Hey readers, glad you dropped in and I hope you enjoy this chapter. Next Friday's chapter is, Chapter 12 "Things Always Look Different In The Morning" Thanks again for each of you reading. It means a lot to me.

narnia_potter; Hey Rachel, you're welcome, and if you really need to know ahead of time, PM me, and I'll tell you.

ashfig; Hey Ashley, thanks for reading and commenting. Yes, Harry wakes up, I wonder what he has to say. Thanks Ashley

Droo; Hey Droo, thank you so much!



Chapter 11

Wake Up Call For Harry

Ginny softly put her hand on Harry’s chest. “Harry?” He put his hand over hers and tucked his fingers under her fingers.

“Harry?” she said again. This time he opened his eyes and looked at her. He didn’t say anything, but closed his eyes again. She saw his eyelashes moisten.

“Harry” she spoke a bit louder. He opened his eyes and slightly shook his head. He took his hand off hers, reached up, and felt her face, rubbing his thumb over her lips. “I love you Ginny. Will you love me ever again?” Then he closed his eyes and his hand went back to covering hers on his chest.
“Harry!” She said desperately, trying to be more forceful. He opened his eyes and looked at her again. A tear rolled down his face and into his hair. “Please… enough torture for tonight? Please… Mischief Managed.” He closed his eyes again, but he started shivering.

“Harry! Wake up Mate, you‘re home! Ron demanded. He reached down and shook his friends shoulder.

Harry opened his eyes and looked up at Ron, then looked down at himself and all around. A look of realization came over his face. He blinked again and noticed he had Ginny’s hand on his chest. He dropped his hand immediately and apologized.

“I’m sorry Ginny. I didn’t know you were real.” He looked expectantly at Mr. and Mrs. Weasley. “Er … I guess you believe me now? I can’t help but notice I’m not on the floor, and my head has been bandaged,” he said trying to lighten the somber air about the room. His smile was small and shy.

Professor Dumbledore spoke up just then and Harry’s smile broadened. “Harry, I don’t want to stress you or anything, but could you tell us what you remember.”

He closed his eyes and took a semi deep breath, then opened his eyes again. “I remember Ron being unnecessarily rough with me a couple times, and Hermione trying to scalp me. Closing his eyes again, and shaking his head gently. “Thunder and lightening, wind … I was attacked …” His breathing was short and sharp. “Could I please have a drink of water?”

Molly grabbed a glass of water coming to her. She knelt beside Harry and helped him hold his head up so he could drink. He began to drink deeply and she pulled it away. “Slow down Harry, you’ll get sick.” He nodded and tried to drink slower, but he wasn’t able to control his need for the water. He began to drink great gulps of it again. “Harry Dear!” she said firmly, but in a soft manner. “You’ll get sick. You need to slow down.” He drank the glass down, and asked if he could have more in ten minutes time.

“OK, I’ll try to remember more. It’s so fuzzy.” He closed his eyes and gritted his teeth as his stomach began to cramp. With eyes closed, he started illuminating the past few hours that were dark in his memory.

“I got here late this afternoon as Mrs. Weasley was feeding the chickens. A badger kept attacking me. I ended up killing it and buried it. Something about that, but I can’t think. After everyone got here with the exception of Mr. Weasley, I was about to decide if I should put up a tent. The storm was moving in very fast. Something happened … Lightening ripped through the sky and I knew it was going to arc. I was worried about the Burrow, and everyone in here. I shot a protective charm on the house and then there was more thunder and lightening. Then … a man grabbed me by the throat as he charged into me. We both went to the ground. I couldn’t breath, and he put all his weight on his knee here under my belly button. I felt something rip inside of me. I couldn’t tell what … I was struggling as hard as I could to get away. He had me pinned though. I was desperate, and was just about to curse him when my head exploded with unimaginable pain. I woke up out there on the table with everyone treating me like a criminal or something. I knew I was in a bad way, and I was afraid I would loose control of the chaos in my head; but I lay still until I could do something sensible. I knew I’d only have one chance of getting it right. I thought that at any moment my hair was going to separate from my scalp, and I felt desperate again. …” He stopped and opened his eyes. They rolled to the back of his head, and then he shook his head, and opened them wide then shut them tight again. His breathing was getting shallow and he gasped and held it in. Then he started trying to take calming breaths.

Ginny turned and looked at the portraits. She was scared and needed reassurances that Harry was ok. They both shook their heads, but Dumbledore put his finger to his lips, and didn’t say a word.

Finally, Harry took a quivering cleansing breath, along with everyone else who happened to be holding their breath. “I got the wand from Ron, and was able to get away from everyone. … I hurt Hermione’s wrist, for which I am truly sorry. A few minutes later when I thought all hope was gone, I found out I was still invisible. After remedying that problem, still nobody knew me. Ron was … well, he made me prove who I was by showing and explaining some scars. When they still didn‘t believe me, I thought I was going to die right then, and it didn’t matter. Then I must have gotten my portraits out, ‘cause there you are, and I don’t remember anything till now. Something is missing though … hang on … The animal, a badger … Mr. Weasley, you need to know …” Harry’s breathing became short and labored. “I don’t know how much longer I can stay conscious, and Kingsley you better hear also.”

“Does this have something to do with you saying you killed someone earlier?” asked Kingsley.

“Did I already tell you? I can’t remember. But, yes, it has everything to do with that.”

Hermione got a quill and some parchment and sat ready to copy everything Harry said.

“I should hear this as well. Could someone move please so I can be sure to hear him properly?” Percy exclaimed clearing his throat importantly. He pulled parchment and a quill out of the air, and was trying to budge Ron off his seat. Charlie boxed his ears and told him to get over himself.

“Mrs. Weasley, could I ask you to get a cup of Skele-Gro potion? Add some rose-hips, and a few nettle, and Black Raspberry leaves to it.”

“Yes Dear, of course.” He watched her get up and as she went to the kitchen, she looked nervously to her recipe books. “It’s ok, Mrs. Weasley. It won’t be in any books. Just add the leaves and rose hips to the Skele-Gro and let it steep as you would tea.” He smiled weakly at her.

Harry began telling them about the badger and killing it only to find out by sensing magic residue that it was a human. He told them how he contained, and then buried it. “I wanted to show you when you got home, but I was attacked before I could. I guess we’ll have to go out in the morning and find out who he is. I’m thinking…”

Percy interrupted just then to finish his sentence. “You’re thinking someone is following you so he can steal your diamond mine?” He continued writing his question and looked to Harry for his answer when he finished writing.

Harry opened his eyes and tried to focus on Percy, then slowly answered Percy.

“No, Percy. I wasn’t thinking about that. I was worried that someone was staking out your house, and we need to find out who he was, and why he was doing it.” He looked hard at Percy, and the rest of the room of people, all staring at him. “I didn’t realize my ownership of that mine or anything else I did while I was gone was common knowledge.”

Ginny took the flier from her dad and handed it to Harry. He glanced at it and shut his eyes tight. Reopening them, he looked hard at the paper. Then he handed it back to Ginny. “I can’t read this right now. It’s hard enough figuring which of the five of everybody I’m seeing is the right one. Trying to put words together is just too hard. And besides if she’s involved in this somehow, I’ll need a clear head to think properly.”

Harry’s breathing continued to decline rapidly, and sweat was pouring down the sides of his face and neck.

“Mr. and Mrs. Weasley, something I need to ask you right now. I don’t think I’m gonna last much longer before I pass out again. But, before he could speak, his head rolled over to the side. Then he snapped it up again and groaned at the sudden movement. “Gin, please help me. If I drop off poke me. I need to ask… Mr. and Mrs. Weasley… this isn’t how I planned this, but, I love Ginny with all my being. I promise to love and protect her with my life as long as I live. I can provide for her and she will never want for anything. I have a home she will be comfortable in, and I promise I’ll do everything possible to be for her what you want her to have. Please give me your Blessing to marry her if she’ll have me.”

By this time, Harry was struggling to stay conscious. Although he was sweating profusely, he was shivering uncontrollably. “I guess you can give me your answer in the morning.” He looked at Molly and said, “I’m sure that medicine has steeped enough for me to drink if I could have it now, and could I please have a blanket also?”

Molly got up and hurried to the kitchen to retrieve the cup of medicine. As she re-entered the living room she caught a blanket that whisked down the stairs as well.

Molly handed the blanket to Ginny and lifted his head off the pillow, to help him be able to drink the medicine. While he drank, Ginny spread the blanket over Harry and tucked him in.

“Thanks.”

“Harry, I’m thinking we need to get you to St. Mungo’s. You’re pretty bad off.”

He asked her if the bandage was wet with blood and how long had it been bandaged. She observed it carefully and said it had some on it, but it wasn’t a lot, and they put the bandage on a little over two hours ago. “I think we need to take you in,” she said decidedly.

I’ll be better off sleeping here, if that‘s ok with you and Mr. Weasley. The bleeding is stopping and this medicine …. “But,” she broke in protesting. “You’re fevered and you’re shaking. I’m sure you need to be in the hospital, and not here.” She was clearly worried and Harry tried to lift those worries from her.

“Really Mrs. Weasley, I’ll be fine. I just mainly need to rest. Sleep will make all the difference in the world since I’ve had water, and medicine. Plus, I don’t actually have a fever; the sweating and shivering is just the trauma from my injuries.” He looked at her kindly, but still she didn’t seem convinced. “I’ve been taking care of myself these four years, and there have been near death instances too. Sometimes I used Fawkes to help me, but for the most part, I took care of myself. I’ve gained a lot of knowledge, and you need to trust that I’m not just being stubborn, but I really do know what’s best for me.” He smiled at her wearily. Please everyone can just go on to bed. Don’t worry about me I’m fine. I‘ll sleep right here if it‘s ok.”

Everyone got up and said kind words and good night to him as they patted him on the shoulder. Molly and Arthur both said they would let him have the answer to his question in the morning after they discussed it. Molly put her hand gently on the right side of his face, kissed the top of his head, and told him, “No matter what happens tomorrow, we’re so thankful you’re home. We love you dearly Harry.”

Harry met her eyes and without words to say he bravely managed a weak smile.

Arthur and Molly moved over to the other guests and told Minerva and Kingsley they would be happy to put them up if they would like to stay. They both graciously declined the invitation and left saying they would return in the morning.

Molly went to the dryer and folded Harry’s clothes and put them on the table. Arthur started assigning bedrooms. Charlie took his and Bills old room, George and Percy each took their old rooms, and Hermione could share Ginny’s room. Arthur looked at Harry distracted for a moment, still feeling terribly guilty of hurting him. He turned back lost for a second where he was at in the assignments, paused looking to each son. “Oh yes! Ron, oh well you’re easy, you can have your room since you still live here.” He cuffed his youngest son affectionately on the shoulder at the affront Ron seemed to have taken at his last statement. Bill said he would drop Harry’s things off at his new house before he went home. Then they all retired to their bedrooms with the exception of Ginny.