Part - Vampire at Hogwarts

Christmas on the Closed Ward

(25th December 1995) Riana's POV

I got a lot of presents. One of my favourites is the new dress from my uncle. Which he asked me to wear at the New Years Ball. My grandfather got me a book on wandlore. Which will help me greatly in future when I start to make wands and take over his shop. Though he won't allow me to make wands until he believes I am ready. Though he promised to let me help him sell wands this summer.

Anyway I got dressed for the day and had breakfast with the others. Mrs Weasley sounded like she had a bad head cold, due to crying of the present Percy had returned unopened. We then left for the hospital, escorted by Moody, Remus and Mundungus. Who had "borrowed" a car for us to use. The journey to St Mungo's was quite quick as there was very little traffic on the roads.

A small trickle of witches and wizards was creeping furtively up the otherwise deserted street to visit the hospital. We got out of the car, and Mundungus drove off around the corner to wait for us. We strolled casually towards the window where the dummy in green nylon stood, then, one by one, stepped through the glass.

The reception area looked pleasantly festive: the crystal orbs that illuminated St. Mungo's had been coloured red and gold to become gigantic, glowing Christmas baubles; holly hung around every doorway; and shining white Christmas trees covered in magical snow and icicles glittered in every corner, each one topped with a gleaming gold star.

I had to breath through my mouth though, to avoid smelling blood. Vampires and hospitals don't mix. But the others insisted I come. Good thing I got a dozen blood pops. In fact I was sucking on one now as we made our way to the ward Mr Weasley is in. We found Mr Weasley propped up in bed with the remains of his turkey dinner on a tray on his lap and a rather sheepish expression on his face.

When I took a breath through my nose, I smelt fresh blood from him and curse silently. I finish my first blood pop and start a second. While staying close to Remus, his scent will help musk the scent of blood. "Everything all right, Arthur?" Mrs Weasley asks after handing him his presents.

"Fine, fine" he says heartily. "You--er--haven't seen Healer Smethwyck, have you?" he asks.

"No, why?" she asks him.

"Nothing, nothing" he says airily. "Well, everyone had a good day? What did you all get for Christmas? Oh, Harry-- this is absolutely wonderful!" he says happily. For he had just opened Harry's gift of fuse-wire and screwdrivers. Mrs Weasley notices he freshly changed bandages and asks him about it. He admits a trainee healer tried to stitch his wounds like a muggle doctor would. Lupin strolled away from the bed and over to the werewolf, who had no visitors and was looking rather wistfully at the crowd around Mr. Weasley. Bill muttered something about getting himself a cup of tea and Fred and George leapt up to accompany him, grinning.

Harry, Hermione, Ginny, Ron and I left as Mrs Weasley starts to lecture Mr Weasley. "Typical Dad" Ginny says shaking her head.

"I wonder where the tearoom is?" I muse.

"Fifth floor" Harry answers. We walked along the corridor, through a set of double doors and found a rickety staircase lined with more portraits of brutal-looking Healers. As we climbed it, the various Healers called out to them, diagnosing odd complaints and suggesting horrible remedies. Ron was seriously affronted when a medieval wizard called out that he clearly had a bad case of spattergroit. I shook with suppressed laughter as Ron argued with him.

We had just reached the fourth floor landing when Lockhart appeared. He said hello and said we wanted his autograph. Guess somethings never change. A motherly-looking Healer wearing a tinsel wreath in her hair appeared. "Oh, Gilderoy, you've got visitors! How lovely, and on Christmas Day, too! Do you know, he never gets visitors, poor lamb, and I can't think why, he's such a sweetie, aren't you?" she gushes.

"We're doing autographs!'" Lockhart told her happily. "They want loads of them, won't take no for an answer! I just hope we've got enough photographs" he states. The healer invited us to the closed ward he is from and we didn't have to heart to say no. So followed them there.

"Lets not stay long" Ron mutters. We all agree silently.

"Well, I must finish giving out the Christmas presents, I'll leave you all to chat" the healer states once we arrived. Lockhart starts to sign photos and tells Ginny to put them in envelopes. I just watch the healer hand out presents. I don't know why, but the potted plant looks familiar. "And--oh, Mrs. Longbottom, are you leaving already?" the healer asks pulling me from my thoughts about the plant.

I turn to see two visitors were walking back down the aisle between the beds. A formidable-looking old witch wearing a long green dress, a moth-eaten fox fur and a pointed hat decorated with what was unmistakably a stuffed vulture and, trailing behind her looking thoroughly depressed, Neville. Ron calls his name happily.  Neville jumped and cowered as though a bullet had narrowly missed him.

"Have you seen--? Lockhart's here! Who've you been visiting?" Ron asks him.

"Friends of yours, Neville, dear?" Mrs Longbottom asks.

"A pleasure to meet you Mrs Longbottom" I say with a warm smile. "My grandfather, speaks highly of you" I state.

"Oh and who is that dear?" she asks me.

"Mr Ollivander" I answer.

"Oh how is he?" she asks.

"He is well, I'm sure he'd love to see you again" I tell him. They are old friends.

"I'll be sure to pay him a visit soon" she assures me. She then looks at the other three and her eyes land on Harry. "Yes, yes, I know who you are, of course. Neville speaks most highly of you" she states.

"Er thanks" Harry says.

"And you two are clearly Weasleys" Mrs Longbottom says looking at Ron and Ginny. "Yes, I know your parents--not well, of course--but fine people, fine people . . . and you must be Hermione Granger?" she asks Hermione. Who looked rather startled that Mrs. Longbottom knew her name, but shook hands all the same.

"Yes, Neville's told me all about you. Helped him out of a few sticky spots, haven't you? He's a good boy, but be hasn't got his father's talent, I'm afraid to say" she states. Jerking her head to the curtains they had come from.

"Is that your dad down the end, Neville?" Ron asks.

"Neville is talented in other things" I tell her.

"Haven't you told your friends about your parents, Neville?" Mrs Longbottom asks him sharply. Neville took a deep breath, looked up at the ceiling and shook his head. "Well, it's nothing to be ashamed of!" she snaps at him. "You should be proud, Neville, proud!They didn't give their health and their sanity so their only son would be ashamed of them, you know" she states.

"I'm not ashamed" he denies. Ron was now standing on tiptoe to look over at the inhabitants of the two beds. I elbow him, giving him a pointed look.

"My son and his wife, were tortured into insanity by You-Know-Who's followers" Mrs Longbottom tells us. "They were Aurors, you know, and very well respected within the wizarding community Highly gifted, the pair of them" she declares. Just then Neville's mum had sauntered over and gave him an empty wrapper. He thanked her and left with his Gran, pocketing the wrapper.

Ginny, Hermione, Ron and I said we never knew about Neville's parents. Harry admitted that Dumbledore had told him. That's what Bellatrix Lestrange got sent to Azkaban for, using the Cruciatus Curse on Neville's parents until they lost their minds. We stayed a little longer until we came up with an excuse to leave. Saying we had other people to visit, which wasn't a lie. We rejoined the others and left the hospital, then returned to Grimmauld Place.

A/N

Picture above of Riana and picture on the external link of the closed ward.