Harry Potter and the War of Souls

Chapter 18

Discoveries at St. Mungo's

The earliest hints of morning were beginning to rise over the lake as Harry, Ron, Hermione, and Ginny began heading out of Hogwarts. The plan was simple. Hermione and Ron would go on one broomstick and Harry and Ginny would go on another. They would stay in the air as much as possible to look for Lupin. When he was found, Hermione would do a side-by-side apparition back to safety with him while the others flew back.

But as they rounded the last corner before leaving Hogwarts grounds, they found Professor McGonagall standing there, a pinched frown on her face.

"You are not going to that forest, Mr. Potter," she said.

"Yes, I am," Harry said.

"We all are," Ron added.

"After all I said, you would still risk not only your life, but the life of your friends for his?"

"I have to do it," Harry said. "And you're not going to stop us."

He couldn't quite read her reaction to his words, but whether she respected his decision or thought him a fool, it didn't matter. "As long as you are students here, you will not go to that forest." She held up her hands as he began to protest. "You will instead go to St. Mungo's immediately where you will find Remus Lupin in very serious, but stable condition."

Harry paused as if he wasn't quite sure he had heard her correctly.

"He's alright?" Hermione asked.

"I wouldn't say that, Miss Granger, but he should survive."

Harry finally found the words to speak. "I don't understand. How did he get there?"

"After I left you, the Order of the Phoenix held an emergency meeting in my office. No member of the Order could go into that forest, but we immediately dispatched some volunteers who watched the boundaries. Not long after you contacted me, two other men who I can only assume are also werewolves carried him from the forest. Even after blowing his cover last spring, Remus knew he had made headway with some of the werewolves. He returned for them. It seems Remus was doing more good among them than even he realized and when the fighting broke out on Voldemort's command, there was a fierce but even match on both sides. The population has been decimated. Most were left to die, but out of sheer respect for the man, it was decided that Remus should be given a chance to live."

The adrenalin that had been surging through his body was finally beginning to fade and Harry felt as if he were hearing everything in slow motion. "Were you there?"

"I told you I would do everything I could for him, Mr. Potter."

Harry lowered his eyes. "You're right. I'm sorry."

"For being off Hogwarts grounds without permission, I shall have to take fifty points from Mr. and Miss Weasley. Mr. Potter and Miss Granger, you are Head students at Hogwarts and must be held to a higher standard. You will each lose seventy-five points. Now return to your dorms and Harry, go pack your bag. I assume you would like to go see Remus as soon as possible."

"Yes, Professor." He turned to go back to Hogwarts and could tell by the reactions of his friends that losing two hundred and fifty points for their house was the least of their concerns. Remus Lupin was alive and safe. Nothing else at that moment mattered.

"I wish we could come with you to see him," Ron said.

"Christmas break is only a week away," Hermione said. "Maybe Harry can go to Grimmauld Place after St. Mungo's and meet us all there."

Harry agreed to the plan on the condition that they would spend as much of the break as possible in pursuit of the horcruxes.

Only one hour later, he stepped foot in the "Dangerous" Dai Llewellen ward for wizards suffering injuries from magical bites. This was the same ward where Arthur Weasley had been after his snakebite, Harry remembered.

Lupin was in a private room that had the lights dimmed inside. He appeared to be asleep and bore the marks of severe injuries to every part of his body. Harry's first thought when he saw Lupin was the durability of wizard bodies. No muggle he knew could look like that and still be alive. Tonks was sitting in the corner with graying hair that drooped over her eyes, but she perked up slightly when she saw Harry enter.

"How is he?" Harry asked.

"It's going to be a long recovery. They've given him a blood-replenishing potion and are healing his wounds as best they can, but he almost died several times as we were bringing him here." Her eyes misted over as she added, "If it hadn't been for you and contacting the Order-"

"I didn't do anything. Professor McGonagall contacted them."

"Professor McGonagall contacted them because you told her what was happening. How did you know? Is He getting into your dreams again?"

Harry shrugged. "Sn - er, I mean, someone suggested I might be the one getting into His mind while I'm dreaming. I dunno how it's happening though."

"I'm sure that means you've seen a lot of things you don't want to see, but I'm glad you saw this."

Harry stayed in Lupin's room all that day and when it became clear to the staff that he was not leaving that night, they brought him and Tonks each a cot to sleep on.

"Get out for awhile," Tonks said to him the next morning. Her hair had brightened to a cheerier silver. Fine streaks of pink were beginning to show as well. "You're too young to be this serious for so long."

So he wandered the hallways and ignored those who stared at him as if he were a museum exhibit. He bought a good supply of food from the kitchen and was just heading back to Lupin's room when he heard a familiar voice behind him.

"Am I still insane or is that really Harry Potter who just passed by me?"

Harry turned, his browed furrowed together. "Professor Lockhart? I'm sorry, I didn't notice you there before."

"Ah, and who does these days? I'm not the man I once was." And indeed, he spoke the truth. He had no fancy clothes and his hair was thinned, grayed, and matted on one side. But he had a remarkable energy about him and seemed surprisingly lucid.

"I was hit by a terrible memory spell," Lockhart said. "Remember the wand of that boy - Roland, was it? - that backfired on me? Well, it's taken years of the finest treatments available, but I'm beginning to be clear on things again. I'm writing a novel about my experience, you know. And in fact, my dear boy, it's a lucky thing I saw you. I was trying to recreate the scene inside the Chamber of Secrets where I saved you from that cave-in, but I don't seem to recall how you ended up on one side of the wreckage and I on the other. I was trying to save you somehow..."

"Er," Harry began, "I have to go, Professor. Keep taking those memory potions."

Another day of waiting over Lupin's bedside still brought no response from him, although Tonks said she thought he knew they were there with him. On his third day at St. Mungo's, Harry sat for a while in the lobby, reading The Daily Prophet and watching the people as they came in or out.

He was keeping an eye out for one visitor in particular, and when he saw the stuffed vulture hat, he stood and hurried toward Neville's grandmother.

"Mrs. Longbottom?" he began.

She turned and immediately recognized him. "Harry Potter, what are you doing at St. Mungo's?"

'Visiting a friend. Do you have a minute that I could ask you a question?"

"The people I'm visiting wouldn't know if I made it here or not. I have all the time you need."

Harry led her to a quiet area of the lobby and asked, "Did you know my parents, Mrs. Longbottom?"

"Of course I did. They did a lot of good against You-Know-Who, right beside my Frank and his Alice."

Harry wasn't sure how to approach the next part. "Did Frank and Alice ever feel particularly targeted by Vo - by You-Know-Who? That he might come after them, or after Neville?"

Mrs. Longbottom pursed her lips. "They were as careful as all parents are with a young infant, if that's what you mean." She lowered her voice, then added, "But if that's not what you mean, then yes, they did have some particular concern. I confess I don't know the details, they were unusually secretive back then, but Alice did mention once that your mother was working on a plan that might save us all." She winked at Harry. "I guess you were the plan, eh?"

Harry took a step back. "I don't know. I don't know what my mother did. I hoped you could tell me."

Mrs. Longbottom smiled in a genuinely sympathetic way. "I'm sorry, I can't. But since we're having this chat, I should say that we're behind you, Harry. Whatever happens until He is defeated, we're behind you."

"Thanks, Mrs. Longbottom. You know, I've never really told you what a great guy Neville is. He's done a lot of great things in this war."

She sighed. "We didn't have much hope for him for a long time, you know. He was normal enough - until the tragedy with his parents. The Death Eaters destroyed their minds, and they had set in on torturing Neville, who was still too young to have any hope of protecting himself. His grandfather, my dear husband, lost his life rescuing Neville. I don't think the boy will ever recover from the memory spell they placed on him. Well, best wishes, Harry. I'd better get going." After she left, Harry returned to Lupin's room. He quickly forgot his conversation with Mrs. Longbottom, though, as he saw Lupin sitting upright and with a weak, but distinct smile on his face.

"Wotcher, Harry!" Tonks was sitting next to him holding him a glass of water with a self-sucking straw that continually bubbled water back into his glass.

"Harry," Lupin said. "I'm glad you're here."

Almost as if she could sense his wish to be alone with Harry, Tonks stood suddenly. "I fancy a stroll through the hallways. Be back soon. Will you watch him, Harry?"

Harry nodded and walked over to sit in the same seat where Tonks had just been.

"I owe you my life," Lupin began.

"No you don't. All I did was tell McGonagall-"

"And if you hadn't, I wouldn't be here right now. Thank you."

"Why did you go back to the werewolves, Remus? They knew who you were."

"Yes, and there were several of them who were considering at least remaining neutral in the war, if not joining our side. I had to return to them, to plead for their loyalty." He paused. "Tonks and I knew it was very likely a one-way trip for me. But we also knew it was something I had to do."

"I'm glad you're okay. You're the last connection I have to my parents," Harry said. "That's important to me."

"And you're my last connection to them as well," Lupin said. "You're important to me, Harry, to a lot of us."

Harry lowered his eyes. He wanted to return the same expression to Remus, but wasn't sure how to say it. "I found my mother's diary and wanted to ask you about something. She wrote in there about her work at the Ministry. Do you know what her work was?"

Lupin sighed. "Your mother was a most exceptional woman. Not only in her magical abilities or her beauty, but in her kind smile, her way of speaking to someone. And her devotion to you was unfailing."

He paused a long time, then Harry said, "Remus, did you love my mother?"

Lupin's eyes wandered to somewhere at a distance. "Everyone who knew Lily loved her. But there was only one man she loved back, and that was your father." He let that sink in for a moment, then said, "Her work at the Ministry was very secretive. She never spoke of it except perhaps to your father. She was an Unspeakable for the Department of Mysteries."

"She worked in the Locked Room there, didn't she?" Harry wasn't really asking. He knew on instinct it was true.

"Yes, but I know nothing of her work. I have always assumed, however, that what she did plays a role in why you were able to defeat Voldemort."

"Dumbledore said there was love behind the locked door, the most powerful magic there is."

Lupin closed his eyes and rested briefly. "If that is what he said, I'm sure he is right. I do recall your mother once said, 'There is one love which is the greatest of them all.'"

"Why didn't you tell me this before?"

"I knew when you were ready to know, you would ask."

"What did she mean?"

"I wish I knew. I'm afraid I'm only beginning to really understand the power of love myself. Now if I may ask, what are you doing here when you could be with your friends for Christmas holiday?"

Harry smiled. "Will you be there?"

"I doubt they'll let me out of here by then, but I hope Molly will at least bring me some of her roasted turkey. By the way, I haven't forgotten that when we were last together, you asked if I might help you prepare for you-know-what. I've been giving it some thought, and unfortunately there are no easy answers. I don't think His defeat will come in any typical duel for He is no typical wizard."

Harry exhaled slowly while he thought about that, then said, "Some people have asked me how I'm going to defeat Him, but I don't know how to answer. Remus, I don't think I can do it. I've seen Him in battle, I've dueled with Him before. I'm not good enough to win."

"The answers may not be easy, but there is a way. We must prepare until you are good enough. Listen, if Voldemort has any weakness, it is His tendency to forget the details in His grand schemes, and that gives us hope. I think we have to look for the one key spell that He has not anticipated or protected himself against."

"Yes, but how do I find that?"

Lupin took a deep breath, then said, "We were just speaking of your mother. I think understanding her work would make a very fine start."