Harry felt like no time had passed before someone shook him and repeated his name. He opened his eyes wide, staring at Hermione sitting on her knees next to him.
The room was still dark but lit up by the sun outside.
"For how long have I been asleep?" Harry asked. He had one hell of a headache throbbing behind his forehead and around his eyes.
"Approximately eight hours. Don't worry, it's still early", she answered. She handed him his glasses. "You might want to get prepared."
She looked anxious.
Harry blinked multiple times and immediately got his contacts out, cursing himself for falling asleep with them.
They ate a very rushed breakfast, got the last bit of free time together and suited up and gathered in the hallway. Everyone except Peter were ready – Harry hadn't seen him since last night. The faces he could see and weren't covered by masks reflected the same crushing dread and anxiety he felt in his chest.
The plan wasn't exactly waterproof, and they were splitting up into groups.
As Harry understood it: him, Ron, Hermione and the two Peters were headed to the Ministry of Magic. Originally more people were going to come with them but Harry had argued that a frontal assault was suicide and it had to be done without a fight – preferably.
"Sneak in, get the stone, get out", he had said. It sounded so easy. But it wouldn't be.
He felt he owed it to himself to not risk everyone's lives over a stupid magic stone. Hermione and Ron were already stuck to him like glue so they weren't going anywhere, and the two Peters felt like long lost brothers he never had so they were too coming with.
He'd wished though that at least one Avenger came with them - most of the Avengers, Moody and Shacklebolt had been teamed up to go to Knowhere, while the rest of the Weasleys, Tonks, Lupin, Strange and everyone else left over, went to find out more about this Potter.
Harry couldn't help but feel irritated at Lupin's tactlessness, dragging along all of the Weasley's on this suicide mission.
"It's really quite alright, dear", mrs Weasley assured him of when he had brought it up.
"If you're gonna fight, I want to fight to", had Ginny told him.
Anxiously, he fiddled with his wand in his hand, attached it to a red holster made of leather on his left arm, that he had put together for quick access. He had his suit under his normal clothes like usual.
"You know, these are brilliant, Harry", Hermione told him to break the tension.
"Thanks", he said with the anxiety beginning to choke him.
He took out the wand again to test the practicality of a wrist holster. He had made one for Hermione and Ron as well, except not red to match his costume.
"I thought these already existed?" said Ron, in a bit of awe over his new accessory.
"Strangely, no. I got the idea from Peter. Well, the Peter that is being late", Harry said.
"Is everyone ready?" asked Tony behind his metal helmet.
"I think so", said Lupin, standing next to him.
"Not everyone", Harry said.
"Sorry I'm late", Peter gracefully jumped down a few flights of stairs, and used a railing to swing himself safely down amongst the crowd. He too was suited up.
"Y'all ready?" he sounded winded.
"Indeed", said Tony. "Fury had to head out, but we'll be fine."
As Harry, Ron and Hermione made their attempt to blend in as normal people walking in London, Harry's heart was attempting to escape his throat. Meanwhile, the two Peters stuck to the rooftops, keeping an eye from above. Harry swiftly gazed towards the sky and saw the usual 'reality is ending' lightning taunting him from above, looking worse than before and Strange's spell holding it all together seemed to start failing, bright purple cracks forming in the sky.
Other than that, it was a cold day, steel-grey clouds hanging in the sky with the sun occasionally flickering in and out and light wind blowing.
Harry hadn't been outside for so long he had forgotten how the fresh air felt.
"I've thought about how we're going to go through with this", said Hermione.
"Oh yeah?" Harry tried to suppress his increasing emotions and his rising concern for being completely exposed in the open. Posters of his own face were stamped up on walls everywhere saying:
Undesirable Number One, Harry Potter.
Contact the Ministry of Magic immediately if you have any information concerning his whereabouts. Failing to report will result in imprisonment.
A reward of ten-thousand galleon was also printed on the posters.
He tore his eyes away from the poster and kept walking. "Fantastic. Anyone wanted to inform me that I had a price on my head or no?"
"Haven't seen that one before", said Ron.
"Same here. Don't attract any unnecessary attention to yourself, Harry."
He looked over his shoulder as they pushed through a dense crowd. He had a feeling they were being watched.
The Muggles around them didn't seem to mind the very odd weather, but they were definitely scared of something. Many of the eyes meeting him were either angry or scared, but the people still kept going about their business.
They have to keep making a living, I suppose, he thought.
"Anyway. As I was saying, our plan is using polyjuice", Hermione continued. "I stole some out of Moodeye's stock and prepared it. You know how he always have backup plans for his backup plans, as paranoid as he is", she added when Ron grimaced in confusion.
"No!" protested Harry. "Once was enough."
Hermione smirked. "I knew you'd say that. But it's our only plan. We just need somewhere to go, act like normal people, think things through."
Pushing through more crowds, they eventually reached a diner which had people moving in and out constantly like a flowing river. "That place will do. Try acting normal, Ron", said Hermione when Ron swung his arms too wide.
"This is me acting normal", said Ron disgruntled.
Harry spotted a suspicious bald figure amongst the crowd, staring right at them. Someone was definitely following them.
Harry quickly looked up at buildings for any of the Peters, saw one of them – instinctively grabbed Hermione's and – signaled him and was given the same signal in response. The three of them walked into the diner just like any normal group of friends, laughing and talking just to blend in; it felt like getting hit by a wave consisting of voices so loud that you couldn't hear your own thoughts.
Harry looked down on his watch. The time was around lunch and the diner was extremely crowded, which benefitted them in terms of hiding but not so much for talking about a plan to infiltrate one of the most secure places in the country, which now also happened to be taken over by the most power and dangerous dark wizard of all time.
There was a big risk for them to be overheard.
"Get us an empty table and I'll make our orders", Hermione said to Harry and Ron.
"Alright", they quickly found themselves a table while Hermione went to get their order.
Harry and Ron sat anxiously keeping an extra eye out the whole time they waited for Hermione.
Ron gave awkward smiles to Harry from time to time, as if to ensure him that everything was good.
"This is mental, you know", Ron said.
Harry lightly scoffed. "Tell me about it", he drummed rapidly with his fingers against the table, looking over his shoulder, back to Hermione and back over his shoulder again.
Finally, Hermione arrived with three cups of steaming hot coffee and a single big blueberry cupcake.
Harry wasn't hungry but this was just a cover after all.
"You two look absolutely suspicious!" Hermione whispered between her teeth as she sat down. "Just sit still."
She split the cupcake between the three, and in silence they sipped on their coffee. Harry tried to relax, which seemed to make Ron not as antsy either.
"So, what about the Polyjuice?" Harry tried to sound as natural as possible but it was hard while keeping his spider-sense sharp.
"We'll have to get some hairs from Ministry employers", said Hermione.
"Are we just picking some blokes on random?" asked Ron amused.
"Unfortunately, yes."
"Wonderful."
There was a loud slam as the door to the diner flung wide open. In stomped two men, one of them bald.
Spider-sense tingled in the back of Harry's skull. He looked Hermione right in the eyes as the men walked right past their table.
She seemed to understand. So did Ron, slowly reaching for his wand in his holster.
Harry felt his face twitch from a pure reflex and fear; without hesitation, he pulled both of his friends down on the floor as spells crashed and ricocheted off things.
People screamed and ran. Objects blew up, cups and plates with food crashed into the floor. Ron and Hermione did their best to throw back spells hiding under the table and behind their chairs. Glass from above hit Harry in the face, scratching it up and piercing his eyes. The pain exploded through his nerves and spread through his entire face.
His scream was drowned out by everything else. The pain completely paralyzed him and he couldn't see anything except for a stark light and vague dark shapes. He fumbled along his face, felt that his glasses were broken, they had essentially blinded him.
Be calm, he thought over and over again.
His hand moved to his wand, gripped it but he dropped it.
Come on Harry, he thought to himself, come on… come on Spidey.
"Oh God – Harry? Harry!" Hermione's voice yelled right next to him, he heard Ron swear loudly at the attackers in the background while shouting spells at the top of his lungs. "Just – just hang on."
Be calm, he thought again, as someone – presumably Hermione – picked his wand up for him and placed it in his hand. "J-just be still! Ron, we need to go now!"
Harry's face crumpled so hard with rage that his face might've hurt if it wasn't already in pain.
An unexpected guttural roar escaped his mouth as he felt his spider-side just take the wheel entirely and completely and all he was doing was guiding it.
No logic or reason ran through Harry's brain as he felt how he jumped straight something and landed on the ceiling, blocked spells coming right at him with his wand – these movements where just very natural in his mind – and lunged himself at the attackers, disarmed them and webbed them down on the floor.
Ron yelled his name. He heard other people in the background too besides him and Hermione.
"We didn't see them!" said Peter's voice from further away as it came closer to him.
"It's alright", Harry said, turning towards who he assumed was Peter. His hands were shaking violently.
Footsteps closed in on him and he felt the familiar warmth of Hermione hugging him.
Panting, he just stood there as their hands grabbed him and he felt the strange sensation of being apparated.
He just lied down on the ground face down – grass from what he could tell – breathing. He threw up. Yep, that was breakfast right there, he thought. He couldn't believe he was joking without eyes to see!
"I'm not sure I was supposed to experience that", said Peter.
"You weren't", said Ron.
"Help me roll him over", said Hermione. She didn't sound in the mood for jokes. Understandable, thought Harry.
"No", Harry said. He didn't want to play the victim, the one that got hurt. It was always him.
Both of the Peter's, Ron's and Hermione's hands rolled him over. Harry grunted. Something was stuck in his arm; he didn't know what though.
"Honestly, I can move fine!" Harry felt annoyed at how they treated him. Maybe a bit dizzy and disorientated and all of the pain he felt in his face, but he moved just fine on his own.
Something was pulled out of his arm and he violently spat through his half-closed teeth.
"Take it easy!" Ron screamed.
"You don't need to scream at me!" Hermione yelled back. "Let me concentrate!"
Something got pulled out of his eyes, quick and mostly painless. A soft stream of water hit his eyes – drips of water slipped down his face.
Harry just laid there for a moment while drops of something hit his eyes, it fizzled and stung but he toughed through it.
"Thankfully the damage isn't severe. Dittany should be enough, your body will do the rest", said Hermione.
"Well, that's the end of that", sighed Peter.
"For now,", said Pete.
"Great plan guys", Harry mumbled as he felt small stings in his eyes. "Such a great plan, why would we ever think idiots like us could pull something like that off? It's mental." He laughed; he didn't know why. The entire situation was just bizarre.
"Completely mental", agreed Hermione laughing nervously with him. "There. Can you sit up?"
The grass tickled his hands and arms, he might even just lie here forever in the cozy bed of grass.
"Yeah", Harry hauled himself up in a sitting position, feeling the trunk of a tree supporting him.
He still couldn't see, but he trusted Hermione to have him back to normal in no time. He felt her shaking hands take his.
"This is unfortunate, isn't it?" he said.
"Harry. We need to keep going", she said with shaky uncertainty in her voice.
A nauseating feeling washed over him. He wanted to help; he really did. But he was more of a liability right now than anything else.
"Are you right in the head?" said Ron angrily. "You want him to keep going in that state?"
Hermione breaths were very loud in Harry's ears. Birds sang in the distance, the leaves of the tree rustled in the wind. His own breathing was being pushed away, like a sea splitting in the middle, honing in on his surroundings.
"Let me finish!" Hermione shouted at Ron. She was frightened.
Harry squeezed her hands reassuringly, trying to calm her down. She squeezed them back.
"Me and Ron are going to get the hairs for the polyjuice and their clothes", Hermione. "You two, stay with Harry. Make a fire and shelter if necessary."
"Sure sure", said Peter.
Hermione let go of Harry's hands and hugged him, placing a kiss on his lips in the process. He heard Ron approaching him and patted him on the shoulder. He hated not being able to help and just being helpless. The fizzling in his eyes was still there, hopefully healing him.
"We'll see you soon, mate", said Ron.
Harry gave a hollow laugh. "Aren't you hilarious, you git?"
"I try", said Ron. He heard him smile, it was odd.
Hermione kissed him again, and then he heard them walking away from him and with the loud cracking sound he associated with apparating. They were gone.
Someone sat down beside him. "You know, I once went blind", said Pete.
"Oh yeah?" Harry mumbled.
"Yeah, I was fighting this villain – Vulture – he was relentless and during our fight, he blinded me with acid."
"That sounds like it hurts."
"It did. A lot. But I beat him and healed back from it. It took a couple of days for me to get back on my feet, but eventually I did."
"And with magic, you should be back on yours in a few hours", said Peter comforting.
They kept talking but he wasn't listening.
Harry slowly nodded and closed his eyes out of pure habit. Might as well take a nap. There was nothing really for him to do.
For being blinded he was surprised by his calm demeanor. He thought of all the things he had faced over the years. Nothing scared him like uncertainty, but now he was breathing steadily and not shaking at all.
He thought of Dumbledore, how he had just abandoned him and been murdered by someone – he wasn't sure if it was that Green Goblin that had done it, Dumbledore could easily knock that psychopath out – without telling him about the Horcruxes, Voldemort or anything really; what was he supposed to do?
"Are you sleeping right now?" Peter asked, with a touch of annoyance in his voice.
"Trying to, yeah", Harry mumbled.
"Fair enough."
Harry didn't fall into a deep sleep, but resting his body was good enough. The two Peters never left his side or stopped talking. He just listened to them talking and making up a fire that made them argue loudly over how they should make it.
A very long time later, he opened his eyes. The fire had gone out and the two Peters sat opposite of him without their masks on.
His eye sight was finally restored. It took a few blinks to properly open his eyes. He didn't care how, just that he was restored to normal – well, as normal as normal can be. He found his repaired glasses in one of his pockets and put them on.
"How long have they been gone?" Harry checked his watch. Two hours had gone.
"I have no idea", Peter looked at him like he was an injured little brother. "You okay?"
"Somehow, yes", said Harry.
A crack sounded close to them and in the next second both Ron and Hermione appeared out of thin air. Hermione rushed towards them, while Ron lagged behind carrying clothes under his arm.
"We have them", she said with her breath in her stuck in her throat.
She threw herself down on the grass next to Harry. He wasn't gonna lie, he felt a warmth in his chest when he saw her.
"That healed extremely well", said Hermione feeling with her fingertips around his eyes. "I honestly didn't expect you'd able to see at all for a few days at least. Any pain? Blurry vision?"
Her fingers quickly traced over a nasty throbbing wound on his cheek with a bit of Dittany.
"Not really no."
"What are you, a nurse?" Peter asked with a hint of amusement in his voice.
"No, but I wouldn't trust either Harry or Ron to heal something as delicate as their own eyes."
"Thanks, Hermione", said Harry.
She looked at him with a shy smile. "You know I'm always looking out for you."
Ron sat down on Harry's other side. He seemed tired and annoyed.
"We did it mate. Took us ages but we did it."
"All we have to do is stroll right in", said Harry.
"Sounds easy enough", said Hermione.
Hermione seemed more focused on his face than their task ahead.
"What even happened to me back there? It was anger but not quite – not really", Harry asked.
"You're growing, that's what happened", said Pete, giving him a look saying 'I'm proud of you' and Harry didn't quite understand what he meant. "You were scared for yourself and your friends, and got angry but you were focused on what you had to do."
"It was bloody terrifying", admitted Ron. "You went straight through the table and — I have no idea, you moved so fast."
"Yeah, I felt a bit scary", said Harry, scratching the back of his head nervously. "Sorry 'bout that."
Hermione kept his inspecting his face and eyes, obviously too anxious to relax or focus on anything else.
"But Hermione thought you were astonishing", teased Ron with a dreamy-sounding voice.
Hermione just scoffed loudly at his comment and gave him a cold glare that would've burned through to the back of his head if it could.
"You gave us a fright, that's for sure. Don't scare us like that again", Hermione brushed his hair with her hand. "But you look fine."
"Fine? The guy doesn't even show signs of trauma", scoffed Peter. "At worst he should be blinded for life, at best he should still be recovering."
Physically, he was completely fine but his body protested that he still was injured; something throbbed behind his eyes and forehead, he felt confused in general.
"Let's go", said Harry. "The sooner the better."
Hermione seemed hesitant. "We still don't know the exact location of the Stone."
Harry shook his head and glanced quickly towards the absolute horrible state of the sky. "We don't have time."
Hermione opened her mouth to protest but closed her mouth shut and nodded.
Author's end of chapter notes: Enjoying the madness? Great! Trust me I went far and wide looking for info about whether or not magic could heal body parts like eyes and all I found was JK stated something along the lines of that people in the Wizarding World had the power to fix mundane injuries but not magical injuries. And being a superpowered human, well you get the idea. That entire part was not planned out and I like it so much that I don't want to remove it but also don't want to make Harry blind for the rest of the story. Is it a cop out? You tell me, I'm open for criticism!
I want to keep showing that Harry can and will be harmed in many ways because being Spider-Man is not always as fun as it's made out to be and he's always vulnerable but he will always find a way to get back up.