CHAPTER EIGHT: The Great Healer

The priests all bowed before the glowing white figure, followed shortly by most of the crowd. The being possessing Professor Lanskey half-walked, half-glided towards Harry, Lupin, and the rest. As it approached, Harry felt a feeling he'd experienced before: a feeling as though every care and worry were being swept away out of his mind and heart. The effects of the Imperius Curse. It had taken Harry a great deal of practice, but he managed now to keep his focus and not be lost in ecstasy. He seemed to be the only one, however, for Lupin, Tonks, and Ron had all fallen to their knees, their eyes glazed over in bliss. Hermione looked completely blank, and stood completely motionless, and Ginny seemed to be fighting off the intoxicating effects of the Healer's presence, though she was on one knee, her face contorted in rage and delight.

Harry sensed that the Healer turned to him and smiled gently, though he could not see it. "Do not fear, Harry Potter. She will not suffer any harm. Indeed, she will enjoy a greater enlightenment and understanding than she has ever known. Now then, please stand aside. Your friend is in need of healing, and I have come to help."

Harry didn't like it, but with a crowd of people surrounding him that could turn into an angry mob in an instant, Harry let the Healer pass. Kneeling beside Lupin, she stroked him from the top of his head to the soles of his feet (Harry thought of the Healer as a she simply because of the body being used at the moment. As to the Healer's true gender, he had no clue). At last, the Healer put her hands together on the left side of Lupin's chest, and a faint hum came from there along with a soft golden glow. "The bite wound is now healed at last, though that is only a first step, my son." Crouching to eye level with Lupin, she said, "Remus, my child, look at me," and Lupin looked up into a glowing white visage. "Starting at the next new moon, you must take three standard goblets of wolfsbane potion every six hours, exactly. One hour before the following full moon, walk into shallow fresh water and submerse yourself completely, burying yourself from the waist down into the sand. Perform the Bubblehead Charm while doing this, so that as soon as you have buried and submersed yourself, you can take one pint of Draught of Living Death. You will remain a submersed and buried, as a werewolf, from that night until the rising of the following new moon. Then, you shall be restored to full humanity, and you will be healed." Lupin nodded his thanks, apparently at a loss for words.

As the Healer rose, Harry chimed in, "Thank you for all your help. I only pray that it will work. Do you mind if I ask you a few questions?" Harry would get as much info as he could before this meeting was over.

The Healer turned to Harry, and again he felt rather than saw a gentle smile. "It will work. You must have faith, my son. You must also be devoid of treachery and deceit in your questions, Harry Potter, though I forgive you for your hostile intentions towards me and my children." The crowd started to tense up at these words. "You must not doubt me, my child, but have faith and hold fast and true!" Turning to the crowd, she called out, "My children! Though this man has doubted our cause and our beliefs, he is to be forgiven, as are all those who disagree with us! For if we bring strife in the name of unity, then we will devour ourselves with hypocrisy and evil. Forgive thy neighbor, no matter his trespasses, and you shall all be healed."

Once again turning to Harry, the Healer said gently, but firmly, "You may ask any question, Harry Potter, though you may not be satisfied with the answers you shall receive."

Harry was stunned that the Healer knew about his intentions to stop her. Then again, he thought, perhaps by possessing Lanskey, the Healer had shared her thoughts and memories as well. "All right, then. First question: when did you found Healing Hands?"

"On February 20th, 1384."

Harry blinked in surprise. "Did you say 'thirteen-eighty four?'"

The Healer smiled. "Yes, I did."

Harry nodded blankly. "What gender are you?"

The Healer shrugged. "Male. Female. Neuter. All of them. None of them."

Harry was starting to get agitated. "And how is that so, exactly?"

"When one interacts with people enough, and in so many ways, one transcends natural limitations such as gender, skin color, species, and the like."

Harry stepped back in surprise. Did he just hear that the Healer transcended species! How could that be? "Why do you want to unite the world?" he finally managed to ask.

"For the benefit of All," came the simple reply. "Which is the reason for all I do, Harry Potter. But the time for questions is now over." Turning to Lupin and Tonks, she knelt and took their hands in hers. "Remus, Nymphadora, know that you have my blessing and good will for a most joyous union."

Standing up straight, the Healer began to hover in the air slightly. "My love to thee, my children, and through you, my love to All," she intoned as the white glow around her began to fade, and slowly, the Great Healer disappeared, and Rowanda Lanskey reappeared, coming back to the ground gently, still upright.

Harry rushed over to her just in time to catch her from fainting from exhaustion. Reaching into her robes, he found seven moderate-sized flasks of the green antidote he had seen yesterday. Propping her head up, Harry poured the contents of one into Lanskey's mouth. He did the same to Lupin, Tonks, and Ron, then offered another flask to Hermione, who seemed to snap out of her trance at last, though still at a loss for words. "Drink!" Harry said emphatically. Hermione hesitated. "It's a gift! From the Great Healer!" Hermione all but snatched the flask from Harry and chugged it down like she had but moments left to live. Offering a sixth flask to Ginny, she grabbed it, though not from eagerness, Harry thought, and slowly drank it down. Harry, meanwhile, took a small drink from his own flask, then went over and poured the rest down Professor Lanskey's throat. She'd been possessed, he thought, so she'd need it the most.

Ignoring the crowd, Harry checked to make sure his friends and family were safe. They seemed to be coming to all right. Then suddenly, "Ron!" came Hermione's shriek. "What do you think you're doing! Where did you get that!" she said, pointing.

"What are you talking about, Hermione?" said Ron, obviously baffled.

"I think she's talking about this!" Ginny snarled, grabbing Ron's right arm, which now sported a pure, unstriped white armband.