Bab 82: St Mungo's Hospital
After hearing everything, Neal asked, "how can I believe you? And why are so anxious to want to be a resident of Greylin? I want to know your motive. Furthermore, my Grandfather said that it's a place for hiding. Did you do something to hide from Ministry?". Karkaroff replied, "all I can say is that I'm clean and I don't have any other motives other than becoming a resident there. After all, it's an all-wizarding village. Who wouldn't want to stay at a place like that".
Then, Neal said, "I'll write a letter to my Grandfather. After he finds them, you can immediately move into Greylin". Karkaroff almost roared with frustration, "no, it will be too later for me. How about this? Let me move in, right now and place me under house arrest. Release me after you confirm it, Ok?".
Neal stared at him silently for a long time and said, "then, I also want copies of the books that are only exclusive to Durmstrang academy". As Karkaroff stood up in surprise, Neal folded his hands and said, "well, from your expression, I can see that you are truly afraid of something or someone.
It's either you did a heavy crime enough to be landed in Azkaban or someone you fear is waiting for a chance to kill you or something like that. Anyway, it doesn't matter to me as long as I can get what I want". Karkaroff nodded after calming down himself, "fine. Someone will send you copies of them in a week".
Neal replied, "not here, send it to Avery Mansion instead". After Neal excused himself, Karkaroff looked at Snape grimly, "you are right, this boy is too greedy. For such a simple thing, he asked..." Snape then shooed him away quickly as he doesn't want to be associated with him anymore.
A week later, Leon accepted the retrial as Oakley applied for it. Neal went to Wizengamot with his Grandfather and saw Dumbledore is presiding over this trial. As the retrial is going on, Dumbledore asked Neal, "do you want to say something as the only child of the victims?". Neal replied, "yes, a while ago, I visited Azkaban prison and he told me that he killed them because they requested him themselves as they became mad because of a curse. You can verify it with a Veritaserum".
Then, one of the jury members spoke, "Veritaserum won't work at all times. First, it can be resisted, and secondly, it can only bring out the truth that the drinker thinks it is, not the actual truth". Oakley interjected her, "can't you see his miserable appearance? Do you think he can resist truth serum in his state?".
As they looked at Leon who was standing as if he will faint at any time, Oakley continued, "we have further evidence that will prove that they became insane before they died". Then an unfamiliar man who was sitting with them all along got up as he introduced himself, "my name is Steve Owler. I work at the Magical Congress of the United States of America, in short, MACUSA, and used to be in the same department as Berry Slytherin.
Our job is to research and deal with the cursed magic artifacts. I can confirm that they indeed went insane and were untreatable after getting the possession of a cursed magic item". With strong evidence before them and believing the fact that requested killings won't damage a person's soul, the majority of the judges raised their hands to release him as they too thought he already suffered enough for 13 years in Azkaban and a few of them who were the supporters of the Sacred families alliance, cursed the recently dead Barty Crouch in their minds for putting him into the prison back when he used to be the head of the Department of the Magical Law Enforcement.
After saying goodbye to his Grandfather and his uncle, Neal, who was calm until now suddenly became frantic while he asked Dumbledore in a hurry, "now, can we go there, quickly?". Dumbledore nodded as his face is serious, "Yeah, let's go". He grabbed Neal and disapparated from there to appear at St Mungo's Hospital for Magical Maladies and Injuries.
Neal hastened his steps while they were moving towards the fourth floor, the Janus Thickey Ward. As the door was opened by Madam Miriam Strout, both of them walked inside to see all of them were sleeping peacefully possibly because of the Bewitched sleep charm.
Miriam said, "usually, visitors aren't allowed as it's the sleeping time for them but since the headmaster requested it, I'm making an exception for you". Neal replied in a whisper, "thank you". As they reached the patient beds at the end of the ward, Neal's hands shivered as he took Edward and Dulcie's hands into his and tears started to flow from his eyes while Dumbledore asked, "what happened to them?".
Miriam sighed, "the same thing as those Longbottoms. The Cruciatus curse. They have been tortured for too long causing them to slightly go insane".
But just then, the beds in the ward started to shake, and the magical lanterns hovering near the ceiling burst off. As Miriam began to panic, Dumbledore grabbed Neal's shoulder and shouted, "calm down, Neal. This is a hospital. Calm down and control yourself".
As Neal came back to his senses and controlled his accidental magic, he apologized as he saw the ward became a mess with beds here and there and a couple of patients fell from the bed in their unconscious state".
As Dumbledore slowly said, "don't worry. Madam Miriam said there's a hope of recovery".Then he turned back and said to Miriam who is arranging the beds properly, "isn't it?"
Miriam replied, "yeah, it might take 6 months or a year or maybe two. I can't say exactly but unlike Frank and Alice, they have hope since their minds didn't break completely. Now before that boy causes another ruckus, take him away Professor Dumbledore".
Dumbledore replied, "yes, of course". He turned toward Neal who was staring at both of them while saying, "even though time spent with them is short and have no blood ties with them, I felt like they are my family. It may be because I grew up as an Orphan and Uncle Edward was the one who looked after me when I had no one else in the world".
Then he looked at Dumbledore and asked, "Madam Strout said it is the Cruciatus curse. It will be only used on wizards either because of great enmity or because of extracting information. What is the thing that Uncle Edward and Aunt Dulcie have that their enemies want? He works for you. So, you must know something, right?".
Dumbledore stayed silent for a while and replied slowly, "I'm not sure but I have a slight idea about it. Trust me and wait for a while. I will give you your answers for sure. There are many things you or the world don't know about Edward and Dulcie.
It involves the statute of secrecy. That's why please don't look for it on your own, ok? We don't want it to turn into an international issue". Neal then said, "you know that I trust you, Professor". Then, he thought, "what should I tell Tracey, now? I already told her that I got information about their whereabouts".
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