A/N: I know many of you have been awaiting this chapter! :D (Well, sort of...) Hope you enjoy! And special thanks to Moon Lantern and DragonSlayer2187 for reviewing the last chapter! :D
Chapter 11: Discovering Harry
I woke to sunlight pouring through the windows of the Hospital Wing and bouncing off a bright white set of curtains around my bed. I felt refreshed and truly alive for the first time in weeks. I heard the voices of what seemed to be a few students and silently thanked Madam Pomfery for the curtains and the privacy they offered.
I tried to call for the matron, but the only sound that escaped my mouth was a husky rasp; my throat was still sore from screaming and yelling so much the night before. I flinched at the memories and tried desperately to replace them by searching around for a distraction. Spotting a glass of water at the foot of the bed I attempted to reach it, but my legs screamed in protest as they bent only slightly. I gasped in pain and collapsed back onto the bed, defeated.
I looked around in vain for something to call her with – maybe a bell or a button or something – but nothing caught my eye, so I just raised a hand and knocked on the wall behind me, praying that she could hear it. Thankfully, I could hear her footsteps approaching only second after I had knocked. She pulled back the curtain, smiling gently.
"I'm glad you're awake dear." She said kindly, running her wand across my body. I struggled to keep from shuddering, but didn't quite manage it and caught a glimpse of a pitying expression on the face of the older woman. "It's nearly lunch time and you look like you could do with some food. Are you hungry?"
My stomach growled right on cue and I smiled shyly. I opened my mouth to give confirmation, but no sound came out. So I just nodded and pointed to the glass of water at the end of the bed.
"You would like some water?"
I nodded again, flushing a light pink.
She handed me the glass and I took a long drink, relishing the cold liquid against my dry and sore throat. "Thanks." I whispered, giving her a small smile.
"You're quite welcome. I'll have a house elf bring you up some food. Would you like breakfast food or a type of soup?"
"Something for breakfast please, Ms-Madam Pomfery." I blushed at my mistake, but she took no notice.
"How does oatmeal and fresh fruit sound? I want to start you on something easy for the digestive system. According to my scans you haven't eaten much these past few days. Something simple will keep it all from coming back up again."
"That would be fine, thanks." I was willing to eat almost anything she would give me. I hadn't noticed it when I had first woken up, but I was starving.
She smiled a little sadly down at me, then walked out, closing the curtains behind her.
My mind began to wander as I heard Madam Pomfery start moving around, tending to other students I supposed. My thoughts alighted on something she had mentioned as I took a few more sips of water.
House elves. There were house elves here, at Hogwarts. I sincerely hoped that headmaster Dumbledore took better care of his elves than Bundy's masters did for him. Every time I had seen him in my room he would have some new scar or bruise from punishing himself or being punished by his masters.
My mind started to wander as I sat in silence, every so often taking a sip of water. I could hear the birds singing, for what I realized was the first time since I had left the orphanage. They, above anything else I had seen, made me realize that I was free from my imprisonment, from the daily torture sessions and free from Bellatrix and her crazy mentality.
A loud popping noise made me jump and nearly drop the empty glass I was holding. A house elf pushed open the curtain, holding a silver tray. He was wearing a strange combination of clothes. On his head were five or six brightly-colored lumps of knitted material, which I assumed were hats. He was also wearing a too-large jumper that was cinched with a belt, tiny green short that looked like they might've fit a toddler and a pair of mismatched socks, one white with orange and yellow polka-dots and the other green with sparkling shamrocks. I was speechless for a moment as I took in his strange outfit, but then pulled myself back together as he began to speak.
"Dobby is here with Miss Leah's food." He said proudly, holding out a tray with oatmeal (covered in a sweet mixture of cinnamon and sugar), a glass of milk and a small bowl with fresh strawberries, grapes and slices of banana. He smiled brightly and his huge green eyes shone with happiness. There was no doubt about it. Dumbledore most definitely treated his elves differently than how Bundy was treated.
"Thank you Dobby." I said, grabbing the tray. His grin, if it was possible, widened even more.
"You is welcome Miss Leah!" he said, bowing quickly, his pointed nose nearly brushing the floor and the small tower of hats on his head tipping precariously. "Dobby has to be getting back to the kitchens now Miss, as it is nearly time for the school lunch, but Dobby will be back later, after you has finished your breakfast to get your dishes."
"See you then Dobby!" I called softly as he left through the curtains and disappeared with another loud pop.
In no time at all the plate was empty. I didn't know how I had finished so quickly, but it did make sense. The events of the previous day had exhausted me to near breaking point. Escape, rescue and emotional upheaval had worn me out and he weeks of imprisonment beforehand meant I was more than just hungry.
I felt restless and lay back on my bed as I waited for Dobby to return for the tray, listening to the vague sound of Madam Pomfery's hushed conversations, but in a matter of moments I had shut my eyes and fallen back asleep.
Harry stumbled into his dormitory, collapsing on his four-poster bed and reveling in the silence the deserted room provided. He welcomed the seclusion, even if he only received it because he was skipping lunch to do so. He knew Hermione would be on his case as soon as he saw her and Ron when they headed down to Care of Magical Creatures later in the day, but he didn't care.
The previous day had been absolutely terrible. It had started out with a certain Dolores Umbridge being announced as Hogwarts High Inquisitor, which gave her the power to inspect other teachers. She had inspected Professor Trelawny during their Divination class (it had been even more of a disaster than usual) and had thoroughly enjoyed making her miserable. Harry didn't like Trelawny in the slightest, but she was, at least a step above Umbridge.
That Monday had also marked the beginning of the second week of Harry's detentions with the foul toad. She had been so pleased with her new position of power that he was only held for four of the usual five hours, but it barely made a difference. His hand still bled profusely afterwards and stung terribly, making it nearly impossible to finish his homework for the next day or even think about going to sleep.
To top it all off, Voldemort had been furious with something or other, his raging fury making Harry's head pound and his scar twinge throughout the entire night, leaving him with little to no sleep.
The cuts on the back of his hand didn't heal that night and he had to get Hermione to conjure some bandages for him to use. Checking the words etched into the back of his hand as he lay on the bed, he was glad to see that the cuts were closing and not bleeding as much as they had been earlier that morning.
A dull roar of pain had persisted behind his eyelids the entire day, no doubt from Voldemort's lingering anger. He hadn't told either of his friends about it. He knew Hermione would attempt to send him to the hospital wing straight away and that Ron would be keeping an annoyingly close, worried watch on him, sending him scared looks every few seconds. Sneaking away while they had been arguing on the way to the Great Hall had been the only way to escape from the hustle and bustle of the school, even though he knew they would have it in for him later.
Harry lifted his head to peer at his watch and groaned softly when he saw he only had ten minutes to get down to Hagrid's Hut, where Care of Magical Creatures lessons were held.
Feeling distinctly unrested, for he had spent much of his brief rest period deep in thought, he grabbed his bag quickly and (using a fair number of the many secret passageways that lined the school), made it to the large group of Gryffindors and Slytherins that were clustered on the grounds in front of Hagrid's empty pumpkin patch just as Professor Grubbly-Plank called the class to attention.
Breathing hard and wincing at the sharp pain in his head, Harry tried and failed to meet the gazes of Ron and Hermione who looked at him worriedly through the entire class. Umbridge was inspecting and he blocked out nearly all of the lesson until he heard Malfoy talking about Buckbeak, a hippogriff whom Hagrid had shown to them their third year and whom had slashed at Malfoy's arm when he had been stupid enough to insult it.
"That was me." The blond-haired boy said, a fake expression of one who had bravely fought a battle on his face as he answered Professor Umbridge's question about injuries during past classes. "I was slashed by a hippogriff."
"A hippogriff?" The squat woman asked, her eyes glinting in dangerous excitement as she scribbled notes down on her clipboard.
"Only because he was too stupid to listen to what Hagrid told him to do." Harry said angrily, ignoring the exasperated groans from Ron and Hermione. His head ached and he didn't care that he was probably going to get in trouble. He was in a very bad mood.
"Another night's detention, I think." She said sweetly, giving him a simpering smile. "Well, thank you very much Professor Grubbly-Plank, I think that's all I need here. You will be receiving the results of your inspection within ten days."
"Jolly good." Professor Grubbly-Plank said distractedly, keeping a careful eye on Lavender and Parvati who were getting quite close to the feeding Bowtruckles.
And Professor Umbridge set off back to the castle, looking very smug, Harry glaring at her the whole way.
After Care of Magical Creatures was Herbology. Hermione and Ron spent most of the lesson trying to get his attention, but he ignored them yet again, putting all his focus on his Gargillump vine he was supposed to be trimming. In reality he was just narrowly avoiding being trapped by the feelers that kept curling around his pruning shears, distracted as he was.
Harry basically ran back to the castle when the bell rang for Herbology to end. He was the first out the door and was far enough away by the time that Hermione and Ron came running across the grounds after him that he could pretend to not have heard their yells.
By taking a quick left behind a tapestry with a sad-looking monk on it and hanging a right through a fake wall behind two battling suits of armor he reached the silence of the hall leading to the Gryffindor common room in no time at all. He sighed tiredly and, after saying the password and running up the stairs to his dorm, grabbed some clean clothes and hurried into the bathroom to take a quick shower.
The black-haired boy's stomach was grumbling so loudly by the time he was finished that he decided he had to go down for dinner, even if all he wanted to do was sleep. Who knows, He thought. Maybe a bit of food will do me some good.
He stepped into the Great Hall and began looking for a seat at the Gryffindor table. To his chagrin however, the only empty seats were at the far end of the table, where Ron and Hermione were sitting. Harry was in half a mind to leave just then, but his growling stomach said otherwise. Sighing, preparing to face the questions of his two friends, Harry made his way down to the empty seats.
Ron saw him first and elbowed Hermione, whose head shot up seconds later. They both watched Harry's progress down the aisle between tables. Harry sat down across from them, dropping unceremoniously onto the bench and pulling some cornbread toward his plate.
"Hey Harry." Ron said cautiously, swallowing a gulp of pumpkin juice.
"Hey." Harry answered, not looking up at them as he spooned green beans onto his plate. Ron and Hermione shared a look.
"Are you alright Harry?" Hermione asked tensely. "You missed lunch and were late to dinner. Is something wrong?"
" 'M fine." Harry muttered, wincing as a raucous shout of laughter came from the table of Hufflepuffs behind him.
"Harry-" Hermione started, concern showing in her voice.
"Leave it, Hermione. I'm just a bit tired." Harry snapped, silently groaning in his head. He didn't want to deal with their questions. He was tired and irritable and had another five hours of detention with the toad that was sure to irritate his already-tender hand. Checking his watch he groaned out loud. He must have taken more time in the shower than he had previously thought. It was nearly six forty-five and he didn't want to be late to detention.
He spent the rest of dinner resolutely ignoring the brown and blue eyes that regarded him suspiciously from across the Gryffindor table and shoveling pork chops into his mouth. He got up at six fifty and headed out of the hall, making his way to Professor Umbridge's office.
Once Harry was out of earshot, Hermione turned to Ron, worry shining in her eyes. "Do you have any idea what's wrong with him?"
Ron shook his head, mirroring her expression as they regarded their friend, watching sadly as he went, downtrodden and depressed, to the seventh night of cutting his own hand open in two weeks.
Harry stumbled down the corridor, leaning on the wall as he breathed heavily, gritting his teeth through the stabbing pains the cursed wounds on the back of his hand shot up his arm. His vision was fuzzy, even with his glasses on and he felt weak at the knees. Taking another step forward, Harry's legs suddenly gave out, sending him crashing to the floor. His head hit the floor and his eyes shut, succumbing to the darkness.
I opened my eyes to darkness. For a split second I was afraid I had gone blind, but then I saw stars through the windows across the dark ward. It was night already? Had I really slept through the whole day? Apparently so.
What had awoken me anyway? I wondered, looking around. I made out the curtains surrounding my bed in the dim light and sat up quickly when I heard anxious voices coming nearer and nearer to the infirmary door. Lights suddenly blinded me as I heard the doors slam open, and I covered my eyes hurriedly, attempting to adjust to the sudden brightness. The voices were indistinct, overlapping and confusing.
"What's going on here?" came the angry voice of Madam Pomfery. I grinned, imagining the look of anger on her usually smiling face.
"It's Harry." I heard two voices, a boy and a girl say frantically. They sounded really worried and frantic. What had happened?
"It's Mister Potter." I heard a stern-sounding, sharp voice say desperately. I immediately perked up. Was this the 'Potter' that Voldemort referred to during my first few torture sessions? "He's lost a lot of blood, Poppy."
Pushing away painful memories of my own blood, I slid my legs out from under the white sheet that covered me, lowering my feet to the cold tile floor. I shivered from the icy feeling they sent up my legs and cautiously tested my weight. My legs were weak, but held under my weight. I shuffled forward, carefully creeping up to the curtains and peeking through the slit that hung open.
At first I saw an empty bed, but as I turned my head a bit I caught sight of Madam Pomfery looking her usual stern self and waving her wand in movements that I recognized as a diagnostic spell. Tilting my head a bit more I caught sight of the boy and girl I had heard earlier. The boy was tall and lanky, with red hair that was almost orange in color and bright blue eyes. The girl had curly, chestnut-brown hair that fell down to her shoulders and brown eyes that were filled with tears. Both looked about my age. The girl's hand was clutching the arm of the boy and both were staring at whoever was laying on the bed.
I shifted to the right and saw a tall witch in dark green robes who looked strict. Her hair was pulled into a tight bun and her mouth was tight. The only sign of distress was her twisting hands, looking like she was washing them.
Finally I could see the person laying on the bed. It was a smaller boy with black hair that fell messily over his eyes. He had a goose-egg on the front of his head and part of it was bleeding , the crimson stain spreading over his pale face. Round, black glasses were hanging off his nose (which looked broken) and his mouth was parted slightly. It was obvious he was unconscious. Was this 'Potter'? He didn't look anything like me!
"He has a concussion and a broken nose. He's also been cursed by something, but my scans can't determine what. Unfortunately he'll need to be awake for me to fix his nose and heal his head and hand, where most of the blood is coming from."
I tried to see the boy's hands, wondering what she was talking about, but jumped and nearly fell over when she suddenly said "Ennervate!" and a blue light hit him in the chest. The boy sat up quickly, as though he'd been electrocuted, and his eyes flew open. As he looked around quickly I struggled to restrain a gasp. His eyes were a brilliant jade green. Just like my eyes.
A/N: So tell me how you liked it! :D (I hope you did, at least) Tell me what you thought in a review and please give any constructive criticism you feel you need to! Thank you all again for reading!