Chapter Thirty-six - 'But it worked, he was ok!'
"But it worked, he was ok and I can't see why he's so sick now? If it worked once then it should do it again unless there's a logical explanation for it. There has to be an answer, even Harry has an answer to everything, I know he's not just being awkward this time and unless he's making himself sick just for attention then he shouldn't change. But even then he would be doing it for a reason." Woolnough ranted frustrated as he paced up and down his room.
Sirius, Harry, Dumbledore and Lupin had left over an hour ago after a rather difficult meeting. They were so close to the answer and after two days of him getting settled into the potion and then a further three days where he rested and sat up in bed reading (well looking at pictures) he was fine. Then he'd decided he was well enough to get up washed and dressed and sat and ate a meal with both Lupin and Sirius. Then he went to bed that night and within fifteen minuets of laying down perfectly fine he started complaining of stomach ache and was vomiting within ten minuets.
The situation was unbearable for everyone involved. Try as he might Woolnough could simply not understand why it had suddenly stopped working and why Harry would suddenly turn so fowl and in the mean time, he just could not sleep for thinking of it. He'd even gone so far as to push appointments around slightly so as to spread them out more so he could have more time to concentrate on Harry.
To top it off he was soon expected to have another long set of meeting with the Ministry to discuss his budgeting system. As far he could see, there was nothing wrong with it and as far as they could see he was wasting money on giving patients the correct set of potions to help them rather than the cheapest potions available. Granted he was occasionally about five gallons over a month but really, five gallons was nothing compared to the hundreds some of the other departments went over by.
When he heard his little grandfather clock chime two in the corner of his office he accepted it was probably time to give in for the night. He double checked his fire places were completely out he closed the door on his work room and after double checking his office door was secure he pulled his trousers and shirt off and laid down on the bed off his office.
Within ten minuets though he realised his head was swimming so much he would hardly be able to sleep so soon got up to make himself some herbal tea to help. It was good wholesome tea, similar to what his grandmother would make but without either the six sugars or the occasional hallucinating trips, that although mild, sometimes occurred when she got her leaves mixed up.
She was an old hippy before her time Weatherly was sure, but he loved her to pieces and was often hurt by hard his father had taken it when he heard the news of his mothers death. She'd died all alone in her big old family house with no one to care for her and was found two days later when the family had finally agreed she should be put in a proper old persons home. Old Mr Weatherly Woolnough had never been the same after that, and consequently died of a stroke not quiet two years later.
But that was years ago and other than his little old dear mum who lived with her fifteen budgies and younger sister who cared for her, Weatherly was quiet alone. His mother had never forgiven him for refusing to marry and have children, he always said his work was too important when he was young and now he was older he was sure he lack the exuberance to go out on the pull as it was called these days.
After giving in completely to Harry, Sirius had stopped forcing the potions down Harry's neck and consequentially he was in full on cold turkey within three and a half days and Sirius had decided this was by far the worse time to watch. This was what deep down, Harry was really like, there was nothing effecting him, no drugs, no magic, no potions, as far as Sirius could see this was pure Harry and the sight of him laid on the landing floor twitching in a fit yet again was almost too much to bare.
Lupin was there for support, mainly for Sirius as there was very little he could do to help Harry. All Sirius could really do was keep cleaning him up, try and calm him down when he gets frightened and let him hug up to Sirius as he cried his eyes out at what was frightening him. By the end of the forth day Harry had wept and wailed, fitted and screamed, thrown up and wet himself, kicked and screamed himself both horse and exhausted. He was so tiered now and so weak, all he could do was lay on the bed gently sobbing his heart out, his body too limp to even support his own weight.
Sirius was forced to do absolutely everything for him and inside Harry where things still firmly registered, he absolutely hated it, further to the surface though Harry was reduced to almost mindless rambling often in parsletounge as that seemed the only method of communication he could manage to string a sentence of words together in. The trouble was there was no-one else who could understand him and this only served to get everyone a little more frustrated by the situation. Pure basic Harry was not a sight for the faint hearted or anyone other than Sirius he felt.
"Hay you three, sorry I'm late?" Tonks explained stepping through the rickety room to reach the scruffy bed and boxs, Hermione, Ron and Ginny were sat on. The Shrieking Shack hadn't changed much since the last time Ron and Hermione had slipped down here to come face to face with Sirius and discover the truth about him.
The only difference was that there was more dust and another couple of weeds had slipped there way through the floorboards in the downstairs rooms. The three had slipped off under Harry's cloak to meet Tonks and Remus in the hopes of getting more information about Harry but so far they'd had to wait half an hour for Tonks to finally arrive and Remus hadn't joined her.
"Oh don't worry. We've got nowt better to do anyway!" Ron sighed slightly glad he wasn't laid on the old bed with a broken leg this time.
"Oh well. Anyway, how is things at Hogwarts are you all doing ok?" She started, pulling over a box, carefully turning it on end so not as to make too much noise and sitting down as comfortably as she could.
"It's ok, but we miss Harry. Is he getting any better yet and when will he come back to school?" Ginny pushed in quickly not interested in pleasantries about Hogwarts. Ron did at first think she was being a bit rude but after he'd seen her in tears not long ago because she missed Harry so much, he actually quiet agreed with her. Hogwarts was nothing without him.
He missed Harry a lot too and wanted more than passing his potions homework to get some sort of contact out of him. Tonks however merely sighed heavily, this was why she wanted Remus to come with her today, she didn't have anything nice to say and at least with him she would feel a little bit more comfortable about telling them what she could.
"I, well, to be perfectly honest and I'm only saying this because at least you'd be able to understand and then you won't fret in blind ignorance. And remember your mother doesn't want me too tell any of you this, so Sirius automatically said I should but. But, well, I'd be very surprised at the moment if Harry came back much before Easter, maybe not even then it's hard to say but he's a long way off being able to come back to school yet. He's really not very well at the moment."
"Easter!" They all whispered hoarsely back at her.
"I know well. I know it's awful and I know you miss him and trust me, he misses you too but I just don't want to fob you off with nice little stories about him being loads better when really he isn't. He's not well at all and we're starting to get more than a little worried about him. Woolnough's not going to give up though, he's still going with the Longbottom's so he's certainly not going to give up on Harry either. And before you get all upset too, it's not as if there's no hope it's just. Harry's hit a plateau and they're really struggling to work out what will be best to do next. He will be ok in the end though, I'm sure he's going to get through this it just looks like it's going to take quiet a long time that's all.' Tonks sighed taking a deep breath as she did, it hadn't been much easier spitting it all out quickly but at least it was over and done with quicker.
'I'm sorry you three, I just don't know what else to say to make you feel any better that's all. Even Remus is struggling to keep Sirius's spirits up these days and he's well. You know what he's like don't you?" Tonks finished then looked at the floor as the three friends sat in stunned silence. She really didn't know how to break the news to the three friends but hopefully her honesty might have helped matters, if not now, in the long room.
Ron went blank and stared at the floor, Hermione looked to Ron for some sort of comfort but was soon convinced that he too was really struggling to take the information in. Ginny however did what everyone felt like doing if they ever saw Harry or heard how bad he got recently, after a short pause she burst in to tears and buried her face in her hands. Tonks quickly moved over to the mangy bed Ginny was sat on and rapped her arms around her.
"But why does he have to get so sick though, he wasn't so bad before was he? And why now, you said Dumbledore had fixed what the matter was with him over the summer. He was better after that night with Dumbledore wasn't he."
"I know, I know. And he was better afterwards but Dumbledore just didn't fix it quiet right. There was more too it than he realised and it took such a long time for Harry to even realise there was something the matter with him."
"But why does he have to be so sick. Why can't he just get to be normal like everyone else?"
"Ginny he's not ever going to be like everyone else. That's the one thing Woolnough always points out. He won't be normal, but if he was it wouldn't be him would it. You wouldn't care so much about him if he was just as boring as everyone else. He will get better but he'll be just a bit different, we don't know how but that's something your just going to have to get used too eventually. He'll just be quirky little Harry." Tonks soothed stroking at the back of Ginny's head and passing her a tissue that Hermione had pulled out her little bag.
"I suppose I will when he comes back. But what's it like for him? What sort of things are happening to him? You said it wasn't always him laid in bed feeling sick and things, you said there was more to it than that."
"There is Ginny but I really don't want to explain. It's not nice for Harry and I don't think he'd want to come back to school and you to know just how awful it's been for him."
"Well you don't have to tell us everything I just want to know. What sort of things is he going through?" Ginny pushed forcing her eyes dry again and taking a few deep breaths.
"Ginny it's upsetting.' Tonks began but it was clear the other two really wanted to know about this now and Ginny wouldn't be fobbed off with the your too young to understand because even the oldies were struggling to understand Harry properly these days.
'Well. Do you remember the last time he came to see you, he got confused every now and then and forgot things. Well one of the things that's started to happen now is his memory goes. He just can't remember whole chunks of things and to cope with the trauma, he quickly picks up a story he thinks is true and well.' Tonks hoped that this one thing would be enough to explain to them what it's like and then after getting upset the three of them would be able to try and accept it more.
'He woke up recently after having screaming horrible fits and was quiet calm. He wasn't sure where he was and he couldn't remember Sirius or anyone. He barely even knew he was Harry and it soon became clear that he couldn't remember what happened to Lilly and James."
"But wouldn't that be ok, I mean he's hallucinated before and thought his mum was still alive. He'd be a bit happier." Hermione suddenly put in not quiet sure why Tonks looked so grave.
"That's what Remus said to Sirius to try and calm him down a bit. But you don't understand quiet right yet. He was awake, he was wanting to get up and eat, he wasn't laid there in some strange hallucination he seemed well, surprisingly normal. But he couldn't remember anything. He quickly got it in his head to fill the empty void that his parents had gone out shopping for a while and that he wasn't that ill, he just had flu or something and Sirius was looking after him for a while. He wanted to see them though, he kept asking, he wanted to know why they weren't back and why'd they'd left him so long if he was ill. He wouldn't go to sleep and Sirius just didn't have the heart to tell him the truth. He was just hoping that soon Harry would fall asleep and go into another fit or something and when he finally came around two or three day's later he'd had forgotten about it and he'd know in his heart what had happened and who the hell Sirius was and why he was there."
"But he didn't did he?" Ron twigged understanding more now as to why Tonks didn't really like to have to tell them this.
"No he didn't Ron. He wouldn't rest and after a while Sirius got Harry laid on his bed and headed to the door to talk to Remus. Harry dosed off a bit, it wasn't for very long and remembered how it happened, just like in one of his nightmares. It was as if he'd just been told for the first time, what had happened to them. It was heartbreaking to see him realise and then realise that he'd forgotten them. I know it's hard to know that his parents had been murdered and everything, but to be effectively a little seven or something year old boy and have it flashing before his eyes in his sleep and then wake up to have the full force of reality hit him is unbearable. He couldn't cope with it and it took everything Sirius could muster to get him to calm down hours later. He was wearing himself out with grief and it's horrible for him and it's horrible to watch him and not be able to help him cope.'
'Do you see, it's not just headaches, horrendous vomiting, debilitating stomach pains and uncontrollable fits? He looses who he really is sometimes, well often actually, he's in pieces mentally and Woolnough's trying to find away to pull him all back together so Harry can just cope with it all. When he can finally cope and he's basically in one piece then they've got to bring his general health back up so he can have a far better level of self control over his emotions. My point is, even when he's on the right course of potions it's going to take quiet a while for him to recover from it all."
"But if it'll take such a long time to fully recover and I know when Harry's upset he doesn't eat so much. So he must be thin, but how thin is he? I mean Sirius must make him eat. He must, because Harry might not think to do it for himself." Hermione put in quickly worrying about how thin Harry was the last time they all saw him and remembering his rather odd attitude to food.
"Harry doesn't think to eat so Sirius does make him eat, as and when he can but it's never very much and Harry rarely keeps it down for very long and your right. He is getting very thin now. Unbelievably thin." Tonks sighed.
"But how thin is he?" Hermione persisted.
"The last time they got him on the scales was last week I think, Woolnough was getting very concerned with good reason too.' She sighed heavily knowing there was only so long she could put this off.
'He's wavering around six stone at the moment, it's usually noticeably under though because Sirius has to rap him up in a lot of blankets regularly to make sure he doesn't catch a cold or anything even when they weigh him."
"Six stone, but I'm nine and he's bigger than me? He's taller."
"I know Ginny. He can't walk anymore he's too thin. Not that he goes much from his bed but Sirius has to carry him usually if he does. Even I can pick him up now without too much trouble when I go and help." At this Ginny started to cry heavily again into Tonks shoulder and she hoped that she hadn't been too harsh as Hermione and Ron seemed to be getting it together quiet ok.
After half an hour though of this, Ginny finally calmed down enough to go back to Hogwarts under the cloak. Tonks decided it probably wasn't wise to give Ginny much more information as she probably wouldn't be able to cope with it. Ron and Hermione rapped there arms tightly around her as they through the cloak over there heads. Walking steadily back to Hogwarts and up the stairs to the common room the three sat down in the empty common room quietly. The two girls really didn't know what to say and Ron felt himself called upon to be manly as he saw it, and pull everything together to help them cope.
"He'll get better though, he has too. So we shouldn't fret too much. He wouldn't want us being all miserable all the time would he, so we shouldn't, and well as long as he's there with them? Then Voldermort's, errm, well he's safe isn't he. So no-one's going to be able to get to him are they and so he'll be ok? He can stay there as long as he needs to and he'll be safe won't he!" Ron decided firmly taking a deep breath and feeling much more together now he'd convinced himself Harry was far to stubborn to die and Sirius is far to stubborn to let him. Hermione felt quiet comforted by this resolution but Ginny was still prone to bursting out in tears and barely made it down to dinner that night without sobbing uncontrollably.
Sirius knew Dumbledore would be here any minuet and he knew Lupin was already waiting downstairs to let him in. Sirius also knew that really he should have had Harry ready in some way by now to go. Even if it was just pulling a jumper and socks on over the top of his bed-wear and rapping him up in a blanket to literally carry him to Woolnough's office but he hadn't done it yet. Harry was laid on his bed crying softly again, he'd given up banging his head against his wall as Sirius had put a cushioning charm on it and done his best to clean the cut on the back of his head and bandage it up. But Harry didn't want that, he screamed and fought back every time Sirius tried to get near him today.
He hated the very thought of Sirius touching him at all and whenever he'd tried to use magic to do something, Harry had somehow reversed it completely one way or another and then blown a few things up although now, he didn't want them to go back together so half the furniture was in ridiculously small pieces around the house, so small in fact that Sirius couldn't imagine what they used to be so was stumped as to how to put them back together again but that was the least of his problems.
Lupin heard the knock on the door and quickly checked and opened it giving Dumbledore a very grave face as he entered. Lupin although he couldn't help Sirius because Harry wouldn't allow it, felt guilty locking himself away in his room with a silencing charm to sleep, so consequentially sat up in the next room in the hopes of being of any assistance. Dumbledore waited for Lupin to bolt the door up again and then turned to the tired looking man before him.
"How is he?"
"Terrible, you may as well see for yourself, he's quiet calm at the moment. I really hope Woolnough works this out soon. Sirius can't cope for much longer he's falling to pieces too now and he's getting skinny, he keeps forgetting to feed himself when Harry doesn't eat." Lupin explained sadly as Dumbledore lead the way up the stairs to the open room Sirius and Harry were in.
Harry was laid on the bed completely mindless again and drooling along with his sobs and Sirius was sat in the chair with his head in his arms resting on the little writing desk. He hadn't changed his clothes in three days, he hadn't washed in four and apart from the few mouthfuls Lupin managed to get him to eat on the rare occasion Harry was capable of letting Lupin in the room, Sirius was now on his way to getting really quiet slim himself. He'd never looked as well fed as he did before he went to Azkaban but now he looked about the same weight as he'd been scrapping around in the cave near Hogsmade. Even if couldn't stop Harry from getting any thinner, Lupin was determined not to see Sirius get so thin again he could slip through the Azkaban bars.
"Sirius are you awake?" Dumbledore called softly entering the room slowly and looking across to Harry as he did.
"I'm always awake Dumbledore, is it time to go to Woolnough's again?" Sirius replied heavily not troubling to move straight away.
"Yes Sirius. How long has Harry been like this?" He asked moving over to touch Sirius gently on the shoulder as he sat up and turned to show Dumbledore his gaunt face and waxy looking skin. Most the colour in his face had left it again and although he'd didn't look quiet so bad as when Dumbledore first met him, it was clear Sirius wasn't far from breaking point.
"He stopped screaming about an hour and a half ago and he's been sobbing like that for just over half an hour now.' Sirius paused as Dumbledore moved over to lean over Harry and have a look for himself.
'His eyes are empty Dumbledore, I never get a reaction out of him now. I don't think he even registers I'm here anymore."
"Harry's not given in yet Sirius so we shouldn't give up on him either. I promise you we will find a way to help him.' Dumbledore moved even closer to Harry now who didn't even flicker his eyes as Dumbledore's nose past across his line of view and he whispered softly to himself.
'We have too find a way to fix you!"
"Lupin could you grab the jumper off the wardrobe for me, I'd best rap him up warm tonight."
"Course, which blanket are you going to rap him in?" Lupin wondered taking and old jumper off the wardrobe pieces and passing it over to Sirius.
"Those around him, it'd be easier to scoop him up in it all than try and put fresh clean ones around him."
"OK. Do you think he will let me pick him up?" Lupin wondered.
"I don't know. He's exhausted he might be too tired to fight back now."
It took a few moments but Lupin finally managed to pick Harry up with some help from Sirius as he suddenly woke up and carry him downstairs. Rapping himself up in the cloak Sirius locked the door and they headed carefully off to meet Woolnough, who was already banging his head mentally against a brick wall and had been most the day.
"So then how is he today?" Woolnough asked as Sirius and Lupin carried Harry's limp body into the work room and laid him out on a bed. He didn't really get much of a reply from Sirius who was almost as tired as Harry was and quickly sat down on one of the chairs. Lupin too didn't know what to say so it was left to Dumbledore to ask questions tonight.
"He seems barely conscious. Are you any further forward from last time?"
"It's so frustrating. Every time I make a bit of breakthrough it all comes back to the same thing. It should be working. It should work and yet quiet clearly it doesn't. I've been right through all his family history again twice looking for every tiny bit of information that might explain it but I still can't find out why. That's why I've asked you to come. Partly because I'm concerned he's wasting away before my very eyes and partly because.' He sighed heavily and took up a cup of his herbal tea to calm himself more.
'Partly because I just can't see the answer any more. I was so sure I'd almost got it, but then it all fell to pieces and I was hoping if I go over everything enough times with you, then somehow something will crop up and trigger and answer or something. I know it sounds a very lame plan of attack but I simply can't do anything else while I'm thinking about this and I think were running out of time with him."
"Running out of time?" Sirius jumped in quickly sure time wasn't high up on the list of worries he had at the moment.
"Yes, time Sirius. At first it didn't matter so much, he missed school, that can be resolved. He spent a lot of time in a mindless agonising state, that too could be resolved as I had been intending to wipe several weeks possibly even months from his memory. If he happened to even remember most of it, which to be honest, I don't think he will. But now, his body's very weak, he's in a worse state now than he was before we began and mentally, I don't think he can cope with much more intense agro. And to top it all off, I'm eager to see him recover, I hate things lingering and I'm not sure if you'll last much longer Mr Black looking after him and he needs you not to fall apart even in this state."
"I'm far from falling apart yet!" Sirius snapped in quickly.
But Woolnough thought he'd best be firm with Sirius if he was ever going to get through to him. Sirius couldn't do subtly, only clear firm sentences to understand things. It was nothing to do with Azkaban Woolnough was sure, it was just he is a naturally immature personality. It worked fine as a young man because it made him seen fun and honest, but as a fully grown troubled man, it just made him seem slightly dim which Woolnough was quiet sure he clearly wasn't.
"Mr Black you've hardly been in the best of health for a long time now. I know you're a lot better off than you could have been but this constant care is taking it's toll on you and something that I'm quiet sure hasn't settling in with you yet, is that your only going to get older with time.' He sighed heavily and turned back to a more positive attitude.
'Except from Harry who it seems is constantly stuck as seven year old as far as I can tell. I know why it's a seven year old I've worked it out, it's because of what happened with his aunt and it was quiet a turning point in his development or lack of any way. But why?' At this the other three men really didn't know what to say.
Dumbledore had nothing constructive to add he was quiet sure so remained quiet still and composed, Lupin was hoping beyond anything something was just going to jump in Woolnough's head and Sirius was having the harsh realisation as he had been the last few days, that really, he's not capable of looking after Harry for much longer. This was added to the knowledge that if he had to be taken somewhere else to be cared for, then there was probably next to no chance that he would be able to see Harry, possibly ever again. He may even be locked up as a nutter and if that happened, any number of people could so easily kill him in his sedated sleep. Sirius wouldn't be able to protect him anymore and that thought terrified him. He would have failed James.
'Now I know your tired and I've already asked you this but start again. What exactly did you do after you left here?" Woolnough asked taking a deep breath and setting his brain to work. Sirius sighed heavily but accepted there was nothing for it but to just answer and try and say it all slightly differently to last time in the hopes that something would be of use.
"Well he turned cold didn't he so we rapped him up in the blanket as soon as you opened the door. We went back as usual and I carried him up stairs and put the potions on the side. He hadn't eaten all day so I tried to get half a banana sandwich down him. He managed ok a first but then seemed to complain about having stomach ache so I figured he may as well go to sleep if he could and I was going to try again when he woke up. Errm."
"When did you give him his potion?"
"Well as soon as I'd changed his pyjamas and got him ready for bed. He said he started to feel a bit sick but I gave it too him anyway. Then he went to sleep."
"Are you sure he went to sleep straight away, he didn't do anything else? You didn't give him anything to drink or anything at all?"
"No I didn't give him anything to drink. He wouldn't take it, he just kept mumbling about his stomach hurting him and I told him it would calm down if he went to sleep."
"But nothing else, you got him in his pyjamas and put him in his bed. That's it, you didn't even brush his teeth or anything else did you?" He wounded grasping at straws and almost saying the first thing that popped into his head which was very unlike Weatherly Woolnough.
"No. But, yes I did. I remember now. He said he felt sick and was complaining about it tasting fowl but he wouldn't take a glass of water, he said it would still taste bad and he wanted to brush his teeth. He hasn't been able to do it in ages he can't hold his arms up high enough. So to humour him because he just wouldn't lay down, I put the tiniest bit of tooth paste on his tooth brush and let him push it about in his mouth a bit. Didn't really do much but he seemed better to go to sleep after that.' Sirius explained steadily sure he'd mentioned this before but judging by the way Woolnough was looking at him perhaps he hadn't. It seemed like such an insignificant little thing to him that he must have assumed Woolnough already knew.
'But I'd washed and soaked that tooth brush before more than once when he'd finished his last batch. You said they weren't to mix and I'm sure they didn't I even cleaned his pillow again as he has a habit of sucking on the corner." After looking momentarily optimistic Woolnough's face dropped again, if Sirius said he'd cleaned everything then he had. Woolnough was just grasping at straws again and it was pointless. Maybe he was just going at this all completely wrong. It wasn't as if he had any sort of guidance on the matter.
Lupin had been silent for quiet some time as Sirius went to check on Harry again as he'd started crying again and needed to know Sirius was there with him like normal as he got frightened by the new surrounding. Within ten minuets though Harry was back in his open eyed unconscious state and Sirius returned to his seat just as Lupin remembered something he let slip out with out much thought.
"My dad had a friend once that would never brush his teeth. Said he was allergic to toothpaste and I used to try and kid my mum in to think I was too so I wouldn't have to do it but she always insisted there was no such thing." The four men sat in silence again for nearly twenty minuets as Woolnough tried to think of something, anything when all of a sudden it hit him.
"No it couldn't be that simple!' He finally stared as he jumped to his feet and rushed through to his storage cupboard calling back to himself as he did.
'It really can't be that simple. But maybe it is, maybe that's the answer. Oh how could I be so stupid as to forget it after I'd told you to clean everything he touched just in case. You probably even cleaned the glass and side it sat in and it never even occurred to you!" Woolnough ranted in an odd higher pitched voice as he rushed into office and then to his own little washroom before coming back with a few odd bits and finally grabbing a test tube from the side and heading over to Harry.
"What is it? What have you thought of?" Dumbledore asked getting up along with Sirius and Lupin to stand around Harry as Woolnough almost gleefully took a small visible about of blood out of Harry's arm.
"Oh, if this works it's no wonder. But really, how thick do I have to be? I mean me, I'm far from an idiot aren't I, but can never I simplify things? My mother always said I always had to look for the complicated root and I never believed her!" Woolnough almost laughed as he rushed over to a bench and taking a few drops of blood he mixed it with the swab stick and a tiny drop of the potion he'd already administered to Harry abysmally.
"And he says I'm cracking up!" Sirius mumbled quietly down at Harry as he checked to see if he'd turned hot again. He had and Sirius quickly started to loosen the neck of the jumper he half lived in and pulled back the blankets slightly.
"No Mr Black I'm not a crack pot up. I've reached the ten million gallon jack pot. It's so simple and yes, look it's no wonder he's ill." He grinned looking down at his tray.
"What do you mean Weatherly?" Dumbledore asked as he quickly jumped off the stool he'd sat on and ran into the back room again to fetch the answer to all the problems.
"It's this funny little substance. It's so simple Albus. The potion works it's just Harry's stomach. You see toothpaste no matter how hard you try often gets a bit of it swallowed when ever you brush your teeth. A few drop does no harm to anyone except those with a particularly type of ulcer or imbalance in there stomach. Harry doesn't have this at all, I even checked for it when we first started because he was, wasn't he, he was regularly complaining about having a stomach ache. The thing is, as soon as the chemical's in the toothpaste mix with the potion it forms a very nasty mixture and totally ruins the effect of the potion. It breaks down see, resulting in completely failure and agonising pain for Harry.' He rushed back over to the bed where Harry was laid and quickly flicked his wand to carefully and systematically wash his mouth out.
'All we have to do is take him off toothpaste, give him the potion again only this time without the toothpaste causing problems. It'll work. I mean it's not fool proof he won't be well because I can't risk giving him normal food other than the centure bread until I've gone through a right old series of tests to work out exactly what it is making the reaction in the toothpaste. But apart from six or eight hours in my lab. I'll have the answer.'
'Unless of course he's allergic to anything else then he may well still be in this state for some time till we work out what it is. But for now. That's some turning point you've made Remus. Good for you." Weatherly beamed clapping a hand on Remus's shoulder so hard it knocked him forward several inches.
"Toothpaste? He's suffered all this because of toothpaste?" Sirius asked blankly.
"Yes, I remember you telling me ages ago that he often brushes his teeth because he can't stand the taste of vomit in his mouth. That's quiet understandable, I mean no one likes the taste but it never occurred to me that you would still humour him every now and then by brushing his teeth slightly. I mean it's such a little thing to over look. But yes, I'm quiet positive at the moment that we're the closest we've ever been. So much so that I'm will to say that I'm 90 sure that once all the chemical's have left his body, within about three to four days of him being on this potion, the same one I put him on before he will be most considerably better than this."
"Really?" Sirius asked unable to believe his ears.
"Really, really! I still have plenty of work to do now so if you don't mind I'm going to send you on your way. When you get back, wash absolutely everything he touches including himself. Plonk him in the bath clothes and all if you must and make sure you wash as well seen as he spends most his time drooling or vomiting or something over you. I know your tired but do it anyway. And then get him in bed give him a glass of water and then this potion and sit with him for about an hour. Then you are to go to sleep Mr Black.' At this Woolnough suddenly felt the need to add something a little firmer.
'In the same bed as Harry if you really must, but you must sleep, as I'm quiet sure Harry will. Then give him more when the clock chimes and follow the same instructions I gave you last time. But I only want you to let him drink fresh water and eat these centure breads. It may be bland, it may be tedious, but in three days time you may even get a little laughter out of him, which I know is what you really want deep down more than anything else, even the freedom to scruff about in long grass." With this Woolnough moved around and packed up enough potion to last a few days and enough centure bread to last a month and sent them all on there way with the instruction to bring Woolnough the exact toothpaste Harry uses on the rare occasions he brushes his teeth.
Three days was a little too hopeful as Harry's body was still rather weak. At then end of the third day though as Sirius helped a frail Harry get ready for bed he finally did get what he was craving and it nearly knocked him out with surprise. Sirius was just waiting that brief quarter of an hour for Harry's watch to chime while Harry sat up trying his best to stay awake.
"Harry you can try and go to sleep if you want, I'm perfectly capable of pouring it down your neck if you happen to dose, you probably not even notice like the last hundred times I've done it."
"I do notice Sirius and besides, it's not long, I want to stay awake and besides you might drop off and forget."
"Harry I don't forget!"
"You don't sleep neither.' At this Sirius was struggling to reply. He did sleep but when he thought about it he really wasn't quiet sure when. He was awake when Harry was awake and he was awake when Harry was asleep and Harry always seemed to be one way or the other.
'See you can't deny it." Harry continued stubbornly.
"Harry. I won't forget and your tired why don't you lay down and try and go to sleep."
"No! I don't want to. I want to stay awake."
"Harry." Sirius began to plead but just then Harry lifted up a finger and poked Sirius gently on the nose and suddenly started to giggle quietly.
"You look really old ya know! I never noticed before but you do.' He teased in a rather high pitched voice but before Sirius could react the watch chimed and he was forced to give in and help Harry with his potion.
When he was done Sirius waited a short time for it to go down like instructed then helped Harry drink a glass of water. He was expecting Harry to continue this annoying stubbornness of not wanting to go to bed but he didn't. He quickly laid down and curled up in his normal sleeping position but before closing his eyes he lifted up one hand and gently squeezed Sirius's cheek with a quirky grin to go with it.
'See, your all wrinkly!" Harry laughed before his arm suddenly went limp and he was fast to sleep. Sirius tested Harry a few times to see if he was faking it but no, he was definitely fast to sleep so got up to get ready for bed himself mumbling as he did.
"Your never boring ya know, you get weirder every single day." If Harry had heard him he would have complained loudly but he didn't, he was having a strange dream again and for the first time he was actually going to remember it.
Over the next few days, although steadily returning to normal, Harry could barely leave his bed. His legs were so thin they couldn't really support his own weight for longer than it took to stand up off the toilet and yank his bottoms up and then wash his hands. Much past that and he'd stumble and fall. Woolnough warned him that now Harry could seemingly think for himself, he'd want to move about and was therefore in far more danger than he had been up until now when Sirius had to do everything for him.
At first Sirius tried to get Harry to sleep as often as he could but that very quickly became apparent that this was not something Harry was willing to do quietly. He was fed up with been ill and now he felt more coherent it annoyed him all the more. Particularly seen as he could barely move, he couldn't look at anything in any detail for very long and all he could eat and drink was fresh lukewarm water and the blandest food in the world, centure bread.
Topped off with Sirius as his only company and that fact that he couldn't brush his teeth it was capable of making him worse than insane, he was board, stubborn and most the time he made a two year old in an temper tantrum look agreeable.
Lupin occasionally tried his best to help Sirius out but Harry didn't like anyone but Sirius seeing him in such a vulnerable mess and hid under his sheets whenever he was left alone in the room with Lupin. It didn't bother Lupin so much as he merely kept up the stubborn silence by reading a book despite Woolnough's suggestions that they try and get someone other than Sirius to give him company and conversation. In the end it was mainly left to Sirius to think of things to talk to Harry about as whilst hiding under his sheets from Lupin Harry had a habit of falling asleep anyway.
After two weeks of this though Harry's strength started to return to him with decent nights sleep and the fact that he'd given up on getting anything 'decent' as he saw it too eat. The only way this worked was that Sirius did everything with him, he ate the same food at the same time as Harry. He got up, went to bed, napped and watched a film with him at the same time. If Sirius wanted to do anything else he could only do it when Harry was asleep at night and at those times he needed his kip just as much as Harry did.
During this time though the ministry had changed, it was being far more difficult and the order was struggling without a safe haven to meet at. After a lengthy discussion with Sirius about it, Dumbledore agreed to bring the order to meet in Grimmauld Place for a desperate meeting to discuss certain necessary steps to be taken and pass over important information that would probably take quiet a while.
Harry knew before Sirius could explain what was going to happen and agreed to stay out the way. He said it was something he was always very good at and after going quiet and getting a little bit upset, Sirius finally got the story out of Harry of often being in his room and pretending not to exist. Sirius was quiet disturbed by this story but was comforted by the fact that Harry should be better for sharing it.
Sirius insisted that this wasn't the same thing. He just felt it might be better for Harry if he didn't have to mix with the order while he was in such a sickly state. Harry wouldn't accept this at first but eventually understood when he worked out Snape would be there. Harry hated to be seen as weak, his pride had kicked in and after eating his dinner he hid in his bed even though it was long before the meeting was due to start. Sirius tried to reason with him but eventually ended up sat on the bed with Harry under the sheets trying to talk to a pillow as Harry had moved around and Sirius wasn't exactly sure which end was which with him.
About and hour later Lupin came up to see him, so Sirius could go down stairs and get some much needed company, mainly from Tonks who missed Sirius tremendously however little she admitted it to anyone. Sirius got up off the bed and just to make sure he finally pulled the covers back to find that he had indeed been talking to a pillow and that Harry had since changed into a cat and judging by the way his mouth was half open and his nose twitched he had probably been completely asleep for quiet some time now. Sirius sighed and stood back up properly moving over to Lupin.
"You will come down and get me won't you? If something's the matter with him?"
"Don't worry you can leave the door open to the order if you want and I'll shout you if your needed. But he's asleep and if it's anything like the last few nights he's gonna be quiet a while yet. Just try and take a bit of a break, do what ever it is you do standing in order meetings looking a people and having such a weird facial expression. And try and remember a bit more of it this time for when you come and tell me. And give me warning if something female and Weasley tries coming up the stairs. Harry or not I'm not talking to her for anyone. You keep her out the way. And remember, she said unpleasant things about your Andromeda!"
Lupin added hoping the memory of his dear relative might spark a bit of pleasantries. Or at least keep him in a good mood through the first bit of the order meeting before Snape arrived late as he normally did. Failing that, Sirius could be quiet ruthless in protecting people he cared about, he always had and Andromeda, despite having not seen her in a very long time was still quiet high up on Sirius's ruthless list to protect.
Dropping down each step on the stairs Sirius wondered what the meeting would be about, he hadn't been to one since Christmas when Harry had turned most the downstairs furniture to dust and started levitating it in speeding figures of eight around the room. Somehow he doubted this would be as interesting as the last but he did miss watching people in order meetings and was determined to remember as much of it as he could to tell Remus later.
"I'm afraid Dumbledore's going to be about fifteen minuets late and would like us all to wait for him to arrive. He has an important announcement to make so..." McGonagall explained as Podmore quickly put in after her.
"Who wants a drink then?' But McGonagall having raised an eyebrow at his slight interruption smiled slightly as Podmore replied.
'Of tea of course, who would like a cup of tea? We've got bags or loose." Podmore explained digging around in the draw and yanking out several mismatched cups that were quickly claimed by there corresponding order members.
Sirius soon found himself with a cup of hot tea in one hand and sat on one of his own dodgy chairs in the old living room. The order had assembled quiet a large amount this evening and as there just simply weren't enough chairs to go around Sirius and five other order members were sat on the dank sofa's for a bit as they waited.
"How's Harry, we heard a rumour he's doing a lot better now?" Podmore asked gruffly supping at his own five sugars cup.
"He is actually. Woolnough's found a good mix and he's been on it a few weeks now and seems to be coping much better." Sirius replied rubbing at his eyes again and feeling a little suspicious about this tea he'd been given. Either the milk was off or there was something alcoholic dropped into it. Podmore assured him there was nothing of the sort and sat quiet politely as he saw Sirius's face start to drift in his seat.
Ten minuets later Podmore took the cup gently from Sirius's hand so he didn't drop it all over himself and yanked the blanket over his shoulders so he continued to drift further into sleep. The other members quickly left Sirius in peace as Podmore chucked a few wood sticks on the fire and got it burning for Sirius, then leaving the room himself closed the door and left him to sleep.
"What did you put in his tea?" Hestia asked having watched Sirius take a few sups of his tea and then steadily start to drift off.
"Nothing much."
"It's ok, I quiet agree he needs a few hours decent sleep I was just curious what you put in it."
"Nothing much, I made the tea up and put a quick squirt of lemon juice in it. He could taste summet was up and assumed it was sleeping draft so was easier about drifting off. He's just that tired that he fell asleep all by himself. Poor bloke looks worn out!" Podmore explained calmly, as the order shuffled around so those who couldn't stand for such a long time could sit and Podmore shifted off his prized spot to let Hestia sit down. He didn't always get pushed around by a women and it wasn't as if he had a thing for her, it was just he felt like being a gentleman for once after being so kind he thought to Sirius.
"No Remus this evening?" Dumbledore asked taking his place and looking around the room.
"He's sat with Harry tonight." Mr Weasley explained calling slightly across the room to Dumbledore.
"Is Sirius not around then?" Dumbledore asked curiously.
"Podmore sent him to sleep with his charming conversation skills." Hestia explained pleasantly, glad to see a few faces brighten slightly for a moment.
"Poor bloke's exhausted, all I did was stick a bit of lemon in his tea and sat him down, five minuets and he's fast to sleep. Figured he could do with the rest more than anything, seen as he's looking after Harry all the time." Podmore shrugged with his deep voice carrying to the far corners of the room easily.
"How is Harry these days anyway?" Another voice popped up sounding like it had a bit of cold forming.
"I'm glad to say he's a lot better these days. Though extremely board and unfortunately no where near ready to go back to school despite the stubbornness, now shall we begin?" Dumbledore explained puling out his wand and tapping at the wall behind him so a large map unfolded from the ceiling, big enough for everyone to work out most of the details.