𝐀𝐟𝐭𝐞𝐫 𝐃𝐚𝐫𝐤 | Harry James Potter x Reader

YR 5 ☆•°~'* 09

A/N - Thank you so much for 5k reads! Still so impressive to know that so many people decided to read this story <3

Enjoy the chapter!

❈🌠➵9¾♌ ⚯ 🗲━━━━━★. *･｡ﾟ✧⁺

The next few days at Hogwarts were pure torture. The detentions were getting worse; Y/N's hand wasn't healing as much and he could see faint scars etched onto the back of his non-dominant hand. 

Harry's hand wasn't much better. It looked like it was rubbed raw, though the words were not visible yet as they were on Y/N's hand. Perhaps it was because he wrote faster than Harry - he found that the pain was lesser that way.

On Thursday, Y/N's hand was the worst it ever was. The words were cut deep this time, and tiny droplets of blood oozed out of his hand. Harry was in the same situation.

'Do we still have to come back tomorrow?' Harry asked Umbridge when the time came to leave her office.

'Oh, yes,' she said, smiling widely as ever. 'Yes, I think we can etch the message a little deeper with another evening's work.'

Y/N's nostrils flared with fury but he bit the inside of his cheek to keep quiet. He and Harry left the sickeningly pink room together, walking fast to Gryffindor Tower.

'That evil, twisted, mad old toad,' Harry suddenly stormed, stopping Y/N and taking his hand. 'Look at your hand!'

The cuts were deep and still bleeding. The edges around the words were slightly purple and it looked as though Y/N's hand would never heal again. Harry's thumb grazed somewhere near the cut and Y/N let out a hiss of pain.

'Careful,' he muttered quietly, pulling his hand away from Harry. 'Show me yours.'

Harry hesitated but then complied, extending his hand for Y/N to examine. Y/N bit his lip when he took a look at the state it was in. It wasn't as terrible as Y/N's, though the words were scratched and bright red. 

'She's sick,' Y/N growled as they continued walking. 'She's insane. I despise that disgusting bit-'

The words died away as they reached the top of the stairs and rounded a corner. Ron was hiding behind a statue, soaking wet and dripping mud, clutching his new broomstick tightly in hand.

'Ron?' said Harry.

Ron jumped in surprise when he spotted Harry and Y/N and tried to hide his Cleansweep Eleven behind his back.

'What are you doing?' said Harry.

'Er - nothing. What are you doing?'

Harry frowned at him and Y/N blinked.

'Come on, Ron, tell us,' said Y/N. 

'I- I'm hiding from Fred and George, if you must know,' said Ron in a feverish way.

'Really?' said Y/N. 'But why have you got your broom with you and why are you dripping with water?'

'I - well - well, OK, I'll tell you, but don't laugh, all right?' Ron said defensively, turning red in the face. 

'We won't,' said Harry quickly.

'Er- Right... I thought I'd... I'd try out for Gryffindor Keeper now I've got a decent broom,' said Ron. 'There. Go on. Laugh.'

'I'm not laughing,' said Harry. Ron blinked. 'It's a brilliant idea! It'd be really cool if you got on the team! I've never seen you play Keeper, are you good?'

'I'm not bad,' said Ron, who looked immensely relieved. 'Charlie, Fred and George always made me Keep for them when they were training during the holidays... But - Y/N, didn't you want to try out for Keeper?' he added guiltily. 'I kind of stole your spot...'