Healing Harry Potter

Chapter 4

Published: 7/30/2021

"What were you thinking!?" Head Healer Swelyn snapped, after he was cleared by another healer and brought to her office.

"I needed to confirm what the poison was. Potion analysis tests take too long."

"You could have died!" she growled.

"But I didn't."

She glared. "They said you stayed in his room last night, too."

Draco raised his head in challenge. "I was under the impression that I was here to treat patients as I see fit. Potter has been in and out of this hospital for five years, and no one has managed to help him. I was trying to keep him calm."

"There is a prescribed protocol for dealing with him," she stated, sharply.

"Which might have been nice to know before he attacked me with a handmade knife! You held back that information all during my interviews and briefs. It's why you can't staff that ward, right?"

"Potter is set to go into Janus Thickey ward. He had one more chance... I should have just ordered him there, after security was called. Potter is insane and dangerous and...."

"Harry Potter is my patient, and I will decide his care. I can't believe that you would label the hero of the wizarding world crazy. He's not. I found him to be quite rational."

"He put a knife to your throat the second he saw you!" she said, in disbelief.

"He only knew me as an enemy. My father raped and tortured him! His reaction is completely understandable. I got him to calm down and relax, and he even let me treat him. He trusts me, and that's what is important. So, perhaps my methods will be the answer."

She paused, mulling it over, but shook her head. "Harry Potter has been in and out of this hospital probably over hundred times and has injured every staff member who has been close enough for him to reach."

"He's hurt people because they touch him and he's afraid. He reacts defensively."

"We are trying to help him!"

"Yes and failing. You brought me here to help you... let me help. Potter isn't gone."

"Listen... you're new. I've seen him for years. He's seen every healer and mind healer in the hospital. You think that you're that much better than everyone else?"

Draco snorted. "Yes, apparently."

She glared. "A bit of hubris?"

"No, I have proof."

"Drinking poison is not proof!"

"I didn't say that was it. No one else figured out that Potter has at least one curse on him."

She tilted her head. "What?"

"The poison? That magically appears?" he prompted.

"Potter does that."

"Potter... magically conjures processed monkshood? You're kidding, right?" he sneered. "It's cursed to show up and he has to drink it. It's a compulsion spell to drink it."

She looked shocked.

"Potter isn't insane. The monkshood is constantly torturing him and giving him hallucinations. It's driving his behavior. Everything else is just untreated psychological damage from when he was captured. I will try to find a way to remove the curses, but it will take some time."

She sat down and shook her head. "We tested him... for curses."

"I daresay that Concealing Charms were used too."

"If it's true... if you remove them...?" she whispered.

"I think he can slowly start to recover... the right way. Now, will you let me do my job?" he asked, pointedly.

She nodded. "I want nothing more than Harry Potter to be healed. I had honestly given up hope for him."

"And that was your first mistake. Good day," he said and left her office. He went down to his ward and could hear Harry shouting from the lift.

He went down the hall and Laura was in the room. Her hands were up, and she was trying to calm him down.

"Want Draco!" Harry yelled.

"Harry... please! He'll come back! We just had to make sure that he was okay!"

Harry was sitting on the floor, his head down. His fingers carded through his hair, and he was half-moaning and half-crying, as he rocked back and forth. "Want him... no more... I can't... want him... please...." His arm was bleeding. Harry had either scratched or bit himself.

"I'm here," Draco said, and Laura turned to face him. Harry lifted his head, but his trembling hands stayed near his chest.

"Draco...?"

He smiled. "That's me. Thank you for staying with him, Laura. I'll take it from here."

"I-sure."

"I do apologize for scaring you, as well."

"It's okay... I guess...."

"Some things just have to be done, but please, I need to calm him down."

"I didn't touch him," she said, quietly.

"Very good, thank you," he said, and Laura left. He sat down against the bed next to Harry. "I'm sorry for scaring you, too, but I'm here, and I'm not going anywhere."

Harry gave a little sob and avoided eye contact. "Why?"

"I had to figure out what it was, Harry. Do you know what potion it is?"

Harry was still rocking back and forth, whimpering, and shook his head. "No... no...."

Draco grimaced. Harry was still under its draw. He didn't want to try to convince Harry to take the antidote while he was still so agitated. The interrogation would have to wait. He assessed Potter's injuries. Harry managed to rip open a wound on his arm.

"Well, you managed to get blood all over, again," he commented, and Harry looked at it.

"Pain..." he said as a way of explanation.

"Yes... it distracts you, but I'm here, now. Harry... can I heal you?" he asked.

Potter shook his head, still moving around chaotically, but he suddenly inched forward, closer to him. Potter resoundingly avoided physical contact and so this surprised Draco, but so had Potter's actions after he drank that potion. Harry had grabbed his robes and practically climbed on top of him. Potter was still a hero with a savior complex, Draco reasoned.

He wondered if his weakened condition was enduring him to Potter since inched closer a little more. Draco remained still, letting Potter decide what he wanted. His trembling fingers reached out and slowly touched his robes. Potter slowly pressed forward and made contact with his knee. Draco didn't say anything or move. Potter had to accept the situation and be comfortable with it. Feeling is believing, perhaps.

"Not hurt?" he whispered, staring at the floor. He was trembling.

"No. I took an antidote, and there's no more pain. You can take it, too, when you're ready, of course. You don't have to be in pain anymore."

Harry shook his head, but slowly met his eyes. "No more pain?"

Draco wasn't sure if Potter was asking about his own pain or not. "No more pain..." he promised. "I will make it all stop."

He rocked back and forth and shook his head. The potion was in control. "Fix head, too?"

He hummed. "Yeah... we'll do that, too."

Potter's dilated eyes met his, again. "You went in again. You told me I could trust you."

"You can, Harry. I promise."

Harry looked at him and nodded. "Heal."

Draco repressed a sigh. They needed to work on basic communication skills. Draco slowly pulled out his wand, and when Harry looked away, he healed his arm. It took an hour to calm him enough to get him back in bed and another hour to lie down. Harry's head was on the pillow, and he was staring at him. Draco went back to updating his chart, and Potter shook every so often.

Potter whispered. "I felt your... mind."

Draco put down his quill and gave him a look. "Yes?"

"It was... you... were open. Good intentions... you're... not bad. Not like... Snape or Voldemort."

Draco raised his eyebrows. He understood what Harry meant. Aunt Bellatrix and his father felt like demons, pure evil. Harry did not have that aura. "No, I'm not. I do want to help you, Harry," he said, looking directly at him.

Potter's eyes weren't dilated anymore as they stared back. "Can you really fix me?"

Draco met his eyes. "I can. Do you want to talk about it?"

"Talk?"

"About... how to treat you?"

Potter bit his lip. "No one ever talks to me about it... just... calm down and don't do things."

"Harry, you are just as sane as I am. Just because you have ups and downs doesn't mean you're crazy. We can treat it in a variety of ways."

He looked away. "Hermione and Ron haven't been here."

Draco grimaced at Harry's deflection... or maybe it wasn't. "I will discuss it with them when they come back. I'm not sure if you were paying attention, but I told them to take a break. You were getting agitated by their presence."

"I've hurt them so much. I should stay here. I... don't want to be a burden to them anymore."

"I feel that an extended stay in the ward is advisable, but Harry... do you want to know what's happening to you?"

"Memories..." he muttered.

"No... well... yes, but the potion, Potter. Do you understand what it is?"

"It comes... I must drink it."

"Do you understand that... that it's a spell? A curse?" Draco asked, pleased Harry was responding.

Harry avoided his eyes. "To drink?"

"Yes... and another to make it appear. It's not you doing it... it's a curse. It's meant to make you suffer forever. My... father... was an asshole."

Harry started shaking. "I... don't know why I drink it... pain. Pain is good."

"No, Harry. It is bad. I reckon it's a Compulsion Spell. That one will be easier to lift than the curse that makes the potion appear. I will crack it soon, I believe."

Harry stopped and looked at him. "Crack it?"

"Yes, I think I'll try to remove the Compulsion Spell tomorrow, but I got to research the other one."

"You... can make it stop?" Harry whispered, in disbelief.

"Of course, Harry. I'm specialized in spell damage. I can break curses, but you have a heavy amount of Concealment Charms on you, too. I didn't want to alarm you, but I will have to check you with my wand. We can wait until morning if you want."

Harry tilted his head. "Can you do it, now?"

Draco smiled, pleased and straightened up. "Yes, Harry. I can."

"Sing?"

Draco's smile grew. "Sure. You can just lie there. You don't have to get up. Ready?"

Harry nodded.

"Brille brille petite étoile, je me demande qui es-tu? Au-dessus du monde si haut, comme un diamant au ciel," he sang as he raised his wand to check for spells.

Harry's gaze was mesmerizing, again. His eyes were locked into him and not what Draco was doing.

"Brille brille petite étoile, je me demande qui es-tu? Quand le soleil est parti, quand il ne veut pas briller. Tu montres ta lumière, brille brille toute la nuit," he sang as he found and removed two Concealment Charms. "Brille brille petite étoile, je me demande qui es-tu? Dans le ciel noir tu restes, souvent par les rideaux tu regardes. Tu ne jamais ferme tes yeux, jusqu'à la naissance du soleil."

Harry was still entranced when Draco found the Compulsion Charm. His father always used the same charms. Lucky for Harry, Draco was well-versed in his father's spellwork. He quickly removed it and set on looking for what else his father had cast.

"Brille brille petite étoile, je me demande qui es-tu? Comme ta petite étinceile, eclaire le chemin des voyageurs. Je ne sais pas qui tu es, brille brille petite étoile," he finished quietly, as he found a few other charms and hexes and removed them.

Harry was still calm though he stopped singing. Draco wasn't nearly done, so he sang the song again, slower and drew it out as long as possible. It took two more times, but he finally found the monkshood curse. But he was dismayed that his attempts to remove it were unsuccessful. It needed a particular counter, like he thought. He finished and checked Harry for any negative feedback, but he seemed fine and his eyes were drooping.

"What's étoile mean?" Harry said, quietly.

"Star."

"Brille brille little star?" Harry questioned and then smiled, as he figured it out. "Twinkle twinkle little star?"

Draco nodded. "Yes."

Harry giggled lightly, but slowly closed his eyes, falling into a natural sleep. Draco very quietly sat in his chair and set some silent monitoring charms, before drifting off to sleep, too.