He was given all the time he wanted to go home with his aunt and uncle, and truthfully, he had no intention of returning to Hogwarts. The school populace was told the toxins he ingested needed to be totally out of his system, so he was transported to St. Mungo's Hospital. He was sure the papers would be mentioning his leaving Hogwarts by morning. But in reality, Professor McGonagall, Tonks, and Mad Eye Moody escorted him home, while Professor Dumbledore and others escorted a Polyjuice Potter to St. Mungo's. McGonagall told his family what had happened the day before, and they were expecting him.

Harry was shy while Petunia and Vernon asked questions about what they were going to do about the person who did this, and they were assured – as Harry was – that the person would be removed from Hogwarts and punished accordingly.

Tonks came up to Harry as they were leaving looking very sorry for him. "There will be someone watching the house, just in case something happens, but we don't think it will," she said, and brought him close for a hug. "Goodbye, Harry."

McGonagall patted his shoulder gently. "I'm sorry we could not protect you from this, Harry. I do hope you decide to return soon."

"Professor?" Something had been bothering Harry besides this mess.

"Yes?"

"Who's going to be Gryffindor's Captain now?"

She said, "I was hoping you would keep the position. We can have a stand-in until you return."

"I want Ron to be Captain," Harry said without hesitating, pulling out his Captain's badge and handing it over. This decision would mean the replacement of their second player. Now it was Dean, Demelza Robins, and Ginny as Chasers, Jimmy Peakes and Ritchie Coote as Beaters, and Ron as Keeper and Captain. He'd have to find a new Seeker soon. "The real Captain. No stand-in. You'll never find anyone with a better mind for strategy."

She took the badge and nodded, if not a little disappointed with him. "I'll inform him of your decision. I'm certain he will fill your shoes adequately. I wish you the best."

They all left and then it was just Harry with his large trunk and his aunt and uncle. They stood still for a moment, then Vernon got up and took his trunk.

"Let's get this upstairs," he said.

Harry was about to follow him when Petunia stopped him and asked for help in the kitchen.

Harry went with her. It was close to dinner and she was cutting up vegetables and gave Harry a cutting board and knife with the tomatoes.

"Are you still hurt?" She asked.

"No."

"All they kept saying was that you were – assaulted. What really happened?"

Harry bowed his head and stopped cutting, "Someone – I don't know who it was – he…had his face covered…It was night and I was in the hospital ward because of something I ate. He just…held me down…"

And it was wonderful and amazing, made him feel so alive – like electricity. But he couldn't tell anyone that, because it was also all a lie. He knew it was a lie; that wasn't Ron – it was someone playing a trick and taking advantage of him. It wasn't real; it might not have even been Draco Malfoy; he couldn't see how it possibly could have been him. But it was a Slytherin – they just nicked the badge off him. Harry didn't want to think who it really was.

Petunia looked up at him and said with sympathy, "I'm very sorry this happened to you."

Harry nodded his agreement.

Vernon came into the kitchen and said, "It's all in your room."

"Thank you," his voice was so soft it was just a whisper.

"You didn't deserve this," Vernon said with a harder yet equally sympathetic tone, and Harry looked up at him. He was quite stern as he said, "I know you've got some strength in you; you've been through more than any decent man deserves! Nothing can be done about it now, but this shouldn't have happened. It was that damn school; tricks and magic! I knew it would turn sour before the end."

Harry could hardly disagree with him. In fact, he actually agreed wholeheartedly, which was a great surprise to him that he could agree with anything Uncle Vernon said.

"I can call the dean at Smeltings, get you signed up!"

Harry totally put the knife down now. He looked up in shock at Vernon. Smeltings was Uncle Vernon's old private school, where Dudley had been going for the past five years. Vernon smirked.

"Unless you want to sign up at Stonewall High," said Vernon. "A public school would still be better than that cruddy old Hog-whazzits." The amount of restraint it was taking him to offer this – not to mention bring up his actual school's name – was bringing up the vein on his forehead, but the diet Petunia had been feeding him had greatly reduced the fat on his body, making his blood pressure and coloring a lot less purple than usual. "You aren't planning on going back to that place, are you?"

Harry could only shake his head, because he couldn't fathom returning there any time soon.

"Well! We have to get you into a real school! You got hurt – it's not the end of the world!" Vernon pulled the phone off the receiver and left the room, presumably to go make some calls to Dudley's school. Harry stared in blank horror at the doorway, then he turned to Petunia, who was looking similarly shocked.

"Is he serious?"

Petunia broke out of her state and cleared her throat loudly. "I'm sure he is! Now cut those tomatoes."

Harry took a deep breath and chopped them into large slices.

Despite the likelihood of Dumbledore refusing to let him go to a Muggle school with so little protection, Harry could feel the weight of having to return to Hogwarts fall off his shoulders. It was like there was hope for his life coming back together.