Chapter Two – Return to Hogwarts

After several days of drinking healing potions and resting round the clock, Harry was finally physically able to be moved to the Hogwarts infirmary to be cared for by Madame Pomfrey. However, psychologically, he was no where near being ready to face anything of that magnitude.

Madame Pomfrey had no idea if he was able to understand where he was or not. She had expected him to be in a great deal of shock after his ordeal, an ordeal that she has refused to tell anyone the full extent of, even the Headmaster. She knew he didn't like it, but she also knew if Dumbledore tried to force her to tell something she was not willing to, he would pay for it dearly later. Dumbledore knew it as well.

So at present Harry was lying in bed, in the darkened room, wanting to be left alone. Madame Pomfrey had concluded that he must have been kept in pitch darkness for the entire three week period as he had little tolerance for bright light, a condition that would shortly be cleared up with her potions. The only person he voluntarily let in was Dobby. She had to barge her way in to make him take the potions she brewed for him and left as quickly as possible afterward, before Harry started to convulse and scream. She knew it was going to be a very hard road back for him.

The only sounds she heard Harry make during this time was the screams he made when anyone came to close to him or worse yet, touched him. It was almost like physical touch was excruciating for him, however, she suspected the real reason for it and after examining him, knew it was true. After all he had suffered through in his young life and then to have those …. those …animals do that to him, it was unthinkable.

However, her biggest concern at the moment was how to get him to Hogwarts with a minimum of fuss. For that she needed to discuss plans with Dumbledore and he wasn't there at the moment. So she decided to ask Dobby, he seemed to be able to actually get through to Potter.

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A couple of hours later Dumbledore showed back up at the flat with Remus Lupin to inquire about Harry.

"Poppy, is Harry healthy enough now for us to move him back to Hogwarts?" Dumbledore asked.

The school nurse looked at him and said, "Physically, I would say yes, mentally, that's another story. Do you have a plan on moving him Albus?"

"Yes, I have an idea, but first I want to question him about his whereabouts for the past three weeks," stated Dumbledore as he made his way to the bedroom door.

"Albus, I would not recommend this action. He's been through quite a bit and he doesn't trust anyone yet." Poppy said and then paused before adding, "He may become violent."

"Violent?" Remus asked, "Harry's never been violent towards the Headmaster before."

Dumbledore chuckled and said, "There was that one time, but I think I more than earned it from him."

"Well, I can't stop you from going in there, but make sure you keep the light level where it is, his eyes are just now responding to treatment and make sure above all other things that YOU DO NOT touch him. He doesn't like being touched right now." Poppy said to him in a huff and then went further to add, "Also, I only want one of you at a time in there and I'm sending Dobby with you."

"Poppy there will be no need to send Dobby in with me; I am more than capable of …"

The school nurse interrupted him in mid sentence and finished it for him, "You are more than capable of upsetting him and pushing his recovery back further than it needs to be. That's why Dobby is going in there with you, with strict orders from me that should anyone upset Harry, he is to expel them from the room without haste."

Dumbledore went to argue with her but seeing her face he decided it would be best not too at this time, and turned to enter the room alone.

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"Harry?" Dumbledore asked and received no response. He continued, "Harry, its Professor Dumbledore."

The only response he received that time was Harry rolling over with his back to the Headmaster and curling up into the fetal position with all the blankets curled up around him, as if he was in a cocoon.

"Harry, we must talk about what happened to you, these past weeks."

Harry didn't answer but shuddered involuntarily which caused Dobby to pop into the room at Harry bedside and eyed the ancient wizard distastefully.

"Harry Potter," Dobby gently squeaked, "if you's not wanting him here, you's just tells Dobby and I's getting rid of him." Then Dobby patted Harry's hand gently and hopped around the bed to face Dumbledore and said, "If you's is upsetting Harry Potter then you's will be dealing with me, you's will." Before Dumbledore could respond to Dobby, he popped away again.

"What an interesting friend you have there Harry," Dumbledore chuckled. "Now as I was saying I need you to tell me what you can about the time you were missing, so we can punish the ones responsible."

Harry whimpered and tried his best to burrow deeper into the covers of the bed.

Then thinking he was being encouraging, Dumbledore laid his hand on Harry's shoulder as he had done many times before and said, "Harry I know it's been rough, but you must tell me what happened."

Upon feeling the hand touching his body, Harry gasped loudly and began to shake uncontrollably, which drew Dobby's attention and he popped back into the room and surveyed the damage. He turned to Dumbledore and bellowed, "You's was warned, you's was. You's has upset Harry Potter and now you's is leaving!" Then with a snap of his elf fingers Dumbledore was propelled through the air, the bedroom door sprang open magically and he was sent through it and landed on his backside in the middle of the sitting room as the door slammed shut.

Dobby went over to Harry and said, "Don't you's worry Harry Potter, he's is gone now. No one's is hurting Harry Potter again."

In the sitting room, Poppy walked over to the Headmaster and said, "I take it you didn't listen to my instructions, Albus?"

As Remus helped him up he replied, "It would appear so."

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Sometime later, after Dobby helped get Harry ready, Madame Pomfrey and Professor Dumbledore came into the room with what looked like a ratty old shoe.

"Harry, it's time we went to the infirmary at Hogwarts," Dumbledore said to him, "I've made this portkey to take us there and you'll be safe at the school. Madame Pomfrey and Dobby will accompany you on this journey and I will see you later this evening, after I have concluded some business with… well with the old crowd."

Harry sat on the bed and nodded in compliance, but said nothing and took the old shoe from the Headmaster and waited for it to go off. Madame Pomfrey and Dobby were also touching it when suddenly they all felt a jerking sensation from behind their navels and moments later they landed in the middle of the infirmary at Hogwarts.

Madame Pomfrey looked over to her charge and said, "Alright Potter, lets get you back into a bed, I'm going to put you into one of the private rooms, so that you can have some privacy." She smiled at him warmly and started to direct him to one of the doors to one side of the infirmary.

"Madame Pomfrey?" Harry said in a whisper, which stunned the matron and house elf alike.

Poppy quickly recovered herself and said, "Yes Harry is there something you need?"

Harry looked to his shoes as if he were ashamed of something and asked, "I want to take a bath."

"I'm sorry Harry, but that is out of the question. You're still very weak and I'm afraid that you might fall in and drown yourself by accident."

"Harry Potter is wanting a bath he is," said Dobby very strictly.

Poppy knew better than to argue with the elf, she had seen his handy work too many times in protecting Potter, "Alright, I won't fight you on it. However, I don't think it's a good idea for you to be alone, so I'm going to…"

At this point Harry scooted away from the matron with a look of panic in his eyes; he clearly wanted to be alone for this.

Quickly she altered her sentence so that he would hopefully agree, "I'm going to have to ask Dobby to go in with you to keep an eye on you. Is that all right with you?"

Harry nodded his head in acceptance. For some unknown reason to anyone, Dobby was deemed safe in Harry's eyes.

"Very well then, the bathroom is through the third door from the end. You'll find everything you need in there and I'll bring you a fresh pair of pajamas for you to sleep in."

"Harry Potter it is bath time for you's now," Dobby said as he pulled on Harry's hand towards the correct door leaving the nurse alone in the ward.

"It's going to be a long recovery indeed," she said.

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Sometime later, after Madame Pomfrey had tucked Harry back into bed and gotten him to swallow several vials of healing potions, she sat down and asked Dobby to tell her report what happened in the bath.

"Well…" Dobby began, not wanting to betray Harry.

"You don't have to tell me what he said Dobby; I just want to know if he's talking about it yet. Is he dealing with the pain and trauma or is he still pushing it deep down inside?"

"Well…" Dobby began again, not sure how to answer that question.

Poppy sighed and went into a different direction, "Alright can you answer this question; how did he bathe himself? Did he sit and soak in the water or did he scrub himself?"

"Harry Potter scrubbed himself good and clean," Dobby said eagerly, "I was beginning to wonder if he was trying to scrub off his skin, but he stopped before that happened."

Poppy looked a bit sour, but she wasn't surprised by the news. She had been expecting Harry to want to wash away the shame of his ordeal.

"Another thing Dobby," she began, "I don't want you to tell me what he said, but was he telling you or was he talking to himself when he said whatever it was that he said?"

"Harry Potter is speaking to Dobby, but not when he's was scrubbing, Harry Potter is speaking to himself. I's don't thinks Harry Potter knew Dobby was even in the room with him then."

Poppy sighed again and said, "I suspected as much."

"Madame Poppy?" Dobby asked, "Do's you's know what happened to Harry Potter?"

"Yes, Dobby, I do. Do you know what happened to him also?"

"Bad wizards touches Harry Potter in a bad way."

Poppy nodded in confirmation. "Did he tell you that?" she asked hopefully.

"Harry Potter is telling himself about it, Dobby is just overhearing it."

"I was afraid you were going to say that."

To Be Continued … Please Read and Review