Double Strike

Hermione had to hold Ron's hand tightly in her own in order to force him to stop signing in defence of Percy and Neville. Every time Healer Kalra stopped by to assess Ron's condition and administer another strengthening solution he would begin to plead Neville's case. He had become so worked up the last time that the healer had to sedate him for the sake of his weakened heart.

Ron was still groggy now as he looked at Hermione and gave as much of a smile as he could manage at that moment.

"Stop worrying about everybody else being in trouble and take it easy okay?" Hermione said softly to him before leaning forward and kissing his lips gently and squeezing his hand even tighter then before.

Ron's eyes were closing as the door creaked open and Hermione looked up and pressed her finger to her lips to tell them to keep quiet. Ron hadn't been disturbed and was now completely asleep. She looked back up at Harry who was walking across the room as lightly as he could and shared a pained smile with him.

"How's he doing?" Harry whispered, nodding down to Ron.

"Still trying to keep Percy and Neville out of trouble," she shrugged sadly, "he's a little doped up right now though so it's easier to subdue him. He's just dropped off again."

"I thought Kalra said he didn't want to give Ron any potions or magical sedatives because of his heart," Harry frowned anxiously.

Hermione sighed, he was right about that, Ron really shouldn't be taking anything that would slow his heart rate down any more then it was but when he was fully alert he was putting his body under too much stress by getting himself worked up with all the signing he was doing to defend the others.

She didn't really know what she thought of Neville and Percy right now. At the moment his parents, Bill to a certain extent and miraculously the twins, were supporting Percy too, but Charlie and Ginny were still furious with him. It was only the twins' involvement that kept Charlie from beating Percy to a pulp whenever he saw him. Neville was about to attend a hearing; with a hastily scribbled testimony that Ron insisted he be allowed to write on his behalf, to assess his future as a healer. Hermione hadn't been able to help herself when she first saw her fellow trainee after this whole mess, she slapped him across the face good and hard but there was something in the way Neville just took the hit with resignation and almost pleading with her to give him worse that made her melt and hug him right after.

Harry and Neville had fought, she knew that, but they were now supporting each other as if stronger then they ever were before. Harry had confided in Hermione the previous evening that he had finally let go of the last of his guilt for what he did to Ron. He realised that if he could forgive Neville and Percy then he could forgive himself too. If he went on hating himself he would have to hate them too and he just couldn't hate Neville, it was impossible.

Kalra still felt let down by his star student but didn't want to lose him from the program at the same time. Everybody who was supporting Percy felt they should support Neville to an equal degree but Ginny was much more understanding of him then she was with Percy. She probably knew something of what went on between him and Harry. Charlie was of course the one baying for blood. He demanded Neville be kept away from Ron's room and had threatened him quite frighteningly when they met in the corridor the previous morning. Charlie seemed to be channelling his fear and worry into violent rage and he was up and down Nocturn Alley every day beating dark wizards for information of what they knew and if there was still an order to bring Ron in.

"Have you eaten?" Harry whispered across Ron's bed to Hermione.

"Don't start," she whispered back as she rolled her eyes and nodded towards Ron, "he's already been on at me."

Harry smiled and looked back at Ron's sleeping face.

"If you really want him to relax you've got to start looking after yourself Hermione. You can't boss him around while looking fit to drop, he won't let you get away with it."

"I know," she smiled as she let go of Ron's hand and moved her own up to the side of his face, "it's just hard to chew and worry at the same time."

Harry chuckled and motioned over his shoulder with his thumb.

"Go on, get out, I'll sit with him."

Hermione reluctantly got up from her chair and winced as it scraped noisily on the floor. Ron fidgeted on his bed and rolled over onto his side before lying still once again. Hermione watched him anxiously for a few seconds before leaning over and planting a kiss on his cheek. She stood up straight again and looked at Harry with her 'healer' face on.

"You mustn't let him roll onto his front Harry, wake him up if you have to," she ordered.

"Hermione I know," Harry scolded as he reached out to try and pull her towards the door but she had moved out of his reach, "just go will you?"

He smiled at her but she was still fretting about leaving him without immediate medical care on call.

"And if he seems to be having any discomfort or in any kind of pain," she was saying while walking backwards to the door, "you've got to lie him flat on his back and elevate..."

"I know all of this Hermione, you've told me many times already, don't worry. I'll get him to roll back over in a minute okay?"

Hermione bit her lip and nodded. She took one last look at Ron's back as the door creaked open and she stepped through it without another word.

The tribunal were waiting for Neville with very stern expressions on their faces. Healer Kalra was amongst them as the all sat along one side of a long mahogany table with a single chair on the other side. The Chief medi witch gestured to the vacant chair before shuffling the notes she had before her. Beside her and at the centre of the table was the Senior Healer of St Mungo's, Healer Ambrose, an elderly looking man who had been healing for almost sixty five years at St Mungo's and was now the highest ranking healer in the history of the hospital.

Healer Ambrose was very tall despite his years, he had a bulbous nose and very thin white hair, but a kindly face even when he was disgruntled, as he seemed to be now. Neville had heard the man laughing with a patient on his very first day at the hospital and thought it was a visiting Father Christmas impersonator on the children's ward. The man had the greatest booming laugh Neville had ever heard and for that very reason he liked the man. He hoped that he wouldn't get to see the man's bad side.

"So you are here to put forward your case before we come to your decision about your future here," Ambrose said as Neville sat down.

"Um yes sir," Neville said nervously.

"You took a patient who was suffering from undeterminable brain trauma and under high risk of attack from Death Eaters from his secure ward and to a non-magical area in the North west of England," Ambrose read from his own notes while the chief medi witch looked over her pages at Neville for his response.

Neville glanced at Healer Kalra who gave him a nod.

"Yes sir I did," Neville replied shakily.

"You then proceeded to break into a non-magical clinic and persuade one of it's patients, a magic sapper you knew to be a danger to your own patient Mr Weasley, to perform an extraction process in order to relieve your patient of the cause of his brain trauma."

"Y-Yes," Neville stammered as he lowered his head.

This all sounded so much worse when he said it. Neville hadn't thought it would have been possible to make his actions appear any more reckless but Healer Ambrose was doing it very well.

"You then administered non-magical treatment to Mr Weasley as soon as this procedure was stopped and continued with it until the patient was safely inside one of our treatment rooms here is that correct?" Ambrose said as he finally looked up from the notes.

"That's right sir," Neville said, his voice barely even audible.

Healer Ambrose turned to Healer Kalra now.

"I have here your statement of events of course but, just to simplify things for the tribunal Nadeem, could you tell us what your opinion of Trainee Healer Longbottom's treatment of the patient during transportation and especially during the time when magic was not permitted?"

"Yes sir," Healer Kalra nodded, "well as I say in my statement I believe that Mr Longbottom's immediate actions as soon as the patient collapsed after the unorthodox procedure was performed most definitely saved his life."

Neville blinked and gaped at his mentor, who was resolutely refusing to meet his eyes and maintained his focus upon Healer Ambrose.

"You feel he contributed to the patient's recovery?" the chief medi witch asked as she made a note on the parchment in front of her.

"Indeed I do," Healer Kalra nodded, "I spoke to the Auror team that was in attendance and also to nurse Stour at the Cumbrian clinic and all agree that Longbottom's actions during the transportation out of the magic-free zone and during the transfer to St Mungo's kept Mr Weasley from going into cardiac arrest and keeping the internal bleeding from forming any fatal blood clots on the brain."

"As far as I can see from the post treatment results here there was no clotting on the brain at all," Healer Ambrose said as he scanned his notes.

"No sir, Longbottom kept them all from even appearing in any significant way," Healer Kalra said before finally looking at Neville, but only very briefly.

"And your assessment of Longbottom's overall treatment of Ronald Weasley?" the chief medi witch asked as she sat back in her chair and shoved the papers away from her.

"I believe that the chance taken was a foolish one and should definitely have been brought to a senior healer before any action was taken," Kalra said sternly, "however, the invading thoughts that were causing Mr Weasley's condition to deteriorate were almost totally eradicated from him, stabilising his original condition, and while unforeseeable complications arose I believe we can handle the treatment required with much more ease then we were handling the problem the patient was presented to us with."

Neville felt his head buzzing. Was he being disciplined or commended? He gripped the arms of his chair and watched as Healer Ambrose stroked his chin and considered the notes before him for several seconds.

"What are the tribunal's thoughts as far as action then?"

A healer with a turban at the far end of the table cleared his throat and spoke up.

"Probationary reinstatement, no second chances, any little mistake results in termination," he said before sitting back and folding his arms.

The witch sitting next to him clicked her tongue several times before scowling at Neville and shaking her head.

"Blatant disregard for the rules, the law and more than anything the patient's life, I'm not happy for this boy to even be considered for reinstatement at this hospital."

Neville felt himself sweating and looked to the next person on his inquisition, a witch with long black and blue braids in her hair and skin the colour of black coffee, as she began to speak her view.

"Well the way I've heard it you admitted a patient who was getting gradually worse by the day and suffering from a condition we couldn't cure. He was a target for dark wizards who would probably have attacked this hospital to gain access to him and the patient's mental health was suffering as a result of his unwilling incarceration in our secure ward for his own protection. Longbottom took a bold chance with both a family member's consent and the consent of the patient himself. Now the patient is suffering from serious problems but they are problems we are able to treat. His original complaint has all but been eradicated and he has since supplied this tribunal with a handwritten statement commending Mr Longbottom's actions. I don't believe this trainee has even done anything warranting this whole hoopla. Let him get back to work."

Neville might have blurted out that he was in love with the healer had his heart not been lodged in his throat forbidding him to make any sound other than a strained squeak.

The next up was the chief medi witch who puffed her cheeks out and exhaled deeply before looking at Neville appraisingly and then shrugging.

"He's covered with family and patient consent, she's right there. I'm not happy about the risk that was taken but the patient has improved and this boy is clearly a talented young healer. I don't want to lose somebody like that. Probation sounds fair to me."

She looked to Healer Ambrose beside her who turned to look at the wizard to his left and raised his eyebrows for their verdict.

"Legally he's not done anything wrong. Ethically he's walked a fine line but stayed on the right side. Personally I like the kid. Probationary period of six months to a year then all records of this black mark be erased from his file."

Neville's eyes were growing wider and wider as this agonising process went on. He looked to the next person on the panel, Healer Kalra.

"This young wizard reversed an irreversible magical coma with me on the same patient recently. Not one member of this tribunal gave that boy a hope of even waking up and Longbottom worked tirelessly to convince me to keep modifying our spell until it worked. I can't lose a healer like that. The very patient he's supposed to have been reckless with would still be unconscious downstairs with no hope of recovery if it wasn't for him so I say let him return to my service. Probation or not, I don't care, I'll take him."

Neville felt himself sway on his seat. He tried to express his gratitude to Healer Kalra but his face couldn't express anything other then frozen terror. There was one last witch on the tribunal who sat back and folded her arms.

"No I'm sorry but saving a patients life doesn't mean that healer then has the right to be reckless with it. He isn't even qualified; this could've been disastrous. Probation of five years minimum in my opinion and I really recommend a lengthy suspension before he is allowed to return to commence his training at all. Give him time to reconsider if he's really cut out for this job."

Neville gulped and looked back to Healer Ambrose along with every other member of the tribunal. The Healer cleared his throat and looked at Neville with that warm smile of his.

"I understand that this patient wasn't just a patient but a very close friend of yours. I am aware that you had full consent and your treatment, while dangerously unpredictable and resulting in potentially fatal side effects, was a success. You treated a condition that was untreatable. You did it the wrong way. I do not approve of your methods and I do not approve of your justification. I have to admire your post traumatic care however."

Healer Ambrose tapped his finger repeatedly on the table thoughtfully for a few seconds before frowning and rising from his seat.

"He stays, Kalra he's yours to do with what you wish. Probation indefinitely until I say it ends or I die."

The other members of the tribunal looked stunned at how abruptly this session had ended. Healer Ambrose was already walking for the exit as he made his declaration over his shoulder. On reaching the door Ambrose turned and beamed that wonderful warm smile of his at Neville and shrugged.

"Cheer up boy, I'm old, I could die any day now!"

Ron was fidgeting in his bed and looking a little pale. Harry called for a medi witch to come and check on him and she smiled and told Harry that it was just the problem with his immune system flaring up again.

"He feels hot," she said as she put her hand to his forehead, "his body's probably tricking itself into raising his temperature."

She pulled out her wand and twirled it around Ron's head three times, a lilac mist settling around his head before sinking into his skull altogether, and then she put her wand away and winked at Harry.

"That'll tide him over until I fetch him a potion to bring his temperature back down. I should only be gone for five minutes but if anything seems to be wrong..."

"...I'll be here Madame Bahn," Hermione's voice said from the doorway.

"Oh hello dear, you're back, I'm just off to fetch some Karvolinctus. I've stopped his brain from sending out the wrong signals but he still needs something for the reaction."

"I understand," Hermione nodded with a smile as she passed the woman on her way to return to Ron's bedside.

The medi witch left the room and Harry smiled at Hermione as she sat down and felt Ron's head with a frown.

"Trying to burn yourself up again eh Ron?" she sighed before trying to roll him back over onto his back.

"Before you say it, I've laid him flat twice already, he keeps rolling over like that. I think he's just trying to get comfortable," Harry said sympathetically.

As Ron was half pushed and half rolled of his own free will back onto his back he opened his eyes and made a fist with his thumb and little fingers extended and moved it downward.

"See!" Harry smiled at Ron's confirmation that that was exactly what he wanted.

"Hello there," Hermione smiled down at Ron who grinned lazily up at her, "You've got a potion coming your way I'm afraid."

Ron grimaced before moving his hand past the other in an upwards direction and waving goodbye to Hermione.

"You're not going anywhere!" she chuckled at Ron's weary declaration that he was leaving.

Ron started to heave himself upright into a sitting position but Hermione tried to push him back down flat. Ron huffed while Harry sniggered. Hermione scowled at her difficult patient who was signing that he was bloody sick of looking at the ceiling. Ron eventually came up with a winning argument for her to let him sit up. He held both hands before his stomach, pointed with his finger from his mouth downwards to his stomach and then gestured to himself laying flat on the bed.

"He does have a point Hermione," Harry nodded, "How's he supposed to swallow the potion like that?"

Hermione sat back down with an annoyed huff and Ron shared a chuckle with Harry who helped him sit up properly.

"It's just easier on his heart if he lays down that's all," Hermione muttered moodily.

"Well I'll whip the pillow out from behind him and sit on his chest if he has so much as a twinge okay?" Harry teased.

"Harry sitting on the chest of somebody with a heart condition is..." Hermione began to gabble in a flustered state.

Ron clamped his hand over Hermione's mouth while rolling his eyes to the ceiling and shaking his head. Hermione pulled away from Ron's enforced censorship and scolded him with just her eyes. Ron gestured to Harry and then jiggled his thumb and forefinger beneath his chin.

"I know he was only joking but still..." Hermione protested before Ron pulled her closer to him and pressed his lips over hers to shut her up.

Harry snorted.

"How come when I try that with Ginny she still keeps talking?"

Ron and Hermione found this so amusing that they had to abort their kiss due to the fact they were now giggling into each other's mouths more than anything else.

As the newly reconciled couple turned to grin at Harry, Hermione perching herself on the edge of Ron's bed and Ron curling his arm around her waist, the door clicked open and Harry turned around expecting to see the medi witch returning with Ron's potion. Instead it was Neville.

The smiles faded from everyone's faces immediately as soon as they saw the look on his face. He was pale and sweaty and seemed to be in shock. Hermione made a whimpering groan of sympathy and Harry rose to his feet to guide Neville into his chair.

"Oh no Neville what happened at the tribunal?" Hermione asked sadly.

Ron shook his head and the gripped his hands into tight fists and pulled them downwards before gesturing around himself. He pointed at Neville before pointing into his opposite palm and grazing his knuckles down his upper arm. Harry nodded his agreement at Ron's statement that he was going to insist that Neville be able to stay and that he was an important healer in the hospital. Ron then waved his finger across his face in disbelief.

"Absolutely ridiculous," Hermione agreed incredulously, "what about the fact that Ron was idiot enough to consent to the procedure beforehand?"

Ron suddenly looked offended and glared at Hermione.

"You did remember to submit his statement telling them that didn't you?" she said, ignoring her boyfriend's disgruntled expression.

Neville swallowed and nodded. Then he gave a cough to clear his throat and looked at Ron with bewilderment.

"Yeah, I think that's what swung it for me, thanks mate," he just about managed to smile.

All three of their faces fell slack as they gaped at Neville and then suddenly realised what he was telling them.

"You," Harry stammered, "You can stay?"

Neville nodded and managed to smile properly at last. Harry and Hermione whooped while Ron punched the air in celebration and then hugged Hermione before releasing her so she could do a mini excitable jig and then run to Neville and hug him.

"Brilliant mate!" Harry grinned.

Ron nodded and twirled his index fingers to demand a recount of everything that had happened just as the medi witch came in with Ron's potion.

"Oh Mr Longbottom, I just heard, well done!" she beamed, "I knew that sour faced old cow would try and get you thrown out but all in all they're a fair group."

She turned from a delighted looking Neville to Ron and thrust the vile tasting potion to his lips.

"Swallow you," she demanded, causing Hermione to snort with amusement, "that's it," she smiled before turning to the others, "Now don't get him too excited, I don't want to have to come in here and give him mouth to mouth."

Ron looked appalled and Harry struggled not to burst out laughing.

"Especially not with this foul stuff on his lips," she said as she shook the empty potion bottle in front of Ron before marching from the ward with a tiny chortle.

Ron threw his arms wide and gestured o his clearly amused friends before pointing repeatedly at himself and cowering.

"Because you deserve to be picked on!" Harry said with his eyebrows raised, "It's your penance for scaring the shit out of us all."

There was an explosion at both the front and back doors of the clinic followed by a smashing sound and an alarm going off at the fire exit. Several female voices screamed while heavy footsteps sounded all around her. Jess got up from her seat in the day room and fumbled for her stick.

"Adam, Roger, keep them away from the patients!" she heard nurse Stour yelling to two of the porters.

Jess tapped her way across the room, unsure about whether or not she should hide or go and try to help out. There was another loud booming sound that shook the ground beneath her feet and one of the patients screamed and bumped into Jess as she ran past.

"They've come for me," the woman was screeching, "I knew they'd come for me!"

"Valerie no!" Stour screamed at the woman as Jess lost her footing and hit the floor hard, "keep down, they're not here for you. The war's over dear they..."

There was a sharp cracking sound and Valerie's screams stopped abruptly while nurse Stour roared out in horror.

"What is wrong with you people? They've never done anything to you! They're not hurting anybody!"

Something that sounded like broken crockery hitting something soft and thick like mud silenced Stour and then Jess heard the sapper's voice from way down the hall.

"You bastard! You worthless cowardly scum, beating up women in a fucking hospital!"

There were more distant screams, crashes and bangs while one of the other nurses was softly crying somewhere over a man she was calling Ollie who Jess guessed must've been Oliver the male nurse.

Jess crawled across the floor towards the sound of the crying and whispered ahead of her.

"What's going on? Are people hurt? Who's doing this?"

The crying nurse seemed to be shoving Jess over onto her side and shushing her.

"Hide Jess," she said through a desperate sob, "you're behind an armchair now, stay there and keep quiet okay?"

"What was that?" said a triumphant sounding voice as Jess felt her hair being grabbed and her whole body being pulled up from the floor.

"No! Leave her alone!" the crying nurse was shouting before suddenly shuddering to a halt with a whimper.

"I could finish your boyfriend off if you'd prefer," the snarling man who had hold of Jess by her hair said.

The nurse began to cry, she sounded muffled as if her face was pressing against something or someone.

"Please don't hurt him," she was begging.

There were more thundering footsteps coming from down the corridor now and Jess felt herself being dragged across the day room while her scalp almost burned with the pain of her hair being tugged so hard. She could feel several clumps of it uprooting and gave a whimper.

"I've got the seer!" the man who Jess knew could only be a Death Eater yelled as the footsteps were almost upon them now and sounded as if they skidded to a halt at the open door to the day room.

The man who had such a firm hold on Jess seemed to flinch momentarily before putting her into a headlock and pressing what felt like a metal tube to her throat.

"Keep back you mentally infirm disgrace to magic," the Death Eater was warning the person in the doorway, "I'll shoot her."

"No you won't, you need her," the voice of the sapper said defiantly.

The cold hard metal cylinder, which was obviously the barrel of a gun, left Jess's throat.

"I'll shoot you then," said the man.

"Promises, promises," said the sapper.

There was a loud bang and Jess screamed as she was dragged through the door while something gripped her long skirt and tried to pull her back.

"Leave her alone you bastard!" the sapper's voice strained to say through what was obviously an incredible amount of pain.

Jess was crying now as she reached out for the injured man.

"Help the others!" Jess was straining to say through the bulky forearm around her throat, "Help the nurses..."

Jess felt slim strong fingers curling around her hand and gripping tightly and then what felt like an explosion inside her head. She could hear herself screaming and the sapper screaming and the shouts of other Death Eaters around her, urgently demanding they get out of the place as fast as possible. Then she heard her screams inside her head as well as outside. She heard the sapper, and saw him, touching Ron's arms and the two of them in pain. Then she felt the pain and saw a blinding white light and suddenly blinked her eyes and saw hospital room with a black haired man wearing glasses that she knew to be Harry, a pretty girl with bushy brown hair and a round faced man smiling about something. She realised what was about to happen as the pain left her body and screamed.

"Ron no!"

Harry was laughing and turning to respond to Hermione's exasperated shake of the head when it happened, out of nowhere and without any warning whatsoever.

Ron drew in a sharp intake of breath and gritted his teeth while his whole body arched and both his hands balled up into tight fists. One of his legs kicked out before his eyes opened wide and he stared at Hermione with a look of pure terror and then his eyes forced themselves shut again while his back arched and he gripped his chest and looked to be in an incredible amount of pain.

"Harry get a healer!" Hermione screamed, "get the medi witch back in here and tell her Ron's having a heart attack and get Kalra now!"

Neville was already running for the door though.

"Madame Bahn! We need help," Neville called as the door swung closed behind him.

Harry looked from Ron's body, contorting with pain, to Hermione who was terrified but completely focused on what needed to be done. She laid Ron flat again and then ran to the foot of bed and lifted it off the ground so Ron's feet were now above his heart. Ron seemed to be in even more discomfort now and tried to sit back up again.

"No Ron!" Hermione yelled at him before turning to Harry and giving him his orders, "We can't let him sit up, lay him back down flat."

Harry ran to the head of Ron's bed and shoved him back down by the shoulders. Ron's skin felt ice cold and he was so pale that the only thing that made him stand out from his sheets were his freckles.

"I know it's uncomfortable Ron but you have to lay like this until the healers come," Hermione was explaining to him through tearful eyes, "are you listening to me Ron?"

Ron's eyes were still screwed tightly shut but he nodded. Harry was still resting both his hands on Ron's shoulders, not using any pressure but just to keep reminding his best friend to stay where he was.

"Somebody's coming to help any second now okay?" Hermione said as she glanced to the door and saw Madame Bahn rushing into the room while Neville followed close behind, "I know it feels worse to be at this angle but you've got to trust me Ron. Do you trust me?"

Ron didn't answer, he was hit with another wave of agony and his body arched again. Harry noticed that even Ron's toes were curling in on themselves tightly. Neville ran to Hermione and took the end of the bed from her.

"Here let me," he said as he took the weight.

"No I'll do it," Harry said, "you two are more use to Ron at this end then you are down there."

The doors opened again as Harry took the weight of the bed from Neville and watched Hermione and Neville assist the medi witch. Neville was waving his wand in concentric circles over Ron's chest and Madame Bahn was briefing Healer Kalra on Ron's condition while Hermione began to do something to thin Ron's blood for some reason.

"Right, Longbottom I need you to keep that up until I tell you to stop alright?" Neville nodded and kept on mumbling the incantation over and over again, "Granger, don't overdo it until we know just how severe this is, when you've finished I want you to help Madame Bahn try to convince his brain not to attack our treatments or his healthy blood cells okay?"

"Yes sir," Hermione nodded as she finished off her blood-thinning spell.

Kalra aimed his wand at Ron's chest and began to snap some healing spells at him in quick succession.

"Servo corrigo, coroboro sano, orno vivificus, spiritus lenis!" Kalra glanced up at Harry and smiled, "Let me get that for you Potter, "Wingardium leviosa!"

The bed remained tilted at its twenty-degree angle and Harry released his hold and stepped back from it.

"Thanks," he said with barely a whisper.

"Quick thinking with the elevation of the legs Miss Granger, that was you wasn't it?" Kalra said to Hermione, who concentrated on what she was doing and just gave a simple nod, "I always find that muggle borns are the best at emergency aid. Wand waving does no good at all unless you know the basics eh?"

Harry didn't like how carefree Kalra was being; he was still smiling at them all reassuringly the whole time. Harry felt his body freezing on the spot and wondered how these four people before him could find it in them to leap into action like this. He could barely even remember to breathe.

Ron was breathing very heavily now but his eyes were open and he was looking around at all the faces around his bed before his body seemed to convulse again, causing his face to scrunch up in pain briefly, and he gritted his teeth and looked at the smiling healer standing over him.

"Don't you worry about this Ron," Kalra said, almost with delight, "a heart attack I can fix."

Harry finally understood now. All the other times Ron had problems Healer Kalra was in the dark and at a complete loss on how to treat him but this was something he had done a thousand times before and he knew that Ron was in safe hands. It was then that Harry found it in him to move his feet once again.

Ron lifted his hands and tried to sign but the medi witch grabbed his arms and held them down.

"Not now dear, we just need you to lie still for us okay?" she smiled.

Ron seemed to be drawing breaths in as if he was building himself up to something and shook his head with agonised determination. The medi witch looked to Hermione and the two of them swapped priorities.

"Ron listen to me, I know it hurts and I know you want to get up or roll over or something but you're got to trust me with this and just lay..." Ron's hard gripped Hermione around the wrist firmly and she stopped speaking.

His eyes were wide and pleading with her while his chest seemed to constrict with another spasm of pain and he let out a gasp.

"What is it?" Hermione said fearfully while Harry approached the bed to read Ron's weakened attempts to sign.

Ron drew his index finger down the length of his palm and curled it up to his thumb before making a gripping motion away from him and then pausing to grimace yet again.

"Jess has been taken?" Harry said as he shared a look of deep concern and confusion with Hermione.

"This could be his head messing with him right now," Neville said quickly before going back to his constant murmuring as he cast the spell over Ron's heart.

Harry doubted it as he glanced down at Ron's arms and saw the scars burning red and nodded down to them for Hermione's benefit.

"Healer Kalra, this may have been induced by telepathy or some kind of..." she began.

"Let's focus on that aspect when we're done here yes?" Kalra said with a friendly smile, "nearly there Ron, is it easing off yet?"

Ron's eyes bulged and his body arched away from the bed again before slamming down and causing Ron to pant as if he was trying to breathe with a rhinoceros on his chest and then nodded. This hit Harry harder then anything else at that moment. Ron looked as if he was in agony and yet he'd just said it was easing off. He admired Ron's threshold for pain if it had been so much worse then this in the beginning. Ron winced and then looked back at Harry.

Ron pointed at his eye, grazed his knuckles down his arm, signed the letter 'J' once more and then linked his little fingers to sign 'S', before shaking his hands stiffly downwards over his chest as his body clenched through yet another wave of pain.

"People at the clinic are hurt? You saw it?" Harry clarified to make sure Ron knew that his message was being understood.

Ron closed his eyes and nodded before repeating his first declaration that Jess had been taken away. The doors burst open again and two more healers ran inside.

"Kalra, you need any help?" one of them, a witch with long braided hair that had bright blue streaks in it stopped by Ron's bed and gave a quick nod to Neville who smiled at her before turning his attention back to his ongoing spell on Ron's heart.

"We've got it under control thanks," Healer Kalra said with a grin that was almost chirpy, "I've strengthened the heart muscle some more and it looks like Madame Bahn and Miss Granger here have convinced the patient's brain to stop attacking the heart. Lots of strengthening solution will need to be brewed if you wouldn't mind finding a spare medi witch or wizard to get that started for me?"

"Of course," the Healer nodded and she and her colleague turned and left the room.

Kalra put his hand upon Neville's ever-twirling wand and steadied it.

"That's it Neville, well done son, he's stabilised."

Neville lowered his tired arm and heaved a deep sigh.

"Mr Potter," Kalra said to Harry who was giving Neville a congratulatory pat on the shoulder as he sat down in a chair beside Ron's bed, "would you mind alerting the Aurors to this apparent incident at the clinic?"

Harry's eyes widened and he nodded before running from Ron's room.

When the hell was this ever going to be over?

Percy was supposed to be putting the finishing touches to the minister's speech to the media that afternoon when the fireplace burst into green flames and Fred's face emerged from it and glanced around the office in search of Percy.

Percy was already on his feet and crouching before the fireplace before Fred could even begin to speak.

"What is it?" he demanded.

"Not to worry okay? I've been told it's all okay now and he's going to be fine so you're not to worry right?" Fred said with eyes unnaturally wide for him.

Percy knew this was about Ron, it had to be as he was the only person Fred would feel the need to soften any kind of blow with.

"Tell me," Percy snapped impatiently.

"Ron's had a slight heart attack," Fred said, as if he couldn't quite believe the words coming out of his own mouth.

"How can a person have a slight heart attack?" Percy barked, "You either have one or you don't!"

Fred swallowed and nodded to himself. Percy guessed that Fred was softening the blow for himself as much as he was doing it for Percy.

"Yeah well it was a big one okay? He had a big nasty heart attack but the healers were right there as soon as it happened and Hermione and Neville were looking after him the whole time and he's going to be fine now. Kalra says he's fine."

Percy pulled off his glasses and rubbed his eyes. This was getting to be too much now. How much more could Ron go through as a result of his stupid plan?

"I believe him Perce," Fred said sincerely, "Ron's going to be okay."

Percy put his glasses back on the bridge of his nose and sighed.

"He's only twenty," Percy said as he rose from his squatting position before the fireplace, "how does a twenty year old have a heart attack?"

Fred seemed to be shrugging from within the flames.

"That Auror Pemberton had one when he was twenty five didn't he? Remember dad telling us years ago, Mum dragged Bill and Charlie straight to the healers for a check-up because they were almost the same age," Fred gave a halfhearted chuckle.

"That was different Fred," Percy sighed, "he was in a stressful line of work and he'd had a heart condition since infancy they later discovered. Ron's heart's always been as strong as an ox."

Fred looked down into the coals beneath him and nodded.

"Yeah I know but it's all to do with this immune system stuff and they're improving that little by little and his heart's fine now. There's no need to worry and there's no reason for you to come to St Mungo's, I just thought you ought to know."

Percy began to tidy away his papers from his desk and gave a slight laugh at this.

"Oh no, I'm coming now, I want to talk to the healers myself. I'll be there shortly."

Fred grinned suddenly and Percy knew what was coming.

"Don't call me shortly!" they both said at the same time.

"Damn!" Fred cursed, "I've become predictable."

Percy grabbed a balled up piece of parchment from his desk and threw it into the flames at Fred's head but he had already ducked away and the flames were dying out altogether now. The door to the minister's office opened and Percy put down his bundle of papers and began to sign his apologies and explain that he had to leave for a family emergency immediately.

The minister nodded and waved a piece of parchment in front of him.

"You knew already?" Percy muttered to himself as he took the parchment and began to read.

How could a ministry memo have got to the minister before Fred had been in touch with him via floo? Then Percy realised that they were talking about entirely different but obviously linked incidents. The minister had been sent word of the Death Eaters' brutal attack using muggle weapons at the non-magical clinic in Cumbria. People were injured, dead and one patient had been taken. Percy didn't even need to read to the end to know who the missing patient was.

He swallowed and looked up at the minister. He drew a circle in the air with his finger linked his hands and then rubbed his knuckles together. Percy then drew a heart on his chest with his fingers and shook his hands downwards in front of his chest before stroking his little finger along his upper arm. The minister was about to enquire how Ron's heart attack and the attack at the clinic were connected when the door to Percy's office burst open and three hooded figures ran in with wands drawn.

"No!" Percy yelled as he reached for his own wand.

"Everbero!" one of the Death Eaters growled as Percy was hit hard in the chest by a bright red light and thrust backwards into the wall behind him.

Everything went black for a moment before white spots flashed before him and he blinked his eyes back into focus. He still couldn't see clearly as his glasses were gone but he could just make out a struggle between the minister and the robed figures. Percy felt around himself for a weapon and tried to get to his feet when he heard another gruff voice yelling a spell his way.

"Stupefy!" the Death Eater's wand sent the stunning spell right into Percy's face.

As he slumped to the floor he heard the third Death Eater sneering to the others.

"Two down, one to go."