Disclaimer: I still do not own Harry Potter.

Wow, thanks for such positive feedback for the last chapter! I'm glad you all were so happy with it, and were touched by Harry's reunion with departed loved ones. I want to put a lot of emotion into this story, so I'm glad it's working!

And I can't express to you how much it means to have the fanfic community, people I don't know, care so much about me and my family. I received even more condolences in the reviews of last chapter. I've said it once and I'll say it again, thank you so much. I hope my brother is proud of me too. I want to live like he did; he was a magnificent person and even though he battled with a disease, he was positive right up until the end. He was even joking with nurses and doctors the last week of his life, and if that's not someone with a strong spirit, I don't know what is.

Okay, please enjoy this chapter.

Chapter 58: Recovery

Fog enshrouded Harry's mind, but through it, he thought he could hear soft voices. They were calling to him, three voices which were soothing and tender, and they were repeating one word.

"Harry."

The fog started to lift, and slowly, Harry opened his eyes. He now knew that he was lying in a soft bed, and there were three blurry figures standing by it. As Harry looked around, he was gently handed his glasses by one of them. Gratefully, he put them on, and realized it was Sirius, Remus, and Dumbledore standing by his bedside.

"Thank Merlin," Sirius breathed as he squeezed Harry's hand tightly. "Thank Merlin. You're awake."

"Wh-what happened?" Harry croaked. "What do you mean, thank Merlin?"

"We almost lost you, kiddo," Sirius said, his voice hoarse and choked with emotion. "The Healers told us you almost slipped away."

"You went into shock and then you went into a coma," Remus added at Harry's look.

For some reason, these words struck Harry as words he'd already heard, and slowly, very, very slowly, memories came back to him. Had it all been a dream, or had it actually happened? He couldn't remember the whole thing, but small details began to sift through his mind.

"Harry, my boy, I'm so glad to see you're awake," Dumbledore told Harry sincerely. "You had us really worried there."

"How long was I ... in a coma?" Harry asked.

"Almost an entire day," Remus informed him. "The Healers put so many potions into you that I can't even name them all. Thank Merlin you're all right."

Harry just looked at his guardians and Dumbledore, finding it hard to process how close he'd come to death. "Something weird happened," he told them quietly. "I think ... I think I saw Cedric, Mr. Weasley, Mum, and Dad. It might have been a dream, but ..."

Raw emotion filled Sirius and Remus's faces. "You saw Lily and James?" Sirius choked out.

"Yeah," Harry replied, still finding it difficult to take in the fact that he'd been held in his parents' arms.

"How are they?" Remus asked softly, trying to keep his composure.

"They're fine, they told me to look after you," Harry said slowly.

"Oh, Merlin," Sirius said over and over again. "Lily and James. Oh Merlin."

Harry looked at Dumbledore, having a feeling that the wise old wizard may know what had happened. "Do you think it was just a dream, Professor?" he asked.

"I do not think so, my boy," said Dumbledore quietly. "In 1945, I was treated here for the wizarding flu, just like you. It was right after my defeat of Grindelwald, and I was feeling a mixture of all kinds of emotions at that time. When I became ill, this did not help in my recovery, and I went into a coma, just like you did. I also came close to death, and I had a similar experience as you. I still remember to this day seeing departed loved ones and talking to them."

"Really?" asked Harry, hope blossoming in him that he wasn't going insane.

"Really," Dumbledore replied. "I have always believed, Harry, that there is something for us after death, something that will reunite us with loved ones we have lost. Even before my experience in 1945, I believed it."

Remus embraced Sirius, who had tears in his eyes. He was finding it hard to keep his own tears at bay. "Did Lily chastise James for anything he said or did?" he asked, trying to smile.

Harry wracked his brains, thinking. He thought he remembered something like that occurring. "I think so," he answered.

"Same old Prongs," Sirius choked out through his tears. "And same old Lily. Merlin, I miss them so much."

"We all do, my boy," Dumbledore said softly. "We all do."

"Kiddo," said Sirius, looking at Harry with heartache. "Please, don't ever scare us like that again, okay? We were terrified that you wouldn't make it."

"I'm sorry," Harry said, truly meaning it. He hated putting his guardians through turmoil because of him.

"Don't be sorry," Sirius said, guilt crashing over him that he'd made Harry feel bad. "I know it wasn't your fault."

"What did Arthur Weasley say, Harry?" Remus asked gently.

Now it was Harry who was trying to hide his sadness. He wracked his brains again, trying to remember every last detail. "He said he doesn't blame me," he replied. "But it's hard, you know?"

"I know it is, cub," Remus answered, stroking Harry's hand lovingly. "But if Arthur said it himself, you should definitely believe it."

"I know," Harry whispered. "It'll take time, but I'll try."

xxx

Over the next few days, Harry's recovery progressed well. The Healers were shocked at how fast he was getting better, and Sirius and Remus stayed by his side the entire time. Marianne, the Healer who checked on Harry the most, told them that if he kept improving at this rate, he may be allowed out of St. Mungo's a few days after Christmas.

Harry also got word that Arthur Weasley's funeral would be a few days after Christmas as well. As much as Harry found it hard to believe that the Weasleys would want to see his face, he knew he owed it to them to go. He sincerely hoped he was completely well by the time the date arrived.

On Christmas morning, Sirius and Remus showered him with presents. They tried to keep the mood light and make jokes; they knew how miserable it was to spend Christmas in a hospital. They did their best to keep Harry's spirits up, and he tried to be happy for their sake. He tried with a fierce determination to remember everything about his meeting with his parents, Cedric, and Mr. Weasley, but some of the memories slipped through his fingers like grains of sand. Dumbledore offered the theory that whoever controlled the afterlife might not want him to remember everything, because if every single secret about it was spilled, death wouldn't be such a mysterious phenomenon. But Harry was happy at the fact that his guardians and the Headmaster believed his story. He grew closer to Dumbledore, knowing that the man had been in a similar situation. Any residual anger he had towards the man for not telling him the prophecy sooner grew much less prevalent.

Harry was thrilled with all his presents, but his heart was with the Weasleys. He knew this would be a very hard and heartrending Christmas for them all. He thought of Mrs. Weasley and her constant sweaters she always gave out, of Fred and George and their humor, of Ron, of Charlie and Bill, of Percy, and of Ginny. He wondered if Percy would return to the family now that this tragedy had occurred.

That afternoon after lunch, Marianne walked into Harry's room and said, "Harry, you have visitors. Would you like to see them?"

By this point, Harry's fever had almost broken, and he was sitting up in bed, reading another book of pranks his guardians had gotten him for Christmas. This one had even more pranks in it than the one he'd received for his 14th birthday about a year and a half ago.

"Who are they?" asked Harry, a mixture of hope and dread filling his stomach.

"The Weasley family, Hermione Granger, Neville Longbottom, and Cho Chang," Marianne answered with a fond smile. "My, my, you bring quite the crowd."

Sirius and Remus squeezed Harry's hands comfortingly, letting him know that everything would be fine if he accepted the visitors. All three of them exchanged looks, and Harry finally nodded. Marianne left the room, and after about a minute, a group of people walked in.

"Harry!" a tearful voice exclaimed, and then, he was being embraced by a sobbing Mrs. Weasley. "Harry, sweetheart, thank God you're alright! You gave us such a scare, dear, we heard all about how ill you were."

"Hey, mate," said Ron, who had dark circles under his blue eyes. He looked like he'd been through the mill, but he pounded Harry on the back all the same.

A serious and subdued Fred and George came next, and this was a very difficult sight for Harry to see. But they tried to smile at him reassuringly as they gave him a squeeze.

Next came Bill, followed by Charlie, who had obviously come home from Romania. They smiled at Harry as they patted his shoulders. He looked for Percy in the crowd, but he wasn't there. Harry again wondered whether he would return to the family.

Pain tore through Harry's heart as Ginny hugged him; she was the final Weasley to throw her arms around him. She was crying softly, and she looked heartbroken. Harry knew how close Ginny was to her father; this must be devastating for her. He hugged her back, and Ginny clung to him, unable to let go.

Neville, Hermione, and Cho then hugged him, and afterwards, the group all gathered by Harry's bed, talking quietly to him.

"We're so glad you pulled through, mate," said Fred sincerely.

"Yeah, what would we do without you?" said George.

"I didn't want to lose you too," Ginny choked, resting her head on Harry's shoulder.

"We're so sorry that you were ill like this, dear," said Mrs. Weasley, her eyes still full of tears. "You almost died! Thank Merlin for the Healers efficiency."

Harry smiled softly at all his friends and supporters. "I'm glad to be alive," he said honestly. "But I just want to let you know how sorry I am about Mr. Weasley."

"Honey, it wasn't your fault," Mrs. Weasley said, bursting into another bout of fresh tears. She threw her arms around Harry's neck again. "You tried to save his life, and I can't thank you enough for that. It shows what a kind-hearted and special young man you are."

"Mate, we know what Dad was guarding had something to do with you, and we know you know this, too. But Harry," Ginny said, looking right in the boy's emerald eyes, "We do not blame you. Dad chose to do it, it wasn't like he was made to. And he'd hurt us if we ever thought of blaming you."

Harry, overwhelmed, whispered, "Thank you," as he hugged Mrs. Weasley back. He almost couldn't believe what he was seeing; the Weasleys still wanted to remain by his side, even though they'd already paid a high price for associating with him.

Even though they weren't blaming him, Harry could still sense the misery pouring off of his favorite family. He didn't know whether they'd believe him, but he decided to tell them about his strange near-death experience; this would maybe give them comfort. Slowly, he told them of what he had seen when he was in the coma.

This set Molly Weasley into more sobs, but now she was also smiling. "You really saw him?" she said, hope shining in her eyes.

"And you ... you saw Cedric?" Cho's eyes were also shining with tears. "Is he all right?"

"They were all fine," Harry said, remembering how healthy and whole they'd all looked. "Mr. Weasley said he'd miss you all."

Ginny let out a heartbroken sob, and Ron's expression was stony. It was plain to see that he was trying his best to hide his emotions.

"Of course we believe you, darling," Mrs. Weasley said lovingly. "And we want you to know that we will never abandon you, Harry. You're a wonderful young man with a big heart. Arthur died protecting you, dear, and I know it was an honor for him to do so."

"Thank you," Harry said, his own tears stinging his eyes. "I'll never leave you guys, either. You've been my friends through everything, thank you all so much."

"Don't mention it, buddy," said Fred.

"Yeah, man," said George.

The group stayed for a little while, trying to talk about more lighthearted business. Harry could tell it was a big strain on the Weasleys, but they tried hard so as not to make Harry depressed. They opened presents from each other, and Harry relished their friendship with everything he had.

After a while, Sirius, Remus, and Molly went to the hospital tearoom for a drink and a bite to eat, but the children opted to stay with Harry. Once the adults had left, Hermione put a Silencing Charm up around the room.

"We have news to catch you up on, Harry," she declared. "While you were away, Hagrid came back."

Harry smiled genuinely. "Really?" he asked.

"Yeah," said Ron. "But he looked bloody awful. His face was unrecognizable."

"his face did look terrible," Hermione agreed. "At first, he wouldn't tell us what happened."

"We finally got him to admit that he was doing some mission for Dumbledore to get the giants on our side," said Ron.

"Really?" asked Harry. "So that's what he was doing all this time?"

"Apparently," replied Cho. "And that Umbridge woman ... Merlin, she's completely awful."

"Yeah," said Fred, balling his hands into fists. Beside him, George did the same.

"Why, what did she do now?" Harry wondered.

"Totally made fun of Hagrid in our Care of Magical Creatures class," said Neville, anger lacing his tone. "Poor Hagrid was completely flustered, he only made the situation worse."

"Oh, no," Harry groaned. "So what now?"

"I don't know," said Hermione miserably. "He won't listen to me, though. We studied thestrals in class, and the day after, I kept telling him to teach us something less advanced so Umbridge wouldn't get any satisfaction from picking on him."

"But Hagrid's a stubborn old geyser," said Fred.

"He won't listen," said George.

"I don't want him to get sacked," said Harry unhappily.

"Neither do we," Ginny told him emphatically.

There was a long silence. Everyone seemed to be deep in thought. Then Ginny said, her voice quavering, "We really mean it, you know. You scared us to death."

"Yeah, bloody hell, mate," said Ron. "When we were told that you almost ... died, we went crazy."

"We couldn't lose you as well as Dad," Ginny said fiercely. "We weren't going to let that happen."

"Well, I'm here now, and I don't plan on going anywhere anytime soon," Harry said, smiling softly.

"You'd better not," said George, "or we'll bring you back to life so we can kill you ourselves."

This got a chuckle out of the assembled group, and then Cho asked, "When you saw Cedric, what did he say?"

Harry thought for a moment. "He said that he still loves you very much," he told her, and then he embraced her as a few soft sobs escaped her. "He told me to keep taking care of you."

"Well, you're doing that very well," said Cho with a tiny, tear-filled laugh. "God, I miss him more than ever."

At that moment, the adults walked back into the room. The Weasleys, Neville, Harry, Cho, and Hermione spent a few more minutes together. Mrs. Weasley explained that now that Arthur was gone, she was going to look for a job.

"I know what you'd be good at," said Remus, looking at the kind-faced woman. "You'd be an excellent cook."

"Yeah," said George. "Absolutely!"

"I can attest to that," said Fred proudly. "Our mum here's the best cook in the world!"

Mrs. Weasley smiled shakily. "Do you really think I could do that?" she asked. "Maybe find a job in a restaurant somewhere?"

"There're plenty of places in Diagon Alley or Hogsmeade that could use your help, I'm sure," said Sirius. "I wish you luck with that."

"Thank you," Mrs. Weasley replied. She knew that it would be extremely hard without her husband, but she was going to do everything she could to help her family through this. If it had been she who had died, she knew Arthur would be strong, so she had to do the same for him.

"Have you heard from Percy at all?" asked Remus tentatively.

"No," Ron scowled, his demeanor growing angry. "Haven't heard from the prat at all. He doesn't even care that Dad's dead."

"Ron, that may not be true," Hermione told him quietly. "He may just be too embarrassed by his behavior right now to show up."

"Well, Fudge and the damn Ministry still won't admit the truth, even after this," grunted Fred. "They think it was a Death Eater, not You-Know-Who, who released the snake on Dad."

"They're a ridiculous bunch of morons, and if Percy wants to come back in our lives, he'd better grovel on his hands and knees for forgiveness," growled George.

"Boys," said Mrs. Weasley, "please give your brother the benefit of the doubt." Fred, George, and Ron just shook their heads disgustedly in response.

"Don't worry," said Sirius, "the Ministry'll believe it after a while, they'll have no choice. When Voldemort ..." There was a flinch from some of the people in the room, "brings himself out in the open, they'll be ashamed of themselves."

"I hope so," said Cho. "They need to believe it, so they can start preparing the wizarding community."

After a few more minutes of talking, the Weasleys, Cho, Hermione, and Neville departed. "I hope you can make it for the funeral," said Mrs. Weasley as she hugged Harry one more time. "It wouldn't be right, not having you there."

"Feel better, Harry," Fred and George said together. "We'll see you soon."

"Take care, Harry," Hermione told him. "I hope your final few days of recovery go well."

"Bye, mate," said Ron, clapping Harry on the back again. "See you later."

"We all care about you so much, Harry," Ginny said as she gave him a last gentle hug, all the others nodding in agreement.

And with this sentiment, the group of friends left the room, closing the door quietly behind them.

Harry gave a sigh of relief, and Sirius said gently, "There you go, kiddo. The Weasleys are your faithful friends; they'll never leave you."

Harry stared at his guardians, more emotion filling his insides. He truly had wonderful friends, and they had proven to him this day that they would always be there for him. Remus gave Harry a tender kiss on the forehead as the boy said, "I know," and laid his head down on the pillow. It had been a taxing, emotion-filled Christmas Day, and the fifteen-year-old boy was exhausted.

And he fell asleep just after his head hit the pillow, thoughts of his friends' love and affection filling his mind as he drifted off.