St Mungo's Hospital for Magical Maladies & Injuries
Arthur was so relieved that she took him seriously that he didn't hesitate, jumping out of the bed at once and pulling on his dressing gown.
"Merlon, son, you ought to come too." McGonagall said.
The three boys followed after her past the silent figures of Neville, Dean and Seamus, out of the dormitory, down the spiral staircase and into the common room, through the portrait hole and down the Fat Lady's moonlit corridor.
Arthur felt a real desire to just run, to yell for Dumbledore; Ben Merlon was bleeding as they walked so sedately, what if those fangs were poisonous? What if he was slowly dying at this moment?
They passed Mrs Norris, who turned her eyes upon them and hissed faintly, but McGonagall said "Shoo!", making the cat slunk away into the shadows.
Then in a few minutes time, they reached the metal gryphon that guarded the entrance to Dumbledore's office.
"Fizzing Whizzbee." McGonagall said.
The gryphon sprang to life and leapt aside; the wall behind it split in two and revealed a stone staircase that moved continually upwards like a spiral escalator.
All four of them stepped onto the moving stairs with the wall closing behind them with a thud and they moved upwards in tight circles until they reached the highly polished oak door with the gryphon shaped brass knocker.
Despite it being well past midnight, there were noises coming from inside the room, it sounded as though Dumbledore was entertaining a dozen people.
McGonagall rapped the knocker three times and all the voices abruptly ceased, like someone switched them off. The door then opened up on its own accord and McGonagall led Arthur, David and Mike inside.
The large room was in half darkness; the silver instruments stood in glass cabinets in the outer office space along with the ones on the round table that were all silent and still instead of whirring and emitting puffs of smoke like they normally did; the portraits previous Headmasters and Headmistresses covered the walls above the cabinets and were all snoozing in their frame.
Beside the desk in the study area of the office was a magnificent red and gold bird the size of a swan that was dozing on its perch with its head under its wing.
"Oh, it's you, Professor McGonagall… and… ah."
Dumbledore sat in a high backed chair behind his desk, he leaned forward into the candlelight that illuminated the papers out before him. He wore a magnificently embroidered purple and gold dressing gown over a snowy white nightshirt, yet he was wide awake, his penetrating light blue eyes fixed intently upon McGonagall.
"Professor Dumbledore, Pendergast has had a… well, a nightmare." She said. "He says…."
"It wasn't a nightmare!" Arthur said, making McGonagall round on him with a frown.
"Very well, then, Pendergast, you tell the Headmaster about it."
"I was asleep…" Arthur said, the terror and desperation in his voice wasn't even enough to make the Headmaster look at him, which irked him so much. "...it wasn't an ordinary dream… it was real, I saw it happen. David's dad, Ben Merlon was just attacked by Voldemort's snake, Nagini."
The words reverberated in the air after he said them, sounding slightly ridiculous.
There was a pause where Dumbledore just leaned back and stared meditatively at the ceiling. David and Mike looked from Arthur to Dumbledore, white faced and shocked.
"How did you see this?" Dumbledore asked quietly, still not looking at Arthur.
"From the snake's perspective, like I was the snake itself." Arthur said angrily and annoyed.
"Is Ben seriously injured?"
"Yes, I sensed the fangs piercing the skin, there was blood everywhere." Arthur said, so annoyed at everyone taking such a slow time to understand the severity of what happened. And why can't Dumbledore just look at him for even a second?
Dumbledore stood up so quickly that Arthur jumped and he addressed one of the old portraits hanging very near the ceiling.
"Everard?" He said sharply. "And you too, Dilys!"
A sallow faced wizard with a short black fringe and an elderly witch with long silver ringlets in the frame beside him, both of whom seemed to have been in the deepest of sleeps, opened their eyes instantly.
"You were listening?"
The wizard nodded as the witch said "Naturally."
"The man has silver hair. Everard, you will need to raise the alarm, make sure he is found by the right people -"
Both nodded and moved sideways out of their frames, but instead of emerging in neighbouring frames (which normally happened at Hogwarts) neither of them reappeared.
One frame now contained nothing but the backdrop of a dark curtain, the other a handsome leather armchair. Arthur noticed that many of the other Headmasters and Headmistresses on the walls, though snoring and drooling very convincingly, kept sneaking peeks at him from under their eyelids, making Arthur understand who was talking when they had knocked.
"Everard and Dilys were two of Hogwarts' most celebrated Heads." Dumbledore said, sweeping past Arthur, David, Mike and his mother to approach the magnificent bird sleeping on his perch by the desk. "Their renown is such that both have portraits hanging in other important wizarding institutions. As they are free to move between their own portraits, they can tell us what may be happening elsewhere…."
"But Ben could be anywhere!" Arthur said, not even bothering to hint that he knew that he was most likely guarding the door to the Department of Mysteries.
"Please sit down, all four of you." Dumbledore said as though Arthur didn't speak. "Everard and Dilys may not be back for several minutes. Professor McGonagall, if you could draw up extra chairs."
McGonagall pulled out her wand and waved it; four chairs appeared from thin air, straight backed and wooden, so unlike the comfortable chintz armchairs that Dumbledore conjured up at Arthur's hearing.
Arthur sat down, watching Dumbledore now stroking Fawkes' plumed golden head with one finger. The phoenix awoke immediately. He then stretched his beautiful head high and observed Dumbledore through his bright, dark eyes.
"We will need…" Dumbledore said very quietly to him. "...a warning."
There was a flash of fire and Fawkes was now gone.
Dumbledore then swooped upon a fragile silver instrument, which Arthur didn't know its function, and carried it over to his desk, sat down facing them all again and tapped it gently with the tip of his wand.
The instrument tinkled to life at once with rhythmic clinking sounds. Tiny puffs of pale green smoke were now issuing from the silver tube at the top. Dumbledore watched the smoke closely, his brow furrowed.
After a few seconds, the tiny puffs now became a steady stream of smoke that thickened and coiled in the air… a serpent's head grew out from the end of it, opening its mouth wide.
Arthur was hoping that this instrument was confirming his story.
"Naturally, naturally." Dumbledore murmured seemingly to himself, still observing the stream of smoke without the slightest sign of surprise. "But in essence divided?"
Arthur was yet to understand what he was saying with that question.
The smoke serpent ended up splitting into two snakes, both coiling and undulating in the dark air.
Then with a look of grim satisfaction, Dumbledore gave the instrument another gentle tap with his wand: the clinking noise slowed and died with the smoke serpents growing faint until they were a formless haze and vanished.
Dumbledore replaced the instrument on its table.
Arthur saw many of the old Headmasters in the portraits follow him with their eyes before realising that Arthur was watching them, making them hastily pretend to be asleep again.
Arthur was wondering what the instrument was for, but before he could do that, there was a shout from the top of the wall to their right; Everard had reappeared in his portrait, panting slightly.
"Dumbledore!"
"What news?" Dumbledore said at once.
"I yelled until someone came running…" Everard said, mopping his brow on the curtain behind him. "...said I'd heard something moving downstairs, they weren't sure whether to believe me but went down to check, you know there are no portraits down there to watch from. Anyway, they carried him up a few minutes later. He doesn't look good, he's covered in blood, I ran along to Elfreda Cragg's portrait to get a good view as they left -"
"Good." Dumbledore said as David looked like was about to break down. "I take it Dilys will have seen him arrive, then -"
Moments later, the silver ringleted witch reappeared in her portrait as well; she sank, coughing, into her armchair, saying "Yes, they've taken him to St Mungo's, Dumbledore… they carried him past my portrait… he looks bad…."
"Thank you." Dumbledore said before he looked round to McGonagall.
"Minerva, I need you to go and wake the other Merlon children."
"Of course…."
McGonagall got up and moved swiftly to the door. Arthur shared a sideways glance with David and Mike, who looked terrified.
"And Dumbledore… what about Martha?" McGonagall asked, pausing at the door.
"That will be a job for Fawkes when he has finished keeping a lookout for anybody approaching." Dumbledore said. "But she may already know… that excellent clock of hers…."
Arthur knew he was referring to the clock that didn't tell the time, and instead told the whereabouts and conditions of the various Merlon family members. He was worried for Martha, especially after having seen her Boggart. Her husband cannot die… he just cannot.
Dumbledore now rummaged through a cupboard behind the three boys and emerged from it with a blackened old kettle, which he carefully placed on his desk. He raised his wand and murmured "Portus!".
For a moment, the kettle trembled, glowing with an odd blue light before it quivered to rest, as solidly black as ever.
Dumbledore then marched over to another portrait, this one having a clever looking wizard with a pointed beard. He was wearing the Slytherin colours of green and silver. He also seemed to have slept so deeply that he couldn't hear Dumbledore's voice when attempting to rouse him.
"Phineas. Phineas."
Arthur realised that this was Phineas Nigellus Black, who Sirius said was the least popular Hogwarts Headmaster.
The subjects of the portraits that lined the room no longer pretended to be asleep and now shifted around in their frames, just so they could watch what was happening.
When Phineas continued to feign asleep, some of them started shouting his name, as well.
"Phineas! Phineas! PHINEAS!"
He could no longer pretend, giving a theatrical jerk and opening his eyes wide.
"Did someone call?"
"I need you to visit your other portrait again, Phineas." Dumbledore said. "I've got another message."
"Visit my other portrait?" Phineas said in a reedy voice, giving a long fake yawn (his eyes travelling around the room before focusing on Arthur). "Oh, no, Dumbledore, I am too tired tonight."
All the portraits on the surrounding walls all broke into a storm of protest.
"Insubordination, sir!" A corpulent, red nosed wizard roared, brandishing his fists. "Dereliction of duty!"
"We are honour bound to give service to the present Headmaster of Hogwarts!" A frail looking wizard cried out. Arthur recognised him as Armando Dippet, the previous Headmaster before Dumbledore. "Shame on you, Phineas!"
"Shall I persuade him, Dumbledore?" A gimlet eyed witch said, raising an unusually thick wand that looked like a birch rod.
"Oh, very well…" Phineas said, eyeing the wand with mild apprehension. "...though he may well have destroyed by picture by now, he's done away with most of the family -"
"Sirius knows not to destroy your portrait." Dumbledore said. "You are to give him the message that Benjamin Merlon has been gravely injured and that his wife, children, Michael McGonagall and Arthur Pendergast will be arriving at his house shortly. Do you understand?"
"Benjamin Merlon, injured, wife and children, Michael McGonagall and Arthur Pendergast coupling to stay." Phineas recited in a bored voice. "Yes, yes… very well…."
He then sloped away into the frame of the portrait and disappeared from view as the office door opened again.
The twins and Mary were ushered inside by McGonagall, all three looked dishevelled and shocked, still in their night things.
"Arthur, what's going on?" Mary asked, looking frightened. "McGonagall said you saw dad get hurt -"
"Your father has been injured in the course of his work for the Order of the Phoenix." Dumbledore said before Arthur could reply. "He has been taken to St Mungo' Hospital for Magical Maladies and Injuries. I am sending you back to Sirius' house, which is much more convenient for the hospital than Merlon Manor. You will meet your mother there."
"How are we getting there?" Jack asked, looking shaken. "By Floo powder?"
"No." Dumbledore said. "Floo powder is not safe at the moment, the Floo Network is being watched. You will be taking a Portkey." He indicated to the old kettle that lay innocently on his desk. "We are just waiting for Phineas Nigellus to report back… I want to be sure that the coast is clear before sending you -"
There was a flash of flame in the very middle of the office, leaving behind a single golden feather that floated gently to the floor.
"It is Fawkes' warning." Dumbledore said, catching the feather as it fell. "Professor Umbridge must know you're out of your beds… Minerva, go and head her off - tell her any story -"
McGonagall was gone in a swish of tartan.
"He says he'll be delighted." Phineas' bored voice said behind Dumbledore as he had reappeared in front of his Slytherin banner. "My great great grandson has always had an odd taste in house guests."
"Come here, then." Dumbledore said to Arthur, Mike and the Merlons. "And quickly, before anyone else joins us."
Arthur and the others all gathered around Dumbledore's desk.
"You have all used a Portkey before?" He asked them all, which they all nodded, each reaching out to touch any part of the blackened kettle. "Good. On the count of three, then… one… two…."
It all happened in a fraction of a second: in the infinitesimal pause before Dumbledore said "three", Arthur looked at him, very close together, and Dumbledore's clear blue gaze moved from the Portkey to Arthur's face.
Instantly, Arthur's scar burned white hot, like the old wound burst open and he felt an unwanted yet terrifyingly strong hatred that felt so powerful that in that instant he wanted nothing but to strike - to bite - to sink his fangs into his neck -
"...three."
Arthur felt a powerful jerk behind his navel, the ground had vanished from beneath his feet, his hand glued to the kettle. He now banged into the others as they all sped forwards in a swirl of colours and a rush of wind, the kettle was pulling them onwards… until his feet once again hit the ground so hard that his knees buckled, the kettle clattered to the ground and somewhere closeby, a voice said:
"Back again, the blood traitor brats. Is it true their father's dying?"
"OUT!" A second voice roared.
Arthur scrambled to his feet and looked to see that they've just arrived in the gloomy basement kitchen of Number Twelve, Grimmauld Place.
The only source of light was the fire and one guttering candle, which illuminated the remains of a solitary supper.
Kreacher disappeared through the door to the hall, looking back at them malevolently as he hitched up his loincloth; Sirius hurried towards them, looking anxious. His hair was shoulder length and still wore his day clothes; there was also a slight Mundungus-like whiff of stale drink from him.
"What's going on?" He said, helping Mary up. "Phineas Nigellus said Ben's been badly injured -"
"Ask Arthur." Jack said.
The twins and Mary all stared at him. Kreacher's footsteps stopped on the stairs outside.
"It was…" He began, now seeing that this was worse than telling McGonagall and Dumbledore. "...it was a vision…."
He told them what he had seen, though he didn't specify that he saw it from the snake's perspective.
David, who was still very white, gave him a look but didn't speak.
By the time Arthur had finished, the twins and Mary continued staring at him for a moment. There seemed to be accusatory looks on their faces, which made Arthur look away.
"Where's mum?" Jack asked Sirius.
"She probably doesn't even know what's happened yet." Sirius replied. "The important thing was to get you away before Umbridge could interfere. I expect Dumbledore's letting Martha know now."
"We have to go to St Mungo's." Mary said urgently, looking at her brothers. "Sirius, lend us some cloaks."
"Hang on, you can't go tearing off to St Mungo's!" Sirius said.
"We can go if we want!" Jack said, fuming. "This is our dad we're talking about!"
"And how are you going to explain how you knew Ben was attacked before the hospital even let his wife know?"
"Why should that matter?" Kevin said heatedly.
"It matters because we don't want to draw attention to the fact that Arthur is having visions of things that are happening hundreds of miles away!" Sirius said calmly, though his voice rose in volume. "Have you any idea what the Ministry would make of that information?"
The twins looked like they didn't give a damn about the Ministry. David still looked ashen faced as he stayed silent.
"Someone else could have told us…" Mary said. "...we could have heard it elsewhere than Arthur."
"Like who?" Sirius said patiently. "Listen, your dad's been hurt while on duty for the Order and the circumstances are fishy enough without his children knowing about it seconds after it happened, you could seriously damage the Order's -"
"We don't give a damn about your stupid Order!" Jack bellowed out.
"Our dad could be dying right now!" Kevin yelled.
"Your father knew what he was getting into and he won't thank you for messing things up for the Order!" Sirius said, now getting angry. "This is how it is - this is why you're not in the Order - you don't understand - there are things worth dying for!"
"You're one to talk!" Jack bellowed right in his face. "You're stuck in here! You're not risking your own neck, you reckless bastard!"
All colour in Sirius' face drained, looking like he'll hit Jack, but he instead spoke in a determinedly calm voice.
"I know it's hard, but we've all got to act as though we don't know anything yet. We've got to stay put, at least until we hear from your mother, alright?"
Jack smashed a plate in fury as Kevin looked mutinous. Meanwhile, Mary took a few steps over to the nearest chair and sank into it.
Arthur went and sat on his own, away from everyone else, who all sat down.
"That's right." Sirius said encouragingly. "Come on, let's all… let's all have a drink while we're waiting. Accio Butterbeer!"
He raised his wand as he spoke and seven bottles flew towards them from the pantry, skidding along the table, scattering the debris of Sirius' meal and stopped neatly in front of all seven of them.
Everyone, except for Arthur, drank, and for a while all that could be heard was the crackling fire and the soft thud of their bottles on the table.
Arthur didn't drink because he felt nothing but guilt. They wouldn't be here if it weren't for him. They'd still be asleep in bed.
He was also horrified by the fact that he seemed to have gotten into Nagini's head as she snuck into the Ministry and attacked Ben. And he was also horrified by that burst of anger he felt when locking eyes with Dumbledore, it was like Voldemort or Nagini tried to get into his head and make him attack Dumbledore.
Eventually, a burst of fire in mid air illuminated the dirty plates in front of them and, as they all cried in shock, a scroll of parchment fell with a thud on the table, accompanied by a single golden phoenix feather.
"Fawkes!" Sirius said at once, snatching the parchment. "That's not Dumbledore's writing - it must be a message from your mother, here -"
He thrust the letter into Kevin's hand, who ripped it open and read aloud: "Dad is still alive. I'm now setting out for St Mungo's. Stay where you are. I'll send news as soon as I can. Mum."
He then looked around the table.
"Still alive." He said slowly. "That makes it sound…."
He didn't need to finish the sentence, even Arthur, it sounded as though Ben was hovering between life and death. David, still pale, stared at the back of his mother's letter like he expected words of comfort. Jack pulled the parchment out of Kevin's hands to read it himself before he looked up at Arthur, who looked away.
At some point, Mike came over to Arthur and sat with him, which he was grateful for. He felt like Mike could give him the kind of comfort he needed at the moment.
This had to be the longest night Arthur ever experienced. Sirius suggested that they all go to bed, but the Merlons all looked at him in disgust. They all mostly sat in silence around the table, watching the candle wick sinking lowe and lower into liquid wax, occasionally raising a bottle to their lips, speaking only to check the time, wondering aloud what was happening and to reassure each other that if there were any bad news, they'd know straightaway, since Martha had to have arrived at St Mungo's by now.
Jack fell into a doze, his head lolling sideways onto his shoulder. Mary curled up like a cat on her chair, though her eyes were open, Arthur knowing since her eyes reflected the firelight. David sat with his head in his hands.
Arthur still sat with Mike, who started rubbing his back up and down, which soothed him. He'd look at Sirius every so often.
By ten past five in the morning on David's watch, the door swung open and Martha entered the kitchen. She looked extremely pale, though when everyone turned to look at her, she gave a wan smile.
"He'll be alright." She said, her voice weak with tiredness. "He's sleeping. We can all go and see him later. Bill and Sam are sitting with him right now, they've taken the morning work off."
All the Merlon children got up and embraced her.
"Breakfast!" Sirius said loudly and joyfully, jumping to his feet. "Where's that accursed house elf? Kreacher! KREACHER!"
Kreacher didn't answer the summons.
"Oh, forget it, then." Sirius muttered, counting the people in front of him. "So, it's breakfast for - let's see - eight… bacon and eggs, I think, and some tea, and toast -"
Arthur decided to hurry over to the stove and help. He didn't want to intrude on the Merlons' happiness and dreaded the idea of Martha asking him to recount his vision. But he barely took plates from the dress when Martha lifted them out of his hands and pulled him into a hug.
"If you hadn't had that vision…." She said in a muffled voice. "They wouldn't have found Ben for hours, it would've been too late, but thanks to you, he's alive and Dumbledore's been able to make up a good cover story for Ben being where he was. You have no idea what trouble he could've been in. Just look at Sturgis…."
Arthur could hardly bear the gratitude, but thankfully, she released him to turn to Sirius and thank him for looking after her children through the night. Sirius said he was pleased to have been able to help and hoped they'd stay with him as long as Ben was in hospital.
"I'm so grateful… they think he'll be there for a little while and to be nearer… this will mean we'll be here for Christmas."
"The more the merrier!" Sirius said with so much sincerity that Martha beamed at him, throwing an apron on and started helping with breakfast.
"Sirius." Arthur muttered, unable to stand it any longer. I need to have a quick word with you, now."
The two walked into the dark pantry. Arthur then went into detail about the vision, including how it was as though he was the snake that attacked Ben.
When he paused for breath, Sirius said "Did you tell Dumbledore this?"
"I did…" Arthur said impatiently. "...but he didn't even tell me about what it meant. He doesn't tell me anything any more."
"I'm sure he would have told you if it was anything to worry about." Sirius said steadily.
"Yeah, right." Arthur spat. "But that's not all. I feel like I'm going mad. Back in Dumbledore's office, right before we took the Portkey… for just a couple of seconds I felt like I was a snake. My scar hurt when looking into his eyes… I wanted to attack him!"
Arthur was only able to see a sliver of Sirius' face, the rest was in darkness.
"Are you sure it wasn't just the aftermath of the vision?" Sirius asked, sounding concerned.
"I'm sure." Arthur said, his voice now breaking down as he just had a dark thought in his head. "Sirius, what if I'm becoming bad? After everything that I've gone through, something must've gone wrong inside my head, I'm scared."
"Arthur, listen." Sirius said, holding Arthur by his shoulders. "You're not becoming bad. You're just a good person that had bad things happen to you. Do you understand?"
It took a while as Arthur felt tears fall down his cheeks but he nodded.
"Besides, the world isn't split into good people and Death Eaters, everyone has the light and the dark in them, including me. What matters the most is the part we act on, that's what makes us different from Voldemort and his Death Eaters."
Arthur soaked in what his godfather was saying and he ultimately realised that he was right. The fact that he was horrified about the idea of becoming bad… it spoke volumes of who he is and nothing can change that.
"Thanks, Sirius." Arthur said as the two hugged.
Afterwards, they parted and left the pantry.
Everyone except for Arthur spent the rest of the morning asleep. He went up to the bedroom that he, David and Mike shared over the last few weeks of the summer. While David and Mike crawled into their beds and fell asleep within minutes, Arthur sat clothed, pressed up against cold metal bars of the bedstead, deliberately making himself uncomfortable to not doze off, scared that he'd have another vision of Nagini.
Eventually, when David and Mike woke up, Arthur pretended that he enjoyed a refreshing nap as well.
Their trunks had arrived from Hogwarts while they ate lunch, so they could dress as Muggles for the trip to St Mungo's.
Everyone except for Arthur was happy and talkative as they all changed out of their robes and into jeans and sweatshirts and cardigans.
When Tonks and Moody turned up to escort them all across London, they greeted them gleefully, laughing at the bowler hat that Moody wore at an angle to hide his magical eye and assuring him, truthfully, that Tonks, whose hair was short and bright pink once more, would attract far less attention on the Underground.
Tonks was very interested in Arthur's vision of the attack on Ben, which Arthur didn't want to discuss.
"There isn't any Seer blood in your family, is there?" She inquired curiously as they sat side by side on a train rattling towards the heart of London.
"No, and I don't want to talk about it, so shut up!" Arthur spat, thinking of Trelawney and feeling insulted.
Tonks was taken aback by his behaviour, but she did as told and didn't bring it up again as they got out at the next stop, a station in the very heart of London.
In the bustle of leaving the train, the twins got between Arthur and Tonks, who led the way.
They all followed her up the escalator, Moody clunking along at the back of the group, his bowler titled low and one gnarled hand got stuck in between the buttons of his coat, clutching his wand.
"Where is St Mungo's exactly?" Arthur asked him, wanting to avoid more questions about his dream.
"Not far from here." Moody grunted as they stepped out into the wintry air on a broad sore lined street packed with Christmas shoppers.
Moody pushed Arthur a little ahead of him and stumped along just behind. Arthur knew that his eye was rolling in all directions under the tilted hat.
"Wasn't easy to find a good location for a hospital. Nowhere in Diagon Alley, wouldn't be healthy. In the end, they managed to get hold of a building up here. Theory was, sick wizards could come and go and just blend in with the crowd."
He then seized Arthur's shoulder to prevent them being separated by a group of shoppers, who were very intent on nothing but making it to a nearby shop full of electrical gadgets.
"Here we go." Moody said a moment later.
They all arrived outside of a large, old fashioned, red brick department store called Purge & Dowse Ltd. The place was shabby and miserable; the window displays consisted of a few chipped dummies with their wigs askew, standing at random and modelling fashions that were ten years dated at least. There were large signs on the dusty doors that read: Closed for Refurbishment.
Arthur heard a large woman laden with plastic shopping bags say to her friend as they passed "It's never open, that place…."
"Right." Tonks said, beckoning them towards a window displaying a very ugly female dummy. Its false eyelashes were hanging off and it was modelling a green nylon pinafore dress. "Everybody ready?"
They all nodded, clustering around her. Moody gave Arthur another shove between the shoulder blades to urge him forward and Tonks leaned close to the glass, looking up at the very ugly dummy, her breath steaming up the glass.
"Wotcher, we're here to see Benjamin Merlon."
The next second, Arthur's eyes widened when he saw the dummy give a tiny nod, beckoning with its jointed finger. Tonks seized Mary and Martha by the elbows and stepped right through the glass and vanished.
The twins and David stepped in after them. Arthur glanced at the jostling crowd, none of them glanced over at them.
"C'mon." Moody growled, giving both Arthur and Mike a poke in their backs and they stepped through what felt like a sheet of cold water, emerging warm and dry on the other side.
There wasn't any sign of the ugly dummy or even the space that she stood in. They were now in a crowded reception area where rows of witches and wizards sat on rickety wooden chairs, some looking perfectly normal, reading out of date copies of Witch Weekly, others sporting rather gruesome disfigurements like elephant trunks or extra hands that stuck out from their chests.
The room was scarcely less quiet than the street outside, as many of the patients made very odd noises: a sweaty faced witch in the centre of the front row, who fanned herself vigorously with a copy of the Daily Prophet, kept making a high pitched whistle as steam poured out from her mouth; a grubby looking warlock in the corner clanged like a bell every time he'd move and, with each clang, his head would vibrate horribly so that he had to seize himself by the ears to hold it steady.
Witches and wizards in lime green robes walked up and down the rows, asking questions and making notes on clipboards like Umbridge's. Arthur then noticed the emblem that was embroidered on their chests: it was a wand and bone crossed together.
"Who are they?" Arthur asked Mike quietly.
"They're Healers. Essentially wizarding doctors." Mike explained.
"Over here!" Martha called, above the renewed clanging from the warlock in the corner, and they all followed her to the queue in front of a plump blonde witch that was seated at a desk marked Enquiries. The wall behind her was covered in notices and posters that said stuff like: A CLEAN CAULDRON KEEPS POTIONS FROM BECOMING POISONS and ANTIDOTES ARE ANTI-DONT'S UNLESS APPROVED BY A QUALIFIED HEALER. There was also a large portrait of a witch with long silver ringlets that was labelled:
DILYS DERWENT
St Mungo's Healer 1722 - 1741
Headmistress of Hogwarts School
of Witchcraft and Wizardry
1741 - 1768
Dilys eyed the Merlon party like she counted them. Then when she caught Arthur's eye, she gave a tiny wink before walking sideways out of her portrait and vanishing.
Meanwhile, at the front of the queue, a young wizard performed an odd on the spot jig and tried, in between yelps of pain, to explain his predicament to the witch behind the desk.
"It's these - ouch - shoes my brother gave me - ow - they're eating my - OUCH - feet - look at them, there must be some kind of - AARGH - jinx on them and I can't - AAAAARGH - get them off." He hopped from one food to the other like he was dancing on hot coals.
"The shoes don't prevent you from reading, do they?" The blonde witch said irritably, pointing at a large sign to the left of her desk. "You want Spell Damage, fourth floor. Just like it says on the floor guide. Next!"
As the wizard hobbled and pranced sideways out of the way, the Merlon party moved forward a few steps and Arthur read the floor guide:
GROUND FLOOR - ARTEFACT ACCIDENTS: CAULDRON EXPLOSION, WAND BACKFIRING, BROOM CRASHES, ETC.
FIRST FLOOR - CREATURE-INDUCED INJURIES: BITES, STINGS, BURNS, EMBEDDED SPINES, ETC.
SECOND FLOOR - MAGICAL BUGS: CONTAGIOUS MALADIES, E.G. DRAGON POX, VANISHING SICKNESS, SCROFUNGULUS, ETC.
THIRD FLOOR - POTION AND PLANT POISONING: RASHES, REGURGITATION, UNCONTROLLABLE GIGGLING, ETC.
FOURTH FLOOR - SPELL DAMAGE: UNLIFTABLE JINXES, HEXES, INCORRECTLY APPLIED CHARMS, ETC.
FIFTH FLOOR - VISITORS' TEA ROOM/HOSPITAL SHOP
IF YOU ARE UNSURE WHERE TO GO, INCAPABLE OF NORMAL SPEECH OR UNABLE TO REMEMBER WHY YOU ARE HERE, OUR WELCOME WITCH WILL BE PLEASED TO HELP.
A very old, stooped wizard with a hearing trumpet shuffled to the front of the queue now.
"I'm here to see Broderick Bode!" He wheezed.
"Ward forty nine, but I'm afraid you're wasting your time." The witch said dismissively. "He's completely addled, you know, still thinks he's a teapot. Next!"
A harassed looking wizard who held his small daughter tightly by the ankle as she flapped around his head using the large, feathery wings that sprouted right out of the back of her romper suit stepped forward.
"Fourth floor." The witch said in a bored voice without asking. The man disappeared through the double doors beside the desk, holding his daughter like some oddly shaped balloon. "Next!"
Martha stepped up to the desk.
"My husband, Benjamin Merlon was supposed to have moved to a different ward this morning. Can you tell us -?"
"Benjamin Merlon?" The witch said, running her finger down a long list in front of her. "Yes, first floor, second door on the right, Dai Llewellyn Ward."
"Thank you." Martha said. "Come on, you lot."
Everyone followed her through the double doors and along the narrow corridor beyond, which was lined with even more portraits of famous Healers and lit by crystal bubbles full of candles that floated up on the ceiling, looking a lot like giant soapsuds.
More witches and wizards in lime green robes walked in and out of the doors they passed; a foul smelling yellow gas wafted into the passageway as they passed one door, and once in a while they heard distant wailing.
They then climbed a flight of stairs and entered the Creature Induced Injuries corridor, where the second door on the right bore the words: 'Dangerous' Dai Llewellyn Ward: Serious Bites. Underneath it was a card in a brass holder that had written on it: Healer in Charge: Hippocrates Smethwyck. Trainee Healer: Augustus Pye.
"We'll wait outside, Martha." Tonks said. "Ben won't want too many visitors at once… it ought to be just the family first."
Moody growled his approval of this and set himself with his back against the corridor wall, his magical eye spinning in all directions.
Arthur and Mike were drawing back when Martha reached out and pushed them through the door saying "Don't be silly, you two, especially you, Arthur, Ben would want to thank you."
The ward was small and dingy, as the only window was narrow and set high in the wall facing the door. Most of the light came from shining crystal bubbles clustered in the middle of the ceiling. The walls were also of panelled oak and there was a portrait of a vicious looking wizard on the captioned:
URQUHART RACKHARROW
1612 - 1697
Inventor of the
Entrail-expelling Curse
There were only three patients in the ward.
Ben was occupying the bed at the far end of the ward beside the tiny window. Arthur was very pleased and relieved to see that he was propped up on several pillows and read the Daily Prophet by the solitary ray of sunlight that fell onto his bed.
He looked up when they all walked towards him and upon seeing who it was, he beamed.
"Hello!" He called, throwing the newspaper aside. "Rob and Sam just left, Martha, had to get back to work. They'll drop in on you later."
"How are you, dear?" Martha asked, bending down to kiss his cheek and looked anxiously into his face. "You still look peaky."
"I feel fine." Ben said, holding out his good arm to hug Mary. "Though if I take these bandages off, I'll start bleeding badly."
He then grabbed his wand from his bedside cabinet and waved it for seven extra chairs to appear at his bedside to seat them all.
"That bloody snake had an odd poison in its fangs to keep the wounds open. I'm assured that they'll find an antidote. The Healers said they've dealt with worse cases than this. In the meantime, I have to keep taking the Blood Replenishing Potion every hour. That gentleman over there…" Ben dropped his voice and nodded towards the bed opposite him where a man lay looking green and sickly, staring up at the ceiling. "...he got bitten by a werewolf. Poor guy. No cure at all."
"But shouldn't he be placed in a private room?" Martha said, looking alarmed.
"It's only two weeks until the full moon." Ben reminded her quietly. "The Healers talked to him this morning, trying to persuade him that he'll be able to have an almost normal life. Of course, I didn't mention any names, but I told him that I'm friends with a werewolf, that he's a nice man and easily managed the condition."
"And what did he say?" Kevin asked.
"He said that if I didn't shut up, he'd bite me." Ben said sadly. "That woman over there…" He indicated to the only other occupied bed, which was right beside the door. "...won't tell the Healers what bit her, meaning she handled something that was illegal. Whatever it was took a real chunk from her leg, a very nasty smell was there when they took off the dressings."
"Can you tell us what happened?" Jack asked, pulling his chair closer to the bed.
"You already know." Ben said, smiling at Arthur. "It was a long day, I got sneaked up on by a snake and it attacked me."
"Is it in the Prophet, you being attacked?" Jack asked, indicating the newspaper that Ben cast aside.
"No, obviously." Ben said with a bitter smile. "The Ministry doesn't want everyone to know that a bloody great snake got -"
"Ben!" Martha warned him.
"...got me." Ben said hastily, but it was clear as day that he wasn't really going to say that.
"Where were you when it happened?" Jack asked.
"That is none of your business." Ben said, now with a frown.
"What were you doing when the snake attacked you?" Jack asked yet again.
"You heard your father, Jack, it's none of your business." Martha said. "We are not discussing this!"
"You were guarding it, weren't you?" Kevin asked quietly. "What Voldemort is after."
"Kevin, shut up!" Martha snapped at him.
"It's Voldemort's snake, wasn't it?" Jack asked.
"Enough!" Martha snapped at him, smacking his and Kevin's heads. "Moody and Tonks are outside, Ben, they want to see you. You lot can wait outside." She added to her children, Arthur and Mike. "You can say goodbye afterwards, go on."
They all trooped outside into the corridor. Moody and Tonks went in and closed the door behind them.
Jack raised his eyebrow.
"Fine." He said coolly as he rummaged in his pockets. "Be like that you gits."
"Looking for these?" Kevin said, holding out a tangle of flesh coloured string.
"You've read my mind." Jack said with a grin. "Let's see if St Mungo's puts Imperturbable Charms on its ward doors."
The two disentangled the string and separated five Extendable Ears from each other. The two then handed them around, Arthur hesitating to take one.
"Just take it, Arthur. You're the one who saved dad's life, you have more rights than the rest of us to eavesdrop on them."
Ultimately, Arthur took the end of the string and inserted it into his ear as the twins had done.
"Go!" Jack whispered.
The flesh coloured strings all wriggled like long skinny worms and snaked under the door.
Arthur didn't hear anything at first, but then he jumped when he heard Tonks whispering clearly as though she stood right beside him.
"...they searched the whole area but couldn't find the snake anywhere. It just seems to have vanished after it attacked you, Ben… but You Know Who can't have expected a snake to get in, can he?"
"I reckon he sent it as a lookout…" Moody growled. "...'cause he's not had any luck so far, has he? No, I reckon he's trying to get a clearer picture of what he's facing and if Ben hadn't been there, the beast would've had a lot more time to look around. So, Pendergast says he saw it all happen?"
"Yes." Martha said, sounding uneasy. "Dumbledore seemed to have waited for Arthur to see something like this."
"Yeah, well…" Moody said. "...there's something about the Pendergast kid, we all know that."
"Dumbledore seemed worried about Arthur when I spoke to him this morning." Martha whispered.
"Course he's worried." Moody growled. "The boy's seeing things from inside You Know Who's snake. Obviously, Pendergast doesn't realise what that means, but if You Know Who's possessing him -"
Arthur pulled the Extendable Ear from his own, his rage and fury consuming him as his heart hammered very fast.
He looked at the others, who all stared at him, the strings trailing from their ears, looking fearful.
Arthur's truly gone through a wringer, hasn't he? And the next chapter will have one of the most tragic moments in all the books, you all know what it is if you've read the books.