the marriage stone (Discontinued)

Chapter 77 - Ancient History

Bringing Petunia Dursley to Hogwarts was an experience Sirius could have done without. The portkey took all of them directly to the Infirmary which was already beginning to fill up with sleeping Muggles. No sooner had they appeared than they were hustled away from the arrival area and into the main room to make way for more arrivals.

While Petunia Dursley shrieked and squawked about the manner of their arrival and the shocking sight of her husband and son being levitated out of the way, Susan Bones from Hufflepuff directed Sirius and Remus toward two beds near one of the tall narrow windows at the far end of the ward. While Petunia wasn't the only Squib present who'd had little exposure to magic, she was certainly one of the nosiest, and Susan gave Sirius and Remus a rather pained looked before she rolled her eyes at the woman's behavior. Sirius shot Remus a quick look and saw the twitch of his lips - it took a lot to annoy a Hufflepuff. The fact that Petunia was now shrieking about drafty old buildings wasn't earning her any friends.

As Sirius and Remus levitated the two fat Dursley men toward the beds, Sirius noticed the four Winter Land guards standing in front of the door that led to Harry's private room. A quick shake of the head from one of them told Sirius that nothing had changed. Harry had not awakened. Sirius' heart sank a little at that.

"What sort of hospital is this?" Petunia demanded when Dudley and Vernon were finally levitated onto the appropriate beds, and she'd had a chance to take a good look around. She was sneering up at the high vaulted ceilings overhead.

Sirius frowned, trying to picture how a Muggle might see this place. There were no electronic monitors or Muggle accouterments, and the long, narrow, bed-filled ward was lit with thick beeswax candles in wall sconces.

"This is the Infirmary at Hogwarts, Mrs. Dursley," Remus told her. He'd apparently recovered some of his calm manner though Petunia was still keeping her distance from him. Sirius wondered if the odds were greater that she had ever been slapped before or if Remus had ever struck a woman. He'd bet the former was far more likely.

"This is where my Dudley and Vernon are to be kept?" she exclaimed in outrage. "I demand a proper room - somewhere private!"

"It's easier to tend to everyone if they're all together," Remus explained.

"But you don't have any equipment," she protested. "Just beds!"

"They'll have what they need," Remus assured her, and a moment later Madam Pomfrey appeared with Anna Granger. Over the course of the next several minutes they set both men up with IVs and a monitor spell on each of them to watch their vital signs. Pomfrey explained that catheters and feeding tubes would be inserted later - Sirius shuddered at the thought. But he understood that the number of patients would prevent Pomfrey from using the usual spells for such things. It would exhaust her too quickly.

"And what about me?" Petunia demanded when Dudley and Vernon were settled. "Where am I to be staying?"

"We're setting up extra dormitories in Hufflepuff for the Squibs," Susan told her. "We thought you'd be more comfortable there than in the other dorms."

"Dormitories!" Petunia exclaimed, a sneer on her face. "I am not going to stay in a dormitory."

Irritated, Sirius glared at her. "You are more than welcome to stay with Remus and me," he offered. "I believe we have a cupboard you can sleep in - don't we, Remus?"

"Yes," Remus agreed immediately. "Under the staircase if I remember correctly. I'm sure you'll be very comfortable there."

Petunia paled at their words and fell silent. Sirius smirked. "No?" he asked.

"Just you wait until I call my lawyer," Petunia warned.

"You do that," Sirius grinned. "I'm sure there's a telephone around here somewhere."