One in a Million

A Connection

Harry's POV:

I opened my eyes and immediately heard voices and shouts around me. "He's awake!" "Harry mate!" "Is he alright?!"

A large amount of curly red hair was in my face and I knew by the smell of food and steam that it was Mrs. Weasley.

Her arms were wrapped around me in a tight, motherly embrace, and she was patting my head in an, 'It's okay' manner.

When she pulled away, she had tears in her eyes.

"You're alright! We were all so worried!"

I looked around and saw that 'all' included Hermione, Ron, Ginny, Luna, the twins, and even Mr. Weasley. I felt tears sting my eyes at the sight of them all surrounding me.

"Harry!" Hermione launched herself into my arms and I felt my head throb.

"Gently Miss Granger. He's only just now conscious. We don't want to damage his health even further." Hermione pulled away and frowned.

"Sorry Madam Pomfrey." She said as she moved away to sit at the foot of my bed.

Madam Pomfrey walked towards me then started checking my reflexes.

When she was done, she gave me a fowl tasting potion that made me gag.

"How long have I been here?" My voice was hoarse and I cleared it.

"About a day." Mr. Weasley said. I felt my heart drop. Barely the first day of school and I had already missed class.

"What...what happened?" I looked at every face and saw that none of them knew quite what to say.

"It-It was V-Voldemort." Hermione stuttered out. "He was trying to take control of you again."

"But you managed to fight him off." Ron said with a small grin. "Like you always do." His voice dipped sadly at the end.

"Why did he come for me again?" Mrs. Weasley patted my hand.

"Let's not worry about that right now. Let's focus on the fact that you are better!"

The doors to the Hospital Wing opened just then and Dumbledore came striding in, his deep blue robes billowing behind him.

"He deserves to know, Molly." He nodded to her then turned to face me. I liked that about him. He would tell me things that others wouldn't.

"Voldemort believed your mind would be easier to control, as it had been a while since your godfather's near death. He tried again, but this time his attack was stronger and he was able to take control better. I have been led to believe that he was working on you for quite some time without you noticing. Changing feelings here and there, making this emotion more prominent over that. But we believe him to be gone from your mind now."

I raised an eyebrow. "And how do you know? Because that's the same thing that you said last year and look where we are, back in the Hospital Wing."

Mrs. Weasley looked at me in surprise. She had never heard me speak with such a mixture of fear and irritation. Because I was. I was terrified of what would happen if Voldemort had managed to get a better control on my mind, and I was pissed that I hadn't been able to keep him out. I honestly thought that I had been getting better at Occlumency.

"I have placed a protection spell on your mind. It is old magic. Very old. Magic that even I had forgotten existed." Dumbledore said.

"What goes into the spell?" Hermione asked.

"The spell only works when it is bonded to another. Another who cares very deeply for you."

Everyone around me looked at one another in confusion.

"But I didn't do anything!" Hermione, Ron, and Mrs. Weasley all said at once. I felt a small smile creep onto my face again.

"That is because none of you volunteered. Someone else did."

I couldn't imagine who. Sirius was unconscious, which, at the moment, I was glad of. Otherwise he would have flipped. Moony may have, but he probably didn't even know what had happened.

"Who volunteered?" Dumbledore shook his head.

"They prefer their identity remain a secret. Until they see fit to reveal it, that is."

I racked my brains, thinking of everyone who would use their own magic to protect me. I came up blank. The people I would have guessed were standing around me, as confused as I was.

"You have to tell us. How do you know they are good? How do you know they don't just want to hurt Harry?" Ginny asked from her chair and Hermione and Ron nodded in agreement.

"Because I know this person and I trust them completely. This is their second chance and they don't plan on wasting it."

Hermione and Ron both looked at me in worry. After all, Dumbledore trusted Snape. How good was his word of trust, after all?