A/N: This chapter has been beta read by Super MkatR. Thank you!

Chapter 6 – Waking Up

Albus Dumbledore had an incommodious headache. In these hours, he knew that the old age was beginning to take its toll on him. He was feeling dreadfully tired and overwhelmingly sad. A student had almost lost his life under his ministration. Not just any student, but a very special student, who should have been under more watchful care.

It was sad to think that one child is more important that others, but trues especially considering the child was Harry Potter, the Boy-Who-Lived.

Albus had a mystery in his hands and the weight of guilt was on his shoulders. He was playing a dangerous game by keeping two threats inside the castle: the young Quirrel and the Philosopher's Stone.

Two paths were leading to a single direction, Lord Voldemort.

It was certain that Quirrel was working under Voldemort's orders, but how the young man was communicating with his master was a mystery. Owls and secrets passaged were well supervised and Severus was observing closely.

Attacking young Harry so soon and in such public way had been a foolish movement by Quirrel. However, he had almost been successful. Fortunately, Harry's magic had been strong enough to protect him. A fine piece of accidental magic had protected the boy from more serious injuries.

Of course, Dumbledore could always count with Severus to spread misinformation. This morning's visit of Molly Weasley served to confirm it.

Apparently, the Weasley children believed that Severus had attempted to kill Harry due to his obvious antipathy towards the boy and due to an intelligent observation of Miss Hermione Granger, who noticed Severus murmuring a spell while keeping visual contact with Harry's broom. What the girl did not know was that the teacher had been only trying to protect Harry by whispering a counter course.

On the other side, it was good to know that the boy had so many good friends, who cared about him, including a young little witch, who was not attending Hogwarts yet, but she had been daring enough to ask him permission to visit Harry at the hospital wing. The Headmaster answered that he would authorized the visit if Madam Pomfrey agreed.

Harry Potter was dreaming.

Or not?

He did not know.

He heard a new voice in the room that he liked very much. He smelt a fragrance that enticed him even more. He did not know anything in the world that could smell better.

She was speaking to him, but he did not understand the words.

He liked the sound, the rhythm and the intonation. Her presence was warm, he felt warm close to her and he followed that sensation… Still, it always ended and the darkness would return once again.

He flew sometimes. He would pursue the snitch and the sensation would be wonderful, but when he would catch the snitch, he would fall. He would fall into an endless darkness from which there seemed to be no way out.

However, she would always take him from it, that voice that would speak to him and would make him float. Then, he would relax and would stand there with that voice and that fragance.

Harry did not know when it was the first time he returned to being conscious of himself. However, he knew that she was there, and it had been her voice that brought him back to the surface, it had been the need to discover what she was saying.

'It was a scandalous loss, if you ask me. A 350 to 30 score is a shame even to the Cannons. Don't ask me why Ron supports them, because I'll never understand. Maybe he likes to suffer...'

Right. She was speaking about Quidditch. He would smile if had the strength to move any muscle.

'I don't even need to say that the Harpies are the favourites of this season,' She continued, 'but Puddlemere United isn't facilitating the girls' work.'

Harry did not need any more tips to recognize who owned that voice, that smell, that warmth… It was Ginny. Only Ginny Weasley could speak about Quidditch in that way.

He heard her sighed with sadness.

'Then, if you want to see the Harpies kicking United's ass in the end of the season, you better try to wake up soon.'

"I already woke up!" But Harry's lips refused to form the words.

He got angry at that, but he kept persisting.

Ginny stared at the white blankets with sadness. She was beginning to hate them.

Every day she would come to Hogwarts to find Harry in the hospital wing under those blankets, exactly like the previous day. Harry had been unconscious for two weeks, but she had been doing everything in her power to let him know that he was not alone.

She would speak to him, tell him stories and try to let him be aware of the recent goings on even if he was not listening. Ginny liked to believe that he was listening to her and that she would help him wake up.

She entwined Harry's hands with her own and gazed up at his pacific face when something happened. Harry stressed his forehead in a clear expression of irritation. Ginny held her breath, anxious, and squeezed his hand. He squeezed back.

'Harry, can your hear me?' She asked.

His hand moved once more.

'Can you open your eyes?'

Harry blinked sometimes without seeing anything. Everything was blurry and the light was bothering his eyes. It took some time, so that he could get some focus to see the girl standing at his side. She was still there.

'Hi!' She said when he looked at her.

'Hi!' He tried to say, but his voice refused to come out. Then, he realized that his throat was dry.

'Hmm, hold on, Harry. 'Ginny said, realizing his difficulty. 'Wait just a bit, I'll call Madam Pomfrey.'

In seconds, Madam Pomfrey was at his side, mumbling spells, poking with her wand and giving him potions. It was curious how Ginny helped the older witch and knew exactly how to follow the instructions, where to hold, which potion to get, etc. Apparently, they had been getting along for a while. The whole process was uncomfortable and exhaustive, but when the witch finished it, Harry was feeling himself again.

'Well, Mr Potter, I'm happy you're recovering. Everything seems good with you. Your organic system is working well and your magical core seems to be recovering.'

'My magical core, ma'am?' Harry asked, confused.

'Yes. Your magical core suffered with your explosion of accidental magic, but it frayed mostly while preserving your life after such serious injuries. This medical occurrence is uncommon, Mr Potter. Few wizards have a magical core powerful enough to promote self-healing, especially at such young age. I believe your coma was necessary to give time to your core recover.'

Harry felt slightly dizzy with that information.

'Ma'am, are you saying that I healed by myself?'

'It's precisely what I'm saying. When you arrived here, there was little I could do to help. Your magic was blocking mine and preventing me from interfering with the healing process. I don't believe that anything I did actually help you.'

Harry searched for Ginny's look. She was hearing everything in silence with a haunted expression and he felt oddly comforted, because she was still there.

'How are you feeling now, Mr Potter?'

Harry thought a bit about it. 'A little tired, I think.'

'That's what I expected. You should rest. Your body needs to adjust. You were unconscious for a long time.'

Harry nodded in agreement and asked, 'Can Ginny stay?'

'I don't think it will hurt.'

The witch glanced at Ginny and her face was a mix of severity and diversion.

'Take care of our patient so that he won't disobey to the recommendations.'

'Yes, ma'am.' Ginny answered with a smile. 'I will.'

A/N: Hi! What did you think of this chapter?

The next hapter is The Hospital Wing.

scrappy8: Thanks! It would have been awful if Ginny hadn't go to see Harry.

Guest: Thanks! Of course Ginny would be there for Harry!

Rowan Furusaki: Thank you so much!