June 26, 2008
Afternoon

Niobe's piercing alto rang out in the ward above the murmurings, groaning and muttered incantations. "What do you mean it's gone for good!?"

The Daily Prophet reporter had been on the scene in Diagon Ally when a queen Runespoor had erupted from Knockturn Ally on the heels of a Ministry team investigating smuggling.  The whole street had broken out into chaos, with people scrambling madly to leave, explosions and fires starting up as the giant serpent rampaged and Aurors, teenagers and reporters alike tried to intervene.

Niobe's bold devil-may-care attitude had got her too close to one of the heads and her left ring finger had paid the price.  

"I'm sorry, Miss Thursby, the Runespoor is venemous and we were not able to located the finger."

"My finger!" Niobe corrected.  "My finger!  And can't you just use Skelegrow? I mean, dump it on there and you know - grow it back?" Niobe illustrated over her bandaged hand, a finger sprouting up where there was now a gap.  Her whole hand was bandaged, her finger not the only casualty.  The hand would heal, but she'd ever be Niobe Nine-Fingers.

The Healer remained calm, trying to explain to Niobe that Skelegrow just didn't work that way.   If the injury hadn't been tainted with Runespoor poison they might have been able to make an arrangement.  But just like splinching: you need both bits.

Niobe grumphed and lay back in the bed where she was supposed to be enjoying the calming aroma of burning sandlewood and nightshade.  But her flared nostrils and fuming expression seemed to counteract the effect.

This was just great.  Absolutely perfect.  Permanent injury just trying to get a story! Just trying to do her duty and now this! Wasn't as if she as an Auror or anything, was it?

Her angry thoughts were soon interrupted by a commotion at the ward entrance.  At first all she could see were the pale blue robes of six or seven Healers.  But she could hear just fine what they were saying.

"We still need to check you out! It won't take a moment, Madam Gertrudis, just please set and let us check.  We need to make sure you weren't injured.  Yes! Yes, we know you're very busy but this comes from higher up."

Covadonga Gertrudis? Niobe sat up in her bed and craned her neck to see.  Covadonga had been the hero of the day, using the Runespoor's eggs to lure the Runespoor into a position to be subdued.  But the short woman was not yet in view - the Healers still not able to get her to enter the ward for examination.

Niobe was on her feet.  "Niobe Thursby, Daily Prophet! Covadonga, just a word!"

The witch was shrugging off and smacking away the wands and hands of Healers left and right, her face pale from the blood loss but cheeks pink with anger, and now she was almost growling.  “I know, I know, you ‘need to check me out, blah, blah, blah’, but I KNOW what I’m dealing with here!  It is just a bloody flesh wound!  I was not bit by The Critic, so I should be ju—” why was someone calling her name?

Screeching to a halt and whirling around, the Department Head came face-to-face with nappy-headed woman who looked just about her age and somewhat familiar, the pieces falling into place as she introduced herself.  One of the only reporters in the Prophet she held an ounce of respect for.

“Pleasure to meet you, Miss Thursby,” she then roared, literally, like a lion at the four Healers who tried to take advantage of her standing still, sending their hands back as if they had been lit on fire.  Ripping off some of her sleeve she began to wrap it tight around her wounded arm.  Nodding toward the woman’s bandaged hand she said apologetically, “I hope you were not hurt too badly in the mess of it all.”

Niobe was grinning ear to ear, her poor maimed fingerset almost forgotten for the moment.  Of all the witches she had met in her life-time, only Hermione Granger and Tamis Raynor seemed to hold a candle to Covadonga Gertrudis.  The diminutive witch was a lioness! She commanded respect from beast & being alike (no matter how your politics aligned the two categories).  It had been thrilling to see her in action today, and just as thrilling to get this exclusive.  (If that's even what is was - but Niobe was just thankful for her attention.)

Niobe thrived for moments like these.  She didn't have her quill - they'd took it away to treat her - so this would have to be off the record. 

"Thank you, kindly! But it looks like I'll be remembering today for the rest of my life," she said about her missing finger, far more chipper than she really felt about the injury.   "I mean, all in the line of duty, right, Covadonga? But look at you - nasty gash." 

Niobe saw the severity of the wound, but Covadonga Gertudis was handling it as deftly as a battle-harded Auror, tying off a bandage with her teeth. 

"I haven't got my quill: all off the record until the Prophet gets official word about the incidient," Niobe began, prefacing her incoming question, "But did you find the source of the serpent? Was it the one from Skulk & Slithers?"

Niobe's excitement, coupled with her blood loss, she seemed to have miscalculated  - no one was supposed to know that she knew that that Skulk may or may not have or have had at one time... a Runespoor.

Brushing off the mention of her injury, she was distracted from asking Miss Thursby about her hand when she started asking her questions.  “Skulk and… Slither's?” Covadonga repeated slowly, tucking in the ends of her rude dressing, blinking a few times before continuing.

“I do not think I remember hearing anything about Skulk & Slither’s concerning this current case,” then again, while she was gone there could have been the off-chance that someone had messaged her about the whereabouts of a particular specimen.  “I know back in the day they had some, but mostly in the form of potion ingredients made from the animal, or preserved forms of it,” such butchery was often found further down the Alley.

Did she just have her facts mixed up?  No, no, Covadonga didn’t think so.  Niobe seemed to be the type who went above and beyond when researching a subject.  Then again, she had been through quite a bit of trauma.  On the other hand… you could never be too careful.

Narrowing her eyes, the Department Head’s good hand pressing firmly on the top of her bandage, “Have you heard any recent news relating to Runespoors there?”  Covi really, really wanted to give the woman the benefit of the doubt, to think that if the reporter did indeed know something that it hadn’t been held from her for long, but after today her patience was very thin.

Niobe's eyes widened.  She was a terrible liar, always forgetting to act cool when something slipped out she wanted to hide.  And so as good as Niobe was about revealing the truth, she was terrible at covering up she knew something, even when she really really wanted to.

"Oh! Me? Did I say that? Oh, well a rumor, I guess.  A rumor," she said, speaking quickly, perhaps move it around to another topic.  Covadonga had washed a serious expression over her warrior-witch face and Niobe knew she might be in hot water over her and the Traveler Girl's shopping trip.

"Just a rumor, I think I'd heard. Perhaps I meant to say Magical Menagerie.  But that's a start! Has the Ministry heard anything that might confirm a rumor ... about recent Runespoors in Sku - Magical Megerie? I mean with the ruckus - could you trace it... back?"

Oh, so that's how tired she was. She sounded like a panicky teenage girl.

Despite the pain, she knew she would have to keep a mask firmly on now.  Not so much for her own sake, but for Niobe’s.  Her flare nostrils relaxed, her breathing evened out, and some color returned to her cheeks, but for all her talent as disguising herself she could not stop the hard pounding she felt in her chest or heard in her ears.

“Oh?” the witch’s head cocked to the side, feigning ignorance, “The Menagerie?  Hummm…” she drummed her fingers on her arm, walking closer toward the woman.  “Why, my first full-time job was at the Magical Menagerie!  How is Mrs. Wartbobble?” she smiled widely, “I have not heard from her for quite some time.”

Unlike Miss Thursby, Covadonga could lie, lie right through her teeth and not bat an eyelash.  She knew exactly how her old employer was and had been in frequent contact her, going back and forth not only about Runespoors but about any other Black Market items on the rise.  Not to mention the one-eyed crone was as full of wisdom as the desert was of sand.

“And how are the rabbits?”

Little did the reporter know how much hinged on her answer to that seemingly innocuous question.

Niobe squinted.  What now?  The orderlies were keeping their distance, looking at charts at nearby beds.  Just beyond the aura of the curdling Gertrudis.  Niobe couldn't help but begin to get the idea that something was wrong.

"Um, I should come clean."  Niobe got up and moved to sit on the bed directly next to where Covagonga was standing and she gave a little wave to ask the woman to come closer.

She squinted again, trying to figure out if she really wanted to do this.  But of course she did - how'd she get to the truth unless she gave up some of it herself? 

"I've seen fresh Runespoor in Skulk and Slithers.  End of May.  I asked for the freshest he had - the scales I saw were still bright orange.  Fresh off the snake!  I mean, they'd have to have a live one to get scales like that.  And Skulk was really twitchy about it," she said, getting into the story, "more twitchy than if it had just been scales.  Like he had much more he was hiding.  I mean, it was just me and a little girl - he didn't have any reason to be suspicious.  I - what?"

Niobe stopped talking - why was Covadonga doing that?

It had already been an incredibly long day, and the attack in Diagon Alley had not seemed to help matters.  Tucking a strand of hair that had fallen out of her braid behind her ear, Moira quickly made her way towards the area where she had heard an unexplained roar, almost like that of a lion.  The more inexperienced staff seemed to be scurrying around as if they really had come face to face with a vicious beast.  Turning the corner she quickly realized what, or more precisely who, was the source of the noise.

An orderly handed her the chart of the two women in the room, only one of whom she recognized.  She did however know the name of the second, a reporter for the Prophet.  She hoped she'd be so concerned with the attack and her own condition that no one would link her to Marcus and assume she would know something.  It appeared they had both been injured in the attack, and one orderly informed her the antidote was already being prepared and would be there momentarily along with suture kits.  At least everyone seemed to be on top of things, even if they seemed terrified of the two women.

"Madam Gertrudis, I would say it's lovely to see you if the circumstances weren't what they are," she began, making her way over to both of them, placing the charts on a nearby counter.  They two women had been discussing Runespoors and as much as she hated interrupting, she needed to assess both of them, since the others seemed less inclined to simply jump in.

Her head whipped around at the sound of a voice closer to her than any of the other staff had attempted, a snarl prepared on her lips should they push too far.  The sight of the familiar Healer instantly wiped clear her expression and was soon replaced with a kinder grin.

“Ah!  Healer Randall, I would say the same,” she responded.  Being who she was and despite the odd situation, Covi felt the need to do the introductions.  “May I present to you Miss Thursby, a fellow patient caught in the midst of the mess.  All my fault too, actually,” she said humbly.

“So how many people have I put here today?” the witch inquired with genuine concern.

It was the woman's opinion that this was all logically her fault.  Ever since she had to burst through the door of that warehouse in Knockturn she had been plaguing herself with all the "should have's" her poor brain could muster: should have searched more thoroughly the first time around, should have come back to check earlier when it would have been smaller, should have left the interns back in the Wing, should have figured out what was going on in the damn place before the serpent could have even be bred into existence, should have led it in the opposite direction, should have, should've, should've.

Her mind would not let her be, and she felt awful for it.

"Seventeen!" Niobe answered Madam Gertudis's question for Healer Randall - Niobe had been questioning orderlies, medi-wizards and the receptionist since she arrived and seventeen had been the most accurate count.  "Maybe one or two off - can't tell if there were three broken legs or four and if they were all four on the same fellow."

She shook her dreadlocks and returned to the topic at hand, hoping to explain things enough so that Gertrudis would decide against prompt murder. 

"Look, Covadonga, I should have reported it, but I had to protect my accomplice.  I also was under the impression the Ministry of Magic already knew - there was an Auror there that day.  And frankly, the Auror Corps has been pretty cold to reporters this summer - I just assumed you'd all be in communication.  But then, honestly, once the Auror showed up, I didn't hang around to see why they were there.  I wasn't performing my job in the most legal fashion.  You understand, right?"

At the utterance of the number Covadonga could not help but bring her bitten arm to her forehead, mumbling a small “owchies” when she realized her stupidity.  “I am… so sorry about that.” She said sincerely.  “I feel… awful about that.”  Taking her eyes off of the ground she looked back up to the Healer, “if you come across any person involved in the event say that all will be taken care of and a team of those in Level Four’s Infirmary will come to their residences either on call or periodically to take care of their wounds and receive compensation.”

Ugh… this failing of hers was not necessary.  Looking at Niobe and her wrapped hand she said, “You know a magical appendage can be affixed to the missing appendage, yes?  I will take care of the procedure and all therapy needed…” her composure still a bit dismayed at how the woman had illegally gone ahead and did investigating on the runespoors herself without the aid of the Ministry, even if she assumed she was working with the Aurors.  It was a bit foolhardy to come to that conclusion off the bat, especially with how busy they where with Akiva Katz’s case and all the switching about with Alex gone, “you could have owled me if Level Two had not responded, we have our own team,” she admonished, but with a touch of the soft educational tone of a calm teacher, a attitude Covadonga was not wholly familiar with, but she had been practicing it more and more as employees came in to help in the new Wing and the influx of others to replace the positions abandoned by those interested.




(OCH!  I skipped Moira... umm, is this alright since she may be away?)

((It's just fine with me.))

Moira remained quite, letting the two women talk for a moment.  It was obvious that Covadonga felt badly over the incident, however it seemed that the seventeen who were injured could have been spared if the proper procedure had been followed.  She did give a slight nod, her expression sympathetic, at at the mention of extend care that would be provided by the Ministry.  That would hopefully help ease some of the worry a sudden injury could bring about.

"I can have someone come and speak with you about the procedure, Miss Thursby," she said.  "I can tell you a bit, but you'd be better speaking with someone who specializes in it."  Looking over her shoulder she saw the required supplies arrive.  "It will just be another moment and then I can start treating your wounds."

Turning away, she moved to where the orderly had put the supplies.  In her head she went through the list, checking to make sure everything had indeed been brought.

Niobe lowered her eyes, picked at her bandage and let Covadonga Gertrudis set her straight.  Niobe had heard this many times; from her friends, family and boss - Niobe, you've got to be more careful! Do it by the book would you and for Merlin's Beard, please tell someone where you're off to? Knockturn again? There more news to be found than that cesspool.  Leave that to the Ministry! Please!

The shaggy-haired reporter sat back in the bed again and smiled weakly - she knew Covadonga was being gentler.  The formidable nature of this witch was reknown and Niobe had been expecting worse.

The attention of Healer Randall then captivated her attention and she sat up again, holding her bandaged hand protectively to her chest.

"A magical finger? No! No way - I've heard about those.  Work fine but then betray you in some horrible scandelous way.  Don't quite obey your brain like they should.  Heavy and obviously fake! No way.   I'll have my real and proper finger back or I'll have none at all. "

The witch blinked a few times as Niobe vehemently denied the idea of having a magically replaced appendage.  Maybe she was thinking of Peter Pettigrew?  She could she the association being a bit off-putting.  However, if it was an impartial third party who had expertise in the matter the finger would not oppose its master.

Wait a minute… Covadonga thought to herself.  How would a rogue finger offend its master?  Quietly she tried to run the possibilities through her head, and the worst she could come up with is having run itself up her nostril and try picking out her brain like the Egyptians did during mummification.  But no, anatomically that wouldn’t work either.  The human finger was far too short to do that.  Besides all that nonsense it was just one finger.  If it did decide to go and betray the journalist… couldn’t she just extend her arm away from her body or even just point her hand away from herself or those close by?

When it came down to it, Covi concluded, it was Miss Thursby’s decision in the end.  Shrugging her shoulders while attempting to redo the knot on her arm she acquiesced.  Thinking of her as a journalist again she looked up at the frazzled hair woman and said, “I hope that was not your writing hand!” even if she did have one of those fancy magic quills (she had one to rewrite documents out of her shorthand) there were some cases she must use her hand for writing.

Moira raised an eyebrow slightly at Niobe's refusal to use a magical finger.  She could understand some reluctance, but problems were so rare.  Yet, she wouldn't force the woman to talk to someone if she was so set against it...It seemed her mind was not likely to be changed.  So, instead she picked up a dose of the antidote and a blood replenishing potion.

"The first thing I need you to do is take this, Ms. Thursby," she said holding you the antidote.  "And this on is for you, Madame Gertrudis."

An orderly brought her the dose of blood replenishing potion for Niobe as Moira cast a protective barrier on her hands.  Next would be sutures for both of them, and then they would be both be able to be discharged with further instructions once she was sure they were no longer affected by the blood loss.

She thought perhaps she'd mention the specialist to Niobe one more time before she left and send her home with his contact information in case she changed her mind later.  At least that way she knew she would have done all she could without forcing the other woman to sit through a consultation she didn't want.