The Marauders: Year Four

A Visit to St. Mungo's

A Visit to St. Mungo's

Lily had never been to St. Mungo's. She didn't even know where it was, which was why, despite how she was sure to be judged for it, she had finally written Ali an owl and asked if she could meet her in London on one of the days during holiday. Ali had quickly agreed and they'd made a time and place to meet. Ali arrived va the Knight Bus, but Lily stuck to her ordinary Muggle Bus, thank you very much.

They walked along a muggle street until they got to a rather run down area in the city. Lily looked about nervously, "Ali, are you certain we're going the correct way?" she asked nervously.

"Yes," Ali said, "In fact, here we are."

They were standing in front of an old department store that had closed ages ago - Purge & Dowse, Ltd. Lily stared up at the store front, covered in cobwebs and outdated clothes on a dummy in the window and she made a face, "Ali?"

"Relax..." Ali said, laughing, and she stepped up to the window, appearing to look closer at an awful pink skirt suit that hung on the mannequin's frame. "We're here to visit James Potter," she whispered to the glass. Lily looked around. There weren't any muggles about to think they were mad, at least, the area was surrounded by vacancies all about and this particular store dismal enough that nobody who did pass this way spared it a single glance at all. But perhaps if they had they would've been quite amazed for as soon as Ali had told the dummy what it was they wanted, it beckoned them forward and Ali grabbed hold on Lily wrist, "C'mon," and pulled her along behind her... right through the glass and brick storefront as though it wasn't there at all...

Lily felt the world shiver a moment as they stepped through, and then -- there they were, in a pristine white room with gold and silver accents about. There was a queue of seated witches and wizards with various odd little ailments lining a wall - one gentleman had a very large plant gnawing on his left leg and was now flicking casually through a magazine. Beside him was a witch trying to hold up an extremely huge wart that was easily the size of a futbol and Lily tried not to stare at a body which appeared to have no head at all... She scrambled to stay close to Ali as Ali walked up to a large reception desk emblazoned with an emblem of a wand and bone crossed over one another. Below that, in silver and gold letters, read, St. Mungo's Hospital for Magical Maladies and Injuries.

The reception witch had on a pair of hot pink-with-rhinestones glasses, held 'round her neck by a sparkling chain. She looked up at Ali as she stepped up to the desk and asked, "What can we do for you today, young ladies?" She wore a pair of lime green robes that had the emblem sewn into the chest. A small badge read that her name was Gladys.

"We're here to visit James Potter," said Ali.

Gladys spent a moment shuffling some parchment and finally said, "Ohh yes, here he is. Potter, James, Accidental Near Deadly Hex --"

"Accidental my arse," murmured Lily and Ali elbowed her to be quiet.

"Fourth floor, second door on your left, dears," Gladys said, and she smiled.

"Thank you," Ali said and she tugged Lily away down a corridor.

Lily looked about at all the things there were to see... long rows of portraits lined the corridor, each labeled with the name of various celebrated Healers - some she even recognized from portraits at Hogwarts. There was always somebody going by with strange magical ailments - such as a man who was hiccupping bubbles that they passed in the hall, or a witch who was holding a large paper bag over the top of her head carefully, and Lily could see the bag was moving, as though something inside of it were pressing against the inside in an undulating motion.