After Harry had awoken, he'd solemnly explained his story to his best friends. They were appalled at how someone could do something like that.
"Yeah, Vernon never really liked me." Harry said.
"What's not to like?" asked Ginny, leaning down and giving Harry a quick kiss on the lips so as not to aggravate any of the bruising still left on his face.
"Oh, please. Not while I'm in here? Okay?" Ron said, disgusted.
"How long has it been?" Harry asked. "I mean, since I got here."
"Six days," Ginny said.
"Well, that must have been horrible for you guys... not knowing if I was okay for six days."
"Especially me," Ginny said.
"Yeah," Ron said. "Ginny cried all day, every day for the past 6 days."
"RONALD BILLIUS WEASLEY! He didn't need to know that!"
"What? It's tru-" Ron was cut off after seeing the glare Ginny gave him.
The four continued to chat for a while longer, until Remus peeked his head in the door, demanding that it was his turn to see Harry. When he saw that Harry was awake, he turned around and got Sirius and entered the room, forcing Hermione, Ron, and Ginny to leave.
Harry looked up in disbelief.
"Sirius?" he asked.
"How are you feeling Harry?"
"Better... but I am seeing things..."
"What things?" Sirius asked, confused.
"I see Sirius... but that can't be because he is dead."
Sirius laughed. "I assure you Harry, I am not dead. The veil was merely portal that drops you off in Antarctica... very cold there... But, as soon as I got there, I apparated back to Grimnauld Place. One day before your uncle... you know. It was a shock to everyone."
Sirius paused.
"And then Dumbledore told me that the ministry had officially pardoned me after they caught Lucius Malfoy and the other death eaters that were in the Department of Mysteries that day, and questioned them with veritaserum. Guess what? They gave me a million galleons as an inconvenience deal. But that means I cant sue them for false imprisonment... Anyway, it turns out that there are articles all over the Daily Prophet about me being innocent! Just think about it Harry, you can come live with me when you get out of here!"
Harry asked Sirius a bunch of questions, making sure that he wasn't imagining things. Then Remus and Sirius talked to him for about ten minutes longer until Healer Hayden came in and Healer Rose ushered them out so they could try to heal Harry's ribs.
Now that Harry was conscious, they could attempt to heal his ribs without any worried of endangering his life. If things went wrong, however, he could be knocked unconscious for a few more days.
Healer Hayden and Healer Rose walked over to Harry.
"How are you feeling?" Healer Rose asked.
"Okay... my ribcage hurts like hell though."
"That is because you've broken 5 of your ribs," explained Healer Hayden.
"Oh."
Harry looked up at Healer Hayden.
"How are you going to heal them? I mean, I am guessing that you would have done so already if you could, since I have been here six days already..."
"You see, we could not perform the spell to fix your ribs because the spell we used to heal the split in your skull. There was too much magic flowing through your body at once, and we couldn't take the risk because we weren't sure how you're body would react to too much magic- different people tolerate it differently. So..."
Healer Hayden trailed off. The crack in Harry's skull had reappeared.
Harry winced in pain. "Get... Dumbledore"
Healer Hayden rushed out of the room to get Dumbledore, and Healer Rose grabbed a washcloth to soak up the blood that was surfacing. Dumbledore came running through the double doors, followed by Hayden.
He saw that Harry's head had once again split open.
"Harry. There is only one type of magic that can help you, and I'd have to..."
"Do whatever you need to, Professor. I want to live- I, I need to live." Harry struggled to get these words out. He was in so much pain, it was blinding him.
"Okay, but..."
"I said, whatever you need to." Harry said tiredly and then fell unconscious.
Dumbledore took Harry's body and started to carry it out of the room.
"Excuse me, sir, but what are you doing with my patient?" Healer Rose asked.
"Saving his life- his injuries are beyond normal magic. The only thing that can save him now is Elven Magic."
"So if he had been admitted to a muggle hospital..."
"He'd be dead." Dumbledore answered simply. "I just don't understand why Harry hadn't told us that his Uncle was doing these things to him. I would have pulled him out of there immediately."
"He was embarrassed," Healer Rose said, as if she suddenly understood. "And he wanted to maintain his pride and dignity. He probably felt that if he told you, he'd loose what little dignity he had. I don't imagine that it is easy being the Boy-Who-Lived."
"I agree." Dumbledore said. With this, he carried Harry out of the room and to St. Mungo's main desk. Everyone stared at Harry as they walked past. People who had cameras got them out to take pictures, but Dumbledore asked them not to as they passed.
"How cruel can these people be?" thought Albus. A Daily Prophet reporter had managed to get one.
"It's a good thing Harry isn't going to be here to see that issue..." Albus continued to think as he walked up to the main desk.
"I need a portkey to the Ministry please." Dumbledore told the Welcome Witch.
"What is the nature of this portkey?"
Then she saw Harry and immediately pulled out an old, empty two-liter soda bottle.
"Portus" she muttered, and handed the soda bottle over to Albus.
Dumbledore grabbed the soda bottle, and in a bright flash of light, the two were gone.
About thirty seconds later, they appeared at the Ministry. Dumbledore carried Harry onto the lift and they quickly went down to the Department of Mysteries.
"Point me to the Portal Room." Dumbledore said, and walked through the door that the walls turned to.
He walked down a flight of stairs after he closed the door and stood in front of a large vortex-like circle in a wall.
"No time to loose," he thought as he jumped in it, carrying Harry.
Thanks to the following people who reviewed:
ChesterStanley- glad you like it!
Anonymous- haha- you reviewers are so clever. I wouldn't make a mistake like that on purpose! As you can tell from this chapter, I had a reason for doing that. Hope you like it!
Anime-Flame- glad you like it!
Athena Dumbledore- yeah, ouch. I'm just glad that's never happened to me... thanks for reviewing
Voxenking- an explanation of Harry/Ginny is later on in the story- it's a flashback. And I hope its not confusing anymore... I meant for it to be confusing in the first chapter. I have my reasons...
I'm Not the Weakest Link- thanks! Glad you like it!
Gato-Girl09- thanks- you people are so clever! I'm just glad that people read this close enough to notice these things! Hope you saw why I did that in this chapter. DesertHacker- glad you like it! HarryLissa=Luv- glad you like it! Thanks for the review.
Daniella Rockafella- Thanks! Glad you like it! Again (as I've said in previous responses see above) there was a reason behind that whole Sirius is alive thing. Hope this chapter made it a little more clear. I also read your story- It was pretty good!
ShadowPheonix1502- thanks! Glad you like it! Sorry for the longish wait... Kiki93- my first review for this story! Thanks! You were the first to notice the whole Sirius thing, but there was a reason- as you saw in this chapter. I read yours and it was good! Keep writing!
Wow... lots of reviews! Did I mention I looooove getting reviews? Please review!!! I'd really appreciate it!