Chapter 9

For an entire week, Harry remained in bed, not interacting with anyone, lost in his own world. Everyone took turns sitting next to his bed, writing messages to him in the hopes that he would come out of his stupor and see how much he was missed. He'd stopped eating and Madame Pomfrey had to be summoned to give him nutrient potions. The morning of the seventh day finally saw a change.

It's so beautiful here. The sun is warm without being hot, the prickly green grass tickles my feet. The breeze, Harry closed his eyes, arms outstretched, allowed the flow of air to pass over him, ah, it's perfect. I smell...what is that? I smell...is that...strawberries? A shadow passed overhead and Harry looked up to see a giant raincloud bearing down on him. What's going on? It's never rained here before. I control this place and I don't want it to rain. The cloud did not, however, disappear and soon fat drops splattered his face. A tugging sensation called him away from his idyllic world at the same time he could feel a slight pressure over his upper body.

Harry opened his eyes and saw a cute perky nose that seemed quite familiar. A trembling set of lips came into view next. Drops continued to assault his face and he realized they were tears. The weight he'd noticed over his upper body was the gentle weight of Ginny leaning over him, her forehead resting against his, her arm thrown across his chest. It was an odd feeling but he found it, surprisingly, comfortable, soothing. The urge to comfort Ginny hit him hard. Her lips were right there, a hairs breadth from his. Then the reason he'd retreated to that place in his mind came back to him and he tensed.

Ginny felt the change and looked into his uncertain jade eyes. A smile to rival the sun in its brilliance spread across her face. Relief mixed with joy, she unthinkingly pressed her lips to his. She felt him try to move and jumped back, heat flooding her face. Fumbling with a piece of parchment and quill, she missed the fact his arm had started to reach for her before falling back to the bed.

Harry, welcome back. How do you feel? You're likely tired. That's normal. Are you hungry?

Harry read the hastily jotted message and smiled. He did feel tired but he was also ravenous. Shakily, he signed back to her. He watched as Ginny jumped up, threw open the door and stuck out her head momentarily. Seconds later, Sirius, Remus, Molly, Arthur, and Poppy Pomfrey, followed Ginny into the room. Fred, George, and Ron hovered at the door.

The nurse waved her wand around Harry, nodded and studied him a second. Picking up parchment and quill wrote a quick message. Folding it half, she handed it to the boy. With a nod of her head, she turned to Molly.

"Start him on soups, pastas, cheese omelets. Simple stuff only, for now. I'll leave two doses of Strengthening Solution. One for today, one for tomorrow. Water to drink only. I'll be back by in a couple days to check on his progress. Call me if you need me before then."

Poppy smiled at the group, turned back to Harry and reached out to pat his arm but he flinched away from her hand. Schooling her features not to show her sadness, she nodded at him and pointedly looked at the note in his hand. Seeing he understood, she exited the room, Molly following after her.

Sirius sat next to Harry. If you need someone to talk to, you can talk to any of us.

Harry nodded. Sirius nodded, as well, and started to rise. Harry's hand shot out, encircling Sirius' wrist. Before his courage left him, Harry hugged his godfather. It was a quick hug but a hug nonetheless. He didn't like what he'd been forced to become once again. From the moment he'd come back to reality, he'd subconsciously decided to not allow that man to affect him anymore. Easier said than done, he'd found. He couldn't stop from jumping out of the nurse's reach but he'd managed to force himself to seek out contact with someone other than Ginny. Harry looked at the faces of those gathered around him.

I'm sorry for all the trouble I've caused but thank you for helping me. I've determined I don't want my childhood to rule me anymore. I don't like not trusting others, not letting myself feel anything.

Arthur got Harry's attention and met the teen's eyes unwaveringly. You've been no trouble. Don't take on other people's problems. We love you, Harry. We'll do whatever is necessary to keep you safe. That man will never come after you again.

Sirius stood up and backed off so Remus could sit down. The weary man seemed even more so as he sat and studied his best friend's son. It hurt to know he'd failed James when it came to Harry. It may have been unintentional but he'd still failed them both.

That's very wise of you to come to that conclusion. It won't be easy but we'll all help you as much as we can.

Harry nodded. For the first time ever, he felt as if things were really going to be okay. No longer did he feel weighed down with fear and anxiety. He wasn't naïve enough to believe he'd ever be 'normal', his deafness and his fame would not allow it, but he started to believe he'd be more normal than he'd ever been.

When can I go back to my studies?

No one had anticipated this question so they all looked at each other uncertainly. Before a guess could have been ventured, Molly returned with a tray of vegetable soup and a pitcher of ice water floating in front of her. A loud grumbling sounded causing everyone to chuckle. Harry covered his stomach and grinned sheepishly, having felt the gnawing sensation in his middle. Taking the bowl, he quickly dug in, too preoccupied with filling the emptiness in his belly to pay attention to the conversation around him.

Sirius watched the boy practically inhale the soup and joked, "Didn't Poppy give Harry a nutrient potion this morning? He acts like he hadn't been fed in the past week."

"Yes," Molly answered, her tone clear she didn't feel it was a laughing matter. "Nutrient potions give the body just what it needs to survive; they're not that filling. He may give Ron a run for his money for awhile but eventually he'll stop needing so much."

Remus and Arthur both laughed before Arthur replied. "Are you sure about that? How many sons have we raised?"

Molly conceded their point. All of her sons had healthy appetites, Ron especially. It wasn't so long ago that she couldn't remember how difficult it was to keep food in the house with a bunch of growing boys. They all seemed to have hollow legs. This one is going to need so much more than my boys did. I wonder if he'll ever look well-fed. He may not considering how stunted his growth has been with not being able to eat enough but I will do my best to change that as much as I can.

Ginny sat on the bed even with Harry's knees. In one hand, she held a tall glass of ice water. The other waited to take the bowl. It didn't have long to wait. Within a few short minutes, Harry had gobbled up all the soup. He handed the bowl over and retrieved the glass and downed a good portion of it. Then he sat back and relaxed against the wall, sipping the drink. Ginny patted his knee and a not unpleasant shiver ran through him. Mistaking his shiver for his aversion to touch, she quickly moved her hand. Harry placed the glass back on the desk next to his bed and hesitantly, almost shyly, squeezed her hand, trying to say what she'd done was okay. He turned back to the others and asked the question he'd never received an answer for.

When can I get back to my studies?

Since Molly had been the only one to spend time with Poppy after Harry's waking, all eyes turned to her.

Well, Harry, dear, you'll have to wait until you get your strength back but that shouldn't be but a day or two. However, you can still keep up with them by reading the necessary chapters.

Two weeks later showed a marked improvement in Harry. He still didn't seek out physical contact except with Ginny but he barely flinched when someone would forget and touched him. He'd thrown himself into his studies in a way that Hermione would have been proud of. He continued to excel at Defense. He and Remus dueled often after spending the first part of their lesson going over dark creatures.

Because of Harry's horrible past, Remus took it upon himself to teach Harry the Patronus charm. After some thorough searching, he'd found a few spells that could mimic the effects of a dementor. Lupin hated to use them but felt Harry needed to be able to withstand those effects enough to conjure a patronus, so every session found them outside working on it.

Okay, Harry. Ready?

Remus and Harry stood in the backyard facing each other, several feet apart, as if about to duel. At Harry's nod Remus cast the spells that would mimic a dementor.

First the one that made Harry feel cold and fear. "Horriferum!" Followed quickly by the spell causing a person to feel dread. "Formidolosus!"

Remus waved his wand again and cast the final spell, one that made Harry relive his past.

"Firmus nocens monumentum!" he said with reluctance.

The effect was immediate. Harry clapped his hands over his ears in a futile effort to shut out what he was seeing and 'feeling' in his head. He forgot all about the happy memory he was supposed to be thinking of. Forgot all about attempting to conjure a Patronus. He found himself drowning in the sights and sensations he'd much rather forget.

The next thing he knew, Remus was kneeling over him, worry etched in his face. The ground bit into his side and Harry wondered how he'd ended up there. Though the air was warm, he shivered almost convulsively. Sitting up with Remus' help, he watched as the older man pulled something out of his pocket and unwrap it. The man broke off a small piece and ate it before breaking off a larger piece and holding it out for Harry.

Curious, Harry took the piece in a shaky hand and raised to his mouth. Sweetness assaulted his tongue as warmth immediately flooded his system, warming him from the inside out. His heart rate slowed, his trembling all but stopped, his breathing normalized. Astonishment spread across Harry's face and he stared at the remaining bit of the stuff in Remus' hand.

It's chocolate. It's powerful stuff. Then Remus smiled. It's also very good.

Harry nodded his agreement. Feeling better, he started to stand and brush off the dirt from his clothes. They tried a few more times that day but didn't succeed. The next week bore different results.

After choosing his happy memory, Remus cast the spells. Again, Harry felt the loneliness, pain and despair he'd felt before but this time he fought it and remembered that day when he'd learned the signs for family and home and Mrs. Weasley had hugged him and signed family back to him. He remembered exactly how the sun had felt on his skin, how the love seemed to flow between the Weasleys and himself that day. Harry concentrated on that feeling, stretched out his hands in front of him and felt his magic respond to his will.

At first, only a white mist shimmered from his hands. Then, the mist solidified into a full corporeal Patronus in the form of a stag. As soon as the stag appeared, the cold, the dread and the bad memories faded into nothingness. Harry couldn't hold it long and it quickly disappeared but he was ecstatic that he had succeeded.

Well done, Harry! Very well done. Many fully grown wizards and witches can't produce a fully formed Patronus.

They practiced a few more times and each time Harry succeeded. As they were walking back towards the Burrow, Remus divulged a secret about Harry's father.

It's interesting that your Patronus is a stag, Harry. You see, Sirius and your dad learned how to change into animals to keep me company on nights of the full moon.

Harry stared at Remus a full minute before answering. You can really do that? Change into an animal, I mean.

It takes lots of study and practice but yes it's possible. Sirius' form is a big black dog while your father's form was a stag.

Really?

Yes, really.

Remus smiled at the proud grin Harry wore. He knew what Harry had to be thinking. It was one more thing that connected him to his dad.

On the last day of July, Harry woke, showered and headed downstairs like he did every morning. However, breakfast wasn't the usual every day breakfast. He stopped at the doorway to the kitchen and just gawked. Balloons that shimmered a rainbow of colors across their surface were attached in little clusters to the walls and chairs. Rainbow streamers, attached at one point in the middle of the ceiling, radiated outward in gently curving upside down arcs to the the walls where they were attached again and then left to dangle. What appeared to be tiny red broomstick confetti pieces zoomed through the air.

Molly noticed Harry standing in the doorway and motioned him forward. When he'd finally taken his seat, she explained the decorations.

It's your birthday, Harry. You're fifteen years old today. Eat your breakfast. We have a surprise coming for you later.

Harry looked around at the familiar faces. All the Weasleys, Hermione, Sirius, and Remus were smiling at him. Somewhat embarrassed at being the center of attention and yet oddly excited, too, he glanced at the breakfast spread out on the table. He'd taken a special liking to Mrs. Weasley's banger and fried potato omelets as well as her banana nut pancakes. Both were present as well as scones, fresh fruit and bacon. Pitchers of pumpkin juice rested on each end and one in the middle. Eyes watering at the thought of the Weasley matriarch going to all the trouble to decorate the kitchen and prepare all his favorite breakfast foods, he glanced at them all with a trembling smile. At everyone's encouragement, he filled his plate and stuffed himself.

After breakfast, Harry was surprised again with presents. His eyes bugged at the stack that grew exponentially with each one set on the pile. Each Weasley had given him a present, except for Mr. and Mrs. Weasley, they combined theirs. There was one from Hermione, Sirius and one from Remus. Harry was overwhelmed at the generosity they displayed, especially from Bill and Charlie whom he hadn't even officially met yet. Percy he'd seen a few times.

Eyes threatening to tear up again, Harry rubbed them quickly. He'd never had a birthday celebration before. Never had he had people who loved him surround him and celebrate his birth or give him gifts. He'd figured out a long time ago what the yearly celebrations for everyone else had been and he'd known his age due to the fact his 'family' had always pretended to celebrate his birthday only to give him more chores than usual and extra beatings if anything had gone wrong that day. He'd noticed a pattern and had counted each time.

Picking up his first gift, he noticed it was from Sirius. Tearing off the paper, he opened the box to find a photo of his mum, dad, Sirius and Remus framed in an antique black iron frame. Swallowing the lump in his throat, he gently set it aside and reached for the next one. Remus gave him a book on advanced defense. Hermione gave Harry a copy of Hogwarts, A History, causing everyone to roll their eyes and laugh. From Bill, Harry received a silver chain and pendant that had to be two and a half inches long. The pendant was a cartouche shape, an elongated oval with a line along the bottom. Etched onto the pendant were other symbols which Bill explained to everyone out loud and wrote it on parchment for Harry to read.

"The cartouche shape represents the Pharaoh, in your case the one chosen to save us all. It also represents the sun which also stands for the side of the Light."

Harry looked at the first inscribed symbol. It had the outline of a light bulb wearing ear muffs and had two long legs that bent outward.

"That first symbol is called Sa. It's a symbol of protection. The symbol that looks like a shepherd's hook with an upside down horseshoe at the bottom and the drum cymbal at a forty five degree angle at the top is a Was Scepter. It represents power and might. This scepter was often carried around by pharaohs. And power you seem to have a lot of."

The next symbol looked to Harry like a vase with a lid and squarish handles. Bill explained that this was the Egyptian symbol for the heart. Bill continued to explain and write simultaneously.

"The Ancient Egyptians believed that the heart held the mind and soul of an individual. The heart of a deceased individual was often weighed against the Feather of Truth to determine that person's eligibility for eternal afterlife. If the heart was free of sin and corruption, the two symbols would balance and the person would enjoy his afterlife. That brings us to the next symbol that basically looks like a feather. This feather represented Ma'at, the goddess of truth."

The final symbol was that of a bird. Bill explained that Egyptian poetry represented new love as a swallow.

"With everything you've been through and experiencing love for the first time, I thought that symbol would be appropriate in the hopes that you'd come to care for us as much as we care for you."

Deeply touched, Harry slipped the chain around his neck and offered his hand to the older man. The look of astonishment on the man's face told Harry that Bill had been warned off touching Harry. At Harry's nod, Bill gripped Harry's hand firmly, gave it a shake and let go.

Thank you. It means a lot and I do care for your family very much, Harry wrote.

Most of the rest of the presents were lighthearted ones. From Charlie, Harry received a collection of dragon scales from each breed of dragon. They had been mounted on a single plaque that stated the name of the dragon, a picture of each and a map of its homeland. From Percy, Harry was given a book on how to choose the appropriate career for oneself. The twins gave him lots of very mild joke products. A box of chocolate frogs came from Ron.

Ginny gave him a Wishing Box. It was a square metal box six inches in height. On the outside, the sides were midnight blue with silver stars in raised relief scattered across them. The hinged lid also was blue with a giant star. Ginny demonstrated how to use the Wishing Box by writing something on a piece of parchment and slipped it into the Box along with a photo of Harry's parents. A second later, a glowing light emanated from the lid's star. Inside the light stood a 3D image of Harry's parents holding a baby Harry. After five seconds, the image faded.

After you've placed a photo of someone in there, it will forever 'remember' that person's image so the next time, all you have to do is write what you want and what you want that person to do.

Harry didn't know what to say or do. He stared at the box sitting idly on the table and then turned to Ginny. He swallowed past the lump in his throat but was unable to keep the tears from sliding down his face. Leaning over, Harry hugged her tightly and buried his face against her shoulder. Sure, he'd seen moving photos of his mum and dad with him but it wasn't the same as seeing them in three dimensions knowing he could have them 'interact' with him and now could even see himself with them once he got a photo of himself.

Under control again, he sat up, swiped at his tears, and smiled. Thank you.

Harry turned back to the final present. It was small and fit in the palm of his hand. Inside the box was a gold signet ring. The top was flat and round. It had been hollowed out some to create a rim. Inside the circle level with the rim was a griffin in its classical pose of standing on one hind lion-like leg, the other raised mid-step, the two front eagle legs separated, and wings held up as if about to take flight. Its eagle head and lion tail held high proudly. The recessed portion of the ring was Gryffindor red.

That came from your family vault, Arthur explained. It's been passed down from father to son on their fifteenth birthdays for generations. Your father would have given it to you so I thought it fitting you should have it.

Harry looked at the ring in his hand. It looked rather small. Confused as to what finger to put it on, he looked to the older man for guidance.

Since you're right-handed, it should go on your left pinky finger.

Harry slipped it onto his pinky and suddenly felt connected to many generations of Potters. Standing and choking back tears again, he engulfed both elder Weasleys in a hug that could have rivaled one of Molly's.

Standing back, Harry glanced at all those gathered there and gave a short speech, Ginny translating.

Most of my life, I've known nothing but cruelty. Then you all came into my life and have given me everything I ever dared wish for. The day I was brought to all of you will always be one of the best days of my life, second only to being with Mum and Dad. This day is the third best day. Thank you all for taking me in and treating me with the kindness and respect you show each other. Second to Mum and Dad, I couldn't ask for a better family.

All three of the females had tears silently rolling down their cheeks by the time he'd finished. All the guys had wet eyes, too, and weren't ashamed to occasionally swipe at them. Molly took a cleansing breath.

Now for your surprise. We're going to take a little trip. We thought you'd like to take a look at Hogwarts, to get accustomed to it before the new year.

Harry gathered all his presents and floating the ones he couldn't hold, he took them up to Ginny's room and placed them on his bed. When he got back downstairs, everyone had gathered around the fireplace. Sirius explained that Harry would go with Ginny and then disappeared into the green flames. Arthur went next followed by Bill, Charlie, Percy, Fred and George. Ron went next and then it was Ginny and Harry's turn.

After a brief period of spinning, they came to the correct gate and stepped into Dumbledore's office. They were followed by Molly then Remus. Harry glanced around the office and spied the Headmaster at his desk. Briefly, he tensed before forcing himself to relax. Ginny's hand in his gave a quick reassuring squeeze which further reduced his tension.

Harry watched as Dumbledore lifted his wand and wrote words into the air.

Welcome to Hogwarts, Harry.