Published 13th of November, 2020
Clinic of Microbiology and Virology,
London,
11:00 am
When that WIZARD disappeared with Beth, Neumann needed a little more time to even begin to think logically. And the word "begin" was absolutely appropriate. He was stunned; sometimes he wanted to gigle for just any reason and a second later he grew serious and wondered how that could make him laugh. When he heard that the disease in Dublin was in fact a magic poison, he was so relieved that it was only with the greatest difficulty that he suppressed a smile.
Since there was no way he could bring anyone into the Institute without a thorough their past checking by the Special Services, he decided to take these ... two WIZARDS to the Microbiology and Virology Clinic. The director of the clinic was his longtime friend and Neumann could always count on him.
While Mathias and Ang were reasonably confident during the meeting on Downing Street, they felt completely lost when they left it. And looking at Professor Neumann, they could tell they were in a fairly similar condition.
Neumann went with them to the interdepartmental meeting room and first he tried to explain what was his method of treatment. And speaking of it, he felt somehow strange all the time. Even now, though he couldn't quite say why.
For both sides, the concept of "treatment" was very different, they did not use the same phrases or vocabulary and Mathias and Ang were very tired, so to help them understand and imagine the equipment that was needed, Neumann took them to the wards.
They had recently returned and Neumann had brought coffee cups from the espresso machine and handed them to two wizards who stared blankly at their notes.
"Let's start from the beginning" he suggested. "I propose that you will talk, in this way we will see if you more or less understood what needs to be done."
At that moment, the air conditioning in the ceiling turned on - the airflow opened, rustled and cool air blew.
Ang screamed, jumped up from the chair that fell backward and threw herself against the far wall, while Mathias sprang to his feet, cast stunning spell at the ceiling and watched carefully.
"Don't panic" Neumann chuckled, reached for the remote and turned off the air conditioning. "It's just a ventilation."
The airflow ceased and closed, but Mathias and Ang continued to stare distrustfully at the ceiling.
"It won't work anymore" Neumann assured them.
The woman approached hesitantly, still looking up, sat down at the table and reached blindly for the paper. Mathias sat up as well, clenched his wand in his hand and looked at the remote.
"This is your wand? To calm it down?"
The professor smiled, pushed the remote to the center of the table and nodded.
"You could call it that. But let's not waste any time."
Ang straightened up and began reading.
"So you say we have to replace their blood and concentrate it."
"We'll handle it our way" said Mathias.
"I'm not sure. Al never orders too much blood replenishing potion because it can't stand too long."
Mathias sighed heavily, so Neumann hurried to help.
"If you don't have this elixir of yours, we can help. We'll just need to check the blood group and Rh factor compatibility, but that doesn't take long. And in case of emergency, we still have group 0."
"And for that you don't need ... electricity? Even to group 0?" Mathias asked uncertainly.
"Of course we need it" Neumann agreed. "But we have portable power generators. So we'll deal with it" he added, because they didn't seem to understand what he meant.
Ang made the appropriate mention on a piece of paper.
„You'll have to give them some extra ingredients."
„The ones we saw? What were hanging in transparent bags on racks and leaking into people's veins?" Mathias asked.
"Among other things" Neumann nodded. "I won't tell you what exactly, because you won't understand anyway."
Mathias rubbed the bridge of his nose with a tired gesture. He couldn't believe that by giving the sick something to… not to drink but to their veins, could replace the magic antidote that the best English potion makers had not succeeded to brew yet!
„And that's all?" He muttered, carefully concealing his growing anxiety.
Neumann felt ... guilty. As if he befooled them. As if he lied to them. After all, he did not understand how "And that's all" could heal the sick in Dublin. Neither he nor any of his colleagues, but taking into account his nomination for the prestigious Richardson Award, which he received from Queen, no one dared to raise any objections. .
But looking at the two people sitting in front of him, he remembered how he had felt a week ago and resolved to hide his doubts. It certainly won't help them.
"You said you could handle the pain and your spells... won't harm organism" he said, trying to be calm and confident.
"Exactly" confirmed Mathias. "Either we give them a potion, something to drink, or ... we order them not to feel any pain. Both measures must be repeated from time to time, because the body fights them."
"In the early stages, we can also put them to sleep. Although in the case of very severe pain, patients wake up" added Ang.
A sudden chill seized Neumann, as if the air conditioning had turned on and chilled air was blowing on him. Why, in the name of God, did he feel so weird ? !
Howden Dam
At the same time
Gratus slapped his thigh once more and cursed furiously, but that didn't diminish the panic raging within him in any way. As soon as he relaxed his clenched fists, his hands immediately began to tremble as if he had been delirious.
When Tylor finds out, he'll kill him on sight! What the hell is he going to tell him ?! How can he explain that ?! He had to concentrate to come up with a theory, even a dumb one! Anything!
Peterson escaped. How this can be explained? And Bryant's wife? Merlin, that bloody Auror will probably get up in and choke him! Because he'll probably get up soon. He couldn't sleep that much! Only chance this idiot doesn't know some of the very dirty tricks his buddies from Muggle gang taught him. Especially Luis ...
Focus on coming up with a story, not nonsense!
Peterson escaped. And Bryant's wife. Exactly, she ran away! Maybe she was fed up with her husband, maybe things were not getting along and...
FOCUS, IDIOT!
To force himself to think, enraged Gratus took his coffee mug and punched him brutally on the head. The cup broke and only handle left in his hand. Burning pain pierced his forehead and he immediately started bleeding.
Idiot. You're gonna have a bump like hell in a minute. And how you explain THIS...?!
Gratus snorted and suddenly he had a crazy idea ...
What if you say that these two hit you, you passed out and then they escaped?
Bryant was still asleep, so Gratus wiped the dripping blood away, picked up broken pieces and ran to the kitchen.
Where could they surprise me? In the kitchen? Why not!
He had no other choice! He dropped the debris on the ground, took a cutting board, squeezed his eyes shut and hesitated only a moment, then swung and slammed it hard against his temple.
He groaned as the excruciating pain pierced his head and made his eyes darker, so he released the board from his fainting hand and, groaning, lay down on the table.
He had no idea how long he half-stood, half-lay, groaning and trying to control the terrible pounding in his head and the heat that exploded in his skull. When he opened his eyes, everything fell apart in an instant and he immediately squeezed them back together.
It wasn't until minutes, maybe hours, or even days later, that the pain subsided a little, so he dared to open his eyes and still grimacing to look ahead. The white and colored stripes rippled and melted together and he finally saw a white table top, plates and red cutlery.
And what now? Am I supposed to wait for Bryant to wake up?
Just in case, he sat down and slowly lay down on the floor to pretend to be wounded. But the minutes passed and Bryant didn't come ...
And Gratus finally started to think.
Go to him and say Peterson run for the hills. That he stunned you and ran away. And that you just woke up. So he probably ran away a moment ago. Nobody knows it was morning!
He got up and staggered to the door to Bryant's room and pounded it with his open hand. The second time he failed, stars exploded in his head and he had to hold on to the wall.
"Bryant, get out !" He grunted.
Something clicked and he heard Auror's muffled voice.
"Something happened?"
"Come on, goddamn it!"
A moment later the door opened and Bryant, wrapped in a robe, stepped out.
"What ... Oh shit! What happened?!"
Gratus felt a little better now, but decided to pretend not to.
"Peterson run away."
"WHAT?!"
"Don't yell!" He hissed and clutched his head. "Merlin..."
Bryant tugged Gratus by the sleeve into the living room.
"What exactly happened? And when?"
Gratus felt for the chair and slumped down on it, hiding his face in his hands just in case.
"I don't fucking know!" He sighed and began to speak in a flat voice. "Some time ago. I don't know what time. What time it is?"
"About eleven.
"Shit ... I don't know what time it was. Your wife called me from the kitchen, I went in... and all I remember is a cutting board. He hit me with it so much that he exploded my head... And I don't remember anything else..."
"Mia called for you?" Bryant asked, surprised. "Where she is? Mia ?!"
Gratus hissed and crouched down, hiding even more from him.
"She's not here."
"What does "she's not here" mean?!" There was clearly a sudden tension in Bryant's voice. "MIA!"
"Don't yell ! I just said that she is not here! "
Bryant jumped up and almost ran out of the living room. As Gratus waited for him, he smiled to himself, but hearing the some noises near the door made him look pained immediately.
"Where she is?!" Bryant growled.
"Shit, I don't know, how can I know where your wife is! Who am I, a fairy?!" Gratus jerked his head up. "You saw her in the kitchen! "
"But then I fucking stopped seeing anything! Maybe she ran away with Peterson?!"
Bryant walked slowly over to him and looked him closely in the eye.
"Why, when you knocked on our door, you shouted that WE should get out? After all, you saw her in the kitchen so you knew she was up?" He asked suspiciously.
Oh shit! Gratus had no choice but to follow the story further.
"I don't know, I didn't see her here so I thought she went to you."
"You thought ...?
Offense is always the best defense and Gratus knew that perfectly well. He twisted his face in a furious grimace and snapped back:
"Stop the fucking Auror talking, asshole. Maybe I'll fuck you in the head so you pass out and we will see if you wake up you'll be able to fucking think! I don't give a shit about your wife, I don't care where she is! All I'm interested in is Peterson! So come off me, or you will regret it!"
They started at each other for a long moment furiously and finally Bryant looked away. It seemed he had actually come off him.
"I do not know where she is. Maybe she run away with him."
"Mia wouldn't run away from me!"
„How do you know? Maybe Peterson had told her what was going on here and she was so scared she decided to run away?" it was a great time to sow doubts in him. "Maybe that bloody academic said that if she didn't get away, Tylor would kill her ?!"
Bryant's eyes widened and he straightened and looked around with fearful eyes.
„Shit ..."
"Better move and let's find them! Maybe they haven't made it through the Barrier yet?"
"Stop giving me orders! When Tylor finds out Peterson is gone, he'll gut your guts!"
"When Tylor finds out that your wife helped him and instead of watching her, you were keeping your ass under warm covers, you will join me, so shut your trap up and help me!"
„They say you're a security guard, Gratus, aren't you?!"
„Shell I fetch you the cutting board?!"
Spinner's End
11:45
"It was a brilliant decision to enforce Critical State" Hermione finally muttered, putting down the newspaper.
While Severus was reading all the Prophets one by one, the girl made him a light but nutritious breakfast, then sat on the other side of the table, picked up any issue and began to read, while watching the man in front of her from the corner of her eye.
He ate slowly, blindly picking up scrambled eggs with tomatoes and bacon, sometimes he drank tea and was clearly engrossed in reading. What surprised Hermione was that he was reading really slowly.
Merlin... he doesn't... forgot how to read ?! Maybe after the trauma he experienced in Azkaban? Or maybe he is exhausted?
She looked at him more closely, but saw neither the trembling of his hand, nor the rapid breathing, nor the sweaty forehead. And then Severus turned the page without looking at the plate, felt his fork and frowned hard, and it finally dawned on her. He was reading and trying to analyze everything at the same time!
This made Hermione hopeful that maybe he would still want to help her somehow solve this case, so she went back to reading as quickly as possible to bring up all the facts.
Once he finished today's Prophet, they discussed everything and there was a heavy silence for a long moment.
At the sound of her voice, Severus put down the last number, pushed his long hair away from his face, and rested his elbows on the table.
"Except no one said openly that this poison also appeared in Muggle world" the girl added.
Severus considered it for a moment. He forced himself to read all the articles, including Rita Skeeter's, and had to admit that the situation was dramatic. Shacklebolt's decision, very wise indeed, had negative effects as well, which was of course to be expected in a society where, in his opinion, there were more idiots than decent people.
Some wizards immediately rushed to Gringotts to exchange gold for pounds to buy food from Muggles. As a result, the value of the wizards' money took a dive and this was met with fierce protests from goblins. Other wizards simply robbed Muggle shops and warehouses and there were many cases of overt use of magic among Muggles.
Some were not content with satisfying their own needs, but ravaged farmlands and kidnapped live animals, to then organize public slaughter and sell fresh meat at horrendous prices, which, however, did not deter buyers. Quite often there were curses and duels between them.
Someone had spread a rumor that some Muggle drinks might have been poisonous because the water was drawn from the same sources as the wizard's, not recommended by the Ministry, so the very next day there were lots of fake Aquamagic water everywhere.
And of course, like mushrooms, sellers of "universal antidotes" appeared; they sold their stalls not only on Knockturn Alley, but also in Diagon Alley, Winding Alley and in Hogsmeade and offered "antidotes" for twenty galleons a bottle. As reported by the Prophet, most of them were just plain water.
People began to avoid each other, did not accept any meal nor drinks from others and some patients in the Clinic openly refused to eat or drink.
"Do you know if Muggles still have new poisonings?"
Hermione shook her head, but decided not to tell him that since Tuesday, when she discovered his kidnapping, she had been living in a different world. Severus hated pity and compassion and he would certainly have read her behaviour this way.
"I wonder ... What is his goal?" She shook her head helplessly. "At first we thought he had something against Muggles, but now he's poisoning wizards too. Victims are among purebred, half-blooded and Muggle-born. Children, women and men are dying... All classes and all genders."
Severus didn't answer, so she bit her lips and hesitantly added:
"Or maybe he is mad? A person who hates everyone in the world?"
"Mad? I don't think so" Severus immediately objected. "It's too ... thoughtful. Too well organized. A madman would attack once or twice. And he would make so many mistakes that they would catch him very quickly. This someone is poisoning Muggles and wizards and leaves no trace. He is elusive."
„You think ... he means something?"
Severus nodded and finished his tea, which had cooled completely.
"Yes. He has developed a plan and is implementing it. And we just don't know where we are in this plan."
It sounded so bad that it made Hermione shiver. In a day or two, they'll run out of food and what will they do? If they're lucky, they'll avoid the poison for a while, but sooner or later they'll come across it ... Just like everyone else.
Except they were lucky. They had an antidote. One vial only, but it was always something.
"I don't understand one thing" she said grimly. "How can HE be sure he won't come across poisoned food?"
"It is quite possible that he only poisons what he doesn't eat himself. Remember that we must avoid eating everything, but he knows perfectly well what products are poisoned."
"Or maybe for his safety he brewed a large dose of antidote? If he could brew poison, he could make himself an antidote."
Severus looked at her and suddenly a shadow of a thought flashed in his head and immediately flew away, leaving the impression that he should understand something. Something important. But what?! He felt he was close. He already had it!
Focus. Focus and you will find!
But more he tried to grasp that thought, farther he was from it. It was as if something had rubbed against him in the dark and immediately ran away. And now he remembered rather than felt a fleeting sensation of touch against his cool skin and he couldn't find it.
What it could be ...
The girl wanted to say something, but he waved his hand impatiently to silence her, closed his eyes and focused with all his might.
Maybe he brewed himself an antidote? If he could brew poison, he could make an antidote... We must avoid eating everything, but he knows what products are poisoned ... Or maybe he brewed an antidote ...? Maybe he only poisons what he does not eat ...
He felt he was turning around it, but still couldn't catch it! So he went back to their conversation and let his mind decide where to start. The first idea is almost always the right one, because it is our subconsciousness that suggest it.
Maybe he brewed himself an antidote? Possible. But he had to do it while Moon Water was still available ... WAS STILL available? Because then it ran out. Even at Powell's lab. And yet it was always available! Why was it suddenly missing? And why everywhere? It's a bit like someone buys everything that was ... But why? It would have cost a fortune ...
Was it what the murderer did? Specially? To keep us from brewing the antidote? Us - me or us - of all producers?
Then no one could do it ... And if someone could ...
Suddenly he remembered that Shacklebolt had been offering the inventor of antidote a mountain of gold! And the simplified procedure of the sixth Drop! This was even more important! The dream of every potion maker! Equal to dreams of recreating the Philosopher's Stone!
Suddenly thoughts started to flash in his mind, one by one, so fast that he couldn't keep up with all of them!
Could one of them have caused a wave of poisonings on purpose?! And then to find an antidote? That no one else could invent?! He took special care of it – he bought all Moon Water, the only ingredient that could not be replaced! The Minister promised the sixth Drop procedure ... That's why he waited and let people die! To sow panic! Because Shacklebolt had no choice ! And the Muggles? Why are Muggles in this?
„To test the poison! The bastard first tested the poison on the muggles and when he made sure it worked properly... he tested the antidote on them! This is why those people in Dublin survived!"
"... Pard... Who?!"
Severus's eyes snapped open and realized that he was speaking aloud. And the girl looks at him with wide eyes. But he couldn't stop himself, not now! He knew he was right, he was absolutely sure of it!
"Did you get your order list from Carcassonne?" He asked and began to explain quickly. "The murderer is one of the potions makers! He invented a poison and an antidote and tested both on Muggles. And then he began to administer it in our world, caused panic and forced the Ministry to make special concessions. And even if they hadn't offered the Sixth Drop, as the inventor of the antidote, he would have earned fame and eliminated competition entirely. And it was him who bought the entire supply of Moon Water to make sure that only he can "invent" it!"
Hermione nodded violently, following his explanations. All they needed was a list and they already knew who the killer was!
"I don't know if this list already arrived, but it should! I won't get it, but Gawain has promised to ask Octavia Banks and give it to me!" Hermione jumped up from her chair and... cursed under her breath. "Today is Sunday!"
Severus stood up as well.
"Send him a Patronus! Tell him to give us this list! Immediately!"
Hogsmeade, Rufus Haehner Manor
12:00
This time the meeting was held in a smaller group. At Stefan Tylor's appeal, Rufus invited him, Alex, Powell, Been and Jenkins to his manor house and they all sat on soft chairs around a small table. This time, no one touched to any alcohol or even water, which perfectly illustrated the paranoia into which all wizards had fallen.
"I asked Rufus to get only you, not those granny muggle liquor dolts" Tylor said, leaning forward and resting his hands on his knees. "We need to talk seriously. I will eat my wand that each of you has discovered that for the antidote you need Moon Water, which is nowhere to be found. So the question: what are we doing? Can this damn thing be replaced with something?"
"Did you somehow get in touch with Snape?" Powell asked immediately.
"If I did, I would probably be dancing around the steaming cauldron now" Tylor replied sarcastically. "You were right, the son of a bitch doesn't answer the owls."
Alex pursed her lips at the curses, but Tylor wasn't going to care. Suddenly, Rufus spoke.
"At what stage is this Water added?"
They all looked at each other for a moment, then Tylor spoke.
"Before the half process. We can start brewing the base, but we won't get very far."
"What's the next ingredient?"
"Glumbumble treacle."
Rufus was pretty good at brewing potions, so he knew treacle had an alkaline pH. Two components of similar pH have been added very rarely one after the other. And he guessed that it was not only about balancing the excruciatingly acid bundimun secretions.
"So what is it with this Water that we cannot use ordinary one?"
„It's not about reaction, it's about energy" Alex said. "Sunlight significantly reduces the energy of water and at the same time weakens the healing effect of all potions. And the moonlight is only its reflection. Moon Water is exposed to moonlight the night before and the night after a total eclipse, so it's incredibly rich in energy."
"And this poison is so strong that, in add to the additional ingredient, it needs tremendous energy to overcome its effects" added Jenkins.
"When is the next total eclipse?"
"In mid-May, so we should have it by the end of June, but of course provided those two nights are clear" Alex explained immediately.
"That's why this crap is so expensive" Tylor added.
Rufus cursed softly under his breath.
"Exactly" said Powell.
Alex brushed some lint from the sleeve of her dress and instinctively adjusted the unwrapped cuff.
"Are there any other ingredients that have a lot of energy? Maybe it could be possible to modify the recipe completely? You know what I mean. For example, to replace Snargaluff pods with Shrivelfig... although you would probably need to add a little aconite..."
Been leaned forward and nodded.
"Maybe not necessarily an Shrivelfig , Alex, but I can see what you want to say. Very good idea. Let's make a list of all the ingredients and list all of them that have similar properties at the same brewing stage."
"You could also try to imbue porcelain or diamond cutting knives with energy" added Rufus. "It wouldn't completely affect the composition of the antidote, but maybe it could replace the energy of the Moon Water?"
"Do you have a blackboard and chalk somewhere?" Powell asked. "We will not lose the time on scribing on parchment, then it's hard to correct, the blackboard will be better."
Rufus immediately stood up and nodded at the others.
'Of course. Let's go to my lab, but don't look at... the disorder" he smiled shyly.
Alex gave him a reassuring look.
"Mr. Heahner, don't worry. We have a more serious business than judging your order."
They all went down to the basement, sat down at a table piled high with dozens of beakers, empty vials, bottles and jars and Tylor began writing a list of ingredients on a large black board.
St. Mungo's
The office of the Head of Healers
12:00
Mathias left Ang with Neumann and apparated to the Clinic to Dr. Roberts. By now, a woman should become familiar with the magical conditions and be able to tell what is missing so that Muggle treatment can be applied in the Clinic. Besides, he didn't want to risk her life and let her eat something in the wizarding world.
He apparated at the backyard of the Clinic, almost ran up the back staircase to the first floor and without slowing down, walked to the door and knocked loudly.
"Please come in!" he heard a soft voice.
He pushed the door open and walked over to greet his supervisor. And for the first time he had the shadow of a smile on his face.
"So what?" Carpenter asked. "Sit down, you look like you're about to fall over."
Mathias sat back and nodded his head a few times, gasping for breath.
"They can help us ... Though they'll have to bring here somehow some of their equipment... we still need to talk to Dr. Roberts... to be sure. But Professor Neumann thinks it will work."
Carpenter checked his watch.
"When can they start?"
"Unfortunately, it will take a while. The shadow of the smile instantly faded from Mathias's face and a painful grimace appeared. "They can start tomorrow morning. Today they have to collect everything they need, I can't tell you what."
Carpenter didn't reply, just lowered his head, so Mathias straightened up in alarm.
"Sergius ...? What's happening?" He asked, his heart racing.
"Mathias ... I'm sorry, but ..."
"But ... ?!"
"They admitted Harry to the Ward last night. And Ginny Weasley. I know you know them well ..." Mathias gasped.
„Merlin ... ! What is their…?!" Merlin, let this be just the beginning ... Let them just have a headache ...
"They won't survive until morning."
Mathias tucked his hands in his hair, yanked it and howled in a choked voice.
"I'm really sorry" Carpenter said and leaning towards him, he squeezed his shoulder. "If it can comfort you in any way... I have them taken good care of."
"I have to see them" Mathias said dully. "Where are they? In my ward?"
„Yes. Go and I'll get Dr. Roberts."
Mathias didn't reply, just ran out of the office and ran upstairs. He had to find out for himself, otherwise he will never believe !
But as he passed his wand over them, the last hope he still had died. Some of their internal organs have already started to dissolve, causing bleeding in the abdomen. So far, the lungs were still not impacted, but he had already found some small clots in their stomach. Soon they will start vomiting, so it won't be possible to put them to sleep anymore and only the Pain Killer and the Imperius will be left. And the painful awareness that the end is coming.
He rose slowly and, in a trance, went downstairs to the external dispatch office, chose two owls and wrote two short notes. One to Gawain Robards, the other to Hermione.
He knew the girl was forced to go into hiding, but she had to know. It was all he could do - for her and for them. And for himself.