Saviour of Magic

The Aftermath

Hugging Daphne tightly as she rubbed his back in a soothing gesture, he cried silently on her shoulder. Daphne too couldn't help but shed tears. She did not know if Harry was going to make it out alive.

"D-Daphne is Harry going to be o-okay?" asked Dylan, his eyes red, sounding very much like a young child as he hiccupped.

"I don't know, Dylan," said Daphne quietly, as tears rolled down her cheeks. When Astoria entered the hospital wing, Daphne grabbed her sister in a hug too. They sat there, not knowing what to do, as they waited ... waited for any news about Harry's recovery.

More than three and a half hours later, the four exhausted healers stepped out from behind the privacy screens. The specialised healers muttered instructions to Madam Pomfrey and made their way to the Floo. Elizabeth collapsed in an armchair next to her husband as the matron disappeared into her office.

"How is he?" asked Cyrus softly.

"He's stable for now," said Elizabeth quietly. "But when we began healing him, we thought there was no way he was going to stay alive for more than an hour. We were astounded when his inherent magic began helping us heal his injuries. He's very determined, even when near death. It will take time but with enough help, we believe he will make a full recovery."

"Is he in pain?" Daphne whispered, trying to keep her voice steady.

Elizabeth grimaced. "No potion can negate the effects of the Cruciatus Curse, Daphne. I don't know how long he was under the curse, but from our scans, we can infer that it was pretty long. Don't expect him to be the same after he wakes up; he may not be the same Harry Potter you remember. There is a possibility that he has suffered brain damage that we may not have detected yet."

"Nothing will happen to him," said Dylan firmly. "Harry will be fine! No amount of torture can ever break him, I know it!"

No one said anything to that heartfelt declaration because all of them were hoping that Dylan was right.

HP*SAVIOUR OF MAGIC*HP

Harry groaned softly as he felt himself wake up. The first thing he registered was acute pain all over his body. Then the realisation hit him that he was finding it hard to breathe. He squeezed his eyes shut when he felt blinding pain shoot up his body from his testicles, nearly paralysing him. He took several deep breaths, ignoring the pain in his chest to combat the pain elsewhere. The unique smell of a hospital made him realise that he was probably at Hogwarts. With a lot of difficulty, he opened his eyes, confirming his whereabouts. The sight of the school's hospital wing greeted him, along with several familiar faces.

Cyrus and Elizabeth Greengrass were sitting in armchairs by the fireplace, both clearly asleep. Astoria had taken a bed for herself and she too was fast asleep. To his left was Daphne, sitting in a chair by his bed and using the mattress as a pillow. To his right was Dylan, resting his head on Harry's arm, refusing to let go as he slept. When he tried to move, Harry winced in pain. Dylan's eyelids twitched at the movement and slowly opened. Blinking the sleep from his eyes, he realised with a start that Harry had regained consciousness. Not wanting to wake anyone who was sleeping, Dylan pressed the locket hanging around his neck, which cast a privacy charm around them. It took all of his self-control to not rush into his brother's arms and give him a hug.

"How are you feeling?" asked Dylan softly as he helped Harry sit up.

"Fine, I think," Harry replied in a raspy voice, wincing in pain as his delicate, abused flesh came into contact with the pillows. It hurt even to touch and breathe.

"You always say that you are fine, even when you're not," Dylan grimaced. "Here, drink this. Madam Pomfrey told us to give it to you if you woke up during the night."