The Boy Who Couldn't See: Year 2

The Dueling Club

When Harry wakes up on Sunday morning, his arm has regained its bones but is very stiff and unusable. Madam Pomfrey tells him he needs to eat before he leaves and he grumbles about it under his breath before doing as he's told.

She pats his shoulder and says, sounding amused, "You Potter boys are exactly the same."

Harry cracks a smile and says around a mouthful of food, "Thanks."

She huffs a laugh. "I heard you telling your friends about your magic. Your father figured it out in his second year as well, during a Quidditch game at that. Just be careful. Don't get a big head about it. It helps but it's not sight and it never will be. I know what'll happen, you'll get brave and then hurt yourself and I have to deal with the aftermath. Let's stop that before it happens, okay?"

"Yes, Madam," Harry says. She pats his shoulder again and walks away.

He eats quickly and dresses even quicker. He leaves the hospital wing and then stands just outside the doors, wondering which senses would help him get around easier. He decides to divide his magic between hearing, sight, and touch. Hearing because he'll be able to tell if there's a wall beside him without having to touch it, sight because... well, and touch because now, he can feel vibrations beneath his feet and deduct if somebody is in his way. He grins to himself and begins walking.

He only falters after about five minutes because he remembers that he has no idea where he's going. He was unconscious the first time he was taken to the hospital wing and yesterday, he was more focused on his boneless arm than anything.

Thankfully, somebody notices his confusion.

"Need some help, Harry?" Percy's voice asks. "Excellent flying yesterday, by the way, really excellent. Gryffindor has just taken the lead for the House Cup — you earned fifty points! Oliver thinks I'm jinxing it by talking about it but he's always been superstitious. I've learned to ignore it."

"Thanks, Percy," Harry smiles. The thought of Oliver and Percy being best friends is still very weird but the more Harry hears and thinks about it, the less foreign it becomes. "Have you seen Hermione or Ron?"

"No, sorry," Percy says. "I hope my brother is staying out of trouble..."

The bathroom.

"Um, what floor am I on right now, Percy?"

"The first. I've just come out of the library."

Harry gets his bearings quickly. "Thanks. See you in the common room!"

Percy's laughter rings in his ears as he runs off. He can't tell if it's because his hearing is more sensitive right now or if it's because he's never heard Percy laugh before, let alone at one of his blind jokes, or if it's because he and Ron laugh the same way. He decides to blame it on the first two reasons.

After reaching the second floor and making sure that nobody is around by putting more magic into his touch sense and waiting to feel vibrations, he ducks into Myrtle's bathroom.

"Ron? Mione?"

"Harry!" there's a creak and splashing footsteps before his arms are full of bushy hair. Well, arm. The other hangs stiffly at his side, still unusable.

He lets his magic flow normally and hugs back.

"How's your arm?" Hermione asks, pulling him inside a stall. She closes the door behind him and locks it. Harry can hear a sort of crackling and chalks it up to them starting the potion.

"My bones are back," Harry says, "but I can't move it yet. What are you guys doing? And why in here?"

"We figured this would be the best place to make the Polyjuice Potion," Ron explains. "And we would've met you but after Colin... D'you know what I think? Malfoy was in such a foul temper after the Quidditch match, he took it out on Colin."