To Whom It May Concern

To Whom it May Concern

Chapter 1

Harry sighed in relief as he was finally able to make out the enlightened windows of Hogwarts in the pouring rain. 'Finally back home,' he mused, while the carriages pulled up towards the castle.

"Harry, are you feeling all right?" Hermione all of a sudden asked, after watching her friend closely over the whole trip from King's Cross.

"I'm fine," Harry replied in a small voice, still uncertain if he should tell his friends about his problem. From the time when he had arrived at the Dursleys' after his fifth Hogwarts year, he had been feeling unwell. He felt immensely tired nearly all the time, and sometimes he felt as if his chest was constricted and he had problems to breathe. Over the holidays, he had pondered several times, if he should find a way to get to Hogwarts and see Madam Pomfrey about the matter, but he told himself that the Mediwitch was probably on holidays as well and that he could wait until he'd be back at Hogwarts in September.

"I'll tell you later in the dormitory," he corrected himself, seeing that Hermione was still looking at him piercingly.

The dinner after the Sorting was delicious, even if Harry couldn't eat much after his meagre meals at the Dursleys' over the summer. Later on, Harry asked Ron and Hermione to accompany him to the dormitory, where he motioned them to sit on his bed, throwing a silencing charm around them, before he told them about his problem.

"Harry," Hermione asked in exasperation, "why didn't you go to see Madam Pomfrey tonight?"

Harry sighed. "If I went to the hospital wing tonight, a lot of people would have noticed. I'll go and see her tomorrow after the afternoon classes."

"I'll accompany you," Hermione promised, yawning.

"Let's go to bed. Thanks for listening," Harry replied gratefully, yawning as well.

HP HEALER POMFREY HP

After lunch on the first day of classes, Hermione suggested, "Harry, why don't we go to see Madam Pomfrey right now? We still have fifty minutes until the beginning of Charms."

Harry hesitantly agreed, glad that Hermione accompanied him. Madam Pomfrey listened patiently to his explanations, before she made him lie down on a bed, waving her wand over him several times. Finally, she took a small parchment, scribbled something, and handed it Hermione. "Please show this to the teachers of your afternoon classes, Ms. Granger. Mr. Potter is excused from class, since this check will take quite a while."

"Is he all right?" Hermione asked in concern, seeing that the Healer's face had taken on a stern expression.

"I hope so," Pomfrey replied, turning back to Harry. She continued to wave her wand at the boy, headed back to her office to search for something in a huge book, and finally called Dumbledore.

"Albus, can you please stay with Mr. Potter for a short while? I have to floo to St. Mungo's and bring one of the cardiologists with me, since I only know so much in that area. I suspect that he was hit by a dark spell, which caused him to get cardiac trouble."

The Headmaster threw her a terrified look, before he agreed, taking a seat next to Harry's bed. "Since when did you have these problems, Harry?" he asked gently.

"Since the beginning of the holidays," Harry replied in an even voice, trying to hide his anger against the Headmaster. He still hadn't forgotten that the man, after ignoring him for a whole school year, had chosen the night after Sirius' death to tell him about the prophecy. "You don't have to sit with me, Professor. I've been alone over more than two months. I'll well survive a few hours."

Noticing that Harry's voice was laced with bitterness, Dumbledore sighed. "I know that you're angry with me, my boy, but please try to overcome that feeling. It's important that we work together. By the way, you need to finally learn Occlumency this year. Do you want me to teach you, or shall I ask Professor Snape to try teaching you once more?"

"Professor Snape please, sir," Harry replied, instinctively knowing that he didn't want to work together with the Headmaster several times a week.

"Very well, my boy. Additionally, I want to teach you something and would like you to come to my office for that purpose. I'll notify you when I'm ready."

Finally, Madam Pomfrey returned with an older Healer in tow, introducing him as Healer Jones from St. Mungo's. The Healer waved his wand at Harry a few times, before he accompanied Pomfrey into her office for five minutes. Harry could see that she escorted the man to the fireplace, before she returned to his bedside.

"Healer Jones shared my opinion that you're suffering from a cardiac insufficiency, which has probably been induced by a dark spell. Unfortunately, there is no counter spell or anything else we can do about it. There are potions, which I can give you when you feel bad, but in general you have to be careful not to do anything strenuous. From today onwards, you're exempt from the Defence Against the Dark Arts class, and you must not participate in any duels, friendly or not. You're only allowed to fly after seeing me within an hour beforehand. It might happen that you feel too tired to attend classes; in that case please come to me, and I'll excuse you with your teachers."

Pomfrey threw the Headmaster a questioning look. "That's all I can think of at the moment, but it might be that there will be more activities, which you have to refrain from."

Harry looked horrified at the adults. 'How am I supposed to kill Voldemort when I'm not even able to fight?' he thought, terrified.

Dumbledore nervously stroked his white beard. "Poppy, is it safe enough for Harry to remain in his dormitory, or should he stay with one of the teachers, so that he can be constantly monitored?"

Pomfrey sighed, before she replied thoughtfully, "Frankly speaking, I have to watch him for a while to be sure about that. Well, considering that the Gryffindor common room is on the seventh floor, while the entrances to the teachers' quarters are on the same level as the hospital wing, it might be better if he stayed with someone. We'll think about it. Mr. Potter, for the time being, you may remain in your dormitory, but I want you to come to me every evening between dinner and curfew for a short check-up."

"All right," Harry replied wearily, too shocked to prevent his thoughts from going haywire. 'I knew that I was sick, but I didn't think that it was so bad,' he mused. 'There's no way that I'll be able to become an Auror.' The realization struck him hard.

"I'll speak with Severus," Dumbledore told Pomfrey. "He'd be the best to take Harry in and look after him."

"No!" Harry replied angrily, noticing that his breathing became laboured as he threw the Headmaster a menacing glare.

"Mr. Potter, don't make yourself so upset please," Pomfrey scolded him lightly. "For now, you may go, but I want to see you once more tonight."

Harry thanked the Mediwitch and angrily left the room, ignoring the Headmaster completely. 'Placing me with Snape,' he mused angrily, while he slowly walked back to his common room, knowing that the last afternoon class had already begun. 'Well, I already realized last year that the Headmaster doesn't care about me at all. He only cares about me as much as the prophecy is involved. I'm nothing more than a marionette to him.'

When he entered the empty common room, he made a decision, about which he had already thought intensely over the holidays. Making himself comfortable on the sofa in front of the fireplace, Harry took parchment and a quill out of his school bag and began to write a letter.

Hello Tom,

No, I'm not trying to insult you, but I'm not aware of any other name for you, which we'd both approve. As Dumbledore explained to me, there is a prophecy about you and me.

Now, what I'd like to ask you is the following: Do you really believe in prophecies? In fact, I don't, especially if Professor Trelawney makes them. She's an absolute fraud.

Well, frankly speaking, I've no intention to kill you. Why should I? Just because she says so? Or because Dumbledore believes it? No, thank you.

What do you think? I'm looking forward to your reply.

Yours sincerely,

Harry.

Finishing his letter, Harry slowly walked up to the owlery and handed it to one of the school owls, apologizing profusely to Hedwig. "I'm sorry, but I'm too worried about you to send you on such an errand," he softly whispered into her ear. He remained in the owlery, sitting on the floor with Hedwig on his arms, gently stroking her head feathers, until it was time to head down to the Great Hall for dinner.

HP HEALER POMFREY HP

"Harry, what did Madam Pomfrey find out?" Hermione queried as soon as he took the seat his friends had reserved for him in their middle.

"I'll tell you after dinner when we're alone," Harry promised absentmindedly, before he continued to ponder about the question how Voldemort would reply to his letter.

It wouldn't take Harry long to find out. At breakfast the next morning, a black vulture made its way to the Gryffindor table, landing right in front of Harry with a completely black parchment attached to its foot.

tbc...

I'm not a native speaker of English. Please excuse my mistakes or help me to correct them.

All recognizable characters belong to Mrs. Rowling, and I am not earning anything by writing this story.