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RECOVERY

St. Mungo’s Hospital, Critical Care Unit
One Week Later

Harry groaned. He hurt all over, like he had never hurt before. His eyes were squeezed firmly shut to block out the brilliant white light. He tried to move a little, to shift his weight, and found that he was restrained to the bed.

This caused him some confusion. What did he do to be tied to his bed? What he didn’t know is that he wasn’t being restrained. He was so weak that what he thought was holding him down was only the bed sheets.

The last thing he remembered was his cousin sitting down next to him on the backyard bench, then nothing. He heard soft, whispered voices, but he couldn’t make them out. The light was too bright for him to open his eyes, so he lay there quietly, trying to work up the energy required to open his eyes.

He felt a warm, soft hand holding his, and he gave it a gentle, experimental squeeze, just to see if it was real. The hand squeezed back just as gently.

“Harry? Can you hear me?” It was Hermione. What is she doing here at Privet Drive, he thought? He squeezed her hand again, and his was squeezed in return. He felt a gentle kiss on his forehead, and another as her lips gently caressed his.

Gradually, because her shadow blocked most of the bright light, he slowly opened his eyes. Everything was very blurry, so he knew that he wasn’t wearing his glasses. As if on command, his glasses were gently placed on his nose, and things came into sharper focus.

He saw Hermione, leaning over him, concern apparent in her eyes in spite of the smile on her face.

“Welcome back, Harry” she said softly. “You had us all frightfully worried about you.”
He tried to reply, to ask her what she was talking about, but his mouth was dry, and he could only make a weak croaking sound. What had happened to him? Where was he?

Hermione sensed the questions in his eyes, and reassured him.
“Harry, you’re in St. Mungo’s. You’ve been here for a week, unconscious, and in critical condition.” Harry saw her beautiful brown eyes begin to fill with tears. ‘Her eyes are beautiful’, he thought. :’Now why haven’t I noticed that before?’

Just then, he heard another voice, a rather commanding one, but nevertheless a gentle, caring voice.
“Ah, I see that he’s awake, Miss Granger”, said the strange voice.

Hermione straightened up and a new person came into view. A tall woman, with coppery-red hair down to her shoulders, and vivid blue eyes. She was wearing a healer’s smock, and her wand was hanging from a cord attached to her lapel. He would have recognized her as a Healer, or as a Muggle doctor immediately. She had that look.

“Yes, Healer Scott. He just awoke a couple of minutes ago. I was just about to call for you,” Hermione replied.
“Well, let’s take a look at your Mr. Potter, and see how he’s doing today.” Hermione stepped back, but still held on to his hand, refusing to let go. The healer moved to the other side of the bed, and ran her wand over Harry from head to toe, then looked closely into his eyes, ears, and his mouth.

She then turned to the bedside table and picked up a small cup fill with ice chips, and used a spoon to give Harry a few chips to wet his mouth and his throat.

“Harry”, she explained,” you can have all of the ice you want, but let’s wait awhile before giving you any liquids. Just an hour or so. All right?” He nodded, and the Healer continued to speak, “You gave us quite a fright, young man. We thought that we were going to lose you for a time. But, thanks to your own private, personal nurse, here“, she looked at Hermione, who blushed furiously, “I think that you’re going to pull through just fine,” she told him, a brilliant smile on her face.

“Y’know, Harry. I think this girl is a keeper. If you let her get away from you, you are certifiably nuts!” The Healer told him, amusement in her eyes.

Harry was looking back and forth between the healer, and Hermione. Healer Scott was grinning like the cat who caught the canary, and Hermione just kept blushing prettily.

Harry was a bit confused. He still didn’t understand why he was in hospital, or what had happened to him.
He managed to say, “Wha…what happened to me? Why am I here?”

Healer Scott looked at Hermione, who told her that she hadn’t had any chance to explain to Harry what happened to him. So, she decided to save Hermione the pain.

“Harry, you were brought into the emergency department by Madam Pomfrey and Professor Snape. Followed shortly by Professors Dumbledore and McGonagall. You were more dead than alive.” She shook her head in disbelief, then continued. “If you had gotten here just one hour later, one hour, there would have been nothing anyone could have done to save you. You were that close to death. I shouldn’t wonder that you shook hands with the Old Boy.” She took a deep breath before continuing.

“Let’s see, you were severely malnourished, your electrolytes were all over the map, your heart was beating irregularly, threatening to stop at any moment. You were badly dehydrated, too. We started a couple of IV’s on you and you just soaked up the fluids like a sponge. It was a very delicate balancing act, to get enough fluids in you to keep you alive, and not shut your kidneys down due to fluid overload. Fortunately, you were unconscious, which made it much easier for us to work with you. Additionally, you had stress fractures of both lower legs due to a calcium deficiency. And the broken bones you suffered earlier this summer were not healing properly due to your malnourished condition. You also had a nasty systemic infection, bordering on Septicemia, or blood poisoning.”

The healer took another deep breath before she went on, but Harry noticed the tears running freely down Hermione’s face. Why was she crying?

“Let’s see now. Oh, yes. Your white blood count was right through the roof, and your red blood count was through the floor. For a time it looked like you had leukemia. Thank God that wasn’t the case. With everything that was wrong with you, leukemia would have been a death sentence.” she told him.

She went on again, “Harry, you were 2 stone underweight for your size, (28 lb.), and at your age, you should be 6 inches taller then you are. I’ll be honest, we can fix all of these things, but it’s going to be rough on you, and you have to want it. Do you want it?” she asked him

Harry looked from her to Hermione, who’s face was red, and wet with her tears.
“Hermione?” His voice was quite raspy, but she understood what he was asking her.
She nodded, smiling at him. He nodded back at her, and returned his gaze to the Healer.
“Yes, ma’am. I want to be healthy. I want to get well.”

Her face brightened even more, and she told him that they would begin immediately.
Hermione told them that she would be right back, that she had promised to notify the Headmaster, and the Weasley’s the minute Harry woke up. She leaned over the bed rail and gave Harry a gentle, sweet kiss on his parched lips, and told them that she would be right back, then she left the room to find a floo station.

Harry watched her leave, curious and confusing feelings ran through him. What was he feeling? All he knew was that the moment she left the room, he had a feeling of loss.

Healer Scott sat in the chair beside his bed. And Harry turned back to her.
She appraised the young man lying in front of her. Naturally, she had heard the legend of Harry Potter, but then, what witch hadn’t?
Finally, she spoke.

“Harry, that girl is something very special. Did you know that she showed up here an hour after you came in, and this is the first time that she’s left your side for a week? She held your hand, and she held you when you were having convulsions. I don’t know how many times you threw up on her, but whatever happened, she stayed right there for you. When your fever was 105 degrees, it was she who rubbed you down with damp towels. She refused to leave you, except for very short trips to the loo. She ate meals we brought to her, right here next to you. If you made the slightest sound, or movement, she jumped up and was right there to see what she could do for you. She slept in that chair, and let me tell you, those are not comfortable chairs. She never left your side, Harry. Not for a solid week.”

She could see the astonishment, the wonder of it in his eyes. She felt a twinge of jealousy, thinking that she wished that she could be so lucky to find someone to love her like Hermione loved Harry.

“Harry, I’m going to give you a small piece of non-medical advice, if you don’t mind”, she said.
Harry nodded.

“Don’t ever let that girl go, Harry. Whatever you have to do, do it. Whatever battles you have to fight for her, fight them. Love her back as much as you possibly can, and then love her some more. She is worth it, Harry. I have never seen anyone who loves someone as much as she loves you. You are incredibly lucky to have found that love at so young an age. It will stay with you for the rest of your life. Cherish her, Harry. You’ll never regret it, not for one single moment. You have the love that most people can only dream about. Don‘t blow it.”

Harry looked at the healer, and grinned. He motioned her closer and she leaned over him to hear what he was trying to say. Harry summoned what strength he could, and sat up just enough to kiss her lightly on the cheek, then fell back onto his pillow. She drew back, and put her hand to her cheek where he kissed her, looking surprised, and blushing like a schoolgirl..

“I will fight for her”, he whispered, “I will do whatever it takes. I just figured out that I love her, too. Thanks.”

She smiled, and patted him on the arm as Hermione came back into the room. Harry’s face brightened immeasurably. No matter what happened next, Harry knew that he could handle it, because his Hermione was there for him.

Later That Day
Harry was sitting up in bed, its head raised to support him. He had already had several courses of treatment for his many ailments. Finally, he had an appetite, but even so, he wasn’t able to tolerate very much in the way of food. He let Hermione spoon feed him even though he thought that he was strong enough to handle a spoon. But she would have none of it, so Harry did the only thing he could. He gave in and let her have her way, even if it did make him feel like an infant.

They made small talk, not wanting to get into any serious discussion until he was stronger. As they chatted, Harry came to a sudden realization.

“Hermione!”, he exclaimed. “We’re missing school! Oh man, Dumbledore is going to be so pissed at me!”
Before she could say anything, he told her, “You better get yourself to Hogwart’s right now, Hermione. Maybe you won’t get into too much trouble if you get there right away.”
He was almost frantic with worry that she would get into trouble on his account.

“Harry, relax! It’s okay! Dumbledore gave me permission to be here. I’m not going to get into any trouble. Besides, we will study while you’re recuperating. Don’t think we won’t!” she told him, grinning fiendishly.

Harry relaxed, knowing that she was telling the truth.
“Why didn’t you tell me earlier, ‘Mione?” It would have saved me from almost having a heart attack!” He was smiling as he said this.

“Well, Harry, first of all, it didn’t come up until you mentioned it, and second, it really doesn’t matter,” she told him.

Harry looked at her in total amazement. School didn’t matter? Harry was shocked?

“Who the heck are you, and what have you done with my Hermione?’ he asked incredulously.

“ ‘My Hermione’”? Her surprise was evident in her tone. And even more evident in her eyes, and her flushed cheeks.

Harry looked at her shyly, but with determination.

“Yes. My Hermione. That is, if you want to be. I‘ve loved you for along time, My Hermione. I just figured out that I am in love with you, too” He looked into her eyes, and let her look into his, opening his heart and soul, showing her just how much he cared about her, what he felt for her. She blushed furiously, and ducked her head so that he wouldn’t see the tears of happiness that were about to spill down her face.

“Hermione?”

She wiped her eyes on her sleeve and raised her head. She nodded, and said, “I’d like to be your Hermione, Harry. More than anything in the world.” Her eyes and her face radiated a loving warmth that Harry had never experienced before, and he basked in it. He felt like his heart would swell to bursting. For the first time in his life that he could remember, he felt true love.

He reached out to Hermione, taking her hand and gently pulling her toward him, and down so that she was sitting on the edge of the bed next to him. He took her hand, and placed it against his cheek, rubbing it softly against his face, feeling its warmth, its softness, its gentle caress. He lightly kissed her hand, sending shudders of delight through her. Harry reached out to her, placing his hand on the back of her neck, pulling her face to his. Their lips met, and an electric feeling coursed through the young couple.

They kissed slowly, softly, gently, letting their lips linger on the others. They were in their own world, where nothing else mattered. There was no world, no other people. Just them. Just their lips. Touching softly.

“Whoops!”

The couple broke apart, to see Healer Scott standing in the door. They were both blushing furiously, the heat from their faces could be felt across the room. But they were both grinning like a couple of maniacs. Healer Scott just grinned right back at them.

“Well, Harry, you seem to be making excellent progress from the look of things. I have to wonder if it’s because of my magnificent medical skills, or Hermione’s equally magnificent, if somewhat unorthodox nursing skills.”

Harry laughed, and Hermione blushed even more deeply, if that was possible.

“Maybe some of both?’ he asked, raising an eyebrow at the healer. “With two fantastically beautiful women caring for me, how could I not get better fast?”

Now it was the Healers turn to blush. She had never received a compliment like that, and especially not from a 12-year-old patient! Harry laughed uproariously at her expression, and her obvious embarrassment. Even Hermione giggled at Healer Scott’s flustered state.
She recovered from her embarrassment and shook her head with amusement at her own predicament. This boy was indeed a wonder!

“Harry, I am not only delighted with your progress, I’m amazed. It’s almost impossible to believe that you emerged from a week-long coma less than eight hours ago, and now you’re snogging your girlfriend! Who are you? Superman?”

Harry laughed and said, “No ma’am. I’m not Superman. Just Harry. Just an incredibly lucky Harry Potter", he said as he gazed into Hermione's eyes.

“Well, Superman, or just incredibly lucky Harry Potter, I think that I am going to have to revise my estimate about when to release you. I thought that we were going to have to keep you for at least a week.” Harry groaned. A week? He’d go nuts here, even with his Hermione to keep him company.

The healer held up her hand to forestall in inevitable protest from her patient.
“Relax, Harry. I don’t think it will be necessary to keep you here that long.”
He breathed a sigh of relief. Then she dropped the other shoe.

“But you aren’t ready to return to school either. Not for a month, at least, Perhaps even two months. Your body has taken a terrible beating, and even though you are young, and otherwise healthy, you are not invulnerable. You need to rest, and rebuild your strength. You need some time to heal. The question is, where will that be? That’s what has me worried,” Healer Scott told them.

Hermione had an idea, and excused herself, saying that she needed to make a floo call, and would be back in a few minutes.

Harry turned his attention back to the Healer, and asked her what she would suggest.
“Well, I know that you are close to the Weasley family. Perhaps they could take you in while you recover. Or do you know anyone else who can do it?”

Harry shook his head.
“No, I’m sure that the Weasley’s will be only too glad to help out. They are a wonderful family. They’ve already practically adopted me. And I know that Molly will feed me well. It’s her specialty.” Harry grinned at this.

She decided to get serious for a moment, while Hermione was out of the room had she had the chance.
“By the way, Harry. I’m glad that you are taking my advice about Hermione. But please, be careful. Don’t go too far, too fast. I don’t want to see either of you hurt, even by accident.”

“Don’t worry, Healer. I won’t, I’d never do anything to hurt her. It would kill me if I hurt her. I love her so much.”

They discussed his recovery, and what she wanted him to do for a few minutes, when Hermione came back into the room, followed by a man and woman who bore a striking resemblance to Hermione. Harry assumed these were her parents. He was right.

“Healer Scott, Harry, I’d like to introduce my parents, Richard and Helen Granger. Mum, Dad, this is Healer Scott“, and the Grangers shook hands with her, “ and this is Harry Potter”. Her parents shook his hand. Harry felt like he was in an x-ray machine, from the looks that they were giving him.

But for different reasons. Richard was looking at him as the father of a 12-year-old girl, trying to determine if Harry was good enough for her. Helen was looking at his physical condition, and deploring, to herself, how anyone could want to hurt this shy, polite boy. Her heart went out to him, and she wordlessly passed the word to her husband that this boy was very acceptable. He merely looked at his wife and smiled.

Helen spoke first.
“Harry, Hermione has told us of your problem, and we would be delighted to have you come stay with us until you’re ready to return to school. I think that we can meet your needs, and Hermione will be there with you to help you keep up with your schoolwork. The Headmaster agrees that this would be an excellent solution to your dilemma.”
Richard went on, “We have a couple of things at home that I think will help speed your recovery, too. We have a heated swimming pool, and a small, indoor gym. I think that Healer Scott would agree that those would be beneficial to you, right?”

She nodded her head in agreement with Richard, and old Harry, “If you accept their offer, Harry, I want you in that pool, swimming, at least one hour a day until you feel like going longer. I’d prefer three hours, but I don’t want you to push yourself too hard. Take is slow, and don’t overdo it. Same for the gym. One hour until you feel strong enough to go longer.”

She turned to face Hermione, and told the young witch, “ I expect you to make sure that he doesn’t overdo it, young lady” she said in her best Medical Authority Voice. “Further, I think that you should join him in his rehab. It won’t hurt you, and you will enjoy it more if you are participating.”

Hermione looked at her and grinned. “No problem there, Healer Scott. That was already a part of my plan for Harry.”

“'Plan?'” Did she say ‘plan’?" Thought Harry, wondering just what he was getting himself into.

Helen spoke up, “Healer Scott. I hope that while Harry is staying with us, you will feel free to drop in anytime to check on him, if you want. I think that we would all like that.”

She not only thought that was a good idea, she appreciated it.

“Well,” she said, “since I will be seeing all of you informally, I think it would be great if you called me Becky. Outside of the hospital, that is.”


Later That Evening, Hogwart’s School of Witchcraft and Wizardry

The Sorting had been completed, and the annual Feast was about to begin. Albus Dumbledore, Headmaster of Hogwart’s stood up at the staff table and held his hands out for attention. Gradually, the Great Hall became still.

“As usual,” he said, his voice carrying throughout the hall, “I have a few announcements to make before we dine. First, The Forbidden Forest is still forbidden. Second, there are now some 723 banned items on Mr. Filch’s list, or so he tells me, which you can see in his office in the dungeon’s between classes, and before the evening meal.”
This brought some light laughter from the students, and more than a few of the teachers, too.

“Further,” he went on, “Since the rather fortunate demise of Professor Quirrel last year, we have a new Defense Against the Dark Arts teacher. Allow me to introduce Professor Henry Sato.”

A small man, about 5 feet 6 inches, with extremely short brown hair, and light blue eyes, but strangely Oriental features, rose from his seat, and bowed slightly to Dumbledore, and then to the students, and sat back down. One of the things that almost every student noticed was that the new teacher’s clothing was impeccable, and appeared to be crisply starched and ironed.

Dumbldore continued.
“Professor Sato comes to us from the American Academy of Magic, so not only is he your instructor, he is our guest in this country. Let’s please not forget this.”

“Now, Let’s…”
He never got to finish. A voice rang out from the Gryffindor table.
“Professor, where are Harry and Hermione? Why aren’t they here?”, shouted out Seamus Finnegan. Other voices joined in, wondering the same thing.

Dumbledore sighed visibly. He really had hoped that his one question would not be brought up tonight. He again raised his hands, and the hall fell silent.

“I’m sorry to say that Harry suffered some very serious injuries over the summer. He is in St. Mungo’s Critical Care Unit at the moment.”

Voices rose in cacophony of sound, wondering what happened.
Neville called out, “How bad is he? And what’s happened to Hermione? Can we help them, Professor?”

Once again, the hall fell silent, waiting for the headmaster to reply.

Dumbledore smiled at the young man, knowing that his friendship with the couple was probably more important to him than anything else in school.

“No, Neville, there is nothing you can do at this time. But rest assured, all of you, that Harry will make a complete recovery, and will return to school. But it will very likely be a couple of months before he is able to return.”

He looked around, but most closely at the Gryffindor table. They were relieved by his words, but concern still showed on their young faces. He continued.
“As for Miss Granger, She is just fine, and has not suffered any injuries. She is taking time from school to help Harry recover from his most terrible injuries. I received word just before the meal from her, that Harry is doing very well, and will be leaving the hospital soon to recuperate at a undisclosed location. I have also assigned her the job of making sure that he keeps up with his studies as much as possible.”

Fred Weasley called out, “Gee, Professor Dumbledore, I’ll just bet he really appreciated that!”
The entire hall laughed at that, as did the headmaster, and the rest of the staff. The wise old man grinned in agreement.

“You’re probably correct Mr. Weasley. Okay everyone, let’s tuck in!”

He clapped his hands together, and platters of delicious food magically appeared on all of the table, and the students piled with plates with food, and began to eat.

The major topic of conversation was Harry’s “accident”.

Minerva McGonagall leaned near Albus and said, “Nice save, Albus.”
He nodded in return, and replied. “I just hope that it holds up until Harry can return.”

LOVE ME DO
~The Beatles
Harry was sitting up in bed at Hermione’s insistence. He had gotten up several times last night and this morning to walk and to go to the loo. He was still bloody weak and sore, but he felt energized in spite of that. He knew that he had a long way to go before he could be considered completely healed, and he was damned anxious to get on with it. Sitting still for very long did not suit Harry one little bit.

Hermione was sitting in the chair next to his bed, dozing.
He looked at her, seeing her like he never had before. The morning sun coming in through the window fell upon her hair, highlighting the reds and gold's and even making the browns shine. Her skin, so soft and pale was infused with the suns warmth, causing it to glow. Her beautiful brown eyes were closed, her long eyelashes accentuating their shape.

His gaze drifted to her soft, perfectly formed lips. Those lips! Those lips that had kissed him so gently last night, that spoke the words that he had wanted to hear for his entire life. Those lips that beckoned to his, calling his to hers.

He tore his eyes from her face, forcing himself to turn his thoughts elsewhere. He was breathing hard, almost panting, and his face was red and flushed. He never had these feelings before, and he wasn’t sure how to deal with them. He wasn’t sure that he wanted to deal with them. Odd as he felt, he liked feeling this way. He was happy inside, for the very first time in his life that he could remember.

All because of the girl asleep in front of him. He knew that he was too weak and way too sore to actually do it, but he felt like running all through the hospital, shouting to one and all, “I LOVE HERMIONE GRANGER!” He wanted to skip, dance, jump, sing, and most importantly, do it all with her.

He was sitting there with a huge smile plastered all over his face when Becky walked in the door. He didn’t even notice her, but she took one look at him, and knew what he was thinking and feeling. A blind man could have easily read his emotions from across the room.

She walked over to the bed, and took Harry’s wrist in her hand, taking his pulse, while looking at her watch, and clandestinely at Harry’s expression. When she touched his wrist, he looked up at her, not saying a word, but his smile conveyed everything to the healer.

“You look good this morning, Harry”, she whispered, not wanting to wake the sleeping girl.

If anything, Harry’s grin grew even wider, and he nodded in Hermione’s direction.
“I feel good this morning.” he whispered in reply. “And it’s all because of Hermione. She makes me feel like…like…”, he stammered, looking at her, a plea for understanding in his eyes. “She makes me feel like I belong in the world. That I have a place, finally. That I’m not a…freak.” He almost spat the last word. It was the favorite epithet of his aunt and uncle’s.

But Harry was feeling too good, and in too good of a mood to allow the memory of the Dursley’s to bring him down. He simply refused to be down for any reason this morning.
He had no reason to be.

Hermione woke just then, startled to see the healer.
“Oh, good morning Healer Scott. I’m sorry. I must have dozed off for a bit.” She looked over at Harry, who was grinning like a madman at her. “Good morning to you too, love. I hope that you slept well.” He merely nodded, saying nothing.

She looked at him curiously. She had never seen him smile like this, or look as utterly happy as he was looking this morning.

She tore her gaze from Harry, and looked at the Healer.
“Just what did you give him, Becky? He looks like he’s…well, the Muggle word for it is ‘stoned’. Is he okay?”

Before the healer could reply, Harry spoke.
“I’m just fine, my Hermione. It’s you. You’re why I’m smiling. You’re beautiful, and God!, I love you!”

Hermione blushed furiously, and the healer remarked, “ Well, Hermione, does that answer your question?’ The healer was smiling broadly.

She turned back to Harry, waving her hand in his face to get his attention away from his girlfriend for a minute. Once she had it, she spoke.
“Harry, I’m going to release you as soon as Hermione can get her parents here to take you home with them.”

She shook her head in wonder at the amazing progress he had made in just over 24 hours. She had never seen anything quite like it. By rights, Harry should still be groggy from his week-long coma, and as weak as the proverbial kitten. Yet he was up walking around last night and this morning, full of energy. Still weak, yes, but in far better condition that he had any right to be.

Hearing this words, Hermione jumped up, hugged Harry quickly, and excused herself to floo her parents to come get them.

“Harry, I have a rehab schedule for you to follow. I don’t want you to overdo it.” she told him. “Yes, you do need to exercise, but you also need to get a lot of rest, too. If you overdo, you might very easily wind up back in hospital. You do not want to do that. Not only would it be bad for you, but it would really tick Hermione off, and annoy the hell out of me. You do not, repeat not, want to do that.” She was smiling at him, but he also could see that she was deadly serious about his rehab.

He held up his hand, and said, “I promise to be a good boy, Becky. Really, I do.” He looked up at her with those big green eyes, and she knew that he would do as he was told.
He wouldn’t let Hermione down by hurting himself.

“So, When will I have to see you again? Healers always make you come back to see them” he asked her.

The Healer affected a hurt look, and said, “Gee Harry, you sure know how to make a healer feel bad! You don‘t want to see me again?”

Harry flushed, and stammered, “No. Wait. That’s not what I meant. I meant that… Oh, bugger!” He was badly flustered. He didn’t mean to hurt her feelings. He really liked the healer who helped him so much.

Becky laughed at his discomfiture.
“Harry, relax. I was having you on a bit. You got me yesterday, and it was my turn.”
He blew out a huge breath and visibly relaxed. He really was afraid that he had hurt her feelings.

He grinned and said, “Okay, ya got me! I deserved it. I see that I’m going to have to be very careful around you.”
The door opened and Hermione came into the room, followed closely by her parents. Hermione went straight to Harry and sat down beside him on the bed. Richard and Helen shook hands with Becky, and sat in the chairs that Hermione had slept during the night.

“Okay, Harry,” the healer said, “I’m going to cut you loose now. I want you to follow those instructions I gave you. I want you to be aware that when you get tired, to rest. Sleep if you feel like, and you will feel like it, until your strength returns. You may wind up sleeping 12 or more hours a day for a time. Don’t worry about it. It’s a normal reaction by your body to the trauma it has received. You’ll also want to eat a lot, especially since you have been so badly malnourished. But don’t overdo it because if you do, you’re going to barf your guts up, until you’re used to eating a normal diet. Stick to small, light snacks for awhile. Fresh fruit would be especially good for you.”

She looked at Helen and Richard, and they both nodded their understanding and agreement. So did Hermione, who was sitting next to Harry, holding his hand. Harry had a serious expression on his face. He was paying close attention to her instructions. He didn’t want to suffer a relapse.

She continued, seeing their agreement.
“Exercise. Start out slow. One hour a day, every day, in the pool to start. You can increase the time as you can tolerate it. Get some sun, you’re far too pale for my liking. In the gym, again, slowly until you can tolerate more. Walking is a good exercise. A mile or so daily is my recommendation. Do you understand?

Harry nodded, and told her that he did, so did the Grangers.
“Now, I fully intend to drop in at least once a week to check on you. So don’t be surprised to see me at your door.”

Richard spoke for all of them when he said, “Becky, you will always be welcome in our home. I know that Harry thinks very highly of you.”
Harry nods agreement, and Richard continues, “Besides, It might do you some good to get out of this hospital once in awhile.”

She knew that he was right. She did need to get out more, and have some sort of life besides her work.

“Thank you, Richard. I appreciate that more than you realize. Okay, Harry, get out of here. I’ll see you next week. All right?”
Harry got up from the bed, grinning hugely. He disentangled his hand from Hermione’s, and went over to the healer and gave her a hug. She was startled, but after just a moments hesitation, she hugged him back.

They broke apart, and she said her goodbyes and left Harry and the Grangers alone.
He asked Hermione where his clothes were, and was shocked to learn that they had been cut from his battered body when he was brought in.

Harry was almost panic stricken. St. Mungo’s, just like Muggle hospitals used open backed gowns for their patients. He couldn’t leave wearing a hospital gown! Even if he was going to floo straight to the Granger home.

Harry was beside himself, when Helen told him to calm down.
“Relax, Harry, relax. I thought that this would happen, so I went out and bought you some new clothes. Here’s all you need to get home. The rest is in your room. Okay?
I’m pretty good at guessing sizes, and I think what I got you will fit.”

Harry, upon hearing this, relaxed visibly. And breathed a huge sigh of relief.
“Thanks, Mrs. Granger. I really appreciate all of the trouble you’re going through because of me.”

Before she could answer, her husband spoke, “It’s quite all right, Harry, you’re no trouble to us. We’re just glad that we’re able to help.”

“Even so, sir, I am really grateful. I don’t know what I would have done without your kindness, and generosity”, Harry said.

“Harry, the one thing that you can do for us is to remember that my name is Helen, and his is Richard. Using our first names is not only okay, we would appreciate it. Especially since we are going to get to know each other much better,” she told him, a motherly look on her face. Richard simply smiled, agreeing with his wife.

Helen stood up, and handed the sack with his new clothes to Harry.
“Come on, dear, let’s give Harry a moment of privacy to get dressed. Richard, you stay here and help him if he needs it. We’ll be waiting in the hall for you”

Before they women could leave Harry said, “Hermione. Do me a favor, will you? Floo Professor Dumbledore, and tell him that I really need to see him ASAP. It’s really important”

She told him that she would make the call while he was getting dressed, and left the room with her mother.

Harry opened the sack and pulled out a black T-shirt, a pair of black sweat pants, socks and even underwear. As he was getting dressed, he felt the older man’s eyes on his back, noting the old, and not-so-old scars that criss-crossed the boys back. He didn’t say anything about them, but he was enraged. How could anyone normal human being do this to a child? Some of those scars had to be years old!

With his back still to Richard, Harry spoke.
“It know it looks bad, Richard. I can’t change what has happened in the past, but I know how to make sure that it won’t ever happen again. Not to me, and not to my cousin Dudley, either. Not if I can help it.”
Richard heard the determination in Harry’s voice.

“How can you stop it, Harry? You can’t use magic outside of school, and you sure as hell aren’t big enough to make him stop.” Richard was a bit puzzled by Harry’s claim.

Harry finished dressing before he spoke again.
“He can’t hurt me again, or Dudley, if he’s in prison.”

A Lunch Time Visitor, And Plans Made

Harry and the Grangers floo’d from the hospital to the Granger residence. Hermione took Harry’s hand, and proceeded to show him around the house, and upstairs to his new room. The room was in a corner, and had large windows on the south and west walls. The southern windows looked out over the backyard, where the pool was, and the western windows looked down at the corner where two streets met. He could see several blocks to the west, and would have an unobstructed view of the sunset.

Richard and Helen had had all of the upstairs bedrooms magically remodeled so that each had its own private bathroom. The bedroom was large, bright, and airy. The walls were a medium blue, and the trim was a pale blue with matching curtains. The room was carpeted in a deep blue shag. He had a long dresser with a large mirror above it, a chest of drawers, two nightstands with lamps, a full-size bed with a bookcase headboard, and a desk with a computer on it. On the wall hung a large flat screen television.
Harry was amazed, not to mention delighted.

“So, what do you think of your room, Harry?” Hermione asked.
He turned to face her, his eyes alight, and a huge grin plastered across his face.
“Oh, my Hermione! It’s brilliant! Absolutely brilliant! I love it!” he exclaimed.

He walked over to her and took her in his arms. Staring directly into her eyes he said, in a lower tone of voice, “Almost as much as I love you”, and gently kissed her lips.
Another electric shock coursed through them. Not painful, but pleasurable.

They pulled apart, and she was flushed, her cheeks red. Harry was breathing a little hard. But he felt grand.

“Harry, we better get back downstairs before Mum comes searching for us, or worse, dad does.” She was smiling though
“Besides, it’s almost lunch time, and I’m starving! How about you?”
Harry considered the question.
“Yeah, I could stand a bite to eat. Or two. Or ten, Or seventeen. Or more!” he said, his smile broadening.

She playfully slapped at his arm, and took his hand in hers. “You big silly’, she said, as they went downstairs to rejoin her parents. They walked into the kitchen where Helen was preparing lunch, and Richard sat at the breakfast table, reading the day’s mail.

“Well, Harry, how do you like your room? Is everything all right,” asked Richard.
“Oh, yes sir! It’s brilliant! I love it!” Harry exclaimed, the delight evident on his face.
“I don’t know how I will ever repay you, sir. As soon as I am able to go to Gringott’s, I’ll pay you back for everything. I promise I will, sir.”

Richard was about to reply, but Helen cut across him and told the boy,
“Harry Potter! You’ll do no such thing!. We did this because we wanted to. For you. Not because we felt obligated. This is something that pleasures us to do. Do you understand me, young man?”

Harry cringed. Merlin! He didn’t mean to make her angry! Harry meekly replied, “Yes ma’am”.
Hermione couldn’t help it, she burst into laughter at Harry’s expression. She had never seen him back down so quickly or so far, not even to Snape. She realized that Helen had Harry completely buffaloed.

“Good. That’s settled then. We’ll have no more talk about ‘paying back, will we?”
“No, ma’am. Not if you say so.” Harry was reminded of how alike mother and daughter were. He looked at Richard, perhaps hoping for some male solidarity. He wasn’t going to find it. He agreed with his wife in this. Richard just gave him a small smile and shrugged his shoulders.

Harry sighed. He knew when he was beat.

She told the kids to sit down at the table because lunch was ready, and she began to put the food on the table. The doorbell rang as they were about to be seated, and Hermione went to answer it. She came back, followed by Professor Dumbledore.
Richard stood, and shook the wizard’s hand,

“Albus, good to see you again”, he said. “We were just about to have some lunch. Would you care to join us?”
Helen chimed in before he could respond.
“Of course he will, dear. I wouldn’t have it any other way.”

Harry told him, “Professor, I suggest that you join us. I wouldn’t want to annoy her” His voice dropped to loud whisper, so that all could hear, “She’s scary if you upset her!”

This brought laughter from them all, including Helen.
Dumbledore nodded his head in agreement.
“Helen, I would be delighted to join you. Besides, I hear that your cooking is even superior to Molly Weasley’s, and that is saying something.”
Helen blushed prettily at this, reminding Harry even more of Hermione.

As they ate, there was an unspoken consensus not to speak of anything unpleasant. Mostly they chatted about school, and magic in general. They didn’t talk about Harry’s condition. That would have seemed out of place during the meal.

At length, they had all finished eating. Harry did eat, but not a lot. His appetite still wasn’t what it should be. But no one commented on it.

Finally, the headmaster broached the reason for his visit.
“Harry”, he said, “When Miss Granger floo’d me this morning, asking to see you, I thought that I had better make it sooner rather than later. What can I do for you, my boy?”

“Before we begin, can we all go into the living room? I think that we would all be more comfortable there.” he said.

They all agreed, rose from the table and trooped into the comfortable room. Harry and Hermione sat together on the love seat, while Helen and Richard took seats on the sofa, and Albus sat in the recliner.

“Harry, before you begin, Helen and I can excuse ourselves and let you talk with Albus privately, if you wish”, Richard said.

Harry shook his head. “No sir. It’s all right. If you don’t mind, I’d like to have you here. But I warn you, this might not be pleasant to hear.”

“We’ll stay then, Harry”, said Helen. She had an idea of what was to come, and in a way, she was dreading hearing about. Her husband felt the same way.

“Well, Harry”, said the old wizard, “what can I do for you?”

“Professor, I know why you put me with the Dursley’s. The blood protection. But I am a bit upset with you, because you apparently never bothered to check up on me, to see how I was progressing, and what condition I was in. Or how the Dursley’s were treating me.” Harry held up his hand to forestall the headmaster from saying anything, then he went on.

“I’m not angry, sir. Upset, yes, but not angry. I know that you did what you thought best at the time. It just turns out that you were badly mistaken.”

Harry took a deep breath, the memories flooding back in, causing his heart to ache. Hermione, sensing this, gave his hand a gentle squeeze. Harry looked at her, grateful for her support and her love, and gave her a smile.

“I want you to know that I will not return to Privet Drive under any circumstances if Vernon Dursley is there. I’d much rather take my chances with Voldemort and his Death Eaters. I’m more likely to survive against them.”

This statement took Dumbledore by surprise.
“What do you mean, Harry? Returning to your aunt’s house is essential to your safety. You will be placing yourself in danger by not returning.”
It’s really quite simple, sir. You saw how sick I was when you rescued me from the Dursley’s. What you didn’t see was this” Harry stood and peeled off his shirt, revealing years of scars. He turned, showing his mentor the extent of his old wounds, front and back. Lacerations, abrasions, the shiny skin of old burns. There was barely a square inch of unblemished skin.

Helen gave a small shriek of shock. Hermione looked like she might vomit, even though she saw them wile caring for him in hospital. Richard, who had seen the scars at the hospital, merely hardened his expression, suppressing the rage he felt at the person who did this to Harry.

But Dumbledore paled, his color draining from his face, followed closely by a look of nausea. Then his face flushed, and he became angry with himself for putting the boy in such jeopardy, and for not checking up on him. Albus failed in his duty to Harry, and he knew it. He was raging within himself, at himself, but outwardly remained calm.

After letting them see his old wounds, he pulled his shirt back on, and sat back down.

Albus found his voice, and asked Harry what it was that he wanted to do.

“It’s quite simple, headmaster. I want to see Vernon Dursely in prison. I want him to be destroyed, ruined, devastated. I would have called the police and filed a complaint against but for one thing.”

Albus looked at Harry approvingly, knowing why he had not called the police before consulting him.

“That’s right. Headmaster”, Harry went on. “Magic. How would me being magical have complicated the case against Vernon? I do know that there are times when Muggle police and courts, work with our Department of Magical Law Enforcement. I don’t know who would have jurisdiction in this sort of case. But to be honest, I would prefer that the Muggles handle it.”

Richard spoke up, “Why do you want the Muggle police to handle this, Harry? From what little I understand of wizarding law, the case would go faster, and if convicted, he would be sent to Azkaban prison to serve his term. It seems that this would be what you would want, not a Muggle trial and prison. So what’s the difference?”

Harry grinned at his girlfriend’s dad. A rather fiendish gleam came into his eyes.
Richard saw this, and thought, “Oh, shit. He has something in mind. Makes me glad that I’m not Vernon Dursley. This is going to be interesting.”

“The difference is that Vernon Dursley prides himself on his “normalcy”. He is an egotistical son-of-a-bitch who despises everything he doesn’t consider to be normal. He is a bigot, a racist, and bully. He thinks that he has a right to treat me like a slave and a punching bag.”

Harry paused taking a deep breath. Albus spoke up.
“Harry, the DMLE does sometimes work with Muggle authorities. But I am curious. Why should the Muggles try Vernon, when his conviction and punishment are more certain under our laws?”

“That’s the beauty of it, Professor. Even if he is acquitted, he will be destroyed. He was just promoted almost to the pinnacle of his company. He will lose that job he worked so hard to get for so many years. His social standing will be ruined. His few friends, and neighbors will never see him as normal again. His picture and story will be plastered all over the telly and the papers. His world will be completely, and utterly trashed. HE will become the ‘freak’. The odds are that Petunia won’t stand by his side through all of this. And I know that Dudley won’t.”
.
“And having all of this happen will be a far worse punishment for Vernon than prison in either world will be. If he is convicted and sent to prison, well, that’ll just be icing on the cake, you see?”

The adults looked dumbfounded at Harry’s reasoning and logic. They kept looking at one another, until Dumbledore started chuckling quietly. Them Richard began, joined by Helen. Their laughter grew until they were roaring with delight. Hermione was giggling furiously, and Harry just sat there, smiling until the uproar finally died down.

When Dumbledore could finally catch his breath, and he wiped his eyes, he said to Harry., “Harry, that is one of the most devious, sneaky lines of reasoning that I have ever heard, I love it! You are most definitely the son of James Potter. He would be proud of you, Harry. If you ever run for Minister of Magic, you have my vote!” There was much laughter in his voice.

“So, Professor, will you help me?” Harry asked.

Merriment shone on Albus’ face.
“Yes, Harry. I’ll help any way I can. I’ll go from here to speak with Amelia Bones, head of the DMLE. I think she’ll like your line of reasoning Harry.”

“Thanks, professor, I knew that I could depend on you to help out.” said Harry, shaking he old wizard’s hand. Harry walked him to the door, and Albus apparated to the Ministry of Magic.

Harry walked back into the living room, and sat down next to Hermione, leaning his head on her shoulder. He was suddenly tired beyond belief. He closed his eyes, only for a moment, and the next thing he knew, Helen was gently shaking his shoulder to wake him.

“Harry”, she said softly. “Harry. Wake up, dear.”
Harry roused himself.
“Sorry, I didn’t mean to doze off like that.” he said.
She smiled at him. “It’s all right, dear. We expected this. Why don’t you go up to your room and take a nap. You need to rest.”

They both looked over at Hermione, who was also sleeping. They woke her up, and the young couple went up the stairs, holding hands.
He walked her to her bedroom door, and gave her a gentle kiss before she went in to lie down. He went to his room, and laid down on the bed. Before he knew it, he was sound asleep.

A little while later, Helen went up to check on them. She was surprised to find her daughter curled up in Harry’s arms, sweet smiles on both of their faces. Helen’s heart seemed to have skipped a couple of beats, and she just stood there, watching them sleep, until Richard came up behind her and took in the sweet scene. He put his arms around his wife, and kissed her lightly behind her ear. He shared his heart, and his love with her, just as Harry was sharing his with their daughter.

Gently, he pulled his wife away from the door, leading her back downstairs, to allow the youngsters to sleep undisturbed in blissful peace.

“I’m going to have to have a talk with Harry very soon, Helen”, he said.
“And I’ll have to have one with Hermione, too”, she replied.

A Couple of Hours Later

Hermione awoke slowly, she felt arms around her, holding her closely to a warm body. She opened her eyes, and saw Harry’s face close to hers, a hint of a smile on his lips. She smiled to herself. She lay there in his arms, content to simply watch him as he slept. Her heart was full of love for him. She could not imagine not having him in her life. She didn’t want to imagine not having him in her life.

She loved this boy more than she thought possible. Harry’s well-being, and his happiness was linked directly to her own. She knew immediately when Harry was taken to hospital, that she had to be there for him, that he might not survive if left to the care of others. She didn’t argue with her parents about going to St. Mungo’s to be with him, she simply told them that is where she would be, and floo’d directly there.

Her mother and father were completely bemused by her actions. Hermione had never done anything like this before. It was so out of character for her. Not knowing what else to do, they contacted Albus Dumbledore, and after explaining to him what their daughter had done, he came and took them to see her at the hospital. At first, they planned to take her home, whether she wanted to go or not. But after watching her care for the unconscious boy, and seeing how much he meant to her, they relented. If they forced her to go home before Harry was well, or at least, out of the woods, she would have been unhappy and resentful.

They could see how much she loved him. It was plain for anyone to see. Helen told Richard to go home, that she would stay with Hermione for a time, and see just how far this situation had progressed. He agreed and floo’d home. To wait for her.

Helen came in and sat down next to Harry’s bed, watching her daughter minister to the unaware boy. She said nothing, just watched. For some reason, she felt compelled to take Harry’s limp hand in hers.

When she did, she felt an odd sensation. Not exactly electric, but something unusual nonetheless. It reminded her of the feeling she always got when her husband touched her. She knew, somehow, that this sensation was not for her, but for Hermione. What she felt was an echo of the feelings he had for Hermione. She could only sense it because it was meant for her daughter, and no other.

Helen Granger knew, right then and there, that this young man, a child really, would forever be a part of her life, and the lives of her child and husband. The realization struck her hard, and to her surprise, she was immensely pleased.

But she almost lost it completely when she gently reached to brush a lock of hair out of his eyes, and he softly murmured, “Mummy?”
Almost automatically, she whispered to him, “It’s all right, baby, shhh, sleep.”
The sleeping boy smiled slightly and drifted back into the deep sleep he had been in.
She looked up into Hermione’s tear-filled eyes, who was holding her hands over her mouth, and there was a connection made between mother and daughter. One that neither had known before.

Helen got up from the chair, and ran out into the hallway. She leaned against the wall, and tears overwhelmed her, She slid down the wall to the floor and wept uncontrollably. Hermione was right behind her, and had grabbed on to her, to keep her from falling too fast and hurting herself. Mother and daughter, sat on the hard floor, holding each other, crying openly for the boy sleeping in Room 9A.

“Now you know, don’t you, Mum? You know how I feel about him, and what he means to me. Now you know why I need him so much,” Hermione said to her mother, her voice gentle, her eyes showing understanding beyond her years. It was hard to see Hermione at that moment as a 12-year-old child. She saw her daughter as a mature young woman. “Now you know why I love him so much. Just like you feel about Daddy.”
Helen said nothing, but nodded. She did understand. And they wept.

After a time, they regained their composure and stood. Helen hugged Hermione and said that she would return later. She needed to go home and be held by Richard for awhile. She needed him more than ever right now. Hermione understood, and kissed her on the cheek, before returning to Harry’s side. Helen went to the floo station and went home. She needed her husband to hold her and just love her.

Hermione came back to the present as Harry began to stir, finally waking up. He opened his eye to see her big liquid brown eyes just a few short inches from his.
“Hello, My Hermione.” His eyes were alight with his delight at finding her in his arms as he awoke.
“Hello back, Love. How are you feeling?” she asked.
“A little stiff and sore, but refreshed.” He pondered for a moment, mentally giving himself a once over examination.
“Actually, I feel pretty good. What time is it? I didn’t want to sleep the day away.”
She looked at the clock on the bedside table behind him.
“It’s just about 1400 hours. We’ve been asleep about 2 hours.”

They just lay there, enjoying each others touch, sharing an occasional light kiss, and just talking about nothing. From downstairs, they heard Richard shout, “HEY! Are you two still asleep? Come on, get up, you layabouts!. Let’s go swimming!”

They both grinned, and thought that seemed like a good idea. They got up, and Hermione went to her room to change, while Harry looked through the chest of drawers and found a swim suit that Helen had picked up for him. He put it on, and grabbed a towel from the bathroom, and went down stairs. Hermione told him through the door to go on downstairs because wasn’t ready yet.

He went downstairs and met up with her father.
“Have a good nap, Harry?” asked Richard. He had a crooked grin on his face and he knew that he was busted. One of her parents must have seen them sleeping together. Harry’s face began to turn red, and he stammered out, “Uh, yeah, er, that is.. Y-y-yes, sir. I did.”

Richard just smirked. Helen walked over and slapped him on his arm.
“OW! What was that for, Helen? I didn’t do anything.”
She smiled sweetly at him and said, “Stop taking the mickey out on him. Hermione went and crawled in with him. So leave the poor boy alone.”
“Yes, ma’am”, he said meekly.

Harry had to laugh

“Come on, Harry, we can get in the pool. Hermione can never decide which swimsuit to wear. It might be midnight before she makes her mind up,” Richard told him. He clapped the boy on the shoulder and led him out to the pool.

The pool wasn’t Olympic sized, but it was a good size, about 50 feet long, and 30 feet wide. The shallow end had some built in seats for relaxing in the water. The water was clear and inviting. Harry slipped off his T-shirt, and placed in on a chaise lounge. He turned to the pool and without a second thought, cannonballed into the deep end. The water was warm and it felt so good to immerse himself in it.

He surfaced, and swam a couple of laps slowly, allowing his stiff and sore muscles to stretch, enjoying the buoyancy of the water. He swam to the side of the pool and crossed his arms on the side, and rested his head on them, letting his legs and lower body float gently.

“Hey, Richard! Come on in. This is great!” he shouted to the older man.
“Okay, Harry. Give me minute.”

Richard came out to the poolside, and placed his towel and glass of tea on a table.
When he took off his shirt, Harry couldn’t help but gape at the older man. His body was criss-crossed with scars! Not as many as Harry had, to be sure, but still a lot more than most people had. Only after he mentally catalogued the older mans scars, did Harry notice that Richard’s appearance was very deceptive when he was wearing a shirt. He was strongly built, with the physique of an athlete. His arms and legs were powerfully corded with muscle and his stomach flat and hard. His chest was powerful, and he had strong, wide shoulders, Ha had the look of a man not to be trifled with.

He had a tattoo on his left bicep of a blazing sword with the words “Per Mare, Per Terrum” and the number 42 on the blade. He saw Harry staring at it, and grinned.
“Four-Two Commando, Royal Marines, Harry”, he told Harry. “The motto translates into “By Sea, By Land”.

Harry was thunderstruck, Until he took the shirt off, he looked like the dentist that he was.
“Your were a Royal Marine, sir?” Harry asked, in awe of the man before him. Every British schoolboy knows the reputation of a Royal Marine Commando.

Richard grinned at the boy, “Yep.” He snapped to rigid attention, and snapped a salute.
“SAH!, Captain Richard D. Granger, SAH!” He grinned and lowered his hand, then jumped into the pool with Harry, splashing him. Harry pulled away from the poolside, and flung himself on Richard, attempting to dunk the older man for splashing him. Harry rode on Richard’s back, trying unsuccessfully to push his head under the water. But Richard was far too strong, and Harry was still too weak and too small to pull it off. Both of them were laughing, and having a good time.

While they were so occupied, Helen and Hermione strode out onto the patio. Both had short terrycloth robes on over their swim suits. The stood by the pool’s edge, watching the ‘boy’s’ at play. Both were smiling at their antics. Harry finally had to break off the horseplay, to catch his breath. As he stood in the shallow water at the edge, he spotted the ladies.

Hr grinned at them. “Hey, Richard! Look who finally showed up!”
Richard looked up at Harry’s call, and said to him, “It sure took them long enough, didn’t it?’

“Cheeky, aren’t they, Hermione?” said Helen.
“They certainly are! Here we go to great lengths to make ourselves beautiful for them and they don’t even notice. I think we’ve been insulted, Mother”.

Both of the ladies were smiling, so Harry knew that they weren’t serious.
“My apologies, ladies. Please forgive me. I must have lost my head there for a moment.” he said, “Richard?”
Richard, joined right in.
“Oh, yeah, Harry. Too right! Ladies, we, the men of the household offer our most sincere, and profound apologies to you both.” Richard looked at his wife with big, sad, puppy-dog eyes. Harry, seeing what he was doing, immediately followed suit.

Naturally, both of the women couldn’t resist, and relented, laughing at their antics.
“Okay, boys, I forgive you. Hermione?”
“Oh, yes. Me, too. I forgive you both,” she said with a giggle.

Helen and Hermione went over to the lounges and Hermione took off her robe. Harry’s felt his breath suddenly leave him. Richard looked a bit stunned, too.

Hermione was wearing a rather modest two-piece suit of light green. She wasn’t what you could call “built”, but he could see that she would develop quite nicely. She was still rather flat-chested, but he knew that would soon change, and her abdomen was firm with definite muscle definition apparent. You could tell that she worked out. Her hips flared gently, and Harry couldn’t help but notice that she had a very nice bum. Her legs were long and well-muscled without being overly so.

Overall, the picture she presented affected Harry intensely. At that moment, he was very glad that he was wearing baggy trunks, and was standing in the water. His tumescence would have been quite obvious otherwise.

“My God, Hermione! You are smashing!” Harry blurted out without thinking about what he was saying, or about who was present. Realizing what he said, and in front of her parents, he was mortified. He blushed vividly.

Helen and Richard just grinned at his embarrassment, and Hermione blushed as deeply as Harry. They were like a matched set.

Then it was Helen’s turn. She took her robe off, and Harry’s eyes almost popped out of his head.
Her suit was a one-piece, skin-tight the same color as Hermione’s. To put it bluntly, Helen was really built. She wasn’t overly large on top, and she had a small waist. Harry took one look at her and knew exactly where Hermione got her beauty from.

“Hermione”, he said slowly, “If you turn out to be as beautiful as your mom, I’m one hell of a lucky guy.”
Both women blushed at Harry’s compliment.
“Harry, are you flirting with my wife?’ Richard asked.
“No, sir. Just stating the obvious. They are both absolutely stunning beauties. Only a blind man couldn’t see that. Add to that their fantastic personalities… Well, I’d have to say that we are two of the luckiest blokes in England,” Harry said. “Wouldn’t you agree?”

Richard allowed that Harry’s assessment was spot on. He waded over to Harry and put his arm around the boy’s shoulders.
“You’re right, Harry. You are 100% correct.”
The women joined them in the pool, and Hermione went straight to Harry, and he wrapped his arms around her. He gave her a light kiss on the lips. For some reason, he wasn’t hesitant in the least to show his feelings for Hermione in front of her parents. It wasn’t bravery, simply love. Her parents knew this, and was sure that neither one of them would take things too far.

They stood in the chest-high water, their arms wrapped around one another, just enjoying their feelings for each other. Helen swam over to her husband, and they mimicked the actions of the younger pair.

They were far enough away from the young couple to be able to converse in whispers without being overheard by them. They were so oblivious to anything around them that the adults probably could have shouted and they wouldn’t have noticed.

“They look good together, don’t they” she asked her husband.
“They do. Look at them. It’s like they were created just for each other, Helen. I wouldn’t dare try to keep them apart after seeing them like this. I think it would shatter them completely.”
“I know what you mean, dear. It would be cruel to break them up. And in the short time they’ve been together, their..relationship seems to be intensifying, growing stronger every minute.”

Helen looked into her man’s eyes. “Richard, I’m just a little scared by all of this. They’re so young, and this is all happening so fast. I don’t know what to do.” There was fear in her voice. Not fear that Harry would do anything to hurt Hermione. She knew better than that, but fear of what is unknown.

Richard did his best to reassure her, but deep inside himself, he felt much the same way as she felt. Her fears were his fears.

Harry and Hermione at the other end of the pool barely noticed her parents. They only had eyes for each other. Harry felt a sudden wave of weariness come over him. “Come on, ‘Mione. I need to sit down for a bit. I’m feeling a little dizzy.”

She led him to the steps and helped him out of the water and over to a chaise, sitting him down. She gave him a concerned look. But he tried to reassure her that he was fine.
“I’m fine, love. Really, I am. I’m just a bit tired, and a little dizzy. Remember what Becky said. This was to be expected. Let me just lie here and soak up some sun, and I’ll feel better in a few minutes.”

She wasn’t sure that he was right, but was willing to wait and see. He closed his eyes, and Hermione watched him like a hawk. She wasn’t going to let him have a relapse.
No way was he going back to the hospital if she could help it.
A Visit From The Law

“Harry, dear, it’s time to wake up. There’s someone here to see you.”
He opened his eyes to see Helen standing over him, bent over with her hand gently shaking his shoulder.
“How long was I asleep?” he asked, yawning.
“Not long. Only about half an hour. C’mon sleepyhead, you have company!’

He had company? Who could it be? If it was any of the Weasley’s they simply would have come to him and probably tossed him in the pool.

“Who is it, Helen, and where’s Hermione?”
“You’ll find out as soon as you go in the house. And Hermione is keeping them company until you show yourself. By the way, Harry, you might want to slip your t-shirt on first.”

Harry was puzzled, but did as Helen suggested. He walked into the living room and was surprised to see Dumbledore. Sitting next to his was young woman in professional Muggle garb. A plain grey business suit and skirt. On the floor beside her feet was a black briefcase She looks like lawyer, he thought. As it turns out, Harry was right. Next to her was a very serious looked, middle-aged man, dressed in black, including shirt and tie, his dark hair cropped short.

“Ah, Harry“, said Dumbledore, getting to his feet. “I’d like you to meet Miss Michelle Hart, of the Crown Prosecutor’s Office, and Detective Inspector Clive Wycliffe of the Surrey Police.”

Harry gingerly shook hands with the newcomers. He was a bit nervous, and Hermione, sensing this, moved to his side and put her arm around his waist.

“Please, sit down, Harry” said the young woman, “and please, relax. We’re here because Albus told us what your aunt and uncle did to you , and that you wish to prosecute them. Is that correct?”

Harry nodded hesitantly. He wasn’t sure just how much he could tell these people, even with Dumbledore present. They were Muggles. Weren’t they?
Miss Hart saw his hesitation, and had a very good idea why Harry was not saying much.
“Harry, the Inspector and I are both magical., and both of us are Hogwart’s graduates, if that’s what is bothering you.”
Harry’s eyes widened, and he looked to the headmaster for confirmation. The old wizard smiled and nodded his head, and Harry relaxed.

“I’m sorry, but I wasn’t sure just how much I could safely say. I wouldn’t want to get into trouble for talking about this with Muggles.” Harry told them with an apologetic tone.
“Not to worry, young man,” the Inspector said, a broad smile creasing his face. “Circumspection is often the wisest course to take in the face of the unknown. You acted quite properly.” His smile was disarming.

“Harry, What we need from you, tonight, is a statement so that we can prepare charges against the Dursley’s. The sooner we get through this, the sooner we can get out of here and leave you alone”, said the young prosecutor.

“I think that I can save you a lot of trouble. And time. Excuse me for just a moment.” He rose from the sofa, and went upstairs to his room. He opened the desk drawer and pulled out a notebook, and went back downstairs.

He handed the notebook to Miss Hart, saying, “I couldn’t sleep last night. I knew that someone would ask me all of these questions, and want me to make a statement. So I wrote everything out, and I included a list of the beatings that put me in hospital. Dates and hospital names. Everything that I can remember.”

He sat back down next to his girlfriend, and the Prosecutor open the notebook and began to read. As she scanned the pages, (she must have been as fast a reader as Hermione, Harry thought), her face paled, and tears began to flow down her face. But she refused to wipe them away, or stop reading until the end. She handed the notebook to her partner, who began reading.

As the young woman questioned Harry about some points, all minor, Harry noticed that the Inspector was becoming red in the face with barely controlled rage. His visage became hard, and determination suffused his face.

He finished reading, and took a deep breath, forcing control back to himself.
“Harry, this is excellent. I couldn’t have done it any better myself. I’ll have this transcribed in the morning, and bring it by for you to sign. I’ll need the Grangers to witness your signing. Once that’s done, we’ll take it before a magistrate, and warrants will be issued for the Dursley’s arrest. And I plan to make those arrests myself.
Very openly, very publicly.”

Harry said, “Publicly, sir?”
The police officer grinned maliciously, and said, “No. Very Publicly, Harry. Professor Dumbledore told us what you said about ruining the Dursley’s, and I, for one, are with you 100% on this. Rubbing his nose in the dirt will be almost as satisfying to me as seeing him go to prison. He deserves nothing less.”

Harry grinned hugely at the officer, and Hermione was almost giggling at the prospect of the Dursley’s in jail.

The Prosecutor grinned as well. “This one child abuse case that I am going to take great delight in taking to trial. With your testimony, Harry, and the medical records from those hospitals, this case is going to be what the Yanks call “a slam dunk”. Chance are very good that He will spend the rest of his life in prison, and she will spend at least 15 years incarcerated.”

A sudden thought just occurred to Harry, and with it came a great sadness.
“Miss, what will happen to Dudley? He doesn’t deserve to be hurt by all of this. He saved my life.”

All of a sudden, he felt like weeping for his cousin. He didn’t want Dudley to get hurt. He just wanted the boy’s parents to suffer, as they made him suffer.

She looked at Harry, then to the other adults. No one, it seems, to have taken into consideration the effect all of this would have on Harry’s cousin. Certainly no one wanted to see him hurt. Harry felt as if someone had just stabbed him in the chest.

“Maybe, I should just forget all of this. If Dudley gets hurt, then none of it means anything. Especially to me.” He looked up, the anguish he felt written all over his face. Hermione looked stricken, too. She knew that Harry would let the Dursely’s off if it meant saving his cousin pain.

“Harry, normally, in a case like this, Dudley would be made a ward of the court, and placed in a juvenile facility, or foster care. He would remain there until one of his parents was released from prison, if they could meet certain criteria. If not, then he will remain in our custody until he reaches his majority. But this won‘t happen until they are convicted. He can remain with them while they are free on bail.”, the prosecutor said, a sad expression on her face. This was a normal, but unexpected development. She could see that Harry was very upset by her words, and she realized that she was, too. She hated the idea of an innocent being caused to suffer.

The inspector was also upset. He had no answers for this one. His job was to uphold and enforce the law, whether he liked it or not. This was going to be one of those cases that was going to delight him, and at the same time, cause him grief.
He sighed. There were no easy days in this job.

Harry, upset over what was going to happen to Dudley, excused himself and went upstairs to his room. Hermione watched him walk slowly up the stairs, then turned to look at her mother. Helen nodded to her, and she got up and ran up the stairs to be with Harry. He needed her.

The adults sat silently.
Richard looked at his wife, a question unvoiced but easy to read in his eyes. Helen realized what he was thinking. Her eyes widened as she reached the same conclusion as her husband.

Richard smiled at her and turned to Dumbledore. They had some questions, and he had the answers that they wanted to hear. They discussed the matter for over an hour, receiving legal advice from the Prosecutor.

Meanwhile, up in Harry’s room, the couple lay on Harry’s bed, her head on his shoulder, her hand on his chest directly over his heart. Harry wasn’t crying, but he wasn’t far from it, either.

Damn it! Dudley saved his life! He didn’t deserve to suffer because his parents were bungholes! Harry couldn’t bear the thought of Dudley losing everything because of him. He’d rather let his aunt and uncle get away with what they had done to him, than to hurt Dudley. To Harry’s way of thinking, that would be wrong.

Harry thought back over the summer. Why hadn’t he noticed it before? Dudley didn’t bully him, or pick on him, or allow his friends to either. He also realized that Dudley had, on several instances, diverted Vernon’s wrath, saving him a beating, and had helped Harry out with chores. The ones that Harry had thought made Vernon’s list by mistake. Dudley had gone to a lot of trouble to protect and help Harry without being discovered by his parents.

Harry told all of this to Hermione, and she was surprised, having heard nothing but bad about Harry’s cousin for such a long time. She found it hard to believe that Dudley had such an extreme change of heart. But she took Harry’s word for it. Besides, Professor Dumbledore had mentioned it too while Harry was unconscious in hospital. She just didn’t register what she heard until Harry jogged her memory. She thought hard. She had to find a way to help Harry to help Dudley.

Harry suddenly sat up. He had an idea.
“Hermione, would you go down and ask the Headmaster to come up here. I need to talk with him privately, and quickly. Please?”

“Okay, Harry. Call me if you need me.” As she stood to go downstairs, he grabbed her hand and pulled her to him. He looked into her eyes, and said, “My Hermione, I’ll always need you. I love you.” He kissed her lips softly, letting his tongue gently caress her lips. She shuddered, feelings that she had never felt before coursing throughout her entire body.
As they broke apart, she told him, :I love you, too, Harry. More than you will ever know.”
Her voice was shaky from that kiss, and her knees felt weak, but she did as he asked.

The headmaster went up the stairs to Harry’s room. As he entered, he saw Harry sitting at his desk, writing furiously. Dumbledore remained silent, while Harry wrote. Albus had a pretty good idea what Harry was doing.

“Professor,” Harry said, still with his back to the headmaster. “I need to get this letter to Dudley as soon as possible, But Hedwig is still at the Dursley’s, and then I need you to take me to the Dursley’s tomorrow afternoon, before Vernon gets home from work. Would you do that for me?”

“Certainly, Harry. I won’t even ask why. You’ll tell me in your own good time, I believe. And I am positive that Dudley is taking very good care of Hedwig. I would know otherwise,” a large smile creasing his features.

Harry smiled back at his headmaster, “Thanks, sir. I appreciate that. I want to see what I can before I discuss it with you. We can tell them that I have come for my things, if that’s all right with you. I hope that you understand, sir.”

“Harry, my boy. I think I do. Don’t worry about it. If you are trying to do what I think you are, then, I am all for it.”

“Now then, shall we join the others downstairs? I think that our guests are ready to leave, and I am sure that Helen wants to get started on dinner. Besides, I find myself with quite an appetite,” he told Harry, a smile beaming from him.

Harry grinned at him, and the older wizard put his hand on the shoulder of the younger wizard, and they went back downstairs.


IN MY MIDNIGHT CONFESSIONS
~The Grass Roots

Later that evening, much later, after the investigators and Professor Dumbledore had left, And Harry and Hermione were asleep, Richard and Helen lay in bed, her head resting on his shoulder and he was absent-mindedly stroking her back. Neither were sleeping, their minds going back over all of the days events. Yes, they were very tired, but sleep eluded them.

“Richard, what’s going to happen now?
“I don’t know, dear. I just don’t know. I think that we’re just going to have to take it one day at a time, and let things sort themselves out.” he paused,. “Did you see how Harry reacted when he heard what would happen to his cousin?”

“I did. I thought the boy was going to fall apart. I know that they have never really got on with each other till this summer. It seems that Dudley has made some changes, apparently for the better.” She rose up and turned to face him, her body resting on his chest. He could see her clearly from the moonlight streaming in through the window.

“Richard, we can’t allow Harry to let the Dursley’s get away with what they’ve done to him, just because he doesn’t want Dudley hurt. That would be wrong on so many levels”

She paused, thinking to herself. Richard watched his wife as her mind churned for a solution. A solution that he had already come up with earlier. But, it was one that she would have to come to for herself. He knew his wife well, and knew it wouldn’t take her long to reach the same conclusion he already had.

“Richard, love, I think I have an answer to this dilemma,” she told him.
“I know you do. Take the boy in ourselves, and let him live with us, right? Make him a part of the family.”

She looked at her husband, eyes wide. How did he know what she was thinking? That’s exactly what her idea was.

“Relax, doll face. I reached that conclusion before everyone left, and the kids went to bed. It’s the only thing that will allow Harry to go on with this, and it will help the Dursely boy, too, I think.” He took a deep breath, then spoke again, his tone serious. “I don’t want to see any kid institutionalized. When I was in the Marines, we got some kids who had been raised in orphanages, and state homes, and to be honest, about half of them went bad, in one way or another. I’d like to spare the boy that fate. He saved Harry, and even helped Harry out when it would have been much easier not to, and went against his parents wishes to do it. Whatever he was before, it seems that he has changed much in the last year. I just can‘t let that be thrown away by an uncaring government.”

He looked his wife in the eyes, and with utmost sincerity told her. “I want to help this kid. From what Albus told us, he’s worth the effort. But if he is put elsewhere, what chance has he? Not much, I’m afraid. And I cannot bring myself to simply abandon him. I know that I can’t help every kid, but I think that we can help Dudley.”

“Okay, darling.” She said, her eyes glistening in the moonlight.
Richard looked surprised.
“ ‘Okay?’”, he asked. “Just ‘okay’?”
“Yes, dear. Okay. What do you want a speech?” She grinned at him.
He shrugged his shoulders.”
“So, my dear, loving wife, what do we do now?’

“Now, my wonderful husband, you make mad, passionate love to me, because your big …., uh, heart has made me quite horny.”

He rolled her over onto her back, and raised himself above her. He bent down, and gave the first of many kisses that he was going to give her before they slept.
“That sounds like a great idea to me.”
He could have sworn that her eyes were glowing in the moonlight coming in through the windows.
“I thought that you’d like it.”