Reading this made me nearly cry. Seeing how Harry responded to his environment and feeling of loneliness by scratching himself raw just to feel he was still connected to reality through the pain is just... it is a big ouch.

[fans self from the emotions]

Here I thought it might become less once he got to Hogwarts, but you showed how even the new exciting environment, with friends and constant acknowledgment from his peers (good and unwanted) had him revert to his scratching as a coping mechanism to handle it all still hurts me. It was so well portrayed that these conditions (for the lack of a better word) aren't "just phases" or can "grow out of it", it becomes a subconscious fallback, and I am sure Harry wasn't fully aware of him doing it himself except for the pain that came with it.

Thank goodness for Luna, honestly. What else is there to say? She is like the beacon Harry has always needed, someone who understands him and now has in his life, and it is just so wholesome and those tears are coming again. I really love this story and how you captured the very essence of a mental disorder.

I like it.