Chapter 1044
Saint Mungo Visits the Sick
Chapter 1044 Saint Mungo Visits the Sick
Just as the clock struck ten, the sound of an engine approaching from afar came from outside the window of the Wade family home. The sound was deep and resonant, like the panting of a huge wild beast.
Wade walked to the window and saw a jet-black motorcycle parked at an angle right outside the door. The motorcycle had smooth lines, a high-mounted exhaust pipe, and was covered with a wild gold and red paint job, as if it could catch fire on its own without being lit.
The person riding the bike was wearing a leather jacket and a black helmet that almost covered most of his face. He had one long leg on the ground and was looking over at the bike.
"Wow!" Fiona looked up at the sound and her eyes lit up immediately. "Wade, your friend is so cool!"
Ferdinand also emerged from his study, a letter opener in his hand. He stared in astonishment at the steel behemoth and the black-clad rider atop it, saying:
“Wade, shouldn’t the person who came to pick you up be a wizard?”
Vydra zipped up his coat and said with a smile, "He is indeed a wizard, Dad, and you've seen him before... that's Sirius Black, Harry's godfather."
“Ah, Mr. Black, I remember him, I have indeed seen him before…”
Ferdinand looked puzzled and frowned, saying, "But I remember him... elegant, well-mannered, and seemed... extraordinary."
He carefully considered his words, but he couldn't reconcile the mature and reliable "Mr. Blake" in his memory with the leather-clad rider who seemed to be going to participate in a late-night street race.
Wade pushed open the door and stepped out. Sirius Black, who was in the car, deftly removed his helmet, his black hair flying in the wind. He waved towards the door, his smile bright and carefree.
“Hey, Wade, are you ready?” he shouted.
His cheerful tone made it seem as if he wasn't there to pick someone up to visit a patient, but rather to embark on an adventure.
Immediately afterwards, a hairy head peeked out from behind him.
Harry was wrapped in a thick coat, his cheeks were red from the cold wind, his nose was also red, and he was shivering in the cold wind, but he had an excited and thrilled smile on his face.
“Merry Christmas, Wade!” Harry shouted. “That Golden Snitch reaction trainer is fantastic!”
"The book you gave me is also very good."
Wade walked over and looked at the imposing motorcycle, which clearly could only carry two people, and said:
"I originally thought you guys... uh, would use a bigger vehicle... or Floo Powder."
Upon seeing Sirius Black and Harry at the door, Ferdinand turned to his wife and said:
"...Wizards are really diverse!"
Hearing his incredulous tone, Fiona couldn't help but laugh out loud. But seeing that Wade had just left, she hurriedly grabbed her hat and gloves and ran out, stuffing them into her son's hands without saying a word.
Ferdinand shook his head and followed him out, even forgetting to put on a coat.
"It's windy while cycling, put on your hat!"
“Okay, Mom.” Wade obediently wrapped himself up.
"Good day, Mrs. Grey, Mr. Grey!"
Sirius nodded to the couple, then patted the gas tank triumphantly and said:
"Don't be fooled by his appearance, Wade! This thing can fit ten people in it and still have plenty of room! It'll be even more than enough for the two of you!"
"Come on up, Wade!" Harry gestured to shift his position and enthusiastically invited, "It'll be fast and stable, much more fun than being stuck in a car!"
"……All right."
Wade said goodbye to his parents, then got on the motorcycle. Sure enough, it wasn't crowded at all. The motorcycle was even enchanted with anti-slip properties, like a flying broom, to prevent him from falling off when accelerating.
But it's obvious that Sirius didn't put a warming spell on it.
"Hold on tight!" Sirius turned around to check, then suddenly twisted the accelerator.
"boom--!!"
The engine roared deafeningly, and the motorcycle shot off in an instant, leaving Fiona standing at the doorway, calling out anxiously, "Be careful!"
……
St. Mungo's Hospital for the Injuries and Wounds is similar to ordinary hospitals in at least one thing: the number of patients does not decrease during holidays; on the contrary, it tends to increase.
However, the hospital still put a lot of thought into decorating for Christmas.
Above the door of each ward hung a wreath of emerald green holly, along with snow and icicles conjured by magic.
Bright crystal bubbles floated on the ceiling of the corridor, slowly rotating and changing their golden and red glow, creating a festive atmosphere.
Not to mention the Christmas tree standing in the corner, with crystal balls hanging from its branches that sparkle without electricity and adorned with twinkling golden stars, creating a strange contrast with the worry on people's faces.
The three of them walked through the corridor and quickly found their target.
Outside Arthur Weasley's hospital room, Ginny sat with her mother on a bench in the corridor. Mrs. Weasley didn't notice their arrival and looked worriedly at the closed door.
Ron was walking around the corner carrying several steaming cups of drinks; the aroma of coffee temporarily masked the smell of the healing potion.
Hey, you've arrived!
Ron shared the drinks with his mother and sister, then whispered to Wade and Harry, "Don't go in yet. There's an Auror inside asking Dad questions, and he's not letting anyone in—saying it's for security reasons."
"Auror?" Sirius frowned and asked, "What's that guy's name?"
Ron opened his mouth, but before he could speak, the door to the ward opened, and a wizard wearing gold earrings walked out.
As he opened the door, he turned back and said gently to those inside, "Get some rest, Arthur. Don't worry about work!"
“Thank you, Kingsley,” came Mr. Weasley’s weak voice from inside. “Thanks to you this time.”
"Kingsley?" Sirius asked in surprise.
"You've come too, Sirius."
Kingsley nodded to him, then turned to Mrs. Weasley, his tone reassuring:
"Don't worry, Molly. The minister has given a clear answer. Arthur's injury is proof of his responsibility and courage, and his position and job will not be affected by it."
Upon hearing this, Mrs. Weasley breathed a sigh of relief. She grasped Kingsley's hand and said, her voice trembling with emotion:
“Oh, Kingsley, thank you. I know you must have put in a good word for us… It’s a blessing in disguise, Merlin, thank goodness we still have someone as sensible as you in the ministry…”
The wary and hostile expression on Ron's face disappeared.
He muttered to Harry, "I didn't expect him to not be here to cause trouble... This minister is much easier to talk to than the previous one."
Although Cornelius Fudge always had a smiling face, Ron knew from watching his father's frequent overtime work at home that the job was definitely not as easy and fun as he made it out to be.
Kingsley whispered a few more words of comfort to Mrs. Weasley, telling them to go to the ward to look after Mr. Weasley, then strode over to Sirius and shook his hand firmly:
"Long time no see, Sirius. You look great lately."
"you do not say!"
Sirius stretched his shoulders and grinned:
“Peter Pediru is finally caught. It’s a pity you weren’t there during his trial. You didn’t see how that bastard was terrified and paralyzed when he heard he was going to Azkaban.” A glint of hateful pleasure flashed in his eyes.
"Then I have even better news for you."
Kingsley smiled faintly: "I heard the Dementors took good care of him. Peter Pediru didn't last a month in prison before he became mentally unstable and seemed to have lost his mind."
Upon hearing this, Sirius Black did not smile, but frowned: "Don't be fooled by him, Kingsley."
He lowered his voice and said warily, "I know that rat. Feigning madness is his specialty. He won't go mad so easily, and he won't die so easily either."
Kingsley nodded slightly and said, "Of course. Learning from the experience of Barty Crouch Jr., the ministry has established the strictest rules for managing Azkaban."
He paused, then said in a low voice, “No one—I mean anyone—can step into a prisoner’s cell without the minister’s personal permission.”
“Not even an ant could sneak into Peter Pedirou’s cell. Even if he died tomorrow, his remains would have to stay in the prison until the day his sentence was completely over.”
After hearing this, Sirius finally showed a genuinely relieved smile, dispelling his previous doubts and wariness.
"That's how it should be, so he'll never be able to get out, not even until he dies!"
He said it harshly, then, as if to banish the unpleasant name from his sight, his shoulders relaxed again, and he asked:
"What have you been busy with lately? I've been wanting to ask you out for a drink, but I haven't had the chance yet."
Kingsley sighed wearily and said, "You know what happened at the Magical Congress of the United States. Minister Sinkness took it as a warning. He thinks there might be oversights in our past records, and he's especially worried about the safety of underage wizards."
"The ministry is currently re-examining all the missing and dead people recorded over the past few decades, and is also investigating those wizards who live alone in the wilderness. There is really no time to rest."
Sirius stroked his chin, quite satisfied: "Not bad. Although it sounds like searching for a needle in a haystack, it's at least a responsible attitude, much better than those useless people who always pose for photos in front of the media."
He still harbored resentment towards Fudge for labeling him "Voldemort's loyal henchman" and "Peter Pedyru's accomplice in his escape," and he spoke without any restraint.
Kingsley, however, couldn't join him in cursing his former boss. He gave a wry smile and turned his gaze to the two teenagers who were quietly listening nearby.
“It’s a pleasure to meet you here, Mr. Potter, Mr. Gray.”
Kingsley extended his hand, surprising Harry with his earnestness, while Wade, meeting Kingsley's gaze, understood immediately—
Dumbledore has already spoken to him.
The adult wizard nodded, calmly conveying his attitude; everything was understood without words.
After a brief exchange of pleasantries, Kingsley, busy with official duties, left in a hurry, and Sirius then led the two into the ward.
In the room, Arthur Weasley sat back on a pile of fluffy pillows. Although his face was still a little pale, his eyes had regained their sparkle, and he still had the energy to unwrap Christmas presents with his weak hands.
Upon seeing the person enter, he said happily:
"Ah, Sirius, Wade, Harry, thank you for coming to see me, your patient."
"Arthur, how are you feeling today?" Sirius asked.
Arthur Weasley gave a weak smile and said, “That was great. I even wanted to go for a run, but my therapist won’t allow it.”
As he spoke, with a "rip," the paper bag in his hand was torn open, revealing the scar-removing potion inside.
"Oh, another potion..."
Mr. Weasley said dejectedly, "Look, because of this injury, all the gifts I received have turned into potions, even Bill and Charlie's... I bet they never intended to give me these..."
"Alright, stop complaining. Those two bottles of potent bone-regenerating medicine cost Bill half a month's salary." Mrs. Weasley finished speaking, then asked expectantly, "By the way, have you seen Percy's gift?"
Mr. Weasley's smile vanished instantly, and he quickly regained his relaxed tone:
"No, I guess it's probably still in the remaining pile of gift boxes!"
Mrs. Weasley immediately looked at the pile of packages and was about to get up and go over to them when Mr. Weasley said:
"No, no, no, don't touch them. These are all my Christmas presents. I want to keep them and enjoy this surprise slowly."
“Alright.” Mrs. Weasley turned her gaze back and said, “But in your current condition, it will take at least three days to dismantle all of this.”
“Nonsense,” Mr. Weasley retorted. “Two days at most will suffice.”
Just then, a rustling sound came from above, and everyone looked up.
A gray owl nimbly flew in through the window, dropped a rectangular package on the floor, and then landed on the railing at the foot of the bed, head held high, as if waiting for praise.
"Whose gift is this? It looks familiar..."
Mrs. Weasley picked up the package with a mixture of confusion and anticipation. After glancing at the writing and the ribbons binding it, the color drained from her face, replaced by an incredulous look of distress.
Who sent it?
Seeing this, Mr. Weasley strained to look up, while Mrs. Weasley hurriedly tried to hide the package behind her back, but it was too late.
The next second, Mr. Weasley stared at the package, froze, and his chest heaved violently:
"Is this your Christmas present for Percy?"
The ward fell silent instantly, with only the faint buzzing sound of the crystal bubbles changing color.
Mrs. Weasley's lips trembled, and she couldn't speak.
Ginny stepped forward, first glancing at the signature, then tearing open the package with a livid expression.
She took out a white and red striped knitted sweater, with a prominent "W" on the chest and a reindeer pattern.
Ron was shocked and couldn't help but feel a little bittersweet—this sweater was clearly much more thoughtfully made than the one he had received, which only had a green Christmas tree on it.
"He came back?"
Mr. Weasley growled in a low voice, a flush of anger rising across his pale face:
"How dare he?! How dare he treat your feelings like this!"
Mrs. Weasley was more upset than anyone else at that moment, and she instinctively made excuses for her favorite son:
"Maybe...maybe he's too busy, there's a lot going on at the department...or maybe the owl was delivered to the wrong address..."
As she spoke, she fumbled inside and outside the package. When she found that there wasn't even a perfunctory note inside, her last bit of bravado crumbled.
As her husband roared, Mrs. Weasley covered her face, let out a sob, and her shoulders trembled violently.
One update tonight
(End of this chapter)