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Chapter 27 - Recovery

Two days went by before Harry stirred, his eyes gradually fluttering open to the ambient glow of magical healing in St. Mungo's. In that span, the dedicated healers meticulously attended to him, administering potions, conducting examinations, and monitoring his progress. Petunia, a constant presence, never left his side, offering comfort and tending to his needs, while Vernon, despite work commitments, returned frequently to check on their well-being.

Abigail, awakened within an hour of that day, remained a constant by her brother's bedside. Her gaze lingered on Harry with newfound admiration, recognizing the selfless act that had saved her from harm. The depth of sibling love grew, and she pledged unwavering devotion to her brother, mirroring the sacrificial sentiment she had witnessed in him.

During Vernon's report to Dumbledore, the headmaster, expressing concern, personally visited Harry. After making sure of Harry's magical stability, Dumbledore left, leaving behind a sense of reassurance.

Sirius, upon learning of Harry's condition, burst into the room in a frenzy, his concern palpable. Scolded by the healers for his abrupt entrance, he joined Petunia by Harry's side. Petunia recounted the incident, detailing the intended trip to purchase a broom for Harry before the unforeseen magical mishap occurred. The healers emphasized the timing of Harry's arrival, saying how lucky it was that Harry had administered the magic on Abigail, otherwise it might have had permanent problems.

On the morning after Harry's hospitalization, the room echoed with the arrival of Ron and Hermione, accompanied by the entire Weasley family. The bustling red-haired clan piled into the room worried about Harry.

Petunia, ever grateful for the support, recounted the incident to Ron and Hermione, who listened with furrowed brows and sympathetic glances toward Harry's still form. Ginny, however, stood at the back, her eyes showing of her concern for Harry. Only Abigail noticed the unspoken worry on Ginny's face but didn't bring it out. Ron and Hermione had left due to their classes along with Fred, George and Percy.

Mrs. Weasley offered to look after Harry so that Petunia and others could get their breakfast done. Which Petunia accepted after a lot of persuasion. After the breakfast was done, she came back to thank Molly, and took her seat beside Harry again. Abigail and Ginny had become quite the friends in that short period of time. Soon Mrs. Weasley left with Ginny for their home. Abigail noticed how Ginny's eyes didn't want to leave Harry. 

One more person visited Harry that evening, perhaps the most surprising visitor of all. The room fell into a hushed silence as Sirius Black watched in absolute shock when Severus Snape, the Potions Master, walked into the room. Snape's stoic expression revealed no emotions, but a subtle concern shimmered in his dark eyes as he spoke with Petunia.

The unexpected guest handed over some vials of blood-replenishing potion to Petunia. Sirius, who had entered the room during Snape's conversation with Petunia, stood frozen in disbelief. Snape paid no attention to Sirius, his focus solely on ensuring Harry's well-being.

The room retained an air of tension as Snape left without acknowledging Sirius's presence. The encounter left Sirius bewildered, wondering about Snape's unexpected concern for Harry's condition. 

Sirius, determined to lift Harry's spirits, had gone on a secret mission during Harry's hospitalization. He returned with a special surprise in tow—a brand new Nimbus 2000, the latest version and kept it in his home to take to Harry when he woke up. The sleek broom gleamed in the room's dim light, a gesture of Sirius's affection for his godson. Little did Sirius know that Vernon too had bought the exact same thing. Vernon too had bought the Nimbus 2000 for Harry and kept it in his room back home. 

After two days when Harry opened his eyes, he was greeted with Petunia's face hovering over him. He smiled.

"Hello Mom"

Petunia smiled with tears in her eyes.

"Hello Harry". She kissed him, "You scared me there, Harry"

"How's Abigail?"

"She is asleep right now but yes she is good" 

Harry smiled softly and looked relief. He remembered that he had healed her injuries completely but before he could do a scan of her, he had collapsed. He pushed himself up to a sitting position with Petunia's help. He looked at her and saw that she still had tears in her eyes. 

"It's ok mum! I am fine now"

Petunia, unable to contain her emotions, broke down into tears, her anguish spilling over. She embraced Harry, her words a heartfelt plea for understanding. "Why would you do that, Harry? Why would you burn your blood to perform the magic? We could have just brought her here. You didn't have to do all that..."

In response, Harry's smile remained gentle, a symbol of unwavering resolve. With a comforting embrace, he spoke words that resonated with the depth of familial love. "Yeah, we could have, but if we had delayed, it might have left scars. And as to why I burned my blood to complete the spell, why wouldn't I? She is my sister, my family, and I will do everything to protect my family, even if it means sacrificing my own life." The words hung in the air, encapsulating the profound bond that bound them together. 

"But I don't want to lose you son... Never do that again Harry! Please!"

Harry smiled weakly but didn't say anything. He just hugged her. Petunia soon stopped crying and woke up Abigail. Abigail gave Harry the biggest smile when she saw him awake. She ran and jumped on him landing on Harry's stomach, before Petunia could catch her. 

Harry let out a groan as Abigail knocked the wind out of him. 

"Easy there little one...", Harry managed to croak out. She just hugged him smiling. 

"Welcome back brother!", Abigail smiled as she kissed Harry's cheek. Petunia started to berate her how she shouldn't be doing this to Harry who had just woken up and was weak. But Harry was glad to see his sister this cheerful. He just smiled and ruffled her hair. 

"Well I am back, Abby". Petunia just smiled at them but took Abigail off of Harry and set her down. Soon the healers came and started their check up again and it was quite some time before, Harry could speak with them again.

By this time, Petunia had informed Sirius and Vernon that Harry was awake. Sirius had made it to Harry's room as the healers had finished checking up on Harry, but Vernon was wasn't able to as he was away on business. 

Sirius, Petunia and Abigail waited for the healers to leave before going to Harry again. 

"Hey Sirius..", Harry said weakly.

"Hi there pup! Two weeks at Hogwarts and you manage to land yourself in St. Mungos. You broke your father's record", Sirius joked. 

Harry chuckled, "Well what was his record?"

"He landed here after 2 months when he tried to fly a broom near the Whomping Willow", Sirius smirked. 

Petunia was not amused to say the least. She glared at Sirius but he paid no attention. Harry was internally glad for Sirius's joking and light hearted nature. Harry pulled himself into a sitting position Sirius and Petunia watched him.

"But I thought the first years were not allowed any brooms", Harry questioned.

"Well he stole one of the school's brooms", Sirius smirked.

Harry laughed. Well that sounded like his dad alright. 

"So how long do I have to stay here?"

"Well mostly you should be able to go back home by evening today, but I wanted you to stay here for some more time Harry", Petunia replied.

Harry didn't quite like the idea of having to stay in the hospital much. He never was much of a doctor and healthcare person to begin with. And he hated having to be taken care by the nurses. 

"I think I'll go home Mom...I don't particularly like the idea of having to stay here after all. And the healers had told me that all I needed to do is take the potions and not do heavy activity or difficult magic. So I think I'll go back to Hogwarts tomorrow"

Petunia knowing that she could not change Harry's mind gave up. Sirius didn't know what to do but he himself didn't like the idea of staying at the hospital much so he could see where Harry was coming from. 

"I think I'll sleep some more now", Harry said with a yawn. "Wake me up by evening please, Mom"

With that Harry fell asleep again.