<!--EZCODE BOLD START--><b> Tracie</b><!--EZCODE BOLD END-->, maybe Gen <!--EZCODE ITALIC START--><i> likes</i><!--EZCODE ITALIC END--> her porridge runny! <!--EZCODE EMOTICON START ;) --><img src=
http://www.ezboard.com/intl/aenglish/im ... s/wink.gif ALT=";)"><!--EZCODE EMOTICON END--> <br><br>**********************************************<br><br>PART TWENTY-NINE:<br><br>Madam Pomfrey walked Genevieve as far as the stone gargoyle and informed her of the new password -- Licorice Wand. Then she strode away as the gargoyle moved out of the way, allowing Genevieve to move on. Madam Pomfrey called after her, as she noticed her hesitation to proceed.<br><br>“Go on!” said Madam Pomfrey. “Follow the spiraling staircase. It leads to Professor Dumbledore’s office,” and then she disappeared out of sight.<br><br>Genevieve stepped onto the staircase and was spiraled upwards toward the large oak door of the Headmaster’s office. She knocked and Dumbledore invited her in.<br><br>“Come in, come in, dear,” said the old Headmaster, smiling at her. He took off his half-moon spectacles and polished them with one of the folds of his robes. “It’s time we were on our way. They’re expecting us soon, you know.”<br><br>“But, I didn’t even get to say good-bye to … everyone,” Genevieve stammered.<br><br>“No need for good-byes, really,” replied Dumbledore. “You can see anyone you wish whenever you like.” He gave her an encouraging pat on the back and led her in front of his fireplace. “Now, I’ve had the Floo Network set up specially for this trip to St. Mungo’s. Whether you remember it or not, I am almost positive you have traveled by this means before.”<br><br>Genevieve shrugged her shoulders. She had no memory of such a thing and was actually a bit unconvinced that one could travel by means of a fireplace. She began to have a vague notion regarding children being sucked up a fireplace and shot out of a chimney, but she wasn’t sure if that was real or imagined. It was hard to tell what was real or imagined anyhow, in a world where people cursed each other and did all sorts of other mysterious stuff. <br><br>“I’ll throw the Floo powder in and you say ‘<!--EZCODE ITALIC START--><i> St. Mungo’s</i><!--EZCODE ITALIC END-->’ loud and clear. Before you know it, you’ll be there. And I’ll be right behind you.” He reached into a small urn on his desk and scooped out some of the powder. With a flick of his wrist, he tossed it into the fireplace and told Genevieve, “Off you go, now!”<br><br>She did as she was told and before she knew it, she was spun out of another fireplace, her head reeling from the voyage through the Floo Network. Before she regained her composure, Dumbledore was at her side again, looking steady and unshaken. Genevieve felt her legs wobbling beneath her and she grabbed onto to Dumbledore’s arm to find her balance.<br><br>“Sorry,” she said. “My legs went all wonky on me!” She stood herself up as straight as she could and discovered they had emerged in an official-looking office, much different from the whimsical-looking one that Dumbledore had. A husky, stern-looking man sat at a steel desk. He got up from his chair and greeted them.<br><br>“Welcome to St. Mungo’s, Albus,” said the man. “This must be our new patient. Genevieve, isn’t it?”<br><br>“Yes, sir,” replied Genevieve timidly.<br><br>“I’m Ulysses Magnus, administrator of this facility. On behalf of the entire staff, I welcome you.” He extended a burly hand to her and shook her small hand forcefully. “I hope your stay with us will be a pleasant one.”<br><br>“So good of you to admit the girl on such short notice, Ulysses,” said Dumbledore.<br><br>“Well, we are a bit overrun here right now - there’s a shortage of good mediwizards these days, you know – but we can always make room as a special favor to you, Professor.” He grabbed a roll of parchment and perused it for a moment. “So, this girl is here for memory restoration, eh? And none of Poppy’s standard techniques would suffice?” His eyes floated left to right as he read the text on the parchment, then he began to chuckle softly. “I remember the last memory restoration patient you sent us, old chap. Quite a little bugger, that Lockhart!” <br><br>Dumbledore cleared his throat. “Ah, well … Gilderoy was quite a <!--EZCODE ITALIC START--><i> unique case</i><!--EZCODE ITALIC END-->, was he not?”<br><br>“Do I get to have visitors?” interrupted Genevieve.<br><br>“Anxious, aren’t we, young lady?” laughed Magnus. “In good time, dear. When we’ve gotten you all settled in! Let’s be off to see your room, shall we?”<br><br>The brawny hospital administrator led Dumbledore and Genevieve down a bleak, gray hallway, past many doors, all shut. They turned a corner and headed down another hallway, nearly identical to the last. They climbed several flights of stairs and went down yet another corridor, which was an exact replica of the last ones. Finally, Magnus opened a door with a large pewter key. <br><br>“Here it is,” he said, ushering them into the hospital room. <br><br>Genevieve looked around. It was not much different from the Hogwarts hospital wing, except that it only had one bed. It was brightly lit and very white – the whole thing seemed extremely sterile.<br><br>“And here come the staff members that will be assigned to you,” said Magnus, as a plump woman with rosy cheeks and a tall, thin man walked into the room. “This is your nurse, Camilla Caledonia.” The rosy-cheeked woman smiled and curtseyed as far as her legs would allow her to. “And your mediwizard, Dr. Nigel Montgomery. He’s a specialist in memory restoration.” The mediwizard shook Genevieve’s hand and said hello. “Now, I’ll leave you all to get to talking about some of your upcoming treatments, etcetera. I have some hospital business that needs attending to.” He roughly went through the door and left them.<br><br>After a short discussion with Dr. Montgomery and Nurse Camilla, the doctor also took leave. The nurse turned to Genevieve and said, “I need you to make a list of visitors you want to come call on you during your stay here. Professor Dumbledore will need to initial it and I’ll need to send it down to Mr. Magnus for a final stamp of approval.”<br><br>“OK,” said Genevieve. She was very anxious to have guests – one guest in particular – and the sooner she got the list submitted, the better. The nurse handed her some parchment and a quill that was in the drawer of a small writing desk in the room and Genevieve began to scrawl down the only names she knew – Remus Lupin, and Professors Dumbledore, McGonagall and Snape.<br><br>Dumbledore glanced over the list and added, “Perhaps you should add the name ‘Madam Rosmerta.’ You don’t remember her, but she’s very close to you and I daresay she’ll want to visit.”<br><br>“All right,” agreed Genevieve and she added the name. Dumbledore added his initials in a loopy script and the list was sent off with Nurse Camilla.<br><br>“Now, my child, it’s time for me to bid you farewell. I wish you all the luck in the world on a speedy recovery and I promise to see you again very soon.”<br><br>“Good-bye, Professor,” said Genevieve. She fought back the urge to cry as she was left alone in the strange, cold place and suddenly felt utterly abandoned.<br><br><br> <p><center><img src=
http://www.i2k.com/~svderark/lexicon/sh ... R><i>Never trust anything that can think for itself, if you can't see where it keeps its brain.</i></center></p><i></i>
![http://www.i2k.com/~svderark/lexicon/shield_05[1].jpg](http://www.i2k.com/~svderark/lexicon/shield_05%5B1%5D.jpg){kind=link}
