Riddle and the Ancient Contract

Chapter 38:Bigoted Healers

Sun Zhao stared at the dithering idiots that Britain called mind healers and resisted greatly the urge to kill them all. Why was he in this backwards country dealing with imbeciles instead of in his private research labs? He glanced past the wizard blithering on about the darkness of certain rituals and the evilness of blood use in magic to look at the elderly lady sitting resolutely beside her son's bed.

"So you would deprive a mother her son? A son his parents? Your world two amazing aurors just because of your illogical, unfounded biases on certain magicks?"

"They're evil practices! I won't stain my soul." The healer before him declared emphatically.

Devotion. Heartfelt devotion. The Longbottom dowager had survived seeing her son and daughter-in-law driven deep into their minds by intense pain curses, fought off death eaters determined to kill her and her infant grandson then spent the next sixteen years raising the grandson and visiting the unaware adults regularly.

He recalled the surprise he had felt when he received a letter out of the blue from the young Lady Potter requesting any help or advice he might have on the situation. She had succinctly gave him what little information she had and pleaded with him to at least come evaluate her friend's parents. She made it absolutely clear that if he refused no repercussions would befall him.

He had come.

"Then you are saying that ninety-five percent of the healers outside of Britain are evil?"

"Ninety-five," the healer squeaked.

"Yes. The majority of healers outside of your little island use the methods I propose. Young scion Longbottom could have grown up with parents if you people were more progressive."

"Preposterous! I don't believe you."

"You are an idiot. Backward, fearful, ignorant idiots. I would not be wasting my time speaking to you if not for the request of Lady Potter." His icy gaze flicked to the stunned healer. "Go away."

He strode past the healer and entered the private rooms of the Lord and Lady Longbottom. Stopping at the bedside of Frank Longbottom, Sun Zhao bowed deeply to the matron of Longbottom. "Madame Longbottom, the Healers Board of Directors refuses to grant the exemption."

Augusta stared at her son. For sixteen years he and Alice had been locked within their minds unaware as far as anyone could tell of their surroundings. She had been told over and over again that their minds were broken by overexposure to the cruciatus amongst other curses. Broken beyond repair.

Then Hari Potter defied Dumbledore, claimed her heritage, married a man Dumbledore swore was the Dark Lord reborn. Potter had discovered amongst her hidden heritage a remarkable healer and researcher that was contentedly ensconced at the Potter Potion Ingredient Farm and written to him.

Sun Zhao had swept into their lives like a thunderstorm – fierce, powerful, dangerous. With her permission, he had ignored the idiots at St. Mungo's, performed his own diagnostics, peered deep into the unresponsive eyes of Frank and Alice then turned on the outraged 'expert mind healers' like an angered Chinese Fireball dragon. He had cursed them for twenty minutes in Cantonese before telling her that their minds weren't broken. They had retreated from the excruciating agony in order to hold the secrets and save the lives of their son and goddaughter. There was a lot of physical nerve damage, curse damage and general deterioration due to being bedridden for so long.

Augusta had faced down the head of the department, the mind healers and finally the head of the hospital. Her ire at finding out that her son and daughter-in-law could have been receiving help sixteen years ago had her magic spitting and flaring about her belying the idea that she was old and not a threat.