Hogwarts and the New Headmaster

3. A Disappointing Diagnosis

Viridis held a handkerchief over his nose as he stared out the window at the dark clouds draped over London like a smoky gray blanket. He'd never cared for the waiting room at St. Mungo's Hospital for Magical Maladies and Injuries. The small wooden chairs were uncomfortable and the sharp odor of disinfectant charms always gave him a headache.

But headaches were the least of his problems at the moment. Turning away from the window, he reached into his pocket and removed the envelope that had arrived at his house the previous morning. A ticket lay nestled inside, printed in shiny gold letters.

Hogwarts Express

King's Cross, Platform 9 ¾

11:00 am

He closed his eyes and ran his fingers over the raised lettering. The train was scheduled to leave in less than an hour and he still didn't know if he was going to be on board when it did.

Viridis glanced around the quiet waiting room, empty except for the nurse reading a newspaper at her desk. What was taking the healer so long? He jammed the envelope back into his pocket. He'd slept little the last few days, and his stomach felt as if he'd eaten rocks for breakfast. He should be at home, he thought, working on Ridley's assignment, not sitting in St. Mungo's hoping for some sort of last-minute cure.

Three days ago, he'd been as happy as he'd been in a long time. After years of being haunted by the memories of that last night at Hogwarts, he'd finally begun to feel a sense of peace. He'd found a job, even if it didn't pay well, and a decent place to live. The nightmares had gone away and he'd come to accept that he would never again return to Hogwarts. But then Dawn and Steed had shown up on his doorstep and ruined everything.

The nightmares had returned, painful visions of himself stumbling through the forbidden forest, unable to find his way back to the castle. But along with the sleepless nights had come the burning desire to see Hogwarts again. He'd resisted at first, remembering what had happened the last few times he'd tried returning to the school, but the urges had grown stronger with each passing day until he'd finally given in and decided he'd give it one last try. Not because of the competition, of course—he had no expectation of winning the job of headmaster—but to see if he could return. After all, it had been over ten years. Perhaps the curse had weakened over time.

A man with a face as red as a tomato burst into the waiting room. Sweat poured down his head in tiny rivulets and the black smudges on his forehead suggested he'd just crawled out of a chimney. He hurried over to the nurse.

"I must see a healer at once," he announced, sweat dripping off his nose and chin as he leaned over her desk.

The nurse lowered her copy of the Daily Prophet and peered up at him. "Do you have an appointment?"

"Well, no—but it's an emergency."

"What kind of emergency?"

"I ate enchanted chili peppers at a party last night and I think I'm allergic." He wiped his face with an already soaked shirt sleeve. "And the symptoms are getting worse."

The nurse's eyes flicked down to the puddle forming on her desk. "Please take a seat. The healer will see you when she can." She smiled and returned to her newspaper. The man stood there for a moment, apparently having expected more of a response, then reluctantly plopped into the nearest chair and fanned himself with a magazine.

Viridis turned back to the window and stared at the darkening sky, recalling his previous attempts to return to Hogwarts. Several years ago, he'd taken the floo to the Three Hares Inn in Hogsmeade and walked to the castle, but the fear churning in his stomach had increased the closer he'd come to the school, until he'd finally had to turn and race back to town.