Chapter Text
"P-Professor where are w-we going?"
Mad-eye Moody kept one strong arm around Harry as he half-guided half-dragged him away from the maze, the screams and cries becoming distant as Harry was led towards his office.
"Not here boy keep walking."
Harry's head hurt. Images of Cedric flashed in his head as Voldemort's cruel laughter still rang in his ears. He wanted to fall asleep and never wake up but Moody shook him awake every time he closed his eyes.
"Nearly there nearly there."
His steps became more irregular despite Moody's impatient orders. Just as he thought he was about to pass out from fatigue, Moody pushed him onto a chair.
"There we go Potter nice and safe." Harry couldn't help but note the slight twinge of bitterness in Moody's voice.
"Is he back?"
"Professor?"
Moody's back was to him as he replied. "The dark lord, did he return?"
"I- yes but how... how did you-"
"Never mind that! How did it happen?" Moody asked sharply.
Harry swallowed. "H-He... he took some of my blood and-"
"Blood? Where?"
"My arm." Harry lifted his sleeve to show the crimson liquid still seeping from his veins.
"I see," Moody said quietly. "The greatest dark wizard finally returns to complete what he should have done thirteen years ago and you escape with nothing but a small cut."
"I-what-"
"Clearly I must be the one to complete his mission," Moody said as he took out his wand. "Yes the dark lord will surely praise me the most for my actions, I shall be his most loyal servant when I return."
Harry's eyes widened in disbelief. Fear took over and he weakly tried backing away from Moody who saw his attempts and smiled. "But why just kill you now Harry? Surely the dark lord would want me to play with my food before eating it?"
"Please-"
"Crucio!"
Moody flicked his wand and Harry was hit squarely in the chest, the force of the spell knocking him off his feet. He withered and screamed in agony as Moody laughed maniacally.
He lifted the spell briefly and Harry tried crawling away, like an animal trying to hide from a hunter. "Not so fast Potter!"
He was hit again by the torture curse and this time his screams seemed to echo off the stone walls, pierced and pained whilst the spell mercilessly attacked every inch of his body and Moody cackled down at him.
Just as he thought he could no longer go on the spell was lifted once more. This time, however, he didn't even try to escape, knowing his efforts would be futile.
"W-why?" Was all he could manage to say as he blinked at Moody, his eyes glistening with tears.
"Stalling now are we Potter?"
"No... please- No...NO-"
"Crucio!"
Harry couldn't take it anymore. "Kill me! Kill me please! PLEASE!"
"As you wish Potter, but only because you asked so nicely."
Mad-eye raised his wand. "Avada keda-"
BANG! The door burst open and Harry saw three shadows enter the office. "Expelliarmus!" Moody's wand flew out of his hand. Another bust of light and Moody was flung backwards where he hit a wall and remained very still.
"Potter!"
McGonagall rushed towards him, her pale face flooded with concern. "Up you get Potter, come on."
With great difficulty, she propped Harry against a wall. She tried to stand him up but he moaned in agony and yelped when she pressed on his injured arm.
"Albus he needs to go to the hospital wing now!"
Dumbledore's piercing eyes swept over to Harry, bleeding and barely conscious and nodded before turning towards Mad-Eye, his usually calm face livid.
Harry just had time to see Dumbledore raise his wand before his head lolled back and darkness took over.
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He was in Umbridge's office, his hand fresh with new cuts carved into his skin. I must not tell lies.
Umbridge smiles sweetly at him. "Anything you want to say dear?"
Harry grits his teeth. "Fuck you," he spits.
Umbdrige backhands him and makes him write an extra fifty lines.
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Ron finds him in the common room, struggling to write an essay, his injured hand throbbing every time he raises his quill.
"You okay Harry?"
Harry hides his hand further down his sleeve and nods.
"What'd the old hag make you do this time?"
"Lines," Harry never told Ron or Hermione what Umbdrige really makes him do. He isn't sure why.
"Not too bad then."
"Not really."
After a while, Ron bids him good night and trudges up to the common room. Harry stays awake long into the early hours of the morning before giving up.
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He's falling behind on his homework but he's unable to keep up. Sleep-deprived and distracted all the time, it's no wonder that Umbdrige gives him detention again for failing to answer a single question correctly.
He starts writing his new lines, ignoring Umbridge's satisfied smirk. His hand has long stopped healing itself so that the old cuts still shine brightly under the new ones.
When he's finished he gets up to leave but a hand grips his shoulder painfully and forces him down again.
"Not so fast Potter."
Harry stares as Umbrdige takes her wand out. A horrible feeling of Déjà vu spreads through him that he does his best to ignore.
"What are you doing?"
She ignores him, now twirling the wand over her stubby fingers.
"Been getting a lot of detentions lately Potter," she said softly. "And still running your mouth about you-know-who's return, I'd have thought you'd learn by now."
Harry glares at her. "Voldemort is back! I saw him return with my own eyes! No amount of detentions will change that!"
To Harry's surprise, Umbrdige's smile widens. "Yes yes I thought you would have said something like that, very well Mr Potter it seems you leave me no choice, clearly writing lines has no effect on you, let's try another way."
"What are you-"
"Crucio!"
Harry topples back on his chair, falling to the floor as white-hot pain spreads around his body and horrible memories come flooding back.
"No, please! PLEASE-"
"There's no use screaming Mr Potter, I've cast the silencing charm on this office, no one can hear you but me."
"Please!"
The torture went on for what felt like hours before she finally removes the spell.
"W-Why are you doing this?" Harry sobs, his eyes now red and puffy.
"Haven't you learned anything at all Mr Potter? You must not tell lies"
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Harry stops eating. It was only a matter of time anyway since being in the great hall makes him feel like a pariah and the sight of food makes him feel sick.
Hermione brings him small pieces of toast in the common room. "I'm worried about you Harry," she whispers, her eyes glassy and concerned.
Harry looks at her and smiles. "Don't be."
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Umbridge has him write lines all over his body. She has decided that his hand isn't causing enough pain. I must not tell lies is scrawled all over him, the writing becoming messier as his hands shook more and more.
Harry has more difficulty hiding his cuts now. Ron nearly spots one on his ankle but he was able to pass it off as a small bruise he got tripping over a watering can in herbology. Hermione narrows her eyes but says nothing and Harry avoids her gaze.
The whispering becomes unbearable, cruel voices snaking their way into his ears.
Liar
Coward
Freak
They are familiar words to him now as he passes angry Hufflepuffs and Ravenclaws in the corridors. The Slytherins prefer to be more violent when it comes to Harry, throwing well-aimed stones and jinxes whenever he sees them.
He writes fewer letters to Sirius now, the only correspondent he was once so eager to talk to. Sirius still sends him weekly letters but his replies are shorter, barely answering any of his godfather's questions, the writing getting messier as his hands tremble uncontrollably when faced with a quill and parchment. Sometimes he has to rip apart entire pages and start over because he gets drops of blood on them.
Harry starts dozing off. First briefly in lessons, then during meal times, before he starts skipping entire classes to catch up on what little sleep he gets at night.
It's not enough sleep. It's never enough sleep but he takes what he can get.
Once he woke up in a broom closet with no memory of how he got there. He brushes it off as a one-time thing until it happens again. And again. And again.
His friends are worried about him. Ron and Hermione keep asking where he disappears to but he avoids their questions, claiming he doesn't know what they're talking about. Truth is he doesn't know himself.
One time he runs into Neville in a corridor. He asks where Harry has been and he just shrugs.
"Well come on we're going to be late for charms!"
He grabs Harry's hand and as he did he notices the deep scars that run along it. Harry hastily jerks his hand back and covers it with his robes but it's too late. Neville stares at him inquisitively and Harry can't meet his gaze; he just shakes his head and looks down. Neville's understanding though- he squeezes his hand and says nothing more.
Harry has to bite his lip to stop himself from crying out; unbeknown to Neville, beads of blood appear on the hand Umbridge made him cut over and over again.
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Angelina is angry with him again.
He's missed three quidditch practices and flies poorly in the ones he attends. She tells him if he keeps it up she will kick him from the team. Harry loses his temper and tells her he quits.
Ron and Hermione gape at him. They both think Quidditch is his favourite thing in the world. He never told them it used to be.
Angelina tries reasoning with him but he ignores her and storms out of the hall, the whispers and stares following him as he goes.
He finds his familiar broom closet and sits down, knees to his chest. Harry cries and cries and cries. Eventually, he must have fallen asleep because someone's shaking him awake. He looks up. It's Malfoy.
He tries to leave but Malfoy doesn't let him, blocking the door with his arm. Harry thinks he's going to make fun of him but instead, he asks him what's wrong, frowning as he does so. Harry's confused.
"What are you talking about?"
"You quit Quidditch, I heard you, why would you do that?"
"It's nothing, mind your own business Malfoy."
"Potter..."
Draco looks slightly annoyed. Or is he worried?
"Is... is she doing something to you?"
Harry freezes and looks up at Malfoy. "Who?" He asks sharply.
"Umbridge, you've been acting off since your first detention..."
"Been watching me now have you?" Harry angrily replies.
Draco looks embarrassed. Or maybe hurt. Harry doesn't stick around to find out. Shoving him out of the way, he stumbles out of the broom closet and runs up the corridor. Malfoy's calling his name but he ignores him, quickly making his way to his dormitory.
It's empty when he gets there so Harry collapses on his bed and buries his head in his pillow, letting out muffled screams. He wants to sleep but knows he has to catch up on his homework so he reluctantly gets out his books and quills. Halfway through his essay he realises he's late for a detention with Umbridge and dread fills his stomach, knowing what will come.
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"N-No no p-please..."
The room's spinning out of control, Umbridge's snide comments becoming fainter and fainter. He's on the floor again, shaking and trembling as Umbridge looks down on him and sneers.
He's not sure how much longer he can do this; the curse having been put on him so many times already. Voldemort, fake Moody, Umbridge. Each of them revelled in his torture, his screams, his pain. He can see the fake Moody's horrible smile and has to blink twice until he realises it's Umbridge leering down at Harry, not him.
"I c-can't, I-I can't... p-please-"
"Oh no Mr Potter," she whispers, leaning down so he can hear every word she's saying. "We've only just started, you still have lines to do remember?"
Harry closes his eyes and chokes back a sob.
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Ron and Hermione have finally convinced him to go down to dinner. He's huddled in between them, putting his head down and trying to make himself eat his treacle tart. He can't and he soon gives up.
Neville sits a few spaces away from Harry and smiles encouragingly. Harry doesn't smile back. Neville still hasn't told anyone about what he saw and Harry's worried he's going to tell someone any day now.
He hastily looks away from Neville. Draco's staring at him too but he avoids his gaze, instead looking at the staff table. For a second he thinks Dumbledore's watching him but he blinks and Dumbledore's turned away, talking to Professor McGonagall. His stomach lurches when he sees Umbridge grinning maliciously at him. She raises her goblet in his direction.
Harry walks out of the great hall without a word to his friends.
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Hermione tells him Sirius sent another letter. She left it on his bed.
"But Sirius just sent me one?"
"What are you talking about?"
"Remember yesterday after potions, Hedwig arrived with a letter?"
"Harry we didn't have potions yesterday..." Hermione looks scared. She mumbles an excuse and goes leaving Harry confused and hurt.
The letter is straight to the point.
Harry,
What's happening? Ron and Hermione told me you've been skipping meals and classes. Apparently, sometimes you go missing for hours at a time.
I know something's wrong because you've barely written to me and Ron says you quit Quidditch.
Me and Moony are worried about you Harry. It's okay to admit you're still shaken up from last year. Your friends want to help you and so do we. Please don't push us away.
If this continues I am going to write to Dumbledore myself although I doubt he hasn't noticed your behaviour. Still, I'm going to make him do something about it even if I need to go all the way up to Hogwarts myself.
Please respond Harry. And actually write to me properly because your letters have been getting shorter and shorter and you're not answering any of my questions. At least promise me you'll start eating more.
I'm here for you Harry, no one will hurt you I promise.
Love
Snuffles
Tears land on the letter before Harry realises they've escaped. He wipes them away and chucks the letter into the bin.
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Mr Weasley is attacked by a snake. He sees the whole thing happen and spends half an hour trying to wash the blood off his hands and mouth. He can't and ends up screaming in frustration.
Sirius is worried when he sees him. He knows something's wrong because Harry never replied to his last letter. He hugs him for a long time and Harry doesn't pull away, even though his scars are hurting from the pressure.
A bottle of butterbeer is thrust into his hands. Harry doesn't drink any. Neither does anyone else. The Weasley siblings sit together, away from Harry, shooting him looks every few minutes.
They're scared. Harry thinks. They're scared of me.
And sure enough, when he goes up to his bedroom Ron's already there, pretending to sleep so as to not talk to Harry.
When he awakes Ron's bed is empty. He goes downstairs and sees Lupin sitting with Sirius. He tells Harry the Weasleys have all gone to St Mungo's to visit their dad. Turns out he survived after all. Harry feels numb with relief.
Sirius makes Harry a cup of tea he doesn't drink as he sits down, staring at the pearly snow falling from the window. He can tell Sirius and Lupin are communicating silently behind his back, but before they can say anything he speaks up.
"How is it snowing mid-October?"
Harry felt Sirius freeze behind him.
"Harry?" Lupin says softly "What are you talking about?"
Harry turns around to face them. "Look outside."
"It's the end of December Harry, nearly Christmas," Sirius tells him.
"I- What?"
"Are you okay?"
Harry doesn't reply. Sirius throws Lupin an uneasy glance and looks at Harry. "Listen we've been thinking, me, Lupin and the Order that is, maybe you should stay off from school for a while."
Harry feels like he's been splashed with icey water. "What?"
"It's nothing serious," Lupin says quickly "We just think you need a small break to properly adjust."
"Adjust to what?" Harry can feel his anger rise.
"Harry it's for the best," Sirius says, not quite meeting his gaze.
Harry splutters "No, it isn't, no i need- Hogwarts is my... I have to go back!"
"It won't be forever, just a few weeks-"
"Oh fuck off Sirius! You're just happy I'll have to spend all my time here with you!"
He storms off, ignoring their calls. Slamming his door shut, he throws himself on his bed, furious at Sirius and Lupin and the Weasleys and the whole bloody Order. He saved Mr Weasley's life and this is how they repay him; by taking his only home away from him.
I'll go back he tells himself firmly, they can't stop me.
But when Ron returns the following evening, Harry notices he was ignoring him, refusing to even meet his gaze, hastily packing up his things and muttering something about leaving for the burrow. Harry never felt so alone- if Ron was going to treat him like a threat maybe he didn't want to go back to Hogwarts after all.
If was for this reason he doesn't say goodbye to Ron or any of the Weasleys when they left. He hears the front door slam and sinks onto his bed, silent tears staining his pillow.
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Harry's left with Sirius now. He ignores him. Lupin frequently visits too, sometimes staying overnight. Harry ignores him too.
He stays with Buckbeak for long periods of time, feeding him dead mice and stroking his head absent-mindedly.
There are voices in his head, telling him to do things, whispering snide comments, muttering words he can't hear. Sometimes he picks up familiar names, Liar, coward, freak. Sometimes they get so loud Harry has to cover his ears. Sometimes it's not enough.
They were shouting at him once, reminding him it was his fault Cedric died and that he deserved to be tortured. He put his hands on his ears but the voices weren't drowned out. They got louder and louder. He screamed, trying to get them to stop and Sirius came bursting in, frozen in shock at seeing his godson withering on the floor, clasping his ears and screaming.
Dumbledore arrives that night. Sirius and Lupin had finally been able to get Harry to bed when he arrives. Harry hears Lupin mutter Dumbledore as the doorbell rang and they both leave his room.
Quietly, he slips out of bed and stands at the top of the stairs. He couldn't hear much but the words troubled and insane drift towards him. Harry doesn't know who they're talking about.
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Sometimes the voices tell him to jump. He tries but he's too scared. He dangles his legs off the ledge for hours before giving up and going to sleep.
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Christmas arrives but Harry doesn't know it. He goes downstairs to find Sirius, Lupin, Tonks and Kingsley sitting around a Christmas tree, evidently waiting for him.
"There you are Harry! Merry Christmas!" Tonks smiles brightly.
Harry's eyes dart from the Christmas tree to each person in the room.
"Oh is that today?"
Harry found that he did not want to talk to any of them. It was the Order that decided he remain at 12 Grimmauld Place instead of Hogwarts. And now here they were, acting as if nothing had happened.
"Presents!" Lupin half-yells suddenly.
Harry looks sheepish. "I forgot to get you guys anything..."
"Your company is all we need Harry," Kingsley says quietly.
He hands Harry a defence against the dark arts book featuring various anti-jinxes and tricks. Harry has lost interest in the subject since Umbridge's arrival.
Tonks gives him a broom-polishing kit. Harry thinks of his firebolt, gathering dust in a corner.
Harry sees a box of Honeydukes chocolate with his name written on the front in Hagrid's messy scrawl. Harry thinks of how little he eats.
Lupin and Sirius both give Harry a framed picture featuring him, Ron and Hermoine. Harry thinks of the worry and fear he caused them.
He notices he hadn't received the usual Christmas jumper Mrs Weasley sent him every year.
They are all beaming at him, clearly under the impression they had given him a nice surprise. Harry stares back. As far as he was aware, the only thing these "gifts" showed was how little people really knew him.
Lupin passes him a butterbeer whilst Sirius begins to fill a glass of fire whisky for Kingsley. After a few hours, when they were all distracted singing Christmas songs around the fire, Harry slips away undetected.
Sirius finds him when they had all left, alone with Buckbeak. Harry was sitting by the ledge again, his legs dangling off, leaning against a wall and staring into nothingness. Buckbeak gave a sad whine in the corner.
Harry ignores Sirius, who sat next to him looking troubled. "What's wrong Harry?"
"Nothing."
"We're worried about you, you know."
"I'm fine."
Sirius is silent for a bit. Then he spoke, "Why don't you come away from the ledge?"
"It's peaceful up here."
"Please Harry..."
Harry looks into Sirius's tired, sad eyes. He was upsetting his godfather. Feeling slightly ashamed he nods.
Sirius looks relieved as he helps Harry up. As he did so his hand brushed against the sleeve of his hoodie, revealing a faded, red scar I must not tell lies.
Harry jerks his hand back quickly and backs away from Sirius who looks momentarily stunned. "Harry what was that?"
Harry frantically shakes his head, desperately hoping Sirius would have a similar reaction to Neville. He doesn't, of course.
"What the hell Harry? Who did that to you?"
"It's nothing Sirius, let me go to bed I'm tired."
"Harry please tell me you didn't do that to yourself!"
Harry felt his temper, already so frequently high, rise once again. "Of course I didn't! Why would you even think that?" He snaps.
Sirius looks angry. "Oh I don't know Harry, maybe because you've been acting completely different ever since term started!"
"Oh fuck off Sirius!"
"No!" Sirius was screaming now, looking quite mad. "You are my godson, I deserve to know what's happening to you!"
"Like you care!" Harry shouts back, equally deranged, "You stopped me from going to Hogwarts, forced me to stay in this stuffy house, away from all my friends and now you suddenly care about my feelings!"
"It's for your own good!" Sirius yells, "You're not okay Harry! And after what I've just seen there's no doubt that you need help!"
Harry heard someone run upstairs and then the door burst open and Lupin ran inside. "What's going on? I can hear shouting!"
"Look at him!" Sirius says, grabbing Harry's arm and yanking down his sleeve. Lupin stares at the scribbles, his eyes reading the scars Umbridge gave him, I must not tell lies moving silently on his lips.
Harry yanks his arm away from them and tries not to look at the horrified expressions he was receiving.
"Did you do that to yourself Harry?" Lupin asks softly.
"No!"
"Harry..."
Harry swallows. "I- well I didn't- she made me!" He blurts out.
"Who made you?" Sirius demands.
Harry hesitates looking from Sirius to Lupin before he sighs, knowing the jig was up. "Professor Umbridge."
Sirius gives a howl of rage and storms out of the room. Harry heard him shout "I'm going to kill her!" as Lupin runs after him.
Harry falls to the floor, numb. He can hear Sirius and Lupin arguing downstairs and tries to block out the sound by covering his ears but to no avail. He buries his head in his knees and cries.
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Days fly by but Harry doesn't remember them. He spends most of his time sleeping or with Buckbeak. Sirius remains shut in his room, avoiding everyone who comes around.
Only Lupin visits Harry, usually with a plate of food or just to have a small chat. Harry doesn't remember them.
One night, Lupin tells him Dumbledore wants to see him. Harry freezes. "Dumbledore?" He asks in barely a whisper.
Lupin nods gravely. Harry gets out of bed and walks towards him. As he does so he sees his reflection for the first time in days.
He's a mess; his hair is tangled and dishevelled, there are heavy bangs under his now-faded eyes, his clothes look creased and worn out and he's skinnier than he's been in years, his face gaunt and sunken.
Trying to ignore this sad image, he follows Lupin downstairs to the kitchen. Harry's surprised to see nearly the entire Order is there, including Sirius whose eyes look red and bloodshot.
They all avoid his gaze as he walks in, except Dumbledore, whose piercing blue eyes survey Harry from top to bottom.
"Good evening Harry."
Harry blinks. "Sir."
"Please have a seat."
Harry remains standing. "What day is it?" he blurts out suddenly. He can see Sirius stiffen but say nothing.
"January 25th."
A month. A whole month has passed without him knowing.
"You seem surprised Harry."
Harry ignores him. "What's going on?" He asks nobody in particular.
It is Dumbledore who answers him again. "Your friends have been worried about you Harry and so have I to be honest, I've noticed, for example, that you have missed a great number of classes that-"
"I'm not mad," he says loudly.
"And I never suggested you were" Dumbledore continues. "But Lupin tells me he can sometimes hear you mutter to yourself as if someone is standing right next to you and well, surely you can see why we'd be worried?"
Harry shot Lupin an angry glance and he has the good grace to look away. Harry scoffs, "So you banned me from Hogwarts because I've missed a few classes, big deal-"
"It's not just your classes Harry" Dumbledore interrupts. “You appear distressed, deluded, sometimes I notice you vanish for hours at a time without a trace-"
"So you've been watching me have you? That's odd seeing as you've avoided me all year," the anger spills out his mouth and he relishes it, desperate to take his anger out on Dumbledore who has not once checked on him since Voldemort's return.
"Harry I have noticed you, I’ve been watching you since term started. It’s the reason I sent you away from Hogwarts, because I was worried someone was hurting you," Dumbledore says softly.
Harry froze. "You thought..." he whispers.
"I suspected."
"But then.. you knew? You knew what she was doing the whole time!" His anger rises yet again at this new piece of information.
"I couldn't be sure-"
"Bullshit! Thats ridiculous you knew!-"
"Harry-"
"Fuck you, fuck all of you!"
"Harry please sit down."
Harry ignores him and stares determinedly at Sirius. Look at me, please look at me, I'm sorry I've been so difficult, please just talk to me. But Sirius only looks down at his hands and says nothing.
"Harry you must understand none of us are against you. Neville Longbottom came to me shortly before Christmas and informed me of your injuries; it only strengthened my belief that Professor Umbridge was hurting you. And then at Christmas when Sirius and Remus informed me of the marks on your skin I knew for sure a blood quill had been used, I checked and sure enough her office was full of them."
So Neville had told someone after all.
"Did you know she used the Cruciatus Curse of me then? Multiple times! You could have walked in on her doing it if you'd bothered to look into your suspicions."
Harry heard a sharp intake of breath from Sirius but now took no notice of him. He glared at Dumbledore who met his gaze until finally, he looked down, almost shamefully.
"I did not."
The silence in the room was so thick you could cut it with a knife. Harry suddenly felt quite uncomfortable at his outburst, secretly wishing he hadn't shouted at Dumbledore in front of the Order.
"Harry I understand how you feel, you went through a traumatic experience no one should have gone through at your age and have since been tortured at the hands of two teachers, one of whom I know you trusted fully. You have been treated cruelly in their hands and I'm sorry to see you felt you could not talk to anyone about it. Nonetheless, we are here now, the Order only wants to help you-"
"It's a bit late for that though, don't you think? The damage has already been done."
Sirius buries his head in his hands. Lupin's eyes widen. "Don't say that Harry," he sounds worried, "Don't say that please, your okay right? You're okay really..."
He trails off, leaving Harry to stare at him. "What?"
Tonks spoke, sounding hesitant. "Harry Dumble- the Order have been discussing it and we think you should try a term at St Mungo's, just for a while, until you get better."
"What are you talking about?" Harry asked, now becoming worried.
"It's nothing to worry about," she says quickly, "They'll be able to help you properly there and hopefully repair the damage Umbridge has done-"
"What damage?" Harry asks quickly, his heart hammering in his chest, "I lied there's no damage, I'm fine."
"Harry I think it would be foolish to pretend you haven't suffered some effects from the Cruciatus Curse, unfortunate of course but luckily I don't believe it will be long-lasting..." Dumbledore was speaking but Harry was no longer listening, his eyes blinking nervously. He thought of Neville's parents, tortured into insanity by Death Eaters and wondered if that was happening to him.
"Sirius," he said suddenly, cutting of Dumbledore, "What do you think?"
Harry was confident that Sirius would jump to his defence as he had done so many times before and looked hopefully towards his godfather.
At last, Sirius looks up, his dark eyes meeting Harry's green ones. "I... I think it's for the best Harry, just for a short while."
The last bit of hope in him dies. Harry sinks to a chair defeated. Upstairs, Buckbeak lets out a sad cry.