The Dark Lord Voldemort rises to power but falls to one year old baby Harry Potter. Ten years later Harry attends Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry with Ronald Weasley and Hermione Granger. Harry stops Professor Quirrell, possessed by Voldemort, from stealing the Sorcerer's Stone. The Chamber of Secrets is opened and the Basilisk attacks Muggle-born students, petrifying them. Hermione is petrified and Harry and Ron enter the Chamber to stop the Basilisk and rescue Ron's sister Ginny. Sirius Black escapes Azkaban Prison as Harry and friends begin their third year at the school. Black, with the help of Remus Lupin apprehends Peter Pettigrew aka Wormtail but he escapes. Harry is entered into the Triwizard Tournament as a fourth Champion in the deadly student games. Voldemort is reborn and kills Cedric Diggory, with the aid of Wormtail. The Ministry of Magic begins to interfere at Hogwarts as Harry instructs his fellow students in Defense Against the Dark Arts. Harry and the others break into the Ministry of Magic and Sirius Black is killed. Harry and Professor Dumbledore explore the secret origins of Tom Riddle and Dumbledore is murdered. Harry, Ron, and Hermione go on the run from Voldemort's forces as they search for the key to Voldemort's immortality: Horcruxes. Harry, Ron, and Hermione destroy the horcruxes keeping Voldemort alive and Harry faces his destiny, destroying Voldemort once and for all, all as we begin the next adventure for Harry Potter, Ron Weasley and Hermione Granger…
Pain. Unimaginable pain all through his body. Darkness slowly lifted, his vision beginning to clear, very slowly. He could see white marble overheard and feel a soft yet oddly firm foundation under him, a bed. White marble? This was not right; he should not be in a room like this, where was he? As realization began to dawn, he shot upright and was met with fresh new pain and the sensation that his body, albeit broken a little, was still intact, maybe.
He groaned. Slowly his mind was coming back into focus. Where was he? How did he get here? Where even was here? Who was he? Wait, that last one, he knew. Of all the things that he did not know, his mind had not been irreparably damaged. He knew who he was. He was Matt. And he was not supposed to even be here today. It was his day off, wasn't it? Yes, it had definitely been his day off. He had not had to attend classes that day, he was sure of it. Then why was he feeling like he was supposed to be doing something? Why was he anywhere than his dorm at the school?
Matt groaned again. This line of thinking was getting him nowhere. And now he was frustrated as well. He gritted his teeth and more slowly shifted under the bed covers and tried to ease himself up this time.
"Poppy, he's awake." Came a voice. It was high, but calm and firm with a weird accent. Why did the speaker have a weird accent? This made no sense! A woman came over, two, actually. One was much older, her hair tucked up under a green pointed hat, the other was clearly a nurse or doctor as she began to fuss.
"Wh-what…" he began.
"You're alright now dear." Said the doctor. "You're safe now, a lot has happened to you, but all will be explained…"
"Tell me." He said looking down the bed at his feet and the first speaker who was standing, almost glowering at him. No, she could not be, he did not get the sense that he had done something wrong plus he did not even know her! The doctor gave an exasperated sigh.
"Please, how bad is it?" he asked. Everything looked and felt like it was still attached to him.
"You've been in a coma for the last year. You're lucky we found you at all." The matron said. Matt's eyes grew wide. "Wh-what?? H-How? I-I, no, we couldn't have. I shouldn't…"
"Rest!" she said. "Don't push yourself." she added, sternly.
"We have to tell him." Said the first woman.
"Minerva, he needs to rest." Replied the doctor.
"He's been resting the last year! He deserves to know what happened." The one called Minerva said. The doctor threw her hands up.
"Fine but do not upset him!" she fussed. Matt looked at Minerva, his eyes clearing and his head finally finding focus.
"Tell me." He said it more clearly and less weakly this time.
"You've been in a coma for the last year. You were found in a muggle hospital, about six months ago." Minerva began. Muggle? What was that? He hadn't heard that term before.
"Six months?" he repeated and coughed. The doctor poured a glass of water. He gladly took it and sipped. His throat was raw it felt, and the water tasted good. "Where am I?"
"You were found by someone, visiting a relative and they sent word immediately to us." Minerva continued. "You are fortunate, very fortunate."
"That still doesn't answer my question." He spoke. The mystery was beginning to grow old.
"You're at Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry in the Scottish Highlands." Minerva replied and waited for the reaction. Matt's eyes grew wide and his mouth fell open. That explained the weird terminology and accents.
"What? No. I can't be. I need to get out of here. I need to get back!" He started to move to get up.
"Minerva!" scolded the doctor. "What did I say?" she was taking on a stern tone with the older woman.
"Please, calm down, and let me finish." Minerva said to Matt. He looked and felt panicky.
This couldn't be, he was an ocean away from where he should be! "There's nothing to go back to. Ilvermorny is gone."
"No… it can't be…no!" He fell back into the bed and his emotions overwhelmed him. They failed. Tears streamed down his cheeks. A memory slowly surfaced; he was supposed to help stop something. This was probably what it was, the school's destruction. His home for the last six years was gone. His friends, his teachers, everything gone! No.
He cried and he let himself cry. The older woman patted his hand and stood from where she had drawn up a chair. "I'll let you get some rest." She said knowing he needed time to process everything. She left shortly after and Matt simply laid in bed and thought. He could not believe the school he was meant to defend was gone. They truly had lost, hadn't they? His mind raced but ultimately, he succumbed to sleep. Being in a coma was apparently demanding work.
The following morning the doctor, who Matt learned was called Madam Pomfrey, gave him a much more detailed account of his injuries. The situation was not the best, he learned. Because he had been found by No-Maj's, referred to as Muggles over here, he was taken to a normal hospital. There was a lot magic could do to repair the body but even magic has its limitations after six months.
Matt's left leg had been gravely wounded and while the No-Maj doctors did what they could, the injury was fairly permanent. He could walk but not well and barely at all after being in a coma for a year. He sighed. At this. The rest were superficial and would only leave him with a few scars here and there.
Matt was not one to simply lie down and take it. He began walking as quickly as he could, hauling himself to the bathroom and looking in the mirror. Everything was still there. Dark brown hair, check, albeit longer than it should be. Black beard, and a lot of it, more than he ever cared for, check. That is what you get for being caught with your guard down, he thought darkly to himself. Nose was still there, both brown eyes looking back at him. Scar. Scar? On his cheek a feint scar, which was new. He would have to get used to that; it would seem.
Matt was quick to get himself shaved and get his hair trimmed shorter. He started to feel more like himself, more human. He even began walking, pacing up and down the hospital wing, regaining his strength. He had to use a walker at first, but he was up at least three times a day and before long he was able to stand on his own without assistance. However, he still needed a cane to maneuver around otherwise.
Soon he was making increased trips out of the hospital wing to explore the castle bit by bit. Matt was in sore need of something to do so he began to build his strength, moving around the various staircases and hallways of the massive structure. The library, however, seemed to be a bit far at first. So, he requested as many newspapers as they would allow to be brought to him.
Madam Pince, the librarian, was only willing to let one month at a time go, but that was all right. Matt read as much as he could. He was trying to catch up. It was stressful at first, Madam Pomfrey was less than thrilled with his reactions to old news. There was a little relief though, as things seemed to be ok now.
The weeks went by, as the castle was rebuilt around him, it seemed to recover along with him. He gained an appreciation for that. He was quickly gaining his strength back and he began to take meals in the Great Hall. The place was huge but incredible. The enchanted ceiling and ornate fireplaces, it was incredible, if a bit lonely. Most of the surviving staff were home preparing for the upcoming school year. He could not believe that just a scant month or two the immaculate castle was a ruin of a battleground, and this very hall was full of dead bodies.
Matt could only imagine what that had been like, fallen teachers and students everywhere. Over fifty dead on either side of the battle. But good had triumphed over evil once again. Matt smirked as he thought of the hilarious irony of Harry Potter, the Boy Who Lived, the single greatest threat to Lord Voldemort, bringing him down once and for all.
Matt snorted to himself on reading the papers over breakfast one morning, the ones that had come out the literal day after the battle.
Voldemort Defeated! Harry Potter Stops Dark Lord for Good!
There were pictures in the paper showing the battle-scarred Harry freshly bandaged up, of course, with his two closest companions Ronald Weasley and Hermione Granger. Matt studied the three legends, Harry looked haggard and worn out, as if his patience had run out. Ron looked as though he were slightly enjoying himself though. Matt's eyes caught on the girl though. She was very pretty, but there was a haunted look in her eyes. She looked done with the limelight as well, he decided.
As his recovery progressed, Matt explored more of the castle and wandered farther from the hospital wing every day. He had a fresh outlook. He had woken up in the middle of the summer and the holidays were waning. It was soon coming time to make decisions. He spoke to Madam Pomfrey about seeing the Headmistress and since he was able to walk on his own, shown where to go and what to do.
The stone gargoyle hopped aside as he gave the password and slowly limped up the stairs. He knocked on the office door.
"You may enter." The Headmistress said.
"Professor McGonagall, I wanted to come and speak with you." Matt said as he crossed the room to her desk, limping and leaning on his cane.
"I suppose you should, how has your recovery been proceeding?" the Headmistress asked.
"Well…as well as can be expected anyway…I think…" Matt's confidence was quickly slipping, and he could not help but look down at his bad leg.
"I believe the word you're searching for is 'plateaued'." McGonagall said with a knowing look over her glasses.
"Yes, I believe that's the technical term for it…" Matt replied, looking away to his left, as if finding the cabinets in the office remarkably interesting.
"You already know what that means." McGonagall was too wise to not know where the conversation was headed.
"I do." Matt looked back down at his own lap and then back to the Headmistress. "I'm sure given the circumstances, if I wanted, I could apply for some kind of official degree that basically says I'm graduated."
"Oh certainly. The Minister of Magic could, or we could even write to MCUSA. However, is that what you want, Mr. Santini? The easy way?"
"May I think on it? Just a little bit?"
"Oh, I don't see why not. I'm sure you'll let me know what you decide soon enough." McGonagall gave a smirk, as if she already knew what he was going to do before he did it.
Matt made his way through the halls of the castle, wandering aimlessly, limping and clopping about as he did. There were no others there outside of an occasional house elf or a random professor coming into their classroom to prepare early for new students. He passed by the steps to the square courtyard just off the great hall and paused. The doors were open to let the warm summer air waft through the castle. It seemed to be letting the air of the battle of a few months prior, out. He spied, sitting on the steps to the far side, a young woman with brown hair. She was a stranger; he had not seen her before. He was shocked to see someone else there.
He shrugged, perhaps she was a visitor and was waiting on someone or was simply stopping by before going on to her next great adventure. Who knew? The boy decided to let it go for now and he felt his stomach rumble. The Great Hall was just a few short flights of stairs and a doorway or two away, it was time to get food.