Harry softly groaned as his eyes slowly opened, he blinked repeatedly before seeing a white ceiling above him. It took him a few moments before he was able to realise that he was in the hospital wing.
"You choose now to grow some balls?!" An incredulous voice demanded, it took Harry a moment but he was able to realise that it was Lord Black speaking. "You stupid, fucking, arrogant, dumb wanker! You stupid waste of stupid sperm! Fuck you and your stupid hat! You'll doom us all!"
"He's not back!" A voice hissed before the sound of doors slamming was heard. Before Harry could hear anymore, his vision blacked out again.
"I am not going anywhere." A voice said, as Harry's eyes half opened.
"Nymphadora, you are tired, let someone else take over watching him." Another voice replied.
"I'll be fine, Mum. Really, I will be."
"Nymphadora, please."
"..."
"..."
"Fine, but one more hour."
"He's awake!"
"What the fuck is happening?" Harry coughed, letting everyone know he was indeed properly awake. He opened his eyes and once again found himself in the hospital wing.
"Move! Dibs!" Was all Harry heard before somebody pulled him into a hug, the pink hair was a good indicator of exactly who it was. Unfortunately Harry's body was far from ready for that, and he gasped in pain, causing Tonks to let go. "Oh Merlin, I'm so sorry, Harry!" She said quickly, and a bit too loudly for Harry's taste.
"Nymphadora!" Andromeda hissed quietly after seeing Harry wince. "Remember what Madam Pomfrey said, no rough handling and no loud noises." Tonks looked down, to upset to even tell her mother off for calling her the forbidden name.
"What...the hell is going on?" Harry coughed once more as he tried to sit up, he felt a pair of soft hands help him to a sitting position. He looked to his right and saw Angela, she was looking quite relieved.
"Master." She breathed in a soft voice.
"Angela." Harry said before he looked around and saw the Tonks family, along with Lord Black, Professor Dumbledore, Sirius, Remus, Angela, Tracey and Daphne.
"I'm so glad you're okay!" Daphne said as she pulled him into a passionate hug, a gentle one, but a passionate one. Once she had let go she softly kissed him on the lips, remembering that there were other people in the room and that Harry needed his rest stopped her from giving him a longer one.
"W...what's happening?" Harry asked, shaking his head slightly after Daphne let him go.
"You are in the hospital wing." Dumbledore began.
"No shit beard-lock, how about other than the obvious?" Harry responded impatiently.
"It has been three days since you returned from the final task." Dumbledore continued as if Harry had not spoken at all.
"What?!"
"Yes, Madam Pomfrey has been spending quite a lot of time making sure you were healed. We all heard your words when you returned, but unfortunately Minister Fudge was not convinced." Dumbledore said with a sigh.
"What the fuck do you mean he is not convinced?!" Harry demanded. "The flabby bastard didn't see me fight him on the mirrors?!"
"No," Dumbledore said, choosing to ignore Harry's language for the time being. "the mirrors have a range limit, I tried to use the fact that you were out of the range limit as evidence that something had happened, but he refused to believe me." Dumbledore said with a disappointed sigh.
"Explain everything." Harry said, a scowl on his face. Everyone began explaining to Harry what he had missed, the basics of it were they had tried to convince Fudge about Voldemort's return while he had been denying it like a prostitute would deny a poor person. Dumbledore had, against Fudge's wishes, told everyone in all three schools what he knew. Fudge's denial was so strong that he had actually stood up to Lord Black! Well...not stood up as much as just not crying and running.
"That...is horribly bad news." Harry finally said, rubbing his face with his hands.
"Yes," Lord Black growled. "wait until I get my hands on him, then he'll really see some bad news."
"Come on Harry! Keep up!"
"You've achieved first blood, not even your father was able to do that."
"Join me, join me and rule the world."
"Up here, Potter."
"Crucio."
"Crucio."
"Crucio."
"I could teach you how to do the same. Unassisted flight, the mind arts, dark curses, these are only a few things I can teach you, Harry Potter. Join me."
"Hmm, one way or another, you will join me."
"Crucio."
"Madam Pomfrey!" Angela called as she rushed into Madam Pomfrey's office. "Something's happening to Harry!" She said, it was currently night time and Angela had been the only student given permission to stay and watch Harry (thanks to being his vassal), as soon as the clock had struck midnight Harry had shot awake and found that he couldn't breathe.
"I'm coming!" She said before she rushed out along with Angela to Harry was, Harry was in his bed, his face was covered in sweat and panic and he let out strangled gasps as his chest kept heaving up and down, the Tonks family were next to him and looked incredibly worried and were doing their best to calm him down. Madam Pomfrey quickly waved her wand over him a couple of times, eventually Harry's breathing came back under control, after several long and short breaths he went back to sleep.
"What the bloody hell was that?!" Ted demanded once Harry had gone back to sleep.
"He had air in his chest," Madam Pomfrey frowned as she began casting diagnostic spells on him. "If you are overly anxious, you may get trapped wind in chest. Many people suffering from anxiety gulp air during a panic attack. Trapped wind in chest can be a painful condition, people often mistake this for a heart attack. What had happened before this?" She asked.
"He had been muttering something, he wasn't awake," Andromeda replied. "he must have been dreaming."
"Which caused the panic attack." Ted concluded.
"Three guesses at what he was dreaming about." Tonks replied, looking down at Harry with a worried expression on her face.
A day later Harry was sat in bed in the hospital wing with Daphne sat in a chair on his left while Tracey was sat on his right. Jet was curled up on Harry's lap while Thor was resting on Harry's shoulder. Harry had had many visitors, including Professor Babbling, Roman and Ginny. A few reporters tried to get in but there was always someone to stop them.
"We've only got a few minutes before we have to go make an appearance at dinner so I am going to be blunt, how are you feeling, Harry?" Tracey asked in a soft voice.
"I don't know." Harry admitted, one hand casually petting Jet. "I've...I've lost duels before, I've been injured multiple times and I've nearly died before...once again multiple times. But this...this was different."
"How?" Daphne asked, holding Harry's free hand in her own.
"I suffered from his torture curse, I suffered repeatedly, and I came far closer to begging than I ever wanted to. I felt like I was something that I haven't felt like in a long time. I felt weak. I…I am weak."
"Weak?" Daphne asked, Harry must have missed the disbelief in her voice due to how quiet it was, he continued speaking after giving a small nod, looking down at his lap while he did so.
"For years I've done my best to be strong, to learn as much magic as I could." Harry sighed. "I...I studied, I practised, and yet...I lost. He had me, if it wasn't for the fact that he wanted me to join him then I would have been dead right there and then."
"Harry, you're not weak." Daphne told him in a firm voice.
"Daphne's right," Tracey agreed. "if anything...the situation has proven just how strong you are." She added.
"What are you talking about?" Harry asked, looking up at her.
"Harry, first think about all you've done already, all you have achieved." Tracey said.
"Exactly, look at you, Harry." Daphne spoke up. "Best in your year, arguably the best student in school, you regularly practise advanced magic, you are the youngest known animagus, you're the youngest chaser in a century, you defeated Quirrell, you defeated Slytherin's monster, you've mastered the patronus charm, you can defeat wizards and witches much older than you and now you can even add the youngest Tri-Wizard champion ever to your impressive list."
"Exactly," Tracey said with a nod. "and you-know-who knows all of that, that's why he wanted you to join him instead of killing you like he would any other wizard. And Harry, despite remembering all of your very impressive achievements there is something that you have forgotten to think about."
"What?" Harry asked in a quiet voice as he replayed her words in his head.
"You're still just a fourteen year old," Tracey said, giving him a brief smile "a fourteen year old against a wizard with decades of magical experience, one who was incredibly feared by other wizards who are at least three times your age, a man that's been reported to only have Albus Dumbledore as his magical equal, both of them are considered to be the greatest wizards alive. So for you to fight him, to actually damage him and escape him, means that you're a great wizard, Harry."
"Harry," Daphne spoke up. "people have lived in fear of him for a very, very long time. For him to think your worth recruiting...well...like it or not, it's a compliment. You're not weak, Harry. You're just feeling weak."
"We've all felt weak and scared at some point," Tracey nodded. "I remember the incident in my first year's first flying class, you were there to save me and help me, Harry. Now, I want to return the favour. Please, it's alright to be scared, but don't let that fear control you. You're better than that, not because you're the boy-who-lived, but because you are Harry 'Bloody!' Potter! One of the greatest wizards of all time." She finished with a small grin.
Harry didn't say anything, he instead looked at her intensely. He was about to speak when suddenly he felt his mind be assaulted with images of himself smiling.
Please listen to me, Harry.
Please believe me.
I want my Harry Potter back.
Harry blinked and looked at Daphne who was giving him an encouraging smile, he looked and saw that she clearly hadn't been able to hear the voices that he had heard, either that or she was just pretending not to have heard.
"Tracey is right, Harry. And we'll both keep saying the same things over and over again until you believe us if that's what it takes." Daphne said, her blue eyes locking with Harry. Once again Harry experienced an odd sensation in his mind, he saw himself looking up into the green eyes of himself.
Listen to us, Harry.
Please believe us.
I'll do whatever it takes to make you better.
It took Harry a moment but he realised exactly what was going on, he was somehow reading their minds, he had somehow learnt legilimency, the art of 'mind reading', and the exact opposite of occlumency, the art of protecting your mind. Andromeda had been teaching Harry occlumency ever since he had first started living at the Tonks family home. Andromeda, along with all members of the Black family, had been taught it since they were children. The art not only helped protect your mind but was also able to help a person deal with their emotions and increase their memory recall, thinking speed and just about every other mind related thing.
Harry had been a natural at the art, much to his and Andromeda's delight, it also helped that Harry had a familiar. Those with knowledge in the mind arts knew that wizards and witches with familiars were more resistant to mental intrusions thanks to their connections with their animals, now that Harry had two he had twice the resistance plus all the stuff he had learnt from Andromeda. But that didn't answer the question of how he suddenly had learnt legilimency, Andromeda hadn't taught him that yet.
It took a few moments of silence - in which Tracey and Daphne were giving him concerned looks due to how quiet and still he was being - when the answer hit him like a ton of bricks. If Voldemort had known about legilimency then he would have most definitely done his best to master it, he would probably be one of the best in the world at the art. Now that Harry thought about it, he remembered Voldemort mentioning that he could teach the mind arts to Harry. During the ritual Harry had willingly given his blood, he wasn't sure if there would be any affects because of that but...but now...
Daphne, Tracey and both of Harry's familiars were more than surprised when Harry suddenly started laughing, not a small laugh either, a large and undeniably happy laugh.
"Miss Davis, Miss Greengrass!" Madam Pomfrey hissed as she rushed over. "I specifically said not to disturb Mr Potter's rest, what is happening? I...Mr Potter, get back in bed!" She added when Harry threw the bed covers off after picking up Jet, he placed both of his familiars on the bed before he stood up and took his wand. He saw some of his clothes laid out an empty bed next to his, they were a simply pair of blue jeans and a grey shirt. Harry performed a switching spell, swapping out his Hogwarts hospital clothes for his own. "Mr Potter," Madam Pomfrey quickly said when Harry began putting his shoes and socks on. "you need to stay here and rest."
"I'm tired of resting," Harry said as he picked up his familiars once he was ready, Jet curled around one of his arms while Thor chirped happily from his position on Harry's shoulders. "now, if you'll excuse me, I need to talk to the student population." Harry said before he paused and looked at Daphne and Tracey. "Thank you, thank you both. You were right, I'm not weak, and I'm only getting stronger." He said in a sincere voice before he turned and walked out of the hospital wing at a fast pace with Madam Pomfrey following after him, Daphne and Tracey exchanged confused looks but quickly followed.
The great hall suddenly went very silent when the doors opened and Harry Potter calmly walked in with both of his familiars riding atop of him, Madam Pomfrey was following after him and insisting that he stop and return to the hospital wing while Tracey and Daphne had stopped by the Slytherin table, standing behind Angela so they could watch what was going to happen.
Harry walked on top of the stage where Dumbledore was stood, it looked like the old headmaster was about to make a speech.
"Excuse me." Harry said in a polite voice as he gently placed a hand on Dumbledore's chest and pushed until the headmaster had taken several steps back, Dumbledore's eyebrows had risen up but to his credit he didn't say anything and merely gestured Harry to continue once he was far enough away.
"Potter," Snape spoke up. "what are you doing?"
"Look, I am not really in a great mood right now, I'm kind of trigger happy at the moment and I have something very important that I need to do. So please, for the love of Merlin, just be quiet for the next five minutes." Harry said in an irritated voice before he cast a sound amplification spell so everyone could hear him. Unfortunately Snape focused more on Harry's tone of voice, rather than his words.
"Potter!" Snape barked. "You arrogant brat, watch your tone, get down and..."
"OH SHUT UP!" Harry shouted as he turned and glared at Snape, the entire hall was now deathly silent. "You are so fucking pathetic! You clearly hadn't finished your education if you're still not able to understand that a boy is not an exact copy of his father! I would have thought all of the stuff I've done throughout all of the years here was proof enough but your either deaf and blind or wilfully ignorant! I don't know what my father did to you, maybe he bullied you or refused to take you to the ball or rejected you because of your stupid hair but I am not him! I've tried for years to be a behaved student but you can't seem to alternate between restrained hatred and completely ignoring me! You're a fucking grown man teaching at a premier school! Would you grow up?! James Potter is dead now, he was dead thirteen years ago and he is dead for the rest of his life! GET OVER IT!" Harry finished before casting a throat soothing charm on himself. "I did warn him." Harry quietly added to the other teachers before they could tell him off. Harry turned to the students who were divided between looking at him like he was a madman and staring at him like he was a hero.
"Listen up," Harry spoke up. "I claimed that Voldemort had returned." Harry said, ignoring everyone's flinches. "I said so right before passing out and being taken to the hospital wing. You all know how strong I am, so you might want to think about how odd it was for me to be so beaten up. While I was there I was treated for bruises, cuts, a piercing hex to the midsection and repeated exposure to the cruciatus curse. Is that right Madam Pomfrey?" Harry asked her, all eyes in the hall turned to look at her.
"It is," She frowned. "but those were only some of the things I had to fix." She said, many gasped, the students in the hall began whispering to each other.
"Lovely," Harry said in a dry voice before continuing to speak to the rest of the hall. "despite my word and my injuries, the Minister of Magic has refused to even investigate my claim. He's buried his double chinned head into the sand because he's too scared of the possibility that Voldemort is back. Some of you may not believe me, you might think I'm a lying fraud who is desperate for attention, in that case have fun with your beliefs. Think about this, if I'm wrong then nothing beyond some panicking, unneeded preparations and worrying will happen before everything dies down. But if I'm right? Then what happens? I'm willing to submit memories, swear oaths and even take truth serum to prove my claims. Believe me or don't, that's up to you, just don't come crying to me if Voldemort or his goons show up in your house at night.
I know, that every word I am saying will reach Voldemort's ears, so I want everyone to pay attention because I want what I am about to say to be spread all across the country until he hears. Listen up Voldemort, you won our last fight, I admit that. But I'm not done, I'm not out. I don't bow and I won't break, the next time we fight I won't be the one running. I'm ready for a rematch whenever you are, even if I lose I'm going to make sure to take a piece of you with me. You started this war, I'm going to finish it." Harry finished before he cancelled his spell.
He shrugged his shoulders and walked down from the stage, past Madam Pomfrey and walked out of the hall, not paying any attention to any of the students, though he did send a wink at a select few at the Slytherin table.