Published 11th of November, 2020
Ministry of Magic,
Level 1, Minister's office
5:30 pm
Kingsley quickly signed an order to close two bars on Diagon Alley and a pub in Hogsmeade and sent them to Mrs. Rogers. Then he leaned back in his chair and rubbed his tired eyes. Immediately the horrible images of today's fight against the dementors relived in his mind. And while he had been an Auror for many years, it was one of the worst views of his life.
For some time they fought sending Patronuses to them, but there were only five of them against much more Dementors.
Enraged and hungry souls.
And it finally happened. Roger's snake rushed at the two creatures at once, but a third suddenly lunged at him from the side, grabbed the boy and, tearing him from their protective circle, flew away with him into the darkness. The rest of them immediately left them and followed him – it was normal, the creatures shared their thoughts. And there was nothing they could do. They could only listen to the boy's horrible howl from which this voracious horde was sucking the soul.
One for one. They took the opportunity to kiss Snape, so they did it to someone else.
He could ask to remove this memory or even take it out, but he knew he would never do that. So was Gawain, who had suffered terribly after death on one of his Aurors. The memory of Roger was for the moment the only homage they could pay him without even having a body to bury.
"Sir, message from the Muggle Prime Minister" said the portrait of a man in a wig suddenly.
„Yes, Gordian?"
„The Prime Minister proposes that we send someone from St. Mungo's to the Muggle... Institute of Infectious Diseases. Professor Neumann, who healed five hundred Muggles a week ago, will be waiting for this person."
Kingsley straightened up. Finally, some positive news!
"Very good. I'll talk to Carpenter who to send there."
The little man in the wig hesitated.
"Sir ... if I can..."
Kingsley looked at him immediately. Gordian was not only the liaison between the wizards and the Muggle Prime Minister. Due to the extraordinary knowledge and experience he has acquired over hundreds of years in this position, he has also been an unofficial advisor to many Ministers of Magic. Kingsley liked working with him from the very beginning and always listened attentively to his advice.
"Of course, my dear."
"First, we do not know if their method will… affect magical citizens. Second, it may turn out that only Muggles can treat it. We do not know if their clinics have a lot of empty places, so it would be good to check if this method can be used in our world."
„They certainly won't be able to say that."
Gordian shook his head and the thick locks moved stately on his shoulders.
"It would be best to bring someone from there to us, to the Clinic. Only after reviewing our terms and conditions, muggle Healers will be able to say if they can work with us."
Kingsley started to play with the earring - he always did when he was very pensive.
"Perfect. Anyway, you will have to send the Obliviators Team to the Muggle Healers, so whether they will be with us or not, it's a minor difference. Thank you so much, Gordian."
The man in the wig bowed and vanished from the picture to deliver the message to the Muggle Prime Minister. A few minutes later he returned and announced:
"Tony Blair is waiting for us at number ten Downing Street at eight tomorrow morning. And he just asked to dress correctly" he smiled slightly and added. "He said you would know exactly how to dress."
Kingsley smiled back as well and left the office. It was time to talk to Carpenter.
Ministry of Magic
Gawain's office
At the same time
Gawain made a decent cup of coffee with milk and sat down at the desk. The case of Paul and the wizarding poison was a top priority now, so he conjured up a huge basket, pushed aside the three red interdepartmental memos and simply pushed the remaining pile of planes inside. He would take care of it when there was time.
They recently returned with Harry from a search of Paul's house. They found nothing there; no notes, suspicious books or any gold he must have received for collaboration with a murderer.
They noticed, however, that the wardrobes were lacking clothes and cosmetics, both for men and women, so the conclusion was simple - Paul realized that he had been discovered and escaped, taking his wife with him and was not going to come back soon.
Gawain immediately ordered to watch over Mia's mother's apartment, hoping that the girl would somehow contact her. They checked Paul's Gringotts account earlier. There was a large pile of galleons in his crypt, but goblin records showed most of it had been there for many years and the rest appeared regularly at the end of each month. Gawain wanted to check the crypt of Paul's wife, but it was met with vehement protest by the goblins and it was useless to persuade them and assure them that this way they might find the murderer. The goblins remained unperturbed and they had no choice but to leave the bank.
They came back a moment ago. He sent exhausted Harry home, but for him the day was not over yet.
He picked up the list of ingredient orders he asked for, after his meeting with Hermione Granger yesterday, picked up a quill, dipped it in red ink and began checking carefully all orders for bundimun secretions and bloodroot. There weren't many of them and he didn't notice anything special, but he put large crosses on them just in case.
And he shuddered at the sight of blood red marks. In one second he remembered the nightmare of this morning.
Moore was right. Everyone except the Aurors should be removed from this case. After all, today's trip to Azkaban may have ended in a total massacre! He should go for Snape surrounded only by his Aurors. Today he had risked the lives of Hermione Granger and Kingsley!
He would already have to live with guilt after losing another Auror and he couldn't imagine what he would have felt if it had happened to Kingsley or Miss Granger.
He gritted his teeth and decided to talk to one of the guys at the Research Office tomorrow morning. The best with Augie, he never protested when he was called to work on weekends.
He put the list aside and started to analywe Floo and toilet records from the Security Department.
He was going to be here all evening and all night if necessary to find SOMETHING. And keep looking tomorrow.
Grimmauld Place number 12
18:00
Ginny was lying on the floor in the dark bedroom, her hands pressed to her temples. The pain felt a little more bearable that way. At the same time, the recent pressure in her stomach had turned to an increasing heat and she had no doubts that it wasn't just a headache.
It was this deadly poison. She was poisoned. She only had a dozen or so hours to live. And then she will die.
She sobbed softly and immediately a warm hand closed around hers.
Hand hot with fever, just like hers. They were both poisoned and both were about to die a terrible, painful death.
Harry squeezed her hand gently and turned his head towards her.
"There's still hope, Gin" he said in an undertone and tried to feel as if he really had one.
"Harry..."
„Muggles have some medicine... Maybe Kingsley got it already?"
Ginny moved a little and her head started throbbing wildly.
„You think ... they already have it in the Clinic?"
„We have to go there. The sooner the better."
She paused for a moment, then very slowly to her feet and stood there for a moment, her eyes and teeth clenched in pain.
"Come on, Harry. Maybe Kreacher will help us pack... Do you know where he is? I haven't seen him since noon."
Harry knelt down as well, his head shattered to pieces, heat spread all over his stomach and it began to burn. At the same time his heart squeezed, but that had nothing to do with the poison.
„I do not know. I think he's gone somewhere."
St. Mungo's
Half hour later
When they finally managed to Apparate near the Clinic, they went through the exhibition window and entered the Emergency Room, it turned out that it cracked at the seams. At the counter there was a long line of sick people in various states, the others sat on chairs or leaned against the walls; some were clearly affected by magical illness, but some of them were clutching their heads and a few were already vomiting. There were several small children among them and Harry suddenly felt a pang of guilt. How could he have thought he and Ginny would get this medicine in the first place, before the others? What made them more important than these poor, innocent little ones?
Ginny immediately collapsed to the ground, wrapped her arms around her head and began to groan softly and one glance at her made him stop hesitating. Fighting the pain in his head, he held on to something or someone, no matter whom, and looked around.
„Harry?" He heard a familiar voice and suddenly Liliatte, one of the Healers of Artefact Accidents appeared next to him. "You came to see Hermione? She's not here today, I don't know where she is..."
Merlin, don't scream, please don't scream like that! Her image rippled as monstrous hammering tore his skull open and he suddenly felt sick.
"Harry ...? Harry ...!"
Without opening his tightly closed eyes, he reached towards her and would have flew to the ground if she hadn't held him.
"Please, can you admit us... Ginny" he groaned and dropped to his knees.
It was only half an hour later that they were given a very strong pain killer and were admitted in a room full of beds. Paula, whom Ginny knew from the Women's Ward, sat on the Redhead's bed.
"Can you get Mathias?" Harry muttered.
"He's not here at the moment, but I'll leave a message for him to come to you as soon as he arrives" the woman promised, opening her mouth as if to say something else, but only sighed heavily.
"There is no cure for it?" Ginny asked, her voice numb.
Paula took her hands and gave her a gentle hug.
"From the morning the potion makers are looking for an antidote, they will surely find something. It's just a matter of time. They will find it any moment and we will give them to you immediately" she added in a trembling voice.
"And nothing else helps?"
Paula pushed gently Ginny's hair away from her face.
"They'll find something soon. Now rest."
Then she got up and left as silent as a ghost. Taking with her the remnant of the hope they had. If Kingsley had gotten a Muggle cure, they would have gotten it!
There was a soft cry from the bed next to him so Harry leaned over and reached for Ginny. The beds were close that if she only stretched her hand out towards him, he could touch it, for at their request the Healers had not placed a curtain between them.
"Gin ... give me your hand. "
"Harry..."
"There is still hope."
"Harry..."
"Look, Gin." He felt hot fingers tightening around his fingers and returned the hug. "Hermione has an antidote. Do you remember?" He whispered to her.
The fingers twitched, squeezed hard, but then went limp.
"Get someone to inform her... and drink it" Ginny whispered back.
"Not me. You! You drink it!"
Ginny looked at him sadly.
"Harry, you... are more important..."
"Stop it!"
"... you always were."
"Gin, stop it!"
"You have a role to play."
Harry squeezed her hand tightly.
"Stop it! I had! I had a role to play! But I don't have any more! I am a normal person just like you!"
"Not true."
"There is no more The Chosen One, do you hear ?!"
Ginny didn't answer, so he leaned even more towards her and added:
„I should have died then. It's a miracle I'm alive. So I'll just die a few years later..."
„No!"
„I should be glad that I was able to win so much extra time from my life."
„No!" She protested violently, bitter in her voice. "You're an Auror. You defend people. You can save many more. And I? Who am I? Nobody."
"Ginny, stop it!" He shouted and the pain, which had subsided a bit, resumed. But he paid no attention to it. "I promised Molly and Arthur that I would protect you and I'm going to do so" he lowered his voice, but that didn't mean that what he was saying was lacking in emotion. "If any of us is going to survive, it will be you!"
They both fell silent, but Ginny did not let go of his hand and he renewed hope. For her, not for himself.
They both lay in silence for a moment, then Ginny spoke up. Much calmer, even with resignation.
"Harry ...?I thought... maybe we shouldn't be asking Hermione for an antidote at all."
„Why?!"
„You know very well there is no Moon Water. And it won't be... Maybe Professor Snape will somehow find some other ingredient... But if they poisoned him too? This vial is the only chance. For everyone. If anyone among us is worth living..."
Their fingers twisted painfully one last time, then Ginny took her hand away and turned away from him. Harry clenched his fists convulsively and, suppressing a desperate sob, grabbed his face. He didn't know how long he lay there until he heard Paula's soft voice.
" Sleeping Draught" she handed them two vials.
Harry brought one to his lips and looked at the Healer.
"Paula ... Finally don't talk to Mathias. It ... was nothing important."
"Drink it, Harry. After that you will be able to fall asleep."
"Won't you tell him?"
"No. Drink it now."
The boy drank it all and turned his head the other way.
Sunday, May 10
10 Downing Street, Westminster, London
Column Hall
08:00
Professor Neumann and Dr. Roberts were ushered into an enormous room on the second floor, richly decorated with paneling and seated at an elegant XVIIIth-century table, on equally elegant chairs. Dr. Roberts was leaning back against the soft back, but she didn't have time to look around when the door opened and Prime Minister Blair entered with some other people.
"Good morning" he said in greeting and walked over to them.
He shook their hands and pointed to his guests.
„Let me introduce you. Mr. Kingsley Shacklebolt, Dr. Mathias Wolf and Dr. Angelina Hansen. Professor John Neumann, Dr. Elisabeth Roberts."
Dr. Roberts looked at a much younger woman and she had the impression that she was looking at a younger sister. The other had similar dark hair, gathered in a similar bun, similar dark eyes... The only difference was the look of terrible weariness on the young woman's face. Dr. Roberts immediately liked her and sent her warm smile.
"Let's sit down" Prime Minister Blair indicated three chairs around the table, sat on opposite and cleared his throat. "Professor Neumann, Dr. Roberts, you are probably surprised by my sudden urgent meeting. Unfortunately, I have very… alarming news. The disease you got under control a week ago has broke out again."
Dr. Roberts put her hand to her mouth and Neumann winced painfully.
"I would like you to give them all possible help."
He made a gesture to Neumann to let him know he had finished speaking, so the professor shifted in his chair and looked at the other doctors.
„Of course. We will need detailed data. When did the first cases appeared, when the disease broke out and how many sick people there are... It's best if you prepare complete medical documentation with the results of the scanner and ultrasound. And first of all, start by giving them frozen plasma, Rigner fluid and electrolytes."
"The coverage of the disease is also important" Dr. Roberts added, looking instinctively at her colleague. "How many Länder are impacted at the moment, Dr. Hansen?"
Dr Hansen hesitated and looked at Wolf, who in turn looked at the Black man with a gold earring in his ear. The man nodded and spoke in a calm, controlled voice.
„Mr. Prime Minister, I think we will thank you now."
"Are you sure?" Tony Blair replied and rose slowly. "Then ... I'll leave you now. Let the guard downstairs know, when you're done, they'll let you out."
"There will be no such need."
Neumann twitched, surprised and suddenly realized that the man was speaking without a trace of a German accent... What was going on here?
"Then have a good discussion" Blair said, standing up. "Goodbye. Ah, and please keep me in touch by Gordian."
Then he bowed slightly and left. The tall Black man cleared his throat and took some ... stick out of his pocket.
"You must have read such a fairy tale "Alice in Wonderland" he said. "So I would like to tell you that this is not a fairy tale ... Wonderland exists."
Dr. Roberts stared at him and Professor Neumann flushed with anger.
"It's pathetic" he snorted and tapped his hand on the table. "People are dying and you – you are joking!" The Blanc man waved the stick and suddenly a large bouquet of flowers fell out of it and flew to Dr. Roberts. A second later, the man disappeared and a lynx appeared in his place. A giant spotted lynx, with tufts at the tips of its ears, a long mustache and a white beard. Dr. Roberts gasped and screamed, but heard nothing. Neumann sprang up from his chair and a strange force pulled him back onto it.
The lynx disappeared and stately Black man was sitting back in his place. The man ran his fingers over the stick, waved at Dr. Roberts and they heard the rest of her choked scream.
"Can we say that I convinced you, or do you need any more show? I can continue, because we will erase your memory anyway."
For a full minute Neumann and Roberts were silent, staring at him and trying to understand.
"Holly God..." Dr. Roberts finally gasped.
"So you're the Cheshire Cat? Neumann heard himself and suddenly he started laughing hysterically. Twenty minutes later, when the Muggles had recovered somehow, it was decided that Dr. Roberts would be transferred to St. Mungo's to see if the therapy that worked a week ago in Dublin could be applied ther, and Mathias and Ang will stay with Neumann.
Kingsley took still stunned woman's arm and smiled reassuringly at her.
"Relax. It will be a little tight, but it's normal" he assured her.
Dr. Roberts didn't speak, just looked at him questioningly, so he nodded to Mathias and Ang, turned slightly and with a loud pop they both vanished.
A second later they appeared in the dirty backyard of the Clinic. Dr. Roberts stared at the tall windowless wall of the townhouse next door and the garbage cans blocking the gate leading to the lower, gloomy building. She didn't react as the garbage cans rolled aside and obediently walked inside with Kingsley.
"It's so dirty here" she said in a flat voice.
Kingsley led her straight to Carpenter's office.
"Good morning, Sergius" he said from the door. "Let me introduce you. Dr. Roberts, the one I told you about yesterday. Find someone to show her around the Clinic. And first of all, give her Calming Draught, because now she is shocked and not really getting anything."
Carpenter walked over to the woman, kissed her hand, bowing impeccably and looked at Kingsley.
"Of course, Mr. Minister."
Spinner's End
09:00
Although he was hot, Severus pulled the blanket over himself, closed his eyes and plunged into the softness and fluffiness. And warm.
Probably he has ever felt so great. It was like ... someone was hugging him. From head to foot.
Timid rays of sunlight entered through the open window, the blanket smelled of cinnamon and oranges and he was so wonderfully warm that, although he had already woken up an hour ago, he still put off the moment when he would have to leave his bed.
This was one reason. But there was another.
Granger. Hermione Granger.
She came to him, to Azkaban, she witnessed his humiliation. Disgrace. No doubt she forced herself to tolerate him as he was. Dirty, stinky, drenched in his own and someone else's excrement. She saw him in the moment when he was SOMETHING, not someone.
He shouldn't let that happen! He should keep some dignity and die, not let him be babysit, let someone have mercy on him! Pity him!
Yet he not only allowed it, but humbled himself even more. He allowed himself to be touched, he leaned to that touch, asked and begged for help! BEGGED! Merlin, how could he have fallen so low as to BEG anyone for anything!
He has lost any value. He became ANYONE. Black was right, he was the worst nonentity. He was a pathetic Snivellus. A coward.
And she saw it. And she was still there to look after him. Like a small, helpless child.
Bitterness and rage swelled painfully within him and began to choke him and he could no longer contain it, so finally he tugged the blanket away and sat on the bed.
Now the time has came to rectify this mistake. If he yells at her now, if he'll make her fear him again and throw her out of there, maybe he'll save.
He chose his clothes carefully - a white shirt with a stand-up collar and long cuffs, a black frock coat and black narrow trousers. He washed and shaved just as carefully and finally began to resemble the proud, short-tempered, stern Snape he used to be.
He looked again in the mirror, put a furious expression on his face and only then he went into the living room.
Hermione was reading the latest Prophet, curled up on the couch as Severus entered the sitting room. He was dressed as she remembered him from school days, in grim black and looked incredibly intimidating. Although perhaps it was the result of a contrast with yesterday's exhausted and submissive man who allowed himself to be treated and healed.
And although his steps and manner of moving were not yet so characteristic for him, a serious expression was enough to make her understand that she cannot afford too much.
"Good morning" she said softly, immediately setting the newspaper aside.
He didn't answer, just went straight to the kitchen, so Hermione followed him.
"Hope you feel better today" she said gently and added, pushing the glass jug towards him. "I made you some tea."
Severus gave her a gloomy look, pushed the jug aside and summoned the black tea bag and mug. He was going to do it himself. He didn't need to babysit him.
"Go back home."
"P-pardon...?"
"You heard right. Go back home. I don't need you here."
Although Hermione expected it, she felt a painful pang of disappointment.
"But..."
Severus set the mug down with a loud thump.
"Are you deaf or have you don't understand human speech anymore? I have the impression that I made myself clear enough. I don't need a nanny."
The girl lowered her head and bit her lips. If he really wanted her to go away, she was going to do it, but before that, she HAD to tell him everything. First, to warn him, second... because somewhere in her there was still a spark of hope that together they could get back to the matter and do something. Anything.
„I will do it, but first we need to talk."
"You probably want to tell me what has happened in the last few days? So acknowledge that I am not interested in this story."
"Perhaps, but I won't leave until I tell you everything!"
Severus wrenched with sudden anger. What is she imagining ?! That if she saw him in his moments of weakness, now she has the right to say him what to do?! He rested his hands heavily on the table and leaned towards her.
"Listen..." he began in a low voice.
„It's really important! More important than anything I've told you so far! Please..."
They looked each other with sharp gaze, both ready to fight for their right. Finally Severus gave up; he just felt dizzy, so he felt for the chair and slumped into it. He overestimated his capabilities a bit...
"So go on" he growled. "Just hurry up, because I'm in no mood for a longer conversation."
Hermione nodded and leaned against the wall.
"This poison spread in our world. It started when I came to Azkaban for the first time. Till today, over fifty people have died and the Clinic is overcrowded. So, on Friday night, Kingsley enforced Critical State. Among other things, he ordered all bars and restaurants closed... everything except Hogwarts. And cancel all group meetings ... And since yesterday morning, all potion makers have been looking for an antidote."
"And how many did they find?" He asked sarcastically to hide his agitation.
"Of course they didn't find anything. They can't do it without Moon Water, but only a handful of people know that. We, Kingsley, Harry, Gawain and Moore. But it turns out the Muggles found some medicine to save those people... Remember that hospital in Dublin? So Kingsley will ask..."
"Nonsense" he interrupted sharply. „Impossible."
The girl shrugged.
„We think so, too, but the fact is that almost all children and adults have recovered."
"This is magic, Granger" he drawled and Hermione felt another pang of disappointment, surprisingly at the sound of her name than at his logical explanation. "Muggles couldn't HEAL themselves of magical poison. That's all you have to say to me?"
"No. This killer must have realized somehow that I knew. And he tried to poison me."
„...How?"
„He came into my house and poured poison into my milk. And maybe to something else, I don't know. But the milk is certain because he screwed the cap on differently than I do."
Severus felt his hair stand on end.
"Nobody can't enter your home" he heard his changed voice and added defensively. "I checked myself. In all ways! It is simply impossible without knowing your secret word!"
Merlin, it's impossible! She must have been wrong! She was just seeing something!
Hermione shook her head.
"I didn't think about protecting myself from Muggles. That someone wasn't magical. He just opened the door ... though I don't know how ... and walked in."
Merlin ! You idiot! How could you miss it !
Severus swallowed something that was choking him and, unable to control himself, bowed his head and hid behind the curtain of long, still wet hair.
How could he not have thought about it! Of course HE couldn't enter it! But how could he not have thought about the fact that the murderer, who killed Muggles, might know someone non-magical?! Or even just used someone non-magical?!
She might not have thought about it, but he was so much older, he had much more experience and he SHOULD have foreseen it!
He made a mistake that could cost her her life!
The image of the dying Griffin flashed to his mind and Hermione Granger took his place almost immediately. Lying in a pool of blood and suffocating in front of his eyes.
She escaped death by a miracle, only by a miracle! Thanks of the stupid bottle cork ... Or maybe ...?!
„When was it?! How long ago?" He tried to hide the tension in his voice, but failed.
"On Friday."
"And ... how do you feel?!" He looked at her closely, begging Merlin not to find any signs of illness.
The girl must have guessed because she smiled weakly.
"I'm fine. Luckily you made me protect my home. Without it, that someone would probably have hunt me down much sooner. Thank you very much."
Severus shook his head. He didn't deserve any words of thanks! Due to his negligence, the girl could die!
Suddenly he felt he deserved nothing. Not even what she did for him.
And to think that just a moment ago he wanted to be that proud, faultless, infallible and untouchable Snape. And to show her where her place was!
Hermione pulled away from the wall and sighed heavily.
„I'll go pack my belongings."
At the thought that she would come out of here, that someone might try again, something in him jumped.
"You're not going anywhere" he decided immediately. "It's too dangerous."
„I was thinking about Grimmauld Place..."
It didn't matter WHERE she wanted to go as long as she wasn't in his care. Only here she was safe, or at least only here he could protect her. He had lost Griffin and he wasn't going to lose her either!
"I said "No"!" he snapped and added, trying to downplay his behavior. "If you have already interrupted me, plain and simply, what happened. I hope you are able to."
Hermione had already opened her mouth to tell him to get stuffed, when she saw hope. Maybe if she stays here, they will be able to make a plan, try to do something ..
She would not have dared to ask him to get involved in the matter again - he had almost paid for this with his life. But ... she wouldn't have been able to wait at Harry's without doing anything!
Severus reached for the heel of bread and began to nibble at it, so with a sigh she recalled all the Prophet's numbers, offered him a cup of tea and reached for the bread and butter.
"It'll be better if you read everything first. And I'll make you breakfast."
Severus was about to snap at her when his eyes fell on the headline of the frontier newspaper and only winced and reached for it.
"Powell, Rayleigh, Jenkins, Been and Tylor are united in a race against time, with the lives of thousands of wizards at stake!"
Howden Dam
At the same time
Paul was definitely a sleepy head and he would lie in bed until noon whenever he could, but when Mia woke up, she couldn't lay longer than a few minutes. Especially now, when the bed was creaking so badly it would wake the dead man.
So at eight she got up, made breakfast for everyone and did the laundry. Merlin knew it was needed!
Now she was looking uncertainly about where to hang wet clothes. The kitchen was definitely too humid for anything to dry, the living room was a bit drier, but there was nothing to hang on anything longer than socks, the other rooms were also not suitable. And after drying clothes with a spell, strange, bad smell clung to them.
The best would be to hang everything outside, in the sun and wind they would dry quickly and would smell the scent of the forest…
She pushed already wrung clothes into a huge copper bowl and looked for someone who could let her out for a moment. Deep down she was hoping to find Peterson, that awkward fat man, but this time she was out of luck. Peterson was gone, but Gratus had just come into the living room.
„Could you help me?|" She asked shyly after a short "good morning". "I would like to hang it outside. To dry it."
Gratus was about to reply that she might have get it out of her head when he thought it was at odds with the story they'd sold her. Brave Aurors do not stop women from going outside. He would only have to accompany her.
A glance at her soaked dress reminded him of Friday hot evening and immediately pleasant warmth spread over lower regions of his body. Besides, neither Peterson nor Bryant was around ...
"Sure, of course I will help you" he stood up hastily. "Let's go, quickly, because... then I have something to do."
He followed the girl into the corridor, smiled expectantly at the sight of her buttocks as she bent down to get the laundry and waving his wand discreetly, said the secret word that unlocked the door.
The girl tried to open it; she pressed the bowl to her stomach, reached for the doorknob, but under the weight of wet clothes the bowl slipped over her dress and almost everything fell to the ground. She caught it at the last moment.
"Can you…?" She grunted with an effort.
Gratus took the bowl from her, the girl held the door for him as he left and gently closed it behind her, leaving it slightly ajar.
.,.
Peter came out of the toilet and heard footsteps in the corridor, the voice of Paul's wife, something shuffled and suddenly fell silent. As if ... as if they had left! So maybe... MAYBE... MAYBE!
Along with the sudden hope, he also felt panic that someone might come and everything would be lost...!
He looked around with widen eyes, but there was complete silence everywhere.
You have everything?! Healing potion!... No! Run away! There is no time for that ! WAND?!
He reached for it and with relief he found his wand in his trouser pocket. He looked around again and, trying to remain silent and tiptoed, ran to the corridor.
Wait! Let them go ! You have to wait a moment!
Looking desperately behind him, he tried to imagine where they might be. Were they still in the corridor, or have they already left it?!
Any moment someone could come and at the same time if he hurries up, he will run into them and they catch him... !
As panic and impatience exploded in him, he stopped thinking logically, only grabbed the door handle and pulled.
The door gave way and for a split second it flashed through his mind that maybe someone was standing behind and waiting for him and all his hair stand on end. But no, there was nobody behind the door!
He glanced back one more time, slipped into the corridor and felt a moment of panic at the sight of several torches lit. Someone might have seen him there...!
Does not matter! Hurry up and run away ! RUN AWAY!
Instinctively, he closed the door behind him and, no longer caring to remain silent, ran heavily to the stairway. If it is closed, he will be trapped...!
But the grille was only ajar, so he went to the other side as quickly as possible, carefully closed it behind him and, jumping two steps at a time, hurried upstairs. After five minutes he already lost his breath, felt dizzy, but kept climbing, faster, higher, closer to the daily light... !
And he was almost at the top, only two steps away when he heard someone's high-pitched voice! And a slap!
THEY ARE COMING BACK!
He jumped into a dark corner, as far as possible from the open door, pushed his body into it as much as he could and tried to breathe silently, but in vain! His mouth was completely dry, he choked and wheezed with each galloping breath, dark spots flying in front of his eyes.
Merlin, please, please ... I will rectify everything, I'll became better man, I promise, but let me get out of here... !
Someone chuckled and Peter nearly entered the wall in horror and squeezed his eyes shut tightly. If he doesn't see them, maybe they won't see him ?!
But seconds passed and no one came. He dared to open one eye, then the other and look at the slightly ajar door. There were thumps and screams and… silence.
What are they doing there all the time ?
For a whole minute he struggled with himself whether to get closer to the door and expose himself to being discovered, or to push harder into the corner when another thought struck him. And if there is a protective spell in this door, too?!
If he can't get out of here and they can't find him downstairs, they'll kill him anyway... so...
He walked over to the door on weak legs and lent an ear. He could still hear some thumps, slaps, which took a faster pace, so he hesitated for another second, then pushed the door open and looked carefully outside.
About twenty yards away, he saw Gratus pinning Paul's half-naked wife to the ground. The girl jerked, but he only crushed her even harder and began to move even faster on her. Peter's eyes widened and he held his breath, but as Gratus made a low grunt, he realized he had only seconds to run away!
Walking carefully, he slipped outside, ran around the corner of the uneven wall, saw what looked like a path through the dense trees and started running.
He ran like mad man, no matter where, but away from the castle! His lungs began to burn, his side hurt more and more, he could no longer catch his breath, he stopped seeing clearly, but he continued to run, staggering between the trees.
Even when he stumbled over branches or protruding roots. He jumped up, looked back and continue to ran.
But at some point he just didn't have the strength anymore. His leg fell into a hole and he tumbled into some tree.
He froze and lay, panting, choking and shivering with emotion. You will get up soon and you will run on ... you will get up soon and you will run on ...
He didn't even know how long it took, but suddenly he heard a noise…A growl? Which kept growing, getting closer ... it lasted a moment and then began to move away, almost at the same pace.
He got up, looked around and, clutching his side, started walking. And when he looked up, it dawned on him what he saw.
A wall. A fence.
That separated him from the world outside.
The wall was not particularly high, but in his normal state he would probably not have been able to climb it and cross over to the other side. But not now.
Driven by fear, panic and hope, he did not even know how he found wall ledges. He supported his foot against the nearby tree, grabbed the top and a protruding branch, threw his arms to the other side with one sudden jerk of his whole body, kicked his legs and hung for a moment on both sides. The air shuddered and undulated strongly, so he jerked hard, screamed and felt down, on the other side!
He fell on a bush, slumped over branches and slammed hard on the ground.
But nothing mattered. Neither hurting brushes nor burning stab of pain in his side nor blood running down his face! He was free! He escaped from this nightmare! HE MADE IT!
He reached into the back pocket of his pants but couldn't feel his wand! Shit! Does not matter! You will buy a new one!
When he imagined that Gratus was done with Mia a long time ago, he probably killed her and hid the body somewhere and went back to the dungeons and discovered that he was gone...
He swallowed hard and quickly got up, dusted himself off, wiped the blood from his face, and, having thought about his own home, spun on his heel...
And he just fell to the ground in the same place.
Shit, is Apparition possible without a wand?
He had no idea. His magical abilities went little beyond brewing potions and he often even had trouble Apparating. But he had heard a lot about Splinching before, so he didn't dare try again. He got up and walked quickly towards the road he could already see behind nearby trees.
Stay away from here!