Healing Harry Potter

Chapter 6

Chapter 6

Published: 9/3/22

Harry did not make it through the night this time. He woke up screaming and nearly grabbed ahold of the monkshood potion before Draco could bring him back. He managed to keep Harry from drinking it and was eventually able to vanish it. The curse would always hit Harry at his weak points. That was the cruelty of it. Harry would never be able to say no, if he was alone. Pain was too alluring for him, still.

When morning came, Laura bought food that Harry did not want to eat. Draco handed her a letter for Weasley and Granger to meet him in his office at nine. After Laura left, Draco coaxed him into eating some of it. He resisted and wasn't interested in conversation. When Laura came back, she said they accepted and agreed to sit with him.

"Harry... I need to step out for a few. Will you be okay with Laura?"

Potter just nodded but didn't make eye contact. Draco repeated his instructions not to touch him, even if the potion appeared, and Laura said she understood. When he walked out into the hallway, he looked around for his office, not really sure where it was at first, before he found it tucked away two hallways down. He entered and realized that he hadn't unpacked or anything. He was barely able to cast cleaning and dusting charms on the room when there was a knock.

"Malfoy?" Granger's voice came.

"Yeah, come in," he said as he cleaned off the two guest chairs and was moving a large box of files off his desk when the door opened. "Sorry, I haven't had the opportunity to unpack. Almost had to ask for directions to my own office. Sit down. We need to talk."

Draco set the box roughly in the corner and took the seat behind the desk. Weasley and Granger sat anxiously in front of him.

"How... how is he?" she asked, with sadness in his voice.

Draco nodded. "He's doing well. I'm glad you both listened about staying away, giving him and yourselves a breather."

"Mione stole my wand... and the floo powder," Weasley grunted, still looking miserable.

"Good. Forgive me for not writing, but there has been some progress."

Both of them jerked upward, now more alert and attentive. "Progress?" Granger asked.

"Yes. I was able to convince Harry to let me scan him. I found the Concealment Charms and nasty compulsion one, and I removed them."

Weasley's mouth dropped. "You mean... he won't drink the potion anymore?"

"He won't be compelled to."

Weasley looked to Granger. "Meaning?"

"It has reappeared a few times, but he hasn't drunk it, yet. I fear that after five years... his mind has been trained to drink it when it appears. Pain is his escape route, so I don't want to leave him alone... at all, until I can remove the curse on him."

"There's a curse on him?" Hermione gasped. He could see the guilt in her eyes.

"It was buried deep, Hermione. I know how my father operates, how he hides his magic. It took me years to remove what he put on me. Don't fret that you missed something."

"We... checked. We did," she whispered.

"I'm sure many healers checked, but I am a curse breaker and have flirted with the Dark Arts more than anyone in the hospital. But my point that I was getting at... was it is still on him. The poison goblet will continue to reappear and chase him for the rest of his life. It's a vicious one that preys on Harry when he's weak, and as I said, he will drink it if he is down enough. He knows it's an escape."