"Ack! Oh, come on…" Harry James Potter , Boy-Who-Lived and apparent Chosen One groaned, flipping onto his side and pulling his red and gold Gryffindor sheets over his head. "Let me sleep already."

It was the December of Harry's sixth year at Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry, the night before the official start of the two week winter break. Despite this he had to get up early the next morning to see his best friends, Ron and Hermione, off. Hermione's parents were taking another trip to France and had allowed their daughter to invite her boyfriend (Ron, he had finally plucked up the courage to ask her out over the summer) with the added condition of separate rooms. They had asked Harry to go along with but he had declined not wanting to intrude on their "couple time."

Of course, Mrs. Weasley had asked him over to the Burrow for the holidays, not wanting him to be alone, but Harry decided it would be too awkward without Ron. So once again, the boy hero was alone for another Christmas as the rest of Gryffindor was leaving in the morning with most of the school. At least he would have some privacy.

Sighing, Harry pushed the sheets down and turned onto his back. Privacy, that was something he craved and got none of. Ever since the fiasco at ministry last year he hadn't had a moment's peace. When Voldemort lured him there to retrieve the prophecy he had very nearly lost his godfather before he had ever really got the chance to know him. After Bellatrix's spell hit Sirius it nearly knocked him through the veil, it had only been a wild burst of Harry's magic that had saved him.

So Sirius was alive and more than willing to take in precious godson, but Dumbledore had insisted that he return once again to Privet Drive. The summer was as hellish as all rest before it but did have one high point. All witches and wizards have their magical inheritance at age 16, and for once Harry's went completely as expected. Midnight hit, he felt a brief flash of burning pain before promptly passing out. When he woke up in the morning he was completely normal beyond a headache and an overall sense of magical strength. Harry was happy that for once in his life something had been normal. If only it had lasted.

Ever since school started up again Harry had been feeling… off. It started out as feeling dizzy, lightheaded and sometimes queasy but then it morphed into feeling downright sick and tired. For the entire month of October, Harry had barely been able to pay attention in class, either too tired or too concentrated on not throwing up to even think about taking notes. It had passed though and was replaced by strange… hyperactivity and hunger.

For the next month he had been energetic, affectionate and all around hyper. He had even hugged Collin Creavey at one point. (Harry was still vaguely horrified by that, but he had just seemed so cu- stopping there!) Needless to say his friends had been baffled by his behavior, especially when he began eating enough to rival Ron. Eventually though, that phase had passed as well. But about halfway through another oddity had begun, Harry's abdominal muscles started acting up.

Starting out with odd, fluttering spasms the problem had escalated to almost painful pinpoint cramps as if someone was poking him hard from the inside. Finally, what was currently keeping Harry awake, spikes of pain coming from his lower belly. They had randomly started up about an hour and a half ago and seemed to be getting worse.

"Ah!" Harry cried out, that was the worst one yet. Giving up on trying to sleep, the boy hero threw off his covers, threw a robe over his bare chest, and snatched his glasses from the night table. Maybe a midnight walk would help lessen the pain, he was feeling restless anyway.

Quietly, as to not wake his dorm mates, Harry slipped out of the sixth year boys' dorm then out of Gryffindor tower all together. Safe in the knowledge that not even Snape patrolled the halls at 2:00 am. Harry meandered down the dark halls, letting his feet lead him.

Eventually he wound up in a very familiar seventh floor corridor. Pausing in thought for a moment, Harry started pacing hoping the Room of Requirement would know what he wanted because quite honestly, he didn't. Three passes later the typical door appeared and Harry wasted no time in going through.

He was then prevented from going any further by another spike of pain that caused him to double up and clutch his stomach. Taking deep breathes through his nose, he grit his teeth against the pain. This one was much longer and more painful than the- 'splash'

Wide green eyes looked down in horror at the puddle now around his feet. That came out of him, he'd felt it, but it hadn't come from either of his usual holes.

"Oh, Merlin, what's happening to me?!"