'Heya', Io called out as he made his way across the room, 'my name's Io, you don't mind us ruining the quiet do you?'

'Io... the innermost of Jupiter's Galilean moons huh?' he scratched his chin with an amused grin, then continued, '...that's some name you got there son. ' He gripped the hand which Io held out; his grip was limp and weak. 'It's always quiet around here, I'd break something to shatter the silence if I didn't wanna get kicked out, so don't you worry', he chuckled, and cocked his head at the other two, who had just followed Io into the ward, 'and you fellas all together? You don't look related.'

'Nah, we're not related, I'm Morph-

'Actual name's Domorphius', interjected Oliver with a grin at him, 'but we call him Morph.' Upon seeing the man turn to him Oliver added quickly 'Oh, I'm Oliver-

'We call him Ollie though, Oliver's too ponsy', interrupted Io with a chuckle to the room at large, fighting back a snort of laughter, he added, wiggling his eyebrows at Oliver.

'Well, nice to meet you too Oliver', he smiled, his green eyes twinkling mischievously, 'You guys are probably the first to come in here for a long time. My name's Lucas Riley.'

Io strode out quickly to the doors of the ward, put his head round the door and walked off. The three left in his wake glanced at each other quizzically. Lucas cocked an eyebrow at them, making the crisscrossed scars in his face shift as he did so.

'He does this often then?'

'No not really', smiled Morph, 'I guess he might be getting something?'

'Anyway, what brings you boys here? It's not exactly the place to have a slumber party', he said, jerking his head in the direction of the thin overcoat and now empty glass jar.

'Ah... my mum tried to lift a curse for the ministry a few months ago, it did something to her, we're not sure what though', murmured Oliver quietly, 'She's been readmitted in here just this morning, did you see her come in?'

'Lifting a curse?' Lucas tried to catch Oliver's eye, only when he had done so did he speak, 'You mean the case with Mauritius and Augusta? You'll be Augusta's son then?'

'Yes, yes I am. Do you know my mother?'

At that very moment, Io came in carrying three chairs, one tottering precariously on his shoulder. Laying the three down, he wiped the sweat which had collected on his upper lip, and grinned at them. 'There, have a seat gents.'

Noticing that Oliver had returned his gaze to Lucas, Io fell silent.

'Returning to your question Oliver, yes, I do know your mother. Augusta, as you know of course, works as a high level witch in the areas of counter jinxes and elemental transfiguration. Therefore she works alongside many ministry departments, including the Auror office, misuse of magic, obviously, and the department of mysteries.'

'So you know her through the ministry?'

'That's correct', said Luke, readjusting his position with a grimace and pushing his brown hair back off his face, he leaned forward. 'Your mother is a very skilled witch, and I have the utmost confidence we will be able to overcome the state in which the curse has put her.'

'We?' asked Morph, leaning forward in his chair now as well, 'Lucas, do you know anything about what happened?'

Gazing over their heads for a mere second, Lucas glanced around for his wand, without reaching for it or speaking. They heard a faint buzz descend over them. Seeing Oliver sit up straighter and his eyes narrow, he spoke quickly.

'I have, as you noticed Oliver', he inclined his head at Oliver, attempting to reassure him. He saw him nod and relax slightly, but not completely, 'used the Muffliato charm so as to not be overheard. If you wish, I can lift it', he offered.

Oliver promptly shook his head quickly, 'No I just got worried when you did it without indicating. What you've got to say is important I suppose.'

'Yes, it is thank you. Anyway, I do in fact know which charm was used, however, I also have been injured in the course of my work, and given the nature of it I have not been kept completely in the loop. However, I hope to answer whatever questions you may have, to the best of my knowledge.'

'Was it the Aposterius charm then?'

Upon hearing the word, Lucas raised his head, looking straight at Morph appraisingly. Seeing the question echoed across the others' faces, he smiled. 'Yes, it is the Aposterius charm; you know I suppose what it does?' As they nodded in unison he cocked his head at them appraisingly.

'I'm assuming you haven't been told this by anyone, ''cause we were all clearly instructed not to', grinning, he directed his eyes to Morph, who seemed to have been the one to suggest the charm initially, judging by Oliver's awed expression and Io's raised eyebrows. 'You deduced this by yourself Morph?'

'Uh, well I suggested it, but then we discussed the possibility from all angles together.'

'And you came across this charm in your study? Or do you guys enjoy light reading?' He chuckled knowingly, 'you don't seem like bookworms.'

Io grinned; he understood Lucas' surprise, of course. The type of book that features such a complex charm would be a large volume made for those who are furthering their knowledge in charms beyond NEWTs even. They had had to get written permission from Professor Flitwick to allow Madame Pince to allow them to even come near it.

'But you said 'we', Oliver pointed out with an air of mounting impatience, 'who's the 'we'?'

'We, is, in the way that I use here, a generic term for a bunch of people who work at the ministry, in the areas I mentioned before, and I am part of the 'we'.'

Many who worked at the ministry did so under a cloak of secrecy so as to protect innovations which affected counter jinxes, more powerful forms of magic housed in the ministry, and operations which sought to capture dangerous wizards, and so on. To admit to being to one of these people, especially to a bunch of under-aged wizards, no matter how smart they may be, was funnily enough, unspeakable. However, he could see no way out of the hole he'd dug for himself. And, added a small voice in his head, they deserve the truth.

Wishing to rouse him out of his pause, Io leaned forward and making sure to speak quietly, he asked, 'You're an Auror then?'

'I am something along the lines of that, at times. However, I am part of a group who experiment and seek to understand and control if possible, certain obscure corners of magic.'

The three boys looked at each other, each wondering if the other has heard of any such place. Io looked from Morph to Oliver, his eyebrows raised. Morph's blue eyes were slightly narrowed and he leaned forward, resting his elbows on his knees and intertwining his hands and Oliver's gazed out the window, his eyes glazed over as the cogs of his brain almost audibly sought an answer.

'I've never heard of any such department in the ministry though', Io murmured, a light edge to his voice, he glanced up at Lucas, silently observing his reaction.

'Just because it is not widely known, because its purpose is not overt', he articulated cryptically, gazing at each in turn, 'doesn't mean it does not exist'.

At that moment, Lucas gazed over their heads at the doors again, having apparently heard something, and the buzz which they'd long ago forgotten had existed, lifted, leaving behind an eerie silence. A mere second later, a cheery wizard with brown dreads and many earrings strode into the ward, pushing a trolley laden with mouth-watering food.

'Morning Lucas, you got visitors this morning ay? I'll bet you fellas fancy some nosh as well.'

'Hey Reg. You had a good night? Sounded like that shift was a tough one.'

'Ugh... we managed to save all those people who came in for the poisoned snakeskin. We'll be getting more by the looks of things.'

They had not realised that three ravenous boys were waiting for him to dish out the food, their eyes glued to the trolley.

'Yeah well dunces who can't identify the difference between snakeskin and dried doxy droppings are still allowed to have kids I'm afraid. Beats me why they don't just-

The loud rumbling of a stomach alerted them to the rising level of hunger in the room, and they turned towards Morph, who tried looking apologetically at them for interrupting, but his stomach had decided to growl till its demands were met.

Chuckling, Reg scooped bowls out of the air and ladled piping hot pumpkin soup into them. He then laid out scrambled eggs and toast. Grinning, they accepted it, with many thanks and continued to communicate in what looked like troll, as they shovelled down scrambled eggs with many grunts and gestures.

'Thanks Reg!' managed Oliver after swallowing the most beautiful scrambled eggs he's tasted.

Io grunted in agreement, giving the healer the thumbs up through streaming eyes. He'd swallowed down the piping hot soup too quickly.

'No worries, I'll catch you guys around ay, and don't keep Lucas up too long, he's a nut when he doesn't get in his afternoon nap', and with that, Reg wheeled the trolley onto the next bed, ducking a paper cup which Luke had aimed at his head with a laugh and leaning over to speak kindly to a young girl suffering from what looked like dragon pox.

The four of them spent the remains of the day in the ward, talking in hushed voices and comparing the 'old' and 'new' Hogwarts, comparing exam results and bragging about Oliver's position as a prefect. In their mind however, as Lucas knew, they had already deciphered his words, and now, not only did it seem obvious where he worked, but for the very first time since that fateful day, they felt hopeful about Augusta Scant's case.