Just Let Me Die

Chapter Ten: Sleep

Over the next few days the residents of Grimmauld place took turns in watching over Harry. Some spent their time reading books and articles out loud to him, others commented on the state of the wizarding world and others of the muggle world. Some simply talked to him wishing that he would return and others just sat there, watching, observing, waiting.

Hermione, Ron and Ginny all spent exceeding amounts of time with him, often volunteering for the night shift regardless of having done the night shift the night before. Their sleep was tortured with images of Harry writhing and pleading for help, and so night after night and day after day they refused their bodies its much needed sleep. They were exhausted both mentally and physically, resorting to snapping at others when it was suggested they went to bed.

By day 5 Ginny had sobbed herself into hysterics and was gently led away from Harry's room by her mother. Several calming potions and a dreamless sleep potion later she was asleep, oblivious to her surroundings. She was checked periodically by both her mother and Madame Pomphrey, but remained asleep throughout allowing her to recover from the ordeal surrounding Harry.

By day 6 Ron was unable to lift himself out of the chair by Harry's bed. His legs were heavy and his arms weak. He found himself struggling to move his feet and so had to settle for being carried by his father to his bedroom and being put into a deep sleep by Madame Pomphrey, not without protest from him. He attempted to push his father away when he leant down but instead found his arms crossed against him and his legs heaved up. On further examination by the mediwitch the muscles of his legs, body and arms had been used up till exhaustion, his stress levels were high and unless he remained in a healing coma would be unlikely to regain full use of his limbs.

By day 7 Hermione refused all attempts at getting her to follow her friends into and inviting sleep and instead buried herself in books, desperate to help her friend. So desperate that she missed all of the signs that her friend was returning to reality. She read through books on legitimacy, mental distress, comas, healing magic, healing potions, even muggle books on mental and psychological healing. She lived on coffee and the occasional touch of food that Dobby pleaded with her to eat. She never moved from Harry's side and frequently had short abrupt arguments with the other visitor regardless of who it was, claiming that they were breathing too loud or were disturbing her research.

By day 8 Harry was able to hear around him and distinguish between the people who had come to visit him. At one point he had opened his eyes and watched without recognition as Hermione raced through books upon books. For the most part he slept, waking up from a never ending sleep was surprisingly very tiring. However when he did wake he kept his eyes shut, listening to the sounds of those around him and smelling the difference in scents.

By day 9 Hermione had collapsed exhaustion finally claiming her and forcing her to join Ron and Ginny in a healing coma. Molly Weasley now replaced her, choosing to spend her time knitting warm and cosy jumpers for her children, though nobody could presume to call them children anymore. She looked up to check on Harry after finishing a nice bright maroon jumper for Ron, to find Harry's eyes open wide and gazing at her. But something was different, it felt different. His eyes were gazing at her not a point in the distance, his eyes were focussed and there was depth.

"Harry?" She put down her knitting and cautiously moved to his side. "Harry can you hear me?" He blinked slowly and continued to gaze at her. "Harry, can you speak?"

He opened his mouth but nothing came out and it was quickly shut again. "Do you want a drink? Shall I get you some water?" A sharp nod was her reply and with a wave of her wand a glass of water appeared in her hand. She lifted it to Harry's mouth and gradually Harry drank the water down. "Harry I'm going to get Madame Pomphrey ok?"

"N…no!" Harry croaked. "P…p…please d…don't leave me!"

"Harry I'll only be gone a moment, I will be right back I promise."

"P…please…"

"I will be right back." Molly rushed from Harrys side, down the stairs to fetch Poppy leaving the door wide open.

"Hmmm how nice of her to leave you alone even when you begged her."

Shut up

"Now that's not nice"

Sorry

"Not to worry, you can repay me later. Anyways that woman very kindly left the door open for you, lets say we exit the room and go down the hall"

Ok

With a soundless wince Harry pushed himself up from his bed and walked out of the bedroom and down the stairs, reaching a landing.

"There now that wasn't so hard now was it. Now what is in that room over there?"

Harry walked to a door at the furthest part of the landing and opened it, completely oblivious to the footsteps behind him. As he entered the candles in the room lit up, illuminating Dumbledores office.

"Aha, open the drawers lets see what the muggle loving fool keeps in his office."

Harry began to search, unsure what it was that the dark lord wanted but unwilling to disobey his orders. He didn't even pause in his search when his name was shouted throughout the house. And when he picked up a folder on the possible whereabouts of Voldemorts base he was ignorant of all else as the Dark Lord began to mutter furiously inside his head. This was how Dumbledore found him moments later, it wasn't until Dumbledore laid a hand on his shoulder that the dark lord disappeared and Harry became fully aware of what he was doing.

"Harry? Give that file to me, that's it, give it to me. Harry do you know where you are?" Dumbledore asked kindly as though talking to a young child.

"Y…yes"

"Where are you?"

"Si…Sirius's"

"Yes that's right, now lets get you back to your bed shall we?" the aged professor led Harry back to his room, each step taking just that bit of life from him and by the time Harry reached his bed his eyes returned to the dull green that they had been before.

Poppy ran her scans over him and reported that there had been no change since the last time that she had ran her scans, Harry was a shell of his former self, not there in any way or form.

"But he was there, I spoke to him and he answered, He told me not to leave him. He….he…" Molly stopped unable to finish her sentence. Her hopes that had been raised so high were suddenly crushed so hard to dust.

"I myself spoke to him Poppy are you sure that there is no way he can be there?"

"Albus I do not deny that you and Molly spoke to him and that he was there, but it could very well be that you were talking to a shadow or a fragment of his soul that chose that moment to come to the surface. Albus his mind is shattered, there is nothing there anymore. Harry is gone, if anything comes back now there is no telling what he will be like, and how he will react to others. Let go of that hope Albus, the one where he will return absolutely unscathed and happy. The one where he will return to defeat Voldemort and marry a girl and have lots of children. Let it go before you do more than hurt those around you, you will hurt Harry."

"I cant do that, he will come back to us. Maybe not unscathed but he will come back to us."

"He's sleeping now, I'm going down stairs to check on Hermione, Ron and Ginny. I suggest you both get some sleep as well."

"Molly you go, I'm going to stay up here for a while."

"It's almost time for lunch now anyway. I'll bring you up a sandwich."

"Thank you."

Molly gathered her knitting and left the room, closing the door softly behind her.

"Come back to us Harry, please, come back."

A/N: you didn't think I would keep Harry comatose forever did you? Mwa ha ha ha ha. Reviews are greatly appreciated and encourage me to write…however good health also helps me to write so as i said before, any ideas on how to stop my body falling apart are welcome.