He woke up a mere moment before his watch went off. He was so comfortable… 11 hours of sleep and the blanket had removed any traces of whatever the faeries had put in their tea. At least for him. He sighed feeling the phantom sensation of feathers as the birds cuddled him. He had a good idea what was happening now after meeting Fawkes. He was excited to read a children's book on magical creatures that night that promised descriptions of fantastical creatures of the magical world some of which he had even gotten to meet. His eyes drooped and he yawned, maybe 5 more minutes…
But Nature called and Mippsy was hanging over his Hammock with his wide eyes looking so excited Harry's heart melted. He got up so he could begin his day and give his precious Pink elf something to do.
Wait Pink?
"Mippsy what happened? Why are you pink?"
The elf, while normally pinkish due to his young age was a more tan pink normally. He was now as pink as a child's crayon. He looked uncharacteristically incensed and not at Harry.
"You's not being worried about it Harry, some kids be making a mistake. I's be taking care of it."
The elf's dark tone went over his head. Harry feared for his elf mindful of the bullying he all too recently experienced himself.
He again forgot himself and pulled the elf from his Hammock eliciting a yelp of surprise. And began checking the elf over.
"Are you alright? Is anyone hurting you? We can go to a teacher."
He subtly began hyperventilating, not realizing it fraught with worry as he was. He could not bear for Mippsy to get hurt, not at all. He had only known the slightly older elf for a month and a half now and already could not imagine life without him. He couldn't be alone again. He couldn't. He would rather die.
By now he was full blown having a panic attack and only came back to himself when Mippsy had his hands on his face looking in his eyes with naked concern and fondness whispering that he was alright and that nothing was wrong and that everything would be alright. Arms closed around him hugging him from behind which brought Harry entirely back to himself as he sobbed.
"It's ok Harry, whatever it is its alright."
Said Neville with his new stuffie, he hugging Harry from behind. He slowed his breathing and simply enjoyed the closeness. Thankful the other boys had not woken up. They had no classes this morning due to the announcement yesterday. Just Astronomy that night.
Nevill guided him over to his bed and rubbed his hand in circles around Harry's back.
"Thanks, Nev…"
Harry whispered feeling pathetic. Nothing was wrong. Nothing at all, he wasn't like this last year. Why now?
"I think you finally feel safe enough to let out some of what you have been holding in."
The other boy said sagely. Uncharacteristically wise beyond his years in that moment overcoming his shyness.
Harry blushed heavily, disoriented.
He had said that out loud?
"Yes."
Neville said simply.
Right… he still was not calm. Mippsy came up to him and gently offered a calming draught which Harry did not fight. But Neville gently put his hand on Mippsy's arm stopping him only briefly.
"Just so you know you should not use those at full strength too often. They lose potency like that and if you use it too often while you are young it can cause… well."
Neville stuttered and blushed looking pointedly down at the padding underneath his pyjama bottoms. Removing his hand Mippsy brought it too Harrys lips. Mindful of what the other boy said Harry only took a gulp. Immediately feeling an almost unnatural calm take over him. But not to the point of Apathy. He was finally able to consider the other boy's words.
He had not stopped rubbing circles on Harrys back which he was glad for.
He now felt really bad for how he had let Hermione petrify Neville not 3 months prior to his perspective.
"Thanks Neville."
Harry said.
The other boy started regressing back into his previous shy persona and stuttered.
"N-No problem Harry. If you e-ever want to talk about it just let me know."
The other boy offered. Squeezing his shoulder and drawing back as the boys toad croaked softly from his enclosure.
Harry felt a twinge in his bladder.
Right, nature waited for no one.
He smiled at the boy and got up quickly taking care of his morning business. Mippsy was more clingy than usual.
When Harry finished with his morning routine Seamus woke up and Neville had just finished getting dressed. The other groggy boy left to take care of business as Ron snored lightly away. Dean silent and dead to the world cuddling a muggle football (soccer).
He and Neville walked silently down to breakfast smiling softly at each other. Shoulders rubbing against each other.
Closer to the great hall they struck up a conversation about plants and their uses in potions continuing their study session from the night before but in a much more free-form matter.
The other boy gushed and gushed about all of the different plants they would cover this year and that he had already taken care of. Harry smiled, only able to follow him because he had a year of Herbology under his belt. The plants he had at home Harry had no idea about. But it was fun nevertheless.
Getting to the great hall Neville made to sit alone at the Gryffindor table and Harry started towards Hufflepuff seeing Ernie and Justin when he stopped. The other boy had been a loner last time around and he could see just how considerate and caring he was so he made a split-second decision to gently grab the other boys hand before he got too far and lead him over to sit with him at the Hufflepuff table.
He had reverted entirely to his shy persona now and blubbered a little but did not fight Harry. He introduced the boy to his other friends and while it took awhile, he came out of his shell a little and enjoyed the conversation. Harry spoke at length about the new fairy grove and the mean trick the fairies played. ("Serves you right for doing all that girly stuff." Ernie ribbed Harry while Justin giggled and swatted at his new friend's shoulder in a half-hearted reproach.)
Harry returned the favor from earlier and never let go of Nevilles hand squeezing it occasionally keeping the other boy grounded. (Behind him some third-year girls quietly giggled at the Gryffindor table pointing at it. But Harry was oblivious.) Neither Hannah nor Susan made an appearance.
Finishing breakfast he found Tonks closer to the head table and asked her about it as neither Ernie or Justin knew where they were.
"Oh, your up? That's surprising. Usually, the first time you drink the fairy tea you are completely loopy for at least 24 hours. I thought the effects were simply delayed for you. Must be resistant."
She noticed he was still holding Nevilles hand and simply smiled causing Harry to blush and instinctively let go but Neville held on. After a moment to overcome his embarrassment Harry returned the pressure and returned his attention to the conversation.
"-in any case both of them are still tucked in bed. The fairy tea causes nausea if you eat anything normally."
She looked him up and down.
"But you are different, aren't you?"
No, Harry thought. I just have a magic phoenix blanket that heals you and chases away and eats nightmares. But he held his tongue.
"In any case I have Runes, you two don't cause to much trouble now will you?"
Her hair changed to a Burgundy color as Neville blushed tremendously as her bust seemed to grow before their eyes. Eyes widening out of shock more than anything Harry did not see what the big deal was. But it was causing Neville to blubber in what he believed was some discomfort. So he squeezed the other boy's hand snapping him out of it. Glancing across the table to his Hufflepuff friends he saw Ernie was in the same boat as him and Justin was similarly entranced to Neville.
"No Tonks we won't."
Harry said out loud. Internally he thought, knowing my luck no promises.
So, Harry, Ernie, Justin and Neville made their way onto the Hogwarts grounds exploring the battlements and buildings separate from the castle. All First years had Astronomy on Wednesdays at Midnight. Having just gotten used to having a stable sleep schedule and having a bed time Harry wondered how this would work. Last time around had been a massive pain but Harry had been decidedly less healthy and without an elf to boss him around only going to bed when tired.
They ran around and played until Lunch. Ron was at the table chatting up Seamus and Dean and waved Harry over. He joined the table where Dean had his football tapping his feet excitedly extolling the virtues of the muggle sport. Harry would not know too much despite Vernon being a fan. He was never allowed out of his cupboard during a game.
Last time around he had been more interested in Quidditch and Ron had made fun of Deans muggle football posters but this time they appeared to be getting off on a better foot.
After lunch they ran out to the grounds and began a game with Dean teaching them the rules. Justin nodding along being a muggle-born. Harry decided to show off a little and transfigured some rough goals out of sticks on the grounds getting some wows from the other boys. They hit it off and played till dinner Ernie and Neville not used to the physically demanding activity. Laughing and giggling they made their way to an early dinner at 6 when Hedwig swooped down and dropped a note in his hand. Giving his beloved bird a head scratch and some steak he read what he recognized to be Mippsy's chicken scratch.
"I's be seeing your schedule Harry. Classes be an exception to the bedtime rule. After Dinner take a nap no dilly dallying. I's wake you up in time for class.
- Love Mippsy "
Harry was exasperated even if it was probably a good idea.
"Yes Mom."
Harry murmured saractsically under his breath but in good humor.
He had a meeting with Dumbledore too. Time would be tight. So, he bid his friends goodbye after shoveling down two plates. Looking down at his belly he noticed he was finally starting to develop some fat reserves and he had a tiny paunch now. Might be time soon to stop taking the draught of hunger. He briefly had a moment of fear where he wondered what he would look like being fat as Dudley. He shivered and put his mind off it. He began making his way to the headmaster's office.
Giving the password he stepped into the office to see the headmaster while his arm was out of the cast was sporting a shiner on his right eye.
He smiled at Harry and invited him in.
Going up to the headmaster he smiled fondly up at Fawkes who it seemed to Harry did the bird equivalent of a smile in return.
He sat across from the man who started the conversation with his usual offering.
"Lemon Drop?"
Harry knowing what was in it took the candy gratefully mindful of Nevilles words earlier. He was beginning to realize he had a problem but not how severe, not yet. But he was certain this conversation might be pretty heavy. Popping it in his mouth he asked the headmaster his first burning question.
Raising his hand up to his own corresponding eye he asked.
"What happened sir? That can't have been pleasant."
The man chuckled good naturedly.
"Just some of my own Hubris coming back to bite me I suppose. It was well deserved I had to violate something Sacrosanct. But all worth it to be rid of Tom. At least for now."
Harry was puzzled. The Proprietor of the Leaky Cauldron?
"Who sir?"
The man came back to himself realizing Harry had no context.
"Ahh, the thing you would know as Lord Voldemort."
Harry understood.
"Ohhh…"
The man stood up and Harry made to get up as well but the man raised his hand. Stopping Harry. He walked around his desk and stood behind the boy and reaching into his pocket he draped and clasped the boy's family heirloom around his neck shocking the boy as he said a variation of the words on the note at Christmas so long ago now to Harrys eyes.
"Your father entrusted this into my care for research before he died. This should never have been taken from you. I know you have and will continue to use it well.
Though draped almost comically over the back of the chair Harry was ecstatic. He cuddled into the cloak that made part of his body disappear.
"Thank you sir."
Harry said as the man settled back into his chair.
He gazed upon Harry unsettlingly for a moment studying the cloak with an uncharacteristic look of greed in his eyes before he closed them and his face relaxed. A single tear shedding from his non-black eye. He whispered to himself something Harry had no context or understanding of until a much later loop after having read the Lord of the Rings. And even then, he was incapable of understanding the complete nuance of what was said.
"I Will Diminish, and Go Into The West, and Remain Galadriel."
"Who?"
Harry blurted out.
"But your Dumbledore?"
The man opened his eyes, chuckled and smiled at the weird look Harry was giving him.
"Never you mind Harry, just the ruminations of an old man."
He placed his hand on the desk.
"Now as for my promise to you I have some leads and will follow up on them. I will do everything in my power to make your time as wonderful as it should have been within reason."
He looked meaningfully at Harry.
"But… That is no excuse to be lazy and put off your studies. I have heard you have made an impromptu study group with Ms. Granger and Mr. Longbottom for potions and Herbology. That is very good. Did you know your grandfather was a Master Potioneer and that brought great wealth to your family with his creations?"
Harry did not in fact know this and was excited to learn more about the man and cursed Snape for making the class so horrible he almost gave it up as a bad job. Harry looked at the man excitedly hoping for any other morsels of information. But none were forthcoming as the man continued.
"But that is no excuse to leave off the other courses and waste precious study time. I will make you a deal Harry, I will keep researching the memory transfer regardless, but I want you to aim for top of first year."
Harry almost balked as even a years lead time would not make him confident to beat Hermione but the man reassured him as he continued.
"You don't have to succeed; I just want to see you continue to make your best effort. In return I will teach you a few things. And to sweeten the pot if we are successful in the memory transfer and you achieve first in your year I will give you a pass to the restricted section as long as you run by me the book you wish to read before taking it out. This is not a one-time thing but I must insist you wait until you have a firm grasping of the basics. Would you like that, Harry?"
That familiar excitement of finding the time loop tome on a dais came back to Harry and he nodded excitedly without thinking about it. But internally winced at the memory of the screaming book. Glad for the calming draught candy he would definitely talk to the headmaster before looking through any of them.
Internally the headmaster whispered to himself.
'With any luck you won't need it but best to be safe.'
He made absolutely certain not to stare at where the boys scar would normally be if not for the concealer. Clamping down on Occlumency hard. That thought direction laid madness. He would have unlimited time to think of a solution if the worst fears he kept suppressed with Occlumency were realized.
"In that case Harry I have something for you to get you started. Don't rush through it, it's not a race."
The man proffered a worn and well-loved looking book. Harry read the title.
'The weave, the origins, and how we shape magic.'
"This is an older title and has become increasingly rare though it is supposed to be still in print. This is the definitive basic magic text though it contains no spells."
The man put on his airs of wisdom as he extolled.
"Power and incantations are only one small part of how we cast magic. Wands are a rather recent invention historically. Since the dawn of human cast magic in the Thurian age it has been classically cast with understanding, comprehension and will. Wands while incredibly useful and altogether a great shortcut can ultimately limit you without this understanding. This book served me well. And I know with time it will serve you well."
Harry had an inkling of what the man spoke and it both excited and terrified him greatly. He picked up and held the book with reverence. And his inner Ravenclaw newly awakened cackled with glee.
"Now off to bed with you."
Harry hopped up excited, though internally gawking at the shear amount of reading he would have to do. He not only had his children's books he had his recently found families' books, class books, Potions extra-curriculars, and now this. He needed to learn time management.
He scampered off mindful of the time as he bade the headmaster goodnight. Rushing to the common room he almost forgot to take off his cloak as several paintings gasped at a disembodied head running around the school.
Taking it off he checked the time and saw it was 7:30, if he hurried he could sleep for 3 hours before Mippsy would wake him.
Rushing into the common room he saw Ron playing chess with Neville who seemed nervous at being dominated.
"Oi Harry where you been? Where you going?"
Not wanting to lie to who Harry still considered his best and first friend. He told part of the truth.
"Professor Dumbledore wanted to give me something, I will show you later. Mippsy told me to take a nap before Astronomy so that's what I will do."
The other boy shrugged.
"Suit yourself, see you later Harry."
He nodded and waved at his friends and went up to the empty dorm. Taking care of his nightly ablutions and knowing it would be pointless to get into pajamas with only 3 hours of sleep he simply stripped to his Y-fronts and snuggled under his family sheets leaving the phoenix blanket folded at the end of his bed. Luxuriating in the remnant of his family. Uncertain he would be able to be woken up if he used it now.
It took only a short while for him to fall asleep. That was a big mistake on his part.
He was in a dark hallway, creeping forward. Were the walls, walls? Or were they buildings. Feeling the walls his arm came away Humid and slimy. A hot wet wind blew past him. He shivered and froze. The folds and ripples he could only vaguely perceive were not stone. The hallway was breathing. Wiggling his toes he realized he was clad as he was when going to bed. His toes felt slimy and the made wet slopping noises. This only made him more fearful.
Mustering his courage he kept walking forward. Hoping against hope he was going the right way and not towards the stomach of whatever this was. He kept forward. Breathing only shallowly. Stopping to feel the walls that undulated under his touch only to make sure he was going the right way. Luckily, he narrowly avoided hitting a wall. But it was not a wall it was simply a bend in the hallway.
Clench!
Behind him in the distance some kind of heavy sound of something slammed shut. And repeated. And repeated, getting closer each time. The hallway began subtly tilting up and attempting to suck him back to whatever that was. Throwing all caution to the wind he threw himself forward. Scrambling to make headway as he slipped and slid forward. Becoming covered with slime and goo still he managed to get up each time. The hallway began to get lighter as he began to make out the pink flesh and the ribs behind the walls. He had not noticed but the ceiling was only a hand length above his short head. An adult would need to be on their knees. Chancing a look back he screamed as he saw what was making the sound as it began making a wet mucousy sucking sounds. It was a sphincter of Muscles slamming shut. He was in the throat of a snake. Finally his courage broke as he screamed and redoubled his efforts getting towards the light that was only now coming into view. Hundreds of vicious looking fangs were clenched around a door as he began to hear the hisses of the snake from the outside in. It was desperately trying to crush the door and trap Harry in. But the door was thankfully unyielding. The sphincter was only 5 paces behind him. He lunged forward with all of his might. He was five bounds away from the door. The sphincter was 4 away.
He began treading over ground that felt like sandpaper as his feet began to bleed and the snake began hissing in pleasure. 3 bounds away from the door. The sphincter was 2 away from him. Throwing his hand back he desperately cast the Flippendo spell without a wand throwing his very being into it. Far from his desired outcome but it thankfully propelled him forward through the door as the sphincter kissed his back and Harry found darkness once more.
But it was short lived. Torches flared to life one by one all around him. Familiar pillars and a mirror at the center of the room greeted him as Harry shivered. Nearly naked and still covered in slime, mucous and gunk. A hissing laughter greeted him as Harry shivered and froze when a deceptively gentle scaled hand grabbed his shoulder and caressed his cheek from behind.
Harry slowly turned around and choked on his scream as the figure he knew would be there appeared. The red eyes were unmistakable. But…
The face was far. Far more snakelike than previously with an unhinged jaw and a mouth full of fangs distended forward it was dripping with saliva much like a snake that threw up a recent meal like his 5th form teacher had showed them on video.
"Oh Harry. My dear Harry I almost had you that time. You were almost mine. Just a few moments more and you would have joined with me and been able to rest forever."
The snake thing inappropriately caressed his chest. Though Harry was too terrified to notice or care.
"Now be a good boy and rest forever."
The snake thing unhinged its jaws and made to lift and swallow him once more. Harry screamed and his body exploded with magic that burned the snake monster attempting to eat him once more. He jabbed his hand forward burning the snake thing throwing fire and cutting spells and anything his frazzled mind could think of. It was never enough and all the time he was laughing and screaming Harry! Harry!...
"Harry! Harry!"
He jolted awake tears in his eyes. Both Neville and Ron and Mippsy were looking at him in fear and anxiety and now relief that he had woken up. His sheets were soaked with sweat and he had voided his bladder. Ordinarily a boy his age would be mortified about such a thing but in that moment Harry did not care. He was just glad whatever it was, was over. He sobbed as he sat up and leaned into Nevilles (the closest) arms. While he sobbed and was insensate to the world Mippsy subtly wiped his forehead where his scar was coming away with a large glop of black ichor in a kerchief. He looked down at it darkly.
Returning to Harry.
That was more terrifying than facing Voldemort three months ago. He was never sleeping without the blanket again! Mippsy gently put a calming draught to his lips which he drank greedily. Dazed now but much calmer, Neville helped him up to get into the shower followed by Ron and his elf. He was still sobbing but it was more automatic at this point as his body tried to catch up with what his mind which had already been calmed from the potion. He had no memory of what happened next but when he came back to his senses he was sitting on Rons bed fully clothed and the clock said 11:15.
The dorm was a mess. And he was embarrassed and ashamed that he must have cast some serious accidental magic as the top of his bed had been blown off. Dean and Seamus looked at him a little scared. A few of the prefects were hovering by the door. He was afraid for a moment the whole house had heard. But then remembered the dorms were soundproofed.
Why does this keep happening? Harry wondered to himself. Nothing is really too different from last year. There was no mention by Heraclitus of horrible nightmares.
Professor McGonagall came in and came straight over to Harry looking him over. She had a look of compassion on her face.
"It's alright Mr. Potter you are not in trouble. Accidents happen and you are not the first student to have an outburst during a night terror. Do you think you will be able to attend class? I can write you an excuse this time and get a vial of dreamless sleep from Madame Pomphrey."
Harry wanted to scream that it was not a night terror it was real! But Mippsy was already shaking his head no but Harry insisted.
"Yes, Professor I can go to class, I would prefer to I don't want to go back to sleep."
She nodded.
"Alright Mr. Potter, the dorm will be repaired when you return. Now off with you. You don't want to be late."
Harry hurried down with his Astronomy equipment as the others kept giving him worried glances and Dean and Seamus slowly began to relax though they still were a little tense. The returning 5th years also looked at him strangely from the common room. They had Astronomy earlier in the evening and wanted to know what the fuss was.
Making it to class, the girls from his house were completely oblivious and Harry numbed himself to everything focusing only on the lesson paying more attention than he ever had before and trying to ignore the worried glances from his dormmates.
Malfoy was thankfully too tired to even attempt to try to make his way over to Harry and make things worse from over where the Slytherins sat. He noted. He would probably curse the boy and considering they had never spoken in this loop and Harry should not even know who Malfoy is, he would be the bad guy in that situation.
The lesson ended at 2 in the morning with the majority of 1st years completely dead on their feet moving as a pack to their respective common rooms. Professor McGonagall had told the truth and the dorm was as good as new and his families sheets were also spotless once more
Instead of going to bed and taking the potion labeled "Dreamless Sleep" on the nightstand. He took the phoenix blanket and walked down to the common room and sat on the couch by the fire. Ignoring the questioning glances of the others. His knees tucked against his chest. Oddly the blanket did not send him to sleep even though it was draped around him. Instead, it filled him with a comforting warmth. He went off into his own little world until a weight sat on the couch next to him. He recognized Nevilles touch as he draped his arm around his shoulders. They sat there for awhile.
"Do you want to talk about it?"
The other boy said after some time.
If Harry were to have seen himself in the mirror he would likely have compared himself to a wounded animal. He blurted out and told the boy everything as the calming draught had long since worn off. The other boy was at first shocked to hear Harry was a time traveler essentially and that unless Dumbledore succeeded he would essentially cease to exist as he was now. He was disturbed when he spoke about the nightmare and shivered knowing that Quirrell was possessed by Voldemort.
When Harry had finished already regretting letting the secret out so early the other boy did not comfort him. But neither did he take his arms from around him. Instead they sat silent for several moments as Neville processed this info.
He then began speaking. His voice solid as a glimpse of the man he would one day become far into the future from Harrys perspective shown through.
"I was Three I think, the first time my relatives tried to kill me."
Harry jolted at that looking at the other boy in horror, but he did not react lost in his own little world.
"Oh they say it was not that and they may very well be telling the truth. They were desperate to see me perform accidental magic you see. But I never did."
Harry threw his own arms around the boy not liking what he was hearing.
"Gran always put a blind eye to it. Only ever stepping in when it went 'Too far'…"
The other boy continued describing every single instance of attempted murder. By Harrys count 57. He would like to say that he eventually became numb to it but he would be lying.
"Its death to be a squib in the Longbottom family you know?"
He asked no one rhetorically.
"Oh, officially squib children are obliviated and sent to a muggle orphanage but I have seen the manor dungeons. I've seen the rituals they would use to make the child magical or die trying… They had prepared the ritual you see. It was only my Gran in the way but even she was losing patience I think."
Harry clenched the other boy so hard his ribs began to creak. (Thankfully the other boy was wrong as they learned in a much later loop but the damage was done)
"But finally after a night of drinking my Uncle finally had enough and threw me out the 4th story dining room window. It would probably have killed me. So I had my first accidental magic. I bounced back."
Harry was crying again.
"Things got a lot better after that. I was now the celebrated scion of the Longbottom's. They crowed and cheered. It all tasted like dungweed to my mouth."
He stopped and broke from whatever spell he was under. He looked at Harry.
"They showered me with gifts and excused all my issues. I was afraid. Always afraid they would change their mind and try to kill me again. Gran just handed me calming draughts. Saying that's how it was always done. For a few months it was fine,"
He glanced down and continued.
"I started having accidents first at night, then as time went on during the day. Eventually the potion stopped working entirely and my Gran just waved it off as me being like my father at his age."
He laughed bitterly and shed some tears himself.
"It was only a year ago I started getting better and only needed 'you-know-what's' at night. The medi-wizard tells me I should get better by 4th year. I only stopped being afraid when I got my Hogwarts letter."
He brought his own knees up to his chest.
"You said your Hogwarts letter is the first time you ever had hope. It's the same for me. It's the final proof my relatives won't try to kill me. anymore"
Harry wrapped the blanket around them both and buried his face in the other boys chest. It was all too much and he was exhausted in ways he did not know were possible. But still sleep eluded him but they both could feel their burdens getting lighter as they found someone who understood at least a little. In the darkest point of night just before dawn broke they both fell asleep by the fire. Desperately holding one another.
The tired elf floated them both to Harrys bed mindful of early risers. They could skip History tomorrow. Sleep eluded the elf as he stared at the black gob in the kerchief that joined the other one from a few days previous. Something was wrong.
AN: Busy with thesis updates might be a little longer in coming. Heavy stuff this chapter. Did you all know that Voldemort in the first movie was originally going to be much more terrifying? Look up what he originally looked like. Nightmare fuel. We begin to see the consequences of the blanket poking at the Horcrux. It becomes much like a medicine you cannot live without. Bonus points if you can figure out the symbolism and literal meaning of the nightmare. This is the last heavy chapter for awhile as Harry finds things improve after a very rocky first week. He solved some big problems and got all new ones. For those wondering about me tip-toeing around the subject of bed-wetting its a common enough child-hood problem. 1 in 6 children stiil do it. But more importantly is a facet of childhood that many adults forget. Children rarely are direct with embarrassing things and I am trying to write this from the perspective a child recollecting things. Hence the occasional out of context blurb in (). No matter how much he learns and experiences Harry will still always have the brain of an 11 year old while in the loops. Its not like an adult going back and bringing an adult perspective to an adolescent or child brain. Anyways next chapter will include a short Dumbledore perspective then Harry getting back to his new normal and learning to treasure everything he has.