Hey guys! Hope you liked the first two chapters of this story…I have the 4th chapter written, I'm in the process of editing it. It will probably be up in a couple of days, if not tonight, so keep checking!

Please R&R, I really love getting reviews.

Chapter 3

Ruined Plans for Both Sides

"Harry! Harry, wake up! Please wake up!" Molly Weasley cried in panic. McGonagall was crying over Harry's body, when all of a sudden Lupin Disapparated. Two minutes later, he reappeared with Madame Pomfrey to his left.

"Oh my goodness! Move, let me see him!" she half yelled, half ordered them. No one dared to do otherwise.

The moment she saw Harry, she gasped. She concentrated hard and fast, no time was to be lost. She whispered a complex incantation, while the others stood silently and watched her work.

Harry's eyes slowly opened. He looked around at them, frightened. His glasses fell off last time he passed out, and all he could see was a bunch of blurry figures crouching over him.

"No…no, please…just kill me, don't hurt me again…please, kill me…" Harry was crying, his body aching. He needed his wand so that he could end it himself…

Then he felt someone hug him. He didn't know who it was, but it made him stop crying.

"Harry…it's ok…it's over…shhh, you're safe now…" He then realized this was McGonagall's voice.

"P-P-Professor? No! Leave, you need to leave!"

"Don't be stupid Harry, we're not leaving without you!" Tonks said, trying to cheer him up, but concern was obvious in her voice.

"No…believe me... more coming…hurt...leave…"

And with those words being said, some 20 other Death Eaters appeared, surrounding he Order members and Harry. Moody grabbed Harry's wand and put it in his pocket, while the others stood in a circle around Harry, protecting him.

"Oh, what a surprise! Bella and Lucius Stunned, and Dumbledore came to save his favorite boy! Too bad you came here for nothing, you old fool! Expeliarmus!" he yelled at Kingsley, who wasn't expecting the spell. Kingsley blasted towards the door and ended up hitting the wall, his wand going outside the door.

"Avada Kedavra!" Mcnair bellowed, pointing his wand at Harry, who was now standing up and facing Mcnair. The jet missed Harry's face by inches, and that was only because he slightly moved…as much as he could move in his condition. The others stumbled backwards, avoiding the jet of green light. Harry was now unconscious again, and saw no more of this.

At once Dumbledore and McGonagall grabbed Harry, holding him tightly by the arms, and Disapparated. Kingsley hurried and got his wand, and the group Disapparated seconds later, their eyes wide with fear.

They arrived outside Hogwarts grounds in no time. Dumbledore made sure that no one was in their way and levitated Harry to the hospital wing as quickly as humanly possible. He then slowly placed Harry on one of the beds and let Madame Pomfrey take care of him.

Lupin, Tonks, Molly, and Arthur stayed with Harry, while McGonagall, Dumbledore, Moody, and Shacklebolt went out the door and closed it behind them.

"Do you think he will be all right, Albus?' McGonagall asked worriedly.

"I don't know Minerva, 230 times with the Cruciatus is not something easy to survive. I expect the only reason he is sane, or even alive, is because they didn't use their most powerful curses. They didn't intend to kill him, and they made sure to keep him alive while torturing him with the exact amount of pain he can handle without dying. I don't know if he will ever be the same after this," he finished, his face grave and tears dropping down his face.

After a long silence, Moody and Shacklebolt finally said, "We have to go to the Ministry, do you want us to let everyone know this happened?"

"No, I would appreciate it if you didn't…it will only create chaos and I doubt Harry wants nor needs more attention."

"All right Albus, we won't say a word. By the way, here's his wand," Moody said, handing it over to Dumbledore. "Keep us updated."

And with that, they turned to leave.

McGonagall was in tears. Dumbledore embraced her in a hug, drying her tears with the back of his hands.

"Albus…what if he doesn't get through this? What if Poppy can't help him? He…Albus, I can't lose him! Sometimes I just want to mother him to death…I need him, Albus!"

"Shh, it's ok Minerva. Everything is going to be all right. I'm sure Poppy will be able to do something for him. I promise you everything will work out." Though McGonagall couldn't help but notice that Dumbledore didn't seem sure of himself.

"And…Minerva?"

"Yes, Albus?"

"Harry wouldn't mind if you 'mother him to death'. I'm sure of that. He needs that, if nothing else."

"Oh, Albus! I just hope Harry survives this…" she started crying again.

Albus embraced her in another hug, but this time he didn't let go; they stood there, crying in each other's arms. Though Dumbledore assured McGonagall everything would be ok, he didn't think he convinced her; he didn't even manage to convince himself.

Back in Azkaban Voldemort was furious with Lucius, Bellatrix, Mcnair, Crabbe, and Goyle.

"Mcnair! You had the boy lying there, wand-less, and you couldn't kill him?" he scowled at him.

"I'm sorry Master, but my aim wasn't so good and the loving old fool and his helper grabbed the boy and Apparated away!"

"Very well…don't ever do that again, Mcnair. You're lucky I'm feeling forgiving today."

"No sir; never sir."

"Crabbe. Goyle; you were supposed to be there, where were you two?" Voldemort inquired.

"We're truly sorry, Master, we were dealing with muggles…. filthy pieces of scum, thought they could stand where we wanted to stand!"

"You ruined my plans, but you managed to pay me back for your imbecile-like behavior. You will not be punished tonight."

"Thank you, Master."

"Be warned, I will not be so forgiving next time."

"No sir, there won't be a next time."

"That's the spirit! Now, Bellatrix, Lucius—what have you got to say to defend yourselves?"

"My Lord, they Stunned us, we could do nothing…but we used the Cruciatus on him 230 something times!" Lucius explained, satisfied with their achievements.

"Oh. Very good! Excellent, in fact!" The other Death Eaters were amazed at his reaction. "Now all we have to do is figure out how to attack him while he's still weak…it will take him quite a while to recover…excellent!"

Lucius and Bellatrix were shocked at how easily they got out of punishment, but did not dare complain.

It was now morning. Tonks had to leave for work, and Lupin was to go to the Dursleys to collect Harry's possessions. Molly and Arthur left for the Burrow to deliver the news to the kids and Hermione. Dumbledore and McGonagall took shifts in watching Harry all night, and now they are both resting on beds next to Harry's.

When they woke up, Madame Pomfrey was making Harry drink a Healing Potion. It was more like forcing it down his throat, since he wasn't conscious.

"How is he doing?" Dumbledore asked her.

"Not so good…he's still unconscious and it doesn't look like he's responding to the potion; I've done everything I can do for him," she answered sadly.

Tears appeared in both Dumbledore and McGonagall's eyes; they told Poppy to let them know if something happens, and left to eat breakfast. They made hourly visits on Harry, but he was still unconscious every time they came by.

And so that was a daily routine for them—Dumbledore and McGonagall would spend the night next to Harry and would visit him every hour during the day. The Weasleys visited three times a week, and Lupin and Tonks came every day, in the morning and at night. The term was starting in a week, but Harry was still unconscious and showed no progress in healing. They were all starting to lose hope.

"Albus, what are we going to do? The students are going to ask where Harry is, he will be missing classes and the other teachers will want to know what happened….and what if there's another attack?" McGonagall contemplated, more to herself.

"Minerva…everything will--"

"No, Albus! Don't tell me everything will be ok, because it won't! Harry has been unconscious for almost a month now, what if he never wakes up? What if the Death Eaters find a way to attack him while in Hogwarts? We can't keep him in a bubble; there is no way we can have someone guarding him at all times! How are we going to protect him?" she finished almost in tears. The feeling of hopelessness was making its effect on her.

"Minerva, listen to me; Harry will get through this. Whether be it tomorrow or in a month, he's going to wake up, and then he's going to play Quidditch and go to Hogsmeade and do the normal stuff he usually does. Until then, all we can do is hope for the best. If Harry doesn't wake up until the term starts, I will let everyone know what happened. I promise you that I will do anything I can to protect him. I love him as much as you do, I won't let anything happen to him. I'm going to have people tailing him while outside at Hogwarts, I will always know where he is, though he might not like that idea. Holidays might be a problem, but I'm sure Molly can keep an eye on him. He may not be a child anymore, but he's still my Harry; he's a grandson to me, and I'm sure he's the same to you. We're going to do everything we can. Everything is going to be ok," he smiled at her. He kissed her lightly on the lips, and together they went to breakfast.

That afternoon the Weasleys and Hermione decided to visit Harry. They flooed themselves to the Hogwarts hospital wing and went over to Harry's bed.

"Has he woken up yet?" Ginny asked Madam Pomfrey.

"No, he hasn't," she replied, "but I'm sure he'll be up by the time school starts," she added; she didn't want to depress the kids with the news…at least not yet.

"Do you reckon he will?" Ron asked Hermione.

"Of course he will! He's been unconscious for a month now; he can't be unconscious for much longer!" Ron couldn't help but notice that Hermione, like everyone else, didn't seem so sure of herself.

The last week of summer went by alarmingly fast; soon they were facing the night before the term started, and Harry was still unconscious.