It was very early indeed, to the point the sun was not yet up. Minerva's circular office was lit with low light, impending dawn to exceed them even with grey December light. Between two steaming teacups on Minerva's desk was spread the front of the morning paper, huge letters spelling out a headline, and a death count. Fear-mongering journalism whipping up a storm of sudden deaths from routine treatment at St Mungo's. A frenzy over what could be causing it, panic over the safety of the wizarding world from an unknown but deadly threat in the place most trusted to help.

The Deputy Headmaster sat in the chair opposite his superior, elbow resting on the arm and his forehead in his hand, looking a little weary. It was an unusual expression, Ignan was far more used to taking charge in crisis and knowing what to do, but on this occasion, there was nothing tangible that could be done. Worse still, Miranda Elliot, Head Healer at St Mungo's had fallen into a comatose state, struck down by whatever might also be killing patients. His house elf had reported back after getting its mistress there from Godric's Hollow.

"Tulojow will work with the Heads of Houses, Branwen, Selwyn with news from London as to what is the cause, keep vigilant amongst the students. We may have an influx of hypochondriacs, but even that's preferable to comatose students and deaths." He nodded to Minerva and sighed deeply, sitting up a little straighter.

"There may be quite a number of families who need to make funeral arrangements, or arrange for visits." He added, though seemingly preoccupied. He couldn't quite shift the thought of Miranda in an unwakeable state at St Mungo's while her ship sailed without its captain. The thought that she could be in mortal peril from an unknown source terrified him deep down, but he had great trust in the healers, and at least for now she was alive.

The Headmistress of Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry rarely chose the imaginative land of sleep and dreams over the harsh and uncompromising wakefulness that was reality – but on this day, Minerva McGonagall wanted nothing more than to curl back up in her bed and sleep until the crisis was over. She had been known, for most of her adulthood, as a woman of action – a woman to respect and one who handled situations with poise and dignity. She had survived through so much, and led her school through some of the darkest times in recent history, though in this particular instance, Minerva felt completely out of her depth.

The newspaper laid in front of her seemed to be mocking – telling the elder witch that there was truly nothing she could do, and several people were dying, had died, or were extremely close to death. Professor McGonagall had never been an egotistical woman, knowing that such traits were rarely helpful, but being unable to help the masses, when the masses were so obviously struggling, was a major hit to her pride.

“I will arrange for an emergency voyage of the Hogwarts Express back to London, and I’ll contact Zephyr to discuss creating portkeys for quick and immediate transport. I suppose we can use the floo network, though I’d like to restrict the access. The last thing we need is distraught students deserting without permission. Do we have any information on who’s running the hospital in Elliot’s stead? I need to know who to contact about visitations – I’m sure we’ll be getting frantic owls soon, it would be nice to know something to tell the concerned families,” A long sigh escaped Minerva’s lips – why couldn’t the world just revolve peacefully? Without major catastrophes happening on the regular?

“Also, we should inform Healer Nadge to use only products produced here at the castle, who knows where this issue is actually coming from. We can get by on our own skill for a while, though I shudder to think of what will happen if this continues for long,”

"The Hospital Board and the Heads of each floor, I believe," Ignan replied to Minerva's earlier question. "I will find out for us." He scratched another note on the end of the list.

"And I agree - not the floo. Families will probably take their own kin down to London if they come up here to collect them." The Deputy Headmaster reached for his cup of tea and blew gently on it, steam rising past his face, curling up and fading above his white hair. "We will just have a bit of a job to keep track of everyone's comings and goings. Perhaps assign a second to each Head of House, ask a few of those who live away from the castle to stop a few nights and cover if needs be." He sipped once gingerly, the tea still quite warm and set it aside again.

"Who knows how long it will last, or what exactly it is. We've barely seemed to be over the Leaky Cauldron attack at the start of last month. We just have to remain hopeful the minds at St Mungo's will have it identified quickly." He hadn't stopped frowning throughout, but glanced up properly to his senior.

"Would you be able to afford me a brief visit to London this afternoon, establish details in person with the staff there?" Ignan asked, watching for Minerva's reaction, whether he needed to elaborate that it would give him a brief moment to visit Miranda, even if she was resolutely asleep.

“Of course - It will be imperative to have eyes and ears on the ground. Hogwarts can fare without you for the afternoon,” The headmistress paused, kicking herself mentally for not realizing sooner that this epidemic would be just as hard on the staff as it would be the students. The comfort and safety of her school included more than just the welfare of her students – she had to think of everyone – even the toughest of her senior staff.

Minerva lifted her own steaming cup to her lips, taking a delicate sip. Her eyes roamed toward the ceiling, scanning the portraits for one in particular. “Dilys,” She said, quite loudly, “I assume you’ve been listening? Good. While Professor Storm here is visiting the hospital, I wonder if you could help us as well? Visit your other portrait, talk to the other paintings, find out if there’s any information you can gleam that might not be common knowledge,”

Minerva knew that had Hogwarts been the one to face an emergency, she would share only what she felt the others needed to know – though the trifecta of women running major wizarding society, they all valued their autonomy, and with Miranda out of the picture – at least for now – Minerva wasn’t at all convinced the conclave of leaders currently running things would come forth with their information willingly.

Thankfully, Minerva had an upper hand in most matters. The portraits lining the walls could be rather annoying at times, but their help was invaluable. With a sharp nod from the elderly witch with silver ringlets for hair, and the former headmistress walked right out of her frame to disappear into the other, waiting on a wall in St. Mungo’s.

“We should speak to Maiko as well, make sure she’s prepared for counselling – ask if she needs assistance, I’m sure some of our other professors would be more than willing to volunteer. And though spreading panic is the last thing I’d like to do, should we not speak to the students? Warn them away from using unguents and poultices not made here on campus? Are we even sure this is contained to the hospital?” 

"Thank you Headmistress, and it would only be for an hour at most I anticipate." Minerva was one of the few who knew, and they never really had to mention that Miranda meant something to Ignan these days. There was a mutual understanding that nothing needed to be said.

He reached for the newspaper on the desk between them both and rescanned the front page[1]. Minerva addressed Dilys on the wall as he did, sending her forth to also seek information down in London.

"… are we even sure this is contained to the hospital?" Minerva asked at the end of several questions aloud to Ignan.

Admissions have tripled overnight

"We're not sure, no, but our information is limited at the moment, but it has arrived swiftly in London, and the symptoms are not easily missed it would appear." Ignan replied, eyes not leaving the newsprint. "But either way, by breakfast, this front page is going to be landing on the house tables for those amongst the students who subscribe." He turned over to the second page, glanced over the headlines and folded it over abruptly on re-seeing the article about the Head Healer.

"We shall have to offer some calm advice. Though better to be heard from Nagde if at all possible. It is her area of expertise and the students will take it seriously in her words. All colleagues must also be vigilant for the symptoms." Ignan paused, making a decision, "I'll have the house elves raise staff a little earlier, meet in the staff room before breakfast, so that is not at a surprise to them when the students hear." He glanced up to Minerva, readying to leave and take action. "Last thing we need is to show panic ourselves."


End

1.	5th December - Panic at St Mungo's as 29 Die