Disclaimer: I claim no ownership to the Harry Potter series or it's characters. This is purely for fun, and I am making no money from this story.

I look forward to hearing your thoughts and opinions.

Enjoy!

Chapter Fourteen

The following days passed in a blur of treatments and tests for Harry, until finally the day came that he would receive the lifesaving transplant. In his lucid moments Harry still had trouble wrapping his mind around the fact that one of his old teammates was willing to do this for him.

It was quite amazing really.

Finally the day of the transplant arrived. Very early that morning, as Harry was resting, Oliver was checking into the day surgery unit downstairs.

Angelina had taken the morning off from "Harry Watch" to support Oliver through his procedure, and the pair were sitting in a crowded waiting area filling out forms.

"...and what do I put here? Next of kin. That would be mum and dad, but they don't have a telethingy."

"Put my name, I can get in touch with your parents if we need to."

"Thanks, Ang. And what about these questions? What does that mean?" Oliver asked pointing to the forms, he was quite perplexed.

"They're standard health questions for muggles, questions about injuries and illnesses that we either don't worry about or get. Let me go through them for you."

Angelina had been trying to simply aid Oliver, but the stress of the day was wearing on her. It seemed easier to take the form now, and get it filled out and returned quickly before it ended up incinerated at her wandpoint in the waiting room.

The paperwork was soon completed, and returned to the lady sitting behind the counter. After that it wasn't long before a nurse came up to Angelina and Oliver.

"Mr Wood. I'm Elaine, I'll be taking care of you today. Please follow me."

Glancing at Angelina, Oliver shrugged as he stood up, and followed the matronly woman.

They walked for several minutes down to a large area of curtained cubicles, each containing a bed and chair.

"Wrist," Elaine ordered, pulling a wristband from the folder she carried.

Oliver obliged.

"Change into this gown and underpants. Yes, you need to wear the underpants provided. Miss, please step out so that Mr Wood may get changed, that is unless you're one of those modern couples-"

"We're not a couple!" Angelina and Oliver spoke at almost the same moment.

"We're old friends," Angelina supplied, feeling the stares of those in the room on her and Wood at the sound of raised voices.

"In either case, may you please step out?"

"Well, look at you," Angelina said smiling, when the curtains were drawn back. Oliver sat on the bed, his legs swinging over the side. His back was exposed as he had clearly been defeated by the ties of the gown, and the opaque hair cap was sitting askew on his head. "Here, let me." Though Angelina might have been mildly amused, it didn't change that she was there to help Wood.

"I couldn't do it up," Oliver said, "Is there a trick?"

"Not really. Muggles have problems with these too. How are you feeling?"

"I'm fine. Um, just what happens from here, Ang?"

"When the operating room and staff is ready I imagine that Elaine will have an orderly come to take you into surgery. In the operating room they will get you to move onto a padded table, then all you need to do is lie there, take some deep breaths while a doctor puts a tiny tube into a vein in your arm to give you medication to make you sleep-"

"Right, the anaesthetic thing. Hey I got that word right, didn't I?"

"You did. And you're right. The next thing you'll be aware of is waking up in a nice comfy bed, and I'll be there. But before all that happens I need to get a set of scrubs to wear so that I'll be allowed to come in with you, so I'll be back in a moment. Don't let anyone take you anywhere without me, okay?"

Meanwhile upstairs, Harry's day was started out by being woken by his nurse, Claire, who came in to check his vital signs and to start his last doses of the chemotherapy that was being used to prepare his body for the transplant which would take place that afternoon.

"Good morning, Harry. Ginny. How did you both sleep?"

"We're okay, thank you, Claire," Ginny answered for Harry, who had barely moved. "Harry had a lot of pain last night, the doctor increased his morphine again."

"Yes, I did hear that, but with the transplant today that may all soon be history."

"We hope so."

Harry might have been fairly out of it due to the pain, but as he was still allowed to make his own decisions, when Ginny left to check in with her parents, Harry politely used one of the Potter elves to summon a goblin to his bedside.

After a minute a surly looking goblin appeared. If anyone was to check on Harry whilst they were talking, they would find themselves confused, and walk away, thanks to the house elf.

"Mr Potter," The goblin grunted, clearly unimpressed, even though he was the Potter family's vault manager.

"Thank you for coming, Grinhook. Do you have the paperwork?"

"Yes, and the muggle versions as requested, Mr Potter. All I need is a sample of magic - tapping your wand on the parchment will suffice, and both versions of your end of life order, or do not resuscitate order as the muggle humans call it, will be filed and in effect."

"You did what?! Harry James Potter, I cannot believe you!" Ginny screeched upon entering the room to find Harry finishing his business with Grinhook.

Harry looked to his irate wife, unfazed by her temper, "There are risks, Gin. I'm not going to risk ending up here on life support, countless machines and drugs keeping my body here if I'm not here to enjoy it."

"But... But... I can't lose you, Harry."

"I know, that's why it won't be your decision."

Wood woke up without the slightest inkling of pain that he had expected, then he noticed that his legs were completely numb. He couldn't feel anything below his waist.

Had something gone wrong? Was he going to be stuck like this forever?

Thankfully, Angelina had chosen that moment to come check on him, and she picked up on his distress straight away. "Hey, what's wrong?"

"My legs... I can't feel- What's going on?"

"Oh, that. They gave you a long lasting anaesthetic directly into your spine, it'll last for a few more hours, then you'll be back to normal. I should've warned you."

Only hours later, in another room on the other side of the hospital, Ginny had to leave Harry's side so that he could receive the transplant. Tearful and afraid, Ginny leaned in for what she feared might be heir very last kiss. It held all the warmth and tenderness of a young loving relationship. It was perfect, and as she bade her husband goodbye Ginny couldn't keep the tears from streaming down her face.

Meanwhile in thirteen Grimmauld place, Hermione sat down to read the paper while she waited for news on Harry's condition. What she saw as she unfurled the paper shocked her, so much so that the paper fell to the table. "Oh no, not today."

Ron picked it up, and abruptly started swearing profusely.

"Ronald, stop it," Hermione corrected her husband automatically. Quietly she took back the newspaper, and read aloud, her anger building as she read on, "...sources within a muggle hospital have today confirmed that the famous Harry Potter is being treated in the oncology department of the facility... ...We can only guess as to the exact nature of Potter's condition, as only family and essential personnel are being allowed into his room at this time. Is it possible that The Chosen One has succumbed to an unforeseen complication of the battle between he-who-must-not-be-named and himself almost three years ago? ...Since the final battle, Potter has worked within the Ministry of Magic, as an auror, during his last weeks before an unexpected resignation it is reported that he has 'always seemed ill', according to colleagues within the DMLE." Hermione sighed heavily as she scanned over the remainder of the article. "Do you think Ginny has seen this yet?"

"I hope not. Anyway, she's barely left Harry's side in days, so unless someone has shown her, or mentioned it, I doubt it."

"She's going to be so upset when she does find out though. Everything that's going on, and now she's going to be harassed by reporters? It's just wrong."

"Maybe I should give work a miss... Go sit with her."

"You'll do no such thing, Ron. You've already missed so much work. I'll go into the hospital now, and if we need anything I'll call you."

The distribution of that morning's newspaper only served to spread the news of Harry's hospitalisation more rapidly throughout the school.

In an effort to minimise gossip surrounding one of her favourite former students, and what was quickly becoming a chaotic scene of worried students seeking details from the other professors, Professor McGonagall decided to address the students at lunch that very same day.

Waiting until the hall was almost at capacity, the headmistress stepped up to the podium.

Instantly a silence fell over the cavernous hall, the quiet rumble of chatter stopping mid-sentence.

"Good afternoon, children. As many of you know by now Harry Potter is being treated in a muggle. I've been in contact with his wife, and while she has requested that we respect their privacy, she has asked me to tell you that at this time Mr Potter remains in a very serious condition, but that the healers are doing everything that they can to help him. I will update you when his condition changes, and in the meantime please show a little respect for Mr Potter and his family, by refraining from engaging in gossip. I assure you that my information will be much more accurate."

Professor McGonagall stepped out of the back door of the hall, keen to get back to her office, having made the necessary announcement, but her path was blocked by several of the school's other teachers. It seemed that they were as keen for news on Harry's condition as their students.

They were all talking at once, so the headmistress couldn't understand what any one of them was saying, but she had a fair idea.

Putting up a hand to tell the professors to stop talking, McGonagall quickly ordered them, "Enough. That's quite enough of that," Before she gave them the explanation that they sought, "Harry is due to have a bone marrow transplant today. It is as I understand it a very serious procedure, but it Mrs Potter has told me that it is his only chance. The medication that they are giving him seems wasn't working, and the truth of the matter is that he may not survive."

Meanwhile at St Luke's, whilst waiting for news on Harry's condition, Ginny had just learnt that Harry's illness had suddenly become very common knowledge, and to say that she was angry would have been an understatement of epic proportions.

Ginny was beside herself after having read the article that Hermione had reluctantly presented to her. It only added insult to injury, as Harry lay in the hospital receiving a dangerous transplantation.

"I can't believe them! I just cannot believe it, Hermione! How dare they? Harry's fighting for his life, and they have the nerve to write this garbage."

As Hermione and Ginny spoke in the waiting room, things were not going well for Harry. Within minutes of receiving the transplant Harry began to show symptoms of acute graft versus host disease; his body was attacking the donated cells, and as a result was going into shock.

As a red rash spread over his body, and his fever climbed dangerously high there was little that anyone could do to stop it. His organs were simply strained beyond what they could take.

Frantically the medical team tried to cool his body with ice packs, to no avail. The strain was too much on his weakened system though, there seemed to be nothing they could do.

By the time Angelina and Dr Alonstone arrived they knew that there was very little they could do. Subtly at first, then becoming more confident as Harry began to fight once again, they started casting healing spells on their stricken patient to sustain his life when all muggle techniques were failing. The spells would keep Harry alive, and give him a fighting chance, but in truth only Harry's own magic could save him now.

To Be Continued...

AN - So this is pretty much as far as I've gotten with the rewrite. Please let me know what you would like to see happen from here on out.

Thank you for reading. Please take a moment to drop me a review.