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Harry slowly came to. He tried to rub his eyes, but his hands were tied to the bed above him. Looking down, he saw that his feet were tied to the bed posts at the bottom of the bed. He was wearing pants and shoes, but no shirt or robes. And around his middle was a belt.
The belt was unlike any belt he'd ever seen before. It looked like it was made of a very wide ribbon of black silk, and over his navel was a silver oval. It was not uncomfortable, but both the belt and the silver seemed to be glued to Harry's skin. It didn't shift at all when he moved.
“Ah, I see you are awake.”
Harry looked up and saw Draco Malfoy smirking at him.
“What...let me go, you bastard!” Harry sputtered.
“Oh no. I was given a task by my father, and I've almost completed it. I saw that you noticed the belt that you are wearing? That is a rare, powerful magical artifact. It was one of the favored torture devices of the Dark Lady Coral Rosewood. It can only be removed by the person who holds the key, and that is me. In the past, it is said that people killed themselves trying to stop it. This one is charmed so that nothing...not your wand, hand, a knife, or anything can touch it. Only my wand and the key can do anything to the belt. But you'll still be trying to stab yourself when I'm through with you.”
Harry couldn't help but feel nervous as Malfoy spoke. He vaguely remembered reading about Coral Rosewood in one of his history books. He couldn't remember much about her, except that she'd seemed especially nutty, even for a Dark Lord. Besides that, he'd suffered from a great deal of pain in his life. What would the belt do to him that would be so unbearable?
“Screw you, Malfoy. What is the point of doing this?” Harry said, trying to sound brave.
Malfoy just smirked. “This isn't for a reason, Potter. It's just because I want to see you...squirm.”
With that, Malfoy tapped his wand to the silver oval on the belt.
To Harry, it felt like a single finger dipped into his belly button and began to wriggle.
Harry's most ticklish spot had always been his belly button. Not that he'd been tickled often. His relatives were much more interested in only touching him to cause pain, and his friends weren't into that sort of thing. The only reason Harry knew about his ticklish belly button at all was from his attempts to clean it, and because of when they practiced the tickling charm. Any of those times, though, the tickling only lasted a couple of seconds, and then he was able to stop it.
Harry jerked, an involuntary spasm that began in his belly and moved up to his head. His eyes bulged and he lay frozen for just a moment as the sensation moved through him. Somehow, this tickled worse than anything he'd ever felt in his life. Many moments passed and it wasn't stopping...oh God, it wasn't STOPPING!
Harry screamed, swiveling his hips around, bucking up, slamming back onto the bed. “OH GOD AHAHAHAHAH! EEEEEEEEEEEE! GET IT OUT! GET IT OUHOHOHOHOT!”
Malfoy smirked as he watched his rival struggle and tremble and laugh. It felt good to see the Golden Boy of Gryffindor brought so low.
Harry felt his sanity slipping away as the finger wriggled and tickled without pause. His hands and toes clenched and unclenched, and he shook his head wildly. “I'M SOHOHOHORRY! PLEAHEHEHEHESE! STOHOHOHOHOP! OH MY GOHOHOHOHOD!”
Several minutes passed as Harry's belly button was tickled unmercifully. Finally, Malfoy reluctantly tapped the oval with his wand, and the tickling ceased.
Harry gasped and shook as he recovered his breath. He was ashamed to admit it, even to himself, but that had been pure torture. He was tempted to do anything to make sure it never happened again.
“What...do you...want?” he managed to ask.
Malfoy smiled unpleasantly. “I already have what I want. I want you to suffer. I want you to be in my power. My father wanted this device tested. All you can do is laugh.”
Malfoy placed his wand on the oval again. Harry tensed, but the tickling didn't start again. Malfoy proceeded to draw some sort of pattern on the oval. Then he stepped back and smiled.
Another minute passed in silence. Malfoy just stared at Harry, and Harry tried to breathe and think of a way out of this situation. Then the sensation of a paintbrush began to swirl in his belly button, and it tickled as badly as the before.
“OH NOHOHOHOHO! MALFOHOHOHOHOY! NOT AGAHAHAHAHAIN! NOT THEHEHEHERE! EEHEEHEEHEEHEEHEEEEEEE!” Harry jerked back and forth as much as his bonds would allow. Had the belt also made his belly button more ticklish? It certainly felt like it.
The tickling continued for what seemed like hours to Harry, but in reality was only about a minute. Then it stopped without Malfoy having to tap the belt.
After it stopped, Malfoy explained, “I have set it so that it will stop and start on its own. The amount of time it will tickle and the amount of time between breaks is random. It should be set so it won't drive you completely insane. Not quickly, anyway. Now I'm going to just leave you lying there. I'll be back in a few hours. I wonder how much you will be willing to do when I return...”
Malfoy only got as far as the door, though, before it opened and Professor McGonagall, Professor Flitwick, and Professor Sinistra entered.
“Mr. Malfoy, what is the meaning of this?” McGonagall cried.
“Professor, please help!” Harry cried.
The professors sprang into action. Sinistra escorted Malfoy away, while Flitwick and McGonagall untied Harry and took him to the hospital wing.
There was a lot of confusion as Dumbledore, Snape, McGonagall, Flitwick, Hermione, and Ron gathered. Madame Pomfrey performed some medical scans on Harry, and Harry explained what had happened, leaving out for as long as possible what the belt actually did.
Finally, though, Dumbledore pressed the point. “We need to know, Harry.”
Harry blushed. “It, it tickled my belly button, sir.”
Ron snorted.
“Ron!” cried Hermione, although she seemed to be suppressing a giggle herself.
“I'm sorry, 'Mione, but come on! Tickling?” Ron replied.
Even McGonagall and Flitwick seemed amused by Harry's statement, and Harry began to feel a bit angry.
“It isn't funny, guys! It was awful! Like, genuinely terrible! And Malfoy said he'd set it so it would keep tickling me at random intervals! I need to get it off!”
“Of course, Mr. Potter,” Dumbledore placated, although no one really seemed to grasp the severity of the situation. “Let us see what we can do.”
All of the professors and Madame Pomfrey proceeded to examine the belt and try different methods of removing it. In the middle of these tests, it began to tickle Harry again. He didn't want to make a fool of himself, especially in front of Snape, so he tried to control his reaction. It was very hard though. He ended up screwing up his face, squeezing his eyes shut, giggling, squeezing his arms to his sides, and wiggling his stomach from side to side. Luckily, this tickling session was much shorter than the two before it. While he was tickled, all of the professors smiled, and Ron and Hermione giggled at Harry.
“It was pretty cute, Harry,” Hermione said when Harry glared at them after the tickling stopped.
Harry was tempted to tell her to do something anatomically impossible, but he refrained while the professors were there.
Finally they all sat back, defeated.
“I'm afraid I am at a loss, Harry,” Dumbledore said. “We will continue researching it, of course, but at the moment there is nothing we can do.”
Tears welled up in Harry's eyes. He wasn't sure he could stand even one more tickle session, let alone be stuck with it for an indeterminable amount of time.
“Buck up, mate. It's just tickling,” Ron said.
“What about Malfoy? He said he had a key, and he could touch it with his wand. Couldn't you make him stop it?” Harry asked desperately.
“We've tried,” McGonagall said. Even she didn't seem to take his suffering very seriously. “We could not find any key, and we cannot physically force him to help you. He has been given an in-school suspension of three days, and a week's detention with Filch. 20 points were also taken from Slytherin.”
“That's all?” Harry cried.
“Whatever this is, it isn't technically a dark artifact,” Snape said, smirking. He couldn't admit it in front of Dumbledore, but he enjoyed seeing Potter suffer just as much as Malfoy had. It was partly his fault that more effort wasn't put into forcing Malfoy to fix the belt.
“Potter shouldn't be going to classes either with that thing on him,” Madame Pomfrey said.
Harry gulped at the thought of being shut away somewhere with nothing to do but be tickled.
“If we don't let him go to class, it will look suspicious to the rest of the school. Perhaps even the rest of the wizarding world,” Dumbledore said.
Just then, a magical finger again began to tickle Harry's belly button. He covered his face with his hands, squealing and involuntarily writhing a bit. Everyone else smiled fondly at the sight.
“But we also can't allow them to see him...oh dear,” Flitwick said.
In the middle of his sentence, Harry couldn't stand the sensation any longer and began to scream and laugh in earnest. He tried to claw and pound at his navel, but an invisible force stopped him a few inches away. He couldn't stop himself from trying, though, and alternated that with pounding his fists into the infirmary bed. He arched his back, kicked his legs, and he began to slam his head violently into his pillow.
“AHAHAHAHAHAHA! MAKE IT STOHOHOHOP! OH GOHOHOHOHOD! AHAHAHAHAHAHAHA! IT TIHIHIHIHIHIHICKLES!”
“Oh dear,” echoed Professor McGonagall.
“We simply cannot allow him to perform magic in this state. It would be dangerous,” said Snape over the laughter. He watched Harry thrash about with satisfaction.
“EEEEEEEEEEEEEEEE! EEEEEEEHEEEHEEHEEHEEE! NO MOHOHOHOHORE! NO MOHOHOHOHOHORE! AAAAAAAAAAAIIIIIIIIIIIIIIII!” Harry flipped onto his stomach, rubbing it into the bed and burying his face into the pillow. It didn't help the tickling at all.
When it stopped, Ron admitted, “Alright, that was a bit scary.”
“Please...” Harry gasped, unable to form a more coherent thought.
The adults discussed the situation for a long time, through yet another tickle session for Harry. They decided that Harry should continue to attend classes and meals, but he would not be allowed to perform magic or make potions. If anyone asked, they would say it was because of medical reasons. Dumbledore found that while he could not remove or lessen the tickling of the belt, he could attach another charm to it.
“This isn't used very often, because it isn't practical, but it will stop you from reacting to the tickling at all. Whenever the tickling starts, you will sit still in class, walk where you need to go, and no one will be the wiser. However, you will not be able to talk or perform anything that requires much brain function. That is why it isn't used often like the Imperius Curse. It is limited in forcing people to do things, and if others pay attention, it will be obvious that you are under some sort of spell,” Dumbledore explained.
Harry thought the idea of being tickled and unable to react sounded almost scarier than just being tickled, but everyone else agreed it was for the best, and Dumbledore included the spell.
Harry stayed in the hospital wing that night. He didn't get much sleep due to anxiety, but the tickling didn't return.
xxx
He went to breakfast with his friends, and they explained that whatever Malfoy did left some traces, and Harry wouldn't be able to perform magic for a while. Everyone seemed understanding and angry at Malfoy.
Harry was able to eat and walk to his first class, Transfiguration, in peace. In the middle of Transfiguration, though, an invisible feather under the belt began to twirl inside his belly button.
Harry stiffened, but Dumbledore's bewitchment held true. He could not smile, could not laugh or scream, and could not struggle. He sat still, seemingly listening to Professor McGonagall, and trembled only slightly.
The tickling went on and on. In Harry's head, he began to scream and plead. It was simply unbearable. He strained to shift just a little bit, but he could not. Then he tried to at least move his hand to his belly button, but even that was denied him. His hands remained on his desk. The tickling continued without pause through the rest of class. Any rational thought was long gone. All that Harry was was a belly button to be tickled.
When class ended, Harry's legs automatically stood up and walked out. He was at the end of the corridor before the tickling ended and control returned. His knees buckled and he collapsed, tears pouring from his eyes.
Hermione knelt next to him and put her hand on his back. “Are you ok?” she said.
Harry caught his breath, and then said, “Yeah. Yeah, I'm ok now.”
He regretted this bravado before the day was through.
Sometimes he was tickled for less than five seconds. Sometimes he was tickled for almost an hour without stop. Sometimes the breaks between tickle sessions were hours long, and sometimes Harry only had a few seconds to catch his breath before the tickling began again. Harry was slowly losing his mind.
Even worse, now that his friends couldn't see his suffering, they began to not take it seriously. They alternated between being bewildered by his reactions between tickle sessions to telling him to get over it. After all, it was only tickling.
For two days this continued. No matter how much he was tickled, it only seemed to get worse. Harry could easily understand now how someone might try to cut their belly button out with a knife, just to make it stop.
xxx
The second night, Harry dreamed that he was hanging out on the Hogwarts grounds with Ron and Hermione. As they sat near the lake, a pink winged fairy flew up to them.
“I recognize that type of fairy! It isn't the ordinary kind. It's a Belt Fairy. They are considered sacred in the wizarding world!” Hermione said.
The fairy zipped around their heads, then ducked down and pulled Harry shirt up.
“What...” Harry began, but Ron grabbed his hand.
“Just let it do whatever it wants. It would be a crime to stop it,” Ron said.
The fairy seemed to shrink and began to crawl into Harry's belly button.
Harry squealed and began to scramble backwards. It tickled so much.
“No Harry!” Ron and Hermione each grabbed one of his arms, holding him completely still.
“HEEEHEEEHEEEHEEE!” Harry laughed.
“I've read that the dust of the Belt Fairy makes people more ticklish,” Hermione said happily.
Harry believed it. The wings fluttered in his belly button, and he threw his head back. “HAHAHAHAHAHA! IT TICKLES! IT TICKLES! NOOOOOOO!”
After a while, the fairy flew away.
“Ah, Potter, your belly button looks so empty without the Belt Fairy.”
Harry looked up. Malfoy stood over the trio, smirking triumphantly.
“Here, let me help you,” Malfoy bent down.
Harry tried to get away, but Ron and Hermione were still holding him immobile.
“Come on, Harry, it's just tickling,” said Ron.
Malfoy stuck his finger in Harry's belly button and began to dig.
“EEEEEEEEEEEEEEE! EEEEEEEEEEEEEEE! STOP! STOP! STOHOHOHOHOHOP!” Harry laughed.
“You're so cute, Harry!” said Ron.
“I know a charm that will make him more ticklish,” volunteered Hermione. She pointed her want at his belly button and said some sort of spell.
“NOOOOHOHOHOHOHO! NO NO NO NO! THAT'S ENOUHOHOHOHOGH! HEEEEEEEEEE! HEEEEEEEEEEEEEE!” For Harry, it felt like the nerves of three very ticklish belly buttons were all being stimulated in the worst possible way. He was going out of his mind.
“Stop being such a baby, Harry,” said Ron. Ron pushed Malfoy's finger away, only to replace it with his own.
“AAAAAAAAAAAAA! AAAAAAAAAAAAAA! PLEAHEHEHEHEHEHESE!” The tickling was well beyond what Harry could endure.
Just then, Harry jerked awake. The fairy, Malfoy, Ron, and Hermione's spell had all been a dream, but the tickling was all 100% real, and it was still going strong. Dumbledore's spell forced him to lie quietly in his bed and breathe evenly, but the tickling continued mercilessly for several minutes after Harry awoke. When it ended, he curled up and sobbed, a broken boy.
xxx
That morning, the morning of the third day, the trio was called to Dumbledore's office.
When they arrived, they saw that Snape and McGonagall were already there.
“We found this among Mr. Malfoy's belongings,” Snape said, holding up a silver oval identical to the one on the tickle belt. In reality, Snape had found this yesterday afternoon. He'd simply delayed telling anyone for as long as possible.
Harry's eyes went blank and he stood unnaturally still. The single finger in his belly button was tickling him again. In his head was a simple litany of, Nonononononononono.
Dumbledore took the silver oval from Snape and touched it to the silver oval of the belt. Immediately one side of the ribbon detached and the belt fell to the floor.
The tickling stopped and Harry slid to the floor, his arms wrapped around his middle. Finally his nightmare was over. He almost cried in relief.
“Well, there we go,” said McGonagall, trying to bring closure to the situation. “Mr. Malfoy will continue serving detentions with Mr. Filch until the end of the week. Potter, you may return to your classes.”
As Snape and McGonagall left, Harry was suddenly filled with white-hot fury. He whipped out his wand and lunged at Ron.
“What the...” Ron said, but Harry was too quick.
He lifted Ron's shirt, shoved his wand into his belly button, and cast a very localized “Rictusempra!”
Ron squealed and leaped sideways, tripping over his own feet and landing on the floor. His belly button wasn't his most ticklish spot, and the tickling charm wasn't as intense as the tickle belt, but it was still pretty bad. “Ohohohohohoho! Nooohohohoho! Oh Gohohohohod! Eeeeeeeeeeeee!”
After a long 30 seconds, Harry cast “Finite Incantatem.”
“That was very immature, Harry,” Dumbledore said reprovingly.
“I'm sorry, sir. I just had to let him know,” Harry replied.
“I'm so sorry, Harry. That was...that was horrible,” said Ron.
They all left, ready to move on with their lives.
Far away, Lucius Malfoy smiled. He had many more tickle belts hidden in his manor, and from what his son reported, they would be very useful.
~