AUTHOR'S NOTES: In my run of disabledHarry stories I've paired Harry with Ginny, Hermione, and even Luna. Well, I decided to do something different.
STORY SUMMARY: This takes place after 4th year. Cedric Diggory lived because Harry saved his life. After destroying Voldemort, Harry's is seriously injured but he finds comfort and love with Cedric Diggory.
HARRY POTTER: Mountains
The last thing Harry Potter remembered was flying through the air after Voldemort was defeated and a great wave of magical energy rippled through the graveyard.
He didn't remember hitting one of the headstones.
He didn't remember Cedric Diggory getting him back to Hogwarts.
He even didn't remember Dumbledore swiftly carrying him into St. Mungo's Hospital for Magical Maladies and Injuries.
It had been three weeks since the third Triwizard Task and Harry's true defeat of Voldemort and still Harry hadn't regained consciousness.
As Cedric Diggory sat next to Harry he took the younger teenager's hand. He had been coming to see Harry every day, only leaving when one of the Weasleys finally shooed him out. And even though Ron, George, Fred, and Percy Weasley simply thought that Cedric was there because Harry had saved his life, Ginny Weasley and her mother and Hermione Granger seemed to suspect Cedric's real reason for not wanting to leave Harry's side.
Cedric fancied Harry. It was simple as that.
When Harry let out a soft moan, Cedric felt a rush of relief. "Harry?"
Harry's green eyes opened slowly and he asked, "Why is it so dark? I…" Harry's expression turned frantic. "I can't see!" Realizing someone was holding his hand he asked, "Who…?"
"It's Cedric Diggory," Cedric replied, letting go of Harry's hand. "I've… been here ever since you were brought to St. Mungo's Hospital."
"Why can't I see?" Harry asked, still frantic. When he tried to get up, the frantic look on Harry's face increased. "I can't move my legs. Why can't I…? Cedric, what happened? I-I remember battling with Voldemort, then that… explosion… What's wrong with me?"
Cedric sighed. "You crashed into a headstone and the impact severed your spinal cord. It was worse when you first got here. You were paralyzed from the neck down. The healers managed to heal some of the damage but you're still paralyzed from the waist down. The blindness… is from the magical shockwave. The healers don't know how it happened, exactly… but they couldn't fix the damage to the nerves."
"Why… are you here, Cedric?" Harry asked, trying to think of anything other than his situation.
Cedric didn't reply right away, but after a few moments, he replied, "At first I told myself it was because you saved my life by knocking me out of the way of that Killing Curse… But the truth is… I fancy you, Harry. You're always putting others first… You try to do the right thing… I really care about you, Harry."
Harry sighed. "Cedric… I'm blind… I can't move my legs…"
"I'll help you," Cedric insisted. Taking Harry's hand again, he added, "Look if you're not… I mean… if you're straight… That's okay. I understand."
"You want to tie yourself to someone like me?" Harry asked.
"I don't care if you can't walk or see…" Cedric protested. "Why can't we just try?"
"Harry!" Mrs. Weasley said as she came into Harry's private room followed by Hermione and Ron. "Oh, thank heavens you're awake!"
"Mrs. Weasley?" Harry asked, tentatively.
Mrs. Weasley smiled as she helped Harry sit up a bit more. "Did Cedric tell you about—?"
"That I'm blind and paralyzed?" Harry replied. "Yeah…" he replied, dully, as he felt tears in his eyes. "I want to get out of here."
"Your aunt and uncle said they wouldn't take you," Hermione said, in an even tone. "And even though Mrs. Weasley told Dumbledore you'd be welcome at the Burrow… the place really isn't set up properly for someone in your condition."
"So… what's going to happen to me?" Harry asked.
"Dumbledore wants you to go to a rehabilitation center…" Ron replied. "Until…"
"Until what?" Harry asked, wondering what was going on.
"Until Dumbledore can find somewhere for you to stay," Hermione replied. "He's talking with Magical Child Services to find you a… a foster home… Somewhere where they can help you with…"
"So when can I get out of here?" Harry repeated.
"In a few days," Mrs. Weasley replied. Taking Harry's other hand as she sat next to him on the bed, she added, "We're all going to help you through this, Harry."
Harry nodded, but no matter of reassurances could quash the fact that his life as he knew it was over.
On a warm June afternoon, one of the healers—Bethany Hart—came into Harry's room pushing a wheelchair. Seeing that Harry was already dressed, she asked, "Mrs. Weasley help you?"
"One of the other healers," Harry replied as he felt Healer Hart take his arm and put it around her shoulders. He felt himself lifted up and soon he was settled into the wheelchair and was moving. "H-how am I getting to the rehab center?"
"Hermione Granger's mother offered to take you and Cedric Diggory—"
"But Cedric's fine!" Harry said, in surprise. "Isn't he?"
"I thought… maybe… you'd want someone familiar with you," Cedric said as he put a hand on Harry's shoulder.
Harry nodded. "That… would be great." A few minutes later, Harry could smell fresh air and he heard the sounds of cars and people walking.
"Harry?" Said a kind female voice with an Irish lilt. "I'm Fiona Granger… Hermione's mother."
"Nice to meet you," Harry said, holding out a hand. When Dr. Granger shook it, Harry added, "Thank you."
"Think nothing of it," Fiona replied, helping get Harry into the car before loading the wheelchair into the trunk. "I have a bag of your things in the trunk along with Cedric's bag."
"Okay," Harry replied as he heard someone—Cedric, he presumed—get in the back seat next to him. In a few moments, they were moving and Harry couldn't help but think about what would happen next year when school started again. Would he be able to go back to Hogwarts or…?
Cedric had started to put a hand on Harry's leg but stopped when he realized that Harry wouldn't even be able to feel it. Instead he took Harry's hand and said, "You okay?"
"I don't know," Harry replied. "I just keep thinking… I can't see… I can't walk… Am I even going to be able to go back to Hogwarts? How can I do spells if I'm blind? And what about the stairs?"
"Harry, you'll get through this," Cedric said, giving Harry's shoulder a squeeze. "You'll be fine."
Harry shrugged and leaned his head against the window, listening to the sounds of the tires against the road.
--
Ashley Wilkinson had been a physical therapist at Healing Wands Rehabilitation Center for 9 years and when Dumbledore had called the center director saying that Harry Potter was paralyzed from the waist down Ashley had volunteered to take Harry's case.
Standing with the center director, Madeline Walters, at the entrance to the main building, Ashley waited until the car coming up the driveway parked before walking over.
"Ahhh…" Dr. Granger said as she got out of the car. "You're the therapist Dumbledore talked to?"
"Ashley Wilkinson, ma'am," Ashley replied, holding out a hand.
"I'm center director Madeline Walters," Madeline said as she joined her top therapist. "I've already taken care of all the paperwork on Harry so if you'll follow Miss Wilkinson, she'll show you around."
Dr. Granger nodded but she said, "Actually, I have to get back to London, I'm afraid. But Harry's friend, Cedric, wanted to stay with him while he's here."
Taking that as his cue, Cedric got out of the car as Hermione's mother unlocked the trunk and took out the bags and Harry's wheelchair. Watching as the younger woman helped Harry into the wheelchair, Cedric couldn't help but feel sorry for Harry. Watching Harry Potter fly around on a broom after the golden snitch was truly a beautiful sight. Now he was bound to the earth… unable to fly away…
"You don't have to stay, Cedric," Harry said.
"I'm not going anywhere, Harry," Cedric replied, following Harry and Ashley as they headed for the nearest building.
"This is our medical center," Ashley explained as she pushed Harry down a hallway and past a row of exam rooms. "It's the main building of the center. First floor is the check-in desk, exam rooms, staff and doctors' offices. Second floor is radiology and the third floor is operating rooms and the intensive care unit."
After a brief tour, Ashley took Harry and Cedric to the physical therapy gymnasium and finally to the dormitory.
"Tomorrow morning," Ashley said as Harry and Cedric settled into their small room. "—you have an appointment with Dr. Zoe Candlewood. She's a muggle doctor. She wants to get scans of your spine to see how you're doing and just how bad the damage is."
"Okay," Harry replied. "What… kinds of scans?"
"X-rays and an MRI… A few magical scans…" Ashley replied. "When you're done I'll come take you to your first PT session."
With that, she left the room, closing the door behind her.
"Professor Dumbledore, sir?"
Looking up Dumbledore saw a couple standing in the doorway of his office with Dobby, the house elf. "Ahhh… Mr. and Mrs. Davison, I presume?" Dumbledore said, standing and walking over to the couple.
"I'm Brad," the man said, smiling. "And this is my wife, Heather."
"Thank you, Dobby," Dumbledore said to the house elf with a kind, dismissive nod. Gesturing to his human guests, he said, "Please… sit down…" Once back behind his desk, Dumbledore said, "It's been difficult to find suitable placement for Harry… since not only is he a wizard but also blind and paralyzed."
"Our daughter, Tessa, lost her legs in a car crash," Heather said, understandingly. "Because of nerve damage she's in a wheelchair as well."
"We'll take good care of Harry when he gets back," Brad added. "Don't worry."
"Molly Weasley recommended you," Dumbledore said, smiling. "And she is an excellent judge of character." When they all stood, Dumbledore added, "Thank you so much for doing this."
"It's our pleasure, Professor," Heather said with a grin.
Dr. Zoe Candlewood looked at the scans of Harry Potter's spine closely. Although she was a muggle, Dr. Candlewood—'Woodie'—had been looking for the perfect case to try a combination of magical healing and muggle surgery for spinal injuries and it seemed like Harry's injury was exactly what she needed.
"Everything alright, Woodie?" Dr. Wilson Bryers asked as he entered the radiology lab.
"Take a look at the films of Harry Potter's spinal fracture," Zoe said, pointing.
"Vertebrae are intact… magical scans show that the… that a few of the nerves are still firing." Looking at Zoe Wilson said, "They're severed but still firing. That's rare…"
"In muggles, yes," Zoe replied. "In witches and wizards… not so much. Harry Potter is a perfect candidate for magical spinal surgery. If we can get those firing nerves to connect, maybe we can… hot-wire his spine…"
"I'll book an O.R. for tomorrow morning," Wilson said, happily. "I mean it won't completely fix the kid, but…"
"At the very least he might be able to feel his legs again," Zoe finished. "Here's hoping…"
--