Warnings: Mentions of abuse.

Harry's POV:

My entire body feels like it's on fire. Every single thing is aching or hurting.

I'm not sure what curse Malfoy used on me, but I hope that it ends tomorrow.

I could practically faint, right here and now, it hurts so bad.

Obviously I haven't told Ron or Hermione. They'd worry too much, and I'd hate to be the cause of their worry.

I think they're worrying anyway, because if I ever feel ill or am hurt I don't mention it, so the fact that I'm mentioning it now means it hurts a lot.

Besides, they'd force me to go to the Hospital Wing with Madam Pomfrey. She's seen me so much that she fusses over me much more than any other student - and that's not a good thing.

The thing about me (and I know it's bad) is that when I feel pain or feel sick, I just deal with it.

The Dursleys always told me off when I was ill (like I wouldn't be after they made me garden for hours in the pouring rain during winter) or when I got hurt. I've just learnt to ignore it by now.

I've had yet to let Madam Pomfrey do a full examination of me as well. I don't want her to find out.

Find all the scars, the burns, the bones that healed incorrectly, my obvious ribs, cuts, bruises, whip marks.

It doesn't hurt that much.

Besides, for the moment, it's the scars Umbridge has forced me to carve into my hand, considering the pain seems to centre in on the thing that last made me hurt.

Even then it doesn't hurt that much, unless I use my hand for more than an hour. I can't lie on my side either, not with all the scars marring it.

I can't let Sirius find out.

He'd kill the Dursleys and then he would actually have a reason to be in Azkaban, which I definitely don't want to happen.

I also wouldn't have a home, considering Remus has his 'furry little problem' and Sirius is - well - an escaped convict.

I'm not looking forward to bed tonight. Maybe it'll get better.

Knowing my luck, it'll get worse.

Of course, I was right.

|HP|

As the night went on, the pain slowly grew worse and worse.

A thought struck me and I gave a silent groan.

I forgot to put my silencing charms up.

I normally have them in case I scream from my nightmares, so that Ron, Dean, Seamus and Neville can sleep better than I do.

The pain's intensifying every second while I fight the urge to scream. I had been doing it for a while, wanting to let my friends sleep, but I finally lost the battle a second later.

Already thrashing and shaking, I added screaming to the mix. I could hear Ron jolt up in bed with a "bloody hell" with Seamus, Dean and Neville following suit - but without the language.

Ron walked over to me, feeling my forehead and swearing.

"Don't worry mate," he said. As he was doing so, he motioned to Neville to leave the room, likely to get somebody. "Dean, get a bucket in case he's sick, and Seamus, get me a cup of water."

I made use of the bucket as soon as it was by my side and the cup of water was soon thrown into my face afterwards.

It's very clear that Ron isn't Ron doctor - or a Healer - of any sort, if he thought that would help bring my temperature down.

"Don't worry, Harry," Ron soothed, "Neville's getting help, you'll feel better soon, I promise."

I continue to scream, shake and thrash around, but less uncontrollably than before. Ron's helping, whether he knows it or not.

All of a sudden, a nauseous feeling grips my stomach and I just about manage to croak, "Bucket," before the few remains of my dinner got spewed in there.

My stomach settles somewhat and the shaking, screaming and thrashing seems to calmed down a bit.

Of course, the pain is still lingering, and it hurts. It's worse than one of Uncle Vernon's beatings - and when I say it, I mean it.

Neville hurried back in after being gone for - not that long, actually, with McGonagall and Pomfrey at his tail.

I suppose I do the help, as much as I hate to admit it.

I have to tell them that Malfoy put a curse on me.

"Pr-Professor?" I croaked, cringing at how bad my voice sounded, but deciding to leave it for the moment.

"Yes, Potter?" McGonagall answered, concern evident in her eyes and body posture.

"Malfoy put - put a curse on me. I- I've n-never heard it b'fore... I don' 'member what it was..."

I struggled getting the words out of my mouth, but I think I did play. Everyone seems to understand what I was saying, anyway.

McGonagall looked fo Pomfrey. "Poppy, girl and find Severus and tell him to try and get Mr Malfoy to tell him what that spell was. Perhaps the book, if we're lucky."

The pain was slowly getting worse and worse - the possibility of dying from this seems extremely real right now.

"Ron," I whisper, my voice hoarse.

"Yeah, mate?" he answered, the worried tone in his voice making me feel bad.

"Snuffles..." I say, my voice getting quieter with every word, the screaming having used up all my energy. "I wanna see Snuffles."

"All right, mate, I'll go and grab him, okay?" Ron said, running out quickly.

Neville comes to my side as he leaves, whispering in my ear. "He'll be back soon, you don't have to worry, Harry. I promise, you won't die, not if you try. You're the one who always believed in me, you made me believe in myself."

I began to nod, but as it made me hurt even more I stopped.

"It hurts too much," I murmured. "I'll try my best, Neville. I'll try to hold on for as long as I can."

At that moment, Ron came rushing back into the room, Dumbledore wne Snuffles following behind him.

"Snuffles," I whisper, half filled with relief, but the other half sad.

Yeah, I want to see him for the last time, but I don't want him to be force to watch me die.

"Mate, can you walk?" Ron asked gently.

"If I'm holding onto someone," I reply, not even sure then.

I hold onto Ron with the best grip I could do in that moment.

"Hey, Neville?" I whisper, despite the fact that the room is dead silent and everyone could hear me anyway. "I - I'm sorry if I don't make it."

Snuffles whined and licked me furiously, as if he were trying to heal me. I pat him weakly.

Ron led me to the Room of Requirement, leaving me in Dumbledore's care as he placed in front of it three times, thinking of what he wanted there to be inside.

He took me back (and man did I feel useless when I couldn't walk by myself) and walked inside.

There's a bed, just like the ones Gryffindor tower had.

I gave him a quizzical look.

"We need a safe place for Snuffles to transform. Seamus, Dean and Neville still believe he's an escaped convict who wants to, you know, kill you," Ron explained.

I shake my head. "Neville doesn't think Sirius is an escaped convict. He's here now, I think, with my Invisibility Cloak. I told him in fourth year when you weren't... feeling yourself."

And wow, that was a lot of effort to say those few sentences. Something is really wrong with me.

Neville revealed both himself and Hermione - I suppose Hermione had snuck into the dorms when I started screaming and figured she could help.

I'm glad she's here.

I hope Dean and Seamus aren't too worried. They need their sleep, it's OWL year and they need all the sleep and time they can get.

Along with the entirety of Gryffindor tower too, I guess. It's hard not to believe that I didn't wake everyone up with all that screaming.

Ron led me to the bed, my limbs still shaking from the effort of keeping myself up. I lay on the bed, wincing and flinching back, trying to keep the thrashing at bay.

Sirius immediately went to my side, holding my hand. "Harry, listen to me," he spoke, his voice filled with fear - for my life? "You can't die," he whispered. "I - I can't lose you too."

I started screaming again, unable to hold them back this time.

I feel bad that my friends are being forced to watch this.

(Even though I know they'd put up a furious fight if I ordered them to leave.)

There was a loud knock, all of a sudden. Oh, dear Merlin, please don't be anybody from Hogsmeade complaining about the screams. I haven't been screaming that loud, have I?

The pain is getting worse and worse by every second, and I'm getting weaker at the same time. I think that it may finally be my time - I can't hold on much longer.

"Ron?" I croak, my voice breaking slightly. "Wh-what's the time?"

"It's ten to seven, Harry," Ron said, wringing his hands together nervously. I guess he doesn't want me to die either.

"It's nearly breakfast," he added. "I'll bring you some food up, okay? Maybe some pancakes. Yeah, pancakes always make things better!"

He was almost shouting by the end of it. He was taking this much harder than I thought. He's not crying, though. It would take much more than me being hurt to set him off.

I finally whispered to them, to Ron, Neville, Hermione, Sirius, McGonagall, Pomfrey, Dumbledore, anyone who could hear me.

"I - I think I'm going to die."

And at that moment, I couldn't control my body - my eyes were closed. I could still hear, still breathe - somewhat, anyway.

"No, Harry!" Sirius cried.

I felt awful for making him feel that way.

At that moment, somebody entered the room - Dumbledore must have sent for them.

"The curse was a Dark Curse."

Oh, I'd recognise that slimy voice anywhere. It's Professor Snape. But why? I - I'm already dead, so surely there's no reason to find out what the curse was anymore, right?

"It was made so that the victim of it would feel pain for one, entire night and from when the curse was placed - the earlier it is placed, the more pain the victim feels.

"It would get worse the longer it is on for, but during the morning, at around seven o'clock, somebody who they loved would come back to life.

"The only problem is, of course, the pain. The world would be unbalanced if somebody could be brought back to life easily - normally, it is one soul for another soul. This curse doesn't view things that way, unfortunately."

Judging by the footsteps leaving the room, it was safe to say that Snape had left.

There was only one thing that I could think of in that moment.

My mum or dad could be alive?

"Wait, what's the time now?" Ron asked suddenly. I could hear him bouncing on the balls of his feet - either he's excited or worried.

"Ten past seven, why?" Hermione asked, although hearing the tone of her voice, she seemed to understand what Ron was getting at.

"Harry's either limp because he passed out from the pain, or it's stopped!" exclaimed Ron.

And, of course, he was right. Not that that's unsurprising - I thought Hermione would understand it before him.

Finally, I could feel my muscles again! Enjoying the time, I quickly sat up, before lying back down again after the pain sprung back into my body.

Those marks from the beating definitely haven't gone away during that time, either. Actually, it almost feels like they've gotten worse. How, exactly? I don't know.

"I heard your whole conversation," I say, my voice still hoarse - it kind of sounded like I was losing it, or something. Merlin, I hope not. "Who do you think it would be, mum or dad?"

"I don't know," Sirius said, his tone wistful. I already know who he wants it to be. "I loved your mother to bits, you know I did, but I can never resist having my prank partner back!"

Dumbledore had left the room, unnoticed by any of us, only noticed again when he'd come back in.

(Honestly, how does he do that? Oh - wait - we're wizards. I'm stupid.)

"Indeed, it is James Potter," Dumbledore announced. Sirius cheered with delight, rushing out of the room in his animagus form - just in case any students were loitering about.

I run after him, despite people (namely Ron, who's mainly a mother hen when I've gotten hurt in some way) saying I was too weak.

"Sniff him out, go on!" I say to Snuffles, grinning at him when he barks joyfully and does what I said.

We found him. James Potter.

(And despite how much I was mentally preparing myself for this situation, the worst thing happened.)

I faint.

Hope you enjoyed. Cliffy! I actually hate cliffhangers, but I haven't finished off my other chapters for my other books, so....

Edit: By the way, this one line 'Ouch, those marks from the beatings hurt like argh!' I laughed at as I redid this. Argh was gonna be hell, but I was a silly young child and thought it was a horrible bad word. Ha.

Also, everybody can thank SexyFlower24 for this chapter *round of applause*. I'm going to try and update this book as much as I can now, promise. It just takes while... No excuses, though!

-RomioneAndHinny