A/N...So sorry for those still reading I have not ended the story in fact, I've been writting lots of it. I just have not been posting because I thought no one cared. Anyway, I will try to add chapters regularly. Here are two more to finish off the summer adventures. Hope you enjoy!
Owls Finished…. Now what?
It had become customary for the gang to go to Hogsmead for drink to relax post OWLs. Even Remus had managed to convince his parents that this was a necessary thing, for his sanity. Fortunately his friends had not burst out laughing. Maia and Len laughed, how gullible were his parents? After all Remus was a terrible liar.
However, Maia wasn't going to complain. She got to spend time with her wolfie, she was happy. Len enjoyed having time with the group, and Sirius' attention. She really enjoyed being out of the house and away from her siblings.
"Hey Len, I didn't hear any explosions, did they put a silence charm on the door or something?" Sirius teased. They had finished their last two Owls today. Potion and Care of Magical Creatures.
"Hey, I didn't blow anything up; I think that I should get at least an 'E'." Len laughed jovially. "I mean I certainly exceeded my expectations." They all laughed with a round of cheers.
"Thank Merlin they're over." Lily cheered. "This has got to have been two of the most stressful weeks I've ever had."
"Awww, poor Lily." James cooed, and kissed her cheek. He pulled her closer. This caused the other to snicker. They spent then next hour or two joking and relaxing that post exam tension that had taken root in them.
Maia was the first to notice that Bas had came in to the Three Broomsticks. She motioned to Len to look over her shoulder at him. Len did and was surprised to see him. "You out past curfew or something?"
"Not that I remember." Len sounded confused. Bas came over to the group.
"Hey." He greeted them warmly. "Len, sorry to break up the party but you've got to come home."
"Why? Is something wrong?" Len sounded worried. Bas smiled and shook his head.
"Nothing like that. But you need to come home." He stated. "You have visitors." Len looked even more confused, as did her friends. "It seems that they're most interested in discussing your OWLs."
"Pardon?" Len asked in shock.
"You mean that they're marked already?" Lily's voice was a little strained.
"That's not normal, is it?" James asked in disbelief.
"Just what is going on?" Sirius asked. Although no longer holding on to Len, he'd taken a very protective posture beside her.
"I'm not entirely sure. No, it's not normal for them to have finished marking them this quickly." Bas replied seriously. "Squirt you need to come home. They want to talk to you."
"I didn't cheat. You know I wouldn't" Len replied, desperately trying to figure out what was going on.
"I know you wouldn't." Bas comforted her. "Len, you didn't accidentally use one of those that spells that I taught you, that you're not supposed to know, did you?"
"I don't think so." Len's voice was now in a near whisper. "Am I in trouble?"
"I honestly don't know." Bas admitted. "But we've got to go. They're waiting."
"Who are they?" Maia asked. Len had started to shake. She thought about all her practical and realized that there had always been at least one extra person watching her. She hadn't given it much thought at the time, but now it seemed important.
"Some people from the Ministry." Bas said off-handedly. He took Len's hand. "We need to go. Please try to calm down; it wouldn't do for us to get splinched." Len nodded and tried her best to relax.
"Len," Maia called, jumping up to give her a hug. "I'm sure it's nothing bad."
"I wish I could be so sure." Len replied. "Ummm . . . bye guys."
"Bye!" They chimed. Bas took her outside and Apearated home. Bas hugged her, and reassured her as they approached.
Len walked in to the parlour where her parents sat across from Moody, the auror witch (who'd done Len's DADA exam), a medi-wizard (Len guessed by the look of him), a ministry witch (she was in pale greys, looking rather shy and out of place, Len briefly wondered if it was because of the Muggle house or because of the powerful wizards around her), and lastly Len noticed Prof. Dumbledore standing by the mantle looking at the pictures there.
"Len about time. Thank you Sebastian." Their father said.
"I'll take the little ones one for ice cream, so you won't be disturbed." Sebastian replied. "Would you like anything while I'm out?"
"No thank you dear." Cindy Nightshade replied. "Thanks very much for both getting Len and taking care of the little ones." Bas smiled at her. He gave Len a quick squeeze on the shoulder before heading out of the room. "Len dear, don't stand in the door way. Come, sit down."
Len walked over to sit by her mother. "Am I in some kind of trouble?"
"Why would you think that dear?" The witch in grey asked quietly. She didn't look up; she kept her eyes down at the parchment in front of her.
"Just well, this isn't at all usual is it." Len stated. "I mean, I only finished my last OWL, two hours ago."
"Who said this had anything to do with your OWLs?" She asked again in a disturbingly monotone voice. Still looking down.
"Well, I can't think of any other reason that the ministry would be interested in me." Len stated logically. "As Prof. Dumbledore is here, I presume that it has something to do with my education." Len noted the slightest nod from Dumbledore and continued along her line of thought. "As is Ms. Abernathy, who conducted my first practical OWL."
The grey witch said nothing just made notes. Len watched curiously. The medi-wizard spoke next. "Very astute observation, Miss Nightshade." He sounded impressed. "Yes, this is in regards to your performance on your OWLs."
Len watched him. He was obviously not just a Medi-wizard, the way he regarded her, Len was sure that he specialized in psychiatrics. Len believed that he was trying to figure her out. She waited, for him to come to a conclusion.
The silence grew. Ms. Abernathy, the auror, spoke next. "We would like you, if your parents agree of course, to conduct some further test with you."
"And what does that mean?" Len asked. She wondered if her parents had already been told what was going on.
"It means that your performance was, quiet unusual." She replied guardedly.
"That doesn't answer the question." Len replied evenly.
"These tests would not be that difficult. More to judge if our original findings are accurate." continued the medi- wizard, his voice was excited. "They would be spread out over the next few weeks."
"Excuse me. You keep saying what you'd like me to do, but you haven't said why yet." Len asserted herself. "I don't see any reason that I should blindly go along with you, and do these extra tests." Len took lot of their reactions.
"Now dear, I know you must be tired, you've had a busy day." The grey witch replied, still avoiding making eye contact with Len.
"Excuse me. Please stop making notes and look at me when you're addressing me." Len snapped. Her mother gasp. The witch in grey sat perfectly still as if debating looking up or not.
"Lenore Nightshade, you apologise immediately." Mrs. Nightshade ordered. "You know better than to speak to your elders and guests that way. You should treat them with the proper respect."
Len looked at her mother, the unfairness of the situation painfully clear. "Respect is something that should not just be given. She has yet to show me any, so why should I?" Len replied. Her mother gave her a harsh look. "However, my tone may have been too sharp. So for that I apologise. Not the request for you to at least feign interest in me by glancing up." Len conceded to the witch.
Len took a calming breath. She was starting to believe that this entire set up was to get her riled. "Now, could someone please tell me, why two aurors, a medi-wizard, a ministry official and Prof. Dumbledore saw fit to drop by for a visit?"
"We already told you, we'd like you to consent to more tests." The medi-wizard replied.
"Right because my OWLs were unusual." Len rolled her eyes. This was a circular argument. "This is ridiculous. You keep saying the same nothing, over and over again."
Len looked at the group. Moody appeared not to be paying any attention, Len knew differently, he likely knew were everyone was and exactly what they were doing. Abernathy, kept scanning the room, as if expecting trouble. The Medi-wizard kept his gaze travelling between Len and her parents. The witch in grey continued to make notes. Professor Dumbledore sat near the window, looking very relaxed as he regarded the situation.
Len had the strangest feeling that they were at this moment conducting some sort of test on her. The reason still unclear. "What kind of tests are these?"
"Nothing drastic." The grey witch commented in that quiet, monotone voice, still not looking at Len. Len chose to bit her tongue this time. For her outburst had gained her nothing, perhaps this was a case of less is more.
"And that would include . . ." Len prodded trying to sound just as calm.
"Nothing much." She replied, still making notes.
"If it's nothing much than you can tell me what would be required." Len countered.
"You'd be asked to demonstrate particular skills." She commented, very blasé.
"Which skills?" Len's voice was equally unconcerned. "Which of my OWLs was it that you found . . . unusual?"
"With the exception of your potions work . . . all of them." Dumbledore replied, with his characteristic twinkle.
"P – pardon!" Mr. Nightshade sounded genuinely shocked.
"Lenore received top marks in all her OWLs, excluding potions." Dumbledore smiled.
Len was hugged by her parents. Her father beamed at her. "That's my girl."
Len counted in her head: three . . . two . . . one!
"What about potions?" He asked, Len mouthed the words. She hid her chuckle.
"Oh, she passed." The witch in grey replied. "Most peculiar though. Her written was near perfect, but the practical." Len heard the note of disproval. She rolled her eyes. What did they expect her to be perfect?
"At least it didn't blow up." Len said under her breath. Len's parents gasp at her comment. Len thought that both Dumbledore and Moody almost laughed. This comment finally caused the witch in grey to look up. Len caught her eyes . . . they were, odd.
The grey witch's eyes seemed to be bottomless and yet full. They reflected what she saw, as she saw it. Len saw herself, sort of. A young woman, posed and confident. Bright and cautious, but brave and strong. And . . . powerful!
The woman looked down quickly. But Len was sure what she'd seen. The witch in grey thought her to be powerful, very powerful. Len managed to catch a glance at the paper. The woman was not actually making notes, so much as pictures. For all her understated and timid poise, the grey witch, had not actually shied away from anything.
"No one can be expected to be great at everything." Dumbledore replied serenely. Len believed it to be a distraction. Her eyes met his. He smiled knowingly. "Perhaps Len and I could get some drinks. While you elaborate on Len's OWLs."
Len scowled only a moment, before leading Dumbledore for the room. "Shouldn't I get to hear about my OWLs?"
"Lenore, calm down." He replied. "Your OWLs were excellent. In fact, the reason that you have attracted so much attention, is because you handled things differently than any other student."
"So?" Len asked not really following, what was so special about that.
"Len, I don't mean any student this year. I mean any student on record." He paused to let that sink in. "Len have you ever heard of WHISPER team?"
"Isn't that like the wizards secret service?" Len replied, she found that she was in a state of shock resulting from these revelations.
"Sort of." Dumbledore smiled at her. "It stands for; Wizarding High-guild Intelligence Special Projects and Emergency Response team." He sat at the counter waiting for her to join him before continuing. "They are responsible for strategy and rescue operations. WHISPER rarely recruits."
"So, you're saying that I should at least try these tests of theirs." Len commented. "Even though they aren't telling me anything?"
"It's not it their nature to do so." He replied calmly, taking a sip of the pop. He looked at it strangely for a moment.
"Ohhh! Sorry, ummm I just thought that you might like it, as you like sweets. I'll get you something else, sir." Len flushed. She had forgotten that as a wizard, Professor Dumbledore had likely never had pop before.
"No, it is quite good." He said taking another sip. "The bubbles tickle my nose." Len giggled. "Len, they are interested because you are the way you are. Don't forget that." Len nodded. "Shall we go back?"
"Do I have too?" Len asked. "I really want to punch the witch in the grey."
He laughed, directing her back toward the parlour. "Try not to. It is unlikely that you would make it that far before Stunned . . . or worse."
"Really, Mr. Moody would do that to me?" Len asked innocently.
"If not him, Abernathy would. As for Marsh, the witch in grey, she is here for a reason." Dumbledore replied.
"She's . . . a member of WHISPER?" Len asked. Dumbledore never replied he merely opened the door to the room.
"Well what say you? Will you consent?" the Medi-Wizard asked her parents.
"This is really Len's decision." Mr Nightshade said. "We will stand by her decision."
"How long and when would these tests be held?" Len asked, she felt much calmer than before she had left with Dumbledore. She supposed that had been his intent.
"There will be three or four tests over the next few weeks." Marsh, the witch in grey, replied. She still was scribbling madly on the parchment.
"Could possible be any more vague?" Len replied sarcastically.
"They will be done before school resumes." The witch added. Len felt like laughing, well she'd asked. She shook her head, in an attempt to contain the laughter.
Then she realized exactly how long that was. "Hey, that's nearly 6 weeks." Len replied.
"Yes, it is." Her voice almost sounded amused.
Ha, at least I finally managed to get her to break that monotone of hers. Len thought, proud of her small victory. You aren't the only ones that can break a person's shell.
"You will be required to stay home so that we can locate you." The Medi-wizard replied.
"What!" Len jumped to her feet. More tests was one thing, six weeks cooped up inside was quiet another. "You're kidding right?" That meant no Maia, no Marauders, and no Sirius!
"No, dear we're not." Marsh said again, her voice had returned to its monotone state.
"So just to make sure I'm clear. You want me to spend the next six weeks, sitting and waiting for you, so I can go and write/do MORE tests, of un-specified content, for unknown reasons." Len commented looking at them. She shrugged and smiled. "Where do I sign up?"
WHISPER Trials
Len spent the rest of the weekend contemplating what these test could include and why she'd been singled out. Surely Maia had done exceedingly well. Len included everything that she was allowed to in her conversations and letters with/to her friends.
The truth was that it was not that different than before. The difference being that she was restricted to the house. The imposed limit to her freedom, weighed more on her mentally than any physical limitations.
Bas had gone back to work, which left Len babysitting her three little siblings. This she grudgingly admitted at least gave her something to do, instead of just waiting for them to get around to her. Besides she would have been doing it anyway.
Although when it reached 86 degrees F (30 C), she very much wanted to visit Maia and go for a swim. Her siblings begged her to take them, but she wasn't allowed. When the temperature rose over 90 deg F (about 32 C) Len started to plead with her mother to allow them to go to Maia's house. Maia was always happy to take them. Knowing that this was a privilege, they behaved extremely well.
It was a week after the meeting with the Ministry personnel and no sign of them. Len thought that they had forgotten her. That night she feel asleep while composing a letter to Sirius, she'd been at a lose of how to make anything sound interesting.
Len was awoken by none other than Moody. Len blinked in surprise. "Wha?" she asked confused. Sitting up in bed.
"Get up girlie. It's time for your first test." He said.
Len looked at the clock. "It's 3:30 in the morning?" She yawned. Still reluctant to leave her bed. "What kind of test occurs at 3:30 in the morning?"
"The kind you're taking." He grunted. "Up and out." He pulled the covers from her. "Dress for rain." Len made a disgruntled sound, and scowled.
"Just for the record. I'm like a dragon with a hangnail, if I don't get my caffeine." Len protested as she rose from bed. "5 minutes."
"You've got two." Moody replied. Len just scowled deeper. He'd likely drag her out of there dressed or not. So she didn't bother arguing. It took her just over a minute to change, and was in the process of tying her hair in a ponytail as she came out to meet him.
"So what's the deal?" Len yawned; she was still not panicked just annoyed.
"Come on. You'll see." He said taking her by the arm. By way of a port-key, they were transported to a wooded clearing. Len looked around; the mist was so thick that one could barely see ten feet. She shivered, after the sweltering heat of suburban London, this cool dank moor felt down right cold. "Got her."
Len looked to see, a gnarled and scared wizard, and a short blunt looking witch, she presumed to be Aurors. A dignified man in formal robes approached her. "Any trouble?"
"No." Moody replied. The others nodded. Len hid her confusion.
"Alright, your first test is to find and rescue the wounded person in the moor." The dignified man replied. "You of course may use your wand. The enchantments for underage wizardry have been lifted for this test. There are also several obstacles to be avoided in the woods. Good Luck!"
"Wait!" Len's waking brain did not like the sound of that. "Is that it? I mean, no kind of I must this or that, just go get the injured person? What are the limitations?"
"Limitations?" He asked. "You must get both you and the injured party out, in one piece."
"I can use anything I like?" Len asked, still uncertain. He nodded.
"You may. However, if the injured man is found before you get to him, you fail." He smiled. "And you both must return to me, to be completed."
Len rolled her eyes and headed off into the woods. Why was she doing this? Moody knew she could do this, I mean she'd been there when Bas was rescued. Len heard rustling close by. Not being able to see, she crouched and hid. After a few moments she climbed a tree, to get her bearings. Looking down the mist was little better. Casting a fairy-light spell, which would outline any living entity that came within 20 feet (about 6 m) allowing her to see them but no one else would see her spell's light.
She knew a locator spell, but that needed to be cast on an object to work. She raided her pockets; two gum wrapper, a knut and a sicle. Hoping that would be sufficient then cast a set of locator spells on the bounty. It would work on those in the immediate area. Setting her self to be represented by the sicle that would center in a circle representing of 120 feet (30 m). She then released the knut, charmed to be the injured party. It did not immediately rise to take a position telling her that he must be out of the range. And the gum rappers were set to be the two closest 'obstacles'. Only one took place up beside the sicle.
In fact it was nearly on top of the little silver coin. Len looked down from the tree she was standing in. She saw a man walking right under her. Len moved just enough so that her shadow would be mistaken for the tree. Len thought while waiting for him to move away, that she really had no idea how big an area she was working with. How every was she to find an injured person?
She collected her things and climbed down from her tree. Taking an Elm leaf from the tree as she climbed down, she charmed it to point in the direction of the wounded man, using a variation of the north point spell. Surely others would have already done this, so it was a race, whoever was closest would win. However she heard no signs that anyone was running, at least not that she could hear.
She put the elm leaf in the other pocket and head the way it pointed. Check with her plotting points often as she went. She heard and saw at lest 15 people, likely aurors in the mist with her. 'Bloody nice obstacles.' She thought.
Moving was slow, with the moor's visibility and the terrain and the people. Len could see the sun trying to shin through the mist. Although the mist was reluctant to give away the moor, it hung low around her still. Len hurried as much as she could.
She found the 'injured' party. It was a man, he was at least a foot taller that she was, and at least a hundred pounds heavier. 'Great! Now what?' she asked herself. "I take it you're the injured party?" She asked quietly. She saw the outline of someone approaching, it came very close. She motioned for him to be quiet. Then after the outline had faded back into the mist. She returned her attention to him.
"That would be me." He replied quietly. "My leg is 'broken', so I won't be able to walk for you." Len looked at the leg, it wasn't really damaged (she had suspected that they would only go so far for realism), but enchanted to impede movement.
Len modified the charm on the elm leaf to point back to the man in formal robes. Len looked to the sky. "I can't carry you like that. And I won't be able to make it back before the mist is gone to give me cover, if I even try to walk back. So . . ." Len raised her wand and pointed at him. "This won't hurt, really."
"Contractio!" Len said he shrunk to one fifth his size. "You alright?" He nodded yes. She then cast a light-as-a-feather on him. "After I change, grab on to my back and hang on." Len pointed her wand at herself; she transfigured herself into a Raven. The guy climbed onto her back. Len took off toward the distinguished man.
Sebastian was part of the group of Aurors called to train that morning. They were told it was a test of a new find of talent, and that they were to try and stop the girl, without really hurting her.
Bas had found the magic essence trail a few times. It only took once however, to know that it was Len's signature. He hoped he wouldn't have to try to stop her. After all, he could never hurt his baby sister. He recalled Len ranting on the phone the night after her OWLs, this must have been what it was about.
He'd lost the signature trail. So was scanning the area. He knew her too well unfortunately. Len would always avoid confrontation if possible. That meant that once she found Henderson, she'd take to the air. Looking up at the sky, he saw a dark shape skirting along the tree line, trying to obscure it from view.
"Sorry Squirt." Bas replied. "Tag you're it. Stupifey!" A red light shot from the end of his wand right at the bird. Feathers exploded into the sky and it plummeted down. Bas' heart leapt with fright. 'NO! Len! What have I done!' his mind screamed as he took off running to see how badly she was hurt.
Henderson held on tight to the Raven as it fell to earth. Spiraling downward into the canopy they fell. Gripping his wand tightly, he was about to cast a cushioning spell to soften the impact, when Len opened her wings to land perfectly soft and silent. She shifted back to normal.
"You alright?" she asked hushed, glancing around in the mist.
"Fine. I thought you'd been hit." He replied. His attention was checking her for wounds.
"Good so do the others, I hope." Len smiled. "Let's go." She carried the diminutive auror with her to the end and presented him to the distinguished man. Moody and the others were still there. "Opps, sorry. Finite." He returned to normal size and weight.
"Impressive show." He sounded unmoved. Len rolled her eyes. He sent a flare up. Len guessed it was to summon the others in.
"Look you want spectacular? Then don't come waking me up a 3:30 in the flippin' morning." Len growled. "And don't go on about, no time for Tea, because there is always time for caffeine. I did what you asked, am I done yet?"
None made and outward reaction to her bluster. Len notice that the aurors were practically ignoring her. "Can I go, please?" She asked more reasonable and less whinny. "As it seems that you would very much like to talk amongst yourselves."
"Miss Nightshade, were you hurt in the fall you took?" the woman asked her.
"No, mame. I wasn't really hit. I was faking it so that they'd all focus on that area, giving us a clear run." Len replied honestly. She thought that she saw the corners of the lips pull up a fraction on the woman's face.
"Are you tired?" The scared man asked her.
"You had me woken up at 3:30 in the blooming morning. Of course I'm tired!" Len replied sarcastically. "I miss my nice soft bed. I'm jealous of my teddy bear who's still tucked in." She looked him in the eyes before finishing. "However, if you mean magically speaking, then no, I don't feel drained."
The other aurors started to approach. The man in formal robes nodded. "Good, now we can all go."
"One's still missing." Len commented before she could stop herself. Then she realized something. "But you knew that of course. That was just part of this test."
"Moody would you kindly take her home?" He asked. It didn't really sound like a request to Len, but she wasn't about to complain.
"Come on Girlie. Lets get you home." Moody gruffly replied. They port-keyed to the clearing by her house.
"Mr. Moody?" Len asked cautiously. He looked at her. "How did it go? Really?"
"Girlie, you're definitely something." He said.
"Sir?" Len continued a little more confident. "Could you be able to tell me about the time of the next one would you?"
"I can, but I won't." He replied.
"That's part of it, right. The element of surprise?" Len shook her head. "I should have known."
"Best go get you're bed back from the bear before he starts to think he owns the place." Len looked at Moody too shocked to say anything. He took that as a good time to Dispaere. Len ran up to the house, consoled that at least she'd have something interesting to tell Sirius. Len was greeted warmly by her siblings as she entered the backdoor.
"Len! Len! Len!" Suzy yelled excited. Her arms outstretched to be picked up and hugged. Len did just that. Lifting her up and hugging the year old.
Eddy had run in from the other room. He threw his arms around her waist. "Ooff. Hi Eddy." Len said. Fortunately being used to this, she wasn't knocked off her feet. Not to be left out, Becky hugged her other side. "You'd think that I was gone a month or something."
"Glad you're home dear." Len's mother kissed her cheek and took Suzy. "Did things go alright?"
"I guess." Len replied. She had started to tickle the two about her wait to get them to let her go. "This whole thing sucks."
"Len, language."
"Sorry mom." Len said, scooping Eddy up to put him back in a chair at the table. "This test thing is getting to me. The waiting is so stressful. You knew that they were taking me this morning didn't you?"
"Not exactly." She admitted. "We were told that it would be soon, and early. They didn't want us to be able to tell you anything. Besides, Mr. Moody left a note."
"I'm going to shower. I've been in a moor since 3:30 this morning." Len then grumbled into her toast as she headed upstairs. She finished her letter to Sirius, while she had some quiet. Then got cleaned up.
Nearly 2 weeks had passed and no new tests had been presented. Len was starting to go stir crazy. She begged her parents to let Maia and Lily come over to spend the night. After many . . . many assurances that there would be no Marauders present, they agreed.
The three girls took over the living room and the television. Eddy complained that it wasn't fair. Both Maia and Lily, neither who had younger siblings, took pity on the boy and let him watch his program and play. Becky joined them and listened as the older three girls discussed school and hair and girlie stuff.
Len's mother brought Susy in. Saying that she had to head into the office, it was an emergence. Mrs. Nightshade asked if they wouldn't mind keeping an eye or two on the kids. The girls agreed. Len knew she had no choice really, but at least she had some help this time.
Two hours later, the medi-wizard from the consultation arrives at the door. Len nearly groaned. "Time for test 2. Come along."
"Look, I have to take care of my siblings I can't just up and leave. Neither of my parents are home." Len replied seriously. -The nerve of them, drop everything and come now.- He did not say a word.
"You either will come, or you will no longer be considered." He stated coldly.
"What are you not understanding? The oldest of the three is 8 years old. They can't be left alone." Len stated logically. If it was between her family and these test, she would default, there was no question in her mind about that.
"Len what's up?" Maia stuck her head around the corner. "Oh! Hi Cousin John. Sorry!"
"She doesn't count right?" He replied annoyed.
"She does. But it's not her responsibility to watch them." Len countered. "It's mine."
"Cousin Maia?" He called. Maia stuck her head out again. "I need to take Miss Nightshade with me. Would you mind watching her siblings?"
"Ummm . . . Len?" Maia asked.
Len glanced at the clock. "My dad should be home in an hour. If you don't mind terribly. Would you?"
"Sure." Maia smiled. "Love to."
Len walked into the other room. "Listen, You three. I've got to go out."
Suzy lip started to tremble. Becky looked at her with doe eyes, then nodded. "You're doing one of those test things again."
"Yes." Len said. "I want you to be extremely good for Maia and Lily. You got me?"
"Yes." They chimed. "Good luck." Eddy called as she headed to the door. Len looked back at them and waved.
They appeared in St. Mungos. Len looked around curiously. She'd never had the occasion to visit here before. It looked much like a Muggle hospital, save for the type of injuries that were around. Len's attention snapped back to the man beside her when he cleared his throat.
"Follow me." Len did. She nearly fainted with fright as they entered a medicine brewing laboratory. "It's quieter in here. First you will be given a written test to ensure that you know the basics." Len nodded. "Then, if it is satisfactory, we will proceed."
"Sir, I'm really not very good with potions. Of any variety." Len started.
"You will not be making any potions." He replied. "Sit please." Len did. The written sounded very much like a potions test to her. Fortunately her theoretical knowledge of potions was sound, even if her brewing was not.
He reviewed the answers. It took him about 15 minutes, Len had taken about 30 to complete. "Alright. Now then. I will be presenting you with cases." Len's eyes bulged slightly. "You will diagnose what is wrong and how the treatment the patient requires."
"I'm not trained to do that!" Len stated in a panic.
"Would you like to back out now?" He asked calmly.
"No, but . . ." Len looked at him. She reminded herself that this was a test, that nobody would really be hurt. He looked at her expectantly. "Alright, I . . . I want to continue." He nodded, then headed to get the first.
It was a picture and case file of a former patient. "This patient was brought in hemorrhaging from the eyes." He said. "He claimed to have an allergy to sangination charms, as he had very brittle veins. He then passes out. What should be done?"
Len thought a moment. "Cause?"
"Unknown." He replied. Sharply. Len thought a moment.
"Treat for shock, cast a counted-tear charm." Len replied. "Check for pulse, if it's not a vampire playing a sick joke, i.e.… evidence of a pulse, then lie him with his head elevated and conduct discovery spells on the head for trauma, with specific attention paid to evidence of brain swell hexes and Ocular-parasites."
"Now this one." He held another picture to study. "Diagnosed as having suffered a nerve disruption hex three days ago returns, still without speech and has intermitted seizure until lapsing into a coma. Treatment?"
Len looked closely at the picture. There were burn marks on the neck that reminded her of things that she'd seen in her muggle science books. She looked at the man. "I'd consult with the original attending medi-wizard if I could, but those burns are suspiciously like those that occur after a lightning strike. I'd recommend rebooting the nervous system with a sleeping death draught."
He left for a moment and returned with a patient. The man had a blue-ish colour to his face, while he looked ghostly white. "Arrived 5 minutes ago. Unidentified, and unresponsive." He said. "No physical sigh of damage. Action?"
Len felt petrified, what if she said something wrong and this man died, because of her. Pictures were one thing, this was something else entirely. "First, sit him down so he doesn't fall. Then . . ." Len hesitated. Dementors left their victims shaken like this. But something seemed wrong. "Empty his stomach."
"Why?" the Medi-wizard asked calmly.
"He's likely swallowed a mix of water-breathing and cold resistance potions." Len said hurriedly. "When they interact they cause the ingestee to trance out and be unresponsive, not that he could talk if he wasn't. The white skin and the blacken nails are a tell tale sign of cold resistance, which would likely have been swallowed first."
The Medi-wizard just lead the man out. Without performing any spells on him. "Excuse me. What about him?" Len demanded. "Aren't you going to treat him?"
"You're not done yet." He said calmly.
"Yes I am, if it means that you won't fix him up until I am!" Len insisted.
"Well thank you for your time. Excuse me I'll be right back then." His voice never wavered. Len cringed, had she really just thrown it all away like that. She gathered her thoughts. Depressed at how she would tell her parents she'd just quit. He took her back to her house, bidding her a pleasant evening.