Harry had no idea how he ended up in the Hospital Wing; following Dumbledore's words, Harry had seemingly gone numb, blind, and deaf to everything around him. All he knew was that somehow, he had ended up standing in front of Hermione's bed with Lady Malfoy's hand resting comfortingly on his shoulder.
Rather than the happy smile or exasperated frown that Hermione usually sported, her expression was one of terror, her mouth frozen in a silent scream; her left arm was raised as though she had been holding something, while her right arm was frozen to her side, her hand closed into a fist.
Harry only caught snatches of the conversation between Madam Pomfrey and Lady Malfoy, too absorbed in staring at his friend, but he caught words through the haze, such as: "Library," "Mirror saved her life," and "No idea what she was doing there alone."
More useless platitudes followed this that Harry mostly ignored, including a promise from Dumbledore that the culprit would soon be arrested.
"With all due respect, Headmaster," Lady Malfoy said coldly, "There are now three children trapped in a petrified state through no fault of their own, and you seem to be doing everything in your power to ensure the culprit stays free."
"I can assure you, Lady Malfoy," Dumbledore replied in a carefully controlled voice, "I am doing everything in my power to keep my students safe from whatever is doing this."
"Really?" Narcissa scoffed, "Then where are the Aurors? Three attacks, Dumbledore! Three, not counting the squib's cat! The school should have been closed after the second attack, and Aurors should have been sent in to tear this castle apart until they found the creature responsible for it and put it down!"
"I will NOT have my school turned into an armed camp of war!" Dumbledore growled back. "The one responsible will be captured in short order, and the attacks will stop! I give you my word on that."
"I'm sorry, Headmaster," Narcissa replied, actually sounding apologetic. "But your word is simply not enough. My own children attend here, and though he is not of my blood, I have grown quite fond of Harry here."
Both adults turned to stare at the boy seated on his friend's bed, looking broken and softly whispering apologies to Hermione for not being there to protect her.
"What would have happened had Harry been with Ms. Granger?" Narcissa continued, "The fact that no one has yet been killed is nothing short of a miracle! I'm sorry, Dumbledore, but this has gone too far for my liking. I will be informing the Auror Department tomorrow morning."
"Narcissa!" Dumbledore cried alarmingly, "Surely you can see what will occur if you do that! Hogwarts could very well be closed permanently!"
"If children are not safe within its walls, then perhaps it should be!" Narcissa argued back, "And given that this is the first I've heard of these attacks, it's painfully obvious that you have entirely too much control over this castle! The Aurors should have been summoned after the first attack occurred. Hogwarts is supposed to be a school, not your personal playground! It was bad enough when Draco informed me last year that you'd been keeping the Philosopher's Stone here, but this? This is entirely beyond the pale."
Dumbledore said nothing, simply folding his hands into his robe and looking down in despair for several seconds before looking back up, his mask firmly back in place.
"I cannot control your actions, Lady Malfoy," Dumbledore said softly. "And perhaps you are right about Hogwarts. If you wish to inform the Aurors, then so be it. If you will excuse me, I must return to my office. I have urgent matters to attend to."
Spinning on his heel, Dumbledore quickly strode away while Narcissa glared at his back. Once he was gone, she returned to Harry, who was still whispering apologies to Hermione and gently placed her hand on his shoulder.
"Harry…" Narcissa said softly, noticing the boy flinched away from her. "There's nothing more you can do here, for now. Let's get you back to your common room."
"No," Harry replied dryly, "I'm staying here with Hermione. I couldn't protect her before, but I can now! What if the one responsible shows up and tries to finish them off!"
Narcissa bit her lip in worry, even as her heart soared at the boy's bravery and refusal to abandon a friend, and carefully chose her following words.
"Harry, I know you blame yourself for Ms. Granger's current state, but look at me, I said, look at me, Harry!"
Slowly, Harry turned his face toward Narcissa, and her heart broke at the tear lines that streaked his face. Narcissa gently placed her hand under his chin so he could not look away.
"It is nobody's fault that this occurred, save for the one responsible. And I give you my word that they WILL be held to account for these attacks."
As carefully as propriety would allow, Narcissa pulled Harry into her arms and held him as his body wracked with sobs. Slowly, Narcissa began to rub his back as she whispered calming platitudes to the boy. After several moments of this, Harry finally pulled away and looked down sadly,
"I'm sorry I ruined your pretty dress, Lady Malfoy…" Harry said softly, making Narcissa smile softly at him.
"It's just a dress, Harry," Narcissa replied tenderly, "I'm sure dear Lucius will buy me another before the week is out. Now, let's get you back to your common room. There's nothing more to be done here."
"I shall escort him back," Professor McGonagall replied, stepping out of Madam Pomfrey's office and catching the last of the conversation, "He will be perfectly safe in my company."
"Very well, then," Narcissa replied with a nod as she gently pushed Harry toward his head of house, "I have my own matters to attend to as well, in any case. Dumbledore might not like it, but the Aurors must be informed of these attacks before a child is killed. Like last time…."
Both women paled slightly as they remembered the last time similar attacks occurred; though Narcissa had yet to be born, Professor McGonagall remembered all too well the events that occurred the previous time. She doubted she would ever get the screams and sobs of that poor girl's mother out of her head, to be perfectly honest.
"My loyalty is to Hogwarts and her students," Professor McGonagall replied, "Albus is a great man, but he is not a god. He is just as fallible as the rest of us, and if he's putting Hogwarts and her children in danger through his own pride, then I will support you, Lady Malfoy."
The last part was said with great distaste, though Narcissa nodded all the same; Narcissa understood the hatred that most of the Wizarding World held for her family, no matter how it rankled her. Many in the Wizarding World thought the Malfoy family had been let off too easily, that Lucius Malfoy's defense of 'Imperious' was nothing but a filthy lie, and that he should be locked up with all the others who had followed Voldemort.
It, therefore, pleased Narcissa that despite the apparent distaste with which Professor McGonagall viewed her, the Professor was still willing to work with her for no other reason than to protect the children.
With a nod of respect that was swiftly returned, Narcissa gave Harry one last hug before stepping back and striding out of the Hospital Wing and out of sight.
The trip back to Gryffindor's common room took much longer than Harry was accustomed to, though whether that was due to the gravity of the situation or just because Harry wasn't paying attention was anyone's guess.
When Harry finally entered Gryffindor's common room, he was immediately bowled over by the rest of his family, having been waiting for Harry when they heard of what happened to Hermione, who all hugged him for all they were worth, each telling Harry that it was going to be okay and that Hermione would be just fine.
Slowly helping their little brother to his dormitory, Fred and George helped Harry change into his pajamas before getting him into bed. Though Ron fell asleep quite quickly, Harry was awake for several hours before finally falling into a teary-eyed sleep.
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The Great Hall was unnaturally quiet the next day when Harry and Ron entered it. Taking a quick look around, Harry saw that nearly every eye was on him and his brother; some were still looking at Harry with suspicion, while others zeroed in on Harry with looks of pity, guilt, and shame.
As a thousand different hushed conversations began, the Great Hall suddenly echoed with an unending buzzing; as Harry heard his name whispered over and over again, he grit his teeth in annoyance before motioning to his brother,
"Let's go sit down."
Before either of them could so much as take a step, they suddenly found their path blocked by Blaise Zabini and his two thugs.
"Go away, Zabini," Ron growled, "Now's not the time."
"Why so down, Potter?" Zabini said happily, ignoring Ron and focusing his attention on Harry. "This is a grand day! Someone has finally taken it upon themselves to cleanse the filth from this school. It's a pity they couldn't make your Mudbloods' nap more permanent, though, wouldn't you agree?"
The noise in the Great Hall instantly dropped away as they all awaited Harry's response. Ron had turned crimson with anger and would have attacked had Fred and George not suddenly appeared and grabbed their little brother's arms to hold him back.
Harry had gone well past rage at Zabini's disgusting comment and instead felt an almost unholy black anger sweep through him.
"How dare he…" A dark voice whispered in Harry's mind, "Make him pay, Harry…. Make him pay for everything he's ever done…. I can help you…."
Seeing Zabini's smug smirk as he looked at Ron being held back by the twins seemed to be the straw that broke the camel's back, as far as Harry was concerned. This bastard had beaten Harry nearly to death, attacked the students of Hogwarts, caused Harry to be blamed for it, and now had the audacity to brag about what he'd done to Hermione? No.
"Make him pay!" Harry thought angrily as the black rage finally consumed him, and he blacked out, "I will make him pay!"
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Professor Snape had a death grip on his fork as he stared at the boy who had DARED to use that disgusting slur; he was about to jump to his feet and take a slew of points away from his own house when Harry Pot- Weasley suddenly issued a scream of rage, despair, and hate that echoed throughout the entire Great Hall, and seemed to freeze everyone in place. A moment later, Snape's eyes widened in shock as black smoke began to billow off Harry's body, causing Zabini and his goons to step back in trepidation. The movement seemed to gain Harry's attention as he suddenly zeroed in on Zabini, causing Snape to gasp in horror. The boy's green eyes had disappeared, replaced by a pair of blood-red ones that Snape remembered very well, only rather than a boy, they'd been attached to a monster. The same monster who had taken Harry's parents from him.
He'd just risen from his seat, his wand snapping into his hand, when Harry issued another scream and lunged at Zabini.
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Ron was angry; no, angry wasn't the proper word for what he was feeling at the moment; no, the way he was feeling went well past anger. How dare that stuck-up snake insult Hermione like that! He thrashed and pulled in his older brother's grip as he violently tried to free himself and attack the bastard, but no matter how hard he tried, Ron couldn't free his arms from Fred and George's grip.
A moment later, Harry released an inhuman scream that caused all three Weasleys to freeze and stare at their younger brother; before anyone could do anything else, Harry lunged toward Zabini and his two thugs. One of the boys who was too slow to draw his wand received a quick blow to the stomach from Harry, which sent the boy tumbling several feet away, causing him to lie unmoving on his back.
Seeing his friend so easily defeated caused the second boy to freeze in shock, an unwise decision as Harry used the momentary distraction to deliver an overpowered kick to the boy's pelvic region, causing everyone to wince in sympathy as the boy dropped to the floor with a cry of pain. All of this happened in less than a moment, leaving Zabini standing alone and scared in the center of the Great Hall as everyone stared in incomprehension. Even Dumbledore was staring at Harry in shock and horror, seemingly frozen in place as he watched the violence that Harry had just inflicted.
Seeing the danger he was in, Zabini drew his wand and tried to mount a defense, only for Harry to produce his own and scream out in a roar,
"Expelliarmus!"
Zabini's wand was instantly torn from his grip and landed neatly in Harry's, who carelessly threw it away, causing Zabini's eyes to widen in anger at Harry's disrespect.
"You do not deserve to be punished like a Wizard," Harry snarled, causing several Professors to gasp in horror as they heard a voice that had haunted their dreams for eleven years, "You will receive your punishment in a way much more fitting!"
Before Zabini could ask what Harry meant, the boy had tackled Zabini to the floor and began to violently beat him, his fist raising and slamming into the Pureblood. Anywhere that Harry could reach became a target.
As Ron and the rest watched in stunned horror, Zabini's cries went from angry threats and shouts to cries of pain to finally pleading for Harry to stop.
Seeing that their brother appeared to have no intention of stopping, the twins released Ron, and the three charged forward, desperately trying to pull Harry off of Zabini. But it was like trying to fight a wild beast.
Fred snatched Harry's raised arm just as the boy was about to bring it down again and tried to get a firmer grip on the boy, only for Harry to spin around and deliver a devastating punch to Fred's jaw, which sent him crashing to the floor.
"Harry! Wake up!" Ron shouted desperately as he and George tried to hold their little brother down.
Hearing Ron's terrified voice seemed to shake the other Professors out of their frozen states, and as one, they rose to their feet and drew their wands, with Snape being the fastest,
"Stupefy!"
A red beam of light slammed into Harry's back as he raised his fist to punch Ron, who had drawn his wand but couldn't seem to bring himself to curse his own brother.
Instantly, Harry dropped to the floor as the other Professor's finally managed to make their way over to them; immediately, Dumbledore sent out a Patronus for Madam Pomfrey as Snape bent over the unconscious form of Harry Weasley. The smoke had ceased pouring off the boy, but he still twitched in the Potions Professor's arms as though still trying to continue the fight.
"My god, Albus," Professor McGonagall exclaimed as the other Professors began to hurriedly usher the other students back to their common rooms, "What happened?!"
"I don't know, Minerva…" Dumbledore said thoughtfully, though his eyes said differently, "But we need to get these children to the Hospital Wing immediately!"
Zabini's two thugs were still out cold; the boy himself was currently curled into the fetal position and sobbing as blood pooled around him; Fred was slowly rising to his feet and rubbing his jaw with a wince,
"Blimey, Harry has one mean right hook…"
"What the bloody hell happened to him!" Ginny demanded as Snape rose to his feet with Harry still in his arms, "Dammit, someone tell me what just happened to my big brother!"
"I don't know, Ms. Weasley," Dumbledore replied softly, "But coarse language will not aid us here. I will escort Harry to the Hospital Wing and then Floo your parents to explain the situation."
"How can you not know!" Ron snapped, "Aren't you supposed to be the all-powerful Dumbledore!"
"I am not omnipotent, Mr. Weasley," Dumbledore replied wearily, "And even my power has limits."
"But-" Ron began before being cut off by Professor McGonagall,
"That will do!"
"Headmaster, perhaps it would be better to take Mr. Weasley to the Hospital Wing," Snape said silkily, "Rather than stand here and argue."
"Indeed, I will Floo the Weasleys and meet you there," Dumbledore replied, "Minerva, would you be so kind as to bring the other injured children?"
"Of course, Headmaster," McGonagall replied before giving her wand a flick; a moment later, the unconscious boys and Zabini rose into the air and began to float in a long line ahead of McGonagall as she marched out of the Great Hall.
Snape and the rest of the Weasleys followed behind her, Harry still out cold in Snape's arms as Dumbledore watched with a wary eye.
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Author's Note:
Some of you can already guess who spoke to Harry, but for those confused, allow me to offer a hint. Who lives in Harry's head? Also, as to Harry's scream, if you want to know what it sounded like, to me anyway, just imagine Darth Sidious' scream when the Jedi confronted him in his office.