Inevitable

20 | He's a Fighter

Chaos erupted in the Emergency Wing of St. Mungo's when the four wizards arrived. Healers and assistants swarmed Harry, Levitating him onto a stretcher and wheeling him away.

Jasper Miner was taken to a be examined as well, but with much less urgency.

After speaking quickly with some of the Healers, Robards walked over and put a large, steadying hand on Draco's shoulder. He was still kneeling on the floor in the same position he'd been in when they'd Apparated.

"Harry's family. That'd be the Weasleys, right? Do you want me to contact them?"

"Yes. Ginny Weasley. She's the secret keeper for Ron and Hermione. That's... that's who you need to contact first. They can contact the rest."

"Right. I'll get their address and Apparate there immediately."

"Thank you."

"But first we need to get you up off the floor." Robards tugged on Draco's arm under an elbow and hauled him to his feet. "C'mon, Malfoy. Let's get you into a chair."

The Head Auror led Draco to a chair in the waiting area and Draco dropped into it obediently.

He had stopped crying and now just sat there, staring blankly at the wall.

Robards eyed him uneasily. "Alright, then. I'll go contact the Granger-Weasleys. Er... Will you be okay?"

Draco nodded in response.

And then he was alone, staring at the wall, trying not to wonder if he would see Harry alive again.

Twenty minutes later, Dottie Hewitt knelt in front of him, gently taking his hands in hers. They had become close friends over the months of working together, and she knew better than anyone just how fragile he was at that moment.

"I'm so sorry Draco, but I need to ask you a few questions about Harry. Healer Bouchard is taking care of him right now."

Draco's eyes slowly focused on his friend's face. Healer Bouchard was new to the hospital, but she seemed competent enough.

"Do you know what caused the burns?"

Draco swallowed. "Fiendfyre. According to his partner, he cast a powerful Protego Charm that protected him. The fire only touched him for a few seconds."

"What hit his back?"

"Metal beam from the warehouse roof."

Dottie nodded and stood up. "I need to go report to Healer Bouchard, but I'll be back to check on you, okay?"

Draco stood too, looking down into her bright hazel eyes. Her skin was unusually pale, making her freckles stand out on her cheeks.

"Can you... Can you tell me anything?"

She gave him a small smile. "Normally I couldn't unless you were immediate family, but I'm pretty sure you're a consulting Healer on this case."

He tried to smile back, but the best he could manage was a grateful look.

Dottie spoke very quickly, as she always did when she was nervous.

"It's bad, Draco. Both his scapulars were shattered. Two broken ribs. Luckily, there was minimal internal bleeding. Healer Bouchard wants to heal the broken bones as soon as possible, but it's extremely painful and he's already weak. His shoulder blades will need multiple healings, and may never quite heal perfectly.

"But it's the burns that are the real trouble. His body is in shock and his vitals are all over the place.

"We're contacting a hospital in the United States. A wizard over there invented a temperature regulator for magical injuries. We're asking them to let us borrow one. We have a special salve to apply to Fiendfyre burns. It's rare, but it has happened before. His skin will be as good as new, assuming he— I mean, if he—" She stopped herself, biting her lower lip.