Chapter thirty-two - 'What do you mean, he passes out a lot!'
"Please can I see them before they go back? I'm not going to see my friends for ages and I'll miss them." Harry coughed heavily following Sirius into his room late on Friday evening.
"Harry, I know by 'them', you mean you wanna see Ginny before she goes but Molly isn't going to let them come back here to see you and I'm really not sure about sending you out to meet them." Sirius replied firmly, although so far he hadn't given a straight answer and was trying to avoid Harry's eyes, he was more than a little suspicious of Harry's recent knack of looking like Lilly to get people to do what he wanted, particularly him.
"Yeah, but I'm feeling ok at the moment and if I'm only going to the Burro then Lupin will come with me. He can stand to be in the same room as Molly, well sort of, well he doesn't complain so much. And besides, the fresh air will do him some good!" Harry begged holding his dressing gown tightly around himself to keep out the cold out despite the sudden extra burst of sunshine this afternoon that had Sirius and Lupin wondering around in t-shirts.
"Harry you've just spent two days constantly puking, your shivering like mad and so hardly well. I know you want to see them but I just don't want to risk it.' Sirius explained finally turning to look at Harry and see his determined face however pale it was, God he was as bad as his mother sometimes, Sirius thought affectionately, but it didn't show much on his face, Sirius really wasn't sure about letting Harry out the house without him.
'And don't look at me like that! I won't let you push me in to changing my mind." Sirius replied trying to snap but failing miserably at it.
"You haven't even made your mind up yet!" Harry snapped back it was more successful than Sirius's but still only half hearted, Harry was aware that too much agro to his body might make him vomit horrendously again and then Sirius would never let him go and see Ginny.
"So!" Sirius frowned at himself, he did think Harry would want to see his friends before they go to school and it wasn't unexpected that he'd kick up a fuss when he finally worked out how few days were left of the holidays.
Lupin had true to his normal manners, remained firmly neither on one side or the other and was waiting for Harry and Sirius to argue it out between themselves before opening his mouth to be helpful. Sirius didn't appreciate this tactic!
But as Harry had reminded Sirius several times today, Woolnough had said that whenever possible and whenever Harry was feeling himself, he should get a chance to go outside in the fresh air as he suspected that where ever Sirius going to keep Harry it wasn't going to be a very easy outdoor place and while he was between his first attempts, Harry did seem, despite the apparent flu to be himself while he was awake and completely unpredictable while he was asleep aside from the narcolepsy.
Sirius was actually rather pleased with Harry's regular uncontrollable deep sleeps because it meant for a good two hours every day he got some quality sleep even if it was only and hour and was broken up in to five or ten minuet portions.
"Fine you can go, but you're not to leave Moody's side, I don't want you out in the open either and it can't be for too long. You'll collapse or something and that dratted woman will try and keep you there!' Sirius finally gave in as Harry's pasty face broke into a smile even if he was coughing too hard to reply.
'Now get back in bed Harry, you aren't well today. And if you don't get some decent sleep I won't let you go at all." He finished putting an arm on Harry's shoulder and leading him back into his bed.
The room had changed a little bit since Harry had first arrived. He'd let his stuff fill out into the room and during one of his odd nights recently he'd for some reason decided to paint a sort of woodland scene with his finger around the wall where his bed leaned against.
It was compiled of all sorts of leaves and grasses, flowers and dragonflies even the odd half a dear hidden among the tress somewhere. It had started just as grass lines from Harry's finger but both while he was barely conscious and while he was feeling somewhere near normal he'd taken to adding to it and even managed to convince Sirius to paint the ceiling midnight blue as every now and then he added or changed the stars he placed on it.
Harry's bed was all twisted and creased by his unfortunate need to lay down a lot and what with the resident bucket just next to it and the now used large dog basket for Sirius, complete with blankets in one corner, this seemed to be where the two spent most of their time. One willingly and the other crossly, Harry hated laying around all the time but yesterday he could barely even move his legs he was so tired meaning Sirius had to carry him to the toilet and spoon feed him his food.
The following day Harry was felling a little bit better however rough he looked and seemed to have finally stopped shivering although he did cough regularly and had decided to keep rapped up warm anyway not only to make Sirius happy.
"Did you manage to sort it?" Harry asked bordering on excitement over breakfast with Sirius and Lupin as he was in very great danger of giddily falling off his chair as he bounced slightly every now and then in his seat.
"Yes Harry.' Sirius sighed feeling incredibly tired and looking forward to the chance for a nap while Harry was out for a few hours, but pleased Harry was looking so chirpy at the minuet.
'Tonks and Moody will be here in a bit after work. Seems Hermione went to see Ron yesterday and got her self conned in to stopping until the end of the holidays by Mrs Weasley." Sirius explained watching Harry eat his plain scrambled eggs breakfast having been taken off wheat for the time being and still only ever wanting milk when it's mixed with a quarter bottle of Tabasco, something Woolnough had also insisted he cut back on where-ever possible, Sirius was only allowed to give it to Harry as a last resort to get some calcium in him.
"Oh, well, do they know about anything yet?" Harry asked a little less hyperactive now after stopping still for a few seconds to stop himself from coughing too hard in front of Sirius.
"No you asked Dumbledore not to tell them didn't you Harry?" Sirius reminded him but Harry had totally forgotten the conversation but imagined it would be something he'd say and was satisfied.
"Oh ok. Do I have to tell them?" Harry asked totally oblivious to the fact he'd asked Dumbledore not to tell his friends so he could.
This constant forgetfulness of Harry unnerved Sirius. He knew it was one of the many side effects Harry was experiencing but still, they were only just at the beginning of finding the right mix for Harry and Sirius was watching every little thing about Harry now.
"Not if you don't want to Harry. McGonagall will explain it when they get to school if you don't want to, but Mr Weasley already knows about some of it. We don't want them letting slip anything about you and McGonagall has devised a rather ingenious cover story for you." Lupin explained painfully aware now of just how odd Harry had become since first arriving with Ginny.
"Oh good. Am I going to the Burro?" Harry asked finishing his plate and downing his water. Lupin however managed to keep a blank face as Sirius looked worried having told Harry this only a short while ago.
"Yeah, they don't know your coming yet, only Mr Weasley is expecting you but we're just waiting for Tonks and Moody remember?" He explained steadily.
"No, I don't, but ok. Will they be long?" He asked but before waiting to hear the reply he blinked heavily for a moment and suddenly became rather twitchy, drumming his fingers on the table and looking around the room quickly at the walls.
Lupin never replied to the question and looked to Sirius who was trying to drink his coffee both aware that this was a different Harry now, one that was more interested in looking at cracks and dints in the table than the questioned he'd just asked if he could even remember asking it.
Harry stayed in this twitchy manner for quiet a while until Sirius was watching him put his shoes on in the hall. Lupin, Tonks and Moody were all ready and waiting by the door when Harry mid sentence went quiet again and as he was standing up revealed yet another different sort of personality that seemed more hunched and timid than the previous one although just as reserved.
Sirius still had his doubts about letting Harry go out but both Tonks and Lupin had assured him that if he becomes odd they were going to grab hold of him tightly and bring him immediately back here to Sirius to sort him out. Who while Harry was away was supposed to be taking a nap. Not that he was going to be able do anything of the sort even though he wanted to, Lupin had almost thought about slipping him something to help matters having got hold of the Weasley twin's sleeping draft, to put in his morning coffee but thought better of it when he thought of how tetchy Sirius might be after his sleep.
"Tonks what brings you here?" Bill asked pulling open the kitchen door to allow the three adults in and a now almost normal Harry in to the kitchen.
"Harry wanted to come see how Ron was after his accident." Tonks explained politely looking around carefully for Mrs Weasley before stepping to far into the kitchen with Harry still close behind her.
"Oh ok, he's just in the living room with dad. Err, did you really need to come all this way you go back to school Sunday don't ya?" Bill wondered as he walked over to the living room door and nodded to the two red headed faces. Harry however didn't reply and totally ignored Bill who seemed a little uncomfortable by Harry's overwhelming interest in the pots as they washed themselves in the sink. He was poking at the bubbles as they floated upwards to make them pop and giggling quietly to himself.
"Lupin, Harry what are you doing here?" Mr Weasley asked walking into the kitchen with his youngest son and then noticing Tonks and Moody as they sat themselves down at the table nodded over to him politely.
"We fancied dropping in for some tea." Lupin explained casually as most the room watched Harry in his still child like amazement at the dishes washing themselves with bubbles floating up and out the window.
"Oh that sounds nice. Bill call your mother down while I see if I can find some of those biscuits." Arthur started moving towards the pantry to find the well known stash of homemade food and Bill disappeared slowly out the room to call his mother.
"Harry.' Lupin whispered closely to Harry as he continued to look away from everybody at a spider on the wall now.
'Harry.' He called a little louder this time and Harry turned around to look at him and started to come back to a more normal reality that wasn't full of colourful bubbles and odd little giggles.
'Harry why don't you go and talk with Ron?" Lupin explained as something suddenly twigged inside Harry at Ron's name and he seemed to become much more aware of where he was and looked over to Ron's rather confused face.
"Oh yeah, hello Ron.' Harry began, kicking his shoes off and walking over to the doorway where Ron was standing.
'You're looking better." He explained now brightly, forgetting about his colourful bubble world for a while.
"Yeah I am thanks, err, why don't you come upstairs the girls will probably want to see you.' Ron replied not sure what to make of Harry's odd behaviour as he led the way out the room with Harry wondering at his own pace behind him.
'How's your Christmas been Harry?" He asked trying to think of something to say.
"Err, not to great, it's been nice being with Sirius again." Harry replied as they reached the first landing and came face to face with Mrs Weasley, but unfortunately for him, Harry had started to cough again into his hanky and there was no hiding it from Ron's mother how hard his chest was heaving as he did.
"Harry what are you doing here?' She began but didn't let Harry get a word in before continuing.
'Oh, has Dumbledore let you come stay so we can take you to Hogwarts. Well why don't you go in there and get comfy and I'll get Bill to bring you things up, did you leave them in the kitchen?" She finally stopped, striding in to her favourite role of top mother figure, but Harry felt both timid and offended by the mothering women in front of him now he'd stopped coughing.
"No I haven't got anything with me." He explained seeing her confused quiet look.
"Why not?" She replied sharply.
"It's all back at Sirius's, I just came to see how Ron was after being in hospital.' Harry paused to cough slightly again then pulled himself together more.
'Sirius said I didn't have to go back after Christmas, I'm staying with him." Harry explained with a small pleasant smile at the thought of spending time with Sirius and nodding his head slightly as he looked over to Ron but also thinking more had come out of his mouth than actually had. Mrs Weasley however stood in stunned silence for a few moments as fortunately for Harry, Ginny and Hermione came out to see him.
"Oh Harry, what are you doing here?" Hermione asked then quickly hugged him warmly.
"Came to see Ron. How was your Christmas?" He asked quickly, satisfied that he'd explained how nice it was stopping with Sirius to Mrs Weasley.
"It was really great actually, mum and dad took me to see nana in Paris for a few days. What about you? Did you have fun with Sirius?" She asked as Harry tried his best not to look at Ginny as she hid behind Hermione a bit while Ron and her mother were around.
"Yeah I guess.' Harry explained sadly with a sigh.
'It's nice to see you though.' He added but then suddenly swayed slightly and put a hand out to steady himself on the wall.
'I, I need to sit down for a bit." He explained quietly to Ron but Mrs Weasley had found her voice again.
"What do you mean Sirius said you didn't have to go back to Hogwarts? Of course your going back it's where you belong!" She snapped at Harry who tried to ignore her but couldn't so replied still feeling really rather dizzy.
"He said I could stop with him, I'm not going back, he promised." Harry explained again slowly, oblivious to how little this made sense to anyone else.
"Harry I don't know what is going through that totally crazy godfather of yours head, but you ARE going BACK to Hogwarts and there is no way your going to stop there with him! He's trying to keep you locked up with him to break his own vicious cycle! I admit it's no fun being forced inside all the time but honestly, its one thing to play games with you and pretend that you are your long since dead father, but it's another thing to try and lock you up like that! Wait until I tell Dumbledore about this crazy idea, maybe then he'll see sense and keep you out of his dangerous reach!" She snapped at Harry who was barely listening and far busier wondering about weather it was him swaying or the house at the moment he couldn't be sure only that something was swaying.
"No! He said I could stop with him. He takes care of me, looks after me. He promised I didn't have to go back till I wanted to." Harry replied earnestly getting a little upset now at the prospect of not staying with Sirius, but Mrs Weasley barely saw Harry she was so cross but his friends did, he looked about ready to either pass out or puke or possibly even both.
"Harry you need to sit down here let me help you!" Hermione put in quickly taking a hold of Harry's arm and keeping him steady as she started to lead him away.
"Can I sit yet?" Harry asked staggering slightly so Ron quickly grabbed the other arm to hold him up better.
"Not yet mate. Ginny grab that chair from next to Charlie's bed." Ron explained as Harry's legs gave way and his eyes shut. He was too limp now for Ron and Hermione to hold him up so they gently lowered him to the ground just as Ginny returned with the chair and Tonks came jumping up the stairs to see what Molly might be screeching at, apparently Lupin had insisted she took her turn first while he had a cup of tea.
"Harry, Harry!" She called as she finally saw him laying on the floor.
"He just keeled over." Ron explained completely terrified.
"It's ok Ron, he does it a lot these days, just help me roll him on to his side in case he ends up being sick again." She explained calmly as they gently rolled Harry on to his side as Lupin steadily managed his way up the stairs feeling a bit guilty about sending Tonks up first on her own.
"What do you mean he passes out a lot?" Mrs Weasley shrieked again, getting louder with every syllable.
"Molly he's not well." Tonks tried to explain hoping she might shut up a bit if she only looked at Harry and saw how sick he was.
"Then he should be in bed resting. He looks dreadful, the boys obviously got flu, what is he doing gallivanting around the country in this state?"
"If only he did have flu! Sirius wouldn't have to take him out of school." Lupin explained softly kneeling down next to Harry and taking a look in his eyes to see if they'd gone completely white or not.
"Don't tell me your in on this mad notion Harry has. That Sirius is letting him stay with him rather than sending him back to school?! Wait till Dumbledore hears about this, I know he's your friend Remus but honestly, playing in to his delusions like this is just ridicules!"
"Oh shut up will ya, you don't know what your talking about! Harry's not well, he's stopping with Sirius until he gets better and Dumbledore is the one taking him out of school in the first place you hag! He was worried about letting Harry out the house but after he begged and begged to see his friends one last time, Sirius gave in just for today. He's just not well enough to go back to school and well, he misses you three. Poor things half dead to the world most the time!"
Tonks snapped and then forcing herself to be calm as she looked up to the two redheads and Hermione watching over Harry and feeling really rather confused. Lupin pulled out a little ointment bottle and wafted it under Harry's nose for a few seconds then put it away quickly in his pocket watching Harry's pupils as like Woolnough had explained to him as he did.
"What do you mean see us for one last time?" Ginny suddenly asked hiding her hysterical feelings as best she could, but it was clear given a push, she could easily be reduced to tears if she thought she'd never get to see Harry again.
"Like I said, he's not going to school with you, he has to stay with Sirius, he just really wanted to see you all that's all. But we think the last batch of potion has got him all dreadfully confused, he can't remember things as they're happening and then he forgets things and starts repeating himself." Tonks explained looking warmly up at Ginny as they rolled Harry over again as he came steadily round.
"Harry are you awake?" Lupin asked holding Harry's head still as he started to sit up.
"Yeah I guess, what happened?" He mumbled rubbing his eyes and picking his glasses up.
"You passed out again Harry, here drink some water." Lupin replied as Harry sat up properly and started to gulp down the water Tonks gave him.
"Why didn't I sit down?" He asked quietly, coming back round to normal and seeing three white faces watching over him and Mrs Weasley some where between terrified and furious there was no Sirius helping him only Remus, which wasn't comforting enough Harry felt.
"Some one couldn't be bothered to listen before jumping to the wrong conclusions." Tonks explained through gritted teeth.
"I thought I was at Ron's, why's Snape here?' Harry asked quietly as Lupin and Tonks hoisted him back on to his feet. Ron and Hermione couldn't cover there worry with anything at the moment as Harry found his feet then looked around for Lupin.
'Don't tell Sirius's what happened he'd only worry about me." Harry asked quietly but Lupin merely frowned.
"You know I have to tell him Harry, he only worry's because he cares about you, you know he didn't want you out and about like this anyway today." Lupin explained honestly.
"Yeah but I'm ok now, so we don't have to go yet, do we?" He asked with his pleading eyes. Lupin looked at Tonks who only shrugged, she didn't see a problem for now staying a bit longer it wasn't odd now for Harry to pass out from time to time.
"You're his baby sitter, you make the decision." She replied and Harry continued to look with his pleading eyes at Lupin who was annoyingly reminded of Lilly and therefore gave in far too easily he felt. Comforting himself that Sirius would probably give in to a Lilly look like that too, he turned back to Harry properly and had a quick look to see just how he was before speaking.
"Fine, but you and come sit downstairs in the living room and have something to eat, your hands are shaking in you sleeves again and I really don't like the idea of being too far away if you pass out again Harry." He decided talking like a teacher trying to be firm again.
"Ok but can you..?" Harry began but stopped abruptly making Lupin wonder if Harry had forgotten the rest of his sentence again so waited patiently for a few seconds to see if he remembered it.
"What Harry?" Lupin sighed, sure this might not be something he really wanted to hear but knowing the usual understated way Harry was, it was probably quiet important.
"I can't manage going down stairs by myself, makes me dizzy and I always seem to fall." Harry explained quietly whishing Mrs Weasley wasn't standing behind him busting a gut to take over the situation.
"Oh ok. I'm not too great on them ones either, so Tonks will help you down." Lupin replied quietly and sensitively, noticing how difficult it might be for Harry to admit such a simple little thing he just couldn't do anymore, particularly in front of such a women as Molly Weasley.
Ginny and Hermione started down the stairs first and then Ron followed closely by Harry helped by Tonks and Lupin who was deliberately slowing on the stairs to force Mrs Weasley further and further away from Harry for a short time. Harry soon sat down on one of the Weasley's many blanketed sofas to cover the mismatched room and Bill half dragged, half pushed his mother gracelessly out leaving Harry to talk to his friends.
"Sorry bout that, I shouldn't really be out the house I don't think? But I missed you." Harry explained finally coming across more like his old self despite occasionally shivering and random heavy coughs.
"Are you really not coming back to Hogwarts?" Hermione asked shocked that Dumbledore would agree to let anybody off school like this, never mind Harry but also secretly worried that if Dumbledore was, then Harry must really be sick or something, adding to the confusing question of what and what the hell was he doing coming to see them if he was so ill.
"Yeah for a bit. McGonagall's going to keep bringing me school work to do but half the time I don't think I'll be able to do it from what Sirius has been explaining, he's good like that, telling me stuff about what's happening.' Harry sighed surprised that he was actually missing his godfather at the moment.
'Woolnough had said to Sirius that it would be a good idea to try and keep my brain active though when ever I'm feeling like it.' He tried to brighten up a bit at this, but his friends could see all to well though his pale face and lame attempts.
'See, so even I won't get out of homework Ron, but it wouldn't be the same, Sirius said he won't let me copy him, he's worse that Hermione." Harry smiled hoping to lighten his friends serious sad faces a bit but not sure his joke sounded quiet right as even he wasn't laughing.
"Who's Woolnough? Is he somebody in the order?" Hermione asked softly trying to stop the uncomfortable silence that seemed to be swallowing the room.
"His names Weatherly Woolnough, he's a friend of Dumbledore's that works in St Mungo's mental health department. He spent some time learning about Muggle medicine and stuff and even trained to be a doctor, but now he works at St Mungo's coz he's a wizard." Harry explained but even Hermione's brain couldn't take in what she was hearing and be able to process it all quickly like she normally did.
"He works in the mental health department?" Ron asked unable to understand what he was hearing but sure 'mental health department' must be something important otherwise it wouldn't have such an ominous feel to it.
"Yeah that's right, he's the one that looks after Neville's mum and dad. Although he keeps trying, I think that they're both beyond help now. He won't give up though, wants to keep trying and some of the things he's done from them has been really quiet brilliant. Helped a lot of people the Longbottom's have and I think he mentioned something about the Longbottom trust being one of the best inventions to slip through the ministry and help people properly or something like that.'
Harry stopped to wonder how best to explain Woolnough after remembering what he'd heard Lupin telling Tonks at some point. He couldn't remember sitting and listening to them hold the conversation but it did seem to fit in with the sort of person Woolnough seemed to be.
'I wonder why Neville never said? He's a bit like Dumbledore in that way coz he's quiet nice but rather weird, but doesn't look as old, he must be much older than Sirius by the way he talks to Dumbledore, I only ever heard Moody talk to him like that, like an friend that's sort of equal! An he's not exactly a spring turkey is he?" Harry explained a little disjointedly in his expressions as he did.
"Oh, I heard the man that looks after Neville's mum and dad was a top man, he's supposed to be really, really good.' Hermione twigged her mind finally picking up information and processing it like she wanted it too.
'But why is he involved with you?" She asked half terrified there might be some sort of close connection between the state of Neville's parents and Harry, they were unfortunately supposed to be completely insane with very little or no chance of any recovery.
"He's my doctor, as a special favour to Dumbledore. He even had a look at Lupin the other day after the trouble he had at the full moon. But I think that was because he got curious and wanted to be nosey!" Harry explained casually thinking slowly as he did and pausing between every few words.
"He's your doctor, oh, well I suppose Dumbledore would get hold of the best for you wouldn't he?" Hermione wondered hopefully as Ron sat in silence feeling completely mindless, while Ginny had long since decided she didn't want to know how sick Harry might be in case she couldn't cope with it.
The last thing she wanted to do is lose him and the worry was a bit much for her at the present, it was bad enough now she realised how blind she'd been to how thin and sick Harry looked, how could she be so stupid as too not notice and do something about it before.
"What's the matter with Lupin? He seemed fine when we saw him." Ginny finally piped up and Harry had to fight every urge not to lay his head down in her lap and cuddle up to her as a cat, she wouldn't mind he was sure but something seemed to be telling him it was wrong, even if he couldn't understand what it was.
"I did something to him one night and it made him really ill just before the full moon. He never turned into a werewolf and now Sirius said I've yanked all the aggression out of him, that's why he seems so err, placid Sirius put it as, all the time." Harry explained but most of it went way over there heads.
"He never turned into a werewolf?" Hermione asked sure what Harry was telling him was impossible.
"No, just sat in his room all night reading a paper. Sirius was really quiet worried about him, he hasn't been the same since. Gone way off steak and stuff and kind seems more lazy at times rather than off." Harry explained looking at Ginny completely unable to take his eyes off her, Ron would have found it quiet annoying but he didn't have spare brain for brotherly love to his sister at the minuet.
"What's the matter with you Harry? You look like you've just got flu at the moment. How come you can't come to school and be looked after there? People are going to notice your not there."
Ron finally asked really quickly, like he was frightened something dreadful might happen if he broke the silence for to long. Harry finally looked away from Ginny and started to stare at Ron at first feeling a little uncomfortable that Ron was suggesting Harry come away from Sirius but eventually it kicked in that this wasn't the case and he tried to explain.
"I know, but Dumbledore came up with a cover story, I think. And Woolnough said that it would be better to take me out of school so Sirius can look after me. He wanted me to go to school but after I started levitating his house, people were going to notice things like that and actually his house is so good at hiding, nobody would notice if it happened to levitate a few feet every now and then." Harry explained slowly with an odd quirky grin Hermione thought completely inappropriate.
"You levitated the entire house?" Hermione asked unable to cover her shock as per-usual.
"Yeah. Fell out of bed though and woke up so it sort of plopped back into place." Harry explained making a dropping movement with his cold hands and giggling slightly as he made a plopping noise with his tongue.
"But that's really advanced stuff Harry, how did you know to flick your wand properly?" She asked sure, Harry was having some problem or hallucination or something.
"I didn't have my wand with me. Sirius has locked it up in my chest of draws to try and stop me from accidentally blowing things up with it. Woolnough doesn't want me having any extra easy access to magic at the moment so Sirius locked it away. He even has to put his away in case I accidentally tap into his and blow his arse off or something.' Harry paused for a moment to think of something then continued speaking in his slight ramble.
'Apparently he doesn't have much feeling in his arse or something, Lupin said he destroyed all the nerves in it years ago and wouldn't notice if he sat on a burning seat! But he wouldn't tell me why, I asked him but he said it was really one of those stories my mum would think I shouldn't listen too, and he wouldn't say anything other than that because Sirius made him talk about something else."
"Sirius took your wand off you?" Ginny asked shocked but pleased her mother wasn't in the room so she could soak up what 'her' Harry was telling her calmly. Unfortunately though Molly Weasley was standing right next to the door trying to catch anything she could while Bill flicked her with the dishcloth to try and get her to sit down with everyone else.
"Yeah well he had to." Harry shrugged not looking at Ginny as he wondered about the odd feel the blanket had against his hands and started to twitch it quickly with the tips of his fingers.
"You levitated the house without a wand. How did you even??" Hermione asked again but then stopped as she realised that she should probably get past this point, if Ron had realised this then he would have quiet agreed with her that she should.
"Well you can do magic without a wand. But normal people need it to channel there magical energy. Mine's just a bit out of whack at the moment, at least that's what I think Sirius said, so it sort of just happens without me realising. I've done other things, I mean, nearly everything in the house has been blow up at some point. Sirius finds it funny I think, to see his family history meddled with like that. But he did get a little annoyed when I turned him blonde a few days ago, or at least I think it was a few days ago." Harry explained laughing slightly along with Ron now.
"You turned him blonde?" Ron wondered glad to see Harry's glint of happy normalness shinning through at last.
"Yeah, well it's black again now with his little grey-ey bits we aren't supposed to talk about. Tonks dyed it back for him, but he didn't half look funny though. It must of taken five prison years off him at least but he thought it looked stupid with black eyebrows."
"I imagine it would. Did Tonks get a picture of it?" Ginny asked finally brightening up with Ron.
"Yeah he doesn't know about it though, I put it in my photo album with that one of you with dark hair in case I forget and stuff!" Harry explained smiling at Ginny totally oblivious to Ron watching him and Hermione's knowing look.
Because of this though both friends missed the importance of Harry feeling it important to take photo's in case he forgets as he knows in himself he must forget things more often than not and never manage to remember them again.
"Mum made me turn it back." Ginny explained sadly having not had much chance to talk to Harry. Ron had insisted on hanging around at Sirius's little party, partly for company and partly to do his brother routine.
"That's a shame, I liked it like that. Did you get in to a lot of trouble when you got home?" Harry asked but Ginny went quiet and Ron explained for her.
"Well you remember how mum got really bad when she found out about Fred and George's joke shop.' Harry nodded, sure he could remember that.
'Well if you imagine her ten times worse and aiming it all at Ginny rather than dividing it between the twins and then add some for good measure, then you would get it about right!" He explained with his serious look.
"Oh I'm sorry, I didn't think she'd be that bad I just thought she'd shout for a bit and send you to your room or something without tea." Harry explained annoyed he caused so much trouble over something so silly and little.
"She did, but Ginny shouted back. However many times Fred and George got in to trouble, they never shouted back at her just as bad." Ron smiled and Harry was over come by affection at how Ginny had managed to stand up to her mother after all these months of problems.
Somehow though after many arguments with her own mother, all though not as bad, Hermione was sure it wasn't going to solve the matter, as Molly Weasley only seemed to get worse with time towards her daughter from what she saw and never better, Hermione had long since worked out that the best way to get her mother to agree to things wasn't to shout at her.
"Wow I bet the twins were proud of you?" Harry asked softly before stopping a moment to pull his coughing fit together again.
"They were, and even brought me a present but I've hidden it away until Hogwarts because I don't think mum would approve." She smiled but a moment later the door opened and in marched Mrs Weasley with a tray closely followed by Lupin, Tonks, Bill and Mr Weasley who wanted to keep and eye on his wife while Moody's eye spun around outside the house in all directions.
"I thought I told you to stay in your room today!" Mrs Weasley huffed at her daughter but Mr Weasley smiled weakly and let her stay. There weren't quiet enough seats so Tonks and Ginny sat on the floor together next to Harry and Lupin lowered his sore knee into an armchair and started to rub it opposite Mr Weasley who had a saw head and rubbed it slowly every now and then in little helping circles.
"Here Harry, have a ham sandwich." Mrs Weasley gestured to the tray placed particularly in front of him.
"I can't, I'm not supposed to eat anything bready." Harry explained politely.
"What do you mean?" Mrs Weasley snapped as gently as she could but Lupin explained to defend him and to save Harry the trouble, part of babysitting Harry, Sirius had explained very carefully, was fending off Mrs Weasley for him.
"Harry's not aloud to eat anything with any wheat in it at the moment. Why don't you just have some ham Harry?" He explained as Bill quickly leaned through and grabbed the plate with a few slices left on it.
"Ok, he said I should try and eat something while I was here." Harry shrugged taking the plate and picking a piece up to pull it to pieces and eat.
"You aren't aloud to eat wheat?" Mr Weasley asked softly, picking up a cup of tea to sup and hoping for once, his wife could possibly hold her tongue, but he wasn't going to hope too much.
"No, it gets in the way with my potions so I can't eat it. Can't eat any pasta, bread, cake or anything with rice in. It's a bit boring coz I really like cake but still, if it helps me stop being sick." Harry shrugged and picked up the glass of plain water Lupin had added to the tray for him as caffeine had gone out almost first after fire-whisky cake and followed by generous helpings of Tabasco.
"Oh well, I wonder what sort of things are in it?" Mr Weasley replied but Mrs Weasley had a moment of triumph.
"Well at least you won't be eating any more of that dratted cake. Firewhiskey is NOT a flavouring, and is only drunk by old has-been men!" She beamed proudly as Tonks and Lupin grinned quietly at each other and Moody growled into the room to take the last remaining seat.
"What's tha' 'bout Firewhiskey?" He asked but nobody dared reply.
"Do you know what's in it?" Bill asked politely pushing the conversation on a bit past his mother.
"Err, I don't really know, it just has a weird taste like Sirius's cake." Harry explained looking over at Lupin.
"That'll be the brandy he put in it to bind some of the muggle things together. It's got some odd things in it, some muggle medicine and some magical. I'm not exactly sure what I just pay the bill. From what I could tell the man certainly knows how to use some of these muggle drugs effectively."
"He's using complimentary medicine?' Mrs Weasley asked totally appalled by what she was hearing, this was almost as bad as stitches.
'Who is this nutter anyway?" She asked quietly through gritted teeth.
"Weatherly Woolnough. He works at St Mungo's, he's the head of the Longbottom trust and there's nothing wrong with muggle medicine, just because you don't understand it. A lot of it really works well and loads of healers have been copying their ideas for years."
Tonks explained firmly so Harry wouldn't have to, also aware of her babysitting duties Sirius had drummed into them while Harry took thirty minuets to work out how to put his trousers on, he was determined to do it himself to prove he could, and consequently fell over a lot as they kept falling down until Sirius came and helped him with his belt. He had been intending to put some sort of rubbed spell on the floor if he started to get much worse with falling over all the time, but after mentioning this to Woolnough it became apparent that Weatherly was surprised Sirius already hadn't put spell's of that sort all over Harry's room.
"I've met him once, he's really good at his stuff. Has a brilliant mind and works really hard to help people.' Mr Weasley added to Lupin and Bill's agreement.
'I mean the idea of stitches is really quiet fascinating the way they found a way to hold skin together while it heals is brilliant."
"It sounds totally barbaric to me, threading string through your skin like that." Mrs Weasley sulked.
"It's not string. Muggels use surgical wire, it's made of dissolving plastic and it worked really well on my arm, see you can hardly see the mark now." Tonks replied sliding her t-shirt up to show a thin silver line to Ginny.
"Still, I don't like the way muggles do things in their hospitals, it seems very simple and unhygienic." Mrs Weasley finished deciding that this conversation was over but not until Harry had defended half his family.
"So's keeping a cat in your kitchen! They spend all there time licking themselves!" Hermione muttered quietly to one side. Croockshanks may be loved by all her family, partly out of duty, but only ever in none-food related areas.
"You just don't like the idea that lots of other people are loads cleaver than you, and can get along without any magic in them at all and without arguing all the time. Some people can be nice just for the sake of it ya know!" He replied lazily having become more of a cynical Harry in his silence without anybody in the room noticing much.
Lupin was a little suspicious of the change but as he hadn't started blowing things up and was actually conscious at the moment, there wasn't much he could do to alter Harry's personality shifts, so far they seemed to shift as and when his mood suited him.
Mr and Mrs Weasley stared at him one offended and the other proud, while the rest of the room watched on in surprise, except Moody, who scratched his chin and Lupin who rubbed his eyes then asked a little lazily having heard many blatantly rude comments like this come out of Sirius and was hardly surprised that they might just pop out of Harry on occasion by accident.
"Harry what time does you clock say?" He asked carefully realising that Harry should really get back before his next potion is due and this conversation could really get going down a heated track if it wanted to. He didn't mind really Lupin quiet liked Harry's sarcastic side sometimes and was actually a little curious to know what Harry's take on pureblood nonsense was, having a pure blooded father and friend, and also a muggle born mother and equally close friend. He was the perfect clash of the two worlds Lupin was sure but now wasn't the best time to see what it could do.
"3.15" Harry explained plainly pulling out a silver pocket watch and looking at the magical face carefully for several moments before answering.
"Well we should get going in a bit Sirius wants you back in plenty of time before your potions. Have you given them the parcel yet?' He asked but at the moment Harry was struggling to remember what parcel and frowned as he tried to remember.
'Is it still in your pocket?" Lupin finally asked trying to cover up Harry's blatant amnesia. Harry shoved his hand in his left pocket and found nothing and then in his right and found a brown parcel carefully rapped up with Ron written on the front in Harry's untidy scrawl.
He pasted it to Ron automatically but couldn't remember what was in it and hoped he'd written it down somewhere. Unwrapping it gently Ron kept it conveniently covered from his mother who despite craning her neck, couldn't see as she was just too far away. Harry looked over his friends shoulder for a minuet before it finally twigged what it was he'd given to Ron.
"It's so you can keep in touch. Hedwig might get hurt flying in and out the house all the time, but I wanted to talk to you." Harry explained as Ron remembered Harry telling him about the mirror he used to talk to Sirius and rapped it quickly back up before putting it into his pocket.
"Sure, I know how to use it. Is this one yours?" He asked pleased Harry still wanted to talk to him after their little troubles recently over Ginny.
"Yeah, Sirius said I could nab his for the time being to talk to you.' He paused looking for something to talk about and then continued.
'It looks really different there now you know, he's moved all the best furniture upstairs and made a nicer living room out of one of the double bedrooms on our floor, lets me jump on the spare sofa's and everything!" Harry smiled nodding his head again to help his confirmation that things were different but in an ok sort of way.
"I'm glad, it was still looking a bit drab over the summer. Did he get round to painting your room for you?" Ron asked having missed the chance for a grand tour before because of his mother.
"Yeah and Tonks's! We even nabbed her DVD player for the living room." Harry explained but this went a bit over Ron's head and Hermione gave him a look as to say she would explain later to him.
"Oh, have you got some decent films then?" Hermione asked turning to Tonks while Bill and Mr Weasley quietly chatted about something at the other end of the room with Lupin occasionally leaning in to the conversation while keeping both eyes firmly on Harry.
"Err, yeah we were watching Shrek the other day. It's a bit odd isn't it but funny too in a way?" Harry added slowly then suddenly picking his pace up when he remember what he was trying to say.
"Yeah but I still prefer Notting Hill." Hermione continued unawares as to why Harry was patiently waiting.
"Don't you find that too girly though?" Tonks asked turning to Hermione again.
"Some times, but it's just such a nice story. Hugh Grant's lovely, did you ever see him in Sense and Sensibility?" Hermione smiled feeling a bit better about Harry for the moment now he seemed actually rather happy about the prospect of staying with Sirius for a while.
"Yeah it was good but I couldn't get on with err, Alan Rickman, he just seemed too weird and arsy to play a handsome man. All he did was scowl. But he was good in Dogma!" Tonks added as an after thought.
"Yeah I guess. Did you just let Sirius nick your telly though?" Hermione asked oddly.
"Yeah well he fixed the dodgy noise by accident and I practically live there now anyway, when the Ministry isn't sending us here there and everywhere on wild goose chases." Tonks explained as Bill and Mr Weasley both had something to add to this new conversation as the attention slowly began to move away from Harry and his slightly odd behaviour.
It only took a minuet though as within seconds Harry's head had slumped forward as he fell fast asleep while Lupin had turned his head away to get another cup of tea.
"Harry what's the matter?" Ron asked nervously trying to nudge Harry's sleeping body carefully.
"Remus look, his narcolepsy's kicked in again." Tonks called across the room to Lupin who got up and crouched down in front of Harry carefully.
"Can we just roll him on to your shoulder Ron? He'll get a sore neck if he stays like that for too long." Lupin asked lifting Harry's head up and gently rolling it sideways.
"Sure, is he ok?" Ron asked quietly, shuffling to support Harry's head more with his chunky shoulder safely.
"Yeah he's fallen asleep that's all. You don't need to whisper Ron, he really can't hear you and he'll wake up when he's ready to." Lupin explained normally pulling the watch out from around Harry's neck and checking the time again to see if he'd got it right or not. The Weasley's may have an amazing clock on there wall but it was bloody useless for telling the time from.
"If he's asleep then you should put him in a bed." Mrs Weasley explained matter-of-factly.
"I thought you said it was narcolepsy. Doesn't that mean he'll wake up in a bit?" Hermione asked and Lupin merely smiled at her as he returned to his seat.
"Yeah that's right, it puts him in an uncontrollable deep sleep for a short while. He has no idea's it's going to happen and can't control it, that's why we don't ever leave him alone any more." Lupin explained as Tonks continued.
"Sirius turned his back for a second the first time it happened, Harry keeled over asleep at the top of the stairs. Fortunately he fell on top of Kresher just a few steps down and didn't hurt himself." Tonks added with a little grin.
"See Ron, Kresher is useful in some ways." Hermione added looking at Harry's calm comfy face on his shoulder.
"Yeah, so's a cushion!" Ron snapped back like he normally did when Hermione started on her elfish rights.
"Yeah well, Sirius was just glad Kresher was in the way when he was. Harry could have snapped his neck if he'd rolled all the way down the stairs. Kresher hasn't been booted since and even got an old picture of Mrs Black to hide in his den with the rest of the contraband heirlooms." Lupin explained lazily.
"Sounds like Sirius is well on the road back to normal, he seems so placid these days when I see him. I mean, he's not in your league Remus but still, for him I hope he really is doing as well as he seems to be." Mr Weasley commented despite his wife's glaring eyes, everybody had noticed something was different about Remus but weren't sure how to ask about it. Even Mrs Weasley hadn't brought the subject up yet much, partly because she was so busy complaining about Harry's situation with Sirius that she hadn't had time to.
But even Sirius wasn't quiet sure about his friend now, only Tonks knew the full extent of her wolfies new nature. And she was currently revelling in it while she could, Remus could go from one extreme to another sometimes and as soon as Harry was well again Tonks was hoping to spend another session revelling in it properly all night long and possible most the morning too.
"Yeah, well, he gets to see Harry more often and we've been keeping him company. Ever since that odd long nap he had at the beginning of the holidays he seems to keep his temper really well!" Tonks explained winking at Ginny subtly who finally smiled a bit just as Harry lifted his head up looked about and started drumming four fingers on his knee in the current twitchy manner.
"You ok Harry?" Lupin asked casually, finally able to cover his surprise reasonably well when Harry did things like this.
"Yeah sure, what were we talking about?" He asked completely oblivious to the fact that he'd just spent ten minuets snoozing on Ron's shoulder quietly.
"How well Sirius is doing these days Harry? And how he doesn't even kick Kresher anymore." Lupin replied steadily as the Weasley's and Hermione looked on in confusion at Harry's face.
"Yeah he likes having company. I think he's a bit addicted to tomb raider though. He's worn all the buttons down and he's only had it a month and a half." Harry mumbled a bit at the floor as Hermione rolled her eyes, she knew perfectly well why some simple male mind, might like to play tomb raider games all day long and found it quiet pathetic.
"Harry do you remember where you left your shoes?" Lupin asked checking the time again.
"Are they not on my feet?" He wondered seriously leaning forward to see his bare socks wiggling around his wormy toes and frowning.
"No Harry, can you remember taking them off?" Lupin continued not surprised that Harry wouldn't even notice they weren't on his feet.
"Uh-huh!" Harry replied quietly, shaking his head as Bill got up to head in to the kitchen and soon returned with Harry's scruffy trainers slightly at arms length, Mr Weasley wasn't sure what he was complaining about, they were never as bad as his feet could get.
"Here you go Harry, you left them by the door." He explained and pasted them to Harry. He managed to undo the laces and get them on his feet but when he came to doing them up again Lupin let him try a few times and fail, as he couldn't remember how to tie them.
"Here let me help you with that?" Hermione finally asked kneeling down by Harry's feet and quickly tying them up for him.
"Thanks. I was sure I knew how to do that?" Harry explained standing up and pulling his coat back around him.
"I'm just going to go ahead and check the cost is clear before you lot come and follow." Moody growled hobbling out into the garden.
"We're going now Harry, why don't you say good bye." Lupin explained as he led Harry in to the kitchen careful not to touch him or get too close.
"Oh ok. It was nice seeing you again." Harry explained not sure how long they'd been there, but giving Hermione and then Ginny a hug before finally half hugging Ron in the odd manly way boys do.
"I hope you come back to school soon." Hermione explained as Harry faced the three of them with Tonks.
"Yeah I hope so too, it won't be the same without you there." Ron added as Harry thought about something he knew he wanted to say but couldn't quiet remember until Tonks reminded him.
"You wanted to tell him about Quidditch Harry." She explained quietly in his ear as Harry finally twigged what it was nagging in his brain.
"Oh yeah, Katy will be captain now and she can't stand McLaggen, so you should get a shot at being keeper again if you want it." Harry explained carefully.
There was a time when Ron would have been offended by this comment but seeing Harry like he was, Ron was just glad Harry was capable of thinking of him still.
"Yeah but I haven't got a decent broom I doubt I'd manage to beat the others at tri outs." He replied gratefully but mundanely.
"Oh well use mine. Sirius said Woolnough won't let me fly while I'm on potions and I'll be on them for a very long while." Harry explained nodding his head helpfully again.
"Oh, thanks Harry. But you have it back when you come back to school.' Ron grinned as Tonks pulled the Firebolt case out of what looked like thin air for him.
'Wow I promise I'll take care of it for you Harry. But really, you don't have to lend it me if you'd rather keep it." Ron quickly added as Harry pasted him the black bag unable to believe his ears.
"No it's mine and I want you to fly it. Besides, it gets tetchy if it doesn't get flown regularly, keeps rattling in its case." This wasn't really the case whatever Harry thought and Ron was pretty sure he knew it, but Harry treated his Firebolt like a pet and he believed it had a personality and that was good enough for Ron.
"Oh ok!" Ron added running his hands down the case gently.
"Sirius said he'd get me a skate board so I can ride up and down the landing instead." Harry explained with a broad smile, looking forward for a time when Sirius finally worked out what a skateboard was and got him one, although Tonks was suspicious that when Sirius finally realised what one was, he'll definitely say no to it and certainly no to jumping down the stairs on it for fun regardless of having a helmet on.
"Coast is clear we should get going." Moody called through the kitchen door and Harry said one last good bye before following Tonks out the house and taking her arm tightly.
With one last wave and a smile Harry hung on to Tonks as she turned and disappeared off back to London where Sirius was waiting by the door to open it quickly and get Harry back indoors safely.
"Will he be ok dad?" Ron asked as he stood in the kitchen, remembering just how odd Harry seemed and feeling quiet weary about the prospect of going back to school without him for the first time ever.
"I don't know Ron, he's got a few things wrong with him but I hope so." He explained quickly as Arthur closed the door behind them.
"But if Dumbledore's got such a top man in to look after him then he must be really sick." Hermione quickly blurted out as they sat back down at the kitchen table.
"Yes he is Hermione, but if anybody can help him Woolnough can. From what Lupin's said and he hasn't said much mind, it's not an illness he got like a virus or anything, it's more of an inherited condition that needs addressing before it gets too bad." Mr Weasley explained gravely but honestly.
"Does that mean he could get really bad and never get better again?" Ron asked glad for once his mother was only banging around as she tidied up and not putting a clamp on the information he got like normal. Harry was his closest friend, so he should get to know about things to do with him particularly if he was really ill and not just get to hear half a story through an extended ear because she didn't want him to know.
"Yes, he could end up much worse than he was today but lets not think about that for now. Dumbledore's done the best thing for him I'm sure!" Arthur explained firmly but Mrs Weasley finally felt ready to speak her mind openly, regardless of whether anyone else wanted to listen.
"That's enough Arthur, if Lupin isn't going to tell us what exactly is the matter with Harry, then Dumbledore must want it to be quiet and there's no use speculating with your children.' She snapped viciously.
'Why he's been left in Sirius's useless care I'll never know! If Harry's so ill he's been taken out of school then he should be in a hospital, where he can be taken care of twenty four hours a day by proper healers, not an incompetent nutter like Black." She snapped.
"Because he isn't our responsibility Molly. Harry is Sirius's godchild and it's up to Sirius to decide what's best for him and we have no right to interfere with what James and Lilly decided was best for him, he's there child not ours. Plus Dumbledore doesn't want people to know about Harry. You know the ministry is itching to get there hands on him and besides, Woolnough said that would just make things worse.'
Mr Weasley had thought to stop and let the grumblings of his wife roll on over him but feeling terrified as he was for Harry Mr Weasley found a new strength in him that he was determined to keep things together, if only for his kids.
'Apparently, having Sirius around him was the only thing that's kept him together so long. If he hadn't spent so much time talking to Sirius about his problems then Woolnough believes quiet strongly that Harry would have been showing far worse symptoms by now, symptoms that are too horrible to bare thinking about and he may not have been able to come back from! You don't understand the full extent to it Molly, this is far more serious than anything else Harry's had thrown at him before, we could never imagine what it must be like for him now!"
Mr Weasley explained firmly but it was clear this information had been given to Mr Weasley earlier and certainly not while Mrs Weasley was around.
"You knew about this before today and you never told me?!" She snapped quickly as Ron and Hermione quickly looked away from the sight of yet another Molly related argument brewing up.
"Lupin came to see me at dinner yesterday and explained that Harry wanted to see his friends before they went to school and that provided he was up to it, could I make sure it would be ok." Mr Weasley explained calmly, but he had this upsetting and uncomfortable feeling that he didn't really know his wife any more, she was just some women he lived with and couldn't predict.
"What else did he say to you?" She snapped sitting down at the table with a heavy thump.
"It wasn't a long conversation, Lupin just explained some of the symptoms Harry my show today and why they were happening so I wouldn't be alarmed if he started behaving oddly like he did, but he could have been an awful lot worse and I mean a lot. This was an exceptionally good day for Harry."
"Such as?" She pressed.
"Well the most important thing that drives all these problems is the fact he seems to show multiple personalities. That was why Lupin was so eager to get him back. He didn't want to push his luck, especially seen as Harry only seems to trust Sirius. Harry's been having problems with coping and unfortunately Lupin often gets the flack for it. It's nothing really to do with Lupin, it's just Harry gets horrible memory's and flashback images crop up when ever he notices simple little things about Lupin, Moody, Podmore, Kingsley even me sometimes, that's why he left the party early at Christmas. Only Lupin's the one around more often and Sirius really has to work hard with him to stop Harry from completely falling to pieces. Harry's not been right since the summer and it's only now that Dumbledore's been able to see what might be causing him so much difficulty and how to help him.'
Mr Weasley explained rubbing his brow, well aware Lupin had explained a few more in depth difficult things Harry was coping with. Sirius liked and valued Mr Weasley and although he couldn't stand his wife poking into Harry's business, he wanted to keep Arthur in the loop as much as was necessary so he at least would still be able to offer some support as and when his years and years of bringing up teenage boys could help matters. Sirius hoped rather than believed that Mr Weasley was the font of all knowledge when it came to randy teenaged boys.
Unfortunately Sirius last set of question's he wanted to ask hadn't happened, as Lupin didn't think it was appropriate that Sirius asked advice on what to do with a randy teenaged boy when it was Arthur's daughter he was been so randy about.
'Molly it's just hard to explain but Harry's latched on to Sirius to support him, take Sirius away now and Harry won't cope with the stress of it. He'll just stop being Harry completely and as far as I can tell we probably wouldn't get him back." Arthur finally sighed giving up now on ever trying to get his wife to see that Sirius was a good man and he's just a bit besotted about Harry. Arthur was sure it wasn't that bad to be a besotted godfather, even Lupin and Moody had a particularly special spot for Harry in them, it was hard not to.
"Are they all symptoms of being ill or what?" Hermione asked curiously, aware she may never get a chance to really dig in and find out about Harry for herself.
"Some are symptoms of being ill and some are symptoms of the course of potions he's taking. Some of it however he's going to have to learn to live with for the rest of his life apparently. Once you start mucking around with the mind your never going to be quiet the same again.' He stopped and tried to think of something positive to say.
'You aren't to worry about it too much, Sirius recognised something was the matter with him in the summer, when he couldn't cope with things he should have been able to, well things he should and been a bit better at coping with. And Dumbledore's been watching him carefully ever since, that's partly why Harry ended up seeing him alone every week for meetings. They've both caught different things early and worked out what to do and he's got every thing good going for him, he's a tough young lad Harry and I really think he's going to pull through this provided Sirius does exactly what Woolnough says.' Arthur dared a glace at his wife.
'Which I'm sure he will. And that we don't interfere and cause more problems for him by blundering around the place without realising what were doing. I know it's hard kids but sometimes that's just the way things are." He explained and although hoping his wife would understand him he was at least glad that Ron and Hermione understood what he was trying to say.
"Well Harry has been through a lot and he always comes out the other side ok!" Ron decided firmer in his voice than he was in his heart.
"Yes and this is just another one of those things. Sirius wants you to talk to Harry regularly so he doesn't forget normality. He's in for a rough ride helping Harry and Harry's in for a dreadful couple of weeks we think but it will be ok in the end."
"Yes, I think Harry will come through ok too but I still think he should have come and stayed with us. He needs mothering and looking after, something Sirius could never give him, he wouldn't know how too." Mrs Weasley had finally calmed down enough to speak without breaking any sound barriers but Ginny who was still furious with her mother blurted out quickly.
"He's better at it than you are. Harry can't stand it when you mother him. He says he's got his own mother and doesn't want you pretending he's just another one of your sons especially seen as his own mother picked Sirius to look after him!" She snapped and her mother turned red again.
"Go to your room little madam and you can stay there until you learn to behave properly! If not, I'll drag you out of school as well until you learn what polite manners are!" She bellowed as Mr Weasley merely looked away and sighed heavily.
"Like I'm gonna learn it from you! No wonder Sirius kicked you out his house!" She screamed back and slammed the kitchen door behind her on her way out.
"The cheek of that girl these days! She's turning out to be a right spoilt little madam." Mrs Weasley fumed as Ron and Hermione snuck out the back door to sit out side in the sunshine away from Mrs Weasley's ranting and Mr Weasley's silence as he tried to ignore his wife in the politest possible way and not stoop to her level.
"You do think Harry will be ok don't ya? I mean, your cleaver, you understand what narcolepsy is and stuff don't you?" Ron asked suddenly as they sat down.
"Yeah of course he will be, but I only understand bits and pieces. None of it sounds very nice though and Snuffles must really hate seeing Harry in such a mess. I mean that was really hard to watch wasn't it, seeing him so lost?" Hermione replied steadily as she started to pick at a bit of grass.
"He wasn't right over the summer though was he? And while we were at school he kept disappearing off and hiding away. And I was so horrible to him and wouldn't talk to him for ages!"
"Yeah you were, but Dumbledore's been watching him and you two have made up now, even if I'm still not sure why the hell you were arguing in the first place."
Ron sulked quietly for a short while.
"It was Quidditch, I was pissed off Harry didn't fudge it so I would get on the team. I'm not very good anyway he was right not to, but now he's given me his broom. I don't know what to do, he would want me to fly it, that's what he was on about with it getting tetchy in it's case."
"Why don't you go to the try outs and do your best or maybe even make a pact with him never to have anything to do with the sport again if all it ever does is cause arguments." Hermione asked sarcastically.
"No we couldn't do that, Harry loves Quidditch. Anyway, I thought Harry had a girlfriend and he wouldn't tell me who it was, when really it was just me jumping to conclusions because I though he looked guilty.' Hermione rolled her eyes.
'Turns out it was just Ginny all the time anyway." He finally sighed cross with himself more than anyone else at the moment.
"He just didn't want to tell you because he thought you wouldn't like it Ron, you do get a little brotherly about her sometimes and Harry just doesn't understand how to toe the line with it!" Hermione explained as Ron looked up a little pleased that he had been right about Harry's secret girlfriend in the end.
"That's just daft. As long as it's not you I don't mind who he dates. Unless it's someone in Slytherin, I was just annoyed he didn't want to tell me!"
"Ron can you honestly think of anybody in Slythrin that would want to go out with Harry!" Hermione added more sarcastically still.
"No. But still, he was screwing Ginny all that time and I had no idea, I'm just a bit annoyed he was so good at keeping things from me! I mean, I had absolutely no idea anything was going off with them too and I'm with one or the other nearly all the time. I mean I'm not even sure where they managed to find the time to do stuff together?' Ron asked quickly.
'No wonder I never listened to you and Ginny, he always came up with an excuse and even you noticed. But not stupid Ron, Harry's stupid useless friend!"
"Harry's not going to screw about with a girl he really likes. He really cares about her and if someone say, like your mother got wind of them two going out, she'd be totally unbearable so it's no wonder they kept it a bit quiet, even Snuffle's wasn't exactly sure about it all until recently, and clearly Harry talks to him more than realised!"
"Yeah but she was working her way around half the bloody common room just to piss me off and Fred and George were going on about how somebody saw her sneaking into a cupboard with some lad after Quidditch practice." He mumbled.
"Yeah it was Harry! And that was only to get Harry's attention at first, it had nothing to do with you and half the rumours about her aren't true anyway. Your sister isn't a little slut Ron. How many times do you have to be told that? Harry doesn't like sluts he likes nice girls like Ginny, that treat him like a real person." Hermione explained annoyed she was having this conversation yet again with Ron. Anybody would think he was the one with serious mental health problems.
"I suppose that's not what was really bothering me!"
"Then what is it?" Hermione asked glad to get off the Ginny subject for now.
"Well you kept telling me every now and then how Harry was looking so thin and he kept disappearing off, he's been doing it since September and if I'd have noticed and stopped him, or gone with him then I would have noticed stuff and told Dumbledore and then Harry wouldn't be so sick now!"
"Ron it's not your fault, I should have noticed too and done more about it!" Hermione sighed having the same empty feeling in the pit of her stomach that Ron did, she was sure she could have done more to prevent this.
"Yeah but you did, you kept arguing with him about skipping meals! I just let him and never said anything! I even covered for him sometimes telling you he'd eaten stuff with me when he hadn't!" Ron complained at himself.
"Ron if your so blind you can't guess what your best friends up to then that's your problem, but he must have tried really hard to keep this from both of us. And I get the feeling that even he didn't really know what was happening and still doesn't. Loads of times I've talked to him and he's been a bit confused about stuff, nearly as bad as today one time, but normally it was barely enough to be noticed because he was always so tired. It's not your fault he's ill, it's just your fault for not realising and that's past now so you shouldn't worry about it!' Hermione explained firmly, then turned away to fiddle with some grass like Ron.
'And it's not my fault either, I should have told someone other than you how off he was. I noticed more than you and I still didn't say anything because I was frightened you'd both hate me again. Like when I told McGonagall about Harry's Firebolt. You hated me for ages and I got really lonely without you pair."
"He sill pinkey swore after you about her, and then changed his mind! But I suppose, like you say, he probably doesn't even realise it so I can't really complain. I hope he's not away for long though!" Ron sighed laying back on the grass and looking up at the odd warm December sun and fluffy clouds floating past.
"I do to Ron, your alright but I like talking to him more sometimes, well most the time!" She sighed looking out at the grassy fields.
"Likewise, I'm gonna end up stuck in the library with you all the time now aren't I. That and hanging around with me sodding sister all the time coz she misses him!" Ron sighed, Hermione was going to complain about this but thought better of it, as he probably would.
"What do you mean he pinkey swore after me and then changed his mind?!" Hermione suddenly asked hotly.
"Never mind Hermione, you wouldn't want to know!" Ron sighed heavily.