Harry to sit down. "I'll call Molly and tell her Ron, Hermione and Ginny can visit," he said as he rested a hand on Harry's shoulder. "I know it's hard seeing Moony like this. Just remember he'll be up in no time, yelling at us for doing something stupid." Sirius squeezed Harry's shoulder before moving towards the doorway to leave Harry and Remus alone.

"Sirius," Harry said as he looked over his shoulder as his godfather stopped and looked at Harry curiously. "Thank you." Thank you for understanding. Thank you for being Sirius.

Sirius grinned and winked at Harry. "Don't mention it, kiddo," he said. "Take all the time you need."

Harry watched Sirius leave and close the door before turning back to Remus. Nervousness quickly crept in as Harry took hold of Remus' right hand with his own and placed his left on Remus' forehead. Closing his eyes, Harry concentrated on his memories of Remus. He remembered meeting him in the hospital wing and talking about 'being dark'. He remembered when Remus became his temporary guardian. Harry had put Remus through so much that year yet Remus never abandoned him. Remus had treated Harry like a son.

Memories of the summer following that hectic school year entered Harry's mind. The duo had become a trio and a unique family had been created. Remus finally had the friend he had needed the past twelve years and Harry had two parents. Harry remembered the World Cup and the numerous times he had simply watched his guardians act like the immature pranksters they used to be. Christmas and the snowball fight. The Yule Ball. The aftermath of the second task when Harry had broken down because he didn't feel like he could live up to everyone's expectations. Then there was the aftermath of the third task. Harry didn't know what he would have done if Sirius and Remus hadn't been there to help him every step of the way.

Last year at Hogwarts had been nothing short of a disaster. Harry knew he had put his guardians through so much with the attack on the train, Malfoy's attacks, Umbridge, his visions, the hearing at the Ministry, his outbursts, the D.A., studying for his O.W.L.s, and the battle in the Department of Mysteries. Harry couldn't prevent the tears from falling as he remembered the sight of Remus being attacked by Pettigrew. The pain Remus must have felt as the poison ran through is body…and to be completely helpless…

Harry gasped in surprise as intense warmth filled him and flowed towards his hands. It was almost like the dam had finally been lowered and nothing would stop the energy from reaching it's target. It was amazing and alarming. It wasn't like his outbursts that completely overwhelmed him. This was powerful magic that had a purpose and wouldn't stop until it was completed, regardless of the consequences.

Fighting to maintain his focus, Harry allowed the energy to flow through him and he concentrated on his love for his adoptive father. Come back to us, Moony. We need you. Sweat began to form on Harry's forehead. His muscles started to scream in pain. His breathing became labored. Harry could feel his body weakening but ignored it. Remus' hands were now warm in his own. It was working! Harry's head started to pound but it didn't matter. It was actually working!

Pain started to overpower the warming sensation the flowing magic was providing. Harry bit his lower lip to keep himself from crying out. He wanted to stop but this was Remus. Just a little more. I can do this for Remus. I know I can. Dizziness quickly crept in, forcing Harry to rest his head on Remus' chest. He tried to hold on but he was lost in a sea of confusion. His left arm fell to his side as the warmth that had flooded his body vanished, leaving pain and emptiness. Harry couldn't bring himself to move. He was so tired, too tired.

Sleep came quickly.

---

The door slowly creaked open far enough for a certain Animagus to poke his head in and smile at the sigh of Harry resting his head on Remus' chest. He had left Harry an hour ago and had figured that Harry would have fallen asleep by now. Whatever Harry had said to Remus must have worn him out. Not many actually knew how close Harry was to Remus Lupin since Remus was such a private person. Sirius was well aware of the long talks that Harry and Remus had concerning 'serious' matters. Remus was the 'serious' parent and Sirius was the fun parent. At the moment, Harry needed the 'serious' parent to help him through his problems. That was the main reason why Sirius had taken it upon himself to act a little more like Remus.

Opening the door open completely, Sirius quietly entered the room and knelt down beside his godson. He gently placed a hand on Harry's shoulder only to pull it back quickly when he noticed that the shirt was completely soaked with sweat. Cautiously, Sirius rested is hand on the back of Harry's neck and nearly cried out in shock. The boy was burning up! When had this happened? Harry had been fine only an hour ago!

Sirius carefully gathered Harry into his arms and lowered the boy to the floor. It was then that Sirius actually noticed that a fever was the least of his worries. Harry's face was flushed, his breathing was uneven and his body convulsed periodically. Not knowing what to do, Sirius looked towards the doorway and saw three figures staring at him in shock. Harry's never going to forgive me for this.

Time certainly wasn't on his side as Sirius jumped to his feet. "You three stay here with him," he ordered. "I have to call Poppy. If anything happens, come and get me immediately."

Hermione Granger and Ginny Weasley hurried to Harry's side, taking one of his hands into their own. Ronald Weasley remained in the doorway, his eyes wide at the sight of his best friend lying helpless on the floor. Knowing that at least Hermione and Ginny had heard him, Sirius ran out of the room as fast as he could. Not a word was said as the seconds slowly passed. Hermione ran her fingers through Harry's damp hair while Ginny gently ran her fingers down the side of Harry's face, both holding some hope that their actions would be enough to wake Harry.

Ron finally snapped out of his wits and managed to approach. He had been warned, just like Hermione and Ginny, that Harry was still recovering but he had allowed himself to believe that Sirius was just being overprotective again. He knew that Harry had been caught in an explosion only to be captured by Death Eaters for You-Know-Who. It had been a long three days waiting while the majority of his family aided in the search. It had been a welcomed surprise when Charlie stepped out of the fireplace and announced that Harry had been found. Ron, Hermione and Ginny had immediately asked when they could see their friend only to learn that Sirius had forbidden visitors. Harry was recovering from injuries sustained during his capture, exhaustion and magical suppression. It was a lot to overcome but this was Harry. Harry always bounced back from his injuries before. He could do it again…right?

Sitting down on the edge of the bed, Ron watched as Hermione and Ginny stared worriedly at Harry while touching his face and hair. He was about to tell them to stop it when something brushed against his arm, causing him to cry out in alarm and jump to his feet. Turning around, Ron stared, wide eyed at the sight of Remus Lupin breathing heavily as he weakly reached out. The werewolf's eyes were still closed and he didn't appear to actually be aware of his surroundings. However, when Remus spoke there was no denying what was on his mind.

"Harry?" Remus pleaded weakly before falling back into a deep sleep.

Ron, Hermione and Ginny stared at Remus for a long moment before they subconsciously agreed on the same course of action. "SIRIUS!" they all screamed.

---

Everything felt so warm and peaceful but strange at the same time. He was lying in a comfortable bed yet he couldn't move for some reason. Why couldn't he move? His mind was a clouded mess and pounding in pain. When did this happen? He didn't remember doing anything that would cause this much pain, physically or mentally. Groaning, Harry moved the only part of his body that would obey: his head and even that was painful. He didn't know what was going on and he didn't care. He just wanted the pain to stop.

Gentle fingers ran through his hair, distracting him as something pierced his arm. Harry tried to protest but the sudden dampening of pain put a quick stop to it. Everything slowly cleared, allowing Harry to remember what he had tried to do and how hard it had been. That must be why I feel so awful now. Slowly, Harry opened his eyes to see several somewhat blurry faces staring down at him. He instantly recognized Madam Pomfrey and Sirius. It was the third face he was having problems with. There was something familiar about the man but Harry couldn't put a finger on what it was.

Closing his eyes, Harry forced himself to relax and felt subtle waves of concern, nervousness and fear mixed with relief. He let out a sigh and opened his eyes again. This was certainly going to be difficult. "What happened?" Harry asked in a scratchy voice.

"That's what we would like to know, cub," a familiar voice said gently. "Padfoot's been beside himself with worry when he found you unconscious in here yesterday."

Harry gasped in surprise. It couldn't be, could it? "Moony?" he asked hopefully.

"That's right," Remus said as he rested his hand against the side of Harry's face. "With both of us restricted to bed rest, Poppy felt that it was best to keep you in here. That way we can keep an eye on each other." He moved his hand up so it rested on Harry's forehead. "We also have a lot to talk about."

Harry couldn't take his eyes off of Remus as Madam Pomfrey started to check him over for any signs of lingering illness. "But you're okay, right?" he asked. "The poison—"

"—I'm still healing, Harry," Remus said truthfully as he ran fingers through Harry's hair, ignoring the whispers between Sirius and Madam Pomfrey. "I don't know what you did or how you did it. Poppy says my recovery has moved ahead an entire three months. I will still tire easily from time to time and I still need to take a potion twice a day but at least I don't have to stay in stasis anymore. You, on the other hand, are suffering from magical exhaustion…again. That's quite an accomplishment from someone who's still recovering from magical suppression."

Harry bit his lower lip nervously. "How much has Sirius told you?" he asked. He was torn. A part of him wanted Remus to know everything so Harry could avoid retelling it all while another part of him wished that Remus didn't know of all of the mistakes Harry had made by acting without thinking things through.

Remus smiled in understanding. "I've been given a brief overview," he reveled. "All I can say is that I'm sorry, cub. If I hadn't let my guard down, none of this would have happened." Harry moved to protest. "No, Harry. I think we all have to accept a part of the blame. We all made mistakes. What's important is that we learn from them and don't repeat them. That's really all we can do."

Madam Pomfrey cleared her throat. "Well, Mr. Potter," she said sternly. "Would you care to explain what happened?"

Harry had to do some quickly thinking. Revealing his ability to Sirius and Remus was one thing but letting Madam Pomfrey know meant letting others know too. That was something he just wasn't ready for. "I just wanted him to recover," Harry said as he looked away. It's the truth…just missing some of the details.

Sirius sat down on the edge of the bed as he picked up a pair of glasses on the bedside table and slid them on Harry's face, making everything come into focus. Harry blinked a few times for his eyes to adjust as Sirius took Harry's hand in his own. "Harry, Poppy knows," Sirius said candidly. "I had to tell her. She was already suspicious when her tests kept revealing that your magic was more active than it should be."

Harry closed his eyes as he let out a long breath. He couldn't believe that Sirius would do that. It was his secret to keep or tell! It was also something he wanted to keep to himself! He didn't want people treating him like a freak or a science experiment. Not everyone was simply going to accept him like Sirius had.

"Sirius didn't have a choice, Harry," Remus said gently. "We can understand that you don't want everyone knowing about this but Poppy is—to put it bluntly—your Healer. She has to know in order to help you to the best of her ability. Sirius told us that your ability has been acting up ever since your magic was returned to you. What if it were to act up again but was similar to when your magic had been restored? We would need medical help to restrain it. We would need Poppy's help."

"You also need to be monitored, Mr. Potter," Madam Pomfrey added. "You may be able to handle a small group of people but what about when you return to Hogwarts, hmm?"

"Harry's not going to Hogwarts!" Sirius said firmly as he quickly rose to his feet and glared at Madam Pomfrey. "He's staying here, where it's safe. We can teach him what he needs to know. I don't care what Dumbledore says. Last year was all the proof I needed to know that Harry isn't safe at Hogwarts."

Madam Pomfrey took a step towards Sirius as she pulled her self up to full height. Sirius was still taller but the medi-witch made it clear that she wasn't afraid of him. "Sirius Black!" Pomfrey scolded. "You can't possibly believe that denying Mr. Potter's education is the right decision! Secluding Mr. Potter won't help him adjust with his new ability! He needs to be around people to train himself or else he won't be able to be in a crowd without going mad! Is that what you want for your godson?"

Remus let out a sigh and lowered himself to lie next to Harry. "This is going to take a while," he said quietly. "We might as well get comfortable. Both of them are extremely stubborn."

"I think Harry's safety comes first," Sirius said frankly. "What's the point in learning if you're dead?"

Harry turned his head and took a good look at Remus who was closing his eyes and getting comfortable. The man looked exhausted but he wasn't anywhere near as pale as he was before. Hesitantly, he reached over and carefully touched Remus' face. It was still hard for him to believe that it had actually worked. Remus was actually awake and their family was whole again. It didn't matter that Harry was stuck in bed or that Sirius was forbidding him from returning to Hogwarts. From the subtle waves of happiness that were rolling off of Remus, Harry knew that his guardian felt the same way.

Remus wrapped his fingers around Harry's hand and held it loosely. "You still haven't told me how you did it, cub," he said tiredly. "How did you heal me?"

Harry glanced over at Sirius and Madam Pomfrey who were now watching them instead of arguing. Closing his eyes, Harry knew there was no escaping it. They wouldn't stop asking until he told and a part of him was glad for it. No more secrets. "Empathy isn't my only ability," Harry admitted reluctantly. He kept his eyes closed and didn't see Remus' eyes opening quickly at the revelation. "I can sort of help people heal by touch—" Madam Pomfrey gasped in shock. "—when it feels like working."

"So this has happened before?" Sirius asked in alarm. "Harry, why didn't you tell me?"

Harry slowly opened his eyes to see Sirius' panicked face. Slowly, Harry sat up and met Sirius' gaze, his eyes begging for his godfather to understand. "Because I didn't want to disappoint you if it didn't work," he said shakily. "I can't control it. It controls me. I just never held on for that long before." Harry bowed his head and stared at his hand that was still being held by Remus'. He never wanted to hold on for that long again. The pain he felt, the emptiness he felt afterwards made him shudder. It had almost felt like a Dementor had been nearby.

"How do you know its working?" Remus asked worriedly as he loosened his grip on Harry's hand.

Harry looked up at Remus and gave him a reassuring smile while tightening his own grip on Remus' hand. "I feel it before it starts," he said truthfully. "It feels like what my outbursts used to feel like but on a smaller scale. It really doesn't happen often."

Sirius ran his hand over his face as he turned to Madam Pomfrey. "What does this all mean?" he asked grimly.

Madam Pomfrey sat down at the foot of the bed and looked up at Sirius with a guarded look on her face. "I can't give you a definite answer without running some tests," she said truthfully. "In my opinion, Mr. Potter's outbursts have transformed into these abilities and I find that unsettling. Those outbursts had been powerful enough to nearly kill him at times. If his empathy were to reach that magnitude, it could drive him mad. It is essential that he learns to control these abilities sooner rather than later. The healing is another story. Mr. Potter can't afford to keep draining himself magically. His empathy is most likely fueling his healing but…I just don't know."

Remus squeezed Harry's hand reassuringly. "I think it would be best if you ran your tests, Poppy," he said tiredly. "The sooner we know more about this the sooner we can help Harry learn to control it. Now, if you don't mind, I think Harry and I could use some rest."

"What about Dumbledore?" Madam Pomfrey asked as she rose to her feet.

"We will tell Dumbledore about this when Harry's ready," Sirius answered for Remus then motioned for her to lead the way out of the room. Just as he reached the door, Sirius turned and winked at Remus and Harry. "No talking you two or I'll have to separate you."

Harry and Remus groaned in annoyance as Sirius closed the door. It was clear that Sirius was going to have a lot of fun with the situation now that Remus was in better health. "I swear your godfather has finally lost whatever remained of his sanity," Remus said seriously. "Is there anything else I should know about? It's rather disconcerting to wake up and be told an entire month has passed."

Harry shook his head as he took his glasses off and set them on the bedside table. "It's nothing, Moony," he said as he slowly leaned backwards until his head hit the pillow. He didn't know how much Sirius had revealed and wasn't about to say something that would keep Remus awake for hours. "It doesn't matter anymore. Just concentrate on getting better."

Remus looked at Harry skeptically for a long moment. "Why does it sound that you're trying to convince yourself more than me?" he asked.

Probably because I am. At the moment, it was easier to simply forget what the past month had been like than to retell the entire story…again. It wasn't that Harry wanted to hide anything from Remus. It was more of the fact that the more he thought about it, the more Harry realized how stupid his decisions had been. All of the training…all of the talks about thinking logically and I just pushed it all away. How could I have been so thick?

An arm burrowed underneath Harry's shoulder and pulled him to Remus' chest. "I know, cub," Remus said as he wrapped an arm around him. "I know. You've been through a lot and it's going to take time to work through it all. I won't force you to talk about it if you don't want to. I'm sure Dumbledore would even let us borrow his Pensieve if you would rather let us see your memories. Just know that ignoring the problem doesn't make it go away."

"I know," Harry said softly as he closed his eyes and listened to Remus' heartbeat, gently lulling him to sleep. A Pensieve wasn't a bad idea. There were so many things that needed to be seen rather than explained. Seeing makes everything feel more real.

---

Something wet and rough ran over Harry's face, bringing him quickly out of slumber. Groaning in protest, Harry wiped the wetness off of his face and looked up to see a large blur of black fur with a large tongue handing out of its mouth. A soft chuckle filled his ears, causing the surface underneath his head to rumble slightly. The pain throughout his body had returned but it wasn't anywhere near as bad as it was before. Now Harry could actually move his limbs without aid of a potion and, to him, that was an accomplishment. It meant that he wouldn't be restricted to bed rest for long.

A hand gently rubbed his back, reminding Harry that there was a man and a very impatient dog waiting for him to acknowledge their presence. Slowly, Harry rolled away from Remus and pulled the bedcovers to his chin, his back now facing his guardians. The room was dimly lit, making Harry wonder what time it actually was or even what day. So much had happened since the day Harry left the Rolands home that afternoon on July, the twenty-first. So much has changed since then.

"I think we should postpone today's events, Padfoot," Remus said amusingly. "It seems that Harry's too tired to celebrate his sixteenth birthday."

Harry turned and looked at Remus and Midnight in surprise. It was his birthday? Well that tells me how much time has passed. "We really don't have to celebrate anything," said Harry. Truthfully, he didn't think he deserved to have a celebration considering that two members of the family were recovering from injuries. "Maybe we could contact Dumbledore, though. I think you were right about the Pensieve, Remus."

Remus smiled and slowly sat up as Midnight lied down on the bed and let out a growl. "That's enough, Padfoot," he said in exasperation. "I know you have problems with Dumbledore but he has the means to help us help Harry through this. I'm willing to put any differences aside and ask for help, are you?"

Midnight let out a snort before jumping off the bed and leaving the room. Harry couldn't help wondering if it had been a mistake to bring up Dumbledore in Sirius' presence. This scenario was certainly becoming a pattern. Harry would get hurt and Sirius would blame Dumbledore. Why did Sirius always believe that everything was Dumbledore's fault? It wasn't like Professor Dumbledore could have foreseen Vernon Dursley's abrupt turn to physical abuse, Harry becoming the fourth champion, the magical outbursts, the attack near Hagrid's Hut, Voldemort's rebirth, the attack on the Hogwarts Express, Umbridge, the visions, the hearing at the Ministry, and even Harry's abduction from Hogwarts. Thinking back, Harry was surprised that he was still a Hogwarts student with as much trouble as he had been in.

"Don't worry about Sirius, Harry," Remus said gently. "He'll come around in time. He just needs someone to shout his frustrations at and he believes I'm too fragile to handle it. I think that now everything's returning to normal, he's allowing himself to actually feel everything that he's been ignoring for the past month."

"My running away didn't help matters either," Harry said remorsefully as he sat up and moved so he was leaning against the headboard. "Sirius says he understands but I don't know if he's just saying that to make me feel better."

Remus looked at Harry compassionately. "I'm sure a part of him does understand because he would do the same thing if he felt he was a danger to you," he said. "I would too. I'm still worried about being around you, especially near the full moon. The wolf recognizes you as my cub and it scares me to think of what the wolf would do to protect you."

Harry looked at Remus in confusion. This was the first time he had ever heard any worries about the wolf. He had always been told that as long as Remus took the Wolfsbane Potion, there was nothing to worry about. Had that been a lie? "What would Moony do?" Harry asked nervously.

Remus closed his eyes and ran a hand over his face, trying to hide his discomfort. "Moony could possibly attempt to turn you so that you would actually be my cub," he admitted. "I don't mean to scare you, Harry. I'm just trying to tell you that you're not the only one who fears that they are a danger to those they love. It would have been easier if I had left when Sirius had been declared innocent but I stayed and fought the wolf because you were worth fighting for. I have no regrets for taking you in and I know Sirius doesn't either. Whatever the future may bring, remember that."

Closing his eyes, Harry concentrated on the soft waves of emotions around him. He could feel worry, protectiveness along with a hint of something that Harry couldn't place. It was primal, instinctual and it was a little frightening. Reaching deeper, Harry felt the emotions wrap around him, suffocating him. He let out a gasp as he finally realized with the unknown emotion actually was. It was loneliness. Moony was lonely.

"Harry?" Remus asked in a concerned tone as he rested a hand on Harry's arm. "What's wrong?"

Harry opened his and looked at Remus sympathetically. "I'm sorry," he said sincerely. "I—I didn't know."

Remus smiled softly. "Not many do," he said with a shrug. "I don't think even Sirius is aware of Moony's feelings and he's spent many full moons with him. You have a gift, Harry. Your empathy allows you to have a stronger connection with others but it comes with a price. I have no doubt you can actually sense the wolf and now you have to live with that knowledge. People don't always say what they are feeling and they don't appreciate their feelings being revealed to the masses. You will have to keep many discoveries to yourself because the 'I have a feeling' excuse will only go so far. Are you sure you can handle that?"

Harry bit his lip nervously. Was he really ready to live like that? Working at the hospital had been different. Harry had never made the effort to probe deeper into the emotions he felt because he didn't want to become emotionally attached. Keeping himself at arms length had been a matter of survival. He didn't have that luxury anymore. He would be surrounded with people he had known for years. Would he be able to resist the temptation to probe their emotions? What if he found something that changed everything? Harry didn't know if he could live with the knowledge that someone had ill intentions and was forced to remain silent about it.

"I—I don't know," Harry said truthfully. "I didn't mean to pry—"

"—I know you didn't," Remus said reassuringly. "Believe me I understand that there is an upside and downside to everything. I may have extremely sharp senses but I have to spend the full moon as a dangerous wolf. Of course, not many would look at the positive side of being a werewolf. They only see the beast. People fear me and they will fear you too, Harry. I just want to prepare you for what's to come and let you know that if you need to talk, I'll listen."

It was a lot to think about but Harry couldn't ignore that Remus was revealing a lot to prove that Harry wasn't alone. There were others who may not know exactly what Harry was experiencing but they knew what it was like to be different. "Thanks, Moony," Harry said sincerely. "I guess it's just hard to accept that my uncle was right all along. I'm not normal." Remus moved to object but Harry held up a hand to stop him. "It's the truth, isn't it? It's not normal to feel everyone's emotions. It wasn't normal to experience magical outbursts like I have for the past three years. I've never been normal and I think I'm finally accepting that."

"I think you always accepted it, Harry," Remus said gently. "You've always wanted to be normal, ignoring the talent that you've always had. There's a difference. It seems that you have finally given up on the hope to be ordinary and accepted that you are indeed extraordinary."

Harry looked at Remus in disbelief. He couldn't believe Remus had just said that. "No more coma's for you, okay?" said Harry. "You're starting to sound like Dumbledore and one of him with his vague comments is more than enough."

Remus looked offended. "Harry, I'm hurt," he said sounding sincere. "I spent hours thinking that up."

"Really?" Harry asked guardedly.

Remus grinned as he pulled Harry close and ruffled Harry's messy hair. "No, not really," he said truthfully and wrapped an arm around Harry's shoulders. "However, I believe every word. You're a good person, Harry. I don't know many who could live through what you've been through and still believe that they are nothing of importance. You are important to me, Padfoot, Tonks, your friends, the Weasleys, and the Order, who I hear have been giving Sirius a rather hard time since he banned all visitors. That's partially the reason we're 'celebrating' today. Sirius thinks that by letting a few people see that you're still alive, they'll back off for the rest of the summer."

Harry shuddered at the thought of being in a room full a people demanding answers or worse, pitying him because he had been captured by Voldemort. What was he supposed to say to them? He wasn't ready for the truth! He wasn't ready to reveal everything yet! He wasn't even certain he would tell any of them anything, including his empathy and healing. How in the world is this going to work if Sirius doesn't want Dumbledore to know yet?

Remus seemed to know what Harry was thinking. "Everyone has been warned to leave you alone, Harry," he said gently. "Besides, Padfoot and I will be there at your side."

"We'll never leave your side," Sirius said from the doorway, startling Harry and Remus. Grinning, he entered the room and collapsed at the foot of the bed. "Dumbledore will be coming by this afternoon to drop off his Pensieve but he had one request." Sirius turned on his side and looked directly at Harry. "He asked if you could put your duel with Voldemort in it. The Ministry has been on his case to find out what happened that night and he feels that seeing it would be better so you weren't bombarded by difficult questions."

Harry grimaced at the through of being surrounded by Ministry members and reporters. "So—er—am I in trouble for what happened at the Ministry?" he asked nervously.

Sirius sat up, suddenly looking uncomfortable. "Well, you're not in trouble," he said carefully, "but the press got wind that you were there fighting Death Eaters and Voldemort…and that a Prophecy was involved. No one actually knows what the Prophecy said since the record they had of it was destroyed but they know it concerns you and Voldemort. The Prophet is having a grand ol' time with this. They're calling you 'The Chosen One'."

Harry stared at Sirius, completely horrified. This wasn't happening. Any hope that he had for a normal existence had vanished. He didn't miss the sarcastic tone in Sirius' voice when he said 'The Chosen One' and knew that Sirius wasn't happy with this development. That makes two of us. How could they do this? How could they put even more pressure on him to be something he wasn't? Why couldn't they just leave him alone?

"Harry, calm down," Remus said soothingly as he gently rubbed Harry's back. "This was bound to happen. We can't do anything to change it but we're not going to let it affect anything we do or any decisions we may make." Harry nodded slowly as he tried to calm himself. Remus turned his attention to Sirius. "So the Ministry wants Harry to be their poster boy," he concluded. "Is there anything else we should know?"

Sirius shrugged. "Just the new Minister, Rufus Scrimgeour," he said rolling his eyes in annoyance. "He used to be the Head of the Auror office. He's certainly doing all he can to get things moving but he's too focused on asking Dumbledore for a meeting with Harry. For some reason, Scrimgeour doesn't believe I wouldn't allow him to see my godson."

"Imagine that," Remus said with a grin. "I've heard of Scrimgeour. He should certainly surpass Fudge as Minister but I'm surprised that Amelia Bones wasn't elected."

Sirius shrugged his shoulders. "I guess having Voldemort and Death Eaters invade the Ministry while you're 'acting Minister' is frowned upon," he said. "She actually didn't seem to be too upset with Scrimgeour's election, not that I blame her. I wouldn't want to be Minister during a time like this. No matter what you do, someone's bound to complain."

"Sirius, that's the way it is everyday for the Minister of Magic, war or no war," Remus countered as he glanced over at Harry who still seemed to be in a state of shock. "He's not handling this well. I think the pressure is finally getting to him. Perhaps we should call off the birthday dinner tonight."

Sirius moved so that he was sitting at Harry's left and wrapped an arm around Harry's shoulders. "I'm sorry, Pronglet," he said sincerely. "I didn't mean to upset you but I thought you needed to know in case someone was to bring it up tonight. Remember what we've told you. Focus on what you can control. People are going to believe what they want to believe. That is their right. As long as you stick to your beliefs, that's all that matters."

Harry nodded slowly. He knew Sirius and Remus were right. This was bound to happen but that didn't mean he liked that the fact that everyone was placing the responsibility of victory on him when there were others who had more training and mountains of knowledge that would provide more help to this war than he ever could. I suppose my knack for surviving impossible situations doesn't help matters either.

Dobby appeared with an early lunch which was eaten in silence. Harry was grateful that Sirius and Remus didn't push him to talk. He had a lot to think about. It had been easy to retain his focus when the wizarding world thought he was a helpless child two years ago and mad last year. He had grown accustomed to people badmouthing him. It was the praise and admiration that he was bound to receive now. Harry knew he was different but that didn't mean he wanted everyone to think he was special.

While Remus slept, Sirius helped Harry out of bed and to the bathroom. Harry was feeling a lot stronger than the day before but he still suffered from dizzying spells which made walking difficult. Once Harry had cleaned up and changed clothes, he was helped downstairs to the living room where two armchairs on opposite sides of the fireplace had been transfigured into comfortable sofa couches. There were also tables, covered with red fabric, lined up against the wall, which Harry assumed were for dinner.

"Lie here while I help Moony," Sirius said as Harry sat down on the sofa couch to the right of the fireplace. "Tonks is in the kitchen trying to help Dobby and Kreacher. Viktor's in there too having a good laugh at her. If you need anything, just call for Dobby or Kreacher, all right?"

Harry nodded as he repositioned himself so his back was propped up against the arm of the sofa couch. A hand ran through his hair gently. The action had become so frequent the past week that Harry was having a hard time thinking of how he had lasted a month without the reassuring gesture. Looking up at Sirius, Harry smiled softly and Sirius smiled back. Gentle waves of compassion and protectiveness brushed against Harry, soothing him as Sirius turned and walked to the staircase. It'll be all right as long as Sirius and Remus are there. It always has been.

Staring into the fire, Harry pushed all thought from his mind and focused solely on breathing. Perhaps his entire problem was being hit with so much at once. In the muggle world, all Harry had to concentrate on was his job and keeping a lookout for any Voldemort supporters. He was J. Orion Evans there, not Harry Potter. He didn't have a reputation to live up to anything or have a society to disappoint. It had been easy there. Easy but not right. Running away is never the right thing to do. As Harry Potter, though, he had everything to lose.

The fire in the fireplace suddenly turned green and roared to life, catching Harry by surprise. Crying out, Harry rolled off the sofa couch and shakily pulled himself as far from the fireplace as possible. The kitchen door flew open as Tonks and Viktor ran into the living room with their wands out. Two cracks were heard as Dobby and Kreacher appeared in front of Harry, blocking the intruder from reaching him. Footsteps thundered down the stairs as Sirius came running, taking two or even three stairs at a time with his wand out. Three wands and two protective house elves were all focused on one very surprised Professor Dumbledore who slowly raised his hands in a sign of surrender.

"I assure you all I mean you no harm," Professor Dumbledore said pleasantly then turned his attention completely to Harry. "I apologize for startling you, my boy. I should have warned you before stepping through. Are you all right?"

Looking up at the Hogwarts Headmaster, Harry tried to calm himself down while nodding. He subconsciously reached out for the emotions around him but could only sense an overwhelming protectiveness and concern. He could sense no ill will but he was also surrounded by people and creatures that would do anything to protect him. "I—I'm fine, sir," Harry said as he glanced at Sirius and nodded to show that everything was all right.

Sirius lowered his wand and motioned for Tonks and Viktor to do the same. "Tonks, if you could help Harry," he said as he gave her a strong look. "I need to assure Moony that everything's all right. Merlin knows he's probably panicking by now."

Tonks nodded and hurried to Harry's side while Sirius ran up the stairs. "Dobby, Kreacher, you can return to the kitchen," she said kindly. "Harry's in no danger." Dobby and Kreacher remained where they were. "Look, Viktor and I will stay with Harry, all right?"

"Harry Potter's Tonks protect Harry Potter," Dobby said firmly then looked at Harry. "Harry Potter call Dobby for help. Dobby protect Harry Potter, even from Harry Potter's friends."

"Young Master call Kreacher too," Kreacher added. "Young Master needs Kreacher."

Harry gave the two house elves a grateful smile. "Thank you Dobby and Kreacher," he said sincerely. "I will call you if I need you." Dobby and Kreacher nodded before vanishing with a loud crack allowing Tonks and Viktor to help Harry to his feet. Harry swayed as a strong wave of dizziness hit him hard but Tonks and Viktor held him tightly. Before Harry knew it, he was sitting on the sofa couch again with three sets of eyes looking at him worriedly.

"Do you need anything, Harry?" Tonks asked as she rested her hand against Harry's face. "You look pale."

Harry shook his head. The dizziness was already beginning to pass just like it always did. "I'm fine, thanks though," he said sincerely then looked at Professor Dumbledore nervously. "Er—I'm sorry for reacting like that, Professor. I've been a little jumpy lately."

Dumbledore nodded sympathetically as he sat down in a chair nearby. "That is completely understandable, my boy," he said. "If I can be of any service to aid you through this, please let me know. You are not the first to be taken prisoner by Lord Voldemort and probably won't be the last. I can understand if you would rather confide in Sirius and Remus. I just want to remind you that there are others who are willing to listen." At Harry's nod, Dumbledore continued. "That being said, how are you feeling? Poppy informed me that your magic is still fluctuating. I can only assume that this was what allowed you to aid in Remus' recovery."

Harry nodded again well aware that he was partially lying. Yes, his empathy (which was a part of his magic) was unstable and that (combined with his healing ability) allowed him to help Remus recover. Harry didn't like misleading Dumbledore but he needed to talk to Sirius and Remus first before breaking the news. Sirius clearly had problems trusting Professor Dumbledore at the moment and Harry wasn't about to make it worse. What it boiled down to was that Harry trusted Sirius and Remus more than anyone else. Whatever they decided, Harry would follow.

"I must say that is impressive, Harry," Dumbledore said as he sat back in his chair and enfolded his long fingers. "Not many wizards, even fully trained ones, could accomplish such a task. I can only imagine how exhausted you must have felt. How are you recovering? Poppy has only given me a few details and from my understanding it has been anything but easy."

Nervously rubbing the back of his neck, Harry tried to think of something to say. "Honestly, sir, I have been sleeping most of the time," he said truthfully. "Is this normal after someone's had their magic restored?"

Dumbledore's gaze turned sympathetic. "I'm afraid it is, Harry," he said tenderly. "It is particularly difficult on teenagers and children because their magic is still growing. It is naturally fluctuating but not enough for you to notice. Think of a barrier that is being slowly broken down. When magic is suppressed, that barrier is suddenly reformed, blocking you completely from what your body has accepted as a natural supply of energy. Restoring magic causes that barrier to suddenly break to the state it had been before the suppression. The fluctuating of magic you are feeling is your barrier adjusting, breaking off more to accommodate to the level you are currently at. With as temperamental as your magic has been in the past, I can only gather that your barrier is weaker than most your age."

"How long will my magic be unstable?" Harry asked nervously.

Silence filled the room as Professor Dumbledore seemed to be pondering what to say. "I wish I could give you an honest answer, Harry," he said gently. "The magical fluctuations vary from wizard to wizard. There are so many variables to take into account: age, magical ability, physical state, and emotional state to name a few. I trust you haven't had any fluctuations since your relapse?"

Harry shook his head. "No, sir," he said, "but I've spent most of the time sleeping since then."

Professor Dumbledore nodded. "Ah, yes," he said thoughtfully. "That would prevent you from noticing, however, I believe listening to your body is more important at the moment."

The sound of footsteps against the stairs made everyone turn to see Sirius helping Remus down the stairs. Viktor hurried to the staircase and, once they reached the bottom, helped Sirius nearly carry Remus to the vacant sofa couch. Remus let out a sigh of relief as he lowered himself to a more comfortable position. By the fire, it was shocking to see how pale and worn Remus' face actually was. Everyone could see how worried Sirius was over his best friend and, to be honest, Harry couldn't blame him.

"Viktor, Remus' potions are in the kitchen," Sirius said quietly. "He could use a few of them right about now."

"Right avay, Mr. Black," Viktor said with a nod before hurrying into the kitchen only to return a moment later with four different colored vials in his hands. "Vhich ones do you need?"

Sirius took two of the four vials, removed the corks and handed them over to Remus. It would have been hilarious to watch Remus shudder at the awful taste if he hadn't needed them so badly. Remus' color instantly improved and it appeared that the tiredness that marred his face vanished. Tonks moved from Harry's side to Sirius' where she placed a reassuring hand on Sirius' arm and whispered into his ear. Sirius glanced over his shoulder at Harry then nodded to Tonks. There was a seriousness about the both of them that just seemed wrong.

Tonks moved first, sitting down on the vacant end of the sofa couch and patting Remus on the leg. Sirius took that as his cue to move to Harry's side. Harry couldn't hold back a smile as Sirius sat down beside him and wrapped an arm around Harry's shoulders. Viktor appeared to be unsure whether he should stay or leave until Tonks motioned for Viktor to take a seat. Harry really didn't mind. Considering everything, Viktor had a right to be there.

"Dumbledore," Sirius said stiffly.

Professor Dumbledore let out a sigh. "Sirius, I know you are still rather upset with me but I assure you that I want the same as you," he said sincerely. "I only want to help in Harry's recovery." He reached in his cloak and pulled out a small box with once hand and his wand with the other. With a tap of the wand, the box enlarged and opened to reveal Dumbledore's Pensieve. "Whenever you're ready."

Harry stared at the shallow stone basin with odd carvings around the edge. The bright, whitish silver substance swirled smoothly in the non-existent breeze. His only experience with Dumbledore's Pensieve had been during Christmas break last year when proof of Deloris Umbridge's illegal detentions with a blood quill. It felt like a lifetime ago but looking at the Pensieve, Harry couldn't help thinking that situation was so similar to this one. Once again his memories were needed to provide information.

Sirius pulled out his wand. "Only a few memories, kiddo," he said reassuringly.

Harry nodded and closed his eyes as he leaned against Sirius. He felt a wand gently pressed against his temple and prepared himself to focus completely on whatever memory Sirius requested. Memories only had the power to hurt if you let them. Harry knew this. He had been through this before and he would most likely go through it again. He just had to remember that his past horrors had no hold on the present.

"First one, your duel against Voldemort at the Ministry," Sirius said gently.

Harry focused completely on his duel with Voldemort that night. He could remember the desperation he felt in trying to stand his ground against someone who could have easily killed him. He remembered Voldemort trying to convince him that Dumbledore was afraid of him and the insane justifications Voldemort gave for his homicidal actions. Harry remembered the tiring sword fight that was mixed into the duel. He remembered knowing that he was weakening and certain that he was going to die that night. He had lost the duel and would have been killed if Dumbledore hadn't shown up.

"Good, Harry," Sirius said, breaking into Harry's thoughts. "Next one, the night you left Hogwarts." Harry quickly opened his eyes stared at Sirius in horror. "I know it's a painful memory, Pronglet, but I think some people—" Sirius nodded to Dumbledore "—should see how the protections set into place had failed that night. I promise that no one other than Moony, Dumbledore, myself and possibly Tonks will ever see it, all right?"

Harry reluctantly closed his eyes and focused on that night he woke and caught sight of his guardian. He remembered the voice slowly convincing him that he had to leave. He remembered Hogwarts, Fawkes, his letter to Sirius, Griphook at Gringott's Wizarding Bank at Diagon Alley, and his arrival in the hotel room. Despite the situation, Harry couldn't help remembering how Fawkes had acted that night. The Phoenix had almost acted human.

More memories were added to the Pensieve. There were a few from his time at the hospital but nothing that would reveal his new abilities. What took the most time was adding everything Harry could remember of his time as Voldemort's prisoner, including the escape. Once Harry was done he could barely keep his eyes open. The entire process had been too long and exhausting. He barely noticed Sirius helping him lie down before covering him up with a blanket and removing his glasses. Muffled voices grew distant. Darkness claimed his vision. Sleep came easily.

---

Whispers washed over him, too distorted to possibly make out what was being said. Ignoring the pull to consciousness, Harry pulled the blanket tighter and pressed himself into the sofa couch more. His body felt so heavy and sleep was too inviting to pass up. He didn't know why he had the feeling that he was being watched but he didn't have the energy to worry about it. Concern and nervousness brushed against him but there was no sign of danger. Whoever was nearby clearly meant him no harm.

A hand rested on his back before it started to move in soothing motions. Groaning softly, Harry rolled onto his back to stop the hand that was trying to keep him from his peaceful slumber. Nightmare free slumber had been a rarity for Harry unless he was completely exhausted, at least until he returned home where he was normally given a potion before falling asleep. Drugged sleep is probably better than no sleep.

"I vould leave him alone if I vere you. Let him sleep."

"How is he doing, Viktor?"

"He vas doing better until his relapse, Mrs. Veasley. Ve are right back vhere ve started only he's not apologizing for everything anymore. I really don't know anymore. You vill have to ask Mr. Black or Mr. Lupin. No one besides them and Madam Pomfrey actually know how Harry's doing."

"But Viktor—"

"—no Her'mion'e. If our friendship means anything, don't ask me anymore. I vill not betray Harry or Mr. Black because you can't vait."

Harry groaned in annoyance as he pulled his blanket over his head. He really didn't want to play twenty questions with Hermione and the Weasleys right now. He knew they deserved an explanation. He had just hoped that it wouldn't be tonight. It doesn't look like I'll have much of a choice though. Knowing that he was only delaying the inevitable, Harry slowly opened his eyes, pushed the blanket off his face and turned his head to see a crowd of redheads, one bushy-haired girl and a dark haired man (which was clearly Viktor). Their faces were too blurry to make out but Harry knew their features well enough to know who was where. Mrs. and Mr. Weasley were standing near the fireplace, Ron and Hermione were on their kneeling in front of the sofa couch and Ginny was sitting on the sofa couch across from him with Fred and George.

Complete silence filled the room. Blinking tiredly, Harry was saved from saying anything when he suddenly found himself in a fierce embrace and a face full of bushy hair. He was so surprised by the motion that Harry instantly tensed until Hermione was pried away off of him. A hand rested on his shoulder as a pair of glasses was slid on his face, making everything come into focus. Looking up, Harry saw Mr. Weasley's sympathetic gaze.

"Are you trying to suffocate him, Hermione?" Ron asked loudly. "Bloody hell! You know he's still recovering!"

"Ronald Weasley!" Mrs. Weasley scolded. "Watch your language!" She let out a long breath before approaching Harry and resting a hand on his forehead. "How are you feeling, Harry, dear? We didn't mean to wake you. Some of us are just a little eager to see how you are."

"It's okay," Harry said softly as he moved to sit up and instantly found himself being helped by Mr. and Mrs. Weasley. Sitting upright, Harry quickly closed his eyes as a wave of dizziness hit him, forcing him to grab onto Mrs. Weasley for support. Protectiveness, concern and sympathy washed over him followed by hints of fear. Once the dizziness passed, Harry released his hold on Mrs. Weasley and leaned back against the arm of the sofa couch. He opened his eyes and let out a long breath, trying to ignore the worried glances he was getting.

"So," Ron began uncomfortably. "How are you feeling?"

Everyone stared at Ron incredulously except Harry who smiled. Trust Ron to break the ice with such a blunt question. That sort of normalcy was something that Harry craved at the moment. "I've been better," Harry said honestly. "I'll be grateful when the tiredness and dizziness passes."

Hermione was now sitting on a chair with her arms enfolded across her chest. Viktor (who had been the one to pull her away) walked over to a small nearby table, picked up a vial with a whitish colored vial and handed it over to Harry. "Mr. Black said to take this one vhen you vake," said Viktor.

Harry obediently drank the potion, cringing at the awful taste. "By the time I'm off of these potions I won't have any taste buds left," he said as he handed the empty vial back to Viktor.

"Where are Sirius and Remus?" Mr. Weasley asked curiously.

Viktor and Harry shared a look for a moment before Harry shrugged and returned his attention to the Weasleys and Hermione. "They're going through some of my memories in Dumbledore's Pensieve," he said as he rubbed the back of his neck. "I guess the new Minister wants to see what happened with Voldemort at the Ministry."

Mr. and Mrs. Weasley shared a look before Mrs. Weasley pulled up a chair and sat down. "I trust you've been told about him, dear?" she asked gently as she took hold of Harry's hand. Harry nodded. "Well, he is certainly doing more to prepare us for the war but at the moment he's so worried about fixing the Ministry's image. Fudge left behind quite a mess and an even worse public image, even with everything that Amelia Bones tried to do for the months she was acting Minister."

"Scrimgeour believes that by repairing the Ministry's relationship with you he will repair the public's opinion of the Ministry," Mr. Weasley added. "I've even been cornered in the last week along with Tonks, Shacklebolt and Moody. Everyone's been looking for you ever since—"

"Arthur!" Mrs. Weasley scolded as she shot him a warning look. "Now is not the time to speak of that."

Harry knew that Mrs. Weasley was trying to protect him from hearing something that could possibly upset him. The problem was he already knew what Mr. Weasley had almost revealed. "I suppose you're talking about 'The Chosen One' rubbish," Harry said while rubbing his eyes underneath his glasses. Mr. Weasley looked nervous as Mrs. Weasley glared at him. "Sirius told me," Harry added nonchalantly. "I guess now that everyone doesn't believe I'm out of my mind they feel it's necessary to place the entire war on my shoulders."

An uncomfortable silence filled the air. There was really no way to respond to the bluntness or the truthfulness of the statement. The entire wizarding world, even friends and classmates, had always held Harry at a higher standard than any 'normal' wizard should be held at. Harry didn't blame them for thinking that way. He had survived repeatedly in situations where most fully-trained wizards would fail. Unfortunately, merely surviving wasn't enough anymore.

"Well, we don't think that, dear," Mrs. Weasley said gently. "No one in their right mind should push their problems off on a child."

"So…it's not true?" Ron asked tentatively.

Harry sighed and shook his head. The last thing he wanted was his friends to treat him differently because of an article in the 'Daily Prophet'. They had rarely printed the truth when it concerned him and this time wasn't any different. "The only thing I'm chosen for is to be number one on Voldemort's want-to-kill list," he said. The Weasleys flinched at Voldemort's name. Harry bit back the annoyance that was rising in him. He would have thought that they would be used to hearing the Dark Lord's name by now. "So how have all of you been?"

"Worried about you," Hermione answered immediately. "We tried to send messages to you with Hedwig but she kept coming back looking frustrated. No one could track you. H—how in the world did you manage to be undetectable? We're not allowed to do magic outside of school, you know."

Harry looked at Hermione quickly at the mention of his owl. "Is Hedwig all right?" he asked.

"She's fine," Ginny said reassuringly. "She's been spending a lot of time in my room. Been a lifesaver, really. It's been nice having someone to talk to, especially with our guest."

Ron rolled his eyes while Fred and George snickered. Harry looked at the twins with a raised eyebrow and finally noticed that they were rather well dressed. They both wore jackets that appeared to be made out of dragon skin and their boots (made out of the same material) looked relatively new. Apparently, business was doing better than Harry originally thought.

"She's really not that bad, Ginny," Ron said irritably. "Just because Dean is spending time with his own family—"

"—this has nothing to do with Dean!" Ginny shot back as she quickly rose to her feet. "You always defend her!"

Harry looked at Mr. and Mrs. Weasley helplessly only to find them shaking their heads in exasperation. What was going on here? When did Ginny start dating Dean Thomas? Who is this mystery girl that Ron seems to be the only one to approve of? Harry suddenly understood how Ron and Hermione had felt the past few years when he had kept them out of the loop. He felt a new level of respect for his friends. He didn't know how they had managed to handle it for so long.

Green flames erupted from the fireplace, startling everyone in the room. Everyone who had a wand (besides Mrs. Weasley who had used her body to shield Harry) instantly pulled it out and pointed it at the figures that stepped out of the flames. Listening carefully, Harry could hear three people stumbling out of the fireplace then silence. No words were said and no curses were thrown. Whoever had entered clearly wasn't an enemy but then why was everyone so quiet.

"You can all put them away, you know," a familiar voice said in an amused tone.

Everyone put their wands away while Mrs. Weasley slowly released Harry and sat back down. Looking at the newcomers, Harry couldn't help but smile at the sight of Bill, Charlie and a tall, cloaked woman brushing off their robes. Once all of the soot was off, the woman pulled back her hood to reveal long blond hair that seemed to radiate a faint, silvery glow. If the hair wasn't a giveaway, the beautiful face was.

"'Arry!" Fleur Delacour exclaimed as she rushed to Harry's side a kissed him on each cheek. "Oh, we've been so worried about you, 'Arry! 'ow are you feeling?"

Harry smiled at her as waves of devotion, happiness and admiration surrounded him. He had never felt such strong emotions from a person before and had a strong feeling that they weren't focused on him. Cautiously, Harry glanced over at Bill and saw the long haired redhead stared at Fleur with a strange look in his eyes. His gaze shifted between Fleur and Bill before his smile widened. So this was the secret Ron and Ginny had been arguing about. Grinning, Harry grasped Fleur's hand and looked into her intoxicating eyes. "Congratulations," he said sincerely. "I hope you two are very happy together."

The majority of the mouths in the room dropped as Fleur squealed and wrapped her arms around Harry only to be gently pulled back by Bill a moment later. "Zank you so much, 'Arry!" Fleur exclaimed then looked at him seriously. "Zis is not ze time for me. It is you're birthday and you're still recovering. We can talk about zis later!"

Bill stepped forward and grasped Harry's shoulder with a wink and a grin. "It's good to see you back with us, Harry," he said, "and Happy Birthday. How does it feel to finally be sixteen?"

Harry shrugged his shoulders. "The same as last year when I turned fifteen," he said honestly. That was a partial lie. Although Harry didn't feel any different today than he did yesterday, much had changed since last year. So much has changed since last year.

"Wait a minute!" Ron shouted in confusion. "Harry, how did you know Bill and Fleur are engaged? None of us told you."

Harry shrugged his shoulders again. "It was rather obvious," he said vaguely to Ron. "You just have to look at Bill and Fleur to see how much they care for each other. That sort of happiness can't be manufactured. It can only come from the heart."

Bill and Fleur smiled happily as if they had finally found someone who understood them while everyone else was staring at Harry in disbelief. Inwardly, Harry cringed as realization hit him. His words had the same affect as having a sign over his head with the word 'EMPATHIC' written in large, bold letters. He would need to be more discrete until he talked with Sirius and Remus about possibly revealing one of his new abilities. Harry was quickly discovering that his knack for keeping secrets needed to come to an end.

The kitchen door opened causing everyone to turn and see Remus being helped into the room by Sirius and Tonks. With as weak as Remus looked, Ginny and the twins immediately jumped to their feet and moved out of the way. Harry couldn't help but feel slightly guilty for the state Remus was in since it had been his memories that had been viewed. Professor Dumbledore was the last to leave the kitchen but he didn't follow the group. He approached Harry and rested a hand on Harry's shoulder. Looking over his shoulder, Harry noticed how worn the Headmaster's face looked. It seemed that Remus wasn't the only person affected by the memories.

"We will talk later, Harry," Professor Dumbledore said gently. "Enjoy your birthday and take care of yourself."

Looking into the Headmaster's blue eyes, Harry couldn't ignore the sadness that was present instead of the usual twinkling. Had the memories really affected everyone so much or was it something else? "Yes, sir," Harry said with a smile. "I will."

Professor Dumbledore gave Harry's shoulder a reassuring squeeze before moving to the fireplace, throwing a pinch of floo powder in the flames and vanishing with an eruption of green flames. Once again, Harry couldn't help but feeling that something else was going on here, something that had started a while ago and was far from being resolved. He understood that Dumbledore was a busy man but no one left that quickly unless they were trying to avoid a confrontation.

Once Remus was settled, Sirius checked Harry over before calling for Dobby and Kreacher to bring out dinner. With a snap of the house elves' fingers, the tables against the wall filled with food and two trays appeared for Harry and Remus. Sirius sat down beside Remus while Mrs. Weasely remained by Harry. Conversations broke out as everyone ate. With Sirius and Remus present, all thought of talking about when Harry had been missing was forgotten. No one wanted to risk being thrown out by Sirius, not that Harry blamed them.

It was halfway through dinner when a few members of the Order arrived. Moody, Shacklebolt and Professor McGonagall stopped by to check on Harry and drop off a large present before leaving the 'family gathering'. Like Professor Dumbledore, Professor McGonagall seemed to be incredibly uneasy. Harry was surprised by the strong waves of anxiety and discomfort that were coming from her. He normally couldn't single out someone's distinct emotion but Professor McGonagall's were too strong to ignore.

After a spot of birthday cake, everyone eagerly gathered around and watched as Harry slowly opened his presents. Tonks, Viktor and Charlie had gotten together on a new wand holster that was charmed to be invisible when it was attached to the wrist. Putting it on, Harry couldn't believe how light it was. He could barely feel that anything was actually on his wrist. Bill and Fleur had given Harry a journal that was charmed to be endless, something that Harry had a feeling that he would be using frequently.

Fred and George and gathered the most popular of their stock from Weasley Wizarding Wheezes for their financial backer to try out. Ron and Ginny had even volunteered themselves as test subjects for a few of the items which brought about a lot of laughs. Ron, Hermione and Ginny had pooled their funds to give Harry two books: Quidditch: Everything You Need to Know About the Game and New & Improved Defenses (Charms, Curses and Hexes Created in the Past Century). Harry thanked them repeatedly even though he could hear Ron muttering 'I can't believe we gave him books of all things'.

Mr. and Mrs. Weasley had given Harry a quilt made by Mrs. Weasley with a wolf, dog, stag, and lily embroidered in the center of it. The various shades of blue were patched together in an intricate pattern, making the quilt look like a piece of art. Harry had held himself together rather well until Mrs. Weasley told him that now he would always have his 'four parents' close. He hated to show weakness in front of everyone but the comment had reminded Harry of the night he had run away. He had called Sirius and Remus 'dad' then only to abandon them. Never again. No matter how much it hurts, I won't abandon them again.

The large gift from the Order ended up being a trunk that had charmed dividers to protect breakables, keep valuables safe and automatically shrink items to fit. Harry had never seen anything like it before and silently hoped that he would have a chance to use it. Sirius and Remus (although Harry had no idea when they had the time) had given Harry two presents. The first was a set of sias (Harry's preferred weapon in martial arts training) that were charmed with the ability to shrink in order to fit in the hidden pockets of the belt that came with them. The second present was surprisingly a Pensieve. It was smaller than Professor Dumbledore's but it still looked magnificent.

With Remus nearly asleep, Sirius helped his best friend upstairs while people started to clean up. Ron and Hermione took the opportunity to sit down on either side of Harry, something that Harry could tell they had wanted to do all night. Leaning back against the sofa couch, Harry could feel the long evening catching up with him as Hermione took hold of his right hand and caressed the back of it. He closed his eyes and subconsciously leaned to the right until his head was resting on Hermione's shoulder.

"So—er—if you don't mind, Harry," Ron began uncomfortably. "Where were you hiding?"

"Muggle London," Harry muttered sleepily. His mind was drifting so much he didn't even realize he had answered. All of the excitement had finally caught up with him.

"What were you doing, Harry?" Hermione prodded gently.

Harry shifted his body to be a little more comfortable and felt his upper body being lowered to a firm surface. "Hospital," he murmured. "Job."

Ron and Hermione shared a startled glance. "You were working in a hospital?" asked Ron. "How in the world did you remain undetected? All of the hospitals in England were searched!"

Fingers ran through his hair, sending Harry further into darkness. If he answered Ron's question, Harry never knew for sure. All he knew was that sleep was too inviting of a concept to ignore. He would sort out everything in the morning, including what to say to his friends.

---