Chapter 4: St. Mungo's Hospital for Magical Maladies & Injuries

After her goodbyes and calls of "happy holidays" at Kings Cross Station, Calamity looked at her map. She waved down a no-maj taxi and got in directing him to the run-down corner where she could see the worn down sign for the Leaky Cauldron.

"You sure this is the place," asked the taxi driver.

"Yep," she said counting out her money and handing it over. She walked in and ordered a room from Tom the barkeep. He led her to a surprisingly sunny room overlooking Diagon Alley. She peered out.

"Here for the whole break, Ms. Calamity," Tom asked.

"Yes," Calamity answered watching as a small boy ran with his brother towards Quality Quidditch. "But, I'll be out a lot."

"St. Mungo's, you said," verified Tom. "Dangerous times."

Calamity nodded and began to unpack.

"Holler if you need anything," Tom said before leaving with a small bow.

Once unpacked, she lay in the sun, a nice relief from the stormy weather that had occurred, even if snow was predicted for the rest of the week. She felt a wave of contentment wash over her as she lay staring at the sky from her position on the floor. It was a tad dusty, but not too much of a bother. It was hard to imagine that a war could be raging outside with all the happy noises from Diagon Alley washing over her and the sun warming her. She opened up Pride and Prejudice, wondering if this were the chapter where Elizabeth and Darcy would actually be able to make amends, even despite Wickham's history with him.

The next day was not as sunny- in fact it was snowing when she left the Leaky Cauldron and headed to the entrance of St. Mungo's. She followed her map to the condemned department store with a broken down sign that read Purge and Dowse, Ltd. She double checked her instructions. The street was empty, so she stepped through the wall and into a fully functional hospital. A busy functional hospital at that.

She moved to the front desk where a woman was hurriedly redirecting calls, mediwizards, and patients. Despite the Welcome Witch sign on her desk, she did not look very welcoming. Without looking up the woman put her wand to her throat and her voice rang through the hospital.

"Paging Healer trainee Christopher Lister. Your volunteer has arrived."

Calamity opened her mouth to say something, but the witch simply waved her away to the seats at the other side of the room. She only waited for a brief moment before Christopher Lister appeared looking flustered. He was tall with dark eyes and skin, his smile lighting up his full face and making his eyes wrinkle as he spotted her. Calamity felt her heart flip for a moment as he rushed forward with his hand out.

"Clara Ezra-Mahoney, right? Quite a mouth full. It's crazy here today. A bridge went out. They think it was an attack, but either way it's bit hectic. Come with me," Christopher said in a surprisingly deep voice. Her heart did a small flip again as she fell in step with him. He gave her a very fast tour.

"Right, we've got some things to review. First, You've already realized that the hospital is located where it is. It's essentially the only

place in London we could house it since underground is unsanitary and Diagon Alley is too small. We need room for Muggles and Wizards since we treat both, to some extent. You shouldn't ever have a problem entering since muggles don't notice us disappearing into the wall and if you talk to the dummy then you look like a lune and they will definitely ignore you." He stopped suddenly and Calamity almost ran into him. "This way," he said taking her into a stairwell. "If you weren't fit before, you will be when your two weeks are up."

He looked over at her for a moment as he took two stairs at a time. "I think you'll be fine. Any way, pay attention because as a volunteer you could be called to any of these departments. We just left ground floor which is reception and artifact accidents- your exploding cauldrons, wand backfiring, broom crashes, and dark artifacts. First Floor is Creature Induced Injuries for bites, stings, burns, embedded spines, and the likes. Second floor is magical bugs and diseases, your dragon pox, vanishing sickness, and what not. We're at the third floor, where you'll be helping today- since it's your first day."

He motioned to the door behind him as they finally paused, Calamity gasping for breath. "Potions and Plant Poisonings. You'll focus on rashes, regurgitations, uncontrollable giggling, and some self-medication attempts that failed. Pretty straightforward, but a good place to start on day one, especially with your impressive Herbology and Potion scores. Above us is the Spell Damage Floor with jinxes, hexes, incorrectly applied charms and the Janus Thickey Ward for long term permanent patients. I'll try to warn you before you get sent there because you will want some chocolate afterward. It's heartbreaking. Finally, fifth floor is Visitors' Tearoom and Hospital Shop. Place for your breaks, if you're lucky to get any, and to get tea with me."

Calamity looked at him suprised from her attempt to memorize his tour. Christopher beamed at her expression and Calamity felt heat on her face.

"Knew that would get you to refocus," said Christopher. "Alright, list them back to me."

"Ground floor for reception and artifact accidents; first floor for creature induced injuries; second floor is for magical bugs and diseases. We're at the third floor, which is potions and plant poisonings where I'll be today; fourth floor is spell damage including the Janus Thickey Ward for long term permanent patients. Finally, fifth floor is for the tearoom and hospital shop, a place for breaks if you get one," repeated Calamity.

"And," said Christopher with a smirk.

"And tea with you, if I decide to take it up," Calamity replied.

"Great," Christopher said looking at his watch. "Today's Healer is Krates DeKos, his accent can get thick if he's rushed, so pay attention. The Trainee Healer is Elizabeth Blackwell."

Without giving her a chance to ask questions he began leaping down stairs again. "I'm on the first floor if you need anything!"

Then he was gone.

As soon as she pushed open the door she heard a woman's voice say, "We have three poison cases. Apparently there was a russian roulette of drinking and they all lost. Go get the poison from the closet."

Calamity rushed to the closet she wa sbeing pointed to and scanned the spidery writing.

"Got it," she said rushing back to Elizabeth Blackwell, a tall woman with all of her hair stack on her head and a look of exasperation perpetually stuck on her face. The trainee healer double checked the title and hurried off. With that, Calamity started her volunteering.

She spent the next eight hours running to and from the potion closet, helping to restrain patients who did not want a potion, and at one point separating a madly in love man from his cat. "Amortentia" shouted Krates DeKos as if it were a curse word.

Krates DeKos looked at his watch. as Calamity tried to catch her breath after chasing a man who had mis-brewed an invigoration draught. It had given him the speed and energy to run around the room, but also painful boils and horns sprouting from his head and chest.

"Good!" Krates DeKos said as he clapped his hands and rubbed them together.

"Go rest. The Welcome Witch should know where you need to go tomorrow," said Elizabeth Blackwell, a smile breaking across her face. Calamity nodded.

Down in the reception area the Welcome Witch looked more welcoming at her approach.

"You'll need to report tomorrow at nine, dear," she said looking at her schedule. "You'll start on the third floor, then move to the second so you get a bit more experience."

Calamity nodded, excited to return to the Leaky Cauldron to her books and hot tea, but when she arrived she fell onto her bed fast asleep.

The rest of her time continued in the same way. Each day she spent some time on a specific floor, following order and running about with the healers and trainee healers. Then at the end she would walk away contemplating the ailments she had seen: Sardines coming from a patients nose as he babbled incoherently, a woman missing a piece of her arm (they had to figure out if it was just invisible or actually missing), unfortunate drinking of a tea with Venomous Tentacula leaves, and a surprisingly bloody run in with a garden gnome. By her last day, Calamity had volunteered on every floor and felt ready for just about anything! She thought about this as she walked up to the Welcome Witch. The woman looked somber.

"Glad you're here, dear. It's going to be a rough day."

Calamity looked around the waiting room, there were stretchers everywhere and mediwizards rushing about trying to evaluate who had the worse injuries and needed immediate attention. A few people were missing ears and one woman had a chunk of ribs gone, as if a giant shark had taken a hearty bite from her side. She held her intestines in place with a charm.

"Oh, good, Clara!"

Calamity turned to Christopher, but not before her eyes passed over a young boy howling with pain, his arm cut all over.

"What happened," whispered Calamity as a healer took the boys arm and looked at it.

"Deatheater attack on an inn in Manchester," Christopher replied. "He's the second person we've seen with that hex. Not sure exactly what it is, btu ti's new and it's a bad one. He's lucky it only nipped him. You're with me today in Creature induced injuries. We've got a lot- snake bites, werewolf slashing, even a," he paused and Calamity saw him looking at a woman with vacant eyes. "Dementor's kiss."

The atmosphere in the Creature Related Injury ward was very different than it normally was. There was a cloud of somberness over todays treatments.

"When did it happen," asked Calamity.

"Last night, without warning," Christopher said bandaging a deep cut so the blood replenishing potion could begin to work. Calamity handed him the sealing potion to pat on top. He nodded for her to follow him to a curtain in the back of the room. As they walked passed a snake bite victim, a bandage wrapped around her neck, Calamity heard her muttering over and over again, "They said his name, shouldn't have said his name. They said his name, shouldn't have said his name."

"It's been tabooed," asked Calamity. She felt queasier than she ever had.

"Hard to tell, lots of trauma here," Christopher said pushing the curtain back and lettering Calamity in. "It's war, after all."

The curtain fell back into place and they were in a room with two children, one crying loudly.

"Be quiet," snapped the older boy, but he looked close to tears as well. Both had been bandaged and given potions.

"Got bitten by a werewolf during the attack," Christopher explained. "We're waiting for the results, but chances are it's not good."

"He keeps crying," snapped the older boy to Calamity. She moved to crying boy's side.

"Does it hurt," she asked gently.

The boy continued to wail.

"He's fine. He's sad because his parents left him here."

"What do you mean," asked Christopher.

"His parents said they couldn't have a werewolf and left," snapped the older boy. "Can't you make him be quiet?"

Christopher looked over the boy with slight disgust and nodded to Calamity.

"Why, don't you and I go right over here,-er," she began trying to ushed the young boy from his bed.

"Michael," offered the other boy.

"Why, don't you and I go right over here,Michael.

She led him to the other side of the curtain where a lumpy bed sat empty and messy.

Calamity heard Christopher mutter a silencing charm on the curtain so that the next howl could not be heard by the older boy.

"Michael," Calamity said gently. The boy lessened his howls to sobs. "I'm sure they didn't mean it."

"They did."

Calamity turned to see that the lumpy bed was not empty, but instead held Remus Lupin. He pushed the covers off of himself, looking more beat up as she'd ever seen him. There was a new scar across his face.

"I heard them," Remus said. "They meant it. Come here, Michael."

Michael looked nervously at Calamity, but climbed onto Remus' bed when she nodded encouragingly. She took a seat next to the bed.

"Michael, did you get bitten," Remus asked in a kind tone. Michael nodded. Remus' eyes darted quickly to Calamity then back to Michael. "I got bitten too, when I was your age."

"So you're a-" Michael began.

"A werewolf, yes," Remus said. "But, I'm still me."

"My mommy and daddy don't love me anymore."

"Then they are idiots."

Michael blinked surprised.

"Who couldn't love you?" asked Remus, brushing Michael's hair away from his forehead in an almost fatherly gesture. "Besides look at your cool scar!"

Michael looked shyly at his bandages. Then he touched Remus' face.

"That's your scar?"

"That's from me," Remus said with a shrug. "Michael, there are going to be times where it is very tough to be a werewolf, but also times were it isn't."

Michael nodded. Calamity felt water prickling her eyes.

"And Calamity still thinks you're the best," Remus added nodding at Calamity. "Look, you're crying was making her cry."

"Oh no," said Michael. He crawled over to Calamity and patted her hand comfortingly. "It's okay," he said.

"Will you be brave," asked Remus. "Like me, Moony?"

"Brave like Moony!" He repeated gleefully.

Christopher peaked his head through the curtains.

"Clara, we need to go up to the fourth floor to assist. Mr. Lupin, I'll check on you as soon as I can. We just need to finalize some paperwork before you go." He disappeared again.

Michael climbed off the bed.

"Want to get tea after this," Remus offered.

"I'm at the Leaky Cauldron," Calamity said taking Michae's hand and leading him back to his bed.

"See you there," Remus replied. "Bye Michael!"

Hours later Calamity walked home in a daze- she had seen more blood and tears than she ever wanted to, but then again- she wanted to be a Healer. She shivered thinking about the woman with her hollow vacant eyes.

She pushed open the door to the Leaky cauldron to find Remus sitting at the bar talking to Tom. A smile broke across Remus' face, making his new scar curve. He brought over two cups of tea and sat down.

"Saving more orphans, I see," she joked.

"I scratched myself last night when it was a full moon," Remus said in a low voice, leaning in secretively. "I had nothing to do with that attack, though. It was just in my family's basement."

"I didn't think you had anything to do with the attack," Calamity said. Remus looked surprised.

"You-you didn't?"

"No, of course not," she said taking a sip. "If you were interested in attacking people there would be an attack every month at Hogwarts. Is Michael going to be okay?"

"It's going to be a hard life for him," Remus replied. He looked much older than sixteen. "It's going to be hard to find work and housing. Not to mention love- from yourself, from friends, from- anyone."

"Remus, you have lots of people who love you," Calamity said with a smile. Remus returned the favor, but it seemed forced.

"I've got just the thing," Calamity said standing. "Chocolate Ice cream!"

"We don't have to," began Remus but Calamity was already pulling him out of the Leaky Cauldron and into Diagon Alley. They talked about their breaks and laughed as they slurped ice cream in the cold. Then they wandered around the shops, stopping at Quality Quidditch supplies to look through the posters and fan gear. Sitting on the steps of Gringotts, Calamity brought out a vial of Gooseberry and Aloe Vera from her room, applying it to his new scar carefully. It faded slightly, but was still obvious enough for a few passing witches and wizards to do a doubel take.

"Must be an American thing," Remus said as they walked back to the Leaky Cauldron. "I haven't been able to find it anywhere."

"I'd be happy to make some for you any time you need it," Calamity said as they sat in a booth again.

"Calamity, I don't think I have to tell you this, but," Remus became very interested in the wooden table before him. "This is sort of a secret. Can you imagine the hate mail Professor Dumbledore would get if parents found out he'd let a monster into Hogwarts?"

"You're not a monster," Calamity said. Remus opened his mouth to protest, but she cut him off saying, "But, your secret is safe with me."

"Thank you," Remus said. Then, obviously anxious to change the subject he added, "hey, what was with you and the Trainee Healer?"

"Christopher?" Calamity felt a tiny flush rush to her cheeks.

"Yes, him. Did you ever get to have that tea he mentioned?"

"No," Calamity said with a faint smile. "Maybe another time."

"Maybe a time soon."

"What makes you say that?"

Remus smirked and waved at someone behind her. Calamity turned to see Christopher's beaming face moving towards their booth.

"Hello again," Christopher said shaking hands with Remus. "Not interrupting am I?"

"Oh no, just some friends from school catching up," Remus explained. He stood and offered his seat to Christopher.

Christopher's smile widened at this. "Friends! Great!" He sat down. Remus moved just out of his eye sight and gave Calamity two thumbs up. She glared at him and he quickly made an escape. She turned back to Christopher.

"I wanted to check in, today was rough and it was the last day and all," He explained. He ordered butterbeer for the two of them.

"Oh, you didn't have to check in," Calamity said, her blush increasing. "It was a rough day for you too. You didn't have to inconvenience yourself."

"It wasn't an inconvenience. I got off as soon as I could," Christopher said cheerfully. "You owe me tea anyway. But I'll accept Butterbeer for now."

"For now?" Calamity asked curiously. "I'm going back to school tomorrow."

"Guess you'll owe me tea at Hogsmeade then," said Christopher innocently and Calamity couldn't help but smile as her heart flipped again.