Chapter Two: The Pain of Betrayal

Harry stepped inside the marble entrance hall of Gringotts and looked around nervously. Walking into the bank made him wary. As if the slightest incorrect gesture would make one of the goblin warriors chop off his head mere seconds after a perceived offense. Considering what happened to his old account manager, he figured his fantasies weren't far from reality.

"Good, you have some sense of time management." Archblade commented as he appeared mysteriously at Harry's side. The goblin shot Harry a quick penetrating glance taking in all the changes, before turning and walking away. "Follow me. We have a lot to accomplish."

Archblade walked quickly down the hallway between the rows of tellers on each side of the hall. Despite the goblin's short stature, Harry rushed to keep up pausing slightly as he saw his reflection in the marble that shone like glass. He had a ball shopping yesterday. He wore white gothic inspired skinny jeans with zippers running up and down the sides and distressed black boots. His t-shirt was black as well and had a picture of Albert Einstein on it. A white denim cap with zippers covered his scar and hair. He also had new black framed glasses. In other words, he looked like a typical teenager and he couldn't be happier.

"What do you think Archblade, I figure since wizards walk around in what amounts to dresses, no one should be able to complain about my clothing choices."

"You will undergo a medical examination before we proceed to the meeting."

Harry supposed goblins weren't big on small talk, but he tried anyway. "How is the audit coming, am I being robbed blind?"

"Yes."

Harry sighed. "Dumbledore?"

"Healing first."

Archblade opened a heavy marble door with ease. Inside the room, were several humans and two goblins. These goblins looked different from the ones he had seen so far, their features more refined and delicate, which suggested they were probably the rarely seen, elusive female goblins. Four goblin warriors armed for killing surrounded the females. The warriors appeared to be waiting for the stupid humans to insult their womenfolk. Harry was not going to be stupid.

"Mr. Potter let me introduce you to your medical team." Archblade indicated the man and woman in wizard robes. "This is Healer Davis and Healer Mosby." He turned to a man in a muggle suit. "Doctor Cresswell owns a prestigious private practice in London and has benefited from scholarships from the Potter family to complete his education in the muggle world." Then his gaze turned reverent, his eyes watered as he turned to the females and gave the deepest bow Harry had ever seen a goblin perform. "This is Healer Almandine and Healer Tourmaline," Harry watched fascinated as Archblade stuttered and tripped over his words. "They are two of the nation's foremost healers."

Harry's eyes widened and he bowed to the group.

"Thank you for your time and coming to help me on such short notice."

"I will leave you in their capable hands." Archblade turned and left.

"Mr. Potter," the male Healer Davis began, "if you don't mind I'd like to conduct an extensive diagnostic charm to get your medical history and then we'll confer and determine treatment. Is that alright with you?"

Harry shrugged. "Where do you want me?"

"There is fine."

Healer Davis approached him and waved his wand muttering under his breath. Harry jerked surprised when a golden dome appeared around his body. Once the dome appeared, Healer Davis circled Harry waving his wand as he spoke the incantation 'perficere medicinae historia a caput ad pollicem' repeatedly. The other healer spoke quickly as a quill at her side automatically took dictation. Pages and pages of parchment floated in the air as the quill worked hard to keep up with the speed of her speech. When Healer Mosby got to his scar, she called the goblins over and they conferred quietly before the goblin female Almandine sent a note off with one of the warriors. After standing for a half hour, they finally cancelled the spell and the dome disappeared.

The looks on the healers' faces as they passed the pieces of parchment between them didn't bode well.

"Mr. Potter," Healer Mosby said gently, seeing the look of fear on his face. "If you could go to the adjoining chamber and remove your clothes completely and put on the robe provided we'll meet with you after we confer."

Nodding, Harry slipped into the room they indicated. The chamber looked like a prehistoric cave, but this cave would've belonged to some ancient ruler. The clay colored rock was polished smooth and gemstones worth millions of pounds were sticking out of the walls. On the floors, runic symbols he couldn't begin to make out were painted. The whole place vibrated with energy. Harry could feel the hairs on his head and body rising and tingling with static electricity. He slipped off his clothes and put on the silk robe that felt amazing against his skin making Harry vow to buy one for himself before he sat down and waited. Luckily, he brought his book bag. He removed one of the wizarding custom books he'd been reading. It looked like Archblade was turning him into a bookworm. Hermione would be pleased. But, if he was the head of a billion-galleon enterprise, he couldn't afford to be stupid. He was going to have to continue his muggle education. He couldn't see Hogwarts offering practical classes that would help him run an empire. It was overwhelming. He had a lot to accomplish, a lot to make up for and no time to do so.

It took another half hour for the Healers to finish consulting and enter the room where he sat waiting.

"Mr. Potter, we've come to the conclusion on how to proceed."

Harry nodded and put away his book before he stood and faced the verdict. They looked solemn. He hoped he wasn't about to die. That would suck.

"Before we begin, Archblade has requested memories of your time with the Durselys, your introduction into the wizarding world, and an overview of your first two years of Hogwarts," Dr. Cresswell said.

"How do I do that?"

With the Healer's help, Harry retrieved and labeled all of the desired memories.

"Our first priority is to remove the curse on your scar and the bindings on your magic," Healer Tourmaline said speaking to him for the first time.

Shock had Harry staring at them open mouthed. The only movement from his too still body were his rapidly blinking eyes.

"Excuse me?" he managed to gasp out.

Healer Mosby took pity on him. "It is typical for parents to place bindings on their child's magical core when the child displays excessive amounts of magic at a young age. These bindings are typically removed around four or five. Yours have not. These type of bindings are temporary and not meant to be on a child for as long as yours have. Since they've been on you for so long, they've affected your magical core as well as the curse in your scar. Once they're removed and your core recharges we'll discuss further treatment for the rest of your medical issues. Though I have to warn you, removing the bindings will be uncomfortable but removing the curse will be somewhat painful. We will be able to give you something for the pain afterwards."

Harry nodded resigned. "Where do you want me?"

"Please place your body in the middle of the runic circle and make sure each appendage is stretched out towards the stars painted on the floor," the female goblin spoke in a husky voice.

Harry did as the goblin healer dictated and soon he was spread like that model in the famous muggle painting. He felt terribly exposed and stared up at the seemingly endless cave like ceiling. In the distance, he could hear carts flying back and forth as goblins took clients to and from their vaults. Harry had no idea how long he laid on the stone floor that felt surprisingly warm when the chanting began. Startled, he turned his head, which felt heavy and saw more female goblins dressed in white silk robes encircling him holding hands as they spoke. The more they chanted, the more he could feel and even see the magic charging the air. It was like lines of static electricity weaving and flowing in and out the atmosphere and reflecting back on the gemstones dotted around the cave. It seemed to build and build and build until all that magic converged and shot into him. Harry arched, his mouth open wide in a soundless scream. It felt like a thousand spears had just pierced his body.

Somewhat painful my arse.

The pain was so intense he didn't have the strength to cry out. He wanted to breathe, but couldn't. No breath could escape. He was suffocating. He was going to die lying on Gringotts freaking floor for Merlin's sake. He tried to move, tried to breathe, tried to get up, but it was as if invisible hands were holding him down choking the life out of him. Tears poured down his face. They had lied to him, everyone had lied to him, and this was their way of killing him. What had they done to him? What did he do to them to deserve this? What had he done to anyone to be treated so badly? Was he really such a bad person? He just wanted to breathe, damn it. Why couldn't they let him just take one small gasp of air. Please, please, please. Just one breath.

Then to his horror, he realized that not only did he have to deal with the lack of oxygen, pain also began to reverberate from each limb in his body. Harry watched horrified, as he began to die. He had to watch himself die. They were sadistic. They couldn't even let him close his eyes. Why couldn't he close his eyes? Oh, it hurt, so bad.

A black mass was twisting from his scar, it was being pulled away, but it was fighting, struggling to get back inside. He didn't want that black mass inside him. Had that really been inside him? Or was it just an illusion? Were the healers helping him or killing him?

The black mass was being pulled further and further away from Harry and he found himself able to take a much-needed gasp of breath, but he still felt suffocated. Harry tensed when the mass screeched angrily as it failed to settle back into his body. The mass darted around trying to find another place to go to no avail. The tendrils of magic in the air trapped it in its web making it impossible to flee. One of the goblin healers held up a container that captured the mass then stuck a dagger into the container. The mass screamed and dissipated. It was just like the diary in the Chamber of Secrets and he knew.

A part of Voldemort's magic had been in him, just like that diary. Dear Merlin. Had he been possessed just like poor Ginny?

It was then that Harry broke. He curled up in a ball, body shaking, choking, coughing, still trying to get his breath back as tears poured down his face. For the first time, he could see clearly. Everything that had happened to him since he entered the wizarding world, and probably before that was a lie. He had been used. He had known when Archblade had told him, but it wasn't until he saw the mass leaving his body that he knew in his heart that it was true. What was he going to do?

Everything but the sound of the beating of his heart and the breaths struggling to break free from his mouth faded into the background. Was Aunt Petunia right about her prejudices against the wizarding world? He had hoped to fit in, but they had used him, just like Aunt Petunia, Uncle Vernon, and Dudley. He was tired of being used. He was just tired.

He barely noticed Healer Davis approaching him, didn't see the tears streaming down the healers face as he forced potions down Harry's throat. All he knew was that his mind went blissfully blank and he knew no more. Which was just what he wanted.

He was so tired. So very tired.

Author's Note:

*Thank you all for the reviews, favorites, and following. It has felt amazing. I am touched.

*I hadn't expected to post another chapter so soon, but I've been having problems with the sequel to this story so I decided to edit another chapter while I figured things out with my WIP (yes, this story is finished except for heavy editing). Harry finds all the Hosts annoying (with the exception of Mori and Hunny) and is mean to them. I had to scrap everything I had written which filled a one subject notebook (yes I am insane and write my drafts long hand). I realized that I had Harry reflecting the bad mood I had been in and not the funny, caring, jovial guy he is (or will be) in this story. Of course that doesn't effect anything in this story, but just helped me edit this chapter and get my head on straight so I can restart the sequel.

*Some things I forgot to mention earlier. I have used artistic license and moved the timeline forward, so instead of 1993, it is currently 2003. I also realize that Harry is 13, hence the romance will be light. More along the line of romantic friendship, crushes, and trying to discover who you are. Nothing heavy hence the T rating, not sure about the sequel yet though. We will see.

*All faults with grammar, style, and content of this story lies with me as I am self-editing and have never set foot in the British Isles or Japan much to my dismay.

*Also, much to my dismay, I have no claim to the writings of Harry Potter or Ouran High School Host Club.

*Hope you enjoy!