Chapter 9
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A flare of Mist was all the warning Squalo had before Mammon appeared in his office a moment later.
"Voi, something the matter?" Squalo asked. It was rather unusual to see the Mist Officer out of their office, and it was equally unusual for them to Mist-warp around the building. It was a privilege Mammon enjoyed due to being the sole controller of the Territory that protected the Varia but one they rarely made use of except in emergencies.
"Amsel will be unavailable for the next few days. She is currently in hospital," Mammon informed him.
"What for?" Varia Medical was much closer and would have been the better place to take her, since Active Flames could affect how some conditions were treated.
"I discovered that she has a previously undiagnosed condition that cannot be treated with Flames and requires specialist attention. I recognised the symptoms and took her to a hospital where there are specialists who can treat her," Mammon replied somewhat evasively. Well, if Amsel had asked them to keep quiet about the nature of her condition and was paying them enough then Mammon wouldn't tell unless her condition presented an immediate threat to others. Squalo was pondering this when there was a knock at the door and Lussuria entered.
"Squalo, Mammon. Have either of you seen Amsel? She's supposed to be on duty in Medical today, but I can't find her. It's not like her to not show up," the flamboyant Sun said worriedly.
"Mammon took her to the hospital," Squalo said, indicating the tiny Mist hovering over his desk.
"How come?" Luss asked, now very concerned.
"Amsel has a condition that cannot be treated with Flames and requires specialist attention. I recognised the symptoms and took her to hospital for specialist treatment," Mammon said briefly.
Lussuria frowned, clearly upset, "I checked her with my Flames during her initial health check and I didn't detect anything like that. How could I have missed it?" Luss took his position as Head of Medical very seriously and was also quite attached to Amsel. Missing something in a health check that later required hospitalisation would be a professional and personal upset.
"Amsel's condition is extremely rare; in order to detect it, you have to know what you're looking for and how to find it. I am aware of both, which is how I was able to detect her condition," Mammon said.
"Would you be willing to tell me more about it?" Lussuria asked. That there would be a fee for such information was a given, but Luss would need as much information as possible in order to monitor Amsel's recovery.
"Amsel has requested I keep quiet about her condition during her treatment. Once she returns, she will be able to tell you more," Mammon replied. Luss did not look happy about that.
Squalo frowned. Why would Amsel request her condition be kept secret, even from Luss? What was so serious or troubling that she didn't want anyone to know? The Cloud had secrets – everyone in the Varia did – but keeping secrets about your health was one way to make Luss very upset. Possibly even to the point where Luss might decide to purposely infect Amsel with a nasty virus that would leave her at the mercy of Medical for a week or so, just to drive home the point.
Still, that wasn't Squalo's problem right now. His problem was that he would be the one having to deal with the Clouds for the next few days, on top of looking after Rain Division and doing Boss' work. Amsel had better have a damned good explanation when she got back.
Dumbledore glared at the parchment clutched in his hands, seething with rage. He had not opened the letter from Gringotts in the Great Hall but had instead waited until he was safely in the privacy of his office – a wise decision, given the contents and his reaction to them. Ivy had somehow managed to have him removed as her magical guardian. The reason the goblins gave was 'dereliction of duty towards his ward', an accusation that could cause him all manner of problems if it somehow got out.
What had Ivy revealed to have him removed as her magical guardian? Was it the fact he knew about her treatment at the hands of her relatives and had never acted on it? Had she said something about the dangerous tasks she had faced while at school? Ivy's participation in the Triwizard Tournament was well known, though there had been other tests she had faced. Quirrell for instance… Dumbledore shook his head. Unlike the tournament, those were not public knowledge. Still, how had Ivy found out that he was her magical guardian? Had the goblins mentioned it when she went to a branch of Gringotts? How had they persuaded her to have him removed and who had she named in his place? So many questions that would go unanswered until he could find her and bring her back.
Not that it would be a simple task. With his guardianship over Ivy removed he could no longer use the leverage that position gave him to track her down. His best alternative would have been Sirius, but the mutt had vanished a few days ago and no one could say where he was. Not even Remus knew where he was going other than he was looking for Ivy. Albus had sent Sirius a letter requesting information – unspelled, because Black's Lordship ring meant mind magics and tracers wouldn't affect him anyway – but either it hadn't reached him, or he wasn't answering. Albus would simply have to assume the silence meant no information would be forthcoming from the Lord Black. Perhaps he could do something about that once he had the Ministry on his side again, but right now he had other problems to deal with.
The goblins had also somehow found out about the withdrawals he had made from the main Potter vaults and reclaimed them, including several interesting and powerful enchanted items that had been magically reclaimed straight from his office. He would need to see about modifying the Hogwarts Wards to prevent that from happening again; having his research disappear would not do. Even worse, his personal and Family vaults were now subject to an audit, which would also cause no end of trouble if his detractors got wind of it.
This wasn't what he needed right now. Between finding Ivy so she could meet her prophesised end, keeping an eye on Tom so he didn't take over the country before Albus was ready for him, and dealing with the Ministry's constant interference, the last thing he needed was a potential scandal. Ivy's star may have waned in the Ministry's eyes, but she still had some highly placed supporters. Amelia Bones for example… Dumbledore shuddered. He didn't need the Head of the DMLE poking around his castle as well as the Ministry toad.
At least the last issue would resolve itself by year's end. Dolores Umbridge may be steadily gaining power in Hogwarts through the Educational Decrees, but that did not change the fact she was a terrible teacher. The fifth years' OWL scores would prove that the Ministry's interference had been anything but beneficial and Dumbledore would be left to run his school how he saw fit once again.
The sooner the Ministry stopped interfering, the sooner he could turn his full focus to the war effort.
It had been five days since Mammon had taken Ivy to the hospital. That was three days too long in Ivy's book. She had never had to spend more than two days in the infirmary at Hogwarts, even with her worst injuries. She could understand why the Healers were being cautious though; as well as the black magic they had removed from her scar, they had also found a number of binds on her magic that had needed to be removed. The bindings were of the sort normally used in children with particularly active and destructive accidental magic and were usually removed when the child started learning to control their magic; why they had been left on in this case was something of a mystery. Ivy had spent the first day mostly unconscious and the second recovering while getting to grips with her vastly increased magical power, which was due to no longer having to suppress the black magic in her scar. According to the Healers, having her full power unlocked would help reverse some of the damage done by the years of starvation and abuse she suffered at the Dursleys, so she could expect another growth spurt soon.
The next three days had been spent being poked, prodded, analysed, and questioned repeatedly by what felt like every Healer in the building. She could kind of understand the involvement of the Mind Healers – even she knew the darker magics had an effect on the mind, and she had spent nearly fourteen years with some of the darkest trapped in her scar – but why the investigative team from the Ministry?! The Italian Ministry's Unspeakables had spent an entire afternoon probing her now much reduced scar and questioning her about the effects. Guaritore Marino had eventually ordered them out so she could eat her dinner in peace.
There was also the fact that, despite the constant assessments, Ivy was bored out of her mind. There wasn't much in the way of entertainment in the hospital other than a few books she asked Mammon to bring and calling Sirius on her mirror. After Sirius had sent her the mirror Ivy had encouraged him to take his time, give himself some space to start healing, and enjoy his trip across Europe. Her five days in Paris and the time she had spent with the Varia had done wonders for her own mental health, and she could tell that being away from Britain was helping Sirius too. Her godfather had been panicked when he heard she was in hospital, then downright furious when he heard why she needed treatment. Ivy had to do some fast talking to prevent him returning to Britain to strangle Dumbledore with his own beard and persuade him not to cut his trip short and come to Syracuse. She would much rather their reunion wasn't in a hospital.
Ivy was engaged in in a glaring match with Guaritore Marino when Mammon arrived on the morning of day six.
"Mammon, thank Merlin. Get me out of here," Ivy demanded. She wanted out of here now.
Mammon turned to Guaritore Marino. "Is she well enough to leave?"
"Yes, but I feel it prudent for her to remain here for a few more days in case of unforeseen complications," the Healer replied. Ivy wasn't having this. She was leaving this hospital, with its smell of bleach that brought back horrible memories, by hook or by crook. Today.
"Guaritore Marino, is there a risk of the black magic that infected my scar returning?" Ivy asked short-temperedly. She really shouldn't be being so snappish with the man, but she would not submit to a fourth day of prodding!
"No, there is not. The cleansing worked perfectly, and our scans have so no sign of any residue or return," Guaritore Marino replied.
"Have all the bindings on my magic been safely removed?" she pressed. Guaritore Marino nodded. "And are there any lingering effects on my magic besides my drastic increase in strength?"
"No, there are not."
"And would you agree that my control has improved sufficiently that I am no longer a danger to myself and others, and I am able to resume my studies safely?"
"Yes."
"Do any of the potions I was given to correct some of the issues caused by my upbringing and my magic being bound have delayed side effects, specifically the kind which may be injurious to my health or the health of those around me?"
"No."
"Lastly, am I in imminent danger of dropping dead from either magic or illness?"
"No," Guaritore Marino replied.
"Then I see no reason why I should remain here if I am well enough to leave; there is no point me taking up the time of a specialist like yourself if I am cured of my affliction. I am no longer suffering from visions and my nightmares are just the regular kind. The only continuing treatment I require that cannot be provided by my regular physician is the therapy I am undergoing with the Mind Healers, which can easily be done on an outpatient basis," Ivy said. Guaritore Marino looked to Mammon as though for support but found none.
"If Ivy is well enough then there is no reason for her to remain here. As she pointed out, most of the likely physical effects from the rituals can be dealt with at home, and the Mind Healers will be monitoring her," Mammon said.
Guaritore Marino sighed, "Very well. I will sign the release forms and compile a copy of your notes for your regular Healer." Ivy's heart sank a bit at the mention of the notes – she was going to have to tell Luss about magic now and that was going to open a whole new can of worms – but it quickly buoyed back up at the thought of getting out of the hospital. It didn't take long for Guaritore Marino to return with the parchment-work, a list of instructions from the Mind Healers, and a large tub of salve.
"This Scar Reducing salve will help get rid of your scars. The older ones will take longer but they will eventually fade from sight. Use it once in the morning and once at night until the scars are gone," Guaritore Marino instructed as he handed her the tub and the parchment.
"Thank you, Guaritore Marino. The care I have received here has been nothing but the best," Ivy said as she accepted the items. After that, it was just a matter of packing her things and high tailing it out of there before anyone could come up with an excuse to hold her back.
"Freedom!" Ivy said gleefully as she left the hospital with Mammon at her side. "Which one of us is going to tell Luss about magic and explain the notes?"
"You are. I've already informed Lussuria and Squalo that you will be the one explaining what required you to be hospitalised rather than go to Medical," Mammon replied in their usual bland tone. Ivy could feel the amusement rolling off the Mist as she scowled.
"Great," she bit out sarcastically. "Why not you? You're a magical adult; I'm still a minor. Legally, it should be you."
"That would have required divulging your medical information, which as your magical guardian I cannot share with anyone other than a qualified magical Healer without your permission. Besides, I told them you asked me to keep it secret. I'll be there to make it look legal, if that's what you're concerned about," the miser replied.
Ivy sighed. "I might as well tell Belphegor too – once I start studying magic again, he'll be one of the first to figure out something strange is going on and start snooping. I'm not telling Leviathan though, or anyone else."
"Acceptable," Mammon agreed. Ivy pulled the Mind Healer's list out of her bag and scanned it.
"I should get what I can off this list while I'm here. I need a new wand and textbooks. According to this list, the Healers want me to get a therapy animal, so I guess we'll be stopping at the pet shop too," she said, ticking off items in her head as they made their way into the plaza. The longer she could put off the inevitable and difficult conversation about magic with her fellow Officers, the better.
