It was August 20th and Harry couldn't sleep for the life of him. After passing out in the hallway only hours earlier, Harry found himself once again, in his bed with the blankets brought up to his chin. After falling down to the floor in the hallway, he heard Aunt Petunia screaming and running upstairs, his uncle soon joined him, and he vaguely remembered being dragged to his bed and fed some water. It was hours later, and Harry woke up to find himself covered in sweat and feeling only one thing. Pain. His head ached and his chest felt like someone was sitting on him. His forehead was burning up at concerning rates and his throat was as dry as a desert. He tried to reduce the pain by trying to go back to sleep again but when he tried to, he felt as the world was crashing down on him. He fell back to the bed and turned over in pure agony. "I haven't felt this bad in a long time," Harry thought to himself and then he laughed. He felt delirious, he felt like everything was going to be ok. The pain throughout his entire body seemed to go numb and his laughs were soon interrupted by a coughing fit. Aunt Petunia opened the door and saw Harry coughing into his sleeve. His sleeve held a red color. Blood. Aunt Petunia quickly grabbed a bottle of medication on Harry's desk and poured out a few pills and handed it to him. Harry quickly swallowed them and laid his head on the backboard. "Why" he thought to himself. If anything, he always seemed to go through the worst of stuff but yet make it out unharmed and now, he was being crippled by a stupid muggle illness of some sort. He gave a quick glance at Aunt Petunia; she shifted uncomfortably on the bed and her hands were pure white with a red streak across her hand.
"Aunt Petunia, what happened to your hand," Harry asked in a horse voice. He winced at the sound, he sounded like he was 100 years old, or he was indeed, very sick. Aunt Petunia smiled to herself. "He really is the sweetest boy," she thought to herself.
"Nothing much dear, just a tiny argument with Dudley, thanks for asking though," Aunt Petunia replied. Harry looked like he didn't believe it but decided to drop it before his aunt reached her breaking point. She did indeed look very pale and worried about a unknown matter. Harry remained content on resting his head on the backboard. He felt a lot better now since he took the pills, but he still felt very shaky and unwell. He tried to change the subject.
"So, anything interesting happen since I went unconscious?"
"No nothing to interesting,"
Harry felt the awkwardness start to seep into the room. His aunt remained content on looking at the floor, he felt himself looking at the ceiling. After about 5 minutes, Harry didn't know how much longer he could take of this, his aunt still had not looked up from the floor. She seemed lost in thought, and something told Harry that, his aunt was trying to tell him something but didn't know how. He felt himself become curious about what she wanted to say but, he also felt that he shouldn't push it. His aunt did eventually after 20 minutes, look up from the floor. She opened her mouth but shut it once more. After a while, she did get a sentence put together.
"Hey Harry, I'm going to start dinner now, try to get some rest and maybe try to respond to your friends, they've sent a lot of letters since yesterday."
Sure enough, Harry looked over to see 5 envelopes that seemed to have been delivered by Hedwig only hours earlier. He groaned and turned over on his side. Aunt Petunia looked at him and her eyebrows knitted themselves together. She rubbed her hand on Harrys back for comfort.
"Harry, if there's anything I can do for you, please let me know."
Harry turned over on his side again so that he could face her. "Since when have you wanted to help me." Aunt Petunia wasn't taken away by this, she had treated him horribly since the moment he arrived on her doorstep.
"I don't know Harry, I wish I knew but I want to change, I really do. That's if you allow me."
A wave of comfort & discomfort replaced the awkwardness in the room. Harry's mind went to intense heights to figure out what Aunt Petunia was playing at, but he couldn't find any reason she would want to not help him. Actually, he was thinking of at least 20 reason that Aunt Petunia would not want to help him, but he held those thoughts back. Harry didn't want to say anything though, he simply nodded, and Aunt Petunia seemed to get the message.
"Ok, before I leave, is there anything you need? "
Harry thought and thought but all his thoughts lead to him not wanting to trust Aunt Petunia. After a while, he finally found one thing he could trust his aunt with, of course though, he would be with her.
"Um actually there is something you could help me with."
Aunt Petunia was focusing with all her might, "What would that be dear?"
"Can you help me write to my friends, I still weak but I can write, there's just so many..."
Harry gave a quick look over at the stack of envelopes at the floor near the edge of his bed. The stack had at least 10-30 letters in it. Most of them were from Hermione and Ron, some were from Remis, and some were probably from Sirius. Harry wanted to respond to them but there was just to many letters to handle. Aunt Petunia nodded and put on her happiest smile. It looked genuine. Genuine. She shifted from left to right until she got up.
"Harry, I'm going to see to dinner, get some rest please."
"Yes Petunia."
With that Aunt Petunia made her way downstairs and attended to a pot of boiling water. She felt herself trembling, her hands shook as she picked up the slicer to peel the potatoes. The skins fell on the floor and the pot started to boil over. She quickly ran and turned down the heat along with picking up the potato skins. She finished cutting up the potatoes and tossed them into the jumping water dancing along the sides of the pot. Cutting boards and peelers were placed in the sink. She found a spot at the table and covered her head with her hands. Minutes later, Dudley found his mom crying in heart-breaking sobs. She had tears running down through the gaps of her fingers and her head was really, really red. Dudley never saw him mother cry at all, there were only special times, like when she knew that a child she loved was in danger of dying or that someone broke her prized vase. He knew this because, well, he broke her vase once and he got punished with insults and tears. Cold wet tears. Petunia continued to cry for several minutes while Dudley rubbed her back.
"I know, I know, he's he's...." Aunt Petunia managed to get out without crying again. Dudley didn't know what to really say, he cared for Harry but as a friend, not a brother. He never even considered that. Now though, he knew that he should at least give some effort of kindness, if Harry was going to die. He might as well leave some good keepers of him for Harrys afterlife. Meanwhile upstairs, Harry hadn't been able to fall asleep, sooo, he did the best next thing. He grabbed a letter from the dresser next to him and ripped it open. The letter was from Hermione. As Harry glanced over it, his nerves began to shoot out through the roof with ultimate dread and fear.
Dear Harry,
Its Hermione, this is now the 10th letter I have sent you this week. I still haven't received a single response. I don't know if you're just trying to avoid us (Which I wouldn't even know why) or if your just not able to. Either way, ANSWER. I worry and Ron worries. What if your hurt or worse? I need to know, its not nice to keep your friends in the dark. I don't even want to mention how Mrs. & Mr. Weasley feels, Fred & George have caused mayhem over here. Ron's anxiety isn't helping. Ginny has been ok which is surprising, honestly, I think she's just trying to keep herself distracted. Sirius & Remus says hi, but you would know that if you read our letters. Please answer, I mean it, we will send help over if you don't respond soon, I mean it Harry. Answer our letters! Also, Mrs. Weasley is saying that she's coming over to pick you up so that you can stay with us at the Burrow before school starts, the headquarters for the order though has been moved somewhere where we can't stay. How unfortunate. Anyway, bye for now. ANSWER this LETTER!
*Mrs. Weasley is coming August 29th to get you*
- Hermione Granger & Ron Weasley
Harry looked down at the letter in dismay, he felt sick reading it. Very sick. He knew that he should feel ashamed for himself for not writing them back, but, he also hasn't had the strength to write them back. He knew that tomorrow his aunt would help him but, part of him was just careless and wished that he hadn't even thought to write back. "Its August 20th, which means that they will be here in 9 days," Harry told himself. He looked back down at the letter, he felt his heart rate spike and found breathing to be extremely difficult. Anxiety washed over him, and his heart rate was unstoppable. His breaths were fast and quick, he felt himself slipping from reality. He leaned his head against the headboard and closed his eyes to stop the pain in his chest and head. He felt it pass and opened his eyes to see a very worried aunt looking at him from the edge of his bed.