บท 384: Astoria Saves a Life
This was supposed to be chapter 383 but I messed up yesterday!
"Why, if it isn't little Astoria!" the Healer said brightly, as Astoria turned around to face her. "I haven't seen you in a while— You look better than you have in years, and I love what you've done with your hair!"
"Hello, Mrs. Strout," said Astoria sheepishly. "It has been a while."
"Let me just hand over these Christmas presents first, dearie," said the Healer good-naturedly. "I'd be glad to catch up with my favouritest ray of sunshine after that, but I've got a few errands to run first. Someone must have forgotten to lock the doors to some of the other wards, because I've got a few escapees on my hands!"
Astoria whistled nonchalantly as the Healer gave a dog-faced woman a pile of Christmas presents, before pulling out a wriggling potted plant with long, dark green tentacles. Astoria had basically grown up in her family's greenhouses, so she obviously recognized the plant for what it truly was at first glance.
"Is that safe?" asked Astoria as she watched the Healer placing what was very obviously a juvenile Devil's Snare on a patient named Broderick Bode's bedside table. "Devil's Snares aren't particularly dangerous, but it doesn't look like he'd be able to fend one off. In his current state, I mean."
"That can't be," said Mrs. Strout, slightly unnerved. "Who in their right mind would send such a dangerous plant to a sick man? Isn't this a Flitterbloom?"
Hermione gave a small start, and she bent over the potted plant to inspect it more closely.
"It really is a Devil's Snare!" she exclaimed, aghast. "How could a Healer mistake a Devil's Snare for a Flitterbloom!? I thought an Exceeds Expectations in Herbology was required to become a Healer…"
"You mean, that plant that almost strangled us to death in our first year at Hogwarts?" Harry asked in surprise, and Hermione nodded.
Mrs. Strout whipped out her wand and chanted, "Lumos," before pointing the tip of her wand at the potted plant, which recoiled upon being hit by the harsh light. Having confirmed that the plant was indeed not a harmless house plant after all, she quickly removed it from her patient's bedside table.
"Broderick Bode," Harry read from the patient chart clipped to the foot of the man's hospital bed. "Bode… Bode… The name rings a bell— I'm sure I've heard it before…"
"Okay, everyone out," said the Healer, who was now looking very much discomposed. "Longbottom visitors, that goes for you too!" she added, raising her voice.
"Longbottom?" asked Astoria, startled.
To her surprise, Neville Longbottom and his grandmother emerged from behind the curtains at the end of the room, and just like that, the Healer ousted them from the ward, after which she locked the door with a "Colloportus!"
"You've done a great thing," Mrs. Strout told Astoria, her expression slightly strained. "You can take comfort in that, dear, but this is now a matter for Magical Law Enforcement."
The Healer then walked away at a quick pace and disappeared around a corner, leaving the rest of them awkwardly hanging with the two Longbottoms.
"Hey, Neville," said Ron tactlessly. "Who've you been visiting?"
"Oh, friends of yours, Neville, dear?" asked his grandmother, as she peered at each of them in turn.
Harry shot a scathing expression at Ron, but unfortunately for him, he completely missed the warning.
"Ah, yes, you must be Harry Potter," she said, proffering her hand for him to shake. "Neville speaks most highly of you."
"Er, thanks," said Harry awkwardly, as he reluctantly took the old woman's hand.
"And you two must be Weasleys," Mrs. Longbottom continued, sticking her hand out at Astoria and Ron in turn. "And you must be Hermione Granger?"
Astoria didn't bother correcting her; she was too busy staring at Neville, who was desperately trying to avoid meeting her gaze. Finally, he couldn't take it any more…
"Harry and his friends are prolly busy, Gran," he said pitifully. "You know how they always have mysteries to solve and stuff…"
Harry, who was the only one among them who knew Neville's secret, that fact that his parents had been driven to insanity, jumped to his aid.
"Just your usual Order business," Harry said tacitly, knowing that Augusta was one of Dumbledore's staunchest supporters. "You know how it is…"
"I do indeed," said Mrs. Longbottom proudly. "As I'm sure you already know, my son Frank and his wife Alice, Neville's parents, were tortured into insanity by Voldemort's followers."
Astoria recoiled slightly upon hearing the forbidden name, and Ron audibly whimpered.
"We were just visiting them," she sighed, ignoring her grandson's shoulders slumping in defeat. "Heroes, the both of them… if only Neville had inherited even a small part of their skills…"
Augusta Longbottom's voice trailed off, as she noticed their obviously surprised expressions.
"What's this, Neville?" she said sharply. "Don't tell me you haven't told your friends about your parents? Are you ashamed of them?"
Neville was now looking smaller and more pitiful than Astoria had ever seen him before.
"I'm not ashamed," he mumbled, staring at his toes. "It just… never came up in conversation."
The atmosphere was getting downright unpleasant. And even though Ron was usually very oblivious to others' feelings, there was a limit to the amount of second-hand embarrassment his thin skin could endure…
"You know, I think mum might be done tearing dad to pieces," he said hoarsely, after which he cleared his throat. "I'm pretty sure I've heard dad talking about this Bode fellow, so we should prolly head back and ask…"
And so, the Gryffindor Trio and Astoria bid their goodbyes to the remnants of clan Longbottom. They ran down the stairs back to Mr. Weasley's ward, whereupon they found Ron's parents holding hands lovingly.
"Mr. Weasley," Harry began, "Would you happen to know a certain Broderick Bode?"
Startled, Mr. and Mrs. Weasley let go of each other's hands. Surprised by the seemingly random question, Mr. Weasley answered Harry's question truthfully.
"Of course I know him," Arthur Weasley chuckled. "He's an Unspeakable, he does top secret work for the Department of Mysteries…"
Harry froze; it was all coming back to him. He could finally put a face to the name! Harry had seen Broderick Bode at the Quidditch World Cup before, but even more recently, he had run into him on his way to his hearing for underage magic!
At that time, Harry had been heading to Courtroom 10 down on level 10, while Bode had got off the lift on level 9, Department of Mysteries. He had caught a glimpse of a dark corridor, when the lift's doors had opened; the very same corridor he kept seeing in his visions!
Harry's brain finally connected the dots, and the fog of ignorance and confusion inside his brain began clearing up. He knew from his discussion with Sirius during the summer that Voldemort was after a weapon that could only be obtained through stealth; this had to have something to do with it!
At last, he could catch a glimpse of the big picture!
"The weapon," said Harry out of the blue. "Is it being kept in the Department of Mysteries?"
Astoria, who had been eavesdropping with Ginny at the door of the kitchen back when the adults had discussed this with the older children during the summer, had already heard all about this weapon talk. She perked up her ears; didn't her sister want to know about this kind of stuff?
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