CHAPTER SIX: Regrouping

Harry and Ginny sat down on a bench on the wall in Dumbledore's office (no, McGonagall's office, Harry corrected himself), and watched the others come in. Hagrid was the first to join them, and he sat down right beside Harry. "How've yeh been, Harry? I haven't seen yeh fer some time now."

Harry smiled; glad to see his first friend in the wizarding world. "We're doing okay," he said as he wrapped his arm around Ginny, who took his hand happily. "We've been thinking about having a child, but we're not so sure that's a good idea with ... things as they are."

Ginny punched Harry on the arm. "What is this 'thinking' about a kid! We've been trying like mad since… No, never mind. I don't think now is the time to reveal our first time together." She had just enough decency to blush.

Harry and Hagrid both chuckled. "So, how are you holding up, Hagrid? You don't seem that fazed by the illusion back down there."

"'Course I don't! I may be a bit of a softy when it comes down to it, but the minute that thing started to take a hold, I started sippin' the first vial of that antidote Professor Lanskey cooked up. Soon as that dolt left, I swigged down the second vial."

Harry stared at Hagrid. He'd always admired his half-giant friend, but even Harry had to admit that Hagrid could be a bit dim on occasion. The calm way he'd handled this situation made Harry extremely proud. "That's great, Hagrid! Knew you were tough enough to handle that!"

Hagrid looked sheepish. "No. No, not really. First time I caught wind of one of them sermons, it had me feelin' … It was the happiest I'd ever felt. Part of me was happy for meself, but part of me had this great big urge to come back here and spread the word." He took on a scowl. "Hmmph! I was a great fool, nothing more. Fortunately, Professor Lanskey took on the Potions job just then, and she fixed me up all right. But I'll tell yeh, it took a while. For a few days, I felt so alone and afraid, almost like back at Azkaban." Harry's eyes widened. Hagrid almost never talked about his brief stint at the wizard prison. "I got over it eventually, though. Got it drilled into me ter take the antidote gradually, like I just did. Not the firs' time I've had to, yeh know."

Ginny reached over and grabbed one of Hagrid's dustbin lid-sized hands in hers. "Hagrid, don't feel ashamed! I didn't break down and everything, but I could definitely feel it, and there was nothing I could do about it! You at least managed to reach for your antidote! This … this healer," she spat the word, "is sick, twisted, and evil! Whoever it is is also smart and skilled, which makes him even more dangerous."

Harry looked pensive for a moment, and then said, "Whoever it is is also extremely secretive. Remember the image, and the voice. What could you tell about this person?" Hagrid shrugged, and Ginny looked strained as she thought. "You couldn't tell anything!" exclaimed Harry, "And that's the whole point! We can barely tell height, we can't tell age, and the voice is such that we can't determine gender, either. The Great Healer does exist, I'm almost certain, and he or she definitely does not want to be recognized."

Someone cleared their throat. Harry, Ginny, and Hagrid all looked up to see that the others from downstairs had joined them, as had the ones who had stayed up here in the office, and all were listening attentively to the three of them. McGonagall said, "Well put. Have you taken your potion, all of you?" she said to the others who had stayed in her office.

"Yes, we have," said Lupin. "I suppose it would be a futile gesture to come out in the open and say there is no cure for werewolf bites?" he said with a grim half-smile.

Tonks sighed loudly. "Assuming this Great Healer did have a cure for you, then would you marry me?" she said half-teasingly, half annoyed. Lupin was about to raise a protest when Tonks shot him a fiery glare, and said in a calm, deadly tone, "You've let me pay court to you for ten years now, Remus. Ten years! After all that time, do you feel nothing!"

"Tonks! You know I love you! We live together, for heaven's sake! But marriage…" He couldn't seem to find the words to describe how he felt.

Bill and Charlie started to laugh. "Afraid of commitment, our dear Remus is," said Bill. "Listen, mate, you may be a werewolf. So what! You're no less human for it; you still live your life." Charlie stepped in, "He's right you know. You're only going to make yourselves both miserable if you don't step up and say your vows already."

Ginny walked over to where Lupin sat and put a reassuring hand on his shoulder. "We all want what's best for you. But unless the Great Healer, hallowed be thy name, actually does have a cure for lycanthropy, then you're either stuck as is, or you can marry and spare Tonks' insufferable nattering." She flashed a grin and a wink at Tonks.

"That's it!" Everyone turned to face Ron. "You have an idea, son?" came Moody's growl.

"Yeah," said Ron, a little breathless. "I know it sounds kinda cruel, but it's like chess: you've gotta take risks and make sacrifices, if you need to. Professor Lupin…" None of Lupin's former pupils had ever stopped calling him 'Professor,' much to his annoyance. "If you were to try and find the Great Healer, you know, as a couple struggling against a tragic illness, seeking a cure, and you had some friends with you for support," Ron said as he looked from face to face around the office.

Lupin's face brightened. "Then we might have an opening!" Then he added, "Assuming, that is, that any of us can see the Great Healer and not revert to mindless pawns, of course."

"Those spells, the ones that entrance people," said Moody, "that's some of the most advanced magic I've read about, and by that I mean read about and never seen in reality!" The impact of these words was not lost on anyone: Moody had seen it all, or so they had all thought. "To bend someone's will to your own, without using a potion or the Imperius Curse, takes a tremendous amount of willpower. If any fewer than five wizards, with any less than the utmost experience, the effort would be exhausting to the point of debilitation. Fortunately, I'm not blind yet," he pointed to his magical eye. "That illusion that had you all, and I'm sad to say most of us, too, drooling and crying like babes, it wasn't that Malfoy scum alone. Magic can be detected, if you know what to look for. The illusion was created by Malfoy. The entrancement spell, on the other hand…" Moody shuddered, the first outward sign of weakness that Harry had ever seen in the old auror. "I couldn't tell exactly, seeing as how I was being affected as well. But there were at least one hundred people working on that spell." He sighed. "Then again, it could've easily been one thousand people. It was well done, and that's no compliment. I may be old and feeble, but damn me if I'm going to die before this 'Healer' does!"

A silence followed this proclamation, but it was one of affirmation rather than of shock. "The question is," said Lanskey, "How do we manage to contact this Great Healer in person? How do we know we won't just talk to some lackey or another."

"That's simple, actually," said Harry. "St. Mungo's is reputedly the best wizarding hospital in Europe, and they haven't found a cure for lycanthropy except the wolfsbane potion, which only keeps a werewolf sane during a transformation. Since that's a given, we just have to walk down, say, Diagon Alley, and talk loudly about our friend in need, and the word will spread until it reaches the right ears. If no word comes in a given amount of time, we'll denounce the Great Healer as ignoring those in need, or else as not being able to cure him. Either way, the Healer can't risk that happening."

McGonagall nodded. "It's settled then. Remus, Tonks, if you're willing, we can do this tomorrow. The more time we waste, the more time we give this cult to grow."

Lupin and Tonks exchanged significant looks, then nodded simultaneously. "We'll do it," said Lupin. "As for who will accompany us, we don't want too many people to come. It'll be dangerous, to be sure."

McGonagall nodded. I agree. I may sound harsh now, but like you said, Ronald, sacrifices must be made. The youngest of you should go, so that those of us with more experience can stay behind and… Well, let's not think about what will happen should something go wrong. The two Potters and you, Ronald, and Hermione should go, I think. And Rowanda as well, I think. She has healer training… No pun intended," she said sternly. "She will be best able to help you through your symptoms should you react dangerously to anyone present. Rowanda, keep a distance from them. Act as just another face in the crowd, understood?" A curt nod of the head indicated a 'yes.'

"It is decided then," said McGonagall. "Tomorrow, we act."