Harry Potter and the Munchkin of Doom

Summary: It's Harry Potter's 6th year at Hogwarts when a powerful magical bug is released on the wizarding and muggle worlds. In an attempt to discover a cure for the disease Harry and his friends see the full effects of what the bug can do. And it ain't pretty.

Disclaimer: Hums a happy tune I don't own Harry Potter and co.! I do own something but I can't remember what………………

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Chapter 1: The Munchkin of Doom

Written by: Leah (with a 'lil help from Chloe)

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( ( ( Auror Office, Ministry of Magic Building ) ) )

Kingsley Shacklebolt hummed an odd happy tune as he set a bunch of unneeded papers on fire with his wand. He leant back in his chair and started throwing paper balls into the wastepaper bin whilst waiting for the hot water to boil for his coffee.

'Cause this is how all senior Auror's act. Really.

All the Auror offices were getting swapped around so everybody in all the offices were having a massive clearout. Kingsley was thoroughly enjoying burning anything of no importance, it made work easier.

That is if he didn't have 4 filing cabinets that he still needed to look at. The only thing in the world that Kingsley hates more than cold coffee is paperwork.

"I hate paperwork," Kingsley muttered to himself as he waved his wand to banish the balls of paper that had missed the bin. Light chuckling came from the office door, Kingsley turned around to see a young woman standing at the door. "Hello Nymphadora," He said. The woman glared at him.

"You say my name again and I'll personally make sure you'll never have kids," Nymphadora Tonks growled in return. Kingsley raised an eyebrow and sat up straighter in his chair.

"So Tonkie, what are you doing here?" He asked. "I was joking Tonks," He added hastily as Tonks drew her wand. She glared at him again before replacing it up her sleeve (where Kingsley guessed her wand holster was). She walked into the office, 4 large boxes floating in behind her.

"This is my office now," She replied cheerfully, setting the boxes onto the ground. Kingsley rolled his eyes.

"I haven't finished clearing up, I still 2 cupboards and 4 filing cabinets to clear out," Kingsley stood up and stretched his arms up to the ceiling. "We could be here a while," He stated. Tonks looked at him wearily. Kingsley strolled over to one of the cupboards, conjured a large bin with a wave of his wand and then emptied the entire contents of the cupboard into it. Tonks chuckled tiredly.

"Well that certainly makes things easier," She mused. "But don't you need anything from there?" She asked. Kingsley merely shrugged. Tonks moved over to one of the filing cabinets, opened the top drawer and then sigh loudly.

"I've just noticed you've changed your hair," Kingsley said. Tonks turned to face him, her hand going through her shoulder-length black hair with pink streaks. She smiled impishly.

"I couldn't get it to go all pink today so I left it like this," She replied, turning back to the filing cabinet. "You've only just noticed?" She asked teasingly.

"Yeah," Kingsley replied. "At least I noticed!"

Tonks made a humming noise in reply as she pulled things out of the filing cabinet and into the conjured bin below. As Kingsley turned around to walk towards his desk he saw Tonks blink rapidly whilst one hand was pressed against her forehead. He raised an eyebrow.

"You okay?" He asked, Tonks nodded impatiently. Kingsley made himself a quick cup of coffee (the water had finally boiled) and walked back over to the cabinet, taking a deep sip of the coffee.

Kingsley was looking at his Auror Certificate (highest grade in his graduating class) when he heard Tonks stumbling the background, she groaned and then the sound off papers spilling everywhere was heard. Kingsley laughed outright as he threw a stack of parchments into the bin.

"You are such a klutz Tonks!" He cried jovially, placing a certificate into one of the boxes he'd conjured. He picked up an empty can of coke someone had left there and threw it into the bin. "I have never known someone to be as accident prone as you! Well, my mother was kind of like you, not near as pretty though," He said, smiling brightly as he waited for Tonks' smart-arse reply.

There came none.

Kingsley's brow creased, the silence of his office slightly foreboding. He turned around slowly, expecting to see Tonks standing there, some silent prank about to be pulled.

The young Auror was lying on the floor. Not moving.

"TONKS!" He yelled, hastily placing the object he was holding onto its shelf (ignoring that it fell off with a thud). He dropped to his knees besides Tonks and turned her over from her side onto her back.

Kingsley's worry increased as he noticed the paleness of her skin ('she wasn't that pale a moment a go'), he put two fingers under her neck and let out a breath of relief when he detected a pulse, but the pulse itself was out of time. Irregular.

He put the back of his hand to her forehead and was surprised at how warm she was. He shook her shoulder fiercely, but gently.

"Tonks," He said gently. "Wake up," He continued. Tonks didn't make a sound, nor did she move. "Nymphadora Tonks!" Kingsley said louder, hoping to annoy Tonks out of whatever stupor she was in. Kingsley's heart sank when she made no movement as the sound of her ridiculously long first name.

Kingsley gently put his arms underneath Tonks' back and legs, lifting her up into his arms. He adjusted her weight and then made his way out of his office.

"Don't worry, I'll go get help," He muttered into her hair. She still made no indication that she'd heard him.

He rushed towards the floo system and then asked one of the people there to throw the floo powder into the fireplace. He stepped inside the warmth of the emerald flames and then clearly yelled:

"ST. MUNGO'S!"

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St. Mungo's Hospital for Magical Maladies and Injuries had the typical hospital look about it. Bright white walls and squeaky-clean linoleum floors with the lingering smell of antiseptic everywhere. The only thing different about this hospital was the patients. Usually the typical patient admitted to a hospital has broken bones, or a concussion or excessive bleeding, but St. Mungo's typical patients could range from multi-coloured skin to people being unable to stop floating.

Healer Savannah Spring walked along the corridors on one of the upper floors of St. Mungo's. She passed one of the closed wards (an exclamation of "Gilderoy you aren't going to transfigure that flower by speaking those silly muggle words…" came from within) and walked up the stairs at the end of the corridor. The young healer turned left as she reached the top of the stairs and walked down the only corridor until she reached a set of double doors. She nodded to the Healer at the door, showing her ID card. The other Healer nodded and opened the door and the two of them walked up another corridor.

"Have you been briefed?" The other Healer asked. Her nametag identified her as Healer Margaret Pennybrook.

"Yes. Fiona just told me," Savannah replied. Margaret nodded.

"So you're perfectly alright with observing those in quarantine? We're trying different cures at the moment and we want to know if anybody reacts to anything we give them," Healer Pennybrook stated.

"Ok, so am I working with you today, or Rebecca?" Healer Spring asked. Healer Pennybrook opened one the door in front of them and then answered jokingly.

"I should think it was me, any problems with that?" Healer Spring smiled at the reply and followed Healer Pennybrook over to a reception-like desk. Pennybrook grabbed a clipboard from the desk and scanned it.

"No, I'm fine with that, any idea where this bug is coming from? And what's it called?" Healer Spring asked. Pennybrook looked at the younger healer and sighed.

"I have never seen an illness like this in all my time of healing. There's nothing in our medical journals and we've checked with Healers all over the world and this is new to us," Healer Pennybrook replied. She left the clipboard she was looking at on the desk and headed towards a door in the far corner. "All the people who have this bug just seemed to get it out of no where, we don't have a name for it yet, but we've adopted a name from one of our younger patients"

Savannah giggled light-heartedly "By any chance would that little patient be Joshua Riley in ward 12?" Savannah quizzed. Both young medi-witches were extremely fond of little Josh as he was always happy and loved telling all medi-witches and fellow patients about his little hamster. Pennybrook nodded grimly.

"He named it 'The Munchkin of Doom' and that's what it seems to be, this disease it tiny but it causes so much pain," Pennybrook held up her ID card to the door and it opened, just as the big double doors at the front of the room opened to admit a frantic man with a woman in his arms. The two Healers headed towards them.

"We were at work and she just collapsed, I was directed here by the receptionist," The tall black man said breathlessly.

"If this is what we think it is, we better get her into Quarantine immediately, Sir, you'll need to have a few tests. Are you the only one who has been in contact with her?" Savannah asked urgently, putting her years of training into real use.

"Many people have been around her but, as far as I know, I'm the only one who has had direct contact with her so-" The black man rushed

"So, you're the only one who has touched her?" Asked Savannah.

"Yes, I am almost certain, I'm a colleague of hers,"

"Right, you're going to have tests Mr…?"

"Shacklebolt, Kingsley Shacklebolt," The man replied.

"And the woman is…?" Margaret asked.

"Nymphadora Tonks," Kingsley replied.

"Ok, we'll need to check everyone at your workplace," Margaret informed him. Kingsley nodded.

"Okay, I'll bring them in later,"

"Thank you, they have to be tested as well, as well as you. Hopefully, this will help us to know how it's getting spread" Margaret finished. She led Kingsley through the door that her and Savannah were heading down originally and then to one of the rooms with the number '14' on it. Kingsley deposited Tonks onto the bed and then followed the two Healers to one of the testing rooms.

"Well, this should get interesting…"

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