Harry Potter 1. Chapter 1

**DISCLAIMER: J.K. Rowling owns Harry Potter. I don't.**

**Nightingale**

**Chapter One**

Hedwig landed on the window ledge of her friends tiny bedroom with the mean people he lived with. Why he continued to go back to them after how bad they always treated him, she would never understand. She figured it must have been a weird human thing.

As she looked around the dimly lit room as the sun set outside, her large amber eyes adjusted to the growing darkness and noticed her friend was lying in bed, not moving, and thought him to be asleep. Which made sense to her as she knew he hadn't been sleeping well since someone he knew had left him recently, which made him sad and caused him to have long, restless nights where he barely slept. And when he did, he tossed and turned while crying out someone's name.

He had told her to go out for a while, as he didn't want her around since he heard the very large one coming up the stairs. She didn't know why he sent her away, but knew he had his reasons.

Hedwig was just about to turn back around and go hunting for the night when she noticed something. The room was a mess. Which while normal, this mess was not the usual mess of dirty clothes lying around. Things had been knocked over. She then noticed that her friend wasn't sleeping. He was unconscious and hurt. He had various cuts and bruises all over his body.

Hopping over to get a closer look at him, she saw the small pool of blood that he was lying in.

He was hurt really bad. Even worse than the time after that crazy little creature had come and caused all sorts of problems for her friend. Much worse. Her friend needed help, and it would be up to her to get it. But who to go to?

There was the loud and obnoxious one. Her friend spent a lot of time there after spending time with these people before going back to Hogwarts. But she didn't like him all that much because he never shared his bacon with her.

There was the man with the furry face. He did seem nice and all. But her friend didn't seem happy with him lately. Like he had done something mean to him.

There was the very large man that came and took her away from the owl store and brought her to her friend. Unfortunately, checking her owl senses that allowed her to find anyone that her friend wanted to send a letter to told her that he was too far away.

That left only one person. The girl with the bushy hair. Her friend really liked her, though she doubted if he even realized it himself. It would take less than an hour for her to fly there and get her. But how to tell her that her friend was hurt. She didn't have a letter to take and tell her.

Seeing the small pool of blood, Hedwig got an idea. She lowered her head and brushed her snowy white feathers through the thick, red liquid before flying out the window to get help.

OoOoOoOoOoO

Hermione was in her room, unpacking her trunk now that she was home from another year at Hogwarts. She and her parents, Dan and Emma Granger, had gone out to dinner after they picked her up at King's Cross, where they asked about this adventure she had been involved in.

Hermione had never lied to her parents before starting Hogwarts. But then again, how could she explain to them about the things that go on in the wizarding world without them freaking out and pulling her out of Hogwarts and away from her friends. Away from Harry.

"It was after we finished our exams," said Hermione, ready to give them the story she had come up with. "A group of us were given the opportunity to take a tour of the Ministry. Unfortunately, we happened to be there at the same time that a small group of dark witches and wizards tried to brake into a very restricted section to steal some powerful artifact. From what I overheard a couple Auror's talking about…"

"Auror's?" asked Emma.

"Magical police," said Hermione and her mother nodded her understanding. "Anyways, I overheard them talking after it all ended that it turned out that one of them was a kind of mentally unstable. So when they couldn't get what they came for, she went crazy and started firing spells at everyone. We all tried to hide, but a few times, we had to defend ourselves."

"You didn't have to… Kill anyone, did you?" asked Dan.

"No, of course not," said Hermione. "I don't think I could even if I wanted to. We just used stunning spells to knock them out and ran to find another place to hide. Unfortunately, there is also a spell to wake someone up after they've been stunned, so they just kept coming until the Auror's finally stopped them."

Not the truth, but not entirely a lie either. She didn't bother mentioning that she had been hit by a diluted curse which could have killed her at full strength. There was no need for them to worry about her.

"Well, we're just glad you're safe," said Emma. "It must have been frightening."

"It was a little scary," Hermione admitted. "But thankfully, Harry was there also."

Her parents shared a knowing look at the mention of Harry. The same boy that had been the main feature of most of her letters home since they became friends. Over the years, the tone of her letters home suggested her feelings for the young man went from one of friendship to something more.

Emma was definitely going to have to sit down with her and talk to her to find out if anything had happened between them.

Which is why when Hermione looked up after putting her school books away inside her closet, where they were kept out of sight in case anyone showed up that didn't know about the magical world wouldn't find them, she saw her mother standing there.

"Unpacking already?" her mother asked.

"Of course," said Hermione. "No point in putting it off."

"No, I guess not," said Emma. "Probably going to start on your summer homework as soon as you're done, right?"

"Nope," said Hermione. "No homework this summer, what with our O.W.L.'s and all. Since we don't know what classes we passed or not, we don't know what courses we'll be taking next year."

"A whole summer with no school work?" her mother asked with a smile. "Whatever shall you do?"

"Ha, ha," Hermione said dryly, though with a smile of her own. She knew her mom was just kidding with her. Unlike Ron did when he made fun of her about her desire for knowledge. "I still plan on studying this summer. Which reminds me, do you think we could go to Diagon Alley this weekend and get me some new books?"

"We'll see," said Emma.

The two were silent for a moment before her mother broached the topic she had come to talk to her daughter about.

"Hermione," she said as she sat down on the edge of the bed. "You and Harry are friends, right?"

"Of course," said Hermione.

"Close friends?"

"He's my best friend," said Hermione.

"How close?" asked her mother.

Hermione's eyes comically shot wide open.

"Mother," she said. "We're just friends."

"So were your father and I before we began dating," said Emma. "For quite a few years. Over that time, while we did date other people, we were also developing feelings for each other. I know that whenever I would go out with someone, I would always find myself comparing them to your father and how they never measured up and made me feel the way that does. So when the time came that we decided to give it a go, things progressed much more quickly than it would have if it had been someone else. We knew each other so well already. Our hopes and dreams. Our fears and failures… What I'm trying to say is that when we did start going out, it wasn't long before we took the next step and became intimate."

"I really do not want to hear about that," said Hermione.

"Hermione, please," said Emma. "We raised you better than that. You know as well as I do that it's only natural for a couple to be intimate when they love each other."

"Yes, but that doesn't mean I want to hear about the two of you shagging," said Hermione.

Emma chuckled and said, "Fair enough. But I just want you to know that if you need to talk about anything, I'll always be here to listen."

"There's nothing to talk about," said Hermione. "Harry and I are… Hedwig?"

Hermione was looking at the snowy white owl perched outside her window. She opened the window and checked Hedwig's feet, looking for a letter and not finding one.

"That's odd," she said. "Hedwig's never lost a letter before."

"Hermione, what's that on that owl's feathers?" asked Emma.

Hermione looked at her mother before looking back at Hedwig and noticing the red stain on her normally clean, white feathers.

"Hedwig, you're hurt?" exclaimed Hermione, too which Hedwig hooted and shook her head.

"It's not yours?" asked Hermione. "Then who… Oh no. Harry?"

Hedwig nodded.

"Death Eaters?"

"Death what?" asked Emma.

Hedwig shook her head.

"His uncle?" asked Hermione.

"Hermione, what's a Death Eater?" Emma asked, not liking the sound of the name.

Hedwig nodded.

"I'll explain later mum," said Hermione. "Right now, Harry needs my help. I think his uncle tried to kill him."

Hermione ran out of the room, with Emma quickly following behind her. It took Hermione a few minutes to explain to her father about what she suspected of Harry's home life, along with the blood on Hedwig's feathers. Dan then proceeded to look up in the phone book to see if he could find out where the Dursley's lived.

"Surrey isn't that far away," said Dan as he grabbed his car keys. "It should take about an hour to get there."

"I just hope Harry's still alive when we do," Hermione said quietly as the three of them got into the car and drove off to save her best friend.

OoOoOoOoOoO

As Harry slowly regained consciousness, he could tell two things. One was that he didn't have his glasses on since his vision was blurry. The other was that he was in some serious pain.

Despite the pain, Harry couldn't help but chuckle, which caused him to wince in even more pain as he thought back to what happened and decided in hindsight that maybe it hadn't been such a good idea to insult his uncle while he had been smacking him around as it only served to make him even more mad than he already was thanks to the threats the Order had made to him.

It the quiet of the night, Harry heard the sound of someone apparating outside, following by hushed whispers, and then someone apparating again. Harry figured it must have been members of the Order changing shifts, and wished he could find the strength to say something to get their attention so he could get some help.

Just then, there was the sound of a car coming to a screeching halt just outside.

OoOoOoOoOoO

Hermione was already jumping out of the car before it had come to a full stop, running up the path towards the front door, when she was suddenly talked to the ground by an invisible force.

"Hold it right there," a female voice called out as she pulled off an invisibility cloak. "Department of Magical Law Enforcement."

"Tonks?" asked Hermione as she looked up from where she landed on the grass.

"Hermione?" asked a surprised Tonks. "What the bloody hell are you doing here?"

"It's Harry," Hermione said as she got up. "I think he's been hurt. Hedwig came to my house and she had blood on her feathers."

"Damn it," growled Tonks. "I told Dumbledore not to allow Dung to be allowed on Potter Watch. We all did. Especially after what happened last summer."

Tonks took a few deep breaths to calm herself down, knowing it wouldn't do any good to lose her temper now.

"Alright," Tonks said. "Let me go in and see what it going on."

"But Harry…" Hermione started to say.

"I know you're worried," said Tonks, interrupting the bushy haired witch. "But you know what his family can be like just as much as I do. If that fat bastard had done something to Harry and he tries anything with me, I don't want you getting caught in the middle. Understand."

"Yes," said Hermione.

"Good," said Tonks. "I'll let you know when it's safe to come in."

Tonks then pulled out her wand as she walked up to the front door and kicked it open.

"WHAT THE BLOODY HELL IS GOING ON?" shouted Vernon Dursley as he lugged his very wide rear end off the couch only to see one of the 'freaks' from the train station standing there, pointing her stick at him.

"Where's Harry?" asked Tonks.

"None of your business," growled Vernon. "And you get out of my house before I call the police."

"I'm only going to ask you one more time," said Tonks. "Where is Harry?"

"He's upstairs," Dudley said with a smile. "Dad put him in his place for having you freaks say things to him."

That was all Tonks needed to hear. She then stunned all three of the Dursley's before running up the stairs, where she found Harry's room was locked with various padlocks.

After a simple unlocking spell on all of them, she opened the door and gasped.

"Harry?" she cried out, running over and kneeling next to his bed.

"I see pink," Harry said weakly. "So… You must be Tonks."

"Yeah, its me," said Tonks as she tried to fight back the tears and the rage boiling inside her. "I'm here to help you Harry. Just hold on, I'm going to get you help."

"Take your time," Harry said as Tonks got up and ran to the door.

"Hermione, get up here," Tonks shouted.

The sound of footsteps could be heard rushing up the stairs and Hermione almost screamed when she saw how bad Harry had been hurt. She was quickly at his side, holding his hand as both her parents come up stairs, shocked at the sight before them.

"Oh Harry," Hermione said, tears filling her eyes.

"Hey 'Mione," Harry said, still sounding weak.

"How could they do this to you?" she asked.

"I'm glad you're here," Harry said, starting to sound even weaker. "I'm glad I… I got to see you one last time before…"

"No," Hermione said, starting to panic. "No Harry, you can't leave me. You're strong. We'll get you help and you'll be up and around in no time."

Tonks had grabbed an old shirt from the ground and tapped it with her wand as she said, "Portus," and then handed it to Hermione just as it activated and whisked the two teens away.

"Where did they go?" Emma asked in surprise at seeing the two of them vanish.

"St. Mungo's," said Tonks. "It's a wizarding hospital. I Portkeyed them there so the healers could save Harry… I hope. Now if you'll excuse me, I need to send a word to my boss and get some more Auror's here to deal with that lot downstairs before I give in and curse them to a billion and one pieces."

OoOoOoOoOoO

Hermione was disoriented for a moment as she and Harry appeared in the Emergency Arrival Area of St. Mungo's. Once she realized where they were, she called out for help.

"What happened?" asked a healer that came running out of an adjoining room.

"He was attacked," Hermione said as the healer kneeled down to look at Harry. "It was his relatives."

"His family did this?" asked the healer.

"Yes," said Hermione. "His uncle for sure. I don't know if his aunt or cousin did anything to him. They're muggles and don't like magic."

"Why the hell is a wizard living with… Bloody hell," he looked up at Hermione with a surprised look on his face. "This is Harry Potter."

"I know who he is," snapped Hermione. "Just help him already."

The healer called for assistance as he levitated Harry into one of the nearby rooms.

"You'll have to wait out here," one of them told her before they closed the door.

It was nearly fifteen minutes before Tonks apparated herself and Hermione's parents to St. Mungo's. The moment Hermione saw her mother enter the room, she ran into her arms, where Emma tried to calm her down as she cried. It was another five minutes before Hermione was able to talk.

"Have they said anything?" asked Tonks.

"No," said Hermione. "Not a word since they took him in… What happened to the Dursley's?"

"Holding cell in the DMLE," said Tonks. "After few other Auror's showed up, we questioned them and found out that his uncle was the one that did it because he didn't like the fact that we told him to be nicer to Harry. While that happened, the little pork chop sat stuffing his face while his aunt cleaned the kitchen."

"How could they do this to him?" asked Dan, unable to fathom how someone could beat a child like that.

"Petunia hates magic because a dark wizard killed her parents in order to get at her sister, Harry's mum, after the Potter's went into hiding during a war that was going on at the time," said Tonks. "When Vernon found out about magic, he used it and any witch or wizard as a scapegoat for when things didn't go the way he wanted them to in his life. As for their butterball of a son… He grew up seeing his parents hate magic, so he did as well."

After that, the four of them waited in silence for any news and constantly checking the clock.

It was almost an hour after Hermione had arrived with Harry that the first healer came out of the room, his green robes covered in blood.

"I'm sorry," he said sadly. "Mr. Potter's injuries were quite severe. One of his lungs had been punctured by a broken rib and he had lost a lot of blood before you brought him here."

"No," Hermione said quietly as she felt her entire world crumble to dust around her.

Harry Potter was dead.

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**A/N:** And I'll end the chapter there…. But fear not. We all know Harry will be fine. So make sure you check back for the next chapter to see how Harry is saved and brought back to life.

Also, for those wondering about the title, it's a reference to Florence Nightingale Syndrome, where a doctor, nurse, or caregiver would form a deep connection to those under their care, sometimes even falling in love with them. Which should also give you an idea where this story is going.


	2. Chapter 2

**DISCLAIMER: J.K. Rowling owns Harry Potter. I don't.  
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**Chapter Two**

Fawkes was sleeping peacefully on his perch in Dumbledore's office at Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry, when he suddenly woke up and unleashed a burst of Phoenix Song so loud and powerful, it shattered every single window within the castle before flashing away in a plume of fire.

OoOoOoOoOoO

Hermione sat in the corner of the room, arms wrapped around her knees as she gently rocked herself backwards and forwards while he mother sat with her, trying to console her emotionally distraught daughter.

"Harry?" someone called out from just outside a pair of double doors, which opened as Dumbledore walked in. "Where's Harry? I just heard he had been injured and brought here. Where is he?"

"Albus," Tonks said as she approached her former Headmaster and current leader of the Order. "I don't know how to tell you this, but Harry… He… He's…"

"No," said Dumbledore, completely shocked by what he was hearing. "No, that isn't possible. He can't be… The prophecy…"

"It obviously wasn't about Harry," said Tonks, starting to get upset that all the man seemed to care about was some damned prophecy. "We don't even know if it was about You-Know-Who. For all we know, it could be about a dark wizard that wont come about for another five hundred years."

Just then, the entire building of St. Mungo's started to shake. A high pitched sound could be heard, growing louder and louder with each second until it started to become defined into a song.

"Fawkes?" Dumbledore asked, knowing the sound of his familiar anywhere.

A plume of flame erupted inside the room Harry's body was in, which quickly vanished to reveal the magical creature of the light.

Fawkes looked down at Harry's lifeless body for a moment before a single tear rolled down his feathered cheek and dropped down onto the young wizard's lips. His mouth was just open enough for that tear to enter his body, allowing the magic to quickly course through his body, restarting his heart.

Harry sat up quickly as he took a huge, gasping lungful of air before he screamed out in pain.

The nearby healers quickly ran back into the room, amazed at what they were seeing before they shook it off and went back to work on saving Harry's life while Fawkes remained in the corner of the room, watching.

"I don't believe it," said Dan, who was completely shocked at what he had just seen.

"I don't either," said Dumbledore. "How did he know?… Unless…"

The aged wizard's mind was working overtime as he tried to understand what had just happened.

A few minutes later, the door opened and the healer came out just as Fawkes left and returned to Hogwarts in a flash of fire.

"I don't know how a phoenix knew to come here or why, or even how it did what it did was possible, but Mr. Potter is going to be alright for the most part," said the healer.

"That's good," said Tonks.

"What do you mean, for the most part?" asked Dan.

"Well, he's suffered a lot of damage to his body, and there is only so much potions and healing spells can do at one time," said the healer. "If we do too much at one time, we run the risk of causing harm to his body. I suggest and highly recommend that we allow his magical core handle the rest. It will take most of the summer, but in the long run, he'll be much safer off."

"So Harry will have to stay here for the summer?" asked Dumbledore.

"I'll let Amelia know," said Tonks. "We have someone on guard here twenty four, seven, just in case."

"Actually, that wont be necessary," said the healer. "I don't think Mr. Potter will need to stay here more than a couple of days before he can go home."

"Over my dead body," Tonks and Dan said at the same time, refusing to even entertain the thought of allowing Harry to remain anywhere near the Dursley's or their home.

"Is there a problem with him going home?" asked the healer.

"Unfortunately, yes," said Dumbledore. "It was his relatives that did this to him."

"His relatives?" asked the healer in surprise. "Do they have a death wish by attacking one of the most beloved figures in the wizarding world?"

"Oh, he's beloved again?" asked Tonks. "Is that your personal belief or just what the Prophet told you to believe?"

"Nymphadora," Dumbledore said warningly before he turned back to the healer. "A safe location for Harry to heal will be found, I guarantee it."

"Dan," Emma said from where she sat, holding a now sleeping Hermione.

Dan excused himself and walked over to his wife.

"What is it?" he asked.

"Why don't we have Harry stay with us," Emma suggested. "We both have basic medical training, incase anything happens. Plus, I think it would be good for him to stay somewhere he knows someone he can trust and talk to."

Dan thought for a moment and said, "As much as it goes against my fatherly instinct to let a teenage boy stay with my teenage daughter while unsupervised when we'll be at work, I do have to agree with you."

As they were talking, a second healer came out and whispered in the ear of the first one, who nodded in response.

"Which one of you is Hermione?" the healer asked.

"She is," Emma said, tilting her head at her sleeping daughter.

"Well, Mr. Potter is asking to see her," the healer said.

"Okay," said Dan. "Give us a second."

"Hermione, time to wake up," Emma said as she gently shook her daughter.

"Can't right now," Hermione mumbled in her sleep. "The hippos are storming the museum and we have to protect the peanuts."

Dan couldn't help but chuckle as Emma continued to try and wake Hermione up.

"Sweetie, you need to wake up," Emma said. "Harry wants to see you."

"Harry?" asked Hermione, who was suddenly wide awake.

She started to make her way towards the room Harry was in when the healer stopped her.

"Miss Granger, I must warn you, Mr. Potter has been through a very traumatic experience," said the healer. "His body still has a long way to go before he is fully healed, so please try and refrain from giving your boyfriend any rib crushing hugs."

Hermione blushed and said, "Harry isn't my boyfriend. We're just friends."

"My apologies," said the healer as he let her go in and see Harry.

Hermione was silent after entering the room. There, on the bed, was Harry. His body covered with various cuts and large bruises. The white of his left eye turned red due to a broken blood vessel. His ribs covered with bandages soaked in a healing potion.

"Hermione, hi," Harry said, still sounding a little weak, but not as bad when they found him at the Dursley's.

"Hi," Hermione said, as she fought the tears that threatened to come at seeing her friend in such a state.

They looked at each other in silence for nearly a minute before Hermione spoke and asked, "What happened? Never mind, stupid question. I know what happened, but… Why?"

"The Order," Harry said. "Their little talk with my uncle backfired on them and he took it out on me."

"I'm going to hex them into next year," Hermione growled.

"Don't," said Harry. "They were only trying to help. I don't blame them for it, and neither should you."

"Harry, I was so worried," Hermione said, the damn of her tears starting to break. "Hedwig showed up as I was unpacking and she had blood on her."

"I don't remember her coming back after I told her to leave after we got home," said Harry. "She must have come back while I was unconscious and decided to get me help… Remind me to get her the biggest bag of owl treats we can find. She's earned them."

"How can you be so calm at a time like this?" asked Hermione. "You died."

"I did?" asked Harry.

"Yes," said Hermione. "You were almost dead when we finally got to you, and by the time we brought you here to St. Mungo's and got help, it was too late."

"Then how…" Harry started to ask.

"I don't know," said Hermione. "I, um… I sort of shut down emotionally when you died."

"I believe I can answer that," said Dumbledore, who was standing by the door. "I am sorry to interrupt this private moment, but I must get back to the Ministry and wanted to talk to Harry if I may."

Hermione looked at Harry, who nodded.

"I'll be right outside," said Hermione, who then left the room.

"So," Harry said. "My summer has obviously been off to an interesting start. How's yours going?"

"Busy," said Dumbledore. "The second school let out, I've been at the Ministry in session with the rest of the Wizengamot as we try and decide if Cornelius should remain Minister or removed from office due to his actions this past year."

"Personally, I hope the door hits him on the ass on the way out," said Harry. "Umbridge as well."

"Deloris might be a problem as she slipped out of the castle some time the night before last," said Dumbledore. "No one has seen her since."

"You don't think she's been working for Voldemort, do you?" asked Harry.

"No," said Dumbledore. "I did suspect her of the same, but after scanning her mind, discovered that she is just… How is you kids put it… A nutter?"

"You could say that again," said Harry, who then winced.

"Are you okay?" asked Dumbledore. "Should I get the healer?"

"I'm fine," said Harry. "Just the Skele-Gro regrowing a few of my ribs. It's a little painful, but it's still better than regrowing all the bones in my arm like in second year… Sir, Hermione said that I died."

Dumbledore had a sad and pained look in his normally bright eyes for a moment.

"Yes Harry, you did," he answered. "I arrived here just after they had pronounced you dead."

"Then how am I here?" asked Harry.

"Fawkes," said Dumbledore. "Just like when you faced the Basilisk and the shade of Tom during your second year, Fawkes came to your aid when it was needed the most."

"But why?" asked Harry. "After I told Hermione what happened in the chamber, she looked up all she could find about phoenix's and told me that they are only loyal to the few they choose to bond with."

"I believe Harry, that Fawkes senses something in you that others cannot," said Dumbledore. "Do you remember what I said to you about the power he knows not after I told you the prophecy?"

"You said it was love," answered Harry.

"I did," said Dumbledore. "However, like with many things I am discovering lately, perhaps I was wrong. Perhaps it is something beyond our own understanding that Fawkes senses in you."

The two were silent for a moment when Harry yawned.

"I think it best if you get some rest Harry," Dumbledore said. "You've had a long day."

"I think you're right," said Harry. "Sir, what's going to happen to me now? I mean, I don't think I can go back to the Dursley's."

"No, you wont be going back there," said Dumbledore. "We shall figure something out that works in your best interest and allows you to get better. But for now, do not worry about it and get some sleep."

Feeling weak from just the conversations he had, Harry closed his eyes and was asleep before Dumbledore had closed the door as he left.

"Can I go back in and see Harry?" Hermione asked as Dumbledore walked over to her and her parents.

"Harry is sleeping now," Dumbledore said. "And I believe it is best if he gets some rest after all he has been through."

Hermione nodded as she glanced at the door, wishing she could remain by Harry's side, if only to assure herself that he would be okay.

"As much as I would like to stay here and make sure Harry continues to get better, I am afraid I must leave," said Dumbledore. "I need to find a place for Harry to stay once he is released from here."

"Actually," Dan said, "my wife and I have been talking and are more than willing to let Harry stay at our home. We both have some basic medical training we had to go through while studying to be dentists. You know, just in case a patient had a bad reaction to anesthetic or something. And with all the books Hermione has read, she probably knows more than we do."

Dumbledore thought about their suggestion for a moment. He knew that after everything Harry had been through over the past year, he would need someone he could trust to talk to. And while he would normally be inclined to have Harry stay at the Burrow with the Weasley's, he didn't think it would be best for his recovery considering not only how chaotic the home could be on a normal day, but also with Mrs. Weasley's tendency be a little overbearing. She might even feel it necessary to put Harry in a body bind spell and keep him in a bed till the end of summer because she would worry he might hurt himself even more than he already was.

Dumbledore also knew that if anyone could get Harry to talk about his feelings so he didn't bottle them up like before, Hermione would be the one to do it.

He would just have to make sure there were plenty of protection wards around their home, just incase Tom decided to make a move against Harry.

"I don't see any reason why that would be a problem," said Dumbledore, noticing the look of relief and joy on Hermione's as he said it. "However, there are some precautions that need to be taken."

"What do you mean?" asked Emma, not noticing the slightly panicked look on her daughter's face.

However, Dumbledore did and when he passively took a glimpse into her mind, he found out that she really hadn't told them the truth about Voldemort because she was afraid that her parents would not only pull her out of Hogwarts, but possibly even leave the country.

"Well, you see, Harry is quite famous in our world," Dumbledore said. "And with his fame, comes admirers. With your permission, I would like to place a few wards around your home. Nothing serious, mind you. Just some to keep the endless stream of owls from delivering letters asking for his autograph or… Other requests."

Despite his age, Dumbledore couldn't fight the blush that crept into his cheeks.

"I think I understand," said Dan. "And I give you my permission to put up… Whatever you feel you need to do."

"Thank you," said Dumbledore. "I'll be by personally in the morning to handle it. Now, if you'll excuse me, there are a few people that I would like to have a word with regarding how to properly treat those left in their care."

By this time the following night, there were only a small hand full of people left in the world that remembered that the Dursley family had ever existed. If their former neighbors were ever asked about Number Four, Privet Drive, they would tell that person that the home had been empty for years. If Marge Dursley were ever asked about her family, she would inform that person that she was an only child. If someone were to call Grunnings Drill Company and ask to speak to the director of the company, they would find out that the position had been vacant for many years. In fact, the only people who remembered that the Dursley's had ever existed were Harry, the Grangers, Albus Dumbledore, and the select few members of the Order that removed all traces that they had ever existed while simultaneously locking the three of them up in a special part of Azkaban meant for Squibs and Muggles that knew of the magical world and had committed a great crime against a member of the magical community.

Some might call Dumbledore's actions an abuse of power, while he called it finally righting a wrong he had committed many years ago and doing what must be done for the greater good, because he knew his actions were far kinder than what would have happened to them once word got out about how they had treated the Boy-Who-Lived. Even Voldemort himself might have attacked them for trying to kill the boy he believed was his destiny to destroy on his path to taking over the entire wizarding world.


	3. Chapter 3

**DISCLAIMER: J.K. Rowling owns Harry Potter. Since I am not her, it should be obvious that I don't.**

**Chapter Three**

Dan opened the front door of his home and held it open as Hermione helped Harry inside.

"Honestly Hermione, I'm fine enough to walk on my own," Harry protested for what had to have been the tenth time since he had be released from St. Mungo's a few hours ago.

"You say that now, but I know the second I let you try and walk on your own, you'll end up tripping and falling like Tonks," said Hermione.

Emma was the last one in and closed the door with her free hand, her other hand occupied with the bag full of potion ingredients Hermione would need to make some of the healing potions Harry would have to take for the next month.

While Harry was doing much better than he had been a week ago, he still had a long road of recovery left as his body healed back to normal.

"There's no point arguing with you on this, is there?" asked Harry.

"None at all," Hermione said with a smile. "Now come on. Mum set up the guest room upstairs for you to stay in this summer. It's right next to my room, in case you need me for anything."

"Anything?" asked Harry as he arched an eyebrow.

Hermione blushed and chose not to answer him as she refused to meet his gaze.

"I'll just set these in the kitchen," said Emma as she held up the bag.

"That's fine mum," said Hermione and she and Harry started slowly up the stairs. "I'll be down in a bit to sort through and store it all."

Once upstairs, Hermione opened the door to the guest bedroom. The room was decorated tastefully, though lacked the personal touch of actually being someone's personal bedroom. As Harry looked around, he noticed his trunk and the rest of his belongings piled in the corner.

"Dumbledore brought your stuff over when he came to place wards on the house," Hermione said when she noticed where Harry was looking.

As Hermione helped Harry get onto the bed, Hedwig flew in through the open window and let out a happy sounding hoot.

"Hey girl," Harry said with a smile. "I hear I owe you for saving my life."

Hedwig gave a brief shrug with her wings before closing her eyes and going to sleep.

"I'll never get over how Hedwig seemed to be able to understand and communicate," said Hermione.

"She's one of a kind," said Harry.

Hermione started to take Harry's shoes off when Harry started to protest.

"Hermione, you don't have to do that," said Harry. "I'm more than capable of taking off my own shoes."

"You could barely put them on this morning without wincing in pain," said Hermione as she dropped his shoes on the floor and then took off his socks. "So please, stop trying to pretend you can do everything on your own right now. Just focus on getting better before we have to go back to school."

Harry groaned and lay back against the pillows on the bed.

"School," Harry said and then groaned. "Not something I'm looking forward to as I'm sure by then there will be all sorts of stories in the Prophet about what happened to me."

"Interestingly enough, there hasn't been a peep," said Hermione. "It's been a week, so you would think at least someone would have written something."

"Unless Dumbledore did what Fudge did and put pressure on the Daily Prophet," said Harry.

"He might have," said Hermione. "Ever since Voldemort was seen at the Ministry that night, the Headmaster has been restored to all of his old positions and is once again viewed as the greatest wizard alive. All he would have to do is 'suggest' they don't print anything and they would keep quiet about it."

"Maybe," said Harry. He couldn't fault Hermione's logic. After the hell Harry had gone through the past year at Hogwarts, constantly being in the center of a negative light thanks to the bumbling buffoon of a Minister named Fudge, the possibility of Dumbledore doing what he could to prevent any more focus placed on Harry wasn't that far fetched. Especially something like what had happened, which would end up running as the headline of the Daily Prophet for at least a month as they continuously delve into his past between the night his parents were killed and when he finally arrived at Hogwarts. Not to mention each of his summers.

OoOoOoOoOoO

Madam Amelia Bones, the current Head of the Department of Magical Law Enforcement, and if rumors were to be believed, possibly the next Minister for Magic if Cornelius Fudge is voted out of office, was sitting in her own office as she went over the file in front of her. It had been decided that it would be best for Wizard/Muggle relations not to publicly announce what happened to Harry Potter. If the magical community at large were to find out that the Boy-Who-Lived had been beaten to death by his own muggle relatives and was only alive today thanks to the intervention of a phoenix, they could forget having to worry about a war against Voldemort, as a war against the muggles would break loose.

By the time it was over, it would be the dark ages all over again.

However, that still didn't prevent her from doing her job and bringing those responsible to justice. Or, at least that was what she was trying to do.

When Amelia had found out about the attack on young Mr. Potter, she had personally gone to Number Four, Privet Drive to arrest his relatives, only to find out no one lived in the home, and asking a few of the neighbors informed her that no one had lived there for a very long time. A quick Legilimency scan told her that they believed what they were saying, which tipped her off to someone magically wiping their minds of the Dursley's. Her next step was Mr. Dursley's business, only to discover the same thing. And when she paid a visit to his sister, the woman believed she was an only child.

Someone had gone to great lengths to systematically erase the existence of Harry's relatives. And while she would not lose any sleep over the issue, her own curiosity and the instincts of someone that had been an Auror and working within the DMLE for nearly forty years screamed at her to find out the truth.

OoOoOoOoOoO

Hermione came downstairs and went strait into the kitchen right after she was sure Harry was resting comfortably in bed, and found her parents sitting at the table, talking quietly as they had a cup of tea.

"How is Harry doing?" Emma asked as Hermione started to sort through the various potion supplies

"So far, he's okay," said Hermione as she pulled out a small jar of pickled salamander eyes. "Though, the trip from St. Mungos tired him out, so he's trying to get some sleep."

Emma paled slightly as she watched her daughter sniff a small plastic pouch full of eel spleens. It had been five years since they had all found out that Hermione was a witch, and during that time, Emma had yet to get used to the very odd and sometimes disgusting things they used in potions.

"Are you sure those things are safe to ingest?" Emma asked.

"Of course," said Hermione, who was now looking at a bottle of powdered snail. "I know they might seem weird, but when mixed correctly, they have very impressive results. Even re-grow bones that have been recently lost."

"That must be painful," said Dan as he set down his now empty teacup.

"From what Harry told me, it is," said Hermione. "But this wasn't his first time having to have his bones re-grown. You remember how I told you that Professor Lockhart turned out to be a fraud?"

"We do," said Emma.

"I also remember a certain someone having a bit of a crush on him after reading his books," commented Dan.

"Ugh, don't remind me," Hermione said. "Anyways, Harry broke his arm playing Quidditch that year and Professor Lockhart, trying to act like he knew what he was doing, used a spell which banished all of the bones in his arm from the elbow down."

"Ouch," said Dan and Emma winced as she imaged how that might have felt.

"It wasn't bad when they were gone," said Hermione. "Harry wasn't in any pain. Though, his arm did look a little like rubber. However, he did have to spend the entire night in the hospital wing as the potion he took regrew all of the bones. A little painful, like needles running through his arm, and the taste is supposedly one of the worst. But by the next day, his arm was full of bones again, and by that night, his arm worked just like before."

"And all that just from mixing… Those things together?" Emma asked as she indicated the items on the counter.

"Some of them, yes," said Hermione. "Though, you can't just toss them into a bowl like a salad and stir it up. They have to be added in a certain order, and at a certain time during the brewing process. Some potions can even take up to a month to brew because the ingredients take time to break down due to their magical properties."

"Magical properties?" asked Emma, who was now completely engrossed in learning more about how her daughter made potions. It was the first time since the summer after her first year at Hogwarts where she was willingly giving them details on how things worked.

"Yes," said Hermione, as she pulled out a leather pouch full of a dried up purple plant. "Like this. This is aconite, or more commonly known as wolfsbane. A small amount of this mixed into the right potion can create a powerful potion to knock someone unconscious that it seems like they are dead."

"Oh my," said Emma. "Why would someone want to do that?"

"It was an accident," said Hermione. "It was originally supposed to be a more powerful version of a calming potion to give to someone who was in complete hysterics to the point where they were a danger to themselves and others around them. Instead, they ended up with this. It happens quite a bit. Like when the monks in France were making wine and the bottle accidentally carbonated and they ended up with…"

"Champagne," said Dan.

"Exactly," said Hermione, flashing her father a smile. "Accidents don't always lead to things being ruined, but to all new discoveries."

Seeing that she had everything, Hermione pulled out her potions book and the new cauldron they had purchased, which she placed on the stove before turning on the burner.

"I should warn you two," Hermione said as she pulled out a knife and started to chop her needed ingredients. "I am going to make a batch of pain relieving potion and half way through the process, it will smell like rotten eggs for about ten minutes or so."

Dan and Emma shared a look and both knew that they didn't want to be around for that. And seeing that Hermione had pretty much taken over the kitchen, Emma decided that maybe the two of them would leave their daughter to her work while they ran out for a bit and pick up some take away for dinner.

"How does pizza sound?" asked Emma and she stood up.

"Works for me," Hermione said as she added the diced up frog heart to the slowly simmering liquid.

"What does Harry like on his?" asked Dan as Emma felt her stomach start to turn.

"He likes…" Hermione started to say, but then stopped as she thought about it. In all the years she had known him, the topic of favorite pizza toppings never came up. Though, a part of her wondered if he had ever had pizza, since she knew that his foul relatives would never treat him to something like that, unless it was at gunpoint. "I don't know," she finally said.

"That's okay," said Dan. "We'll just make sure to get one that is half plain cheese, just in case he doesn't like anything else on it.

"Alright," said Hermione as she went back to work, and Dan and Emma left to get dinner.

OoOoOoOoOoO

Albus Dumbledore was sitting in his office at Hogwarts, pondering over the mystery of Harry when he felt the wards at the bottom of his stairs let him know someone was coming.

"Come in," Dumbledore said just before the visitor knocked on the door.

"Headmaster," Severus Snape said as he entered the office.

"Ah, Severus," said Dumbledore with a hint of a smile. "I take it you have something to report?"

"Indeed," said Snape as he sat down across from Dumbledore. "I have kept my ears open amongst the Dark Lord and all his followers to see if any of them had heard what happened to Potter. As far as I can tell, they all remain ignorant of the event that took place. The Dark Lord is in fact, more interested in not only continuously punishing Bellatrix for her failure at the Department of Mysteries, he is also trying to find a way to punish Lucius for not only his failure, but for also being captured and discovered as being one of his followers, effectively losing his closest contact within the Ministry to be able to secretly push forward his agenda."

"Good," said Dumbledore. "I fear what may happen if he were to learn how weak Harry currently is."

"He would find Potter and kill him," Snape said bluntly. The two were quiet for a moment before Snape asked, "What did happen?"

"When Harry's relatives picked him up at King's Cross a few members of the Order chose to inform Harry's uncle that they didn't want him bothering Harry that summer. It would seem he didn't take it very well being told what to do by anyone, especially those that are magical."

Snape scoffed and said, "Imbeciles. Of course he wouldn't take it well. I saw the way they treated Potter while attempting to teach him Occlumency. They have had nothing but contempt for him since the night _you_ left him on their doorstep. It was foolish and stupid of them to think they could bully him into leaving Potter be."

"They had the best of intentions," said Dumbledore.

"And it was Potter that had to walk the road to hell that was paved with it," said Snape, a hint of anger creeping into his voice. He might not have cared much for Harry due to the fact that he reminded the potions master so much of his old school enemy, but that didn't mean that he took any joy in seeing Lily's child being harmed in any way.

Just then, Snape felt his forearm start to burn and clutched it tightly.

"The dark lord calls," he said.

"Then I shall not keep you," said Dumbledore.

With a brief nod of his head, Snape stood up and left the room, his cloak billowing behind him.

OoOoOoOoOoO

It had taken a few hours, but when Hermione was finished, she had several bottles of the various potions the healers said might and would be needed for Harry's recovery.

Her parents had returned with dinner while she was watching the cauldrons simmer, and took a short break to eat after she checked on Harry, who was still asleep.

Now that she was done and was about to take a shower before going to bed, she heard some moaning coming from the guest room Harry was staying in. She quickly ran into the room, thinking something was wrong, only to find him still asleep and tossing and turning.

"No," he cried out. "Please no. Let me go. I need to get to Sirius."

Hermione felt a pang of sadness inside as she heard his words. While she had been unconscious when Sirius had been hit by Bellatrix's spell and fell back through the veil, she had been told by Neville what had happened and how Harry had tried to go after his godfather, not realizing that when he had passed through the veil, he had ceased to exist.

Not knowing anything about the veil, she had taken the time to look it up in the library at Hogwarts just before they went home for the summer and found out that it was the magical equivalent of a black hole. After reading that, her heart had stopped for a moment as she realized just how close she had come to losing Harry that night if not for Remus Lupin grabbing him before he ran through after his godfather.

And now she stood there, watching as he relived that moment in his nightmare.

It was then that Hermione knew that not only would she have to help Harry heal his body that summer, but also his heart and mind as well before he ended up letting his emotions tear him apart and do something far more reckless and dangerous than he usually did and end up getting himself killed.

OoOoOoOoOoO

**A/N:** Sorry it's taken me a bit to get this story updated. I had to have a wisdom tooth pulled, and the painkillers and antibiotics they put me on afterwards knocked me on my ass for a few days. But I'm back and doing much better, and I hope you all enjoyed this chapter.


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Harry Potter, Romance