Reunion
The inn "Roter Phönix" had a backroom which Mary offered the Longbottoms for their meeting with Elke Neubert. Alice thought that this was the first in years that she had a chance to speak to Muggle-borns.
The Healer greeted them in a friendly manner. Alice was relieved that she was female and Muggle-born in a way because this made her very different from Rodolphus. Their profession and hair colour were the only things they had in common. And the Healer's Oath bracelet but Rodolphus hadn't worn this for ages. Madam Neubert's hair was a lighter shade of blond.
"I'm really glad you could make it," the Healer told them. "I have important news for you."
Neville looked at her quizzically. "Anything to do with work?"
He looked in Alice's direction. She could guess what he was thinking. He probably didn't understand why Neubert wanted to see her too.
"It is related to my work but it's not about it directly," she told them. "There's no point in beating around the bush any longer."
She looked at Alice and then back to Neville. "Your husband, your father has asked me to look for you."
Neville stared at the Healer open-mouthed while Alice needed a while to understand what she had said. Her husband, Neville's father?
"Frank's here?" she asked, disbelief in her voice.
"Yes, he is," Madam Neubert said. "And he's desperate for news about you."
"Is he? Took him long enough." Alice couldn't help feeling angry. She knew she should be happy because Frank was alive and she was but she was also angry. He had simply run away without looking back and now eight years later he wanted to know what had become of her. This was bit too late.
"Your husband believed you were dead," Madam Neubert explained. "He's been living in Muggle-Britain all those years and only returned to the magical world recently. Only then he learned that you were still alive."
"Why would he believe we're dead? Why would they leave him alive and kill us? It makes no sense," Alice said.
"He seems to have overheard a conversation among the Healers and has misinterpreted it. This isn't unusual in this condition, you probably know that too. He blamed himself for your death and seemingly didn't take any alternative option into account before he learned from exiled colleagues what truly happened."
Alice shook her head. "This is so like Frank." He had always been quick to jump to conclusions, especially if they involved his fears about something bad happening to his family come true. He had probably spent these eight years thinking he should have saved them without ever considering that they might not be dead at all.
"You are really sure it's him?" Neville wanted to know. He was pacing up and down the room agitatedly.
"Yes, we are sure. The Aurors questioned him under a Truth Spell and they have no doubts. He seemed completely believable to me as well when we spoke to each other."
"And I believed he didn't want anything to do with me anymore," Alice said. She remembered the time when she had tried to cast the Patronus Charm. Wasn't this true at all? Had she been wrong about this all those years? She could barely believe it yet. She needed to hear it from Frank himself before she could.
"No. He blames himself for your fate and believes that you don't want anything to do with him anymore because of that but I think that's not true either, is it?"
"No, of course not. It wasn't his fault," Alice said. "I chose to remain behind and help him fight them."
"I already tried to tell him that the Death Eaters are the only ones to blame, maybe you will be more successful."
"So we can see him? Today?" Alice asked. They had been separated for so long; she didn't want to wait much longer.
"This is really unexpected," Neville said hesitantly. "You asked us to come here because of my father? You never meant to start any cooperation between our hospitals?"
Neville couldn't be serious, Alice thought. Who cared about this stupid hospital cooperation? She would see Frank again and he would finally meet his father. Didn't he want that at all?
"Yes, you can see him today," Madam Neubert said. "We can talk about the cooperation too of course, Mr Longbottom. I mainly invited you because of your father though, I won't deny that. I didn't want to mention that he survived in case some Death Eater would read the letter."
"I'm sorry but I'm not sure if I can believe you," Neville said. "Where do you want us to meet?"
"I thought at the hospital," Madam Neubert said. "There are other Healers and security people there so you don't need to worry. I understand that you're nervous, knowing the society you come from. There's no reason to be though. If you'd prefer it, Auror Williamson could accompany us. He knows your father rather well and you as well if I remember correctly."
"Well, I don't think there's any need for that. We'll come to the hospital," Neville said reluctantly.
"Good. I'll send a message to your father than we can go," Madam Neubert said.
"Really Neville, what's the matter?" Alice asked. "Aren't you happy to hear that Frank made it to safety?"
"Of course I am. I'm still not quite sure if she's telling us the truth though. All those years, no one knew where he was and now he suddenly turns up here. It's strange, isn't it?"
"You've still got those things in your mind, Lestrange told you, haven't you?"
"I didn't forget it, no. You are an Auror. Haven't you been taught about "constant vigilance"? If something's too good to be true, it usually isn't. Not everything Lestrange says is unfounded."
To Alice, Elke Neubert's story did make sense. Why would she make up such a contrived plot to capture them? She could simply invite Neville to a private discussion about their healing magic and abduct him then if she was interested in doing so. Alice was sure that she would recognise Frank. They had gone through so much together, so she didn't doubt that, no matter how much his appearance might have changed.
"This is all so unexpected," Neville said. "Even if it's all true, I have no idea what I'm supposed to say to my father. I've never met him. Not really. According to Gran, he was perfect in everything. I'm not. He'll probably be disappointed to have a son like me."
"Neville, really," Alice said and put an arm around him. Did he still feel so unsecure? "You're a good Healer and can make everyone proud. Frank has never been perfect in everything of course. And he's only expecting it from himself, not from anyone else. Otherwise, he would never have married me."
Alice herself wasn't completely sure about Frank's reaction when he saw her. She looked much older and thinner now and much worse, she wasn't the woman she used to be anymore. So weak. Could he accept her like this? And what was he like now? Had he changed too? Probably, you didn't go through something like this unchanged. At least, he hadn't betrayed anything and he hadn't begged either. Not like her. There was no need to tell him about this right away though. Telling Neville had been bad enough but she thought it had been necessary.
Healer Neubert returned. "Let's go if you're ready," she said.
Frank stared at the pictures on the walls of the waiting room. Remaining seated at all caused him trouble and he kept wringing his hands. Frank was really glad that he was alone in the waiting room. He didn't want anyone to see him like this. Lee Jordan had been there as well but he had been called away by one of the Healers. Seeing other Gryffindor men coming here for therapy too was comforting in a way. He wasn't the only one who needed this. Williamson had done so, Lee Jordan did and they probably weren't the only ones. At the moment, he was more nervous than he considered acceptable though. What would Alice and Neville think of him if they saw him like this? She didn't know him like this at all and Neville? They had never really met. Maybe he would think that he would rather have had Lestrange for a father. The Death Eater seemed to attempt to fill that role in a way or at least that was what it sounded like. With everything he had heard of Neville, he almost seemed more like Lestrange's son. Interested in Herbology and healing magic, bad at Quidditch, growing into his magical powers late, the similarities were striking. It wasn't possible that he and Alice? Well, she certainly wouldn't have consented. He had already been a Death Eater at the time of Neville's conception. She had been captured a few times though. Who knew? Frank was certain Lestrange had wanted her, even back when he had treated her at the hospital. The way he used to look at her...
Before Frank could finish this line of thought, Healer Neubert arrived.
"Are you alright, Mr Longbottom?" she asked.
"Yes, of course." He hated that she needed to ask this in the first place. He had fought Death Eaters only a few weeks ago, he would be able to meet his wife and son.
"Good. I'll accompany you at first. Don't worry; I've already explained the most important things. You're wife really wants to see you, you're son's still a bit sceptical."
Frank took a deep breath. His thoughts about his son couldn't be true, could they? He followed Madam Neubert into the consultation room and tried to breathe calmly. Alice and Neville were alive, something he hadn't dared to dream of for so many years. He would see them soon. He should be happy rather than worried.
The Healer opened the door and they walked into the room. The two people already sitting there got to their feet. Alice wore lovely green robes with dark green leaves on them. Her hair was nicely styled as well but Frank's stomach clenched when he looked into her face. She was pale and unnaturally thin, her blue eyes deeply lined. Frank had looked similar right after he had fled from Saint Mungo's but the rehab and training for the police had changed this quickly. Alice still looked extremely frail as if a soft breeze could blow her away. No matter what she looked like, he knew it was her right away. He would always recognise her.
Frank had wanted to hug her but now she looked so delicate to him he was afraid she might break. So he only said her name. "Alice."
She looked at him and there was a hint of a smile on her face. "Frank, you're really there. I hope I'm not going to wake up now. I always do when I dream of the other Order members."
It was a very strange statement and it worried him slightly. "You're not going to wake up. I'm real. I'm so sorry. I should have made sure what has really happened. I couldn't think clearly. I was so sure I couldn't help you anymore. I would never have run away if I had known."
Alice nodded slightly. "Yes, Madam Neubert told me so. You probably couldn't have done anything anyway. You would have been stuck there with me, unable to do anything. Or they would have locked you up or worse."
"Oh Alice, I'm so sorry. It was all my fault." He could hardly bear looking at her knowing that she had suffered so much because of him. He had refused to talk, he had come home with the knowledge the Death Eaters were after, he had failed to take the necessary precautions, he had failed to look for her now.
"No, Frank, it wasn't your fault," Alice said more firmly. "It was the fault of the Lestranges and Crouch. Stop blaming yourself. That's your son, Neville by the way."
Her tone was slightly accusatory and Frank had to admit she was right. He had hardly dared to look at his son yet. Neville had inherited his mother's round face and hair colour but he also resembled Frank's father on the pictures from his younger years. His eyes had a warm, chestnut brown colour. Neville was definitely a Longbottom. Frank breathed with relief. One fear that hadn't come true. He was startled at how grown-up Neville looked though. Last time Frank had seen him, his son had been a toddler, now he was a grown man.
"Hello Neville. I'm sorry for ignoring you so far. It's just, your mother and I didn't see each other for so long and there's a lot we have to talk about."
"Of course," Neville said. "Did you really live like a Muggle all the time?"
"Yes, I worked as a Muggle police officer. I almost forgot who I really was most of the time. But then, I realised that I needed to do something and I left Great Britain."
"Could you do what you wanted?" Neville asked.
"Yes," Frank said. He wasn't going to share any details yet. Before that, he needed to know about Neville's true allegiances and he didn't want to involve Madam Neubert in the Horcrux-matter either.
They sat down and Neville asked. "I don't want to be rude or anything, but you really managed without a magical Healer right after you've left the hospital?"
"Well, there were Muggle Healers looking after me," Frank told him. "Their pain medication is quite good. I'm still taking Muggle stuff instead of Goldberry Leaf potion. They believed I had been shot in the head with a gun."
"What is a gun?" Neville asked curiously.
Madam Neubert couldn't help rolling her eyes very slightly at this utter lack of knowledge about the Muggle world.
"A gun is something Muggles use as a weapon. It fires small pieces of metal into other people very fast. Often deadly," Frank explained. "It's been my only weapon for about eight years."
"Ah, alright," Neville said.
"Muggle healing stuff really helps against the pain?" Alice asked.
"It's not perfect but it works alright," Frank told her. "It got better anyway. I usually don't get the really bad stuff anymore."
Alice sighed. Frank wondered if her health hadn't improved at all since she had left Saint Mungo's. Did she still have to endure all the pain, nightly convulsions and the like?
Frank knew that this question might cause bad feelings but he simply needed to ask it. He needed to be sure. "Neville, would you mind showing me your left arm?"
Neville's eyes flickered slightly but he rolled up his sleeve without hesitation. "I'm not a Death Eater," he said. "I work as a Healer and I'm sworn to neutrality. I'm treating everyone who needs my help."
Elke Neubert frowned, Frank could guess why. She had told him how Neville's work was exploited for the Death Eaters' propaganda and she had also told him that his son probably didn't realise this. The moment to tell him about it wasn't there yet.
"But you learned from Lestrange? Why?"
The look in the Healer's eyes clearly said something along the lines of: Do you really need to discuss this right now at the beginning of your first meeting? She didn't understand why but he did need to discuss it. He needed to know what Lestrange had done to draw him to his side and why he had chosen to trust him after all the atrocities he had committed against Neville's own parents and so many others.
"Well, he came to Hogwarts to teach for our seventh year," Neville explained. "After Harry's death. At first, we tried our best to stand up to him but it simply didn't work properly. In the end, we always looked like fools. More and more people gave up on it. I tried to continue but people didn't want to follow anymore. At some point, I simply knew I wouldn't achieve anything this way. I had always wanted to be a Healer and Lestrange offered to teach me. I thought it was the most reasonable thing to do. If I could help the sick, I would be able to make a difference even if fighting wasn't possible anymore. That's why I did it."
"And Lestrange has offered him our health as a price," Alice added.
Neville gave her a "was it really necessary to mention this now," look.
"He had found a potion to cure the direct effects of the Cruciatus curse back at Saint Mungo's but made sure it got lost when he had to leave."
"He didn't do this on purpose," Neville claimed. "The files just vanished for some reason."
Frank and Alice shared a look. Neither of them found this very plausible. There was more to Neville's relationship with Lestrange than pure calculation. Frank didn't doubt that and neither did Alice he was sure.
"So he offered you a cure for us if you cooperated with the Death Eater regime?" Frank summoned up.
Neville looked uncomfortable. "Yes, sort of, probably, maybe, yes, I think that's probably what he did."
"And you've really believed we'd want that?" Frank asked. "How did you imagine this? Did you really believe we'd both live happily in a world ruled by Voldemort?"
Alice nodded in affirmation.
"Yes, I thought you'd want to leave the hospital," Neville said. "The state you were in didn't seem to be very pleasant. I thought we could decide about the rest later."
"So you didn't really think this through at all?" Frank asked.
"Probably not really," Neville said with downcast eyes.
"Your son was seventeen when he was forced to make this decision," Madam Neubert said. "Maybe you would have chosen differently but try not to be too harsh on him. He wanted to do what he thought was best. There are situations where there is no obviously right decision. Would you really have preferred it if he had died a hero's death while you had remained at the British hospital?"
While Frank thought about her remark, Alice spoke up. "That's exactly what Lestrange said to me during this meeting!"
"My apologies, Mrs Longbottom. I didn't mean to remind you of that," the Healer said.
Meanwhile, Frank was plagued by another question. "Why are you meeting Lestrange?"
Alice sighed deeply. "This is a long story. Cutting it short, I'm on "probation" so they can decide if they admit me as full citizen and Lestrange is supposed to oversee this." She shuddered. "There has only been one meeting though. Don't worry, we've only talked."
"I am glad that I'm out of Saint Mungo's of course," Frank said. He didn't want to think the things Alice had just told him. She had to stay here too, away from Lestrange and all the others. "There are some important things I could do now and maybe I'll be able to do even more. The only thing that's worrying me is the price you have paid for it."
"You don't have to worry. I didn't have to do anything for the Death Eaters. I'm only treating patients, that's all," Neville said.
"I think we can leave it at that for the moment," Madam Neubert said. "You have all been forced to make decisions that weren't easy. This can't be changed now and accusations are futile. I'm sure no one here meant to harm other people."
"Yes, you're probably right," Frank conceded. Some of Neville's decisions were still hard for him to understand but they should really get to know each other better before he asked for details.
"How are things going for you at home? Do you have a girlfriend?"
"I'm married. She's called Hannah Abbott and we have two children, twins," Neville said.
Frank was startled by this news. "So I'm a grandfather."
"Yes, you are." Alice fetched something from her bag. "Look, that's them. Francis and Deborah."
Frank looked at the photograph. His grandchildren. He was already a grandfather and had never known before now. All this seemed so unbelievable. He had feared that the Longbottom family had been exterminated but instead, they had all survived and thought he was dead or had left them. The boy, Francis even looked a bit like Frank had at this age. The girl seemed rather shy; she stood half-hidden behind her brother. Frank wondered if Lestrange got near the children too but he heeded Madam Neubert's advice and didn't ask.
Neville and Alice told Frank about the children's lives and the tension began to lessen gradually.
"I think I can let you go off together," Madam Neubert said when the hour was over. "Take care and remember Mrs Longbottom, our house is always open for you too if you seek treatment."
Alice thanked her and they walked downstairs. "Where should we go next?" Neville asked. "The inn?"
"You could come to my flat," Frank suggested. "It's quieter there." He had found a flat right over Cordelia Savage's. It was in the attic and not very large but for him it was perfectly acceptable.
The others agreed. "How long have you been here?" Alice asked as they made their way to the tram station.
Frank thought hard. "About a month I think. I came here for Anthony Goldstein's speech. This has ended in chaos, I don't know if you've heard. I joined the fight and did quite well against the Dementors. Mulciber almost got me though. I was lucky that he overlooked this mad Grindelwald supporter."
"You've fought Mulciber?" an astonished Neville asked.
"Why? Is he also a special friend of yours? He tried to make innocent visitors attack each other under the Imperius curse. I had to act."
"No, I didn't know him. Only his son. He's really okay. I'm just surprised."
"Me too," Alice said. "You're able to fight and conjure a Patronus?"
"Yes, I am. Since I got my new wand, I do quite well. Not as good as I used to be though. Lestrange's magic made sure of that."
They got onto the tram. Alice's eyes were downcast and she looked even sadder than she had before. Frank wondered why. What had they done to her while he was away? He wouldn't ask her about this right now.
About twenty minutes later, they arrived at the house. Frank considered telling them about Cordelia but decided against it. He still wasn't quite sure how secure information would be with Neville. Alice needed a few stops as they walked up to the fourth floor.
"Nothing special," Frank said as they walked into his flat. "But it's mine and I don't have to use other people's hospitality anymore."
Alice blinked as she saw the photograph of herself with raspberry-eating Neville. "I still have one of the old Order," she said. "It would go nicely with this one."
Frank sat down on the armchair, Alice and Neville on the couch. "You really have it nice here," Alice said looking out of the window. "You'd only need a few plants in the rooms and on the balcony."
Frank smiled. Alice's love for plants had stayed the same. He was happy about everything they hadn't been able to take from her.
"Would you like to stay for lunch? I need to cook first though," Frank said.
"We'll help of course," both Alice and Neville said right away.
The three of them made their way to the kitchen and began to prepare a pasta bake with vegetables, ham and cheese. Frank remembered the times back in their old house when Neville had tried to "help" with the cooking. By now, he was old enough to be a real help of course. Frank saw Alice smile a few times now. She almost acted the way she had in the kitchen after a straining task among the Aurors. Frank was sure that she too could recover if she got out of the Death Eaters' presence and received help from the Healers here. Neville probably wouldn't want to leave the UK though. He had his family there and he seemed to believe he could do good with his work. Maybe he actually could, Frank didn't know enough about the situation over there to tell for sure.
They sat down around the table in the living-room and tried the result of their cooking. All three of them liked the taste of it.
When they had finished eating, Alice asked: "What do you think Frank, do you have enough room for two people here?"
Frank smiled at her. "Of course I do. Do you really want to stay here?"
"Yes, absolutely. I already wanted to yesterday and now that I know you're here. I'm not going to go back there."
Frank also though that staying away from her torturers was much better for her. Only Neville's opinion had to be taken into account as well.
He took a deep breath. "You've already told me that you'd like to do this. Now even more so of course. I won't make you come back; I know how miserable you've been there. I'm not that selfish. It means that we probably can't see each other anymore and you won't see the children anymore either. The rules are such."
Alice swallowed. "I'll really miss them. Hannah probably wouldn't want to..."
Neville shook his head. "No, Hannah wouldn't want to leave and neither do I. We can't drag the children away from their friends and everything they know. They wouldn't understand at all. My patients at Saint Mungo's and elsewhere need me. People here have Madam Neubert and her entire team, I'm the only person specialised in this kind of thing safe for Lestrange. I can't leave them all to him."
"I understand that of course," Alice said sadly. "But I think it will be better for me if I stay here. Maybe we will find a way to keep in contact."
"Things won't remain like this forever," Frank said. "I'll do everything to change them and I'm not the only one. You'll learn this soon."
He wasn't surprised about Neville's decision. He had expected this. Neville had a family and his work over there; he wouldn't simply leave them behind.
"So you think the Germans would take me?" Alice asked.
"I'm sure. You'll have to go there and answer some questions but it's not that bad. At least not if you can control your memories somehow. There are other former British Aurors here as well. Cordelia Savage for example."
Alice's eyes lit when she heard the name. "Cordelia's here and she's alive?"
"Yes, very alive," Frank said. "She's living here in the same house. She took me in when I arrived here."
He was certain that Neville wouldn't inform the Death Eaters about this by now.
"That's wonderful," Alice said. "Cordelia, Gary, we'll be a complete team."
"Yes, we will be," Frank said with a smile.
"It's funny, I thought about her quite often," Alice said. "She's gone through all this as well and she was one of the first."
"Yes. And she likes to talk about it," Frank said. "Something I can't say about myself. Her Patronus is still falcon-shaped though but that will be all you see of Lestrange here."
All of a sudden, Alice got up and hugged him. Frank realised that she wasn't so fragile after all. She was thin and worn but she was still his Alice and would always remain her. There were tears in her eyes now but he was quite sure that they were tears of joy. Her words confirmed this. "We can do something about it together. I'll see them all again. I'll finally be free."
"Yes, you will be," Frank told her.
He noticed that Neville looked slightly upset. He had probably been sure that he had been doing everything in his power for his mother all along. Frank didn't doubt that but Neville's power was strictly limited in Voldemort's society. Maybe he'd realise this one day as well and would follow them or even better, maybe the day would come when they could all fight for freedom at home.