Chapter 2:
"Mr. Potter, Mrs. Potter," Radoslav Volchenkov greeted as he walked into James' hospital room. "Yames," he added as he turned to the young man in the bed. The man was tall and thickly built, casting a rather imposing presence in the room. His thick brown beard was streaked with gray, as was his course wiry hair, but his bushy mustache was still perfectly chestnut tinted. James thought that the man could have been Hagrid's little brother, only he was noticeably lacking in Hagrid's jovial smile and welcoming demeanor.
The man was strict, stern, and all business, traits James found it difficult to relate to, but Victorie had made it clear that the Macedonian Healer was their best chance to figure out a cure, so he plastered a respectful smile on his face and nodded in greeting. Harry and Ginny shook his hand before returning to their anxious hovering next to James.
"Zee good news iz zat zer is a cure for zis curse," he began, barely pausing for the relieved sighs from everyone in the room. "Owever," he rumbled, "it requires zee blood of zee castor."
"But we don't know who cast it," Ginny pointed out desperately.
"Zen ve must find out," Volchenkov countered. "Our tests ave determined zat it vas in fact you, Mr. Potter, who vas cursed. Der are trace amounts of zee curse magic in your bloodstream."
"That hardly narrows down the list of suspects," Harry muttered angrily. 'Why oh why did I have to become an Auror? If I had just played Quidditch like Gin or become a Professor, or even been a lay about feeding off of my family fortune, I never would have been in a position to make so many more enemies. I never would have put my family in this much danger!'
"Yes, Victorie tells me zat you are zee 'ead Auror. I imagine zis gives you many enemies."
Harry nodded miserably, clutching his hands into fists so tight that the knuckles were white.
"Dad," James said softly, reaching out to take his father's hand, "this isn't your fault," he insisted, knowing his father's seemingly endless capacity for guilt. "Your work has saved countless lives and I wouldn't have wanted you to do anything else with your life. The only one to blame for this is the bastard that cursed us," he growled.
"James!" Ginny chastised immediately out of reflex. When James gave her a withering look, she paused to think, then nodded. "Never mind, you're right. He, or she, is a bastard!" she affirmed fiercely.
"Zere is vone good zing about zis curse," Volchenkov interjected. "It can only be cast by zomevone who has a blood conneczion. Zat is vhy it vas originally used on children by zer parents."
"A blood connection? So you're saying someone in our family did this to us?" James asked in utter confusion.
"How dare you?!" Ginny roared, advancing on the bulky Healer despite the fact that he was very nearly twice her size. "No one in our family would ever do something like this!"
"I mean no offenze, Mrs. Potter, but zat iz zee only vay ze curse can be cast," he replied without so much as bating an eye at Ginny's famous intimidating temper.
"Wait, but you said the curse was placed on me. The only living blood relatives I have are my aunt and cousin, and they are both Muggles," Harry countered, ruffling the back of his messy hair as he ran his palm up and down his neck.
"Are zhu sure? Per'aps zer is an illeyitamite cozin or zomezing out zere you are not avare of?"
"No. My father was an only child, as was his father and his mother, and my mum was a Muggle-born. There was a very in-depth study of my lineage and relatives when my parents died to determine my custody. There isn't anyone magical alive today that is related to me by blood, except my own kids, of course."
"Vhat about zose who are not alive today? Zee curse could 'ave been placed on you many years ago," the Healer said. Harry thought very carefully, but he still kept coming to the same conclusion. His mum and dad were the last of his magical relatives, and he hardly thought they would have put this curse on him! "Vell, zinck long and 'ard on it as dis vill be zee only zing dat can zave de lives of all your children."
"All our children?" Harry gasped as his head shot up in surprise. "What do you mean? Only James is sick, not that that isn't already more than awful enough."
"Right now Yames is zee only vone affected, but remember, zee curse activates at magical maturity. Your ozer children are younger, no?"
"Dear Merlin, no," Ginny cried with wide eyes and trembling hands. "Do you mean…"
"Al and Lily are going to get sick too?!" James shouted angrily, shooting fully upright in the bed. "NO! No, I won't let that happen!" James seethed. "If I can't be saved that's one thing, but I will NOT let my little brother and sister die too," he ground out through clenched teeth and tears.
"James, don't say that about you dying," Ginny admonished tearfully.
"I don't want to die, Mum, but if it's unavoidable I can accept my fate. I'm just a Quidditch player, after all. But Al! Al's so smart it's scary! And he's so ambitious, and kind, and he never judges people by stupid things like their house or their name. He's really going to be someone; he's going to make a true difference in the world, I just know it. And Lils, oh God, little Lily! She's so sweet, and energetic, and brave! She's friends with everyone and she just brightens up the whole world. She makes everyone she meets smile and forget about all the crap and darkness in the world. They can't die, Mum, they just can't!"
"Oh, James!" Ginny cried at his uncharacteristic display of emotion, enveloping him in yet another strong hug. Harry joined them a millisecond later, heedless of the large Macedonian Healer in their midst.
"You're right, James, Al and Lily are very special and have so much potential, but so are you," Harry insisted, looking deeply into his son's eyes. "You are a joy that radiates like the sun. Whenever I'm angry or upset about something at work, you always know exactly how to cheer me up. You remind me so much of Sirius and my dad, at least as Siri described him, but you're so much more than they were too. You may be a prankster and always be ready with a joke and a smile, but you know what's important in life too. You work so hard at everything; Quidditch, your studies, taking care of your brother and sister. Plus, you are amazingly brave and noble. Al told me about how you stood up to that bunch of seventh years who were harassing Scorpius Malfoy on his first day at Hogwarts, even though you were only a third year and they were your housemates whereas he was a Slytherin. Just because you are a Quidditch player and not a Healer or the Minister of Magic doesn't mean you don't make a difference in this world."
"That's right, sweetheart," Ginny added. "Do you know how many thousands of kids look up to you? You're a role model to them, and every time that you are your wonderful, cheerful, funny, brave, intelligent, and kind self, you show them the right way to be. We're so proud of you, and we are not going to let you go," she growled, sounding like a mother lion protecting her cub.
"Thanks Mum, Dad," James said with a tear in his eye as he hugged them close.
"I'm going to call Hermione and see if she can find anything that might help with this. Who knows, maybe Dumbledore and the Ministry missed some long lost relative I have out there when they were doing the heritage search," Harry proposed.
"If anyone can find anything, it will be Hermione," Ginny agreed resolutely.
"Yeah, Aunt Mione is a researching machine!" James added with a small smile.
"Very vell," Healer Volchenkov broke in, startling the group who had forgotten he was still there. "If you come up vis any possible relatives, let me know and vee vill start zee cure. Unfortunately, until zen, zer is nozing ve can do, I am afraid. Yames, you should be fine for a vhile, a few months at least, alzough zee veakness and tiredness vill increase over time, az vill zee pain. I vill have 'ealer Victorie give you all of zee details. Mr. Potter, if I can 'ave a vord vis you?"
"Oh, yes, of course," Harry replied, somewhat startled by the request. The brutish man didn't seem the type to tread delicately, so Harry couldn't help but wonder what could be so bad that he didn't want to say it in front of his wife and son.
"Mr. Potter," the Healer began, putting up a Muffilato as they stepped into the hall, "'ow old are zee other children?"
"Oh," Harry exclaimed in surprise. He hadn't been expecting something so seemingly innocuous. "Al's 16 and Lily just turned 14. Why?"
"Magical maturity, as your niece told you, varies vith each child. Yames seems to have yust gone through his a few months ago, but zat is razer late, to be honest. Most children go through it around 16 or 17, alzough zee earliest on record vas 11. I am vorried for your ozer children, especially your ozer son. 'opefully 'e vill develop late like Yames, and ve vill have figured zee cure out by zen, but it can vary videly even among families. You must vatch for varning signs for both of your ozer children, and let me know if you notice anyzing. All right?" he asked, showing his first sign of actual emotion all day. It made Harry instantly feel better about putting James in this man's care.
"Yes, of course I will. My children mean the world to me Healer Volchenkov, and I will do absolutely anything to save them."
"I know you vill," the man said seriously, laying a huge hand upon Harry's somewhat diminutive shoulder.