Resurrection


‘I can make you an offer.’

The woman, which appeared to be no more than a statue cloaked in a billowing, black gown, said in a voice like thunder rolling over a distant valley.

‘How do you know . . .’

‘That does not matter to you. What does matter to me is how surprised I am that you have already not been claimed. If someone were to have laid a name on you, you would have become part of this world. That will also apply in the land of the flesh. You must acknowledge what they wish to call you.’

Cedric looked into her yellow, canine eyes. They seemed to be the only part of her that appeared alive.

‘Yes. Send me back.’

Silence passed between them. How would she do it? How did you bring someone back to life? Cedric felt certain she wanted something from him.

‘Do you want to know?’

He had been asked. He replied, without a second thought, ‘Just do it.’

She beckoned him forward. As he approached, he felt more uncertain of his decision, and if he had a beating heart, he felt certain it would have been hammering away right now.

He took her hand.

A thousand volts of lightning seemed to rip through his body. For a moment, he was afraid he would become something like her; an unfeeling statue, with silver as his bones and precious metals as his organs. That’s all she was. Only her yellow eyes were alive.

She whipped him around like a doll so he faced the arch. A white curtain billowed outward, but he could see the darkness behind it.

In a voice like a crashing waterfall, she said, ‘I will call on you again.’

She flung him forward into the void.


********

The buzzing began in his head, and the noise swelled until it sounded like he stood in the midst of a dense cloud of insects that might have been deciding to eat him alive. The prickling all over his skin left him itchy and uncomfortable. Then, the buzzing turned into a deep, dull pain behind his eyes. He thought he heard a heart beating right behind his ear, and every strained pulse felt like a clubbing on the head.

The first breath added the feeling of having a led weight sitting on his chest to the other bodily pains. With each ragged breath, he became aware of his limbs, and soon, he realized his heart might be pounding in his chest instead of in his head. That added assurance didn’t take away from the fact that his heart sounded like he just ran a marathon, and the pain behind his eye lids felt like someone had been using his brain as a Bludger.

He sucked air through his mouth and retched. The vomit slid down his throat, and he began to choke on his own bile. Every other pain fell away as he tried to jerk his body upright, but he only succeeded in turning his head to the side so he could spit out all of the foulness in his mouth. At last, able to breathe unhindered, Cedric realized that all the pain meant one, certain thing.

He was alive.

The deal had been real.

He lay completely still and kept his mouth shut so he wouldn’t breathe in and gag again. He could still taste the refuse that coated his tongue, and everything he smelled reminded him of rotting food. ‘It’s so quiet,’ he thought as he realized he couldn’t hear anything other than his own breathing.

When he forced his eyelids open, the intense light made him immediately close them. With another effort, he squinted through tight lids, but this time, he realized the light was not the glaring sun of noonday, but only the dim light of a fluorescent bulb.

‘Where am I?’ Cedric wondered as he peered up at the bulb, which was set into a dirty, fly filled light fixture. The gray, unpainted concrete ceiling didn’t do much to welcome him back to the world of the living, either. He stared down at his immediate surroundings and found he lay on what once might have been a white pillow that had yellowed with age until it was now the colour of crusted mustard.

‘This is feeling more unwelcoming each moment.’ Ignoring the stiffness in his neck, he turned his head again to stare down at his body.

A thrill went through him despite the drab, wool blanket that covered his body. ‘I’m really alive. How did that even work?’ Cedric wondered as he stared at his rising and falling chest. He turned his cracked, dry lips up into what he thought might pass for a smile.

After the novelty of being alive wore off, Cedric tired to pull himself upright to get a better sense of his surroundings. ‘Why am I so stiff?’ Cedric struggled to lift his upper body. Sweat broke over his brow from the effort, and his heart began to slam into his rib cage as he strained the weak muscles.

He used the black, wire headboard as a prop to sit up. As the stagnant air passed in and out of his mouth, he leaned down and heaved up more putrid, yellow mess all over himself and the grey blanket. After he stopped himself from retching again, he wiped his mouth with the collar of his dressing gown.

‘I need to get cleaned up.’ He wrinkled his nose and rolled up the gray blanket to hide the mess. When he did, he found himself staring down at a pair of thin legs, which were paler than the sheets.

‘A hospital makes some sense,’ Cedric realized as he held out his hands and stared at the yellowed, unclean nails attached to fingers with skin as white as the bones underneath it. He turned his head to look for a nightstand, where he figured there might be some water. He let out a brief, staccato scream that died the moment it left his mouth. Instead of a nightstand, he stared at another bed, exactly like his, where an ashen skined corpse lay. ‘A morgue. Well, if I was dead, then that explains why I can’t move anything.’

Upon another glance, though, Cedric realized the corpse’s chest rose and fell by barely noticeable amounts. ‘Oh. It’s alive,’ Cedric thought, and once again, his gut churned because of something besides the raw smell of his vomit. As he stared at the sunken, waxy face of the figure, he compulsively glanced back down at his own hands.

To his relief, Cedric realized, even though his arms looked impossibly thin and bony, that his skin did not cling like old leather to his bones. ‘I guess I look fairly normal if I’ve been in this . . . this place for a while,’ Cedric thought as he gazed around the room. In the dim light, he couldn’t see far, but he spied at least a dozen other beds. He saw a bed, several paces in front of his own, which he had missed before because it didn’t seem ominous until he realized what it held.

‘If this is in St. Mungo’s, I’ve never heard of this ward,’ Cedric thought as he let his eyes stray over all the beds that lingered in shadows illuminated with dots of murky light. ‘I wonder if someone will come and check on me. Sitting here in my own vomit until God knows when is something I could do without.’

Through the gloom, on the opposite side of the room, Cedric spied a white object. He leaned forward and squinted to bring the speck into view. ‘A toilet! Maybe a sink, too!’ Cedric’s mind jumped with excitement. He bit down against his brittle lip as he steeled himself for the pain that would come when he tried to swing his legs over the bed.

He gritted his teeth together because the actual effort brought into sharp reality what the heaviest, and by far, the weakest muscles in his body were. He took a moment to rest when his feet touched the cold floor, which was painted the colour of pond slime. He tapped his feet against the ground, to convince himself that he could move them, while he thought of the next task.

‘If I push myself up too quickly, I’ll probably fall,’ Cedric thought as he shifted some more weight onto his feet. He felt his knees shake a little under the added pressure, but they didn’t collapse. He braced himself against the bed with his arms as he stood up. ‘There it is,’ Cedric tried to motivate himself as he looked at the chasm between his bed and the next black, skeletal bed frame.

‘One, two, three.’ He flung himself away from his bed. At first, his knees buckled, but he kept his balance and limped over to the next bed. Then, he worked his way around the bed frame and used the mattress to help him walk along the obstacle. When he saw the yellow-skinned body, he almost let go of the mattress, but the shakiness in his legs kept him holding onto the bed. ‘I can’t walk on my own,’ Cedric thought drearily as his stomach knotted. He turned away from the lifeless figure as he worked his way to the end of the bed.

With another shove, Cedric staggered into the space between the two beds. He grasped the next bed frame and leaned against it to give his muscles a break. Inching around the bed frame, he stared into the face of another lifeless body. ‘This one has been here for a while,’ Cedric thought as he wrinkled his nose against the odour coming from the still form.

The mouth fell open, and Cedric snapped his head back to see if the body would speak. Out of the mouth scurried a little brown creature, and before Cedric could move, another two followed it.

Whirling off balance, his wobbly legs collapsed under him. Cedric felt all the air knocked out of his body for a moment as he stared up at the concrete ceiling. He rolled over onto his stomach, even though he was certain there was nothing left to throw up. With a quick glance, he looked up at the bed, and then, ignoring the sour taste, he crawled across the floor.

He kept crawling, fighting the urge to gag. Sweat trickled down his back, face, and chest as he focused on the wall. Mercifully, the wall came closer, and he finally collapsed against the cool, damp concrete to rest. Looking back out at the rows of beds, Cedric thought, ‘I don’t envy whatever happened to these people.’ He glanced at the empty bed in the back corner, and a shiver rippled through his body. ‘What kind of place is this? I thought they kept everyone in St. Mungo’s, and these aren’t Inferri.’

‘Of course, what types of places are suitable to rise from the dead?’ Cedric wondered. ‘If you have to come back in some place like this . . . I can see why you almost wouldn’t want to do it.’ At this thought, Cedric grinned. ‘Yes, because people coming back to life is very common. Being dead must have made me stupid.’

Looking to his right, Cedric spied the sink and toilet and began to scoot towards it. He gritted his teeth as the concrete’s rough edges scratched his back, but he scooted along the wall until he reached the sink. Immediately, he twisted the knob, and he got a stream of clear, but odd smelling water, to pour from the tarnished spout.

He gulped the water, even though it had a bitter, metallic tang to it, and he splashed it over his face. As he pulled his head out from under the faucet to reach for a towel, he looked up at a face he didn’t recognize.

“Bloody hell.�

Cedric gazed into the mirror, which was missing a chunk from one corner, and stared at the strange face that gaped back at him. Now, his stomach churned again, but this time, he knew exactly where the uncomfortable feeling came from. He reached up and ran a shaking hand across the unfamiliar features.

He leaned down and heaved up the water he just drank. After he finished, he rinsed his mouth out again and took another, less frantic drink from the tap before turning it off again. Finally, he forced himself to stare up into the dingy, stained mirror again.

‘Why would I come back in my own body? I died. My body is underground somewhere,’ Cedric told himself, but the rationale didn’t ease the discomfort of knowing he was looking at himself in a stranger’s face.

He ran a hand through the fine, matted hair, which looked like it hadn’t seen a comb or a pair of scissors in years. His fingers traced their way down the long, pale face and touched the sunken cheeks and the thin nose. He fingered the scraggly hair on his face, which annoyed him since he never liked facial hair.

‘That looks disgusting,’ Cedric thought as he touch his thin, cracked lips, which were lined with slits and scabs. He realized one of the scabs cracked open and had begun to bleed. He wiped the blood away from his mouth before turning away from the looking glass.

‘There’s probably no one in this building. I can probably just walk right out of here. No one in this room looks like they’re going to move any time soon.’ He then stopped and stared down at his vomit stained dressing gown. ‘Huh. I might look suspicious in the street, though, and I have no wand, but, if I get out, what’s to stop me from Apparating?’

Cedric pushed himself off the floor and used the wall for support. ‘There has to be a door.’ His eyes panned over the cement walls. With every minute that ticked past, his heart began to beat louder until it seemed to be beating behind his ears.

‘No doors,’ Cedric realized as a chill crawled from his head down the entire length of his spine. ‘If I can’t find a door, I can’t leave.’ He stared out at the rows of beds, which were coffins without the lids; Cedric began to feel his way along the wall. When he reached the first corner, he stuffed his finger into the crevice.

His fingers grazed something in the crack. ‘Right where a doorknob would be.’ Cedric fiddled with the lump hidden in the corner. He moved his hand over it before trying to turn it, but to no avail. Then, he shoved it inward, and it disappeared from his hands. For a moment, he thought he did it wrong, but the clinking inside of the wall told him exactly what happened.

‘A key. The wall is unlocking,’ Cedric realized as the handle popped back out of the wall. When he turned it again, the knob twisted in his hand, and one part of the seemingly solid wall swung open.

At first, the air felt fresh, and the wind cooled off his body. After a moment of standing at the door, the chill breeze lashed against his sparsely covered body. Keeping one hand along the brick wall to guide himself, he manoeuvred away from the door. He stared down at the pavement so he could spot any pieces of glass that would rip his feet apart.

When he reached the street, he stared around at the rows of houses with only space enough for one person to stand between them. He looked up, but the stars hid behind a blanket of clouds, which reflected an orange haze from some factory burning late into the night. ‘Well, no one will be out right now.’

Without the wall to steady him, he found it much more difficult to walk, but his muscles remembered how to behave. While progress was slow, Cedric moved down the street on his own. Besides, he needed both hands to wrap around himself to protect his body from the chill of the early morning hours.

As he staggered down a hill, he stared up at the factory spires, which rose like obelisks over those who lived in their shadows. The giant pillars, erected to the Muggle gods of industry and production, spewed fumes into the night air and tinted the clouds the colour of the fire forever burning in their bellies. Under the shade of one of the huge towers, when the sky began to let go of the inky night and embrace the dull, gray day, Cedric came upon a house with a sign sticking out in front of it that read ‘For Sale.’

By that time, Cedric’s legs and arms were frozen. He stared at the boarded up windows and peeling paint that was the colour of egg rot. ‘There’s no one home in that place.’ Cedric popped open the latch to the rusted fence and walked up to the door. With a snort of frustration, Cedric realized he didn’t have the strength to break open the door, which flaked off its baby blue paint shell to reveal the warped wood underneath.

He turned back to the street and stared around, and then, between that house and its equally ugly neighbour, Cedric saw what he wanted. He reached his arms over the fence and pulled a large piece of metal into his arms. With one quick swipe, he smashed the tarnished knob off the door. Now, the house yielded up its shabby secrets, and as he closed the door behind him, the smell of cigarettes and animal crashed upon Cedric’s senses.

‘Fantastic,’ Cedric thought wryly as he moved into the kitchen. He pulled open the first two cabinets and found nothing, but when he opened the third, he saw some boxes and cans. He pried open one of the boxes and tore at the bag inside, and to his relief, whatever Muggle food inside was edible.

Like with the water, his stomach eventually filled, and he set down the box and stared at his surroundings. ‘Well, I was right, no one’s home, but they might only be gone for a while. The furniture is still here, even though they’re selling this place.’ He ascended the narrow staircase covered in yellow carpet, which had holes worn in the spots where people stepped too many times.

On the second floor landing, Cedric peered in each bedroom door, and to his relief, he found that no one was sleeping in any bed. Cedric walked in and opened the closet in the room with the double bed, and to his delight, he realized he was looking at several sets of men’s clothes. He yanked out a gray pair of pants and a blue, flannel shirt. In the bottom of the closet, he found a pair of scuffed, clunky black boats to complete his ensemble.

After tossing away his dressing gown for the over-sized clothes, Cedric reached in and pulled out a long, brown coat that smelled of mothballs. ‘Somehow, this is not what I imagined.’ Cedric sniffed the coat, but he threw it over his arm and left to find the bathroom, but to his disappoint, there was no razor.

As he passed the mirror, he diverted his gaze after catching a glance of himself. ‘I’m going to have to get used to that if I want to shave,’ Cedric thought as he descended the stairs and went back into the kitchen to grab the food. He flopped down upon the spongy, green couch, where the animal odour seemed to be the strongest, to finish off the contents of the box.

‘Where to now? I really don’t want to stay in this little shack.’ Cedric rubbed his temples. He raked his hands through his matted, tangled hair, which only reminded him how he wished the bathroom upstairs had a decent pair of scissors. ‘What’s the chance that I could find another abandoned house?’ Cedric asked himself. ‘Breaking into someone else’s house seems a little classless,’ he decided and hoped that his situation didn’t mean he had to dip to breaking and entering to sustain himself.

‘I could try my house,’ Cedric realized as his hands dropped into his lap. He gazed unseeingly at the wall before he admitted to that home is exactly where he wanted to go.

Soul and Body

In a woods, with trees withered by the absence of summer’s warmth, a man stumbled out of the air and sprawled across the ground. He lay there for a moment before sitting up and spitting out the dirt in his mouth. ‘Out of practice,’ Cedric thought as he stared up at the barren tree branches that grasped at each other with skeletal fingers.

As he looked upward at the grey sky, a different scene entered into his mind. In a dense fog, he wandered beneath low hanging branches that scratched at his head. He would come across grey tree trunks, but he could never climb them to find shelter in their branches. They only scraped at his head and made it itch, and he would scratch . . . scratch . . . scratch . . .

With a shudder, he turned his head away from the sky and stared at the carpet of brown leaves. ‘Get moving,’ Cedric told himself as he stood up and pulled the coat closer to his body. Now, it didn’t seem to matter much that the old coat smelled of moth balls.

As he came to the crest of a hill, Cedric saw the familiar cottage in the glen below. The house blended with the brown, yellow, and gray surroundings so well it seemed to have grown out of the ground like any of the trees. ‘I forgot what it looked like in autumn because I was always at school,’ Cedric realized as he rubbed his sweaty palms against the coat.

He descended the slope and stopped behind a large oak at the edge of the tree line. Across the green lawn, speckled with fallen leaves, stood the house, and even though it was only several paces away, Cedric could not bring himself to cross the distance. He eyed the squat, stone chimney that jutted out of the thatched roof. ‘It looks quiet.’ Cedric stared at the dark windows and smokeless chimney. ‘If mum were there, she would be cooking,’ Cedric told himself, but he remained hidden behind the tree trunk.

After several minutes of watching the house, he stepped out from behind his shelter. As he shuffled across the grass, the leaves crunching under his feet, he couldn’t ignore the little, nagging voice that said, ‘Terrible idea. What are you doing here? You can’t explain this one. Don’t bother trying.’

Before going to the door, Cedric tried to peer through the living room window. ‘I can’t see anything because the curtains are drawn.’ Cedric resisted the urge to press his face against the glass to get a better view.

Turning away from the window, Cedric approached the door and raised his hand to knock. He tapped lightly on the wood, and the sound seemed to echo through the entire forest, so he stopped and waited. When only the scraping of the branches in the wind answered him, he pounded his fist against the door.

‘No one really is home.’ Cedric’s eyebrows shot up at the thought. ‘Did I get lucky? I’m not even sure.’ He turned the knob, but it didn’t budge. ‘I guess that would be too much to hope for,’ Cedric thought as he turned away from the door and began to kick up stray leaves.

As he paced across the lawn, an idea made him snap his head back to the door.

‘I wonder . . .’

Cedric strode back over to the door and reached underneath a stone in the wall. As he began to wiggle it out of place, his mind jumped back several years.

Summer still blanketed the forest in an emerald dress, and just thinking of the warm air beneath the cool shade of the trees allowed him to forget the biting autumn chill. “A friend at Gringotts told me how to fix a lock like they do with some of their vaults,� Cedric had told his dad as he shut the back door behind both of them.

“Planning on storing a lot of gold in the house?� his father teased as Cedric picked a safe distance from the door.

“No, I’m starting my own bank,� Cedric joked as he aimed his want at the door. “Alohomora! Incendio! Confrigo!�

Explosions and fire shot out around the door, but the door stood firm. “I didn’t know you wanted to destroy the house,� his dad snapped, but Cedric only laughed and pointed to the door.

“It works. You can’t open it with magic,� Cedric had told his dad, who, despite trying to be angry, had a grin on his face.

“Then how are we supposed to get into the house?� his dad asked.

“With a key, of course,� Cedric mouthed the words he said ages ago as his fingers groped behind the brick. When he touched the tiny, metal object, he laughed with relief, but hearing his voice killed the sound in his throat.

The key slid into its spot, and after a turn, the tumblers gave. When Cedric tried the knob again, the door swung open with a light shove. After replacing the key, he paused on the edge of the doormat and wiped his feet before stepping into the dark, silent house. He kept the door from making a sound when it locked. He took his coat off, but decided not to hang it up on the coat rack.

He kept the shoes on, too, even though they clunked across the floorboards. Glancing into the living room, Cedric noticed the same photographs on the mantel and on the coffee table. He went over and picked up the picture of his dad and him from the Quidditch World Cup. When he tasted blood, he realized he had been gnawing on his lower lip. He set the picture down to wipe his mouth. ‘I hope this cracked, bleeding lip business stops sooner than later,’ Cedric thought as he turned to go into the kitchen and rinse out his mouth.

Clunking across the floor, Cedric moved with less caution in the familiar environment. ‘Not much has changed,’ Cedric thought as grabbed a glass of water. With the metallic taste of blood gone from his mouth, he looked around the kitchen and noticed dishes stacked up in the sink and on the counter.

‘Mum hasn’t cleaned in a while,’ Cedric thought as he leaned down over the kettle sitting in the cold fireplace. He wrinkled his nose when he smelled the cold, rotting stew sitting in it. ‘Maybe . . . why . . . I’ve never seen mum let the place get this messy,’ Cedric realized as he finished the glass and added it to the pile in the sink.

He frowned and pulled his hands down his face. ‘Right, I need to shave,’ Cedric remembered as he touched the scraggly beard. He made his way up stairs, and the odour of soap greeted him in the bathroom. He found the razor and scissors easily enough, and then, he looked up into the mirror.

Ignoring the uncomfortable feeling in his stomach, Cedric chopped off all hair below his ears before running a comb through it. Then, he slowly began to shave over the unfamiliar facial features. With each slow stroke, more of the shaving cream disappeared to reveal the freckled, pasty white skin underneath. When he was done shaving, Cedric went back and trimmed the edges of the fine, flaxen hair until it suited him.

After doing his best to clean up the mess, Cedric looked at himself in the mirror again. The stranger’s face frowned in union with him. ‘I wonder how old this person is, or is it how old I am?’ he asked himself as he ran his fingers down a face that seemed too long and too thin. The grey-blue eyes mirrored the doubts in Cedric’s mind. ‘I might be thirty? I hope I didn’t come back too much older.’

‘Everything about this body seems too gangly and bony.’ Cedric ran his hands over the narrow bridge of his nose and down to his lips. ‘Where did these come from? I’ve never seen scars like this. Cedric pulled down his lower lip and traced a scar from the gum line to the outer lip. Inserting a finger into his mouth, he felt thin lines covering the tongue, the cheeks, and the roof of the mouth.

‘Did a bundle of razors get pulled out of his mouth?’ Cedric wondered as he wiped the blood off his lip when one of the scabs broke and bled. After the infatuation with the scars passed, Cedric left the bathroom and went back down the hallway. He paused at one of the doors on his left and gingerly fingered the doorknob.

‘I wonder if they changed my room. Is everything in boxes? Is it another guest bedroom? No, I don’t think they would – ’

The door opened downstairs, and everything inside of Cedric froze. When the door shut, he realized he was holding his breath. His heart hammered against his rib cage and began to climb into his throat. He listened to the footfalls as they went from the front entranceway into the kitchen.

‘Terrible idea. Good plan. Time to explain this,’ the little voice in his head now dominated his thoughts. ‘Get out. Get out. Get out!

Cedric listened to the noise in the kitchen, and he slid his feet out of the clunky shoes so he could sneak down the stairs. ‘I can get to the backdoor if they’re in the kitchen.’ On the bottom step, Cedric froze as he thought, ‘My mum or dad is probably in the kitchen.’

The nagging voice screamed for him to run, but the pulling in his gut stopped him from slipping out the backdoor. ‘Could they know me . . . anyway?’ Cedric wondered as he wiped his sweaty palms on the jacket and ignored the panicked voice telling him to run while he still could.

He crept down the stairs and back into the living room. With his heart pounding in his throat, Cedric rounded the corner into the kitchen. His father was hunched down by the fire place cleaning the kettle.

Cedric couldn’t think of anything to say.

His father turned around before Cedric could react. For a moment, both of them stared wordlessly at each other.

“What the –�

Amos’s face went from shock to rage and kept contorting between the two. “You! Get –�

Cedric found the ability to turn and sprint out the back door. He heard footsteps behind him, but he forced himself to the Apparation boarder. As he stood there, gasping in ragged breaths, Cedric thought of where he needed to go.

‘Someplace safe . . . come on . . . where no wizard knows me . . .’

With a crack, Cedric left the forest and found himself stumbling across pavement. He steadied himself and stared up at the sandstone building.

‘A church? I’ve only been to one in my entire life . . .’

It had been the only church he ever went inside, and the trip was his mum’s idea. “It’s a lovely piece of Muggle work. For the life of me, I can’t figure out how they build such things! I grew up around here, in Carlisle, Cedric,� she told him as she took his hand. He thought he might have been seven.

“Muggles need religion because they don’t know any better,� his father grumbled.

“I know, I know, but it’s still a lovely place,� his mother had replied.

‘I just always assumed Muggles were superstitious to believe in some god that sounds like nothing more than a wizard with an ego,’ Cedric thought as he strode up the steps and pushed the door open. The silence of the large stones and heaven reaching arches pressed upon him as he shut the door and shuffled down an aisle. ‘Mum always tolerated dad and I joking about Muggle superstition . . . I guess she never took me to another church because she realized I already agreed with dad.

As he let his fingers slide over the stone pillars, Cedric made his way into the main area of the cathedral. He craned his neck and looked up at the replication of what seemed to be an unmoving sky. The royal blue ceiling seemed like the bright, noonday sky bedazzled with a thousand golden stars.

“Our tour hours are going to be over soon.�

Cedric snapped his head down to stare at the petit Muggle woman. “Uh, I’m sorry,� Cedric muttered and rubbed his throat.

“Can I help you with something? Did you lose the tour group?� she asked, and Cedric shook his head.

“My mum, she used to live around here. I wanted to see the place again.�

‘It’s like hearing someone else talk for me,’ Cedric thought as he rubbed his throat again, and the woman seemed to have picked up on how uncomfortable he was.

“That’s nice, sir, but I’m going to have to ask you to come back tomorrow.�

“Do you believe in God? A god?�

The rapid question seemed to shock the woman a little, but it stunned Cedric even more. The woman composed herself and replied, “I do. I grew up in the Anglican church, and I believe in God and his son, Jesus.�

Cedric shrugged. ‘Hmm, didn’t see either of them.’ “What, what do you believe happens after you die?� Cedric asked the woman, who gnawed on her lower lip for a moment.

“I think you might want to talk to a priest about –�

“No, I want to ask you. I . . . I, uh, don’t care if you don’t consider yourself an expert on the subject.�

“I believe, if you believe in Jesus and live a good life, you will go to heaven,� the woman said with a slight blush on her cheek.

“If you live a good life?� Cedric asked. “What if you just don’t . . . what if your life wasn’t good enough? What happens?�

“I . . . some people believe in purgatory, but some people believe you go to hell,� the woman replied softly and shuffled her feet. “Listen, I still think you should go –�

Cedric saw the man in red robes turn a corner and point his wand. He ducked and the spell hit the Muggle woman.

Before he could react, he heard a shooting breeze behind his head. The next moment, he collapsed on the cold stones.

Stranger

“It’s your turn to check on him!�

‘What?’

Cedric tried to twist his neck, but not even his pinkie toe would budge. ‘I guess I’m not supposed to be walking around. Enough light streamed through the cracked large, metal door studded with bolts for Cedric to see it. He didn’t need any light to see the cold, hard stones he had been sitting on for hours. He could also feel the place where his head smacked against the floor of the church.

“My turn?� a boy hissed.

‘I know that voice.’ Cedric focused his throbbing mind to concentrate on the two speakers hidden behind the prison door.

“Just in case you forgot, I checked last time!� Ron Weasley yelped. ‘I knew I was right! It’s Weasley . . . but what is he doing down here?’ Unable to do anything else, Cedric continued to listen to the conversation between Ron and the young woman.

“I was running an errand, so it would have been my turn, but you had to take it for me,� the woman murmured. “Therefore, it’s your turn.�

“Okay, come off it! You’re just as spooked as I am.� Ron paused, and then whispered, “What if he’s awake?�

“Well, that’ll be your problem, but – �

“Oh yeah, right!� Ron squeaked. “It’s always my problem! You sit around and take the credit, but it’s always Ron who – �

“What is going on?� a deep, base voice barked through Ron’s complaints. Ron yelped, but then all was silent for a moment.

“Ron was just going to check on the prisoner,� the woman said.

“I-It’s her turn!� Ron stammered.

“The two of you are the most useless apprentices. This is how you check on a prisoner,� the man grumbled as he flung the door open. It banged against the wall and the hollow clang echoed around the cell and through Cedric’s body. Cedric found himself staring at a tall Auror with a buzz cut and a salt-and-pepper beard.

Cedric looked past the Auror to the two red robed young people hesitating at the doorway. ‘Ron and one of the Indian twins . . . can’t remember her name . . . and wow, they look older. They’re Aurors?’ Ron turned and mouthed, ‘He’s awake!’ to the Indian girl, who stood stiffly in the shadow of the older, gruff Auror and didn’t enter the room.

“Well, you’re awake. Nice of you to join us,� the man barked as he strode over to Cedric, who meet the steely gaze of the older Auror. Cedric wanted to wrench his gaze off the intimidating man, but the commanding presence standing over him was overwhelming. ‘What did I do?’ Cedric wondered, but he couldn’t unhinge his mouth to speak. The man knelt down and stared Cedric in the eyes. An uncomfortable prickling sensation passed through Cedric’s forehead, but the Auror only scowled.

“Stop using Occulemency on me.�

Now, it was Cedric’s turn to frown. ‘I’m not doing that intentionally. If he can’t read my mind . . . oh, that would have been too easy. He could have just looked and seen what happened, but if he can’t see . . . ’

The Auror turned away from Cedric as a group of loud voices began to get closer. The first thing Cedric could make out was a woman’s crisp voice saying, “You are just here for observation purposes, Venturini.�

“Do you realize what we’re dealing with? This is bizarre, even by wizarding standards,� a man’s voice answered. The shuffling of feet let Cedric know they were on the threshold to his prison cel. The two Auror apprentices scattered out of the doorway to let the party of three Healers, two Aurors, and a woman dressed in a very fine and stately black velvet robe pass into the room.

‘Quite a crowd.’ The Aurors and healers gathered around Cedric, but the two Auror apprentices hung in the background. ‘I can’t blame them,’ Cedric thought as the black robed woman stepped forward.

“Interrogate him so we can take him to Azkaban,� the woman snapped. Her white hair, pale skin, and black velvet robes seemed to turn her into a harsh, contrasted monochrome figure. The woman seemed like a giant to Cedric, and he noted her and the handsome, blonde male Healer were the tallest people in the room.

The male Healer with the thick, blonde hair spoke again. “At least I know what this is all about now. No games with you, Madame Thackery.�

“Azkaban?� Cedric wheezed through his cotton mouth. Now, all eyes turned towards him again. ‘You couldn’t keep silent? For just another moment?’ Cedric asked himself as he mentally squirmed under the appraising gazes. The two other Healers, a middle aged woman and a younger man, wore the same uncomfortable expressions as the two Auror apprentices. The two Aurors that came with the stern woman kept their stoic composure, but the gruff Auror scowled.

The woman scrunched her lips together. “Come now, of course you’re going to prison. Dawlish, what did you find?�

“I can’t read his mind,� Dawlish, who had lead the apprentices into the room, growled. ‘I can’t help that,’ Cedric thought dully as he looked up at his towering judges.

“Hmmm, well, we can side step that problem,� the woman replied sharply. “Come now, bring the Veritaserum.�

“I object to the use of Veritaserum,� the blonde Healer announced as he kept his eyes trained on Madame Thackery.

“Why is that?� Dawlish snarled.

The Healer launched into an explanation. “I hope, since you are all employees of the Department of Magical Law Enforcement, that you would be interested in following the magical protocols regarding the use of Veritaserum. For instance, if one has been interrogated with Veritaserum before, interrogation with Veritaserum is not allowed again unless one has a life threatening injury and has not had the opportunity – �

“ – to provide a confession to be used during trial,� the woman snapped. “As the head of the Department of Magical Law Enforcement, I am well aware of my department’s own rules!�

“And the only reason you’re here, Healer Venturini, is because one Healer, one Auror, and one other Ministry official need to be present at the interrogation of a suspect when they are detained in the Ministry of Magic,� the one bald, stoic Auror replied in an even, almost monotone, voice.

“I think that if Veritaserum cannot be used, we simply send him back to prison,� Dawlish suggested.

Healer Venturini spun to face Dawlish. “Have you ever heard of an incident like this? We don’t know what we’re dealing with! Shipping him back to Azkaban is a colossal mistake of closed mindedness!�

“I spent my life chasing down Dark Wizards, and we have one of the nastiest sons-of-a-bitch that ever followed You-Know-Who!� Dawlish stepped forward, and the air cracked between the Healer and the Auror. The bald Auror put his hand on Dawlish’s shoulder, and the surly Dawlish stepped back from the Healer.

“I think Venturini has a point.�

“Robards – �

“No, Dawlish, we have no idea what has happened. I, however, would support the administration of Veritaserum to the suspect.�

“Criminal,� Dawlish snarled in response to Robards’s calm logic. ‘What the hell are they going to do to me? What did I do?’ Cedric kept his mouth shut as he thought about the administration of Veritaserum that seemed likely to come sooner rather than later.

“I petition to administer the Veritaserum after the suspect has had a proper medical evaluation,� Healer Venturini snapped during the lull in conversation. Dawlish bristled at this comment, but Robards appeared non-fazed.

“Send him to my ward, and after examination, I will gladly invite all of you to examine the suspect.� Venturini spat out the last word, and Robards stepped between a reddening Dawlish and a very smug Venturini.

“What would this accomplish? Retrieve the Veritaserum and finish this nonsense,� Thackery snapped as she shot an icy glance down at Cedric that made him advert his gaze to the ground.

“While I’m sorry to ruin your plans to send your suspect to Azkaban, I think it would be prudent to study this phenomenon.� Cedric’s gaze returned to Venturini’s face. “Besides, I also brought the adequate number of Healers to transport a suspect to Saint Mungo’s, just like you brought the adequate number of Aurors to take a criminal to Azkaban.�

Thackery turned and gave Venturini the same cold stare she had given Cedric. “I would side with Venturini for the time being. We will be keeping tabs on our suspect until . . . until Healer Venturini has adequate answers,� Robards replied in his monotone voice. Then, he gave Venturini a sharp look.

“I expect full cooperation from you. Healer Venturini, you will figure out your answers on a timely scale, or I will assure you we will do that for you.�

After Robards spoke, he pulled out a black bag. Cedric stared at it, and he instinctively knew what they were going to do, but he didn’t try to struggle because it was pointless. The bag slid effortlessly over his head and mercifully removed the scene before his eyes.

This Place is a Prison


They never removed the body binding curse. Since no one but Robards spoke, and that was only short, quick commands, Cedric could not tell where he was or who was with him. ‘I’m pretty sure I’m going to Saint Mungo’s, but other than that . . . At least it’s not Azkaban.’

The black bag caused Cedric’s breathing to be shallow, and the hot air caused sweat to drip down his face. The strings scratched against his neck, and he wanted to itch that spot. His entire body ached, but after his most recent treatment, Cedric could only think, ‘If they give me a drink of water, I’ll be lucky. It’s been a while since I’ve eaten or had something to drink.’

When Venturini spoke, Cedric thought they might have entered Saint Mungo’s at last. He heard a swishing sound, like drapery being drawn back, and when they plunked him down on what he assumed to be a bed, he felt certain they had arrived. Then, someone yanked the hood off. Cedric found himself staring at Robards, Thackery, Venturini, and the Auror and two Healers he didn’t know. ‘They look as cross as before,’ Cedric noted as Thackery turned her nose up in his direction.

“I would like Savage to ensure he is secured.� The other Auror, who had a rather large nose and slicked back, black hair, jumped into action as if Robards shouted the order at the top of his lungs. Savage flicked his wand in sharp little beats like an anxious orchestra conductor. In the end, even though it was a completely transparent, a charmed bubble surrounded the hospital bed in which Cedric lay.

Venturini, clasping his hands behind his back like a school boy, turned to Thackery. “Does that please you?�

The woman turned her stony gaze upon Venturini again. “I hope this meddling, in what appears to me a rather simple matter, has made you happy. You will report directly to Robards. I will check up on you. Try to keep this part of the ward closed.�

With those words, the Head of the Department of Magical Law Enforcement turned and strode away. Savage and Robards nodded to the three Healers before they took their leave. Cedric sat there, utterly exhausted. ‘At least they’re gone.’

Now, the attentions of the Healers came to rest fully on him again.

******

With a flick of his wand, Venturini conjured bedding and clothes. He passed them through the charm bubble by hand. “This is Healer Barnes.� Venturini gestured towards the middle aged woman with mousy brown hair tightly wound up in a bun. “This is Healer Nissel and I am Healer Venturini. You are staying on the Morticia Gregel Ward, of which I am Head Healer. Now, we’ll take our leave while you dress.�

Healers Barnes and Nissel exited first. Venturini pulled the steel grey, floor length curtain shut as he followed the other two Healers out into the hallway. Since it was still in the early hours of the morning, no wizards bustled up and down the hallways on their way to tend patients or to visit sick relatives.

Barnes crossed her arms as she gazed at a place over Venturini’s head. In a tired voice, she said, “I hope you’re happy, Adam.�

“Thank you, Cassandra.� Venturini nodded towards her. “I don’t expect Thackery will be calling you for any Ministry favours after this ordeal.�

Cassandra Barnes shook her head. “I could do with a little less attention from Eloise Thackery,� Barnes replied as she turned to Nissel, who had contented himself with silently shifting his weight between both feet.

“You did well, Emery,� Barnes said in a soothing, motherly voice. The comment caused the young Healer to jerk his head up from his gaze on the floor. “You should give the boy a rest, Adam. I need to be back on the Sanguine-Levette ward. I hope I don’t need your services for a very long time.�

“You could have handled it.�

Barnes paused and gave Venturini a long, appraising look. “I didn’t want to handle it. When I heard . . . well, I just leave the strange and unsavoury cases to you.�

She turned and left before either of the two male Healers could say anything. After Barnes passed through a set of double doors, Venturini turned his attention back to Emery Nissel. “You aren’t going to be allowed contact with the patient except at meal times and when I need you to help me take him to the bathing room.�

Emery bit his lower lip. “That’s good . . . I mean . . . why?�

Adam sighed and crossed his arms. “You are obviously very nervous around him,� Venturini replied, and Emery only shrugged in response. “I also want to try and keep this confined to the fourth floor, and hopefully, on the small section of our Ward, if that’s possible. I don’t need him to become a tourist attraction.�

“Don’t you think The Prophet will do that for you?�

Adam chuckled. “It could go either way. This is something that might be actually worth reporting, so there is a chance they will never publish it. On the other hand, it has first page written all over it.�

Emery sighed. “What . . . what are you going to do? I mean – �

“I am going to isolate him for a while. Under no circumstance, when you do have any contact with him, are you to tell him any information about anything he asks. If Dawlish could not use Legilimency on him, I doubt I can, and I want to know what he knows.�

“Veritaserum?� Emery asked timidly.

“Emery, I picked you for my assistant because you possess the ability to reach a conclusion without the use of magic,� Adam replied in an almost bored tone. “I need to know how he thinks. I want to understand every aspect of this situation, and while useful, Veritaserum has its limits. I don’t care so much about what he is willing to tell me but about what he’s desperate to hide from me.�

Adam paused and waited for Emery’s response. The young Healer nodded several times as Adam went back into the room. When the Head Healer was out of ear-shot, Emery mumbled, “You only picked me because you had last pick.�

*****

The grey curtain, which reminded Cedric of an angry sky about to rain, spanned the entire length of the room and drug on the floor. Cedric stared at the pasty, yellow walls that tried to bring some pastel cheer to the room. Cedric reached for the clothes at the end of the bed and looked out the small window with black bars across it. ‘It’s dark out. I guess they would have wanted to move me at night. Has it been a day since I . . . I woke up?’

Cedric undressed out of the shabby clothes and put on the white t-shit, royal blue scrubs, and the grey house coat they had given him. He stared at the sea foam green blanket and wrinkled his nose. He sat and waited, glad to be left alone for a moment. He sighed and pulled the crisp, white sheet over himself before lying down. ‘I’ll just sit here, thank you. Whatever they’re planning, I’d rather not participate. I’m fine; no need for assistance.’

Only too soon did Cedric hear the swish of the curtain being drawn open. He sat up as Venturini entered. ‘I hope he decides to feed me,’ Cedric thought as Venturini pulled the curtain closed and conjured a chair to sit down upon. For a moment, the handsome Healer contented himself with staring at Cedric.

“You’ve been very silent.�

Cedric shrugged. “Water, please,� he asked. When he spoke, he tasted something metallic in his mouth. ‘Oh, those damned scars are bleeding again.’ He leaned over and spit out crimson saliva into the edge of the bed sheet. As he did so, he stared at Venturini, who seemed attracted to the blood like a shark.

“Water. Please.�

The Healer pulled his wand from inside the pocket of his lime green robe. Venturini tapped an empty glass sitting on a small tray table that also held some basic bathroom essentials. Cedric took the glass out of Venturini’s hand once it was inside the charm barrier. It took two gulps for Cedric to down the water. He went to pass the glass back out, and his hand smacked against the barrier.

“Bloody hell!�

The cup clattered to the white linoleum floor as Cedric held his numb forearm. “Don’t try to pass through it,� Venturini replied coolly as he picked up the glass and tapped it with his wand to fill it with water.

Venturini passed his hand easily through the barrier. “So . . . how can you pass through?� Cedric asked as he took the glass with his other hand.

“The specific spell Savage used is actually almost the inverse of the Fidelius Charm,� Venturini replied coolly as he stretched and relaxed into the little folding chair. “Everyone can see you and pass into your own little space, but you can’t go anywhere. I should also add that no magic works inside that bubble.�

Cedric sighed. “If I need to go the bathroom? Take a shower?�

“No need in trying to figure out how to escape tonight. I am also fully knowledgeable about casting this charm, so your more private needs will be met,� Venturni replied as he folded his hands on his lap.

‘So, I’m in a prison that encourages the telling of secrets. Probably not coincidental, but probably not helpful for Venturini, either. What he wants to know, I can’t tell him.’ The two men stared at each other while Cedric began to fidget with the hem of his grey house robe. Venturini remained perfectly composed in his chair as if he were a first year pupil demonstrating how well he could stay seated.

“I would like a shower, actually, and maybe something to eat,� Cedric said after the staring contest became a bore to him. Venturini remained silent and unmoved in his chair. ‘Whatever he wants to know, he’s going to be sitting there for a long time before he hears it from me,’ Cedric thought as he repeated his request to Venturini.

Finally, the Healer leaned forward in the chair. “You’re not curious about anything?�

‘No, I actually really want some answers, but I don’t think you’re going to give them to me right now. Every time someone looks at me, I get the same disastrous feeling something is very wrong, and I’m sorry, Healer Venturini, but I’m convinced that you’re keeping something from me for your own purposes because I can see that look in your eyes, too. All of you know me, but I have no idea who it is you think I am.’

After his imaginary conversation with Venturini, Cedric leaned back against the pillow and waited. Venturini kept his eyes trained on the silent man. Finally, the Healer said, “I need to tend some other people on the ward. I’ll be back to escort you to the washroom.�

“How kind,� Cedric replied dully.

Venturini stood up and stretched. “Would you like some more water?�

“No thank you, I can wait for that, too.� As Venturini nodded and walked away, Cedric thought, ‘You can’t bait me that easily.’

Obliviate

The trees scratched the top of Cedric’s head as he zigzagged through the silver trunks without a sound. Like a ceiling, the fog hovered over him, and he could see only about another foot above his head, but he didn’t want to look up.

‘Never look up. Never look up . . .’

He trend soundlessly over the blue grass, keeping his head down all the while. He knew their blue faces . . .

They were waiting for him. In the land of the washed-out colours, Cedric looked up into the bright, yellow animal eyes. He scrambled away from them, but the more he looked, the stronger their feral gazes became.

They wanted him.

Cedric jolted awake. He wiped the sweat off his face.

“Sleep well?�

Cedric blinked several times, even thought he recognized Venturini’s voice. The Healer seemed to have Apparted to Cedric’s bedside. Cedric gave Venturini what he hoped would be a cold stare, but he figured, ‘I probably look more like a sleepy drunk than anything else.’

Venturini put Cedric’s lunch on a tray table and slid it over to him. Cedric stared down at the sandwich and chips before he looked back up at Venturini. “Can I have a newspaper? The Prophet, maybe?�

Venturini shook his head as he crossed his arms. “We’ve been over this everyday all week long. No newspapers, books, or anything else magical goes inside that bubble.�

‘Yes, I get it, you’re trying to keep me isolated so I’ll crack. I’ve gathered that, too,’ Cedric thought wearily as he remembered his week at Saint Mungo’s. He realized that the curtain separating him from the rest of the world had a silencing charm on it, so he couldn’t hear anything happening beyond his side of the steely drape. The little window that offered him so much hope his first night here only came with the view of a brick wall over a tiny, dingy alley.

Venturini established a daily routine that began with breakfast. After breakfast, Venturini and Nissel would come back, Venturini would remove the bubble, and Cedric would be escorted to a bathroom. Afterwards, he would sit in his bed until they brought lunch. Today, he fell asleep before lunch. After lunch, Cedric knew Venturini would visit several more times, Nissel would serve him dinner, and he would try and sleep during the night.

‘There’s nothing else to do but sleep,’ Cedric thought dully. They refused him everything. He wanted to read. Venturini said he couldn’t do that at all. There was no one to play a game with, and nothing magical would work inside his charm bubble anyway. Finally, Nissel caved on day three and brought him a pack of Muggle playing cards. He knew a few games from his Muggle born friends, but he didn’t remember them well; maybe that’s why the cards lost their entertainment value quickly. Or, as Cedric rather suspected, Muggle games were just boring.

Then, there were the nightmares. They began the first night in the hospital, and because he slept lightly, Cedric had them every night. To his annoyance, Venturini seemed to have figured out about the nightmares. ‘Well, he can’t read my mind, so he’s just going to have to be curious. Only he would be overjoyed that I’m bored out of my mind and having nightmares.’

While Venturini stood silently over Cedric’s bed, the two locked gazes. ‘And I thought he was going to save me! Ha!’ Cedric remembered that his first impressions of Venturini as a saviour quickly faded after their first meeting. ‘He wants me for the same reason the Aurors do. I’m a spectacle, and he just wants to study me. Instead of a cell in Azkaban, he’s put me in a hospital bed.’

“I’ll see you this afternoon,� Ventuini said as he turned and left the room. The curtain whooshed shut behind him, and the sounds of the hospital faded. Cedric sighed and picked at his lunch. With nothing to do, he found he had no appetite, either. He drank the water and finished half the sandwich before he pushed away the tray table.

Cedric popped his head up again. Nissel came into collect his tray table. Before the Healer could pick up the tray, a woman Healer rushed into the room.

“Someone put poison in the soup at the Leaky Caldron. We’re swamped downstairs.�

For the first time, Cedric watched Nissel forget he existed as he ran out of the room. ‘It’s kind of nice to be ignored again. He even left the curtain open.’

Cedric listened, but he didn’t hear much noise beyond the drape today. He still couldn’t see outside of his bedchamber, but it didn’t sound like anything interesting was happening on his ward. He leaned back in his bed and stared up at the ceiling.

When he heard the curtain move, Cedric raised his head. A woman in yellow scrubs and a white t-shirt cautiously stepped into the room. ‘If the curtain hadn’t moved, I doubt I would have even noticed her. Her bare feet allowed her to sneak in so quietly.’

“Were you sleeping?�

“Susan?�

The woman tilted her head to one side as she continued to look at Cedric. “Everyone knows my name, don’t they? Where did you find it?�

Cedric tried to close his gaping mouth. ‘I thought she looked familiar, but when she spoke . . . wait, what did she mean about her name?’ Cedric tried to get over the strange question, but then, he saw the little white tag on her chest emblazoned in ink with the name ‘Susan’ on it.

“I-it’s on your shirt,� Cedric stammered as he pointed at her. Susan stared down and fingered the little, white tag.

“You’re right! How nice. No one everyone knows me,� Susan giggled as she stared back up at Cedric. “You don’t have a name tag. What’s your name? Have we met?�

Cedric slowly shook his head. “No . . . no we haven’t met.�

Susan only shrugged. ‘She doesn’t seem upset that I didn’t answer that tricky name question. She’s dressed in hospital clothes, too. Maybe I didn’t get a nametag because Venturini is determined to keep me hidden. I am a special case, after all.’

Susan stared around the room, and then walked over to the window. ‘She lost interest in me fast.’ Only with Susan more interested in staring at the brick wall did Cedric realize that no one had really stopped gawking at him since the first painful moment of seeing his father. ‘Anonymity is a bit nice to have again.’

“It’s not much of a view,� Cedric said, and Susan looked back over in his direction.

“I don’t think I have a window in my room,� Susan replied as she unfolded the chair Venturini usually sat on when he came for his visits. She sat down and leaned forward on the chair so her elbows rested on the tray table. “I don’t think I had lunch yet,� Susan said as she stared down at Cedric’s half eaten meal. “Can I eat these?�

Cedric nodded. As Susan began to munch on the chips, Cedric found himself realizing how little attention she paid him. ‘She really has no idea who I am . . . or who everyone thinks I am. Maybe she hasn’t read the papers. Maybe it’s not in the papers . . .

“Susan, how long have you been in Saint Mungo’s?� Cedric asked.

Susan paused to finish chewing a chip before she said, “Oh . . . I don’t really know. How long have you been here?�

“You don’t know?� Cedric asked. Susan frowned and looked down at her hands.

“I told you I don’t know!� she snapped as she got up from the chair. Susan’s face filled with fear, and she looked like a trapped animal looking for somewhere to run.

‘She . . . she’s lot her memory. That’s why she has the name tag . . . it’s to remind her of her own name . . .’

“Susan . . . f-finish my lunch,� Cedric stammered. “Please?�

Susan’s eyes darted back to Cedric. She stared at him suspiciously for a moment, and Cedric felt a shiver go down his spine as a brief, knowing look crossed Susan’s face. ‘Does she . . .’

Then, the moment passed, and Susan’s entire body seemed to relax. She sat down and began to eat the chips again as if nothing odd happened.

“These are really good,� Susan said after a moment. “Why didn’t you want them?�

“I-I . . . I wasn’t hungry,� Cedric fumbled out the words. ‘She went crazy, but now . . . it’s like nothing went wrong. I remember reading how memory loss can alter personality, but she really seemed terrified. I can’t very well ask her how she got her memory erased, though.’

“Susan!�

A woman who looked like the generic image of a grandmother on Muggle food boxes bustled into the room. She shot Cedric a fearful glance as she pushed the tray table away from Susan. “Come on, honey, let’s go. You can’t be in here.�

The woman grabbed Susan by the arm, and for a moment, Susan tensed up. ‘Is she going to have another fit?’ Cedric wondered as the elderly woman attempted to pull Susan out of the chair. Susan stared off into space, but when she was tugged, she stood up.

“I’ll take you to get some lunch, okay?� the woman cooed, and Susan followed her out of the room. Before she disappeared behind the curtain, Susan smiled and waved to Cedric. This time, the Healer didn’t forget to close the curtain behind her.

Not long after the Healer and Susan left, Venturini came back, flinging the curtain aside before closing it again. ‘That didn’t take long. Good for him to realize he’s only human, after all.’ Cedric watched Venturini pace the room for a moment before sitting down in the folding chair.

“I have something to talk about today,� Cedric said as he positioned himself so he was sitting cross-legged in the center of the bed.

“I’m sure you do,� Venturini replied dryly.

“How did Susan lose her memory?�

Venturini pursed his lips. “Come on, now, you’ve been begging me to tell you anything for days. Why is Susan at Saint Mungo’s?� Cedric pressed the issue.

Venturini leaned back in the chair, his hands still resting on his lap. ‘Come on, tell me something. It’s not a very harmful question.’ Cedric fought the urge to chew on his lower lip. Venturini seemed to be looking just beyond Cedric’s head.

“How do you know Susan?� Venturini finally asked, but his gaze still remained distant.

Cedric bit into his lower lip. “She walked into my room today. I noticed she’d lost her memory.�

‘Come on, I didn’t give that much away. Come on . . . just tell this to me. You’re going to lock me up here until they send me to Azkaban . I deserve to know . . . something.’ Cedric look the edge of his grey robe and wiped the blood from his mouth. Adam leaned forward in the chair, and Cedric focused on the Healer again.

“Okay, I can tell you a little bit about Susan,� Venturini said in what Cedric judged to be a perfect conversational tone. “She was brought here last October. She performed a Memory Charm on herself, but that’s not what I personally considered interesting about her case. You see, it takes a bit of skill to be able to cast a very powerful memory charm. With some exception, most people who cast a memory charm on themselves only erase very short periods of their memory, but as you saw, Susan has trouble remembering her own name.�

“Why did she cast it on herself?� Cedric asked. “Did it backfire?�

“That’s what the Aurors were led to believe happened, but no one could figure out why she cast the first charm on some random Muggle. The second one was probably intended for the first Muggle’s companion, but she cast it on herself. However, that’s not what really interests me right now,� Venturini’s voice acquired an edge as he leaned forward again, like a fox cornering a rabbit. “What really is interesting is that, out of all the people you’ve met, Susan is the first one you’ve asked about. I think this means you know her.�

‘Hmmm . . . I should have figured the chit-chat was just to put me off guard,’ Cedric thought as he continued to stare at Venturini. Finally, Cedric replied, “Who says I haven’t known everyone I’ve met? You have no idea what I do or do not know.�

Venturini chuckled and stood up. “I think you’re a bit wrong there. I’ll be around for your full physical examination in several days.�

‘Swell. Really great, Cedric, well played,’ Cedric mentally scolded himself. ‘That man is never going to tell you anything. He knows who you’re supposed to be, but he’s not going to ever tell you, is he? And what now? I’m going to have to listen to him interrogate me every day until the Aurors remember I exist. Then, they throw me in Azkaban for crimes I never committed.’

Scars

Fog hung over the streets of London like someone built the sky so only goblins could pass underneath the cloud cover. With a pop, Adam found himself in a back alley way, unable to see the hand in front of his face. ‘This is a bit claustrophobic,’ Adam thought as he lit his wand and proceeded to cross the street to the entrance of Saint Mungo’s. His wand touched the tip of the brick before he could see the building.

Once inside the adequately lit entrance lobby, Adam extinguished his wand and stowed it in the pocket of his lime green robe. The witch at the desk, busy reading yesterday’s Prophet, didn’t give him a second glance. ‘I guess it’s a bit early to be busy, but that only means this place will be chaos later in the day,’ Adam speculated as he stared around at the empty lobby and the stained, rickety chairs before walking over to the staircase. ‘Well, I guess it is five in the morning.’

Adam flung open the door to the back staircase and began his ascent. The stair well, a relic from the original Muggle building, smelled of damp feet. The pealing, canary yellow paint only enhanced the unpleasantness as Adam listened to his feet thump upon the stairs until he reached the fourth floor.

‘Well, this will be the only time today this floor will be silent.’ Adam passed the floor’s two main Wards, the Janus Thickey and the Sanguine-Levette, before arriving at the entrance to his own Ward. The Morticia Gregel Ward had been an add-on to the two other existing Wards when Saint Mungo’s moved to the larger building over a century ago. While the Janus Thickey Ward took care of those whose brains were permanently affected by magic, the Sanguine-Levette Ward was the largest Ward on the floor. Healer Barnes presided over those with ‘magical wasting’ or other unexplainable and non-curable conditions caused by magical trauma. The well known fact was that, if you landed on the fourth floor, you were going to be there for quite some time.

The Morticia Gregel Ward had been added to care for what Adam always thought of as magical phenomena. Now, he knew that wasn’t the correct terminology. The ward was designed to care for those affected by horrible or unnatural magic. What that meant was up for debate, but the common fact remained that no one wanted on that Ward. There were several sections to the ward, and each had three beds separated by charmed, sound proof curtains.

‘And to think I volunteered for this Ward.’ Adam flung back the first steel grey curtain. In the bed lay a dozing Emery Nissel.

‘Well, he certainly didn’t want this Ward.’ Adam drew his wand and caused a loud, popping sound to echo throughout the bed chamber. Nissel jumped up and tumbled out of the bed.

“You’re supposed to watch the Ward at night,� Adam stated, but it was hard for him to muster any type of convincing authority this early in the morning.

Nissel only shrugged. “I was at the entrance . . . who is going to get out, anyway?�

“You left the curtain open yesterday and let someone in.�

Nissel cringed. “There . . . it was an emergency! I can’t help it Healer Strout can’t keep track of her patients.�

Adam sighed. ‘That’s too true. With a ward filled with mentally unstable patients, her only solution is to let them run all over the entire floor.’

Nissel shifted his weight between his feet while he alternated gazing at the floor and at Adam. The experienced Healer appraised his charge from his head of thick, dark curls to his feet that were glad in brown leather shoes. “Emery, don’t be too upset about yesterday. He asked about Susan. It’s the first real breakthrough I’ve had all week.�

Nissel focused his gaze on Adam. “I mean . . . he was at Hogwarts with her, right? I mean . . . shouldn’t he know her anyway?�

Adam crossed his arms as his brow knit up. “I thought of that myself, but he hasn’t asked about anything – or anyone – else since coming here. All he only asks for things to read every day.�

“Yeah, the Aurors aren’t going to be happy when they show up today, and we’ve got nothing to tell them,� Emery muttered.

Adam raked a hand through his thick, blonde locks. ‘Thackery won’t leave me alone until she throws him back in prison.’ Adam waved his hand, as if to banish all thoughts of the stern and meddlesome Head of the Magical Law Enforcement. “I can’t say we’re completely empty-handed. There are plenty of things I learned this week,� Adam spoke more to himself than to Nissel.

“What? He just whines about the newspaper every day! Did he tell you something yesterday?� Nissel asked.

Adam shook his head. “No. He hasn’t told me anything life changing, but I have a better idea of what he doesn’t know, and that will limit the field greatly when I start trying to figure out whom or what he is.�

Nissel snorted. “What amuses you, Healer Nissel? Care to enlighten me?� Adam snapped.

Nissel chewed into his lower lip, and his eyes darted around to avoid looking at Adam. “I-I . . . you don’t think it’s actually not him do you? I mean . . .�

“It’s crazy? Is that what you mean? We have no case to use as a precedent, and we have precious little information to work with. In addition, I happen to be the current expert on what we’re dealing with,� Adam admonished his young apprentice. “What I am coming to believe, though, is it’s not him. We have someone else in that room. However, whoever we have knows Susan Bones, or is at least concerned about her well being, and I suspect he may begin to talk about other people.�

“Why don’t we just use the Veritaserum?� Nissel asked. “He would have to tell us everything.�

“I would prefer to observe him before resorting to Veritaserum. You know how I feel about it. In emergencies, it can be essential, but we have time to deal with this. In addition, there is the problem that even the Aurors could not crack his mind using Legilimency.� Adam stared over at the other curtain separating him from his patient. ‘I can handle this if the Ministry will give me the time I need to figure this out. Legilimency didn’t work . . . I hope I can use that little bit of information to convince them that, somehow, he is being protected from our prying, which could be true, as irksome as that might prove to me later.’

“Tell me when the Aurors arrive.� Adam snapped out of his revelry and pulled open the curtain. He passed through another empty room before coming upon the last room. Normally, when he drew the curtain, his patient woke, but because he came several hours earlier, the man remained asleep when Adam entered.

The Healer stared down at his sleeping charge, sweating beneath the single sheet. ‘Another nightmare . . . I can’t say that surprises me. I wonder how long it will take to get him to talk about those. Hopefully, those nightmares will crack him soon.’

The man tossed from one side to the other. ‘Still very pale . . . I’m not surprised. He has started to put on a little weight, but he probably is still very weak. At that moment, the man’s eyes opened, but he didn’t notice Adam as he took a deep breath and ran his hands over his face.

“Another nightmare, I see,� Adam remarked in a soft voice.

The man jumped as if Adam shouted at him. “What . . . what are you doing here? Even I can tell how early it is.�

“The Ministry is coming today. I have to document your health, physical condition, and examine you for any abnormalities.�

The man chuckled. “Abnormalities? Is that a joke? I’m a walking abnormality.�

‘Hmmm, he has a sense of humour this morning. He’ll need that today.’ Adam didn’t reply, though, but stepped partially inside the magical bubble. ‘I hope he never figures out how the Aperio Charm works. I wasn’t lying when I said it was the reverse of the Fidelius Charm. It shows you everything – in one place – but the only catch is that there has to be one person inside the charm at all times, and that person is a secret giver. It’s astounding how well he’s done under that Charm. Most people start blabbing fairly early in the process. He just doesn’t realize if I enter the charm field completely, he could leave before I do.’

“I’m sorry to say we’re going to have to deprive you of breakfast for a while,� Venturini said as he motioned his patient to stand up. The non-verbal request was met with a questioning stare.

“I’m not really worried about food,� the man replied. ‘Not today. We’re not going to play this little war of attrition right now. You’re getting examined.’ Venturini reached down and flung the sheet off his patient before he grabbed his forearm. For a moment, the man pulled away, but Venturini’s firm grip held him in place.

Nissel entered the room and stepped into the bubble. Venturini nodded towards the other Healer as he partially pulled his reluctant patient to his feet. Then, instead of struggling against Adam’s tugging, the man seemed to space out and follow without any type of resistance. ‘He seems a little stubborn sometimes, but then he just closes down and is perfectly docile. A bit passive aggressive I think.’

The two walked together through the ward until they reached the bathing room, but instead of taking his patient inside, Adam continued to walk his charge down the hallway. As Adam escorted him to a little door, he watched the man twist his head to stare at his surroundings. ‘Yes, enjoy your field trip. The only other trip you might get to take will be from here to Azkaban.’

Adam pulled open the door with the hand that held his wand. He ushered the man into a windowless room no bigger than a standard office cubicle. With a flick of his wand, Adam lit a blue ball hanging from the ceiling. When Adam shut the door, the blue, fluorescent orb bathed both men in a wane light that made them appear like phantoms shrouded in a mist. Adam noticed the shiver that passed through the man’s body.

“Undress.�

‘This part doesn’t irritate him. He just complies,’ Adam thought as his patient stripped down without even a blush or a surly gaze. Adam went over to one of the cupboards on the wall and pulled out a clip board with a quill lying on top of it. With a flick of his wand, the quill stood up and began to scratch across the paper.

“Patient, name unknown. Age estimated in mid thirties. Gender, male.� Adam dictated as he walked over and began to tap his wand across his patient’s back. “Patient is pale, underweight . . . � Adam paused to deliver a tap that made his patient flinch.

“ . . . and bruises fairly easily. Possibly from weakened health.�

Adam prodded at various joints and bones as he circled around his patient like a vulture. “Skeletal structure seems normal. Muscles are weak. Atrophied from lack of use.� At this point, Adam faced his patient and pointed a small beam of light at his eyes. “Pupils, normal. Vision seems adequate and unimpaired.�

‘Now, let me look at those scars,’ Adam thought as he tapped the patient’s mouth. “Open.� The man did so without hesitation, and Adam shone the light around inside of his mouth. “Many scars covering the lips, tongue, and other areas of the mouth typical of the patient’s condition.�

Adam lowered his wand. “You can get dressed.� Adam waited until the patient was dressed before he asked, “Do you have any mundane medical conditions that are common among all humans?�

“I have no idea,� the man replied with a shrug.

“Hmmm, well, have you had any previous magical ailments? Dragon pox, for example.�

The man sighed. “I couldn’t tell you. All I can say is that I woke up in a room full of corpses.�

‘As I thought, he has no idea of this body’s current medical status. Either he’s an excellent actor, or he really has no idea what this body has lived through. We’ll see about that one.’ Adam tapped the quill so that it fell limply against the clip board, which he stowed under one arm and tucked against his body. “I’m going to retrieve the Ministry personnel who you are, no doubt, eager to see again.�

The man raised his eyebrows and stared at the ceiling. “Tell them to stay for tea.�

“I just might,� Adam replied as he opened the door and locked it behind him. Adam strode towards the stairs, but he didn’t go far when Healer Barnes swung open the double doors and arrived on the fourth floor.

“You got lucky today, Adam. Thackery and Robards are busy seeing a case that got moved up.�

Adam followed Healer Barnes through the double doors that marked the entrance to the Sanguine-Levette Ward. As soon as they passed those doors, Healer Barnes proceeded to her own little office, which was much like the room where Adam had detained his patient.

After shutting the door, Barnes flicked on an orb that, instead of casting a ghostly pall over the room, illuminated the little space with natural light that managed not to be either harsh or terrifying. Instead, it gave the effect that the room might be sitting outside in a meadow, and only the smell of potions and the cold, tiled floor betrayed the homely space.

“What case are they seeing?� Adam inquired as Barnes sat down in a chair. Adam took a seat opposite her in one of the plush, spearmint armchairs in which patients and their family members usually sat.

Barnes pulled out some files and began flipping through pages of parchment. “They’re finally getting around to seeing some more of the Imperius Curse cases. I can hardly believe they’re going to actually try every single person involved, whether they escaped from Azkaban or not.�

“It almost looks like justice,� Adam quipped. Barnes gave him a sideways stare. “But then again, maybe I’m just bitter.�

“Personally, I think almost half the people in the Ministry knowingly broke the law during You-Know-Who’s reign. If you break the law, you go to prison.� Barnes finished her statement, and was no longer paying attention to her papers.

‘If you don’t break the law, sometimes you still go to prison.’ A wry smile crossed Adam’s face. Adam leaned forward in his chair. “I suppose you think I should have gone to Azkaban?�

Barnes sighed, adverting her gaze from the other Healer. “Yes, I do. Fleeing the country because you damned well knew what would happen was a spineless move.�

‘Ah, she’s in an excellent mood today. I suppose that reaction shouldn’t surprise me, considering she was jailed for being Muggle born.’ Adam propped his right leg on top of his other knee as he leaned back in the chair and waited until the crinkles around Barnes’s face softened. Barnes turned back to Adam and said, “I’m sorry, I didn’t mean to make the comparison – �

“Between me and the Death Eaters? No, you certainly didn’t, but you wouldn’t have been the first person who has done so since I’ve returned.� Adam sighed. “I suppose I was a bit lucky to get all of my charges dropped.�

Barnes let out a tiny snort. “A bit? Really, Adam, if you hadn’t been one of a dozen – well, now probably less – experts in your particular field – �

“—it never would have happened. It seems knowing a little too much about gruesome deaths and permanent, horrible curses finally helped me professionally instead of drawing criticism as a Dark Wizard.� Adam smirked as he watched Barnes shake her head, not a trace of a smile on her face.

Barnes reached up and pulled a few more strands of greying hair into the bun on the top of her head. “They also killed a lot of the people that knew how to clean up messes like those the Dementors made.�

“I can’t argue with that. They killed them, or they were on their side.�

Silence descended between the two Healers after Adam spoke. ‘With so many people dead, who is left to repair the mess? What a good question. Shacklebolt stepped into start to fix the Ministry, but most of the people who survived are young, untrained . . . ’ Adam thought as he fixed his gaze at a random spot on one of the walls. Barnes shuffling through her files brought him out of his trance.

“I suppose I should go tell my patient the good news that he may have at least one more day of reprieve,� Adam said as he stood up. He cast a sideways glance down at Barnes, who stiffened slightly when he mentioned his patient. “I suppose you agree with Thackery? Just throw everyone into prison? That strategy worked well in the past.�

Barnes looked up at Adam. “Eloise and I have known each other a long time, and she is providing a needed counter balance to the cries for everyone to just be . . . set free or – or to do away with life sentences. No life sentences! Can you imagine? After this war?�

Adam stuffed his hands into his pockets. “I can’t say I completely agree, but it’s a backlash against the decades of farcical trials, no representation, and throwing people in prison without any trial at all. There’s been evidence they threw more than one innocent person in Azkaban because everyone panicked.�

“Well . . . some of them bloody deserved it,� Barnes spat as she stared down at her papers. ‘And that’s my cue to go.’

“Have a nice day. Thanks for passing along the information,� Adam said as he left the room. As he passed into the main hallway, Adam strode beneath the yellow lights that glared off the tiled floor. House elves popped onto the floor to deliver trays to the Healers that were taking them to feed their patients. Adam turned back to his office and gave the door a tap.

Entering the room, he saw his patient sitting on the one, hard backed wooden chair. In the wane, blue light, the man’s face appeared even more sunken, and the purple circles under his eyes seemed larger and more pronounced. “Good news for you,� Adam said, and the man took his gaze off the floor to look up at Adam. “The Ministry is busy today, so they’re putting you on hold for at least one more day. If you get lucky, it might be several more days before they pay a visit.�

The man nodded and stood up. Adam waited for a response, but when one didn’t come, he motioned the man forward and raised his wand to speed up the process. Once at the door, Adam again grabbed the man, this time by his shoulder, and led him back to his bed. When they both stepped inside the bubble, Nissel stepped outside of it.

“Nissel, go get the breakfast,� Adam ordered as he stepped outside of the bubble only after the man crawled back into his bed. Nissel eagerly obeyed, and Adam turned to follow the other Healer.

“Can I ask you something? I’ve been wondering about it for a while,� the man asked.

‘Well, what’s this? Maybe it is my lucky day after all.’ Adam turned on his heels and drew the curtain closed behind him. He walked over and stood at the foot of the man’s bed, clasped his hands together, and simply waited.

Finally, after a long, awkward pause where both men simply stared at each other, the patient said, “You mentioned something earlier, during the examination, about the scars around my mouth.� The man paused and ran his fingers over his lips. “You said they were ‘typical of my condition?’ What does that mean?�

‘Ah, this is my lucky day. He really does have no idea . . . ’

Adam looked down at the foot of the bed, purposefully avoiding eye contact, when he began to speak. “You made a very keen observation during the examination. Those scars are, indeed, the primary trademark of a certain condition. It’s not really a ‘condition,’ I would say, as an event . They might be properly described as a symptom of a particular happening.�

Adam paused and looked up at the man, who simply nodded for Adam to continue speaking. “You see, most people don’t know about these scars because the victims of this particular event either die are kept well hidden. I think you have experienced where the living victims are kept, am I correct?�

“Yes,� the man replied after a moment’s hesitation. “Please answer my question.�

A flat, wry grin came over Adam’s face. ‘I guess I can stop dragging this out. That’s a bit of a shame, though, but his reaction will be worth it.’

“You see, those scars are a by-product of the Dementor’s Kiss. The Dementor’s touch is so foul it leaves these scars all over the mouth area when it performs the Kiss.�

Adam kept his eyes trained on his patient, whose jaw fell open so he looked like a gaping fish. The man blinked several times, as if he really did not understand what he just heard. ‘He really had no idea. Well, I’m positive I have no idea who I have in that bed. I would assume he would remember the last moments of his life being descended upon by a Dementor, but this is clearly a surprise. A very nasty one, at that.

“A-a . . . what? Are you . . .�

“I am most certainly not joking. I am an expert on the Dementor’s Kiss,� Adam replied. “I actually have helped to contain the Dementors and control their breeding efforts. You see when – �

“That’s enough,� the man choked out the command.

“You wanted to know. It was a bit of a surprise, wasn’t it?�

The man’s gaze fell down to his hands. “Please leave,� was all he asked. Adam waited around to see if he would say anything else, but he only repeated, “Please leave.�

‘I guess I’m done for today. He seems to have had his fill of curiosity for a while. Good, it’ll give me time to begin to compile a file. The one person I can rule as not being my patient is the man who appears to be right in front of me.’

The Broken Man


‘The Dementor’s Kiss.’

“That’s enough.� Cedric barely got the words out, but Adam wouldn’t shut up. The only thing running through his head were those words. ‘The Dementor’s Kiss. The Dementor’s Kiss.’

“Please leave.�

The second time he asked, Venturini left.

‘The Dementor’s Kiss.’

The words wouldn’t leave him alone. Even after he sat alone, staring down at his hands, he kept trying to process it.

‘No, not my hands . . . his hands. The hands of whomever they want to send to Azkaban.’ Cedric looked up at the ceiling. ‘No, they want to send you to Azkaban now. Not him. You. You took that bloody deal . . . without even asking.’

He remembered, all too clearly, the pale, shimmering white stones underneath the yellow sky. It was the reverse of what a normal night sky should have been. The honey yellow sky above him held the twinkling stars, and two large, golden moons completed the strange picture. Surrounded by the marble columns, he willingly entered the amphitheatre.

That’s when he saw her.

‘I think I knew she wasn’t . . . human – at least not any more – when I saw her standing by the archway.’

The barking had made him jump, and he almost sprinted away, but then, he saw she held a pair of black hounds by a golden leash. Without turning to look at him, she said, ‘I get so few visitors.’

Cedric slowly crept forward. ‘Sorry, to . . .’

‘No, you are not sorry. But yes, you are intruding.’

Cedric stood rooted to the spot, but he did not take his eyes off the snarling dogs. Finally, he asked, ‘Where am I?’

‘Where do you think you are? You are in the land of things that are not alive. But you knew that. What is more interesting is that you are here, in this specific place. It is the land of things that are not quite dead.’

‘What does that mean? I did die.’

‘But you have not become part of this world. But how long will that last, I wonder? I have met few, precious few, which have held on this long. It feels only like days to you, I imagine, but they have been long, lonely days, and you feel like you are starving, thirsting, and about to die all over again.’

Cedric swallowed the lump in his throat. She knew – he knew she already knew, but he couldn’t explain how she did – that he was ready to give up. She was right. He had come such a long way already. He simply had started wandering . . .

‘I can make you an offer.’

She turned around, and if air had meant anything to Cedric, he would have stopped breathing. Her eyes looked the same as the dogs, and her skin looked like smooth, ageless marble. Cedric got the impression he was staring at a statue, but most of her figure was lost beneath the billowing, black robes that seemed large enough to fit two people inside.

‘An-an offer?’ Cedric stammered.

‘Since you have not committed yourself to this world, I can send you back. Yes, you heard me correctly. I can take you back to the land of the flesh. You must simply except the deal.’

Cedric could only blink. ‘The key rule I think is one you already know. If you go back, you cannot own your name, but that is what has kept you here, has it not? You have not spoken your name to another or acknowledged yourself in this world. When I send you back, it will be the same way. ’

‘How do you know . . .’

‘That does not matter to you. What does matter to me is how surprised I am that you have already not been claimed. If someone were to have laid a name on you, you would have become part of this world. That will also apply in the land of the flesh. You must acknowledge what they wish to call you.’

‘Yes. Send me back.’

Silence passed between them. How would she do it? How did you bring someone back to life? Those rules weren’t the only things, were they? Cedric felt certain she wanted something from him.

‘Do you want to know?’

He had been asked. He replied, without a second thought, ‘Just do it.’

Those feral, yellow eyes bored a hole through him. They never blinked, never wavered. They only stared into him. If he would have asked, he would have been told all the secrets of the deal, but he desperately wanted it.

‘I think I knew what it cost,’ Cedric thought as he continued to gaze upwards. He pulled himself out of that memory. ‘Deep down, I always knew I did something . . . unnatural. It was so easy to justify. I had earned it, hadn’t I? Wasn’t it offered to me?’

The questions remained unanswered as the curtain flung back again, and Nissel walked in and set up Cedric’s breakfast on the tray table. However, when he slid it into the bubble, Cedric didn’t glance at it. ‘Hmm, I lost my appetite. And Venturini . . . that bastard knew all along. And he . . . he just kept talking like there was nothing wrong. He was all ready to explain the facts of what it means to have the Dementor’s Kiss performed. Facts! What good are those? He was so bloody pleased that I had no idea what happened.’

Cedric ran a hand over his lips and fingered the scars. ‘I feel . . . dirty, like I need to scrub my insides.’ He ran his hands through his hair several times, purposefully trying to mess up the fine, flaxen locks. Then, he ran his hands over the bony, pale arms sticking out of the white T-shirt. ‘Not mine either, really,’ Cedric thought as he refocused his gaze on the window.

While he stared at the bricks, the curtain swung open again. Cedric didn’t look to see who entered. “It’s time to bathe,� Venturini said, but Cedric refused to look at him.

However, when Venturini walked in front of him, he had no choice but to stare at the Healer. Venturini crossed the bubble threshold and grabbed hold of Cedric, who complied willingly to being yanked out of bed again. Venturini led them through two empty rooms before they arrived at the bathroom. Venturini walked in and conjured a razor and stood there while Cedric shaved. After Cedric returned the razor, Venturini left him alone.

Cedric picked up the sponge and began to scrub his chest. He kept rubbing and rubbing, and soon, his skin began to feel numb from the repeated motion. He moved the sponge vigorously across his arms and then down his legs. A knock on the door let him know someone thought he should be done.

However, Cedric kept scrubbing. “Come on, this isn’t a spa,� Nissel said. ‘It’s good to know Venturini can’t be bothered with me right now.’ Cedric began to scratch at his scalp.

Another knock. “No, really, this is bloody ridiculous. Clean up and get out of there, or I’m coming in,� Nissel complained. Cedric sighed and washed the shampoo out of his hair before drying himself off. He dressed in the clean set of clothes, which were still the standard T-shirt, scrubs, and grey house coat, before opening the door.

“Come on,� Nissel said as he motioned Cedric forward. Unlike Venturini, Nissel always seemed reluctant to touch his patient. ‘Now I know why,’ Cedric thought dryly as he walked behind Nissel. As he was about to pass through the first curtain, he heard voices in the hallway, and he paused when he realized he recognized them.

“She’s doing very well today,� Healer Barnes said in a calm, professional tone. “I looked in on her this morning.�

“You’ve been so good to her.� Cedric froze and forgot to follow Nissel. ‘Dad? What’s he doing here?’

Cedric turned around when he heard his father’s voice. He went to look out from behind the curtain, but stopped himself. He cringed at the memory of what happened last time he saw his father. ‘I hope Nissel doesn’t realize I’m gone . . .’ Cedric thought as he paused and slipped out into the hallway after he heard the footsteps begin to fade. Healer Barnes escorted his father down to one of the other Wards, but neither of them turned around to see him.

Cedric looked around the hallway that, at one time, probably had gleaming white tiles and clean, freshly painted walls. Bathed in the harsh, yellow light that reminded Cedric of Muggle electric bulbs, it was easy to see the dirty hand prints on the paint and the scuff marks across the tiles. ‘I feel a bit exposed.’ However, Cedric began to walk down the hallway that smelled strongly of pungent potions.

He paused and stared up at the golden letters about the double doors the Healer had taken his father through. ‘The Sanguine-Levette Ward. What patients stay on that Ward? Who is dad going to see?’ Cedric wondered as he opened the door and slipped quietly onto the ward. Because it was still fairly early, the Ward was empty. Cedric looked down the hallway, which was a line of white doors on each side that were unmarked except for a single golden number etched onto the middle of each one.

‘Where did they go? How am I supposed to find them before Nissel or Venturini find me?’ Cedric heard one of the doors creak, and he yanked open the nearest door and ducked into the room. After shutting the door, he looked around and realized the only other person in the room was a sleeping man with his forehead and half of his face wrapped in bandages.

‘Close. I just want to know who he’s visiting. I don’t remember dad having anyone to visit in the hospital. I just . . . just need to do it without them seeing me, that’s all. Nothing impossible, considering that I could just walk in on someone, and if – ’

“Jack, mate, did you bring me a beer?�

Cedric spun around, mid-thought, when the man from the bed called out in a raspy, but fairly loud, voice. “Uh . . . uh, no. I didn’t.�

A tall oil lamp cast the only light in the room, and the shadows played across the bandages and navy bedspread. ‘Maybe he can’t see me. That light is awfully dim,’ Cedric thought as he stood awkwardly on the opposite side of the room. He stuffed his hands in the pockets of his house coat and rocked back on his heels, unsure of what to say. The man craned his neck forward a little before he said, “Uh . . . you are Jack, right?�

Cedric shook his head. “No. No I’m not. I’m sorry for waking you.�

“Do I know you?�

‘I actually hope you don’t because everyone who ‘knows’ me seems well aware that I’m a criminal.’ Cedric bit his lower lip, but regretted it when he tasted blood. He quickly wiped it away with the sleeve of his grey robe. “Sorry . . . I don’t believe we’ve met. I just, uh, needed to duck into a room.�

The man in the bed wheezed, and at first, Cedric looked around for a glass of water. However, the man’s voice gained a bit of strength, and the wheezing turned into a chuckle. “Sure, I get that,� the man replied as he raised his head to look at his visitor with his one un-bandaged eye. He squinted and strained to see Cedric, who shuffled closer so he fell within the boundary of light from the bed lamp.

“You’re, uh, a patient, too?� the man asked, and Cedric nodded as he approached the nightstand. “You from this floor?�

“I am, I –“

Cedric’s response died in his throat when he caught sight of the man’s face. The motley, stretched skin that covered the man’s cheek spoke of a severe burn that had been healed too late to reverse the cosmetic damage. ‘I wonder what the part of his face that is bandaged looks like,’ Cedric wondered as he found himself transfixed on a burn more severe than he had ever seen a wizard have.

“I can see, you know,� the man replied, and Cedric blinked rapidly and adverted his gaze.

“I’m sorry. Why haven’t they fixed . . . � Cedric stopped himself from saying ‘your face.’ “I mean, there is magic to fix burns that severe.�

“Hmm, not really. They used Fyrefiend to burn the stadium. Have you been living under a rock, mate?� the man asked.

“I . . . I’ve been here for a while. I . . . I’m here for a memory charm,� Cedric spit out the lie. However, the man bought it with a quick nod.

“That explains a little. I don’t remember much of it myself, and a shame, too, because after Midgen let in six hundred points, I was finally the starting Keeper . . . I suppose you remember Quidditch? That would be a bloody hell of a memory charm if you didn’t.�

“A little,� Cedric said, and the man nodded.

The man stopped to breathe, because as he spoke, his voice got raspier and weaker. Cedric stared down at the nightstand and the stack of cards sitting upon it. ‘I wonder if he has a wand,’ Cedric thought as he felt around the stack of papers and various boxes of unopened candies.

“Help yourself,� the man said, and Cedric withdrew his hands and shoved them back in his robe.

“I was just looking for your wand. They . . . it would be nice to have one again,� he told the man, who nodded in approval.

“I don’t need one now, though, so I guess it’s not here, but Barnes says I’m starting to heal up now that I’m awake. They told me I was out for four months! I remember falling, heading straight for a goal post, and that was it until I woke up here.� He paused to catch his breath. “I suppose you don’t remember losing your memory? It probably just happened, real quickly, and you just didn’t know what hit you. That’s the way it was with me.�

“Yeah, that’s the way it is,� Cedric said, but he wasn’t thinking about losing his memory. Instead, he remembered the brief minutes he had spent in the graveyard with Harry. ‘He’s right, it is quick,’ Cedric thought as he looked down at the man, who still managed to crane his neck forward to look up at Cedric.

“Very quick.�

“You, uh, you said – �

The turning of the doorknob caused Cedric to scramble up and over the bed. He tried to avoid moving the man, but he heard him grunt as Cedric hit his legs. Diving down and huddling close to the bed, Cedric hoped enough shadow covered him to avoid being spotted. ‘He’ll probably turn me in anyway. All I’ve done is rummage through his room.’

“Oliver, has a man been in here today?� Healer Barnes asked.

There was a pause. “No, Barnes, I’ve been alone.�

“He’s very dangerous, so after we’ve checked the Ward, we’re going to lock it down. Have a nice day, and I’ll send Violet in with your lunch.�

“Thanks,� the man said as Barnes shut the door.

Cedric remained crouched beside the bed. “Criminal, huh?� the man asked after a moment of silence, and Cedric forced himself to stand up and stare down at the man’s face. ‘I guess I shouldn’t be surprised, but I just thought . . . I’ve been spot on with recognizing people I knew.’ This time, Cedric walked around the bed to stand by the nightstand.

“What did you do?�

Cedric picked up a card on the nightstand and opened it. “I don’t know,� he replied as he read the message that began ‘Dear Oliver.’ “I’m not sure what they think I did.�

“Not your fault you had a memory charm put on you.� Cedric put down the card and riffled through the pile until he found a letter that still was in the original envelop. He ran his fingers across the scrolling words that said ‘Oliver Wood, Sanguine-Levette Ward, Saint Mungo’s.’

“I told you to help yourself to the sweets. Barnes will probably just pitch most of them sooner or later.� Cedric nodded deftly as he continued to finger the envelop. ‘What do I say? The truth sounds like rubbish, and I can’t say anything that wouldn’t be considered crazy. Everything I could say seems very . . . very lame.’

Cedric put down the letter. “Your name is Oliver Wood?�

“That would be it. I kind of assumed you might not know your name,� Oliver said, and Cedric nodded slowly. ‘That’s close enough to the truth.’

“So, you don’t know what you did, huh? They haven’t told you?� Oliver asked as he leaned his head back down against the pillow that had a well worn spot in the middle.

“No, they haven’t told me much. I don’t even get to read the paper.� Cedric looked around for a good place to sit, but found no chair in the room, so he continued to stand by the nightstand and forced himself to look at Wood’s burned face.

“Barnes threw out a bunch of old Prophets yesterday. Sorry I can’t help you out there.�

“What year is it?� Cedric asked.

“You have been here a while. Are you sure you haven’t been out for a bit?� Oliver asked. Cedric waited until Wood caught his breathe again. After a moment, Oliver continued to talk. “It’s October 1998. I got knocked out on April 7, 1998. I woke up this past February and realized I’d almost lost a year!�

“I-I . . . I’ve lost more than that,� Cedric stammered. ‘That’s . . . over three years? A little bit more actually. It’s only four years, but it feels like centuries ago.’ He looked back down at Oliver. “Thanks. No one has wanted to tell me anything. Also . . . why didn’t you tell Barnes I was in your room?�

Cedric couldn’t detect any signs of movement from Oliver, but he thought he might have shrugged if he could have managed the motion. “This is the most excitement I’ve had in months. Apparently, I’ve got more than a couple bones that need re-growing, so I have to lie in this bloody bed all day. If you’re a crazy killer, you could kill me, but hell, why bother?�

The seething anger in the last question sent a shiver down Cedric’s spine. He ran his hands through his hair and down across his face because the words stayed choked up in his head. He stared down at Wood, who kept his one good eye trained on Cedric, who stood there, barely containing the slimy feeling that crept through his body and settled in his stomach. Now, Cedric found it difficult to breathe, but it had nothing to do with weakened lungs.

“I’m sorry,� Cedric muttered. ‘That’s so pathetic, but what else do I tell him? I know how you feel because I’m in someone else’s body? There’s . . . there’s just nothing I can say. There’s nothing I can do that’s going to get him walking around again.’

“Yeah, aren’t we all,� Wood muttered. “I suppose they keep you locked up all day, right? They don’t seem happy you’re roaming around.�

“They’re not.� Cedric’s thoughts focused on Venturini. “I should probably leave soon so they don’t count you as some kind of accomplice.�

Wood chuckled. “Once again, what more can they do to me?�

“No, it’s just better if I go,� Cedric said. “I was . . . I was just trying to find someone else in this wing. I didn’t see which room Barnes went into, though.�

“I suppose you don’t know who you wanted to see?�

Cedric shook his head. “I have no idea who it is. That’s why I wanted to know,� Cedric said as he turned and looked at the door. ‘Giving myself up to them is a disgusting thought, but if Venturini finds me with Wood, he’ll never leave him alone. The less people Ventruini can interrogate on my behalf, the better.’

Cedric walked over to the door and put his ear against it, but he couldn’t hear anything in the hallway. Squeezing the door handle, he looked out into the empty Ward. ‘Well, they must have locked it off already.’

As he stepped into the hallway, Cedric turned around, but he could think of nothing else to say besides, “Good bye.�

Cedric walked back up to the double doors, which didn’t move when he pushed them. He knocked on the doors, but heard no answer from the other side, so he pounded on them with his fist. This time, he heard feet shuffling on the other side of the doors before someone said, “Alohamora.�

The doors swung open, revealing an agitated Healer Barnes, who, upon seeing Cedric, let her face scrunch up as a frown pulled her lips down. Before he could say anything, Barnes pulled her wand out and levelled it at him. “Get out of my ward,� she hissed and beckoned him forward. Cedric held up his palms, but the gesture of surrender seemed lost on the Healer.

As she marched him back down to the Gregel Ward, Healer Nissel saw them and sprinted down the hall. Nissel, flushed and sweaty, wiped the sleeve of his robe across his face as he, too, half-heartedly drew his wand.

“I-I can take it from here,� Nissel panted.

Barnes shook her head. “I’m going to walk him back with you.�

“But – �

“Emery, this is no time to argue with me,� Barnes snapped as she prodded Cedric’s back with her wand. The three of them made their way down t o the Gregel Ward, and as Cedric turned to enter the first curtain that would lead him to his room, he heard a familiar voice.

“Well, the prodigal son has come home.�

Cedric turned his head to look at Venturini, who, although not anxious and sweaty like Nissel, somehow seemed all the more terrifying because he was perfectly calm. A frown pulled his mouth downwards, but it managed to make him only look more like a magazine cover model. “I found him on the Sanguine-Levette Ward,� Barnes said as Venturini approached the group, wand drawn and ready.

Cedric turned to face the handsome Healer directly. However, Venturini seemed to only look through him. Nissel put his wand in his pocket and rubbed his sweaty palms on his robe. “Sir, I – �

“What, Nissel? You found the patient? No, you did not. You attended the patient with utmost care? No, you did not. You let the patient escape for the entire morning? That, you most certainly did!� Venturini’s voice crescendoed as he finished his admonishment.

Nissel ducked his head downwards and stared at the floor tiles. Venturini, however, didn’t seem to care, and in a steely voice, told his apprentice, “I don’t feel I ask too much of you, Nissel, but you can’t follow those simple orders. We don’t even have a full ward, and the one patient we have that is a top priority, you let escape.�

“I-I was trying. I mean, I thought he was with me – �

“Until he wasn’t!� Venturini shouted as he threw his hands up in the air. “What do I have to do to get you to do your job? You’re careless! I am not Healer Strout, who lets her patients roam wherever they please! Until you can do your job, get out of here. I don’t want to see you again.�

Each word in the last sentence pounded the air like nails driven into a coffin. Cedric realized his mouth had dropped open, and he promptly closed it. Nissel’s jaw had also fallen open, and he stared dumbly at Venturini, waiting to see if the last pronouncement had been in jest. However, Venturini prodded Cedric in the back with his wand. “Let’s go,� he snapped, and Cedric began to walk.

“Adam – �

“If you want him, you take him,� Venturini cut Barnes off as he disappeared with Cedric behind the first curtain. The pair walked through two empty rooms before they reached Cedric’s bed chamber. Once there, Cedric noticed another Healer standing inside the bubble, but when he climbed into his bed, the other Healer scampered away and drew the curtain.

While Cedric sat in his bed, Ventruini went over and rested his head against the window. “It wasn’t his fault I escaped,� Cedric offered a defence for Healer Nissel.

Venturini didn’t move when he said, “It takes two for this kind of thing to happen. If you thought I was harsh with Nissel, you, my nameless patient, have no idea how I feel about you.�

‘Oh, fantastic,’ Cedric thought as he swallowed the lump in his throat. Ventruini turned away from the window and went to stand at the foot of Cedric’s bed. For a moment, the Healer contented himself with studying Cedric. Then, he asked, “Where did you go?�

“I went for a walk,� Cedric muttered.

Venturini slammed his hands down on the edge of Cedric’s bed and leaned towards him. In his eyes was the look of a hawk ready to dive down on its prey. “We searched every bloody space on this floor, and you were nowhere to be found, and then, you magically appear in the Sanguine-Levette Ward? No, I don’t think so! Who did you see? Who covered for you?�

“I saw no one,� Cedric spat. Venturini, however, leaned closer.

“You will tell me who you saw. You will tell me why, on today of all days, you found a good enough excuse to take a walk.�

Cedric unflinchingly met Ventuini’s predatory stare. “It’s none of your concern,� Cedric said in a soft, subdued voice. Venturini reeled backwards and stood up. He paced back towards the window, and then walked around the room, looking like a man who might explode.

He whirled back around to stand at the foot of Cedric’s bed. “I am not playing with you anymore,� Venturini snapped. “If you won’t tell me anything . . . Fine! Go to bloody Azkaban! I’m all you have between this bed and a life sentence!�

Cedric pursed his lips together. When Venturini saw he had nothing to say, he walked to the curtains. Before he shut the curtains, he paused and turned on his heels to face Cedric. “I will get answers,� Venturini pronounced. “I’m going to let the Aurors have their way with you. Then we’ll see how you cooperate.�

All the King’s Men

The rain drove sideways into the buildings, and the pop of Adam Apparating into his usual alley behind Saint Mungo’s went unnoticed in the howling storm. The Healer ran to the door as the rain pummelled his robe with dark spots. Once inside, Adam wiped the water off his face and ran a hand through his thick, blonde locks to shake out some of the moisture.

Ignoring the lobby witch, seated at her desk as usual, Adam approached the two people sitting in the rickety lobby chairs. Both Madame Thackery and Auror Robards stood up. “You do like to call early,� Adam commented as he pulled out his pocket watch. “It’s only six fifteen in the morning. When you said ‘today,’ I assumed you meant later in the day.�

“We have business to attend to,� Thackery replied as she surveyed Adam with her typical icy gaze. Today, she wore a set of royal blue robes embroidered with silver flowers and golden daggers around the collar, the edges of the sleeves, and the middle of her robe, starting at top of her high collar and descending down the middle, across her stomach, until they met the embroidery on the bottom of the robe.

‘Well, I can appreciate the fact that people are busy,’ Adam thought as he motioned the two Ministry officials to follow him upstairs. They went up the main stairs and not the dingy, back staircase Adam usually took up to his floor. However, he didn’t feel it necessary to look up at the quizzical portraits that greeted the three of them.

When they got to the fourth floor, Adam led them through the set of double doors, over which the golden plague ‘Morticia Gregel Ward’ served witness. Adam led them to his office and opened the door with a tap of his wand.

Thacker wrinkled her nose as she took several steps around the room. “This place seems a bit lacking for an office. Do they pay you well enough?�

‘Ah, she’s in a splendid mood. Maybe it’ll help scare some well needed common sense into my patient.’ Adam smirked as he opened up the cupboard and took out the file. He handed Thackery the physical form he filled out a couple days ago. Thackery looked over the form before handing it to Robards.

“I guess his condition hasn’t changed much since we brought him here?� Robards asked.

Thackery snorted. “His condition should be dead and unconscious. Come now, Venturini, I brought the Veritaserum. Let’s do this properly.�

Adam looked at Robards, who seemed busy studying the meagre room. In a monotone voice, he said, “That chair should not be in the corner. Move it out.� Venturini moved the chair to the center of the room, but Robards placed it a bit closer to the wall.

“When I perform the interrogation, neither of you are to interrupt. I want Venturini to be by the door, and Madame Thackery, please stand in the opposing corner. I only want his hands bound, by the way. No more measures are needed,� Robards snapped off his conditions. Venturini only nodded in reply.

“What if he tries – �

Robards raised a hand to cut Thackery off. “This is not my first interrogation. It may be a bit difficult since I cannot use Legilimency to guarantee the results are completely valid, but that should not prove too much of a problem.�

“I’ll bring him in,� Adam said as he left the room. Before he went to the patient’s room, he walked down to call on Barnes. He wrapped on her office door, and she answered it. When she saw Adam, she let out a deep sigh.

“I’m coming. I’m coming,� she said in a weary voice. Both Healers proceeded down the hallway. As Adam was about to draw back the first curtain, Barnes said, “You should really bring Emery back. I don’t like being around him.�

“I told you, if you like Nissel that much, take him yourself.�

“I have an assistant,� Barnes replied curtly.

Adam flung aside the final curtain. This time, he lit his wand and stuck it in the man’s face. The patient rubbed his sleepy eyes and pulled away. ‘Ah, not today,’ Adam thought as he waited for Barnes to step inside of the bubble. When she did, he yanked the patient out of bed.

“You have guests,� Adam announced in an overly cheery voice as they left the bed chamber. “I believe they brought you a present, too.�

The man remained silent. Adam chuckled and walked beside the man so his patient could see the grin plastered across Adam’s face. “Come now, these are the first visitors you’ve had! Don’t be so upset. I’m sure they’ll want to chat you up.�

Adam opened the door to the office and walked the patient over to the lone chair. He plunked him down and bound up his hands, exactly as Robards asked, before walking over and taking his post beside the closed door.

The man looked between his three accusers. ‘Let the show begin. What secrets can you keep while under Veritaserum? Even you, my favourite anomaly, won’t be able to fool us now.’

Thackery pulled a small vial from her robe pocket and handed it to Robards, who untwisted the lid. As Robards approached the patient, the man said, “You really don’t need to do this. There’s nothing I can really tell you. I swear. It’s not going to make sense.�

“Let us be the judge of that,� Robards murmured. “Open your mouth, or I will do so for you.�

The patient complied. Robards added his three drops of potion before he took several steps back from the patient. Then, the Auror took his wand, lit it, and pointed the light into the patient’s eyes. The Auror took several moments to examine the man before asking, “Do you know where you are?�

“I’m at Saint Mungo’s, in Healer Venturini’s office.�

Adam took his eyes off the interrogation for a moment to shoot a glance at Thackery. ‘She better keep her mouth shut. I swear, if that woman ruins this . . . if I can’t talk, neither can she.’ Adam crossed his arms as he waited for Robards to ask another question.

“Do you know who I am?�

“Auror Robards.�

“Tell me how long you’ve been here.�

“About ten days, I would say. I might be off by a day or two.�

Robards paused paced in front of the patient. “How old are you?�

“I’m unsure. Healer Venturini thinks I may be in my mid-thirties.�

“Tell me about being sentenced to Azkaban. When did it happen.�

“I was never sentenced to Azkaban.�

‘Ahh. Now it gets interesting. This is what I suspected all along.’ Adam watched the patient’s face, which seemed to have taken on the slightly dazed appearance common of a person under the affects of Veritaserum.

Robards stopped his pacing and cast a long, unblinking glance at the patient. He pointed his wand into the patient’s face again, and seemingly satisfied with what he saw, he withdrew it. “Alright, let me read you some names. Tell me what know about these people. Let us start with Madame Thackery and myself. How long have you known us?�

“I first saw you in the holding cell.�

Venturini heard Thackery move, and his gaze left the patient. ‘Well, I can see that surprised her. That’s right . . . he should have known her, being that they’re related. I do enjoy when I’m about to be proven correct.’

“Do you know the Lestranges? Tell me about your relationship to them.�

“I don’t believe I know them. The name sounds familiar. Do they work at the Ministry?�

Once again, Robards paused and knelt down to examine the patient. He pulled up the patient’s eyelids, and shown the light into his eyes while feeling his wrist with his other hand. Once again, seemingly satisfied, Robards pulled his wand away and stood up. “Very well. Tell me about your relationship to Harry Potter.�


“We were friends I suppose. I never harmed him, if that’s what this is about. He helped me out on more than one occasion.�

“Is that what you believe?� Robards asked in an even voice. Adam shot a sideways glance at Thackery, who seemed to bristle with indignation at this answer. ‘Now I can see what they teach those Aurors. Robards is more clam than I would have been. Of course, there is some benefit to getting an emotional reaction.’

“I’m not lying to you. I can’t. I want to tell you everything you ask me.�

Robards paced back and forth for a moment before he asked, “Tell me about Alastor Moody.�

“He taught at Hogwarts. I didn’t know him well, but he was a good professor.�

Adam kept his eyes trained upon the patient. “Tell me your name,� Robards asked as he knelt down and pointed his wand in the patient’s face.

“I can’t tell you.�

“Have you had a memory charm performed upon you?�

“No. I have not. I cannot tell you my name, though. Please don’t make me try. I told you, I can’t tell you much. It comes with the deal, I suppose.�

“What deal?�

The patient remained silent before blurting out, “I made one! That’s all. I swear. I hardly know the terms myself.�

‘Now, this is nice. A deal, huh? What type of deal? If he can’t even tell us under Veritaserum . . . what does that mean?’

Robards put his wand away but remained kneeling in front of the man. “Tell me about the Crouches. Specifically, how did you know Mr. Crouch and his son?�

“Mr. Crouch worked at the Ministry. Everyone knew him. He used to be the Head of Magical Law Enforcement. I met him several times, but I don’t know much about him. I was told he was always very involved with his work. He’s dead now. I didn’t know he had a son.�

“It’s clearly not working!� Thackery blurted out and strode forward. “This is preposterous, Robards! It can’t be – �

“Madame,� Robards snapped as he spun around to stop the advance of the woman, “please desist. I am almost finished with the interrogation. He seems to be most certainly under the affects of Veritaserum.�

Adam strode forward and put his hand on Thackery’s forearm. She shook him off. “Venturini, this is ridiculous! What you think – �

“At least I am thinking,� Adam spat. Thackery’s jaw clamped shut as if were welded together. Adam sneered. “Let’s go back to our corners, shall we? Robards needs to finish this.�

Adam returned his gaze to the patient, who seemed dazed by the incident. His gaze looked unfocused, as if the confrontation had left him wondering who he should address. ‘Finish this damned thing, Robards, so I can rid of Thackery. I knew she would try something. Gods, why are the law enforcement officials always such a bloody pain in the arse to work with?’

Robards pulled out his wand and examined the patient again before he asked, in the same, level voice, “Tell me the crimes of which you are convicted.�

“I told you, I haven’t been convicted of anything,� the patient huffed. “Please don’t keep asking me that because I will just keep telling you that I haven’t done anything.�

“Murder? Torture? Kid-napping?� Robards rattled off the words. “What do those words mean to you?�

“I would say that I have no experience with kid-napping, you are torturing me right now, and I have been murdered.�

Robards folded his arms and looked back at Venturini. “I believe it is over,� Robards replied in the same monotone voice. “Healer Venturini, the three of us should have a word outside.�

‘I couldn’t agree more. There certainly will be a lot to talk about,’ Adam though as he stuffed his hands in his pockets. Robards and Thackery stepped outside first, and then Adam locked the door behind them. In the hallway, Thackery immediately spat, “Unbelievable!�

“Not so much, actually,� Adam snapped back at her. “I’ve known how strange this was from the beginning. I believe you’re the only one surprised by this interrogation. I don’t believe it was a total waste of time, though, because he did tell us things I hadn’t heard before now.�

“That was rubbish! We can’t use any of that! It’s clear there is a memory charm at work here,� Thackery protested Adam’s claims. “Robards, what was he thinking?�

Both Adam and Thackery looked at the Auror, who folded his hands together and continued to stare off into space and meet neither of their gazes. “I think,� Robards replied slowly, “that the Veritaserum was certainly working, but since I could not use Legilimency on him, I cannot confirm if a memory charm is indeed at work.�

“It has to be a memory charm,� Thackery snapped. “What else could be at play here? We just need to keep him from using Occulmency to confirm the charm is there.�

“I don’t believe that is an option,� Robards turned to speak to Thackery. “I have encountered many skilled Occulmens, but he would be the best I have ever interrogated. I can’t even get hold of a fractured thought. Even the best Occulmens will let go of stray thoughts, and you can always feel the texture of someone’s mind. Trying to read his thoughts was like touching a lead wall. I could get nothing out of him.�

Thackery pursed her lips shut. ‘I guess it is a bit of a blow to hear that your Head Auror can’t even read someone’s mind. It sounds like much more than him simply failing to read his thoughts, though. Somehow, he is completely hiding his entre identity . . . even the very texture of his mind.’

“Robards, what else did you make of the interrogation?� Adam asked. The Auror turned his attention on the Healer.

“I would say it was the oddest one I have yet performed. Someone who is confounded or under a powerful memory charm may give false testimony under Veritaserum, but his almost . . . physical inability to tell us anything is something I have not witnessed. What do you make of it?�

Adam could not keep the grin of satisfaction from his face. “I would like to have him continue to stay in my Ward. There are two possible situations for why that body is walking around. The first situation, the original spirit is back in it again, is so impossible it’s absurd. That would contradict everything we know about Dementors and how they operate. The second situation is that we’re dealing with possession of another sort.�

“What would you say possesses him?� Robards asked.

“This is preposterous,� Thackery huffed, and both men turned to stare at her. “What makes the difference what is inside that body? That criminal is all everyone is going to see. He needs to go back to Azkaban.�

“Why? I believe someone else is in that body. There is a bit of a . . . moral duty to not throw someone in prison without a trial, is there not? I mean, I thought you people at the Ministry were all about trials these days?� Adam quipped.

Thackery crossed her arms and drew herself up to her full height. “Venturini, you are clearly over-stepping your bounds. Feel fortunate that you are not sitting in a cell.�

“I’m sure, if you had it your way, I would be.�

“You most certainly would be.�

After Thackery’s threat, Adam continued to meet her bitter gaze. In a silky voice, he said, “To prove my cooperatively with you, I want to make a compromise. I’ll let Auror Robards make the final decision on what to do with the man.�

Thackery snorted. “You would have done that anyway. That is no compromise.�

“I will pay you my entire salary of galleons for you to never be involved in this case again. Is that a better deal?�

Robards spoke before the situation deteriorated into a further squabbling match between the grinning Healer and the livid Head of Magical Law Enforcement. “I will certainly take my time to review the case,� Robards replied. Thackery turned to him, her eyebrows seeming to arch up to her hairline.

“What qualms do you have making this decision now?� Thackery suggested.

Robards sighed. “I need time to think about this case. For the moment, here is how I see it; we have someone sitting in that room that is either under a heavy memory charm or possessed by Merlin knows what. The Morticia Gregel Ward has seen both cases of possession and severe mental disability before, so this seems the likely place for him to stay. Healer Venturini seems to be containing the case well on his Ward, and as the patient seems under control, I would say this Ward is a suitable place at the moment.�

Thackery wrinkled her entire face like she swallowed an entire lemon whole. Venturini found himself unable to stop smirking at he turned to Thackery. “I heard Azkaban is a bit crowded these days, too.�

“Send me your salary whenever you please.�

With those words, Thackery turned and strode down the hallway. Robards and Adam both watched her retreat. Robards sighed and redirected his attention back to Adam. “I suggest you not continue to dig your own grave or, more accurately, reserve your own cell by arguing with Thackery.�

Adam only shrugged. “I’ve tangled with worse.�

“Yes, well . . . I must be going,� Robards replied. As he turned to leave, he told Adam, “By the way, I am monitoring this case. My judgment today is based upon what we currently perceive to be true and may be subject to change.�

“Of course,� Adam said as Robards bid him good bye before he disappeared through the double doors. Adam sighed as he rocked back and forth on his feet. ‘What to do . . . what to do. I still feel like I don’t have much leeway with this case. I have to figure out a strategy – and fast – before I lose what ground I’ve gained today.’

Adam turned and went back into his office. He dug the antidote for Veritaserum from his cupboard and poured a couple of drops into the patient’s mouth. He pointed his wand into the man’s eyes, and when the pupils returned to their normal size, Adam undid the chair bindings.

Without a word, he escorted the man back to his bed. All the while, Adam kept a firm grasp on his upper arm. They passed beyond the grey curtain, and once the man was in bed, Healer Barnes disappeared from the room. Adam stood at the foot of his bed, his hands clasped behind his back.

“That was a decent bit of Occulmency,� Adam commented in a cheery voice.

The patient turned away from Adam and stared out the window. “I don’t know Occulmency. Now, please, just go away. You got your interrogation.�

“Hmm, it’s not the one I would have conducted,� Adam commented. The man snapped his head around to stare at Adam again. Adam continued to speak in the same peppy voice. “You see, I’m not labouring under the assumption you’re some kind of criminal. I’m working under a different set of premises all together. From the very beginning, I knew you would be interesting, but I never -- �

“Could you do me a favour and please leave? I just had the Head Auror interrogating me with Veritaserum. I’m done today.�

‘Well, I guess that is understandable, but it’s a damn shame. I suppose my little threat to send him straight to Azkaban hasn’t exactly earned me he undying affection. I can’t help it that he simply does not seem to care if I know anything about him. Once again, that little passive aggressive streak is shining through. He’s not going to extra lengths to please any of us because . . .

Adam chuckled as he stared down at the man. “Sure. You’re breakfast will be right in,� Adam said as he nodded and left the room.

‘Brilliant! Why didn’t I see it before? Susan Bones should have tipped me off right away. Isolating him in that damned bed was a terrible idea, but now, I have a bit more freedom to do some creative interrogation.

By the time Adam reached his office again, he was beaming. He went into the room and sat down on the same chair where the interrogation had taken place moments ago. ‘I don’t know what possessed him to run off that day, but his reaction to Nissel was also telling. He seemed very keen to take the blame for what Nissel did. I can’t ask him anything directly because he will not, or is unable to, tell me what I want to know. He definitely has some sympathies, and I just need to manipulate them to get answers.’

‘A little creativity. That’s all it’ll take.’

The Auror’s Apprentice

Leaning back in his chair, Robards propped his head against his right hand. He swished his wand over his glass of tea to warm it up. He took a sip as he pulled the two files out and opened both of them. The first yellowed envelop read, in faded, silver lettering, ‘Crouch, Bartimus, Jr.’ and the second read ‘Venturini, Adam F.’

The later folder held considerably less paper than the former, but both held Robards’s attention. ‘In the end, they’re both important . . . two pieces in the same puzzle.’ Robards had read the Crouch file before. He knew most of the file contained information about the trial and sentencing to Azkaban. Those numerous pieces of parchment were followed by an erroneous death certificate. Oddly, the last piece of paper was not the death certificate but a brief note from the former Minister, Cornelius Fudge.

The death of one convicted Death Eater, Bartimus Crouch, Jr., was recently verified to be false. Dementor’s Kiss was performed on June 24 10:21 pm.

‘Another oddity in an increasingly strange case.’

Robards stared at Venturini’s folder. This one seemed much simpler. A Healer, using questionable methods of treatment, killed a patient and fled the country before he could be put on trial.

“I’ll let Auror Robards make the final decision on what to do with the man.�

‘Venturini placed another duty on my shoulders,’ the Auror thought as he closed his eyes to massage his eyelids. ‘Not surprisingly, I feel vastly under-qualified to make this decision. While saying ‘go to Azkaban’ would be easy, Venturini is right. This doesn’t happen. Ever.’

Robards sipped his tea. ‘Of course, I should be accustomed to difficult decisions. I’ve been dealing with the ridiculous and impossible since Scrimgeour appointed me to the position of Head Auror.’

That appointment shocked Robards. One of the other dozen or so elder Aurors seemed the most probable pick for the job, but Rufus Scrimgeour made the choice. He chose his former apprentice. ‘It was a nice political move. A way to cover his back,’ Robards acknowledged the wisdom in Scrimgeour’s scheming. ‘He wanted to have one of his men backing him up.’

Surprisingly, most of the department seemed accepting of Scrimgeour’s appointment. ‘Was I that good? Not really. Maybe they perceived how Scrimgeour would act before I would. The end result was still the same. I inherited an impossible situation.’

For a year, they dealt with the terror, the attacks, and the public panic. Robards had been an apprentice during the first panic, and he thought he saw the limits of disaster and terror. He had been mistaken. They all had been mistaken.

‘Well, not all of us.’

After Dumbledore’s funeral, where the Aurors sat together, forming a clump of crimson in the midst of the mourners, Shacklebolt confronted him. ‘We need to prepare a safe house,’ Shacklebolt told him very matter-of-factly when he pulled him aside later. ‘The Aurors are going to be targets. We’re going to need to find somewhere to weather the storm.’

He hadn’t believed him. Not completely, anyway, but after giving it several days of thought, Robards went out to the little town where he grew up. He found the brick house his father left him, which had ivy climbing up to the roof and a high, iron fence. He never came back to the country because he rather liked living in the city. The house sat empty, but one look at the place convinced him it would work. He brought Shacklebolt out there that very day to make him the secret keeper.

‘Barely a month later . . . it happened. It just came so quickly.’

He remembered the fiery sunset as he sat reading and drinking tea in his favourite chair. Then, he heard a bang and looked up. He instinctively drew his wand, and as he stood, the mirror over the mantel shimmered to reveal Shacklebolt’s face in the glass. “The Ministry has fallen. Scrimgeour’s dead. Go. I’m alerting the others.�

The curses and jinxes hitting his protective charms continued to sound outside his house, but Robards walked into his study. He reached for the ornate peacock feather quill on his desk. The portkey sucked him away just as his door exploded open. He stood outside of the iron gate, the calm of the country evening starkly contrasting with the chaos at his flat. The gate creaked on its hinges as Robards opened it and strode up the cobblestone pathway to the wooden door with a little stained glass window set into it.

He walked inside the house unmolested as the grandfather clock chimed the hour from upstairs. The worn oak floor echoed his footfalls off the walls and ceilings as he came into the sitting room. Taking a seat in the grey chair with little silver tassels hanging off the back, Robards assumed the same position he had now, with his forehead resting against his right hand.

‘It was easily the worst day of my life.’

The knock at his door caused Robards to jerk his frame straight in his chair. He closed his files and turned them over so the names could not be read. “Come in.�

The door opened to reveal Robards’s apprentice. The Auror gave a nod, and the man approached his desk. “I sat in on the meeting with the Prussian ambassadors. They’re not getting on so well, apparently, and there are still fairly strong pockets of resistance.�

“I’ve heard as much. How much assistance do you think they’re going to require? We could spare . . . maybe six people? I could give them two Aurors and four hit wizards,� Robards speculated out loud.

His apprentice shrugged. “They didn’t ask for anything in particular yet, but we already have people over in France and Russia. Do you think we can spare six more people?�

“It will be a stretch, but if we could make a short term commitment – say about a couple of weeks – I could not see why it shouldn’t be done. In addition, if we post-pone the next batch of trials, it should make several more people available,� Robards explained his logic, which the apprentice did not dispute.

“Sir, would you mind, uh, telling me what case you’ve been working?� the apprentice ventured a question.

Robards appraised his apprentice in silence before he said anything. “I haven’t told you for a very legitimate reason. I suppose your peers, Weasley and Patil, were discussing an odd experience in the holding cells?�

“Yes, sir, but I never heard who the prisoner was, although Ron seemed really spooked.�

Robards nodded his head slowly. “I am going to be very frank with you about this case. I do not want you to investigate it. If it goes to trial, you will certainly know. At this moment, there seems to be contradicting evidence – of a sort – that is keeping me from making a . . . a final judgement on this particular person.�

“Yes sir, but I – �

“Please take my advice on this,� Robards cut the man off. “I have been frank and honest with you about everything I have done during the past year. When I say, this once, to leave this one case alone, I am completely serious.�

The apprentice pursed his lips together tightly. “Yes, sir.�

Robards examined the man before nodding in return. “Very well, then. Please give me the report, and we’ll meet with the Prussian ambassadors again tomorrow.�

The apprentice handed Robards the report before leaving the room. Robards let the parchment sit in his lap and stared out the door after the young man. With a flick of his wand, Robards closed the door, but he didn’t swivel his chair around to continue reading his files.

‘I assume I will have to tell him eventually. I’m slightly shocked the other two have kept silent. Dawlish must have put his unique brand of fear into them.’

The new class of Aurors, the group from the fall of 1998, nearly doubled the size of the department. ‘Of course, we lost nearly half of the department in the War.’

Robards remembered the first time he had seen his current apprentice. Ten months after the Ministry fell and his own mentor died, Robards led an assault on the Ministry at the same hour blood was being spilt at Hogwarts.

Again, Shacklebolt alerted him. Potter surfaced. The Death Eaters gathered. Ever since the Ministry fell, Robards and Shacklebolt planned for the moment when they could retake the Ministry. Shacklebolt would not go, though. He took some of the Aurors to Hogwarts, and it fell to Robards to lead the coupe of the Ministry.

Initially, the attack had not been difficult. The shock and awe at the return of all the missing Aurors allowed them to make his announcement. ‘We are here to restore order. If you have committed crimes against wizarding kind – surrender – or we will make you do so.’

The curses came hurtling at them, but the battle ended quickly. When the initial skirmish finished, the Atrium burst into cheers. Together, with the Ministry employees who were on his side, Robards led a sweep through the entire Ministry. After taking down several stubborn pockets of resistance, the remaining Auror force prepared to seize the First Floor where several of Minister Thicknese’s most ardent supporters were heavily protected.

As the Aurors grouped together on the second floor, planning the attack, shouts and cheers could be heard from down the hall. Then, led by Shacklebolt, a procession of people, many of them wearing school robes, marched into the Auror’s office.

Shacklebolt clapped him on the back before embracing him. ‘It’s done,’ he said as a huge grin spread over his face. Robards only raised his eyebrows, uncomprehending what he heard.

‘Thicknese still has at least a half dozen supporters barricaded up in his office,’ Robards informed Shacklebolt in a matter-of-fact voice. However, Shacklebolt only laughed.

‘Tell them it’s over. Their Lord is dead.’

Whoops and cheers went up from the crowd. Then, Robards saw the young man behind Shacklebolt. He looked exhausted, but Robards figured he himself didn’t appear any more rested. At that moment, the two of them simply nodded to each other.

He had not wanted an apprentice. As Head Auror, he had the first pick of apprentices, but he chose to remove himself from contention when the new group entered in the fall. There was still too much work. Their Ministry was secure, but the Dark Lord’s poison spread through many parts of the world, and the world now looked to them to make things right.

Once again, it had been Shacklebolt, now the new Minister of Magic, who stopped Robards in the hallway to speak with him. ‘I want you to take an apprentice.’

Robards explained how he removed himself from contention. He poured all his logic onto Shacklebolt, but the man shook his head. ‘I’m over-riding your opinions here. I promise I won’t make this a habit, but this is personal favour to me.’

‘I have no choice, do I?’ Robards asked dryly. Shacklebolt shook his head and chuckled.

‘Take Potter as your apprentice.’

Robards stared unblinkingly at Shacklebolt. ‘Dawlish and Proudfoot have seniority. They both want him very badly.’

‘Well, I want you to have him. He’s agreed to apprentice for four years as an Auror, instead of three, because he missed his NEWTs. I think you’re the only one who deserves him, frankly.’

Robards simply nodded. What did one do when the Minster of Magic said you were worthy to train the most famous wizard in the world?

Robards spun back around and laid the files on his desk. Had it worked out? He still could tell Potter had not really warmed to him. He personally felt Potter held a prejudice against his old mentor, Scrimgeour. In addition, he heard rumours Potter wanted to apprentice under Dawlish, and even more outlandish rumours about how Potter felt he didn’t need to complete the apprenticeship and should just become a full-fledged Auror.

‘In the end, it’s all rumours,’ Robards thought as he pulled out the two hidden case files again. ‘Well, I guess I’ll see how far my authority actually can go with this case. It’s just been one mess after another to fix.’

The Morticia Gregel Ward

The smell of food wafted into the Hufflepuff common room. Today, the scent of cinnamon seemed particularly strong. There was a celebration going on, but for what, Cedric could not recall.

‘Maybe we won a Quidditch match?’ he thought as he stared around the room. Some of the Ravenclaws had come down, even though that wasn’t technically allowed, but the Ravenclaws and Hufflepuffs mingled in each other’s common rooms quite a bit. However, Cedric thought it was odd that some of the Gryffindors had made their way down into the Hufflepuff common room.

‘Gryffindors never come down here . . .’

“Does that hurt?�

Cho sat across from him on the couch. He fingered his face, realizing he had the orange paste on the right side. Suddenly, he knew what had happened. They were celebrating the completion of the first Triwizard Task.

“No, not really. I hope it doesn’t scar permanently.�

Judith Fogel, who Cedric knew had left a year before him and shouldn’t be there, laughed as she wrapped an arm around Marcus Flint. How did he get in? Cedric wondered briefly, but there was no question he came with Judith. The two of them were sitting on the couch beside Cho. “I told you this tournament was a bad idea, Ced. Now your angelic good looks will be marred forever.�

‘I’ve never seen Judith and Flint together in public. I knew they had gone together last year, though, but this is a bit much,’ Cedric thought, but he laughed all the same.

Marcus and Judith began to snog, and Alexis Weir, who also left a year ago with Judith, came over, arm in arm with Oliver Wood, who had heinous burns all over his face. “See, Ced? Now we’re both burned.�

Wood sat down, and Alexis sat on his lap. ‘Huh . . . I never knew about Alexis and Wood.’ As they, too, began to snog, Cedric stared across at Cho, who looked bored and a bit upset. “What’s wrong?� he asked.

“Nothing, Cedric, really,� but he could tell it was a lie. “I mean, it’s just that now that you’re dead, I don’t think we can snog any more.�

“I don’t suppose that’s true,� Cedric replied. Cho only shrugged. “Come on, if Flint and Fogel can snog in public, so can we.�

“I don’t know if it’s a good idea. Don’t you think it’ll be a bit complicated?� Cho asked as she chewed on her lower lip.

“Complicated? I suppose it could be,� Cedric mused out loud, but then he blinked as a beam of light from the skylight hit him directly in the eye. ‘When did we get a skylight in the common room?’ Cedric thought as he shielded his eyes from the sunlight that still managed to fall into his eyes.

Squinting and blinking, Cedric turned his head into his pillow. Then, as he felt the heat of the light on the back of his head, Cedric knew where he was. He sat up and saw the beam of light coming through the barred window fell exactly where his head had been.

‘That’s the first time I’ve dreamt something about being alive since I’ve . . . been alive again? Am I dreaming about my old life? I feel like I’m living the same life . . . damn it, this is confusing.’

The curtains flung back, and Cedric internally groaned as Venturini waltzed into the room. ‘Whenever that man is perky and excited, I should be afraid. What does he want with me? I told them . . . well, I told them what I could tell them. The Veritaserum was definitely working, but I didn’t feel compelled to tell anything more than what was absolutely necessary. Veritaserum is supposed to make you tell your deepest secrets . . . that didn’t bloody happen.’

“Ready for some new fun today?�

Cedric pulled his gaze off the random spot on the wall and refocused it on Venturini. He simply stared at the Healer who was rocking back on his heels. “You’re not even a bit curious?� Venturini asked.

“After yesterday, not really,� Cedric replied in a dull voice. “I’m a bit done with the ‘fun’ for now.�

A grin split Venturini’s face. “Then I suppose a tour of the ward won’t interest you?�

‘What is he playing at?’ Cedric thought as he stared blankly at Venturini. The Healer chuckled. “Consider it repayment for the Aurors yesterday. I won that little battle.�

‘What happened to his little threat of sending me straight to Azkaban? Is he really that temperamental or is he just stringing me along? I suppose he might want me to chat with him. He said he wanted a separate interrogation.’ Cedric looked down at his hands. He fiddled his thumbs together as he thought, ‘Damn it . . . do I trust him? Maybe just a tiny bit, but after the way he treated Nissel . . . I’m only valuable to him as an experiment. He seems to have made that clear.’

Cedric looked up at Venturini again, who remained standing patiently at the end of the bed. Cedric shrugged. “Sure. Let’s go.�

Venturini grinned and left the room for a moment. He came back with a chipper and excited man in lavender hospital robes. Cedric kept his shock in check when he saw the man. However, when the man flashed Cedric a white, beaming smile, he almost dropped his composure. “Lockheart is going to wait here so people don’t go blabbing there is no one in your room,� Venturini explained as he escorted the grinning man to Cedric’s bed.

“Is this . . .�

“Why, hello there! This man says you would like an autograph,� Lockheart said as he looked at Cedric and twisted around to point at Venturini. “I am excited to visit somewhere new!�

“No . . . no it’s fine, I’ve already got an autograph,� Cedric replied as he got out of his bed. Then, turning to Venturini, he said, “You kidnap patients now? A little unethical, don’t you think?�

“It’s no problem. He considers it a vacation, don’t you?� Venturini smiled down at Lockheart as he asked him a question. The blonde man nodded vigorously as he began to sign one of the pictures while Venturini grasped Cedric by the arm to lead him out of the room. “Healer Strout can’t watch her patients properly anyway. She was thrilled when I had someone tell her they were taking this one out for the day,� Venturini explained once they were beyond the curtain.

“You lied to the other Healer? Who did you send? Why not ask her yourself?�

Immediately after talking, Cedric regretted it. ‘That’s more than a bit low. I would have thought even Venturini might have higher standards.’

Venturini chuckled. “No harm done. Here,� Venturini said as he produced a grey, knit scarf from inside his robe pocket. “Put this on so people don’t recognize you. Cover those scars at least.�

Cedric wrapped the soft scarf around his face as Venturini walked him to another grey curtain down the ward. “I want show you the ward’s name sake,� Adam said as he lead Cedric through one empty bed chamber and one occupied bedroom before they reached the third bed. Like Cedric’s room, this was the chamber with the barred window. Venturini ushered him in before he shut the grey curtain behind them.

Cedric stared at a young woman who looked about fifteen lying in bed. “This is Morticia Gregel,� Venturini announced.

“Shhh, she’s sleeping,� Cedric muttered, but Venturini only burst into laughter. The girl slumbered, unmoved by the ruckus.

“She’s not waking up any time soon.� Venturini walked over to the bed and shook the girl’s shoulders. “She has what is dubbed ‘Sleeping Beauty Sickness.’ She’s been here over a hundred years. The Gregel’s donated a lot of money to name this ward after her.�

“They just left her?� Cedric asked. As soon as he saw the grin slide over Venturini’s face, he once again regretted his question. ‘He wants me to trust him. I’m just like Morticia Gregel to him. He’ll shout and shake me if he thinks he can get away with it.’

Venturini motioned for Cedric to come over to the bed. “No interest in her?� Venturini asked. Cedric crossed his arms and stared down at the young woman. Pretty and beautiful didn’t seem to even describe her, and the power of her endless, undying loveliness seemed to overwhelm the room.

“Everyone gets that impression of her at first.� Venturini’s unemotional words brought Cedric back to his senses. “I’ve begun to believe that’s part of the curse. When you see her . . . you just want to love her and protect her, but she’ll never even blink at you. Let’s go.�

Venturini ushered Cedric out of the room, but as the curtain was closing, he strained his neck to get one last glimpse of the girl. ‘Poor girl. A hundred years . . .’

In the next room, Venturini gestured to the bed, where someone dozed under the covers. “This man,� Adam whispered, “had the lower part of his body bitten off. We have no idea what did it, but even after he was patched up, he showed weird symptoms. His blood turned green, and he doesn’t seem to be able to speak or understand any discernable language. He’s growing scales, and I’m actually dying to see what his insides look like.�

“Charming,� Cedric muttered, and he felt infinitely relieved when Venturini escorted him out of the room. ‘I certainly don’t want to know what his insides look like.’

Cedric followed Venturini out into the hallway again. “All three rooms in this section are occupied, although I only have two patients in here. Come on, you’ll see. It’s terribly interesting, and they’re some of my most time consuming patients.�

Cedric found himself slightly curious, and even though that emotion seemed to win out, he wished Venturini hadn’t jerked him forward. ‘His idea of interesting seems to be a little bit different from what the normal definition is. I suppose he’s completely enraptured with these patient’s for some reason.’

In the first room, Cedric found himself staring at a woman, who was sleeping, but seemed to have a tent of bed sheets erected over her body from her neck down. “What’s wrong with her lower body?� Cedric whispered.

“She’s heavily sedated. We don’t have to whisper,� Venturini said in his normal, casual tone as he gestured towards the tent. “She had a Chizpurfle lay eggs in her. It’s extremely rare for this to happen because they prefer fur and feathers, but this one seemed to like her insides. I’m trying to remove them all, and I’ve had some help with that from the Healers down on the first floor, but she’s going to need her entire chest cavity rebuilt if she expects to survive. They’re eating their way through her at a pretty good pace. That’s why she’s up here. I’m trying to figure out a way to give her working insides with a bit of clever Transfiguration.�

“Please do not show me that,� Cedric muttered, already feeling queasy. He’d seem pictures in his Care of Magical Creatures text book about what Chizpurfle eggs did to creatures. The basic idea was that they were parasites, and they ate whatever animal in which they laid their eggs.

Venturini shrugged. He pulled back the curtain to the next room. This room appeared double the size of the first room, and an especially large bed took up half of the room. Cedric could not distinguish any features of the person sleeping in the bed because they seemed swollen up into a large, bruised ball.

“What – �

“We have no idea,� Venturini said with a note of glee in his voice. “The swelling has actually been reduced. If you can believe it, this one was almost as big as a house when found.�

Cedric rubbed his hands into his eyes lids. ‘Well, if you end up here, you’re certainly not in good shape. I wonder what exactly that says about my condition.’

Venturini tugged his captive guest out of the room and out into the hallway again. He proceeded to the last set of curtains and flung the first one aside. “I’ve got two in this section. The first one is quite normal, except that the fool boy went and mated with a banshee.�

Cedric simply blinked his eyes several times. “Yes, you heard me correctly,� Venturini chuckled. “No one is sure how to cure him because he can’t speak normally anymore and his member is well . . . I won’t elaborate. You would be surprised how large the literature base is on idiot men who went and slept with non-human women.�

“I can imagine,� Cedric muttered trying to ignore the unpleasant tugging sensation around his naval. “Please pass on all of the descriptors.�

Venturini nodded and drew back the curtain. The man appeared fairly young, and Cedric thought he looked familiar, but he couldn’t place the name to the face. ‘I think he might have been an older Ravenclaw, but I can’t tell,’ Cedric thought as the man stared at them with bleary blue eyes.

“Morning Henry,� Venturini said in a chipper voice. “I’m just giving a tour of the Ward. I’ll be back for an examination later.�

The man winced as Venturini drew back the curtain to the last room and yanked Cedric inside. “This one,� Venturini whispered, “was brought to me from Paris. He was a patient I was treating there, and his family couldn’t find anyone else to take care of him. He over dosed on Cornish Pixie dust and has been having severe hallucinations. He has fits sometimes where he manages to conjure up some fairly powerful magic. I haven’t been able to find an antidote for the drug yet, but Glumbumble juice seems to have some type of effect.�

With that, Venturini steered Cedric out of the room and back to the empty bedchamber on the other side of Cedric’s curtain. Before pulling back the curtain, Venturini stopped and held out his hand, and Cedric unwrapped the scarf from around his face.

“You didn’t really need it today, but that’s fine. I was concerned maybe another Healer would wonder through,� Venturini commented.

“I suppose, compared to your other patients, that I’m pretty normal,� Cedric commented.

Venturini burst out laughing. Cedric realized that he had never heard an uninhibited laugh from the Healer. “Well . . . I will be the final judge of that,� Venturini commented as his laugh died into a chuckle.

As Venturini pulled back the curtain, Cedric got the sinking feeling in his gut that he’d said too much again. ‘I think it’s true. I didn’t go screw a banshee or get eggs laid in me, yet this Healer has been obsessing over me since I got here. I wonder if he has noticed my blood is not turning green.’

“Hello! I see you’re back!� Lockheart called from the bed, and Venturini dragged Cedric back into the bubble and coaxed Lockheart back out of it. “This is a lovely room! Would you like a picture?�

“Not today,� Venturini said as he practically shoved Lockheart out into the next bed chamber. Before leaving, he turned to Cedric and said, “Breakfast will be right in.�

******

Adam Venturini gripped the memory-addled man by his arm and led him back to the Janus Thickey Ward like a post puppy. Venturini ignored the man’s prattling about his pictures as he marched him down the hallway. When they reached the ward, Adam pulled out his wand and put what he knew would come across as an affectionate and charming grin.

‘Being handsome is useful for some damn things.’ Adam let go of the man, who immediately wandered off again, and stood, rocking back and forth on his heels, to wait for Healer Strout. Healer Strout came bustling up to Adam, but before she could say anything, he raised his wand and Confunded her. As the women blinked stupidly at him, Adam said, in a cool, soothing voice, “That man who came earlier returned your patient.�

“Oh . . . oh good,� Strout mumbled. She stared blankly into space for a while before asking, “I . . . I hope he was a good boy?�

“Yes, of course,� Adam said in a soothing voice. ‘That should do. I suppose this is the time to see if I can put the rest of my little plan into motion.’ Leaning in towards Healers Strout’s ear like a lover about to whisper tender secrets, Adam said, “Would you mind if Adam Venturini borrows a patient?�

“I . . . . I heard that man is no good,� Strout mumbled.

“Of course he’s good. The Ministry cleared him, remember? He’s got a lot of empty beds,� Adam whispered.

Strout nodded slowly. “Some of these patients seem to wander quite a bit . . . I suppose he can take one off my hands whenever he wants.�

“Thank you.� With that, Adam pulled away, turned on his heels, and walked away from Healer Strout with a bounce in his step. ‘That worked out quite well. She’s so easily Confunded, it’s almost a joke. Well, I have someone to sit in the bed again tomorrow. Sooner or later, he’s going to say something useful to me. However, I’ll accept his unending sympathy to my patients at this point.’

What We Lost in the War

Thick, smoky air assaulted Adam’s senses as he opened the door to the pub. Around the room sat groups of witches and wizards dressed in their work robes. Above him, the second floor remained open, but like an old time salon, a rap around balcony allowed people from the above floor to see down into the main tavern area. All the wood seemed stained with age, and it gave the room a slightly claustrophobic feel even with the open second floor.

Adam scanned the room. At the bar, he saw the back of a young man with thick, curly dark hair talking to a thin witch perched upon the stool. Unlike many of the wizards here, she did not wear robes but instead dressed in what could be considered a tasteful green dress with a black sash cutting under her busts.

Adam approached the bar and took a seat next to the girl. “Evening,� Adam said leaning around the girl to stare at the man.

“W-what . . .�

“Nice to see you, too, Emery,� Adam replied as he waited for the floundering Healer to shut his gaping mouth. “Just stopped by for a drink.�

“Like hell you did,� Emery muttered. ‘He’s had a fair amount to drink. He doesn’t have enough spine to snap at me in a sober mindset.’ Adam waved to the bar tender.

“Three beers please,� Adam ordered before turning his attention back to Emery and his female friend.

“Oh, you’re the bastard-arse of a boss,� the young woman said without a hint of shame in her voice. Adam chuckled and extended his hand to her.

“You must be the rather unfortunate lady Emery is hitting on tonight. I’m Healer Adam Venturini.�

The woman tossed her curtain of black hair over her shoulder before giving Adam her hand. “I’m Pansy, and I think I have things under control.�

“May I speak to my Healer alone for a moment?� Adam asked Pansy. The petit girl looked between the two of them and shrugged.

“I suppose so. I’ll be upstairs if you want to see me later. Room 215.� With that, she hopped off the bar stool and walked away towards the stairs. Adam watched Emery’s eyes following her.

“I won’t keep you long. I can tell when a man’s about to have a good night,� Adam said as he leaned over towards Emery. The younger Healer couldn’t conceal a huge grin from splitting across his face. “Anyway, Emery, I want you back, but not on the Ward right now.�

“Huh? What do you want me to do, then?� Emery asked. “I’m a Healer. I’m supposed to work on the Ward.�

“Several of the patients should be ready for a move in at least a week, and when they’re gone, it’s going to get quiet, so I want you to watch the Ministry for me,� Adam told Emery, who simply cocked an eyebrow at the request.

‘Do I have to explain everything in infinitesimal detail for him?’ Adam sighed before saying, in a slower, steadier voice, “Go around and keep your ears open. I specifically want you to go to the Ministry and look around for me. God knows they’re keeping more than one eye on me. It wouldn’t hurt to have an eye on them.�

“O-okay. I don’t see what good it’ll do . . . but whatever,� Emery said as he jumped down off his bar stool. ‘Clearly I am losing to his need to get laid,’ Adam thought dryly as he, too, finished his drink and stood to leave.

“I’ll send you an owl in the morning. I’m not convinced you’ll remember this clearly.�

“You know,� Emery’s voice began to rise, “I’m a Healer because I actually want to work with patients!�

“Yes, I know, and I suppose I’ll have to put you back on the Ward soon,� Adam turned on his heels to leave, but then turned and said, “Room 215.�

A goofy grin spread over Emery’s face as he headed for the stairs. Adam shook his head as he pushed the door open and exited into the chilly October evening. The wind whipped into him, and his green robes didn’t help to protect him from the nipping breeze. Adam turned down the street to find a place where he could Apparate under a bit of cover. Once out of the glare of the street lights, Adam disappeared with a pop and reappeared in the alley outside of St. Mungo’s.

‘What else do I have to do tonight but work? A bit sad, really, but who am I supposed to visit? The company I kept when in London before the war are either dead, in prison, or people I should stay away from if I want to keep my job; if there’s one thing I want, it is my job.’

Adam strode through the door, and the witch at the desk shot him a quick look but went back to reading her magazine when she realized it was only Adam again. Climbing up the back stairwell, Adam arrived at the fourth floor fairly quickly and headed down to his Ward. As he passed the Sanguine-Levette Ward, he thought, ‘Barnes is probably not here right now. It’s a Friday night, too, so I probably won’t see her until Monday. She’s probably seen enough of me these past several weeks, I dare say.’

Adam flung open the doors to his own Ward, and they clanged back together after he passed through them. Adam looked at the door to his office, but paused and looked at the four grey curtains. As he stared at them, something seemed amiss; then, he noticed the one curtain had been drawn back several inches and not completely closed.

‘I didn’t leave it that way,’ Adam thought as he drew his wand and inched slowly closer to the curtain. As he went to peek inside, the bottom of the curtain swirled, as if disturbed by a breeze, and Adam shouted, “’Stupefy!�

“Damn it, Venturini,� a familiar voice hissed. “Shut up before someone hears you. You’re lucky I wasn’t standing in the way.�

Adam kept his wand raised but flung back the curtain. Immediately, the woman with the long, dark curls tugged it shut again. Adam scowled and stepped into the room. “What the hell are you doing here? How did you get in?� Adam snapped as he stared around at the woman and the dark-haired girl, which seemed to be a younger carbon copy of her mother, lying in the bed.

“That lobby witch was fairly easy to confound,� the woman said as she gestured, her wand still clasped in her white knuckles, towards the bed where the girl with the same black curls lay. Adam stared down at the young girl’s face, which had started to blossom with sores.

“Damn it, Sloane, what do you think you’re doing?� Adam snapped as he went over to examine the girl.

“I don’t know what spell did this,� the woman said as she crossed the room to stand by the bed. “Once you fix her, there’s a boy in the other room. These two empty beds were beside each other.�

Adam snapped his neck up to look at Sloane for a moment. “Did you disturb any of my patients?�

“No! We took these two beds and didn’t draw another curtain. I knew they were sound proof, so I kept it open to listen for you. Good thing I know you tend to curse first and ask question later.� Sloane crossed her arms as Adam turned his attention back to the girl. He prodded her several times with his wand and performed some quick spells under his breath.

“I need to get some potions. I’ll be right back. Shut that curtain and stay in here.� Adam heard the drape swish shut behind him as he strode down the hallway to his office. ‘That damned woman is going to get me in more trouble than I can manage. What was she thinking? If her being here wasn’t a disaster in itself, she chose the two beds right beside my priority patient’s room. I just need to keep them out of there . . . I wonder who else she brought with her?’

Adam tapped the door of his office and flung open his cabinets to pull out some potion vials before slamming his office door behind him. The liquids sloshed inside their glass containers because Adam didn’t slow his pace from a job while going back to the rooms. When he entered, he made sure to shut the curtain completely before leaning over the girl.

“Envererate!� The girl opened her eyes immediately and began to gasp. Adam put his hand behind her and sat her up in time for her to vomit blood onto the sheets. “Swallow this,� Adam told the girl after he cleared her mouth. “Come now; just get it down.�

Adam raised the vial to the girl’s mouth and ensured she drank the entire thing. Immediately, the sores began to look less severe, and as Adam put her back to sleep, the sores were nothing more than red marks on her skin. “She has internal injuries, but I can’t tell what those are yet. That was a nasty jinx,� Adam commented as he pulled up the girl’s shirt to check for additional injuries.

The right side of the girl’s body, between her hip and her breasts, seemed puffy and swollen, and Adam could see bruising already. A livid, purple colour already covered the right part of the girl’s back beside where her stomach showed injury. Adam ran his fingers and his wand along her right side, and a quick look at her swollen and bruised right arm told him she’d broken it in several places.

“I want to see the other person,� Adam said as he laid the girl back down and covered her with a blanket. Sloane drew back the curtain and they proceeded into the next room. However, beside the boy with blood sticking to the right side of his face, three other people stood around the room.

‘I don’t need this mess. That damned Ministry is already breathing down my neck, and I get six fugitives in my ward,’ Adam mentally raged as he stormed over to the bed and immediately began to work on the boy’s head wound.

“He got that when he Apparated him here,� a burly, thickset boy said. Adam snorted.

“You Apparated with two injured people? They both may have under gone splicing. Does anyone ever think?� Adam spat as he finished closing up the bleeding on the boy’s scalp underneath his curly, thick chestnut hair that stuck to his damp, ashen forehead.

“We had no choice!� Sloane snapped. “The Aurors found our hiding place.�

Adam sucked in a deep breath to keep himself from turning and shouting at the woman. Instead, he removed the boy’s shirt and began to check for more injuries. Indeed, he found a large gash on the boy’s left shoulder that extended down his back. Adam jabbed his wand into it and began to seal the skin back together like one would mend a ripped seam.

Adam looked up at the four spectators when he finished mending the serious wound. “You’re damned lucky that cut wasn’t deeper.� Adam’s eyes scanned the crowd. His eyes fell upon the burly boy first. “You -- are you Goyle’s son? I think I saw your picture on a wanted sign in the Ministry. You know, they got your father in prison.�

“He knows that,� a woman, who had been leaning casually against the wall, snarled. Adam turned his gaze onto her and only shook his head.

“Famke Iversen. I’ve never had the pleasure.� Adam’s sarcasm was met with a narrow, disdainful gaze. The woman filled her dark, auburn hair over her shoulder. The mane of hair extended down to her waist and looked unkempt, but if it had been combed, it wasn’t hard to imagine it would have been a beautiful and silky sheet of crimson.

Adam’s eyes fell upon the tall, blonde man with the pock-marked face and hard, brutal features that seemed carved out of granite. “Rowle,� Adam’s voice remained casual and almost cheery. “It’s been a while since I’ve seen you. I believe you’ve been to Azkaban since then?�

However, the man kept his head bent down and didn’t respond to Adam’s comments. Adam’s eyes fell upon his shaking hands, which were clutching fistfuls of his tattered and dirty robe instead of a wand. A frown darkened Adam’s features as he turned his gaze back upon the pale face of Sloane Davis, who looked like a spectre with her matted, dark hair and thick, brown cloak. “Is he well?� Adam asked Sloane as he motioned to Rowle.

The woman gave the blonde man a quick look and shrugged. “I suppose he’s confounded. He seems fine.�

A frown continued to tug down the corner’s of Adam’s mouth. He rose from the boy’s bedside without taking his eyes off Rowle. “He looks shaken up. Rowle, did you get hit with a curse?�

“Don’t answer him,� Sloane snapped. Adam’s eyes darted back to the woman. His eyebrows arched upwards as he gazed back at Rowle, who began to nod vigorously when Sloane spoke while Rowle continued to clutch his robes and keep his gaze lowered on the ground.

“You have him under the Imperius,� Adam stated as he raised his wand and pointed it at Sloane. “You will tell me why. I thought he was a loyal follower of your Dark Lord? He was quite chummy with your brother. What? Did he change his mind?�

“Azkaban rattled him,� Sloane muttered in a voice that sounded like it could boil oil. “Dolhov told me he put him under the Imperius after they broke out of Azkaban. He starts babbling and shouting sometimes, so we have to keep him under the Imperius.�

Adam shook his head, but he kept his gaze upon Sloane. “Well, chances are his mind might be completely fried,� Adam muttered. “I suppose that’s how you treat your brother’s best mate? Did you know if he was under the Imperius before he went to Azakban?�

“I don’t know.� Sloane threw her hands up in the air. “Evan seemed a bit cool towards him after the War really started. I think he was getting cold feet.�

Adam looked back over at Rowle, who seemed to have heard nothing of the conversation. He noticed Famke’s predatory gaze remained trained upon the shaking man, whose knuckles had grown white clutching his robe.

“Come on, Adam,� Sloane begged, “come back and take care of Tracey.�

Adam shook his head and shut the grey curtain behind him as only he and Sloane entered the room with the injured girl. “I don’t know what the hell the lot of you were thinking,� Adam muttered as he began to prod Tracey’s injuries with his wand. “All six of you are wanted for fleeing the battle of Hogwarts, you flee from Aurors, and then you waltz into my Ward? Do you know how tight of a watch the Ministry is keeping on me?�

“You never refused favours for us before. You certainly never turned down the Malfoys when they brought bloody people to your very doorstep.� Sloane’s voice remained low, but Adam did not miss the bitterness in her remarks.

“I shouldn’t have to tell you things aren’t like the first war. I fled the country because I thought I might end up in prison, and my association with your lot didn’t help.�

“We help our own,� Sloane stated in a soft, matter of fact way. ‘That’s true. That’s very true. They are my own, as much grief as they’ve caused me,’ Adam thought as he rubbed a thick, viscous potion on the girl’s bruises.

“Tell me, how did you get out of Hogwarts? I heard a bunch of you escaped in the chaos,� Adam asked.

“I followed the Malfoys,� Sloane stated as she hovered by Tracey’s bed. “I knew that, if we won, Tracey and I would walk back into the room and celebrate.�

“And since everything went to shit, you ran like hell,� Adam supplied the answer to the alternative scenario. “You don’t have to tell me how it feels to cut your losses and run. Although, I see you haven’t been able to get out of the country. You can’t Apparate out, and the Aurors have been more vigilant than ever since they’ve swelled their ranks again.�

“Don’t remind me,� Sloane snapped. “I’ve lost more in these wars than you can even imagine.�

Adam grinned, and a scowl crossed Sloane’s face. “I have to concede this to you. I didn’t lose my husband, my brother, and have my father die in Azkaban.�

“My brother and my husband went down like heroes,� Sloane whispered in a voice that was as strained as her white knuckles still clutching her wand. “My father didn’t betray the cause. I was every bit as god-damned loyal as they were. Did you know that the Dark Lord only gave three women the Dark Mark? Only three! I was a Rosier! I was just as loyal as my brother and my father!�

Adam didn’t speak for a moment as he began to reduce the swelling in Tracey’s arm. Finally, he laid the girl back down and said, “If you were so god-damned proud of your brother and husband, don’t you think you should have done something less foolish than drag your daughter into this? Is she even of age? Of course, you married Edmund Davis when you were sixteen, and he was over twice your age.�

“Don’t you dare judge me, Adam Ventruini!� Sloane said in a white hot voice. “Don’t you dare blame what happened to Tracey on me! She chose to help me. She did her family proud!�

Adam simply shook his head as he turned to look up at Sloane. She pressed her lips together when she saw the scorn in Adam’s gaze. “No, Sloane, I don’t just blame you. The lot of you that went and joined some Dark Lord’s army or Dumbledore’s little militia and had children should have damned well known that this would be the cost. People die in war. Did you think your children would be an exception?�

Sloane knelt down, a deep, simmering anger in her dark eyes. She opened her mouth, but then she glanced down at Tracey, and instead she clasped it shut. As she stared at her daughter, the ferocity in her eyes still burned, but a deep frown drug the corners of her mouth down into her face. After a moment, Sloane muttered, “I lost a lot. I just want my only child to live. Is that wrong, Adam?�

Adam rose onto his feet and stared down at mother and daughter, which seemed to be two figures made from the same mould. “Did you know,� Adam began to speak in a soft, subdued voice, “that eighty percent of those who get magical wasting are women? Men seem to live longer or die from other causes, but women . . .�

“I can tell you why,� Sloane replied in a voice that could not mask the depth of her bitterness and sorrow. “You men don’t have the children. You have no idea what it means to hold another life inside of you. That child is part of your very flesh, and when you have that baby . . . Let’s just say that if Tracey died, I would want to lie down and die as well.�

‘I can’t argue with that,’ Adam thought as he crossed his arms. ‘I can’t say there is anyone in my life that would make me want to give up living. I love my mother and my step-brother, but even when I thought they were dead, I wasn’t even close to feeling this kind of sorrow. That girl really is the only thing she has left in the world.’

“In the end, magical wasting may actually kill us all,� Adam whispered, and Sloane looked up at him. It didn’t escape Adam’s attention that her eyes had begun to mist up, but he ignored the woman’s emotions and continued to talk in a soft, but matter of fact, tone. “No one really understands magical wasting. All we know is that traumatic events seem to trigger it prematurely. You see, age can’t kill wizards, but what does kill us seems to be the magic we have used all our lives turning back on us. Some wizards seem to lose the ability to use magic very quickly, and they die shortly thereafter. With magical wasting, the person lingers on for years as they lose their ability to do magic. Of course, magical wasting‘s prime feature is the lack of will to live anymore.�

Sloane snorted and stood up from the bed, seemingly unimpressed by Adam’s factual tirade. “When will she be well?� Sloan asked.

“I’ll meet you – and you alone – outside in several days. You should leave soon. Feel fortunate you did not come at any other time because I’ve had the Head Auror and the Head of Magical Law Enforcement snooping around my Ward.�

“You’re not serious,� Sloane balked at Adam’s words. She physically backed away, and her eyes darted to the closed curtain. “Will they be safe?�

“It should take several days, but yes, I think I can get them out of here before any more Aurors come through,� Adam said. His shoes clicked across the floor as he walked over and pulled back the curtain to the other room. “Who is the boy, by the way?�

“Merrick Montague,� Sloane supplied. Adam nodded and waved his hand to usher the other three figures out of the room. Famke and Goyle were both leaning against the wall, and they moved to leave.

“Come on, Rowle,� Sloane snapped at the man who hadn’t stopped staring at the floor. However, at Sloane’s command, he perked his head up. ‘Oh, he’s a mess. That one should be having a permanent stay in this hospital,’ Adam thought as he looked into Rowle’s glazed and unfocused topaz coloured eyes. After Sloane repeated her order, Rowle shuffled across the room and exited ahead of Sloane.

“You should just turn him in,� Adam whispered. “That one is in bad shape.�

“Nonsense,� Sloane murmured and waved her hand as if that would dispel all of Adam’s worries. Adam sighed and rolled his eyes to stare up at the ceiling. “I’ll see you in three days – very late – at one, maybe?�

“I’ve got nothing better to do than hang around this Ward,� Adam replied as he pulled the curtain shut on the sleeping boy and ushered Sloane out into the hallway with the other three fugitives. Famke and Goyle seemed squeamish in the open space of the Ward, but Rowle simply seemed not to notice the change in scenery at all.

“Take the back stairway. The lobby witch probably has dozed off, so don’t confound her unless you have to,� Adam instructed mostly Sloane, but he hoped as least one of the other three paid attention. With a quick nod, Sloane grabbed Rowle’s arm, and the four of them left the Ward. When the double doors clanged shut, Adam groaned, ran his hands over his face, and slumped down against a wall.

‘Just like the old days. I believe this is how I almost got thrown into prison the first time.’

C.D.

The light from the bars made a striped pattern upon the ceiling like a monochrome, plaid wallpaper. Cedric rolled over on his side to stare at the Easter egg pastel yellow wall. ‘I can only stare at the ceiling so long,’ Cedric thought as he studied the uneven paint job. It seemed, at some point, the wall might have been a darker colour, and there were splotches that, up close, appeared to be a navy green. From a distance, though, the entire wall appeared one sheet of sickeningly pastel yellow.

‘No Venturini today yet. I wonder if that man finally took a day off. He never seems to leave this Ward. He’s been here every day since I’ve arrived.’

However, the thoughts of Adam soon became replaced with the memory of Cedric’s most recent dream. He’d been studying in the library when his mum called him down to dinner. In the world of dream logic, he simply walked from the Hogwarts library to his kitchen.

His mum told him they had to wait until his uncle came to eat. Cedric remembered he’d felt excited because he hadn’t seen his uncle in years. “I thought you said he died in the War, mum?� Cedric asked. His mum, however, only laughed.

“Nonsense, Cedric! Caradoc’s just been away for a while.�

Cedric nodded and agreed with his mum. In the dream, he remembered feeling silly to even think his uncle might be dead. Then, as if on cue, Caradoc walked through the door. The three of them sat down, and his mum beamed as they complimented her cooking.

“Didn’t I tell you that Cedric looked so much like you?� his mum said as she talked to Cedric’s uncle. The man laughed, and looked over at Cedric with his shining, light green eyes the colour of the fresh buds upon the trees in spring. Cedric’s mum continued talking. “I always say that, and it makes Amos so angry! I think he’s a bit jealous that Cedric looks more like your son than his!�

Cedric looked up at his mum, who had the same light green eyes as her brother. Caradoc simply shrugged and clapped Cedric on the back. Then, the dream had ended, but for a moment, Cedric woke up thinking his uncle was alive. It was one of those unfair dreams where one could wake and think the dream had been reality. For several fleeting moments, Cedric expected to hear his uncle laughing again.

‘But that’s not so. He’s been dead for a long time.’ Cedric sighed. ‘I suppose I do look a lot like my uncle. Of course, the only pictures I have of him was when he was about my age, and maybe we looked more alike in the dream than we would have in real life. Guess I’ll really never know.’

In the silence of the hospital bed chamber, Cedric couldn’t resist having his mind yanked back in time to when he was a boy. As the summer sun streamed through the window of their cottage, Cedric sat in a patch of sunlight, flipping through some of his mum’s old photo albums. He thought he might have been about seven, but his age seemed unimportant. As he fingered the shiny covers that kept the coloured rectangles and the people in them from getting dirty, Cedric spied a picture of a young man that looked like someone stuck some golden wheat upon his head and called it hair. The man was grinning, a broom in his hand, as he kept pointing out over a set of cliffs, which dropped off into a cloudless, azure sky, and a midnight blue ocean.

“Mum, why isn’t Uncle Caradoc visiting anymore? Is he still on that trip for work?�

A china plate crashed to the floor and resounded around the room like a crack of thunder. Cedric jumped and turned around to find his mum, her hands hanging open in the air as if she held an invisible dish, staring into space. “Mum, are you okay?� Cedric asked as he scrambled over the thousands of shards of white that sprayed across the dark wooden floor like little knives.

“Cedric, don’t get cut,� his mum whispered as she bent down and pulled out her wand. “Let me clean this up.�

After she finished, his mum remained crouching down over the floor. Her long, honey curls fell over her face, and the sunlight that glinted off her hair made it look like shimmering golden fabric fit for a king to wear. When she lifted her head, she said, “Let’s sit on the couch. Bring the album, dear.�

Cedric did as he was told. He bounded up alongside his mum on the couch and thrust the photo album into her lap. She took one arm and wrapped it around his shoulders so she could tuck him close to her body. Only once he was securely tucked into her frame did she open the photo album and flip to a page where a picture of two young people with identical green eyes and hair gold enough to make Midas jealous sat on a pair of swings. The boy clearly looked a bit younger than the girl in this picture, but both had the same lazy expressions on their faces that humid summer days induced.

“This is a picture of my brother and me when he was only fifteen. I was twenty-one, and we were at our parents house on the Isle of Mann,� his mum whispered as she pulled the picture out of its slot and handed the thin piece of paper to Cedric. It felt so flimsy and brittle in his hands, and he could see the back beginning to yellow a bit.

“Your uncle Caradoc . . . he fought in a War. Your dad talks about the War.�

“You always get upset when he does,� Cedric commented in the way only children do.

His mother pressed her lips together. She managed to say, “I didn’t like the War. You see . . . the War took your uncle away from us. He . . . he was killed, and his body . . . his body was never found.�

He remembered the way his mother’s face scrunched up before she broke into sobs. He told her it would be fine. He remembered how sad his mother had been right after the War, but this somehow seemed worse. Did he understand it that day? No, not really, but he would come to understand, and Cedric simply continued to tell his mum it was all going to be fine.

After a while, she wiped her eyes on her arm and smiled down at Cedric through puffy eyes. “Did you know that I named us after each other?� she said as she squeezed him into her body. “Ceriwyn, Caradoc, and Cedric. Mummy’s first name was Ceriwyn Dearborn, so she was a C.D., but since our name is now Diggory, you can be a C.D., too.�

She kissed him on the top of his head and turned his face up so she could see into his eyes. Now, she smiled again, but something sorrowful seemed to linger in the lines beginning to appear on her face from age. “You look so much like your uncle.�

‘I look so much like my uncle. A lot of good it did both of us.’

The silence of the room seemed to pop and snap in Cedric’s ears as he forced himself to swallow the tense knot in his throat. ‘I don’t actually remember my uncle . . . I just had those pictures of him. I always took my mum’s insistence that we were so much alike as simply fact. Who knows if it would have been true?’

Cedric jerked his neck around as the curtain whirled open. Immediately after he opened it, Venturini flung the grey sheet shut with such force that, if it had been a door, the clang could have resounded across the entire Ward. As Venturini strode into the room, Cedric could see his normal, taunting attitude and superior smirk had been replaced with an aura of worry.

“Did the Aurors come back?� Cedric asked, half afraid to hear the answer.

Venturini snorted as he gave Cedric a flat, wry smile. “Oh, if they come again, it won’t be good news, but no, this really isn’t about you. Actually, this might be your lucky day because I’m going to have to leave you sit here for a while, but I’m feeling a tiny bit kind.�

Venturini tossed a book onto Cedric’s bed. ‘It’s nice to see he might have become inclined to grow a conscious. It won’t do either of us much good, though.’ However, despite his personal misgivings, Cedric leaned over to pick up the book. A Guide to the Healing Arts was emblazoned on the cover in bright, gold script.

Cedric chuckled. “Did you think I liked the tour that much?�

“I don’t give a damn what you thought about the tour right now, but read the book. As for me, I won’t be around quite as much for the next several days. I’ve got new patients,� Venturini said in a crisp voice.

“I won’t know what to do when you aren’t interrogating me every day,� Cedric commented. Venturini simply shrugged, but one corner of his mouth tugged upwards as he turned to leave the room.

“You’ll regret that little quip when I do talk to you again.�

With a swish of the curtain, Venturini disappeared and left Cedric sitting alone in the bed. ‘Great. He’s assigning me homework. I wonder what got under his skin. He seems more stressed than I’ve ever seen him.’

Cedric spent the better part of the morning skimming the book. When he heard the curtain swish open, he assumed Venturini was bringing him lunch. He continued reading, but when he didn’t hear the clicking of Venturini’s shoes across the floor, he looked up.

“Susan, what are you doing here?�

Once again in her bare feet, Susan snuck through the curtain with only the rustling of the drapes. She smiled back at him and shrugged, and then peeking through the curtain, she turned back to Cedric. “There are people in that room! Did you know that?�

‘Ahhh . . . Venturini got new patients. That must be why he was so testy this morning. I bet they have some sort of strange and serious illness. Hopefully it’s not another case of parasites.’

“Do you want to meet them?� Susan asked, but before Cedric answered, she’d already drawn back the curtains. Cedric blanched, suddenly feeling naked and exposed without the protective wall of the curtains to wrap him in a soundless blanket.

As he gazed at the ashen faced boy, who was sitting up and staring with his mouth agape in the other bed, Susan ran over and flung back the curtain separating the boy’s room from the last room in the row of three. Cedric felt his gut turning, and he couldn’t manage to suppress the whirling in his stomach as he realized he knew the other boy. ‘God, Merrick Montague is here. How did everyone end up in the hospital? I don’t understand it. When did everyone start getting mortally wounded?’

“See?� Susan said as she ran down the length of beds to stand at the end of Cedric’s bed again. “I told you there were people!�

“T-that’s nice,� Cedric stammered, and his gazed darted over to look at Montague again. However, the young man ignored him completely to stare at the unconscious girl in the farthest bed from Cedric.

“Tracey,� Merrick hissed. “Tracey, wake up!�

The girl didn’t stir, and Cedric got the impression the girl seemed to be the one with the greatest injuries. However, Merrick continued to shout at her, and soon, Susan scrunched her face up and began to get the nervous look on her face Cedric had seen her get when she threw a fit.

“Susan, go check on her,� Cedric muttered. Susan stared around, unsure of what to do for a moment, but she got up and walked down to the girl.

As Susan began to shake the girl, Montague began to shout, “Don’t touch her! Leave her alone! You might hurt her more!�

This time, Montague hopped out of bed, but he staggered as he jumped. Cedric leaned forward in his bed, but before he moved, he remembered the barrier. “Montague, leave her alone!� Cedric shouted as Montague tried to fling Susan off the girl in the bed. As Montague grabbed Susan’s shoulders, she began to shriek. In an instant the battle turned, and Susan bit Montague on the arm. She writhed around in his grasp to smack him in the face before flinging him upon the floor.

“Crazy bitch! Get off!� Montague shouted as Susan stood over him.

“Why are you hurting me? Why . . . don’t do this to me,� Susan begged as she backed away from Montague. Tears began to stream down her face as she stood there, hands shaking.

“Susan, come here,� Cedric called. He tried to keep his voice steady and soft, but Susan didn’t seem to pay attention to it. “Susan . . . come over here.�

“I don’t . . . I didn’t do it . . . not yet. I swear; it’s not too late.� Susan’s eyes seemed to bulge out of her head as she whispered. She began to play with the end of her hair by twirling it around her fingers.

“Susan . . .� Cedric called again as Montague scooted away from Susan and used the wall to pull himself to his feet again. This time, Susan turned to Cedric and walked, as if in a trance, down to Cedric’s bed.

“Please . . . I don’t want to,� Susan begged as she continued to stare off into space. Now, she tugged at her hair with white knuckles and succeeded in pulling out two big chunks.

“It’s okay, Susan,� Cedric whispered, astonished by his own even voice. “No one can hurt you.�

Susan lowered her hands and dropped her hair to the ground. She turned to Cedric, but seemed to stare through him. A chill ran down his spine as she slowly made her way over to his bed. She crawled onto his bed, and he made room for her to lie down beside him. Still shaking, Susan curled up beside him.

With swollen, tear-stained eyes, Susan looked up at him. As Cedric leaned his head down to her, she whispered, “I think I know you. I don’t think that’s possible, though. I don’t know anyone.�

Cedric tried to swallow the knot in his throat, but he couldn’t quite manage it. ‘She . . . she’s just crazy. She’s imagining things . . . but maybe being crazy means you can understand the insane things that happen. Maybe she does really get it . . . but of course, I doubt she’ll be coherent enough to tell that to me.’

As Susan sighed and looked up at him with her puffy, expectant gaze, Cedric muttered, “Who do you think I am?�

She smiled and closed her eyes. “Just some boy I thought I knew.�

The fit passed, and Susan seemed to drift instantly into sleep. However, Cedric felt his heart pounding in his ears. He kept gazing down at the resting woman, dumbstruck and unable to move. Her violent fit seemed to trigger a moment of lucidness in her madness that Cedric simply could not explain. ‘Bloody hell. How . . . I have no idea. No one else . . . maybe the Memory Charm did something to her brain that allowed her to . . .’

The grey curtain that led to the main Ward parted like a storm cloud letting the sun through after a long, overcast day. Like a glittering ray of sun, Venturini strode into the Ward. His lime green robe billowed around him like a wave of electric colour. He pulled Montague to his side, and the boy did not fight when Venturini pressed his wand against the boy’s back.

“I wanted – �

“I do not care,� Venturini silenced Montague as he shut the curtain between Montague and the girl’s bed. Then, he bound Montague to his own bed with ropes. As he tied down the boy, Montague uttered a feeble yelp.

However, Venturini’s gaze did not focus on Montague, but instead his agitated stare locked onto Cedric. In Venturini’s dark brown, almost black, eyes, Cedric sensed the same, temperamental mood present the day Venturini banished Nissel. ‘Here he comes. I wonder how he’s going to blame this on me.’

Cedric kept his eyes on Venturini as he walked around Montague’s bed. His shoes clicked across the scuffed, white linoleum like a pick chiselling stone. Cedric put a hand on Susan’s shoulder, keenly aware that Venturini’s gaze rested squarely on the pair of them. The grey curtain swished shut between Montague and Cedric’s bed, and Cedric found himself once again facing a livid Venturini alone.

“What happened?� Venturini asked in a low, tense voice that barely contained his rage. “Tell me what she’s doing here.�

“She opened the curtains,� Cedric replied in a slow, even voice. ‘I need to . . . I need to channel that Auror . . . Robards. He manages to defuse Venturini enough of the time.’ However, Venturini kept his wand out and pointed directly at Cedric.

“Keep talking,� Venturini said in a deceptively level tone that was betrayed by the glittering intensity in his eyes. “Susan opened the curtains. What next? If you don’t tell me, I can certainly ask that silly boy.�

“Why don’t you?� Cedric questioned icily. “I’m sure he would tell you the same thing.�

With several strides, Venturini walked inside the bubble and stood directly over Cedric. Before Cedric could react, Venturini shot his free hand down and yanked Susan’s shoulder. “She had a fit!� Cedric shouted as he reached an arm around Susan’s body. The girl shrieked as Venturini tugged her partly outside of the bubble. Cedric kept clinging to her until his shoulder collided with the charm bubble. The sizzling sound of the collision was followed by a feeble moan as Cedric slid down into his bed like he’d turned to jelly.

“We’ll talk,� Venturini muttered as he pulled Susan beyond the curtain.

******

When Adam moved beyond the curtain, the dazed girl came to her senses and began to shout. “Stupefy!� Adam commanded, and the girl went limp like a rag doll. Adam gathered her under one arm and hauled her down his Ward. With a flick of his wand, he opened the doors to the Janus Thickey Ward.

“Healer Venturini!� Healer Strout exclaimed as Adam walked over and plunked Susan back into her own bed.

“I would be greatly obliged if you would keep your patients off my Ward,� Adam snapped as he bound Susan to the bed with ropes.

“I never force my patients to stay in their beds!�

“Maybe you should.� Turning on his heal, Venturini raised himself up to his full height and briskly walked out of the Ward. When he entered his own Ward, Venturini immediately went to find the patient he wanted to question. Sitting in his bed, the boy, still bound by ropes, appeared a bit dazed.

“My other patient doesn’t feel like chatting at the moment, so would you please tell me what happened on the Ward?� Adam asked as he paced at the end of Montague’s bed.

“I . . . that girl was going to hurt Tracey,� Montague stammered. “She was fine . . . and I thought that crazy girl might just wake her, but when she started to shake her, I went to pull her off.�

‘Gods, he’s a fool. I doubt this would have escalated if he hadn’t gotten involved.’ Adam continued to study the dark haired young man, who still seemed particularly ashen. ‘He probably doesn’t have enough blood in him. I tried to replenish his blood, but he lost quite a bit.’

“Is she going to be okay?� he asked in a timid voice.

Adam sighed and looked up at the ceiling while he said, “Miss Davis will be fine. She sustained some serious internal injuries, but I would say she’ll make a full recovery.�

“Can I see her?�

“When she wakes,� Adam said as he once again looked down at his patient. “Tell me . . . I was wondering how the lot of you got away initially. They rounded up a fair amount of all the known Death Eaters.�

“It was Goyle that got Tracey, Rowle, and Famke out of Hogwarts,� Montague supplied. “Tracey’s mum got me, and we fled the Ministry together. She said . . . she thought we’d be tried for . . .�

“I already can guess for what,� Adam said when Montague refused to finish the line. “I’m familiar with the common charges that are being levelled against the Death Eaters and their supporters in the Ministry. Sloane Davis, and I suspect you, too, were helping to head the incarceration of Muggle borns and their sympathizers.�

Montague blanched at the accusation, but Adam only chuckled. “I’ve known Sloane Davis for a while . . . all the way back when she was Sloane Rosier. I am completely aware of what she did, but I’m slightly shocked she dragged her daughter into the mess.�

“Tracey wanted in,� Montague said, but then, he snapped his mouth shut as if realizing he may have spilled too much information. Adam rolled his eyes. ‘Oh dear gods, they’re in love. That stupid boy is in love with Sloane’s daughter.’

“How did it happen?� Adam asked Montague, who gave him a blank look. “How did you become involved with Tracey Davis?�

Montague stared dumbly at him for a moment, but Adam crossed his arms and said, “I can wait around for the answer. The fact that you are obsessed with her is sketched all over your bloody face, boy.�

Montague stammered, “After school, I worked for her mum . . . and I met her. I mean, I knew her – kind of – from before, but after school, we became close.�

“How touching. Young love blossoming over the mutual desire to torture Muggle borns,� Adam drawled. Montague went to speak, but Adam shook his head. “I’ve heard what I need to hear. I want you to listen to me closely: stay in your bed. If you run around this Ward – which seems quite common of patients lately – I cannot take credit for you. And you will be captured.�

Montague murmured, “I understand.�

Adam nodded and crossed the grey curtain threshold into his other patient’s room. The man sat, staring at the wall, and refused to look at Adam when he entered the room. Adam strode over and picked up the unopened book on the bed. He’s at least been reading it,’ Adam realized as he saw some of the pages had been earmarked.

“I see you don’t enjoy your solitude,� Adam commented. The man still kept his head turned towards the wall. “I don’t blame you much. There’s nothing worse than being bored.�

“You seem to have a way of complicating things,� the man finally muttered, but he didn’t turn towards Adam.

“I am the one complicating things?� This time, the man turned his head to look at the Healer. “I thought it was the reverse. In contrast to your little stunts, I had a productive idea to help you.�

The man leaned forward, and Adam watched him study the Healer for several moments. Finally, the man said, “I don’t understand you. You keep me from prison; you threaten to send me to prison. You trap me here; you take me on little sightseeing tours.�

“You want to know what I want,� Adam stated, and the man simply nodded. “You seem to be a magnet for causing trouble when you’re alone, so I am convinced I need to be around you more. However, that is mostly impossible, considering I do have other patients. There can be only one solution: you become my apprentice Healer.�

The man burst into laughter. “You’re a nutter. You said yourself that if I’m caught walking around, they’ll throw me in prison.�

Adam leaned forward, a gleam in his eye. “That’s why we’re not getting caught.�

The man stopped laughing and pulled back from Adam. “You’re serious.�

“Perfectly,� Adam replied. “I’m just hoping whatever random traumatic events you’ve suffered hasn’t left you with a head of sawdust, but I haven’t sensed that from you, and judging by the fact that you’ve been reading my book, I don’t think you’re the dumbest apprentice to wander these halls.�

“Why don’t you just hire Nissel back?�

Adam’s lips formed into a straight line. “Let me deal with him,� Adam replied stiffly. “The point is, I made you a job offer.�

“I don’t have a choice, do I?�

Adam chuckled and shook his head. ’He’s getting the idea.’