20 February 2012
Monday at 9am
Infirmary in the Hospital Wing
Hogwarts School

"Right this way. Pay no mind to Mr. Sellaphix who should be asleep," Knox Greyfriar said as preceded the new Hogwarts Healer Emma Prince into the infirmary. The blond-headed fourth-year[1] re-adopted an appropriately ill-seeming bearing and laid back down in bed. He was in for a non-fatal flu-bug of some sort that would not do to be passed around all of Ravenclaw.

The Headmaster of Hogwarts was a large man in many ways including height, girth, and bearing. He had always been a caring and chaotic old bear, and in the recent years since becoming a werewolf he'd mellowed even further. Long gone was his bellowing, still present was a hirsute appearance and booming laugh.

"We have been sorely in want of a Healer since September, none more so than the students who've been subjected to my attempts at ministrations. Although I'm sure other Healers who I've roped in on short notice for short engagements will be relieved to see the last of my owls. Who knows, perhaps the position is cursed."

Frank sat up again and stared.

Knox smiled and shrugged as he shook some dust out of some bed curtains. "You'll have to let me know."

1.	Frank Sellaphix

Emma trotted after the headmaster, her short legs moving quickly to keep up with the large man's stride. Her sunny yellow over-robe swished around her legs and blue plaid skirt. She breathed a brief chuckle at his comment about the student, though she paused very briefly to have a quick glance at him.

'Sure I'm sorry to hear it's been so long, but I'm looking forward to getting started. I'm glad to see the infirmary's not full to the beams with no regular healer.'

She pointed one finger at Frank and gestured 'down', along with a severely raised eyebrow when he popped up.

'I certainly hope it's not cursed. I want this to be my job for the rest of my life. A curse simply won't do.'

Frank immediately obeyed the new healer's silent directive as if he'd been compelled by a spell. He turned over and arranged himself so he could continue to sneakily watch. This was big news.

"The two are not mutually exclusive," Knox replied continuing to lead the way in a meandering path through the Infirmary, a half-attempted tour for a space that rather explained itself. "Although I appreciate your dedication. An actual healer will go a long way to finishing up this school year without casualties."

He turned to her held out a humble hand. "A controversial initiative for some reason, but so far so good."

The headmaster opened a cupboard labeled BATS, and a single bat flew out. "Looks like we're low..." he mumbled closing the cabinet again.

Emma nodded in satisfaction when the student promptly obeyed her order. That was a good start. She knew students might try to take advantage of her because she looked young and unimpressive.

She trailed after the headmaster, wondering if she should tell him it wasn't really necessary. She had attended Hogwarts herself, after all. While she'd stayed out of trouble for the most part, she'd had her share of minor injuries, and she'd helped in the infirmary when she'd started her NEWT levels.

'There did always seem to be waves, and of course, the repeat customers.' Emma offered a wry smile. 'Let's hope that the rest of the year will pass in relative peace and I won't have to treat anything worse than a splinter from a broom handle.' She chuckled, knowing it was highly unlikely. Students with magic did always seem to find ways to injure themselves.

At the cabinet, Emma 'hmm'd' at Knox's statement and nodded firmly. 'I'll need to look over the charts and records, but I believe my first task will be an inventory of all the infirmary supplies, unless one's been completed within the last week or so. I'll also want to speak with the potion's master about some potions I'd like to keep on hand. I can make many of them myself, but two cauldrons are better than one.'

They had arrived now at the back rooms of the Infirmary where could be found all the storage, a few more private alcoves and a cramped office. Knox opened more cabinets and drawers mostly for his own curiosity, fully trusting that Emma Prince would be taking to it thoroughly as she promised. But then came the topic of the potions master. Knox turned and clocked her age, remembering her resume. He peered at her, hoping he wasn't delivering the controversial news for the first time.

"The potions master is Draco Malfoy."

All those many years ago, the youngest Malfoy (very likely a contemporary of Ms Prince, if Knox's maths were correct) had been on the onslaught side of the Battle of Hogwarts where so many had been killed. Children. Knox believed in reconciliation and redemption but it was far from simple. His decision to bring Malfoy back to Hogwarts had been unilateral however well-considered and calculated. If he'd believed for a moment, Malfoy had not held himself accountable in the last fifteen years, Knox would not have hired him.

He left the statement hanging in the air.

Emma took a brief glance in the small space that would be her office as they passed and peered curiously into the drawers and cabinets the headmaster opened, noting that several seemed to be quite low on supply.

...Draco Malfoy

She froze and kept her gaze on a still-open, neatly-compartmented drawer, processing that surprising bit of information. She'd been a year behind Harry Potter and their entire famous group, which peripherally had also included Draco Malfoy. That had put her mostly outside their realm of influence, but she'd been aware of the rivalry between Potter and Malfoy almost from the first day of starting at Hogwarts. Indeed, there hadn't been a student there who hadn't been aware.

There also wasn't anybody who'd been at the Battle of Hogwarts who didn't know that Draco Malfoy had fought with the Death Eaters. Emma bit her lip and made a decision.

She couldn't say she'd had many thoughts of Malfoy after he'd left school. She couldn't imagine that he would have been hired as a teacher if he hadn't had some redeeming quality (here she thought of her own poor cousin). So what could she do but treat him as she would any other colleague until and unless he gave her some reason not to?

Emma lifted her eyes to meet the headmaster's. 'I'll speak to him in the next day or two,' she said simply.

Knox was relieved. He'd really rather have not lost his new healer so quickly after she'd arrived, they were so difficult to attract for some reason. Perhaps healers all talked amongst themselves and they were all still wary after a Hufflepuff demolished the Infirmary with Fiendfyre a few years ago. Perhaps one can only reverse slug-vomiting jinxes so many times before one went batty. But at least, for the moment, the cause of leaving for Healer Prince was not going to be 'old scores'.

"I'm sure you'll both have lots to talk about. Speaking of that, we have two werewolves at Hogwarts this year - no," he paused and counted on his fingers. "Three, two of who are students. I'll send them down to get acquainted with you."

The third was, of course, Knox himself whose turning had been covered extensively in the Daily Prophet and was the premise for much political hand-wringing. The students' identities were a much better kept secret in that their names were not in the papers, but there was little to stop rumors, especially since Greer Grant's sad story had been much publicized even in the anonymous.[1]

"Lucinda Temple and Greer Grant. Monthly transformations are done at the Ministry of Magic, but naturally Wolfsbane Potion is served here. I'm assuming you're familiar with the protocol?"

1.	The Tale of Greer Grant

The headmaster drew Emma's attention from Draco Malfoy with his report of students who were werewolves, though her mind went right back to him at the mention of the Wolfsbane potion.

'I do know the protocol,' she answered. 'My Wolfsbane is not quite at the level I would prefer under these circumstances, but with Professor Malfoy's help, or another healer from St. Mungo's, I am certain we can make sure the students...and you?' she ventured hesitantly, 'are comfortable during your transformations.' It was, perhaps, a step too far. But it was relevant. After all, even an adult werewolf would need accommodations to manage the condition.

'Looks like I'll need to replenish a lot of the stores. I don't like how low all of this looks. If you have no objection, Headmaster, I'd like to start inventory immediately. Should that list go to you for approval, sir?'

Knox nodded. As Headmaster he managed the coffers and ensured the school had everything it needed.

"Yes, just write it up and I'll arrange for it. We also have the greenhouses."

But on the topic of werewolves, Knox wasn't ready to leave the new Healer on her own, so he took a seat.

"We'll be needing to get our Wolfsbane brewing certified by the Ministry of Magic," he explained. There could be no risks with the magical potion and with the horrible events of March of 2009.[1] "Once you've had a chance to speak with Professor Malfoy," (that was strange to say...), "I'll contact the Ministry about that."

He crossed one leg over the other and folded his arms, verbose as always. "On the afternoon of the full moon, the three of us Apparate from Hogsmeade to the Ministry to partake of their transformation facilities. Upon return, the girls have time away from class if they need it. A supervised Infirmary might be a more restful option."

1.	Plot: Ides of March where a Wolfsbane supply was tainted and ineffective in calming the dramatic transformations, leading to injuries and death.

Emma perched on the edge of a wooden chair as the headmaster explained further about the arrangements for the werewolves.

'Ah, certainly,' she said, blushing slightly, in response to his words about the potion. Of course she knew that. Ugh, she was so nervous.

But Knox continued, and his last comment made her take a sharp look around the large, open infirmary. 'I wonder,' she said slowly, 'if perhaps it might be a good idea to create a more permanent private area at one end of the ward? If the young ladies are going to be here every month, or even most months, those rolling partitions really don't allow for much privacy, especially with regular or extended stays.

Are they concealing their condition? Or are the other students aware?' The privacy, that was something she'd thought herself as a student. Now, it would make her job slightly more difficult, putting part of the ward out of direct sight, but believed it was at least worth trialing.

"I honestly have no idea how they would receive the offer," Knox said, conversationally. "Neither of them like being fussed over, but it could be that neither of them particularly like me."

He wasn't upset about it. As an educator of how-many years, he knew better than to hang his self-worth on the approval of adolescents, and in the case of Hogwarts poor werewolves, Knox knew he was he was a walking reminder of everything they could and couldn't do. Other than in class, they spent their worst days together.

"Lucinda Temple may be amenable in so far as she'll likely try to convince you incrementally to have the whole ward to herself and weekends in London. Greer, I'm not sure. I think she doesn't want to be seen. She'll either appreciate the solitude or resent us both for noticing."

He took a breath and regarded the healer for a moment. "What do you hope to achieve here?"

Emma smiled faintly at the headmaster's self-deprecating humor. 'I'll certainly do everything I can to make them both comfortable, even if that means leaving them mostly alone,' she said, with a little humor of her own. 'My first thought for the private area was for them, but it could serve for anyone who needs to stay overnight.

That young man, even.' She nodded in Frank's direction. 'During the day, it would mean fewer interruptions to a patient's rest, since they wouldn't be in the main ward if it's busy, and no one coming in for a briefer period would be able to gawk at them, either. I'm not asking to put up new stone walls, just slightly more permanent barriers, even on a trial basis, if that would be acceptable.

I just wish for patients to be as comfortable as possible if they have to spend time here.' Perhaps it was a silly thing, but it was something she'd noticed while at Hogwarts, and even more while working at St. Mungo's.  There was very little privacy for those who might be experiencing embarrassing or acutely uncomfortable injuries or illnesses. A bright, welcoming space and privacy, if at all possible - Emma believed these helped a great deal with recovery.

Knox put his hand to his beard and nodded. It was always nice to meet someone who, at least in some abstract way, approved of making changes to the castle and by extension the school and by extension young minds. Who knows what carving out a new overnight room in the infirmary could lead to? Hopefully, something unexpected.

"You have my leave to go utterly wild, Healer Prince," he said with a little wave and then moved to rise. "I aim to interfere as little as possible. I can't say the same for the students, who can't resist someone novel. Expect one or two inventive ailments in the coming days."

With that, Knox put his palms together and looked around him. "If there's nothing else, I'll cease my harassment?"

Emma almost reeled at the headmaster's acquiescence. She truly hadn't expected to be given essentially carte blanche. Now to apply it judiciously. Her mind was already racing with possibilities.

'Thank you, Headmaster. I'm grateful for the confidence. And I'd hardly call it harassment,' she added with a nervous chuckle. He was about to walk out and leave her alone, all alone, with a patient, in the massive infirmary, where she'd never actually been on her own. Emma's heart raced for a moment in sudden terror. What if she messed up? What if there was something she couldn't handle? What had she been thinking?