Chapter Seven- The Road Beckons

Three days before the start of term, McGonagall received and owled letter and wandered into Dumbledore's office as she read it. Dumbledore was staring out of the window as he sipped a cup of coffee.

"Paul Catesby's parents want him to return to school, early" she announced. "His mother's got 'flu' and needs to rest. I've owled back to say 'Yes'. I had better let the house-elves know, although catering for one extra for three days is not going to overtax them."

"Yes, of course" he murmured.

"You are not with me this morning, Headmaster" McGonagall observed, irritated by his lack of attention.

"I was just thinking; the season of the Heavenly Child – it's over for this year isn't it."

"Oh, that! Too much wine, that's all that was about!" she replied scathingly, remembering Trelawney's prediction.

In the second week of January the weather again turned unusually mild and very wet. Mr Filch caught a cold and dabbed at his red nose as he moaned about the tracks of mud the students trailed through the castle. As the days ticked by he got no better. He thought of going to Snape for a potion – that was what he would normally do – but he had been doing his best to keep out of Snape's way since the incident of Celeste in the prefects' bathroom. So he stumped up the stairs to the hospital wing to ask Poppy Pomfrey for some Pepperup Potion. En route he met Professor McGonagall escorting Russell Dunwoody, a second year boy, to Madam Pomfrey. The boy was coughing badly and making a fuss about a pain in his back.

Three days later there were three similar cases in the hospital wing, and on the following day two more were admitted. Madam Pomfrey hurried to Dumbledore's office to alert him to the situation.

"There is a 'flu'-like bug going around, Poppy" he replied. "It is getting a mention in the Muggle press."

The situation grew worse and Dumbledore called a meeting with the four Heads of Houses.

"There is a bad 'flu' epidemic" he said. "The Muggle news media is full of it now. And as Minerva will explain, even we do not remain untouched."

"Paul Catesby's mother" McGonagall said gravely, holding up a further letter she had received that morning. "She's in hospital. It doesn't sound good."

"How is Paul?" Snape asked.

"He seems fine" Sprout said. "No sign of illness. And apparently his father is OK, too."

"Any news you get from Paul, let me know please, Amy" McGonagall asked, "and naturally I'll let you know at once if I hear anything further. I have a bad feeling about this."

"Can you keep me stocked up with Pepperup Potion, Severus?" Pomfrey asked. "And I could do with some more White Horehound and Angelica."

"Yes of course, Poppy. We'll check your stock after this meeting and I'll get to work on it this afternoon" Snape assured her. "My fourth years can produce a reliable Pepperup brew. I will attend to the Marrubium and Angelica. And a Tussilago preparation might help as well."

Within two days several more students and Professor Vector fell sick. None of the original cases had yet been cleared. The hospital wing was filling up. Almost out of the blue Paul Catesby's father arrived to take the Hufflepuff boy home. Dumbledore and Sprout saw them off. Paul was distraught; his mother had died. The boy had not spoken to her since his hurried departure just after New Years Day. Now he would never speak to her again. He was going home to a funeral. In just a few days his world had turned upside down.

Dumbledore called a full staff meeting.

"This seems to be getting very serious" he said, handing round copies of the latest press reports. "Paul Catesby's mother has died. She developed breathing difficulties and died in St Dymphna's yesterday evening." He gave the staff a moment to scan the press reports and then continued. "I think we have got to the stage where we must ask parents to take alternative measures for their sick children. We are not a hospital. And if more staff fall sick we will not be able to maintain the timetable. That is unless we can get supply cover. But in view of the illness, that seems a secondary concern."

"No one here has got over this yet" Flitwick pointed out. "Do Muggles have a cure for this?"

"Unfortunately we cannot tell so very much from this type of press report" Dumbledore replied. "They tend to overlook good news and reasoned interpretation in a quest for sensational headlines. I have owled the Education Department to make this very point, and to say that we need objective data and guidance, and we may need staff cover. How are the patients, Poppy?"

"Not so good" Pomfrey admitted. "Russell Dunwoody – he was the first case – says it hurts him to breath. Says he feels as though someone has wrapped an iron band around his ribs."

All the staff seemed concerned. They talked round and round the problem for some time but without any definite plans.

"Do you want me to cover Professor Vector's junior classes?" Celeste asked quietly.

"Do you feel you can?" Dumbledore countered.

"Well, I know I'll be OK with the third years" she assured him. "We've done a bit of work on lesson plans, and I know the syllabus. I'll just try to pick up the thread, using her notes."

"Well, how do the rest of you feel about this?" the Headmaster asked, casting his gaze around the circle of staff.

There was a general nodding of heads.

"Very well" Dumbledore continued. "For the time being we will aim to provide cover. Celeste, you take the third year classes; Severus, Felix and Estella – you divide the rest up between you. But," he paused and held up a hand to ensure he had their attention, "this course of action is only to begin with. If the sickness increases we will not be attempting to cover lessons, we will be struggling to treat the sick, prevent new cases and possibly deal with the evacuation of the school. I am sorry to alarm you, but it will do no harm to start forming contingency plans now. Minerva, I want you to prepare letters to owl the sick children's parents – we'll speak about what to write after this meeting. We don't want them to panic. And we don't want a stream of adults traipsing through the school. But I am concerned about the Dunwoody boy; this has been going on for over a week now. Poppy, how is Dora?"

"Not too bad" she said thoughtfully.

"If she gets worse it will undoubtedly mean hospitalisation" Dumbledore pointed out. "She should let her family know that she is sick. Is she well enough to sit up and write a letter?"

"Oh, yes" Pomfrey replied emphatically.

"Good. Make sure she owls her family" Dumbledore insisted. "But I don't want them to come into the school unless they have to. Meanwhile, I will be visiting the hospital wing every day to note the situation. Any questions?"

The worried silence was finally broken by a question from Snape. "When do we meet again, Headmaster?" he asked quietly.

Mindful of Trelawney's prediction, Dumbledore pondered the question for some time and at last he said "Today is Thursday. We will meet again, here, at ten o'clock on Saturday morning. Severus, and Sirius – I want to see you at eight-forty five on Saturday morning; Amy, and Sybill I want to see you at nine thirty, again on Saturday, prior to our full meeting. Any other points? … Very well; thank you, everyone; the meeting is closed."

At Saturday morning's staff meeting Dumbledore shared the latest press reports and also an update from the Education Department. Attached to it was a memo from the Health Department giving, amongst other information, the remaining capacity of St Mungo's and its six satellite hospitals.

"Don't the Muggles have any idea how to treat this?" Black asked, "or are we just not receiving the information?"

"Celeste has been in touch with The Department for Magical Health, about this very point" Dumbledore explained. "Celeste, enlighten us please."

"The Department for Magical Health regularly checks publications such as Nature, New Scientist and Pharmacopoea Today" Celeste said. "They shed no light on this. As far as developing a treatment is concerned, new drugs can take years to perfect, so any research papers leading up to them cannot be expected for months. The Muggles just seem to be using paracetamol and anything to relieve the symptoms. Their hospitals are becoming quite full."

"As you can see" Dumbledore said, "our own hospitals all have heavy caseloads. Some wizards are even choosing to go into Muggle hospitals. Minerva has owled all the parents – anyone who wants to take their child home, is free to do so. The choice is theirs." He fell silent for a moment. "Severus, Amy" he said finally "Pepperup isn't making much impression on this. Nor is Horehound, Coltsfoot or Angelica. Can you get your heads together and try to devise new treatments? Get together, and bring Celeste in as well. You will need help with your duties as House Heads. Sirius, I want you, when needed, to deputise for Severus as Head of Slytherin. Sybill, I want you to do the same for Hufflepuff. I want you to be prepared to work in close co-operation with the Head of House, giving as much support as you can. Is that understood?"

"Yes, Headmaster" Black and Trelawney said in unison.

This had been the thorny subject of their discussions at their pre-meetings – the Headmaster was now merely formalising the arrangements in the 'public' arena of the staff meeting. Sprout was reasonably happy about Trelawney acting as her deputy if and when the need arose; Snape however was furious about Black being his choice of deputy. But he had had to agree with Dumbledore that all the other suitable staff were already earmarked for various demanding rôles. Privately Snape was determined to try to keep control of his House and cope with any Potions work as well – he did not want Black of all people meddling in his affairs or 'helping him out'. The Headmaster however, was concerned that they would have a testing time ahead of them, and that specialists such as potion makers, herbologists and healers would need all the support they could get.

"Estella and Madeline" Dumbledore continued, "if the hospital wing gets more cases it won't be long before Poppy needs additional help. You have both proved your nursing skills in the past – can they be called upon again?"

"Of course, Headmaster" the two witches assured him.

"Excellent. Thank you" Dumbledore replied. "Celeste, you have shown your initiative by starting to cover Adoración's classes. Can you make time to work with Amy and Severus on possible new remedies? I want you to assist them with putting forward ideas, taking notes, turning plans into actions. Do you understand?"

"Yes, Headmaster."

"Can you take this on?"

"Yes, Headmaster."

"Good. Thank you." Dumbledore sounded relieved. "And if anyone has any ideas as to how we might limit the exposure of the rest of the school" he continued, "I want to hear about it. Bring your ideas to Minerva or myself. Minerva, Amy, Severus, Felix – I want us to meet after dinner tomorrow night. A quick meeting – just to keep up to date."

By the afternoon, the hospital wing was over half full. Mr and Mrs Dunwoody arrived to take their son to hospital. After a worrying search, they had secured a place for him at St Bathild's. Celeste escorted them to and from the castle. Dumbledore's brow was furrowed with concern as he watched Russell Dunwoody being floated out on a stretcher between two Mediwizards. Celeste lead the way and in total silence the Dunwoody parents brought up the rear. The boy's breathing was laboured and shallow; his skin clammy.

Dumbledore took a look at the next case, David Wilson. The boy's white-blond hair was damp with sweat and he seemed not far from delirium. At the next bed his twin brother Jonathan was sitting up and emitting a dry, racking cough. Next to him, Virginia Rushbrooke lay in an apparently peaceful sleep.


Author's Note: Nature and New Scientist are genuine