A/N: Dears, in this chapter I had to deal with English slang and in add used by a drunken man... I tried my best but if somebody finds it could be done better, has an idea how to improve it and wants to help me, I will be very glad!
Published 15th of November, 2020
Derby,
South of Howden Dam
At the same time
Peter tried not to pay attention to the steady growl, something that moved rhythmically across the glass in front of him and the noise somewhere ahead. To increase even a bit his sense of security he clutched the uncomfortable handle with his left hand and forced a happy smile. The man sitting next to him leaned back, reached for another beer and the „car" danced along the road.
„Don't be afraid, Johnnie" He assured him immediately. "With me! Nothing has never-rever haPPPened to anyone on the world! I tell you! You are safe here, as snug as a bug in a rug! Wanna drink another wallop? * Suck it, I'm telling you, this stuff is my fave booze! (* Wallop – eng. Slang = bear, fave - favorite, booze - alcohol)
The man who called himself Bas had long, thick, puffed tufts of hair on his head, dark glasses and, worst of all, he was almost completely drunk. Plus, he was constantly smoking something that had a sweet, herbal smell.
Bas saw Peter on the road and offered to drop him wherever he wanted, helped him get in the „car" and "fasten his seat belts", proving that it was a very important safety feature. If something happened, the belts would hold him in place because they would not unfasten.
Although it seemed terribly stupid to Peter to sit in the little can that was flying along the way and strap himself in with something that would not open if something happened, but he didn't argue, just let Bas fasten it on him.
"Well, you know FINally, where we are gonna go? Cos * I, Johnnie, will droPP you EVERYWHERE !, but it must be somewhere. You got it, when There'ss NO SOMEWHERE, you canna get there!" (*Cos - because)
"To London" said Peter for the tenth time.
"Oh! To London! Why didn't YOU say so? Cos I turned wrong way! Just like women! Johnnie, I'll tell you SeeCRET, but don't tell anyone, cos you know..." Bass puffed on hard and blew out a cloud of smoke. "Women are STUPID because they have long hair! And we, men, you know, we gotta stick together. That's why I wanna give you Everything, dude! Check out for my peanuts, somewhere on back, this grub is dope!* So tell me finally cause I still duno*?! Where we gonna go?" (*grub - meal, dope - great, duno - do not know)
Stunned by the steady growl, the drunkard's raving and the strange smoke, Peter tried to find the peanuts obediently.
At first he wanted to get out of here somehow, but whenever he pulled the straps away, the belts tightened again. After a few tries, he gave up and decided to hold on.
After all, Bas was going to drive him to London and he was sure that Tylor and Gratus were already looking for him. Everywhere. But certainly not in this movable can.
Spinner's End / Ministry of Magic
12:15 pm
"Either you stop turning around all the time, or I'll help you" Severus snapped at Hermione, who was constantly pacing between the fireplace and the couch.
„Where can we meet him?" Hermione replied, stopping pacing to look at him. It never dawned on her that he said anything. "In Cokeworth, or just outside your house?"
Severus didn't intent to show to the Auror even the approximate location of his house, so he denied it.
„In Manchester."
„But it's far! It would be easier here!| Hermione objected and headed towards the fireplace.
Severus whipped his wand and the girl landed on the chair with a groan.
"I would like to remind you what I said recently. That we are at my home and it is me who decide here" he said in a low voice. "So sit here and don't move. And it would be very nice of you if you also spare me your pointless talk."
Hermione bit her lower lip and held back a response. That a few days ago it didn't bother him that she spoke up.
Severus looked away from her and ran his narrow finger along the black wand and at that moment a silvery Bear jumped out of the wall, sat down in front of them and spoke in the voice of Gawain Robards.
"Unfortunately I cannot deliver your order list from Carcassonne, because I have already returned it to Mrs. Banks. Besides, due to the danger, only trained Aurors can deal with the matter. But I can assure you that yesterday I personally read this list and found nothing disturbing about it."
Then he lunged out the window in one leap.
Hermione just ran out of breath for a brief moment and boiled with anger. They were so close, just a stone's throw away and again, due to some absurd idea, they had to look for another way to move on! People are dying! So stop invent stupid excuses and but hurry up !
"Goddamn it!" she slammed her fist on the back of the chair. "THIS-IS-SICK! Insane!"
Severus grimaced in fury. Well said.
"We have to explain everything to him!" The girl continued. "Let's meet at the Ministry as soon as possible! Let's ask him give it to us ...! Expecto Patronum!"
"Expelliarmus!" Severus grabbed her wand and ignoring the silvery Otter that appeared nearby, he leaned sharply towards her. "I'll say it one last time, Granger! It's not up to you to decide! Let it finally go to your empty..."
"We can't wait ..." Hermione protested, pushing herself into the back of the chair.
"Do not interrupt me! You will not explain anything to anyone. Is it clear?"
He wasn't going to ask Robards for anything. Since Robards has decided to take them away from this case, he will not change his mind. And even if he finds out what's going on, he won't let them take care of it. And he'll screw it up like the Aurors always screwed up everything. Unless Hermione Granger takes care of it.
Hermione jumped up from her chair. If he doesn't want to help you, he can get stuffed!
"I'm going on Grimmauld Place!"
Another flick of the wand and something tugged again and pushed her into the chair.
"I told you you wouldn't go there."
"Severus, I can't just wait until Monday!" She jerked, giving him an angry look.
"Stop talking and listen! Do you know how Banks secures her office?"
Hermione, who was ready to try to get up again, froze.
"No, of course not. After all, I am ... I was just an external civil employee of the Ministry!" She snapped and seeing a warning gleam in his black eyes, forced herself to hold back. "But Harry told me that some offices are closed only with Colloportus."
Listening to her carefully, Severus grimaced.
"I don't think Banks is not protecting her office. Perhaps this is what the Registration and Services Office employees do, but certainly not her."
He looked down at the worn carpet, trying to remember all the precautions that were currently in place in the Ministry. It was still accessible, but the internal security system automatically recognized the wizard by his wand and recorded in special Registers who, where and at what time entered and left the building. The Security Department could also monitor the wizarding movements within the Ministry, but this supervision was presumably disabled during the working day. Except today was Sunday, so whatever way they enter and wherever they go, they'll appear on the Security Department Records. But they won't find it out until Monday at the earliest. And only Hermione Granger will appear, you have second wand. So bugger it.
„Well?" Hermione urged him.
Severus jerked violently and returned to reality.
"Just because Banks has protected her office with some wards doesn't mean I can't break them. They don't want to give us this list, so we'll take it ourselves."
"Now?!" Her eyes widened in sudden hope.
„You were in a hurry a moment ago."
"Of course I'm in a hurry!" Hermione jumped up from her chair and held out her hand to him. "My wand."
"Provided you will listen to me from now on. In everything."
Hermione hesitated and shook her head.
"Luckily, I didn't listen to you sometimes." That is the only reason why you are still alive and free now.
They both looked at each other for a moment, each apparently thinking of the moment when she told him not to give up and hope. Finally Severus nodded reluctantly and handed her back his wand.
"Everything you do has to be thought out. No stupidities."
She smiled at that, so he decided to get her off pedestal.
"Come on, get changed."
"... I'll change?"
"Stop asking those idiotic questions all the time" he huffed and headed for his bedroom. "You will. Before we get to the Ministry, we will use polyjuice."
Holding back a few more questions, Hermione followed him. But as he stuffed her hands with men's underwear, socks, long men's trousers and a large men's shirt and jacket, she stared at him.
„Shell I transform... into a man?"
Severus shrugged. "
You don't suspect me of transforming into women, do you? Move your head. I only have male hair for polyjuice. Men who were about my size."
Hermione imagined herself with a mustache... and more than just a mustache and hesitated. "Besides" Severus added, smiling viciously, "if you had a stupid idea to turn into a cat, you will find turning into a man less... embarrassing."
The girl gave him a furious look, almost tore his clothes off and, tilting her head up, headed for the bathroom.
Madam Pomfrey said she wouldn't tell anyone ! So how the hell does he know ?!
She took off her bra, changed into much oversized clothes and decided to use the toilet just in case.
Five minutes later, holding her trousers around her waist Hermione tossed a long blond hair into a glass full of thick mud. The potion bubbled violently and almost instantly turned into pale pinkish water. "Are you sure it was really a guy?" She asked Severus, who was standing next to her, already transformed into a young boy with long brown hair, smiling green eyes and a cheeky mustache.
"Hurry up, I don't have all day" he snorted instantly.
"Start smiling, otherwise they'll recognize you" Hermione advised him, took a long sip and froze in anticipation.
The potion tasted sweet. That was all she could tell, because suddenly all her insides swirled in her and she dropped the glass involuntarily and grabbed her belly. She didn't even have time to breathe as all her limbs stiffened, then a sharp pain shot through her that her eyes filled with tears... and suddenly it was all over.
She opened her eyes and held out her hand. It was big, wiry and... foreign. She reached for her face and immediately felt her mustache and beard... Merlin...! I'm a man...!
„Hello, Mr. Henry Parker."
The green eyes looked really smiling this time, so she didn't dare reach elsewhere to be sure, but grimaced in disgust.
"Come on" she growled in a low bass and grabbed her lips. She wanted to add that she didn't have all day, either but her voice terrified her.
Severus set his wand down on the table and took the other one he had used a lot of time and that remembered his magic, then summoned the box of Floo powder. For a while he planned to get to the Ministry by an external elevator, but since the girl had to hide and every visit, even in disguise, whether in magical or Muggle world, was a risk, he decided to use the Floo network. The areas protected by Fidelius Spell were marked as Unplottable and no one could discover where they had come from. Normally he wouldn't have chosen to use it anyway, but this time he might have made an exception.
He threw a small handful of Floo powder into the fireplace where the fire has gone out, green flames burst into it immediately and showed her to go first.
„Gentlemen, first" he said ironically.
Hermione cleared her throat and, jumping into it, called out:
„Ministry of Magic!"
Moments later, she jumped out into the Atrium and moved away hastily to make room for Severus. He came out of the fireplace a few seconds later, brushed off his jacket and looked around.
The Atrium looked completely different when it was empty. Just a few glowing cristal bubbles floated lazily in the air, only every fourth torch was lit on the wall and the dark floor and dark shiny paneling made a terrible impression. The ceiling was dark, too - apparently during the weekend the golden symbols disappeared and only thanks to the deep echo one could guess that it was high above the head. Not even the Fountain of Magical Brethren was visible, only a faint splash of water came from the darkness.
"We're going to the elevators" he murmured to Hermione.
It was the first time Hermione found the way to Level Two so terribly long. At the thought that they were about to KNOW, just in a moment, she wanted to push that still, lazy box!
And the fact that her body was distracting didn't make things any better. Her long arms and legs disturbed her, this damn beard tickled... And even though she just left the bathroom, she had the impression that she wanted to pee again!
She counted to twenty, but it felt like twenty minutes, not seconds. The elevator stopped with a sharp jerk, a woman's voice resonated and the grille moved aside scraping loudly.
"Level Two, with the Improper Use of Magic Office, the Auror Headquarters and the Security..."
Hermione jumped out first and... literally bumped into the guard who emerged from the right!
„Oh! Goddamn world !"
The surprised man took two steps back, rubbed his forehead and stretched his wand in front of him.
„You two. What are you guys doing here?"
Severus pushed his wand aside with one movement of his hand.
„Good morning. We have something to do at the Office. Henry, run, Marcus won't wait!"
Hermione, who was also rubbing the face where the visor of the guard's hat had stabbed painfully, started forward, but the man blocked her way.
„Stop, gentlemen! Who are you and where do you want to go. If I find you on the list of announced people, I will let you in, and if not, you will politely come back to your place and wait calmly for tomorrow."
He looked extremely confident, so Severus thought he needed a little intimidation.
"Maybe YOU better come back to YOUR place politely and wait quietly until we leave here. And quickly, because we are in a hurry."
"Names, please" the guard pulled a list from his pocket and Hermione felt that she couldn't swallow, her big hands sweating terribly.
"Goddamn it" Severus growled. "Put that paper away, man! There are people you won't never find on any of the lists!"
The older man hesitated visibly, glancing instinctively down the long corridor leading to Section M I Trx, which was wreaking havoc on all Ministry staff.
"Exactly" Severus snapped his fingers. "I see you understood. So get out because I don't like to repeat!"
And ignoring him completely, he walked down the dark corridor. Hermione immediately followed him.
The Section of Regularization and Authorization was on a completely different side, so as soon as they heard the scrape and rattling of chains, Severus glanced over his shoulder and stopped.
"He's gone."
Hermione let out a long, deep sigh of relief.
"Merlin" she said and hearing her low voice, she added immediately in a whisper. "It was brilliant! I was already afraid that he would throw us out of here!"
"So where exactly is Banks' office?" Severus did not comment on it. "Lead me, fast, before that fool starts looking for us and finds out that they've reorganized the entire Ministry overnight."
Hermione didn't know any shortcuts, so to not get lost, she went back to the elevator hall and from there she made it without any problems to the door of Octavia Banks' office.
"Here it is" she showed him a solid, black door, closed with an ornate gold handle.
"Stand behind me" he ordered her. "And don't talk."
Ignoring her expression, he went to the door, placed his left hand on it and tapped very softly on it with his wand.
"Ostendus" he whispered and closed his eyes.
At first he sensed nothing and started to be surprised when the wood where he was touching became hotter, warmth seeped into his hand and slowly climbed all the way to his shoulder, then slipped into his head.
There was a lot of various spells that could be used to close rooms. Some consisted in setting up a magical barrier, others, much more primitive, in setting up a magic cage. There were also spells to create a vacancy, to change partially dimensions, to distort reality, to dematerialize a given area, or simply protect it with a Shield.
Ostendus was an revealing spell. Of course, it did not reveal the security word or transfer to another dimension... it just allowed to discover what type of spell was used, based on the principle of the reflected spell. Magic has always left traces and you only had to be able to find and read them correctly.
He'd done this many times before, so he knew what to expect. This time he felt the strong vibrations of the wood, repeating rhythmically - it came and went, then came back again, with the same rhythm and with the same force. He waited a moment to be sure, but nothing had changed.
This eliminated any changes to the space behind the door, because in that case the vibrations would eventually disappear, unable to rebound from it. He took a deep breath, trying to relax and had the impression that he sensed it behind the door.
"Now it will be much better for you if you don't look" he said to the girl.
„Why?"
"Because the spells I need to cast now are bordering on black magic. And stop asking idiotic questions all the time."
Hermione gasped at the sensation. Black magic ? Merlin, does he want to use dark magic?
They were in the Ministry of Magic, just next to Auror Headquarters and he was going to use black magic ! And she was supposed to let him do it! God, girl, you must be completely crazy...
She bit her lips hard, scratched the short, bristly beard and suddenly realized that since long time they were gone beyond what she had once considered normal.
At least she might not look at it!
"I ... will watch. As if the guard was about to come back" she muttered and without waiting for an answer, she walked towards the elevator hall.
Severus just shrugged. And very well, she will not disturb you.
He pointed his wand at the door and muttered the first, softest spell to destroy the magic cage.
"Detruire praesidium protectus."
The wand vibrated and a red beam of light burst out from its end. Severus outlined the edges of the door with it, but nothing happened. So not a cage.
Since the magical barrier was based on recognizing magic in people who were allowed to pass through it, he assumed that Banks wasn't using it. At the Ministry, there could always be a need to enter her office, which the Barrier ruled out. She must have given a spell and security word to the Security Department register, she could change it from time to time, but she couldn't write in the Barrier magic of half of the Ministry's employees, because creating it would be completely pointless. Therefore it had to be a Shield.
Having no idea how exactly Banks conjured the Shield and not wanting to risk the woman detecting his incurion, Severus decided to freeze it for a short time. This was one of the reasons why this spell smacked black magic - it allowed someone to remove someone's wards temporarily and left no traces. He took a deep breath a few times and tried to gather all the magic inside him.
"Tempus finite protego locus!"
He didn't aim well and the white beam from the wand hit the lower right corner, so he swiftly moved it to the edge between the doorframe and door and hastily, though carefully, traced the borders. As he continued his movement, the Shield resisted just a little bit and fiery red streak followed the beam and faded a few seconds later, like the tail of a comet haring across the night sky.
He climbed on his fingertips to run the beam across the top of the door, ran all the way down, and followed it across the ground to where he started. There the beam leapt forward, not stopped by the protective magic.
To be sure, Severus touched the door with the back of his hand, ready to jump back if it burned him, but it was only very warm. No wonder, it's just the Authorization Office, not the Minister's office, Wizengamot, Auror's office, or those fools from Section M I Trx!
He pressed the handle and the door opened lightly.
„Was that black magic?" The girl asked, leaning over his shoulder.
"If I'm not mistaken, you said you were going to watch?"
Once inside, Severus closed the door with his spell, cast the Muffliato, turned on the light and looked around.
The desk, chest of drawers and cabinet on the opposite side groaned under piles of papers.
"Accio Carcassonne order list" Hermione pronounced clearly and when nothing happened, she tried otherwise. "Accio Liste des commandes de Carcassonne. Accio Rapport de vente de Carcassonne! Accio Réponse de Magasin Central d'Ingredients de Classe A et B pour Europe de l'Ouest !"
But nothing happened! Shit! What did you expect?
„You know French?" Severus asked, surprised.
Hermione just nodded and walked quickly to the other side of the large desk.
"Start with the chest of drawers, I'll check the desk. Octavia does not like to put in cabinets documents of cases that are not fully settled" she explained and, starting to move the papers, she continued. "When she puts something away, she forgets about it immediately and nothing help, either reminders, magic cards nor a calendar. That's why there are so many documents on top. Look for a thick envelope, possibly a thick bundle of documents, attached an inch from the top left corner. The French like to write letters with flourishes. In add, it will be something you don't understand, so you'll immediately notice it."
Severus immediately began going through the first pile of papers on the left, then, following her advice, took the second and the next one. The girl quickly dug through a large pile on the very edge, pushed it away and started checking the next one and for a long moment the only noise was the rustle of parchment folded and moved.
List of calls for the meeting opening the Qualification procedure for a publishing house, calendar of audits and inspections, lists of persons authorized to present literary awards, rules for proof-reading textbooks for high schools, request for approval to postpone examinations checking employees of alternative medical structures, a proposal of nine forbidden magical creatures, some... something...
"I HAVE!" Severus exclaimed. "Carcassonne! Report de koma…"
Hermione dropped the pile of envelopes and immediately jumped up to him.
"Great! Give me that!" She grabbed the papers from him and began to read quickly.
"Put it on your desk!"
He didn't know French, but he knew the names of the ingredients perfectly well. Hermione immediately spread the pages from side to side and they both almost stuck their noses into them.
"L'eau Lunaire...L'eau Lunaire ..." he didn't know which one was whispering, or whose fingers were sliding over the pages. "Here!"
"Here too!" Hermione gasped. "And here... and here...!"
Their fingers ran over the adjacent columns and Severus froze in shock and disbelief.
He knew that ANY name would surprise him. He knew these people, some of them better, some others worst and as long as the murdered was just a matter of conjecture, he could suspect them all. But now there was no doubt about it.
Rufus Haehner's Manor
1:10 pm
In addition to the replacement ingredients of the antidote, the board was full of comments and question marks about the quantity, brewing time or the process itself. After long, heated discussions, they managed to come up with an alternative ingredient list, but were still unsure that the antidote would work.
"I don't see a problem with brewing, but the question is whether it will have enough power to overcome this poison" Jenkins sighed.
"Even with the Energy spells on the cauldron?" Tylor scratched his head again.
Rufus, pacing slowly from the blackboard to the door and back, reached for his glass cauldron and examined it closely.
"Even if we cast more spells on it, the glass just won't absorb them. With these proportions, it will be oversaturated with energy."
Been went over to the board and looked at the numerological equations again. They belonged to the Fourth Higher Numerological Theory and were very complicated, so when Powell was counting, he could barely keep up with him.
„We need someone with great power. The more power the brew has, the stronger will be brewing result will be. And the more focused he is on the whole process of course."
Alex opened her mouth as if to say something, but closed it almost immediately and flushed as she lowered her head. Knowing the woman's irritability, Rufus looked around to see if someone had made some insulting comment, but they were all completely engrossed in the equations and notes on the blackboard, and no one paid any attention to her.
He looked again at Alex, who now had even red ears and ... suddenly understood! It was so obvious!
Everything was related to the moon! The phases of the moon affected not only werewolves but all living organisms! The body's immunity weakened during full time, the risk of hemorrhages increased and the wounds healed worse, while during the new moon people had more energy, strength and immunity.
Apart from werewolves, women were the most susceptible to the phases of the moon. All primitive peoples associated menstruation with the new moon for a reason! The new moon was a time of purification and the beginning of a new cycle.
Rufus suddenly remembered the stories of an Indian friend from the Salem Academy who had told him that among Indians, women who have their period are called "women on the moon." They don't participate in the sage smoke purification ritual because they don't need it. They're Pure. They are Sacred. Just as they don't need a ritual of building up power, because they already have it. Much more than anything or anyone could give them. That's why in the old days, menstruating women didn't work, they just spent their time in the "monthly lodge" so that their blood could soak into the ground and in this way they could transmit some of their power to other living creatures.
Forces.
ENERGY.
If any of them had a greater chance of brewing the antidote, it would be a woman who had her period! Besides, they were just incredibly lucky. A full lunar eclipse was just a few days away. If they give the antidote brewed by a menstruating woman during a total eclipse, the chances of healing these people are even greater!
Suddenly Alex looked him straight in the eye, but before he could react, the woman grabbed her mouth and covered her face with her hands.
"Excuse me. I am so sorry. For a while!" Her voice gave out and she jumped as quickly as possible from the chair and fell into the corridor. The click of her heels was still audible for a moment.
"What's wrong with her..." Powell began, then stopped suddenly.
"Rufus ...?" Tylor raised his eyebrows and nodded at the door. "Does she...?"
Jenkins didn't catch it, but Been did.
"Exactly. Gentlemen" confirmed Rufus with emphasis on "Gentlemen".
"Exactly what?" Jenkins whispered to Been.
He didn't notice it, but gasped and slumped back against the backrest.
"So we have another problem. Who will ask her when she will have her period?" He looked meaningfully at the ceiling.
"Let's hope she's not pregnant" Powell muttered and the rest of them gave him pitying glances.
Tylor went to the blackboard and tapped the equation with his finger.
"It doesn't matter when she should get it. We can't wait. She will need to induce it with a Sneezewort Potion. Immediately. How fast does it work?"
Neither of them had much experience in this field, but in theory, the female body should respond within a few hours.
"Rufus, catch her and talk seriously" Tylor decided.
"Why me?! "
"Because we're at your place. Besides, we have something else to do. I suggest we start preparing the base for the antidote as soon as possible, the sooner Alex starts brewing the better."
He gestured for the rest to the door and smiled reassuringly at Rufus.
"I believe you can do it."
Rufus nodded reluctantly and everyone began to gather to leave.
"I'll let you know by the owl. Where will you be?"
Tylor looked at them all briefly.
"We can be with me, my lab is just steps away. What do you say? Tim? Leoncius? Barby?"
The others exchanged glances - it was obvious that Tylor's offer did not suit them well. It was easy for Rufus to see why.
The Minister's proposal. The gold and the Sixth drop to the one who brews the antidote. And at the moment, Tylor was indisputably a leader.
"I guess it's best if you start brewing here" he interjected. It was a neutral place and no one could feel favored. "I'm going to go talk to Alex now, and you guys stay here."
Relief showed on the faces of the three men and although Tylor did not look pleased, Rufus nodded to them, cleared his throat uncertainly and went out into the corridor.
Alex stood at the far end, peering through a cobwebbed window into his storehouse of ingredients and potions. Rufus walked slowly over to stand beside her, but didn't look at the woman.
"Alex..." For a moment he searched for words that were suddenly missing. "I don't want to be tactless, so I won't be asking directly."
He could tell by her breast rising and falling rapidly that the woman was crying. Or she was completely panicked.
"In ... three weeks" she whispered, turning her head away from him.
Rufus grimaced terribly and quickly mastered it.
"We can't wait that long. It would be best to brew the antidote exactly on the day of a total lunar eclipse, which is a few days from now, but we can't even wait for that."
In response, Alex just nodded and wiped her cheek with the back of her hand.
"Will you do it?"
For a moment the woman didn't answer and Rufus froze. How the hell was he going to convince her to take that goddamn potion if she didn't want to ?! After all, he will not tie her and force it into her mouth!
"Yes" she said finally and added, clearly trying to control herself, but her voice still trembled and broke. "But ... under one ... condition. No one ... will ... see me ... leave me alone. Let no one ... look… at me."
And she pressed her face to the corner and burst into tears.
Rufus didn't dare even touch her. He swallowed hard and sighed with relief.
„Of course, Alex. You will be brewing in your lab. None of us are going to disturb you. Shall I ... escort you to the door?"
She shook her head sharply, so he bowed low to her.
"Then ... I'll leave you alone. And ... And ... thank you very much. We are all in your debt."
Then he turned and walked away as quickly as possible.
London,
Purge and Dowse Ltd
At the same time
„Johnnie! We' here!" Bas shouted happily.
Through the monotonous growl and the terrible gurgling and screams that came from the radio, a terrible squeal was heard and Peter fell forward and struck his head into a sort of black shelf, piled high with empty cans, Muggle food wrapper, and cigarette butts.
"Johnnie, come ON! Hey, man! Deafie? I tom-tom* you here you wanted, do you?!" Peter heard the owner of the car. "COS you said LONdoN! S'go, Johnnie! ShoP-Pin', ShoP-Pin', yeaaaAAAAAAH!" (*tom-tom – GPS, also to locate, here – to bring to destination)
Peter straightened up slowly and tried to touch his face gently. His forehead hurt, but it looked like he hadn't broken anything.
Bass next to him finished yawping, began to fumble with the belt, which was not supposed to open, but after a while it came open. He reached for something from the other side, the car door swung open and Bas flew out. For a while he tried to stand up and finally got to his feet and staggered toward the filthy window, behind which stood a naked woman's mannequin.
"Mam'dam ! Please, MiSS! He leaned against the glass and tapped his hand on it. „We urgently need! Enter! NOW-tomorrow IMMEDIADETELY!"
Peter started to push the door, but it didn't open. The belts did not want to unfasten either! Holy shit, what if she let him in? He had never entered the Clinic that way, but he had heard from the stories that the mannequin was more stupid than a troll!
"You! Listen! Johnnie MUST!, got it, womAN?!" Bas roared. "You ass, you! Ashamed, you should be, to stand naked on eyes, on people!"
He stumbled towards the door and suddenly saw a note "Closed for Renovation." He stuck his nose to the glass, moved his hand over it for a moment, then suddenly straightened up and bowed forward, bowing so deep that he banged his head on a large door handle.
"Aaaah! If so, I apo-apolo-veryMuch you, Madam!"
Peter pulled on something sticking out of the side, something clicked and the door opened.
"Johnnie! Johnnie! We ARE outta here! Look! Lady says 's closed! CLO-SED, Johhnie, my!"
"Make him let go of me!" Peter growled, struggling with the black belt that still wrapped around him. Bass opened the door and tried to go in, climbing on Peter and he tried to pushed him out desperately.
"Johnnie! Come-c'mon! LET Go!"
Peter already hear these words.
"NO! PISS OFF! GET OFF ME!"
„Johnnie….!"
Peter pushed the stupid drunken pervert with all his strength until Bas fell down on the street and began to push his head and shoulders under the belt. Then somehow crept over on all fours to the other chair and slipped out onto the side, where there were many cars.
One of them stopped abruptly and a young boy leaned out of the window and stared at him in delight. "Jeez! They rock, guys!" He called to the rest.
Bass tried to climb out after Peter, so Peter quickly ran to the window and said quietly to the mannequin:
"Peter Peterson! I have a headache, I am vomiting, I have a fever and a broken leg!"
Bass had just turned on some kind of trumpet and a terrible howl flooded the whole area, so no one noticed that the mannequin nodded and that Peter had passed through the window and disappeared.
He remembered that Gratus had broken into Granger on Friday. But maybe she hasn't drink it yet, or maybe she's on Saturday or today. At least, he hoped the girl was still alive.
He did not know where she lived, but he heard that she worked at the Clinic. So even if she wasn't sick, he could still find her here.
He was going to tell her about Tylor and his plan and get out of here as soon as possible. Preferably to France. And there he will see what to do next.
St. Munga
3rd floor - Poisoning Department
1:15 pm
Paula perched on the edge of Ginny's bed, brushed a strand of red hair from her pale face and ran her wand over the sleeping girl's body. And immediately she left it and stepped back.
"I can't. Someone else must to it, please" she groaned pleadingly and, hiding her face in her hands, ran out into the corridor.
She couldn't, she just couldn't! What she saw just overwhelmed her, so she leaned back against the wall and slowly fell to the ground. And she waited.
She watched the people as they passed down the corridor, but it was as if she didn't recognize them. She only saw the color of the clothes and from them she could guess who was the Healer and who was the patient. And how many Healers are on this floor. Much more than patients.
Has it always been like this? Or was it just that bloody poison that turned this place from the clinic where people were healed into a mortuary?
She heard a groan from one of the rooms that almost immediately muffled the sound of vomiting, but she didn't react.
She had to wait. The longer, the better. Maybe if no one comes for a few days, it will mean that Ginny and Harry are still alive? These few days? Until someone finds that antidote?
The days passed faster than she could have wished.
"Paula ...? Ah, there you are" she heard Barney. He leaned against the wall and slumped down beside her. "We'll have to wake them up in a moment."
"Can we wait a little longer?" As long as they slept, at least they didn't think about the horror.
"In half an hour at the latest. Otherwise there is a risk that they will suffocate before they wake up. If you want, I'll do it" he suggested.
Paula shook her head.
"I know Ginny. Very well. Harry much less, but ... I can't leave them. Not at this moment."
"What are you going to tell them?" Barney asked, staring somewhere at the wall blindly. Situations like this have always been much harder to deal with when it comes to loved ones.
The woman found the same, invisible point on the wall.
"Maybe I'll just cast Imperius at them. So that they wouldn't think. I think. It is enough."
"Imperius can only be cast to ease the pain" the Healer said with plain, dead voice.
"I don't care what it can be cast for. Bugger it. All."
Someone walked past them and Paula instinctively looked at the torn, stained pants and by their color and at the way it moved she judged that it was neither a Healer nor a sick man. Probably someone visiting.