"How is he, Severus?"

  Albus Dumbledore stood beside Harry's bed, his expression grave. He was watching Professor Snape run his wand from the boy's head to his feet, muttering incantations, looking no happier than the Headmaster. Madam Pomfrey stood close by the two professors, ready to assist at any moment.

  Snape lowered his wand and said, "It's a Dark curse from the Middle Ages. The victim falls into a deep coma and can only be awakened by the caster willingly performing the awakening charm. However, that's when the nightmare truly begins. The poison infiltrates the body, slowly spreading to all the vital organs. The victim will suddenly vomit blood in bursts after waking up. Without treatment, the person will die within a few days."

  Silence descended upon the hospital wing.

  "I heard about it years ago," Madam Pomfrey said after a long pause. "Malfoy claimed he accidentally read about it in a book in his home library this Christmas and it unexpectedly slipped out when he meant to curse Lovegood. Half of it was written in Ancient Runes, so he didn't know the terrible effects of the spell, only that the pronunciation sounded striking, so he memorized it."

  Dumbledore's face was a mixture of anger and sorrow.

  "You can heal him, Severus, can't you?"

  His complex gaze on Harry, Snape said quietly, "I can. The problem is, there's no telling when he'll start vomiting blood, so I won't know when to intervene. There's no set time, and he'll need to take potions for months to neutralize the poison. During that time, I'll have to closely observe his body's reactions to adjust the dosage and ingredients accordingly."

  Dumbledore said nothing. He stared intently at Harry's pale, closed face. When the boy woke up, he needed to give him a reasonable solution.

  "Pomfrey, would you mind stepping outside for a moment?" Dumbledore said very gently. "I think someone needs to inform the children waiting outside about Harry's condition."

  "Of course," Madam Pomfrey nodded and turned to leave the hospital wing.

  As she opened the door, a brawl was taking place right in front of her: Ron and Draco were wrestling on the ground, throwing punches and kicks, Hermione stood beside them cheering on her friend, looking like she wanted to jump in for a two-on-one fight, and Luna, looking utterly unconcerned by the violence, was staring intently at the hospital wing door with a worried expression, her eyes lighting up when she saw Madam Pomfrey appear.

  Inside the room, Professor Dumbledore said, "The boy will still need to return to Privet Drive, at least for a week, before he can be moved."

  "Where do you intend to move him?" Snape asked. "Grimmauld? I don't believe he'll want to return there after Black's death."

  "No, he needs to be somewhere you can keep a constant eye on him," Dumbledore shook his head. "Otherwise, what if something happens?"

  "Where then? Hogwarts?" Snape frowned. "I will remain here this summer then."

  "Even you wouldn't be able to reach Gryffindor Tower in time if something happened in the middle of the night, with his friends gone home and no one watching over him."

  "So where do you suggest he go?" Snape looked annoyed as his ideas were dismissed.

  "To your home, Severus," Dumbledore replied calmly.

  The hospital wing fell silent. Snape looked as if he had just heard the most insane thing in the world.

  "Are you serious? He won't want to, and neither will I..."

  "This is the best way for Harry," Dumbledore said sternly. "He will need constant supervision, wouldn't you agree?"

  "But I don't want him setting foot in my house!"

  "Severus, how many times have you put yourself in danger to protect the boy?" Dumbledore's sharp blue eyes observed Snape closely. "You have managed even the most perilous situations, so why can't you care for the boy for a certain period? It is far simpler than explaining to Voldemort why you didn't return immediately at the graveyard that night, wouldn't you say?"

  Snape paled slightly at the mention of the Dark Lord's name.

  "That is different. I cannot abide a Potter intruding on my domain."

  "He is a Potter, but he is also an Evans," Dumbledore continued to persuade. "You promised me you would protect Lily Evans's son, and this is that responsibility."

  Snape was silent, still looking unwilling.

  "Harry is all that remains of her," Dumbledore went on. "Help me protect Lily's blood."

  Silence filled the hospital wing. After a pause that felt like an eternity, Snape replied heavily, "Very well, Headmaster! But I assure you, even if he is sick and ailing, I will not indulge his mischief as you do."

  "Thank you, Severus," Dumbledore smiled cheerfully. "Well, I believe that as you care for him, you will realize he is not as you have preconceived."

  This book's true home is on another platform. Check it out there for the real experience.

  "That spring will never come!" Snape spat out.

  The news of Harry's confinement in the hospital wing due to a curse cast by Draco spread throughout Hogwarts. Ginny, Neville, Hagrid, McGonagall, and several other members of Dumbledore's Army visited as soon as they heard. Hermione and Ron had chased Draco out of the hospital wing when he had sneaked in. Gifts from well-wishers piled up around Harry's bed. As the school year was nearing its end, Draco was assigned detentions every Saturday night for the first two months of his sixth year and was summoned to the Headmaster's office.

  "You should consider yourself fortunate not to be expelled," Dumbledore said sternly. "Your actions have had terrible consequences."

  "I didn't intend to attack him," Draco muttered, avoiding Dumbledore's gaze.

  "But if the victim had been Miss Lovegood, would you have regretted it?" Dumbledore raised an eyebrow.

  Draco was silent. After a long pause, he said, "I don't know, but I wouldn't want that girl to die because of my mistake."

  "Well, then," Dumbledore's sharp eyes observed Draco's face closely. "Good, I am glad you answered that way."

  "Will Harry be alright?" Draco looked up, worry showing in his grey eyes.

  "Why are you so concerned about Harry?" Dumbledore asked, staring intently at the student.

  He had noticed and also received Snape's reports about the Malfoy heir being kinder and somewhat clingy towards his former rival for the past six months. Although outwardly he claimed it was a way to monitor and find evidence of Harry's wrongdoing for Umbridge, Dumbledore believed there was something deeper.

  "That's none of your business! Answer me!" As if stung, Draco jumped up, speaking sharply.

  Then, realizing he had overreacted, he stammered, "I mean... no... I just... that boy... I'm just worried about the consequences for myself!"

  Dumbledore was silent.

  "I understand," he nodded after a moment of staring at the student. "Of course, he will be alright."

  Draco sighed in relief, but still looked worried.

  "Draco, now that Voldemort has returned..." Dumbledore changed the subject.

  The platinum-haired boy flinched slightly at the mention of the Dark Lord's name and was surprised that the Headmaster had called him by his first name. They weren't that close.

  "Your father has been imprisoned for his actions at the Department of Mysteries. He will undoubtedly be extremely angry, and the Malfoy family's standing will plummet in the Dark Lord's ranks," Dumbledore said calmly.

  "What's that got to do with you?" Draco spat out.

  "If you ever need any assistance, please come to me," Dumbledore said. "Help is always available at Hogwarts. I will always protect my students in any circumstance."

  As if I need that old coot's help, Draco thought.

  Dumbledore, the representative of everything that went against the Malfoy family's beliefs, the one who had plunged his family into this dire situation, was now hypocritically offering moral support? Did the old man think he could recruit Draco to his side? Not a chance!

  Looking into the boy's grey eyes, Dumbledore sighed silently.

  As the school year ended, Ron and Hermione packed Harry's belongings and moved them to Professor Snape's office before he took them home with him. Both were extremely horrified at the thought of their best friend having to stay with the nasty old bat over the summer. Dumbledore had to make a solemn vow to ensure they wouldn't need to collect Harry's remains come September.

  When he arrived at the hospital wing to take his favored student back to his aunt and uncle's, he found Luna there. She had visited every day since the attack.

  "I must take him away now, Lovegood," Dumbledore carefully chose his words.

  Looking up at the Headmaster, Luna's eyes didn't look dreamy at all. "He won't want to live with Professor Snape, Headmaster Dumbledore. He told me that if Professor Snape hadn't provoked Harry's godfather, Sirius wouldn't have gone to the Ministry and been killed."

  Dumbledore paused, looking deeply troubled. "This is only a last resort, Lovegood."

  "He hates Professor Snape so much," the girl stood up. "How will Harry react when he wakes up and finds out he has to live with the person he blames for Sirius Black's death?"

  "I will explain everything. Harry will understand," Dumbledore replied. "This is the best way, for his own safety. I believe you understand that too."

  "I want to visit him over the summer," Luna said. "It's because of me that this happened to him. Harry needs his friends, he needs Ron and Hermione too."

  Staring intently at the blonde girl, Dumbledore nodded. "I will speak with Professor Snape again."

  When he took his favored student back to number four Privet Drive and explained what had happened, he wasn't surprised that the Dursleys showed no concern for their nephew. After all these years, having to leave Harry with this family was one of the things that grieved him most. However, he couldn't threaten them into treating the boy better; it would only backfire, and using the Imperius Curse was too extreme.

  Snape would just sneer and call Harry his Gryffindor pet whenever Dumbledore mentioned how pitiful the boy was. How could he understand how much Dumbledore owed Harry? To save the wizarding world from the impending catastrophe, he had sacrificed so much, but nothing caused him more anguish than sacrificing a child who had grown up unloved since he could speak. He couldn't comprehend how much Dumbledore grieved and wept whenever he thought of that likely future.

  Harry remained in a deep coma, breathing very faintly and lying still for a week at the Dursleys'. His aunt and uncle acted as if he didn't exist, only Dudley would occasionally open the door and peek into the room.

  Since the Dementor attack the previous year, the boy had changed a lot. He no longer dragged his cronies around, bullying other students at school and in the neighborhood. He also didn't let his followers call him "Big D" anymore. And even the Dursleys noticed that their precious son suddenly spent much more time studying; his grades started to improve, though still low, and he clearly seemed more worried about his A-Levels. Petunia had fussed over him, crying with joy that "her Diddykins" had matured and was thinking about his future, while Vernon worried that the boy was overworking himself.

  No one knew how much Dudley had seen how much of a hateful, arrogant bully he was when the Dementors attacked that night. For the first time in his life, he saw himself as utterly vile and how neglecting his studies would drag his life down to the bottom. That was why Dudley had changed, not just out of remorse but also out of concern for his future.

  He didn't fully understand what the giraffe-like old man with the beard had said to his parents, but he knew that his cousin was sick and his life was in danger now that Harry's family's killer had returned. Dudley wanted to help to repay the life debt from last year, but he didn't know how. He wasn't sure what was wrong with his cousin, only that he would peek in a few times a day, hoping Harry would wake up.

  But Harry didn't wake up until that old man came to take him away.

  "Wait!" Dudley blurted out as Dumbledore moved towards the door. His parents turned to look at him in surprise.

  "Is there something the matter, Mr. Dursley?" Dumbledore smiled politely.

  "I... will Harry be alright?" Dudley stammered.

  Looking at the large teenager before him for a moment, Dumbledore replied, "I promise you, your cousin will be alright."

  And then he turned, stepped down the threshold, and vanished.