Summer Pains

Harry Potter finally awoke aching all over. He thought that he had never hurt this much before. His brain was working in slow motion, and his vision was blurry, and he finally realized that he wasn't wearing his glasses. There was something heavy on him, and he tried to push it off, but he couldn't use his right arm. Every time he tried to move it, it would send a jolt of pain throughout him. He tried to squeeze out from underneath it, which he succeeded in doing after a few attempts. He felt around with his left hand, and found his glasses. He put them on, and noticed that they were cracked. He felt around his pockets for his wand, but didn't find it. His right arm hurt so he decided to investigate what the pain was coming from. He looked at his arm and saw that it was covered in blood and that there was a piece of wood about the size of his wand going through his arm. <I>Wait a second, that is my wand!</I> He tried to pull it out, but whenever he touched it, it would make him scream out in pain and agony.

He got up, and looked at his surroundings. He was in what seemed to be a burnt and broken home, and then it donned on him that it was a home. All of the memories from the Death Eater attack came rushing back to him. He was standing in the ruins of Number 4 Privet Drive.

He exited the house via what remained of the front door. As he stepped onto the street, the sight that greeted him was not very pretty. All the Privet Drive houses were completely and utterly destroyed.

Harry just started walking. He didn't know where to go. He just aimlessly wandered around. His legs felt as if they were on fire, and he didn't think he could walk much farther. He willed himself to keep moving.

He finally decided on where he was going to go. He was going to go to Hermione's house because he knew she lived somewhere close by. He kept walking in the direction he thought Hermione's house was, and just kept on thinking <I>Keep walking.</I>

He walked for the entire day. His lungs were beginning to burn, and Harry started coughing up blood. He had to get to Hermione's house soon, or he would probably die from being in the bad shape he was in.

He passed through many neighborhoods; not knowing which one housed Hermione Granger. He went up to many houses and rang their doorbells, asking if anyone knew where he could find Hermione Granger. The occupants of the house would just stare at him, and then shake their heads no. Harry wasn't surprised by their stares. He couldn't imagine what he looked like at the moment.

He kept on relentlessly walking, asking for Hermione Granger. Finally, he came upon a family that knew where she lived. She told him the he had to keep walking straight to the intersection at the end of the road, turn left, and her house was the eighth on the left. He thanked the family, and then continued on towards one of his best friends.

Harry finally reached the house, walked up to the front door, and rang the doorbell.

*****************

Hermione was sitting in the living room with her parents, talking to Professor Dumbledore, Remus Lupin, and the Weasleys. They were scheduling to have a memorial for Harry at the end of the week. Hermione wasn't paying very much attention, though. She was still grieving over Harry's death, and couldn't help weeping.

Remus Lupin was just staring at nothing, contemplating his thoughts. The thought that he nothing to live for was still heavy on his mind.

They were just finishing up the conversation and the plans for the memorial, when the doorbell rang. Hermione quickly excused herself, got up, and answered the door. The sight that greeted her was both joyous and devastating at the same time. Joyous that Harry was still alive, devastating that he was on the brink of death.

“Help me…” was all Harry managed to say.

“HARRY!” She screamed and quickly went to his side.

Alerted by her screams, the rest of the group came running to the front door. They did not expect what they saw. They saw a battered Harry with tattered clothes, burned skin, broken bones, cuts and bruises, and a piece of wood piercing his arm.

“Oh my god Harry!” Everyone shouted.

Albus Dumbledore quickly stepped forward and picked him up with strength that did not seem to fit with his image.

“He needs to go to St. Mungo's!” Mrs. Weasley shouted, and Dumbledore quickly dissapperated. Everyone followed suit. Those who could apperate, apperated. Those who couldn't, flooed to St. Mungo's. Hermione stood with her parents, still weeping over Harry.

“D-do y-ou think he'll be…be all right?” she asked in between sobs.

“Of course.” Answered her mother to try to get her daughter to calm down. Hermione quickly ran to the fireplace, and flooed to St. Mungo's. Her parents followed her.

*****************

“I don't know if we'll be able to save him, he's beat up too bad!” one of the healers exclaimed, madly rushing around the ward to find necessary potions for Harry.

“You have to!” Hermione exclaimed as she looked at Harry who was lying upon a bed. His eyes were dead and lifeless, and he was sickly pale. Blood was dripping out of the corners of his mouth, and he was having difficulty breathing. His right arm was in an odd angle, and his wand was still impaled in it. He was also covered in bumps, bruises, and cuts.

A young female healer was busy trying to get Hermione out of the ward and calm her down, but was failing miserably. Hermione was crying so hard that her eyes and lungs began to burn. She kept exclaiming, “Please don't die Harry! Please! Please don't die!” She watched as Harry opened his eyes, and looked at her. A small painful smile, or at least what could come close to a smile in his case, formed upon his lips. He mouthed the words “I…Love…You…” before closing his eyes and drifting away.

Hermione could not contain herself. She howled from the pain. <I>He couldn't have died! No!</I> She fell unto her knees while still sobbing, and was physically dragged away by several healers, and a very bloodshot eyed Remus Lupin. Remus than embraced Hermione, and they both weeped for what seemed an eternity.