Harry Potter & the Journey Into Isolation
By The Short Fat Fag
Chapter Six: The Final Year Begins
A couple of days later, Harry stood in the infirmary looking out of the window at the hundreds of students returning to the school. As much as Harry liked the idea of blending in with the student body, he also hated the idea of being surrounded by that many people. He truly just wanted to be left all alone.
"Well, Hedwig," Harry said to his faithful pet, "looks like this is where things get interesting for me."
Hedwig hooted back to him, trying to comfort him tonight.
Harry watched as the students disembarked from their carriages and they rushed into the Great Hall before the sorting was to begin. Among the students returning to school Ron, Hermione, Ginny, Luna and Neville were frantically searching for Harry among the other returning students.
"Where could he be?" Ginny asked.
"Probably in the infirmary," Neville answered, "I bet he isn't well enough to come down yet."
"From what Ron and Ginny's parents said, he should be over his physical injuries by now," Hermione said, still scanning for her friend.
Neville put a hand on her shoulder and sadly said, "So were my parents shortly after their attack and you've seen how they are years later." Hogwarts may have witnessed Neville begin his career as a clumsy and forgetful boy, but it will see him leave an insightful and courageous young man.
"He wouldn't want to miss the sorting would he?" asked Ginny.
Ron sighed, "He's missed it before, both in second and third years he was forced to miss the sorting. It wouldn't surprise me that he would miss this one also."
"Well, we might as well have a seat and maybe he'll show up," said Hermione resigned.
- - - - -
When the feast is over with, the Gryffindors approached Dumbledore about Harry. Luna however, did not see them approach the Headmaster and went up to Ravenclaw Tower.
"Sir," Hermione began, "we would like to know about Harry." Ron, Ginny and Neville were standing behind her looking hopeful for an answer.
Dumbledore twinkled at them merrily and said, "Wouldn't we all, Miss Granger, wouldn't we all."
"Er, yes sir, we would. He wasn't at the feast tonight and we were wondering how he was."
"Yes," he said sadly, "I know he didn't come down. Why don't you all go up to the infirmary and if you can get past Madame Pomphrey and Dobby, maybe you can see him tonight. Sadly, however, beyond that I know nothing about Harry anymore."
"Why not sir?"
"It seems that Harry needs more time to heal after his ordeal and he wants to be left alone while he does it," replied the Headmaster.
Ginny looked worried and asked, "Do you think we shouldn't bother him then?"
Dumbledore smiled, but it didn't quite reach his eyes, "No, no, I think he would be delighted to see his friends once again."
"Won't we end up being out after curfew?" Neville asked nervously.
Dumbledore's eyes began to twinkle once more and said, "Then it's a good thing you have the new Head Girl with you." Everyone grinned as Hermione beamed at the Headmaster.
- - - - -
Later on the foursome arrive at the infirmary, but find only the school nurse there, who looks at them sternly and says, "I've been expecting you. Potter is in one of the private rooms over there." Poppy pointed to the correct door for them to enter and continued, "If he'll see you that is."
The four exchanged worried looks with one another and then Hermione marched herself over to the correct door and knocked on it. "Harry? Are you in there? It's me, Hermione. Ron, Ginny and Neville are here with me."
They received no answer.
Hermione decided she was not going to go through this again and bellowed, "HARRY JAMES POTTER! You open this damned door before I kick it in."
Everyone looked at Hermione in awe, including Madame Pomphrey. Even in the room, Harry was impressed with her, but he was too afraid to open the door. 'Did they know?' Harry wondered. He hoped not.
True to her word Hermione opened her school robes, rose up her foot and kicked the door. Of course, the door held and she ended up hopping around the infirmary while the other three laughed at her. Madame Pomphrey quickly came over to help her.
"Harry, mate your missing this. She about broke her foot on the door." Ron said between laughs.
After she calmed down Hermione shouted to the door, "I'm killing myself out here Harry, so open that door and let us in. We love you, you know?"
Harry rested his head against the door. Deep down he wanted to fling the door open and welcome them in. Deep down he had wanted to go down to the welcoming feast. Deep down… he wanted it to be July again and not have lived through August at all.
However, Harry sighed sadly, turned and walked over to the bed, sitting down it beside Dobby.
"Harry Potter," he squeaked, "you's is letting them in? They's is missing Harry Potter they is."
Harry tried to smile at his little friend, who patted his hand sympathetically. However, on the other side of the door, Neville took out his wand, pointed it at the door and performed the blasting curse. Moments later the door exploded and in came four very worried Gryffindors.
- - - - -
Meanwhile in the Headmaster's office, Professor Dumbledore and Professor Snape were having a private meeting concerning a very important topic.
"Severus, are you sure you can do this?"
"Of course, Headmaster, I have found I have a great deal of enjoyment from this type of work," Snape said with a smirk.
Dumbledore sighed, "I am not allowing you to do this because you enjoy it, and in fact I would prefer not to have you do this at all. I wish we had the time to devout to doing this the right way, but we don't. So please don't be to over enthusiastic."
Doing is best to hide his glee at the assignment, the Potions Master answered, "Of course."
- - - - -
"Harry!" the four yelled together and the girls went to hug him. Harry immediately stiffened at their touch and tried to back away, but they had him on both sides and he couldn't.
"Harry Potter is not liking being touched!" Dobby yelled at them and went to shoo them back. "Harry Potter is having a terrible ordeal and is not liking touching anymore."
Ginny and Hermione jumped back from the elf in surprise and all four looked shocked. Since when did Harry not liked to he hugged by girls?
"It's okay Dobby," croaked Harry embarrassed. Hoping that his friends wouldn't think he was being a cry baby or anything like that.
"So Harry," Neville began, "why didn't you come down to the feast tonight?"
Harry looked down and sheepishly said, "I wasn't feeling up to it."
"Whatever," Ron said, "You look like you could pull the wings off of a Hippogriff." This earned Ron a smile and a small chuckle from Harry. This, in turn made Dobby beam at the teenagers.
Hermione was looking at the whole thing in her usual studious she had when solving a problem and asked, "So are you coming back to Gryffindor tower tonight?"
"No," he said rather quickly and then said, "I'll be here for a little while longer, until I'm better."
"Well, you're going to be missing all the fun in the common room tonight," Ron said cheerily and then leaned into Harry a bit, "I hear Seamus has a bottle of Firewhiskey, but don't tell Hermione."
"I'm standing two feet away from you Ron," Hermione complained. "I'm not an idiot you know."
Harry and Neville snickered at them as Ginny rolled her eyes. After a few more minutes in the infirmary, they convinced Harry to go to the common room and visit the others, even if he had to come back to the private room afterwards. So after Dobby repaired the door to the room, he began pulling Harry out of it along with the others.
"Harry Potter is going to visit his friends and is having fun tonight," the elf demanded which caused the others to laugh.
- - - - -
A couple of hours later Harry and Dobby were walking back to the infirmary after having fun for the first time since Harry's birthday. There was a close call with Mrs. Norris, who after finding him out after curfew went to find Mr. Filch, but a quick confundus charm did the trick and they were able to escape from the cat.
Upon entering the infirmary they discovered that Madame Pomphrey had already retired for the evening, so Harry and Dobby made their way to the private room. After having spent some time with his friends again, Harry had felt much better and began to feel guilty about the way he had treated the Headmaster.
Harry sat down on the edge of his bed and thought, 'Dumbledore was only trying to help me after all. His heart was in the right place. He just went about it all wrong. I wonder if he is just as confused about all of this as I am?'
While Dobby was bouncing around the room, getting it cleaned and up and getting his pajamas out for him to change into, Harry wrapped his arms around himself and began rocking back and forth chanting, "I can do this, I can get better."
Dobby stopped what he was doing and to have a look at Harry and he knew that once again Harry had forgotten he was not alone again. However, this time the house elf knew that Madame Pomphrey was looking for a sign like this and would tell her all about it in the morning. 'Now is the time to be putting Harry Potter to bed.'
- - - - -
Later that night, as Dobby was sleeping in the little elf bed Harry had conjured for him. Actually the bed Harry had made didn't stay around for very long and Dobby recreated it himself, because Harry had wanted to give him something. Dobby loved it just the same, knowing no matter who made it, it came from Harry's heart.
However, Dobby was awoken by another house elf named Jibby. "Dobby?' Jibby whispered, "Is you'd waking up Dobby?"
Dobby opened his eyes and replied to Jibby, "Yes, Dobby is waking up. What is Jibby needing?"
"Jibby is doing what Dobby is asking him, but Jibby is thinking is not right to tell master's secrets."
"Is secrets Jibby knowing going to be hurting Harry Potter?"
Jibby looked reluctant to answer and said, "Well…"
"Dobby is needing to know, so Dobby can be protecting Harry Potter."
Jibby looked reluctant to tell, but then looking over at the Boy-Who-Lived, began to tell Dobby all about the conversation that took place in Dumbledore's office earlier in the evening.
- - - - -
The next morning Dobby woke Harry up and sent him into the shower to get ready for his morning classes, while Dobby brought his breakfast to him. This morning Harry was not scrubbing himself clean like he had in earlier episodes, but this time, he was simply getting ready for a new day. As Harry stood under the shower head shampooing his hair, he began to give himself a good talking to.
"Okay, Harry," he said to himself, "You can do this. Just walk up to him and tell him your sorry for being so rude to him the other day. That you weren't yourself and that he was right, I didn't think it through. I was just reacting to the pain." Then as Harry began to wash the soap from his hair, he thought, 'I need to tell someone eventually, I need to tell someone, but I am so afraid to do it.'
While Harry was in the shower, Dobby took the opportunity to inform the school nurse what he observed the night before. Dobby had been right, she was pleased that he was finally making progress, if only tiny steps in that direction.
When Harry emerged from the bathroom, he found his breakfast already laid out for him. "Dobby is wondering if Harry Potter is wanting his breakfast here or to go down to the Great Hall and eating with his friends?"
Harry smiled at the elf and said, "Since you've already gotten her for me, I think I'll eat with you this morning."
"Harry Potter is eating all this food by hisself, Dobby is not eating with Harry Potter. Harry Potter is great wizard and he isn't eating with elves."
Harry look a stern look at Dobby and said, "Harry Potter is eating with Dobby or else Harry Potter isn't eating at all."
Dobby started to argue with his master, but Harry picked the elf up and placed him in the vacant chair beside his own and placed a plate in front of him. Giving up, Harry and Dobby had breakfast together.
After breakfast was over with, Harry gathered up his books and things and took out the schedule McGonagall had given him the afternoon before everyone returned to the castle, in case he felt like going to classes when they began.
On their way out of the infirmary, Harry stopped by Poppy's office and said, "Dobby and I are going to class this morning." To which she nodded understandingly.
"Now don't overdue on your first day Potter," she said sagely.
Sheepishly he said, "I won't," and turned to leave for class when he stopped. Harry turned back and instead of saying anything to her, he laid his hand on her left arm. He looked down and then ran out of the room and on to class.
Poppy clutched her chest happily and said under her breath, "Thank you Merlin!"
To Be Continued … Please Read and Review
- - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - -
Benjis VIP: Harry isn't so much breaking a rule as he is making sure Dumbledore knows that he is taking some control back in his life. Mostly away from Dumbledore. Harry still has a very long way to go on this journey.
By The Short Fat Fag
Chapter Six: The Final Year Begins
A couple of days later, Harry stood in the infirmary looking out of the window at the hundreds of students returning to the school. As much as Harry liked the idea of blending in with the student body, he also hated the idea of being surrounded by that many people. He truly just wanted to be left all alone.
"Well, Hedwig," Harry said to his faithful pet, "looks like this is where things get interesting for me."
Hedwig hooted back to him, trying to comfort him tonight.
Harry watched as the students disembarked from their carriages and they rushed into the Great Hall before the sorting was to begin. Among the students returning to school Ron, Hermione, Ginny, Luna and Neville were frantically searching for Harry among the other returning students.
"Where could he be?" Ginny asked.
"Probably in the infirmary," Neville answered, "I bet he isn't well enough to come down yet."
"From what Ron and Ginny's parents said, he should be over his physical injuries by now," Hermione said, still scanning for her friend.
Neville put a hand on her shoulder and sadly said, "So were my parents shortly after their attack and you've seen how they are years later." Hogwarts may have witnessed Neville begin his career as a clumsy and forgetful boy, but it will see him leave an insightful and courageous young man.
"He wouldn't want to miss the sorting would he?" asked Ginny.
Ron sighed, "He's missed it before, both in second and third years he was forced to miss the sorting. It wouldn't surprise me that he would miss this one also."
"Well, we might as well have a seat and maybe he'll show up," said Hermione resigned.
- - - - -
When the feast is over with, the Gryffindors approached Dumbledore about Harry. Luna however, did not see them approach the Headmaster and went up to Ravenclaw Tower.
"Sir," Hermione began, "we would like to know about Harry." Ron, Ginny and Neville were standing behind her looking hopeful for an answer.
Dumbledore twinkled at them merrily and said, "Wouldn't we all, Miss Granger, wouldn't we all."
"Er, yes sir, we would. He wasn't at the feast tonight and we were wondering how he was."
"Yes," he said sadly, "I know he didn't come down. Why don't you all go up to the infirmary and if you can get past Madame Pomphrey and Dobby, maybe you can see him tonight. Sadly, however, beyond that I know nothing about Harry anymore."
"Why not sir?"
"It seems that Harry needs more time to heal after his ordeal and he wants to be left alone while he does it," replied the Headmaster.
Ginny looked worried and asked, "Do you think we shouldn't bother him then?"
Dumbledore smiled, but it didn't quite reach his eyes, "No, no, I think he would be delighted to see his friends once again."
"Won't we end up being out after curfew?" Neville asked nervously.
Dumbledore's eyes began to twinkle once more and said, "Then it's a good thing you have the new Head Girl with you." Everyone grinned as Hermione beamed at the Headmaster.
- - - - -
Later on the foursome arrive at the infirmary, but find only the school nurse there, who looks at them sternly and says, "I've been expecting you. Potter is in one of the private rooms over there." Poppy pointed to the correct door for them to enter and continued, "If he'll see you that is."
The four exchanged worried looks with one another and then Hermione marched herself over to the correct door and knocked on it. "Harry? Are you in there? It's me, Hermione. Ron, Ginny and Neville are here with me."
They received no answer.
Hermione decided she was not going to go through this again and bellowed, "HARRY JAMES POTTER! You open this damned door before I kick it in."
Everyone looked at Hermione in awe, including Madame Pomphrey. Even in the room, Harry was impressed with her, but he was too afraid to open the door. 'Did they know?' Harry wondered. He hoped not.
True to her word Hermione opened her school robes, rose up her foot and kicked the door. Of course, the door held and she ended up hopping around the infirmary while the other three laughed at her. Madame Pomphrey quickly came over to help her.
"Harry, mate your missing this. She about broke her foot on the door." Ron said between laughs.
After she calmed down Hermione shouted to the door, "I'm killing myself out here Harry, so open that door and let us in. We love you, you know?"
Harry rested his head against the door. Deep down he wanted to fling the door open and welcome them in. Deep down he had wanted to go down to the welcoming feast. Deep down… he wanted it to be July again and not have lived through August at all.
However, Harry sighed sadly, turned and walked over to the bed, sitting down it beside Dobby.
"Harry Potter," he squeaked, "you's is letting them in? They's is missing Harry Potter they is."
Harry tried to smile at his little friend, who patted his hand sympathetically. However, on the other side of the door, Neville took out his wand, pointed it at the door and performed the blasting curse. Moments later the door exploded and in came four very worried Gryffindors.
- - - - -
Meanwhile in the Headmaster's office, Professor Dumbledore and Professor Snape were having a private meeting concerning a very important topic.
"Severus, are you sure you can do this?"
"Of course, Headmaster, I have found I have a great deal of enjoyment from this type of work," Snape said with a smirk.
Dumbledore sighed, "I am not allowing you to do this because you enjoy it, and in fact I would prefer not to have you do this at all. I wish we had the time to devout to doing this the right way, but we don't. So please don't be to over enthusiastic."
Doing is best to hide his glee at the assignment, the Potions Master answered, "Of course."
- - - - -
"Harry!" the four yelled together and the girls went to hug him. Harry immediately stiffened at their touch and tried to back away, but they had him on both sides and he couldn't.
"Harry Potter is not liking being touched!" Dobby yelled at them and went to shoo them back. "Harry Potter is having a terrible ordeal and is not liking touching anymore."
Ginny and Hermione jumped back from the elf in surprise and all four looked shocked. Since when did Harry not liked to he hugged by girls?
"It's okay Dobby," croaked Harry embarrassed. Hoping that his friends wouldn't think he was being a cry baby or anything like that.
"So Harry," Neville began, "why didn't you come down to the feast tonight?"
Harry looked down and sheepishly said, "I wasn't feeling up to it."
"Whatever," Ron said, "You look like you could pull the wings off of a Hippogriff." This earned Ron a smile and a small chuckle from Harry. This, in turn made Dobby beam at the teenagers.
Hermione was looking at the whole thing in her usual studious she had when solving a problem and asked, "So are you coming back to Gryffindor tower tonight?"
"No," he said rather quickly and then said, "I'll be here for a little while longer, until I'm better."
"Well, you're going to be missing all the fun in the common room tonight," Ron said cheerily and then leaned into Harry a bit, "I hear Seamus has a bottle of Firewhiskey, but don't tell Hermione."
"I'm standing two feet away from you Ron," Hermione complained. "I'm not an idiot you know."
Harry and Neville snickered at them as Ginny rolled her eyes. After a few more minutes in the infirmary, they convinced Harry to go to the common room and visit the others, even if he had to come back to the private room afterwards. So after Dobby repaired the door to the room, he began pulling Harry out of it along with the others.
"Harry Potter is going to visit his friends and is having fun tonight," the elf demanded which caused the others to laugh.
- - - - -
A couple of hours later Harry and Dobby were walking back to the infirmary after having fun for the first time since Harry's birthday. There was a close call with Mrs. Norris, who after finding him out after curfew went to find Mr. Filch, but a quick confundus charm did the trick and they were able to escape from the cat.
Upon entering the infirmary they discovered that Madame Pomphrey had already retired for the evening, so Harry and Dobby made their way to the private room. After having spent some time with his friends again, Harry had felt much better and began to feel guilty about the way he had treated the Headmaster.
Harry sat down on the edge of his bed and thought, 'Dumbledore was only trying to help me after all. His heart was in the right place. He just went about it all wrong. I wonder if he is just as confused about all of this as I am?'
While Dobby was bouncing around the room, getting it cleaned and up and getting his pajamas out for him to change into, Harry wrapped his arms around himself and began rocking back and forth chanting, "I can do this, I can get better."
Dobby stopped what he was doing and to have a look at Harry and he knew that once again Harry had forgotten he was not alone again. However, this time the house elf knew that Madame Pomphrey was looking for a sign like this and would tell her all about it in the morning. 'Now is the time to be putting Harry Potter to bed.'
- - - - -
Later that night, as Dobby was sleeping in the little elf bed Harry had conjured for him. Actually the bed Harry had made didn't stay around for very long and Dobby recreated it himself, because Harry had wanted to give him something. Dobby loved it just the same, knowing no matter who made it, it came from Harry's heart.
However, Dobby was awoken by another house elf named Jibby. "Dobby?' Jibby whispered, "Is you'd waking up Dobby?"
Dobby opened his eyes and replied to Jibby, "Yes, Dobby is waking up. What is Jibby needing?"
"Jibby is doing what Dobby is asking him, but Jibby is thinking is not right to tell master's secrets."
"Is secrets Jibby knowing going to be hurting Harry Potter?"
Jibby looked reluctant to answer and said, "Well…"
"Dobby is needing to know, so Dobby can be protecting Harry Potter."
Jibby looked reluctant to tell, but then looking over at the Boy-Who-Lived, began to tell Dobby all about the conversation that took place in Dumbledore's office earlier in the evening.
- - - - -
The next morning Dobby woke Harry up and sent him into the shower to get ready for his morning classes, while Dobby brought his breakfast to him. This morning Harry was not scrubbing himself clean like he had in earlier episodes, but this time, he was simply getting ready for a new day. As Harry stood under the shower head shampooing his hair, he began to give himself a good talking to.
"Okay, Harry," he said to himself, "You can do this. Just walk up to him and tell him your sorry for being so rude to him the other day. That you weren't yourself and that he was right, I didn't think it through. I was just reacting to the pain." Then as Harry began to wash the soap from his hair, he thought, 'I need to tell someone eventually, I need to tell someone, but I am so afraid to do it.'
While Harry was in the shower, Dobby took the opportunity to inform the school nurse what he observed the night before. Dobby had been right, she was pleased that he was finally making progress, if only tiny steps in that direction.
When Harry emerged from the bathroom, he found his breakfast already laid out for him. "Dobby is wondering if Harry Potter is wanting his breakfast here or to go down to the Great Hall and eating with his friends?"
Harry smiled at the elf and said, "Since you've already gotten her for me, I think I'll eat with you this morning."
"Harry Potter is eating all this food by hisself, Dobby is not eating with Harry Potter. Harry Potter is great wizard and he isn't eating with elves."
Harry look a stern look at Dobby and said, "Harry Potter is eating with Dobby or else Harry Potter isn't eating at all."
Dobby started to argue with his master, but Harry picked the elf up and placed him in the vacant chair beside his own and placed a plate in front of him. Giving up, Harry and Dobby had breakfast together.
After breakfast was over with, Harry gathered up his books and things and took out the schedule McGonagall had given him the afternoon before everyone returned to the castle, in case he felt like going to classes when they began.
On their way out of the infirmary, Harry stopped by Poppy's office and said, "Dobby and I are going to class this morning." To which she nodded understandingly.
"Now don't overdue on your first day Potter," she said sagely.
Sheepishly he said, "I won't," and turned to leave for class when he stopped. Harry turned back and instead of saying anything to her, he laid his hand on her left arm. He looked down and then ran out of the room and on to class.
Poppy clutched her chest happily and said under her breath, "Thank you Merlin!"
To Be Continued … Please Read and Review
- - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - -
Benjis VIP: Harry isn't so much breaking a rule as he is making sure Dumbledore knows that he is taking some control back in his life. Mostly away from Dumbledore. Harry still has a very long way to go on this journey.