Midnight In Hogwarts | Harry Potter FanFiction

Capitulum Duo

Walking down the empty hospital hallway during the early morning hours, Harry tried to focus on the present but his mind kept drifting to the past. He couldn't help thinking about the day he had started feeling other people's emotions. He had been in the middle of his shift, helping in the intensive care ward when all of a sudden he could feel soft waves of pain and confusion. He was confused and frightened at first. Were these emotions coming from Voldemort? He hadn't felt anything from the Dark Lord for quiet some time and even when he had it wasn't anything like he was feeling now. Voldemort's feelings were always overwhelming. These emotions were more like a gentle breeze around him.

Startled, Harry started to look around for the source of the faint emotions and finally found an elder man connected to endless machines in a nearby room. The man had a painful look on his face and was moaning softly. Harry didn't waste any time and ran for help. As it turned out, the patient's sedatives and painkillers were wearing off causing him to awaken too soon. The patient was once again sedated and with that, the faint emotions stopped. Harry hadn't 'felt' anything else until that night in the children's ward. It had only lasted a moment but it had been a sign that it wasn't going to be a one time occurrence.

It had been difficult to work through the strange ability at first especially since he couldn't tell anyone about it. What could he tell them? They didn't believe in magic let alone the ability to sense someone else's emotions. He was alone to deal with it while his own emotions were still so hard to control. Waves of sorrow and pain tended to release the hold he kept on his own feelings towards his guardians, friends and everything else he had been through which he had fought so hard to bury.

At times it felt like this newfound ability was taunting him, punishing him for leaving the way he did. He always seemed to pick up the negative emotions but then again, not many were happy about spending time in a hospital. It had taken a lot of patience and a lot of practice with his Occlumency studies but slowly Harry had managed to keep a barrier between his own emotions and everyone else's most of the time. He still had weak moments but they only came when he was extremely exhausted now.

Harry had to admit that he wasn't surprised about his empathy. There had been a few instances over the past few years where Harry had been able to sense things, especially in Care of Magical Creatures class. There had also been the emotional outbursts whenever he grew extremely angry. All in all, it made sense but it was sort of anticlimactic. The powerful outbursts had been painful at times but they had helped him face off against Voldemort and Death Eaters. He wouldn't have that luxury anymore. He would be completely on his own.

It was hard for Harry to figure out whether he was scared or relieved to know that. Of course Harry couldn't confidently say that the outbursts were indeed gone forever since it had only been a month since he had one but he had to admit that he actually felt more comfortable with himself than he had in a long time. It was rather ironic that Harry would finally be comfortable with his magical side in Muggle London (a place that could never see that side of him) but perhaps it was for the best. Harry had made the mistake in the past by revealing that he wasn't exactly normal. People had believed that he was evil just because he could speak to snakes. If they discovered what he could do now...

Harry let out a sigh as his shoulders slumped forward. He knew it was pointless to wonder about things that could never be. Going back would put everyone in danger again. Replaying the days before he left over in his mind, Harry had to wonder if he had been insane to listen to a voice that sounded like his dead father. He didn't know what pushed him to believe the warnings. He just felt like he had no other choice.

After that night Harry's head had been rather silent. He had heard nothing from 'his father' and his connection to Voldemort was basically nonexistent, not that he was complaining about the latter. He just wished he could find out if he had just imagined the entire thing or not. Or if I'm completely out of my mind.