"I don't see why we couldn't stay and see what happened," Matilda complained, not enjoying the sensations as her stretcher levitated unevenly up the stairs.
"Because A, we didn't have time, and b, Rita might have seen us, and that's the last things we want right now!" Hermione glared. "We have a portrait to find, unless you've forgotten!" Matilda scowled straight back at her, but didn't retaliate, much to Hermione's displeasure. Neither of them were feeling particularly upbeat, as they had disagreed over how long to stay with the twins and watch Rita, and had made no progress on finding the portraits. The result was continual griping and squabbling.
"Where are we going?" Matilda asked after a few moments of silence.
"Patience is a virtue!" a portrait of an old woman called out, which did nothing to improve either of the girls' sullen moods.
"To the fourth floor, Spell Damage," Hermione answered grumpily. "I've been there before, so I basically know my way around. Hopefully we'll be quick."
She pushed open the swinging doors to the fourth floor and waved Matilda's stretcher in. As they made their way down to the end of the ward, Matilda stated how this ward seemed much quieter than the rest, and although she just nodded, Hermione knew why - that was where the permanent ward resided.
There were a few portraits there, and Hermione knew that they must be getting close to finding Hippocrates, as the witches and wizards all looked more refined, and from earlier periods in time. Hermione had to look away as they came to the Janus Thickey ward and she saw familiar faces looking blankly up at her, and she blinked away tears, busying herself across from the locked door of the ward.
"What troubles you, my dear?" a kind voice asked from a portrait hanging to her right. The wizard in it was dressed in Elizabethan clothes, a bright red doublet complete with garters and a well fit periodic jacket. "Would you like me to get a Healer to come and open the door for you?" he asked, gesturing directly across from him, at the window to the closed room.
"No," Hermione said quickly. "No, thank you." The portrait nodded understandingly. It was only that she looked up from the floor she had been absorbed in that she saw who the portrait was of. "St. Mungo!" she cried, immediately alerting Matilda, who came over on the stretcher immediately. "Mungo Bonham! You're here, of all places!"
"Yes. I like to look over the long term residents, as those are the ones who need me the most," he explained. "Can I be of service to you?"
"We're looking for the portrait of Hippocrates," Hermione told him. "It's an emergency, you see - " Mungo held up a hand to stop her.
"I know what you say by the look in your eyes. And from what I have heard from my other portraits," he added, a twinkle in his eyes before he returned to sincerity. "But I am not sure how much I can help you."
"But you're the founder of St. Mungo's!" Hermione protested. "Don't you talk to him whenever he comes round? Aren't you the one who always knows the upcoming whereabouts of the great Healer - the only one who can help us?" Mungo nodded through her anger, and smiled sympathetically when she stopped raging.
"Yes, that is all true. But, you see, I have to keep with an oath made with him that I would never directly reveal his position. Yet I see your great need and understand... a Healer's task is to help find cures and you're in need of him. If you can answer my question, I'll point you to the right direction... Would you prefer a 'mind-game' or a 'game of chance'?"
"A game of chance," Matilda answered immediately. Hermione glared at her in exasperation, though she had to admit it was starting to get too much of a habit when she was around Matilda.
"I was going to say the mind game!" she protested, but she knew it was useless, they had already given their answer.
"Yes, but I've always been quite lucky, and I quite liked Divination," Matilda explained with a small grin.
"Don't get me started on Divination!" Hermione warned. "Fine, what's the game of luck?"
Mungo Bonham placed a hand on his chin, "I'm thinking of a Healer. Which Healer?"
Matilda shrugged. "My crystal ball is in for repairs - over to you!"
Hermione racked her mind, and was about to say Hippocrates, but she stopped herself. That would be too obvious; Mungo would pick either a Healer associated with Hippocrates, or someone that the both of them knew - probably a modern day Healer who keeps a portrait of Mungo in their office. Hermione thought hard - she was determined to turn the game of chance into one of logic.
"Modern day, or medieval? Well, it would make sense to have someone associated with Hippocrates, as that is our main goal - but then, aren't all Healers associated with Hippocrates? After all, if it wasn't for him, there probably wouldn't be Healers today! And Mungo knows how desperate we are, how much we need this, so it will have to be doable - and more likely to be someone we both know," Hermione muttered to herself as Matilda nodded encouragingly. "So, why not go for the Healer who has helped me and my friends for the best six years of my life? And I know she keeps a portrait of Mungo in her office to ask for guidance, and for encouragement and inspiration, so he should know her well, I remember seeing it when the Polyjuice Potion went wrong..."
"What? You used Polyjuice Potion? And it went wrong?" Matilda asked, her eyes widening, but Hermione waved the question away.
"And I saw her ask for advice when Katie Bell touched that necklace in sixth year, and again when - " Hermione stopped, nearly feeling herself choke up at the memory, combined with the sight of the Janus Thickey ward right across from her. "She helped us then, I'm sure she'll help us now. Madam - Poppy Pomfrey," she said to Mungo, biting her lip, trying to read his expression as he said -
"Congratulations - you guessed correctly!" Mungo smiled down as Hermione jumped up and down, hugging Matilda. "Hippocrates' portrait is on the First Floor, to the side of the Dai Llewellyn Ward: Serious Bites," Mungo told them, much to Hermione's surprise.
"But that's where Mr. Weasley went after his snake bite... Of course!" Hermione exclaimed, putting her hand to her mouth. "How could I have been so stupid!"
"What?" Matilda asked, her excitement bubbling down a bit. "Don't tell me this is another one of those things you can't - or don't want to, more like - talk about!"
"No, this I can tell you!" Hermione laughed. "You see, when I was sixteen, my friend's father got bitten by a snake, and he was put in that ward."
"That's it?" Matilda asked, her eyebrows raised. "Bit of an anticlimax!"
"No, that's not it! Actually, there's more to the snake story than that - bit I can't exactly say that either..." Hermione admitted, to Matilda's laugh.
"Why am I not surprised? But how does that mean you should have known? Why, you should have remembered that it was there from all those years ago?"
"No, but I should have figured it out as soon as we found out we had to find Hippocrates. I mean, we'd already used Astrology, I should have thought about it more..." Hermione trailed off, laughing as she thought about it.
"Hermione? Can you please finish your story? Has anyone ever told you how annoying it is when you don't explain things properly?" Matilda asked, though not too harshly. "No - don't go off onto another trail of thought!" Matilda protested quickly as Hermione nodded, and she saw the vacant expression come over her face. "Finish the story!"
"Right!" Hermione laughed, coming back down to reality. "Well, as I was thinking about how to find the Big Dipper and the Merak, I had to think of all the other constellations - one of which was Ophiuchus. Ophiuchus represented Aesculapius, who was another ancient Healer - believed to be the ancestor or Hippocrates himself!"
"That's...very nice, Hermione," Matilda said, not quite sharing Hermione's excitement. "But why on earth does that mean that you should have known that's where Hippocrates portrait would be?"
"Because, the snake was Ophiuchus' symbol, for it represented to harm or heal. Ophiuchus' used it to heal. Therefore, it makes sense for Hippocrates' portrait - remember the link with Hippocrates before? - to be outside the snake bite ward!" Hermione explained, her eyes alight at having figured the problem out logically - even if it wasn't altogether necessary by then.
"You are correct again, you maiden. You might want to consider becoming a Healer yourself, if the weather falls foul of Gringotts and Romania," Mungo suggested with a knowing smile. Hermione looked up at him in surprise, her excitement having been replaced with wonder.
"How did you know that I worked for Gingotts? And in Romania?" she asked suspiciously, Matilda too caught up in the intrigue.
"I have portraits everywhere, young miss, especially in my own hospital. There has been talk, much talk of you - especially - alas, I must go! Good luck to you both!" Mungo said, before disappearing from his portrait.
"What does he mean by that?" Hermione asked, furrowing her brow as they walked back to the stairs to go down to the first floor. Matilda shrugged, wincing as her stretcher turned round the corner.
"Isn't it annoying when people don't explain themselves properly?" she quipped with a grin, though Hermione didn't seem to notice the irony, and if she did she ignored it.
Finally they got down the Dia Llewellyn ward, and Hermione could feel her pace quicken as they approached it. It was still as she had remembered, candles in bubbles lighting the way, which was necessary as there weren't many windows. The corridor was rather dingy, but Hermione supposed that the Healers had had more on their mind other than cleaning lately. As she saw the door leading to the ward, so also saw a side corridor off it, but it was hard to make out, as the bubble candle seemed to have been extinguished long ago, considering the cobwebs that surrounded it.
As they ventured along it, Hermione saw another cupboard, but that too looked like it hadn't been used in a long while. Just past it, was a portrait.
"Hippocrates?" Hermione called out, looking at the old man in the portrait, who seemed only to be wearing a white sheet and matching beard. "Hippocrates?" she tried again.
"Who awakes me from my - well deserved, I'll have you know - slumber?" the portrait asked, blinking at them. "Don't tell me it's Mungo, come for more remedies? Make them up yourself, lazy blighter!"
Hermione and Matilda exchanged glances, neither could deny that they were a little shocked.
"I'm Hermione Granger," Hermione announced, stepping forward. "And this is Matilda - what is your last name? That's not important - Hippocrates, we need your help. There's a new, fatal form of Dragon Pox going around, and no-one can cure it. As the Father of Medicine, we thought that you might be able to help us." Hermione looked on nervously as Hippocrates seemed to be considering the matter.
"It is a Healers job to give help where it is needed," he said at last. "I have heard a little about this new form of Dragon Pox. They say, 'let the punishment fit the crime.' Well, I say 'let the cure fit the complaint.' Take the cure for the original Dragon Pox, along with the number of days they've been ill amount of drops of dragon's blood - say if they were ill with the Pox for three days, they would take three drops of the dragon's blood that infected them. Mix it in with the original cure - the Healers should know that at least! Then combine it with rest, fresh air and fresh fruit and you should be well on the way to recovery. And most importantly - positive thinking! If you feel there is no hope, then there will be no hope, but if you think positively, and try hard, anything can work out. Now there is a cure, there is no need for dismal thoughts, for you shall soon be well again!" The great Healer smiled at the girls' joy, and they were so busy celebrating, they didn't notice him slip away from his portrait.
"Come on, we have to go and inform the Healers of the cure," Hermione said, causing Matilda to groan as they made their way back to the stairs.
"I can't tell you how glad I am to be out of this thing," she grumbled as the stretcher lurched over a corner. Luckily it was only one flight of stairs to the second floor, where they were greeted by the same blonde Healer as they were earlier.
"Decided to stay?" she asked kindly, recognising them.
"Not exactly," Hermione said merrily, though the Healer was beginning to look quite scared at both of their cheerful expressions. "Can we speak to whoever's in charge?" The Healer nodded, looking quite glad to be rid of them - optimism seemed to be rare to the point of having to be diagnosed for some form of illness on the second floor. "And we've got to get someone over to Romania at once - "
"Hermione!"
Hermione looked up to find herself ambushed by flaming red hair and freckles, as Fred and George descended on her, leaving the door of the ward they had just left swinging back and forth, it was obvious they had run out - ignoring the 'Don't Run' signs as ever, to bombard her with questions.
"Did you find the cure?"
"What's happened?"
"Has Rita escaped?"
The last question was Matilda's, aimed at the twins, but they knew from her question that the outcome of their quest must be good, and they broke into wide grins.
"Yes - we've found the cure, everything's fine!" Hermione told them happily. "I didn't think you'd still be here... Why were you here in the first place?" she asked them, the words catching in the mouth, her breathing fast and throaty, suspicious in her voice as she looked at the still swinging doors they had emerged from. Without waiting for an answer, she moved tentatively towards the door, looking round with trepidation.
No! No, it can't be! This is exactly what you ran away from, and it caught up with you anyway. How could this have happened? It's not true, it can't be true! You left the country for Merlin's sake, how can it have caught up with you? But suppose there really is no escaping fate...
Escaping Fate - Alongside Certain Death And Other Such Predicaments by Oppungo
Chapter Notes: Lots of thanks to Khrys for betaing for me!