Levina Eagle and the Thunderbird's Gift

Death in the Family

"How long was he exposed to the spell?" The Nurse asked helping Professor Gotham carry Gryffon into a hospital room. Because of his large athletic frame, he was heavy, and with his inability to carry himself on his own two feet he dragged them down.

"Maybe a minute or two. Not long, not near long," Gotham said trying hard to remember how long she was exposed to the curse when she dueled Judas before he was arrested. She was told it was two minutes, but to her, it felt like an eternity.

"There isn't much we can do," The Nurse said as they laid him down on a bed. "If he recovers or not is all up to him."

Gotham nodded her head staring at the shadow of the man that she knew for years. He looked small and fragile. He twitched and made incoherent noises. His body was twisted and rolled. He was still in agony from the ghost of the curse tormenting his crumpled body.

"Let's treat your injury," The Nurse said leading Gotham out of the room gently.

Gotham looked down at her hand. It was red and searing her veins were turning black as if her blood was that color. The black was creeping up her arm like a disease. The Nurse pointed her wand at Gotham's hand and muttered an incantation. The black veins started to return to the place they started. A black substance bubbled out of her hand and the Nurse drew it into a vial. The burns began to heal themselves. The skin on Gotham's hand knitted itself back over her hand. She winced at the stinging sensation.

"Only an evil wand could cause such damage," The Nurse said shaking her head slowly. "Thank Merlin it never got to your heart. There would have been nothing I or anyone else could do."

Gotham nodded her head still staring at her hand. There was ever the ghost of a scar from where the skin repaired itself. It was even lighter than her natural complexion "Thank you," Gotham said finally dropping her hand to her side.

"If Professor Gryffon is injured who will teach Defense Against the Dark Arts?" The Nurse asked curiously.

"Galahad Owain I'd assume. He knows it better than most, and he is already at the castle as a guard," Gotham replied. Her hand still sent shooting pains through her arm, but it was starting to fade.

The Nurse and Gotham walked to the front of the hospital. Wizards and witches with all kinds of ailments sat silently, or in the case of one wizard with a case of the hiccups quite loudly, waiting to be helped. Gotham walked to an empty fireplace far from the patients. She tossed a handful of Floo powder into the fireplace. She stepped inside choosing Ilvermorny as her destination. She appeared in the Headmaster's office. Headmaster Ambrose jumped and almost threw a pen across the room. He looked at her narrowing his eyes. He shot her a nasty frown.

"Have you caught those runaway students?" He asked harshly.

Gotham frowned. "No, because Gryffon was subjected to the Cruciatus Curse by Judas Eagle. Why wasn't he in prison after we caught him here?" She asked anger flaring up to match Ambrose's.

Ambrose was silent for a moment. He looked down at his desk. He knew that he would have to tell the truth that MACUSA didn't want out of the doors of his office. "MACUSA is unwilling to admit that he escaped. He was returned to prison, but within hours of being contained, he was out again. No one has any explanation on how. MACUSA is in a frenzy. With Grindelwald captured they don't want the public to know that one of his followers has escaped their clutches not once, but twice."

"They must put this in the news!" Gotham exclaimed. "The lives of wizards and witches are in danger. How will they explain what happened to Murphey?"

"They will explain nothing," Ambrose said slowly. "Professor Gryffon is recruited for something for MACUSA."

"What about Levina and Dilan Eagle's mother?" Gotham asked thinking of the small woman she met many years ago.