"Welcome back, Harry." Voldemort said as Harry felt himself lowered to the ground. "How are things with the Muggles?" Harry tried to roll away from the man, but Voldemort reached out a hand and stopped him. "Take it easy, Harry." Voldemort waved his wand and a bed appeared. Voldemort gestured Harry towards the bed with his wand and Harry felt himself lifted and placed on the pulled back blankets. "There you go. You look much more comfortable now." Voldemort settled the blankets over Harry and sat down next to the bed. "You look so tired." Voldemort told him.
Harry sat up and glared at him. "That's your fault, not mine." Voldemort pushed him back into the pillows and smiled at him. Harry grimaced as he tried to fight his way up again and failed against Voldemort's hands.
"It is your fault. Once you agree to be mine, this will all end, and you will find out what true respect is like. All of my Deatheaters would respect power like yours and would answer to you." Voldemort stood and went over to the conjured fireplace and stood there, staring at the flames. "I could help you to become so much more than what you could become with Dumbledore." Voldemort said to Harry as he stared into the fire. "Can you just imagine how much we could do together?"
Voldemort's faded away in a flurry of curses as another voice broke through the dream.
"Harry, up!" Petunia called from his doorway. She could tell from his eyes that he had not slept well. They were bloodshot and looked haunted. He nodded from his bed and sat up, moving slowly, but still moving. Now all she had to do would be get him in the car, tell the wizard that she knew was outside that she was taking Harry out for a while, and that they would be back. They couldn't keep her from taking her nephew out at all. He was safest when he was with her, after all. The closer the better. The two of them would be spending a four hour car trip together. He'd never be safer. As to that evil wizard finding them, if he could keep up with her driving, she would congratulate him. She returned to the kitchen and spooned some cereal out for Harry. Ten minutes later found the boy drifting to the table and sitting down, not really awake at all.
"Eat something." She said, pushing the bowl in front of him. He picked up his spoon and took a few bites. He dropped the spoon and rushed to the bathroom, where she heard retching. He returned to the kitchen just a few minutes later. He looked at the cereal and then gave her a pleading look. She just nodded and took the bowl away. She did get some apple juice into him, and he managed to keep it down. Those nightmares last night had reduced him to tears, and now he couldn't stomach anything. Thank goodness that she was taking him to St. Jude's today. The sooner the boy got better, the sooner she could get back to normal. "Come along. We're going out for a while." Harry looked towards the living room with longing, obviously wanting to lie back down for a while. "You can sleep in the car. Come on."
"Yes, Aunt Petunia." Harry wasn't about to argue. Aunt Petunia had been nice yesterday, and close to being so today. He almost liked her at this point. Plus, he was getting to leave the house, something he hadn't done seen he had come home from school. She walked outside, Harry trailing close behind her.
"I'm taking Harry out for a while. Don't even try to stop me. You may have a wand, but I have a cast-iron skillet." Harry doubted anyone would argue with the announcement. He knew the Order wizards were there. He just didn't know who it was, or where they were exactly. He knew that they had heard it. He could almost feel their shock. "Into the car, boy." Harry slipped into the passenger side and buckled his seatbelt. He managed to keep his eyes open for a while, but soft music from the radio, and the constant movement of the car soon lulled him to sleep. Petunia smiled to herself as Harry's eyes drifted shut and stayed that way. This would be much easier with him asleep. If he wanted to write to someone and tell him where he was, he would not be able to. Also, Voldemort would have a harder time trying to find him if Harry had no idea exactly where in the country he was. Dumbledore's attempts would be laughable. She almost wished that she could be a fly on the wall when that wizard found out what she had done. She would pay good money to see such a "powerful wizard" outsmarted by a Muggle!
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"Harry." Harry opened his eyes to see his aunt standing there, looking a little grim. "Let's go." Harry nodded, thinking that they were home, and sorry to have missed a little change of scenery. He was shocked to find that they were in a parking lot outside a huge building. He shrugged and followed her into across the lot and into the building, wondering why she was carrying a small duffle bag. Once inside the building, Harry lingered near the doorway while his aunt checked in with a receptionist. The lady behind the desk motioned towards a sitting room. Petunia gestured for Harry to follow her. Harry shrugged to himself and followed. There was a large blue couch in the room, surrounded by several different kinds of chairs, coffee tables, and odd little end tables that didn't quite fit into the scheme. He made a beeline for the couch and claimed it. Petunia chose a chair.
"Aunt Petunia? Why are we here?" Harry asked, unable to close his eyes.
"I don't like magic, or the ways of wizards. I've made that no secret. Vernon and I had a feeling of what would happen if you were exposed to it. We tried our best to keep you from it, that unnaturalness." Harry glared at her. "We tried our best, and it wasn't good enough. Off you went, only eleven years old, to a world you didn't understand and no one in our family could possibly explain." She stopped, not sure of what to say next.
"You kept the knowledge of what I am..."
"For your safety!" She shrieked. "We knew! That headmaster of yours told us what would happen when it was time for you to go to school. We knew that you would be in constant danger from the minute you knew about it. Constant danger! We thought it better that you would have no knowledge of it, and then, once you were situated in Stonewall High, that Vernon and I could start showing how proud we were of you, without that magic Dumbledore said you would have." Harry sat, shocked. His guardians had been willing to tell him that they were proud? That didn't quite fit with the Vernon and Petunia Dursley he knew. "We thought that if you did well enough at Stonewall, and then happened to find out about magic, you wouldn't care because your life would be established. We hadn't counted on Dumbledore's interference. He insisted, and you went off at eleven years of age!" She stood up and went to look out the window.
"You fought against a troll your first year! Not even three months into the school year, and your life had been in danger! Now, you tell me, how was I supposed to react? I know very little about that world of yours, but I do know that trolls are dangerous, and full grown men would not take one on alone. And yet, you and your friends managed to do so. Then, Dumbledore allowed you to challenge a possessed teacher. The man is insane. Let's send in a child!" She huffed and stared out the window. "You fought against a basilisk! With a sword. If it had not been for that bird, you would have died!"
"You knew?" Harry asked.
"Of course we knew! Every time that, that, MAN sent us a letter, I was sure that it was announcing your oh-so-unfortunate death!" She said in a fierce whisper. "He would always tell us what you managed to accomplish, never mind the odds against you, and how proud we should be of you." She shook her head. "I don't think you realized how he was preparing you for something. You've almost died so many times that I'm afraid that I have lost count. No one who has raised a child from one year old should have to count how many times that that child has been in danger." Harry took a few deep breaths to calm himself. What in the world was happening to his tidy little world? Aunt Petunia had sent out bomber planes to shatter it.
"Harry, what your uncle and I did may have been wrong, but we did what we thought was best. You've come home, every summer, just covered in glory from that school. It has been sink or swim for you from day one, and now, something has happened that has dragged you under, and you're drowning because of it. I refuse to let you drown completely." Harry figured that that was as close to an apology that he would ever get. "You are here to get some help, and you'll stay here until you get it."
"Aunt Petunia, it's not that I don't appreciate the gesture, you trying to make sure that I'm okay and all, but I'm fine. Besides, Dumbledore won't let me stay here. He'll find me and take me back to Hogwarts." Petunia frowned.
"Dumbledore won't be able to find you. And you are staying. I am admitting you here. This place specializes in children who need some help, and you are staying." Petunia regarded the rather shell-shocked face he gave here. "Now, about those letters, do you have any written?"
"Er, I did the whole summer supply." At her look, he just ducked his head. "I couldn't sleep one night." Petunia nodded. Well, that worked. Dumbledore wouldn't suspect a thing as long as Harry's letters continued arriving. "I can't stay here, Aunt Petunia. I've got to go back." Petunia's mouth pursed even more if possible. A male nurse came in, holding something in his hand. Harry wondered what it was.
"Hey, kid. My name's Jack. I'll be taking care of you for the next hour or so, until we get you settled. Your aunt here says that you'll be going under an alias for privacy reasons. You like spy movies or something?" Harry turned to his aunt and gaped at her. Jack took hold of his arm and fixed a hospital bracelet around his wrist.
"Aunt Petunia, please!" Petunia only shook her head.
"For once, I'm going to do what you need when you need it, and you need this. Listen to your doctors and nurses. I'll see you soon." She gave him an awkward one-armed hug and handed the duffel bag to Jack. She turned and without a backward glance, walked out of the room. Harry could not believe what his aunt had just done. She had put him in a mental institution! More than that, he couldn't leave. He pulled at his collar, suddenly unable to get enough air.
"Breathe, Evan!" Jack said next to him. Harry sank down on the couch and tried to suck in air. "Slowly!" Harry looked up at him, not hearing what the man was saying. He wondered why he couldn't stop shaking. Jack sat down next to him and put a hand on his shoulder. "Listen to me, Evan. You need to calm down. Take a deep breath." Harry heard it a few times before actually listening. He sucked in a huge amount of air. "Hold it." Harry did as he was told, now officially on auto pilot. "Good. Now let it out." Harry did so. He idly wondered how many kids had flipped out on this guy when they were abandoned here. "Feeling better?" Harry looked up and nodded. He could at least breathe. "Good. I know it's rough, but trust me, it gets easier." Harry just stared at him. "Let's go, Evan. We'll get you a room and into uniform, and then you can meet some of the other kids and your teachers. Your doctor will be along to see you later this afternoon."
Harry followed behind the man. First chance he got, he would write to Hermione and tell her that he was in some mental institution, and to send the Order. He was sure that she would come to his rescue herself, if no one else was available. He looked down at his bracelet and saw his alias. Evan James. What a nondescript name. His aunt should look into espionage. She would make a great agent. He looked around. This hospital didn't look like a hospital at all. It looked like a school. Jack had said teachers, and he had mentioned a uniform. Where on earth was he, and why did it feel like an alternate dimension?
"Hi, Jack!" A woman said. "This is Evan." The newly-named Evan looked up to see the woman. She seemed nice and gave him a wide smile.
"Yeah, this is double O 7 himself! Hey Evan, you mind if I call you Bond?" If his earlier talk with his aunt had not been evidence of his falling into an alternate dimension, this was proof enough. "Aw, you're still a little shocked. Just remember to breathe." Harry nodded slightly, still looking around like he couldn't quite believe what was going on around him. "Agent Bond, this is Cathy. She's in charge of the storage rooms." Harry shook her hand, nodding to her. Jack, odd nurse with a fondness for nicknames. Cathy, wide smile and in charge of storage. Check. He wondered what was next in this strange universe. Cathy brought out a rather large box and started to hand it to Harry. Jack intercepted it.
"Cathy, that'll break 007 into a million pieces! Can't you see he's kind of a runt?" He asked. He settled the box into his arms and nodded to Harry. "Let's go, Secret Agent." Three nicknames in one day. Did the man ever stop? Harry followed along behind him, looking for an exit. There was no way he could stay here with this barmy man and his nicknames! Unfortunately, none seemed to exist. "Elevator. No climbing in the shafts today." The man seemed apologetic. Whatever for? Harry rode the elevator up to the third floor.
"Welcome to third floor left! This is going to be your floor. In case you should lose yourself on a secret mission, it's marked on your bracelet." Harry looked down and saw the number three, followed by the letter "L". He wondered why in the world his aunt thought he needed help. This man seemed to need it more than he did! He didn't seem to be able to distinguish between reality and fantasy.
"Um, Jack?" Jack looked down, ecstatic to receive some speech from Harry. "You do know that I'm not really a secret agent, right?" He asked. If Jack said that he was, Harry would hunt down the nearest doctor.
"Of course I do. Every kid I take care of gets a nickname. 007 fits you, so you're stuck with it until you leave." Jack smiled. "You could have been stuck with a worse one, believe me!" Jack started towards a door when the door opened.
"Jack!" A boy said happily, coming up to the pair. "You didn't tell me you'd be on the floor today." He said, almost accusingly.
"I'm not. Just bringing a new one up to get him settled. His name is Evan James. Evan, this is Nathan. He's one of the students here. I don't suppose you'd be willing to let Nathan help you settle in, 007?" Harry shrugged. The nickname was back. "Good!" Jack handed Nathan the box. "You show 007 around, understand Bug?" Nathan snapped a salute, which Jack returned. Jack left the two boys and returned to the elevator.
"Bug?" Harry asked. "Bug" grimaced, smiled, and shrugged.
"I want to study bugs when I get older." He said. "Jack found out within the first hour or so, and I've been Bug ever since." Bug took the box and turned. "Your room is this way." Evan followed him down the hall and to a door. On the door was the name "Evan James" in big bright construction paper letters. Bug opened the door and lead the way in. It was a private room. Only one bed.
"It's almost time for lunch, so you'll want to get changed now." Bug dug through the box and pulled out an outfit identical to the one he was wearing. "I'll wait outside." Evan nodded and changed as soon as the door shut. He would stay here tonight, write the letter tomorrow, and be gone two days after that. He took the shoelace from one of his shoes and tied his wand to his leg. No way was he going to part from it now! He placed his regular clothing on the bed and opened the door. "Great! Let's go. I'll give you a tour before lunch starts. You're lucky you came today, no classes!" In Harry's opinion, Bug was far too happy to be in this place.
"Er, Nathan? Can I ask a question?" Harry asked quietly.
"Sure, go for it."
Evan took a deep breath."Don't you hate it here?"
To his surprise, Nathan smiled. "Used to. The first whole month, actually. I hated everything. But now, I kind of like it here. No pressure to be more than who you are. No expectations. Just you. That's all they want here. Just for you to be you. I'm not saying it was easy. It was the hardest thing I've ever had to do, talking about why I couldn't sleep, or why I hated everyone. But, it's the best thing that could have happened. You already hate it here?" Harry wondered how much he could tell him.
"My aunt just left me here." Harry told him.
Nathan nodded. "The doctors came and got me from school. That wasn't pretty." Harry followed Nathan around, learning the layout of the building and the rules. There were a few rules, not many, but the ones they had were unbreakable. Like leaving school grounds. Not allowed. Or skipping meals. Not allowed. Missing class or therapy. Not allowed. They were easier than the rules that Dumbledore had mentioned, for "his safety". "I smell hamburgers!" Nathan said, a little too happy for Harry's taste. "They make the best hamburgers here. Come on! I'll introduce you to our whole floor. We sit together at every meal." Nathan practically latched onto Evan and dragged him towards a table. Calls of "Bug!" started the minute he got close.
"Hey, guys! This is Evan. He's new." Nathan went around the circle, naming each boy and Harry knew that he would not be able to duplicate the names. "His nickname's 007! Jack's already got to him." Harry was pointed a chair, while two boys got up and went towards a door. One came back carrying hamburgers, while the other came back carrying a bowl of vegetables.
"Hey, Sparky. You have to eat a whole hamburger before you get any of these vegetables." Sparky, a rather thin boy, looked crestfallen at the announcement. Bug leaned over and whispered to Harry.
"He's got an eating disorder. Thinks he's fat. We all watch him eat, just to make sure he's actually eating. He's been really sick lately from not eating right. We never used to watch. He said that it made him nervous. Now, we watch." Harry nodded. Bug leaned over and pulled the bowl of vegetables towards him. "Hope you're hungry, Evan." Bug landed a huge spoonful of mixed vegetables on Harry's plate. Harry fought down the feeling of nausea. Oh, he knew that he only had apple juice on his stomach, but he didn't want anything else there, and didn't think he could keep it there. He looked around, slightly panicked. Would they make him eat?
"What's wrong, Evan? You don't look too good." One boy questioned. Even Sparky looked concerned.
"I haven't been able to keep down much." He answered. "I don't think I can manage all this food."
Nathan eyed him. "Just eat what you can. I'm sure the doctors will go easy on you today. If you tell them, they might even give you something for it." Harry wanted no part in any medication at that point.
"How come he doesn't have to eat and I do?" Sparky whined.
"You never eat. 007 here is scrawny, but he's not a stick like you." Some boy answered.
"I'm too big to be a stick!" Sparky returned.
"You're a stick!" Harry thought this a bit cruel. Nathan leaned over again.
"We figure that telling him how we view him will help in the long run. We're not teasing; we're telling the truth." Harry nodded and took a sip of water. He tried some vegetables, and found that his stomach liked them. A glass of water and full serving of vegetables later found Harry in line with the others to stack up their dishes. A man in dress pants and shirt came over.
"Evan James?" Harry looked up. "Come with me, please." Harry shrugged and handed off his dishes. He supposed that this man was a doctor, or one of those teachers Jack mentioned. He would soon find out.