The Amulet

Chapter 12: St Mungo’s

In the heart of London, hidden in plain sight and disguised as an abandoned department store, stood St Mungo’s Hospital for Magical Maladies and Injuries. The multi-story red and white bricked building had tall, crystallized, stained window panes that allowed light to enter its grand entry halls and provided the necessary privacy it needed to admit and discharge patients. Lily walked through the busy corridor of the first floor feeling very small under the high Tudor-pointed arches. She weaved through the foot traffic to keep three witches within her line of sight. There was nothing particularly unique about them. They had the same lime-green robes as the next Healer but what one had cradled in their arms a child, covered and unseen had Lily following without question. She watched worriedly as the witches flanked on either side of him as they kept recasting monitoring and respirations charms as they moved quickly to room 104. They made a sharp turn near the end of the corridor where a congregation of other witches and wizards in their standard green Healer’s robes stood in the centre.

“Snape?” Called out the Healer closest to Lily.

One Mediwitch with a badge of a cross wand and bone over her heart beckoned them further in. “This way.”

The room had patients partitioned by warded curtains, some were wide open and unused with beds tidied and potions prepared next to each bedside table but most were closed and occupied. In the middle of the room, their leading Mediwitch parted the curtains to reveal two men in deep discussion by the bed. Lily recognized Dumbledore right away from his long silvery beard and vibrant purple pointed hat. Although it took her some time to identify the other man, she was finally able to discern it was Moody by his peg leg. The last time she saw him was during Order meetings years back but at the time he didn’t sport the striking bulbous glowing orb that replaced his right eye. Upon seeing the Healers, he quickly dismissed himself with a curt nod as he hobbled pass leaving a gap as the witches stepped away to make room for him to go. The Mediwitch motioned the other Healers to the bed, and they hurriedly filed in and deposited Harry’s small frame alongside another patient who held claim over it. Her heart skipped a beat in welcome surprise.

Severus.

He looked to be on the verge of death.

He had a deathlike pallor which made the bags under his eyes look more prominent and bruised. He flopped like a rag doll when the Healers began to manoeuvre him to make more room for Harry. They repositioned his arm so the toddler could lay cushioned on the pocket of Severus’s shoulder. The Mediwitch stepped back hands clasped to observe any change making quick work of casting diagnostic spells based on the coloured aura that immediately appeared on Harry and Severus’s body. The Mediwitch let out a stressed sigh and dove back in and the other Healers followed suit manipulating their patient’s bodies so they were closer than before. Lily watched feeling emotionally disconnected. She honed in on Severus’s lips were tinged blue and chapped. He didn’t appear to be breathing.

Unaware she was doing so, Lily’s eyes glazed as the world began to melt away and her mind’s eye played a reel of the past half hour.

Lily paced as she bit the skin of her thumb watching the Healers form a circle and chant around the hospital bed Harry’s tiny form lay on. Over time, the Healers voices became hoarse and from the small opening in between the Healers, Lily could see the glowing orb that hovered over her son’s body slowly descend back into his small slackened mouth and fill him up like a balloon. A healing green-blue aura sheathed him protectively, a sign Lily remembered from her own labour which meant that the patient was no longer in critical condition. There was a small reprieve before the insistent worry made a comeback when the Healers began to chant again. The curtain behind Lily opened and in filed more Healers who took their spot alongside the wall as a replacement when the active Healers became too tired.

Harry’s Mediwitch, a middle-aged portly woman, made a beeline for Lily, her kind smile looked out of place in the chaotic room.

“Hi, I’m Healer Joy. I’m the trauma Mediwitch for your son,” the Mediwitch said with an outstretched hand in greeting.

Lily glanced at it, her heart hiking up her throat in dread. “Is it Harry? What’s going on with Harry?”

“Oh no, dear.” She said clearly, her tone soft. “Harry is stable but we are working to bring him out of his comatose state. The information you provided for us, although helpful in saving your friend, Mr Black, doesn’t really tell us what spell Harry may have been hit with.”

Lily felt an overwhelming wave of helplessness, her eyes stinging from unshed tears. She closed her eyes in an attempt to ignore the visual stimulus of the hubbub surrounding her but couldn’t ignore the steady chanting of the nearby Healers trying to bring Harry back to health. This was all her fault. She should have followed her instincts and left at the first sign of a red flag. She could have set aside her anger and swallowed her pride and asked Dumbledore for help. But it was too late. She figured it out too late. She could only muster sending for Dumbledore using a patronus shortly after her arrival but the damage had been done. Harry was hurt and it was all her fault.

The Mediwitch’s eyes softened empathetically laying a hand on Lily’s upper back in comfort. “Don’t beat yourself up too much, dear. On the upside, Harry is young and resilient and I’ve seen many children his age bounce back from worse cases than this.”

Lily didn’t seem to be listening, lost in her guilt.

The Mediwitch tried to engage Lily again. “I’m sorry to have to say this but can I get you to wait outside the cubicle curtain? You see we’re cramped enough as it is and we would like to bring in another set of Healers to get to the bottom of this.”

That got a reaction from Lily as she felt her protectiveness surge forward in response. “No!” She shifted her body away from the Healer’s hand in disgust. “I’m not going to leave him now when he needs me the most. Expand the partition or put him into a bigger room but I’m not leaving his side!”

The Mediwitch didn’t seem surprised by her reaction, being a seasoned Healer may have led her to see a spectrum of behaviours in any given situation. She nodded, hands up in surrender, “I understand your anxiety, Miss, but I must insist…for us to have enough room to do our job properly-“

Lily's hands clenched as her irritation boiled into anger. She hated feeling pressured into doing something she didn’t want to do. No one here would care for her baby like she would. What if Harry woke up and they never told her? What if he was scared? Seeing strangers when he first opened his eyes would be terrifying for someone so young. What if something happened and he went into critical condition again? She would want to know! She would want to be there for him!

Lily’s hand shook from the intensity of her grip. She wasn’t aware she was gritting her teeth until a hand wrapped itself around her shoulder to guide her out and Lily rounded to face the figure and yell but the noise died in the back of her throat. Blue eyes met hers in concern as he used her surprise to lead her out of the cubicle curtain and out of the way as another group of Healers filed in and closed the curtain behind them.

Lily’s eyes welled up with tears.

“Dumbledore,” she exclaimed as she threw herself at him with a hug.

He patted her back consolingly as she let out the longest and loudest cry she had been holding in since her arrival at St Mungo’s. She felt the static air of a privacy ward cast around them and Lily internally thanked him for his consideration. She didn’t know how long she stood there bawling but enough time had passed where a Healer from Harry’s cubicle popped out to collect a tray with potions, causing them to move out of her way.

Dumbledore offered Lily a handkerchief which she immediately began dabbing at her eyes. He interlocked his fingers respectively and let it hang in front of him, his blue eyes considering her.

“Lily.” He said by way of greeting, his silvery moustache quivering as he spoke. “I must admit I was surprised when I received your doe. I initially misinterpreted it to be someone else’s.” He looked contemplative. “I digress, what matters have led you to call on me this fine day?”

Lily took that moment to blow her nose hard on the handkerchief before looking up. Her red-rimmed eyes considered him. How much could she really tell? Where should she start? Dumbledore’s patience spanned the full minute it took for Lily to relay her story. She confessed how powerless and trapped she had been feeling since she went into hiding and the toll it took on her and her family. How the isolation during the deaths of their families and friends affected her and James differently and she vented to the only people who were alive and had access to the Fidelius Charm to break the monotony of their lives with a visit. When she admitted that Bathilda Bagshot often came over with stories and tea, she noted Dumbledore’s eyes narrowed in suspicion but Lily pushed through to what led her to seek Sirius for help and the actions he took to ensure they would have been followed and attacked.

A frown marred his lips as he stroked his long silvery beard in thought. “This knowledge deserves more time for deep reflection. As an Order Member, Sirius has always exemplified great loyalty to the cause but now to hear his more malicious tendencies, which I thought were long gone, has reared its head once more endangering innocent lives…”

With no clear-cut answer as to whether Dumbledore will deal with Sirius or not, Lily asked, “So what happens now?”

She heard her own voice echo in her own ears. It sounded young and lost. If she were honest with herself, she would even add drained as well. It had certainly been a long morning.

“In Sirius’s case, I cannot say.” There was a tone in his voice that implied the subject was closed. “Although the Order is short on resources due to the longevity of the war, I can ask Order Members if they are willing to house you, Harry and quite possibly Severus too.”

Lily’s head perked up at the name. “Severus?”

“Ah, yes,” he chuckled good-naturedly as if remembering a good joke. “Severus’s investigation was held off until the very last second, scheduled hours before his hearing so there was no room for foul play. He managed to exceed his own capabilities much to everyone’s surprise, including his own and was partially pardoned.”

Lily had trouble processing what Dumbledore said. “Partially pardoned?”

A flash of cold disappointment appeared in his eyes. Lily would have thought she imagined it if she wasn’t so close to him. His light-hearted demeanour returned although his smile didn’t quite reach what it once was.

“Regrettably, he was still sentenced to Azkaban as a Death Eater, fortunately, his punishment was shortened to an hour. Not a bad turn of events if you don’t mind me saying so.” He cleared his throat. “Even though he would be released later on today he would not have a home to return to. Like yourself, his home was targeted and burned down with cursed fire days after his surrender.”

Lily gasped her thoughts on the relentless nature of such a curse unleashed on a non-magical community. “Are they- are the people okay?”

He shook his head, his expression sombre. “As is their nature, the Death Eaters tortured the neighbours. The handiwork alone would have easily been dismissed as a vengeful act directed at a traitor if not for the sole survivor, a muggle, who was questioned on the matter. He implied that the Death Eaters were searching for someone, a lead to their Master.”

The blood drained from Lily’s face. “You can’t possibly mean-“

“Yes, Voldemort.” He said seriously. “I wouldn’t have thought it possible until I saw Severus’s dark mark earlier today.”

“What was different?” Lily asked at the edge of her proverbial seat.

He held her gaze for several seconds seeming to make up his mind about something before responding, “The fact that there was a dark mark at all. Once the creator of a such a charm dies, its magic would cease to exist.”

Lily inhaled sharply, “No.”

She shook her head. No. She couldn’t go through this again. Not again. She wasn’t prepared for You-Know-Who and his followers to chase after them again. She didn’t even have a home. Her eyes prickled as she was flooded by a sea of hopelessness.

“Lily.” Frantic green eyes met calming blue ones. “I didn’t say this to overwhelm you, but you must be prepared for the eventuality.”

“How?” Her head bowed casting a strange shadow over her eyes, “I have nothing left. There’s no one else.”

Dumbledore made a small noise of disagreement.

Lily looked up at him in challenge a fire simmering in her eyes. “You mock me?”

“No,” he raised a hand to politely discourage her from interrupting him. “Can you honestly say you can think of no one, Lily? No one at all?”

Lily frowned appeasing him by pondering who she had left. Alice? No, she and Frank are targeted but are too overconfident to hide. Petunia? No, that would put her under unnecessary risk and she doesn’t even have magic to protect herself. Other than Dumbledore, everyone that she knew of was either dead or had families she wouldn’t feel comfortable putting at risk. There was James’s other friend, Remus but she didn’t want another repeat of Sirius. She knew exactly what they thought of Severus growing up and now that Harry is Severus’s father in blood, it wouldn’t be ignored by The Marauders.

Having waited for her long enough, Dumbledore gave her a disapproving look. “There was one man who changed the very tides of the Wizarding War and he isn’t the first person you think of?”

 “What?” Lily looked up in surprise. “Are you talking about Severus?”

His face became masklike without expression.

Lily for some odd reason felt like she was in hot water and her mouth unhinged and hurriedly began rambling much to her embarrassment. “Well, he was a spy. I’m sure he had his reasons. You must understand, we went our separate ways years ago- I barely know the man at all. The Severus I knew wouldn’t have fought in a war at all.”

Dumbledore gave her a penetrating look as if he could see straight into her soul through her eyes alone. Whatever he saw there had him disillusioned and she couldn’t help but feel like she somehow let him down.

He closed his eyes and exhaled a long breath before pining her down with an indecipherable gaze. “I say this more for his sake than for yours. I’ve never met a man who is as broken as Severus with as much hidden potential as he has shown. He is indefinitely selfless to those he cares about and is willing to go through any lengths to ensure their survival without asking for anything in return. You may have given up on him but he has never given up on you.”

The tension in the air was palpable. She could feel he was telling her something important but the stresses of the day were wearing down on her already worn-out mind. He was perceptive and she had the strangest feeling he could read her thoughts when he gave her a knowing look.

“All I ask is that you question him without judgement about what exactly happened all those years ago. Turn that headstrong personality into curiosity and allow yourself a chance to get to know him for who he truly is.”

From her peripheral, Lily could see a silvery blue light bounding through the walls and saw Dumbledore turn towards it. Lily grasped his arm to get his attention and spoke when his patient blue eyes met hers. “And how would you describe Severus?”

Without pause, he responded, “He’s probably the bravest man I’ve ever known.”

Dumbledore was then called away by a patronus and Lily hadn’t seen him since. Then unexpectedly they were moving Harry into a different room and just like she worried, the Healers failed to communicate with her what was going on. She just trailed after them mindlessly because they had Harry. Now, seeing Severus lying on the hospital bed looking so broken with Harry cradled against him, he didn’t look very brave. Watching him as the Healers readjusted him, unfurled emotions she long thought dead. The feeling of betrayal was there, it still felt as raw as if it just happened yesterday, though, competing against it was the feeling of loss. She missed him. All these years no one could fill the hole he left, time was just a balm to ease the pain of it.

When the Mediwitch had her patients touch skin on skin contact, the change was immediate. A healthy flush of colour returned to both Harry and Severus’s faces and warmth reverberated throughout the entire cubicle charging it with magic. The Healers collectively let out a sigh of relief but Lily worriedly kept scanning Harry’s face wondering why they weren’t waking up.

The Lead Mediwitch spoke directly to Dumbledore. Lily had never seen him look so grave. “I’ve seen my share of dark trinkets but this -” she sputtered to find a word, “-heirloom certainly tops all the rest. I suggest you inform Mr Snape he hire a good Cursebreaker before he goes gallivanting to his next adventure or it will be the end of his family line.”

With an absentminded nod, the Healers lingered long enough to remove the temporary charms on Harry and place a more long-term monitoring spell on both their patients before leaving Lily and Dumbledore alone.

Lily naturally closed the distance and sat next to the bed to hold Harry’s free hand. His fingers sleepily curled around her index, the action so reminiscent of his young age that Lily couldn’t hold in the shuddered sob. Her beautiful boy. Her baby boy. She almost lost him. She was such a horrible mother, there was no question about it. She could have protected him better. Shouldn’t have ignored the warning signs for the sake of comfort. She was just so angry at herself.

“Lily-,” she heard Dumbledore call out softly from her side.

Something within her snapped. “What happened,” she seethed. “You left me!”

At his stony expression, she faltered and the anger she felt soured into a deep sadness.

“You left us and I-” she trailed off uncertain why she was angry at him at all.

Her shoulder dipped at the weight of his hand. At his forgiving look, her confusion and guilt calmed quickly to a steady neutrality that it surprised her.

“I apologize if my departure caused you distress,” he said softly. “That was not my intention. The patronus you saw earlier informed me of Severus’s arrival which I found unusual considering his sentence. When I approached, Severus was near death and Auror Moody debriefed me on what had occurred. A group of dementors surpassed the cell wards and attempted to perform the Dementor’s Kiss. As you well know from your school days, the kiss of a Dementor is a fate worse than death where the soul is sucked out leaving behind empty shells, alive but unable to fully live. Their souls irrecoverable.”

Lily dredged a question through her murky thoughts. A heavy feeling sat low as she asked, “What does that look like? The sucking of the soul.”

Dumbledore gave her a pitying look when her thoughts finally reached her own conclusion.

“The amulet may have forged some kind of connection between Severus and Harry. Whether it is from their lack of interaction or a natural occurrence as a wearer of such an heirloom, their lives are intertwined.”

Lily’s eyes went impossibly wide. “What does that even mean?” She bowed her head, her eyes shifting repetitively at the bed in front of her as if sheets alone had the answers she wanted to hear. She traced her line of sight upward towards the joining of Harry and her hand. “Does that mean Harry- Do you think Harry could have…” She left the words unsaid, afraid she would manifest them into existence.

Dumbledore nodded sombrely. “I had a hunch based on your earlier recounting of events and informed the staff here in St Mungo’s of the amulet’s existence and the bond that was meant to accrue with close contact. The staff here were well aware of its presence. Such an accessory is not unique within wizarding families but the magic it wields differs per person so it is protocol for Healers to routinely search for enchanted jewellery and cover it with a special blanket to avoid contact.” Dumbledore pointed to the blanket draped over Harry’s chest and Lily took some comfort in watching it rise and fall. “I’m uncertain whether the medallion works both ways. It’s not wise to linger in the stages of assumption with something so powerful, research must be prioritized. More must be uncovered about this amulet. There may be consequences we may not be aware of if it is removed just as there are consequences wearing it. With that in mind, the Mediwitch’s warning was not altogether surprising.”

Lily squeezed Harry’s hand reassuringly as if he could hear and understand everything that was being said. Dumbledore shuffled behind her and she looked up to see him grab his outer robes that were draped behind her chair and place a comforting hand on her shoulder. “Lily, I must go.”

Lily nodded numbly and returned to watching over Harry. Dumbledore lingered by the entrance for several seconds before leaving.

Upon his departure, Lily let out a long deep sigh. She leaned forward to tuck a dark lock of hair that lay atop of Harry’s scar behind his ear and smiled warmly at his innocence.

A thought occurred to her, one that repeated itself like a mantra when things go wrong. Why do these things happen to her? She’s a good person. Shouldn’t good things happen? She frowned. Her heart tightened at the thought and she shook her head to shake the feeling away.

Her eyes landed on Severus whose eyelids moved as if he were dreaming. It’s been years since she last saw him and was actually able to sit down and really take a good look at him. He grew well into his features, the stubble he was sporting a sure sign he was no longer a boy but a man now. She briefly thought about Dumbledore’s words of praise when it came to defining Severus. The bravest man he had ever known. That’s quite the compliment coming from a man as old as Dumbledore, he was at least a century by now. Though it made her wonder what Severus has done to earn such respect and if what Dumbledore implied is true, did she even know Severus at all?

Harry turned and huddled closer to her dislodging his hand from Severus’s. Lily quickly grabbed Harry’s fist and guided it back up to the sleeping man’s palm. Severus’s fingers curled closed over hers and Harry's and a blush tinged her cheek at the touch. Unsure why she didn’t just remove her hand, Lily brought the blankets further up to Harry’s chin and propped her chin up to stare at their joint hands.

She sighed, her look contemplative. “What have you gotten us into, Severus?”