How can you mend a broken heart?

Chapter 6 - the latest in fashion

"What are you doing running around in the halls of the ministry in a hospital gown, Mr Potter?" Watset asked with the slightest smile across his pale, old face.

In a hurry, Harry explained shortly the situation, "I was looking for you, sir. When I was in the hospital I realised how I lacked the information on how the mission went."

Remembering that he had not explained the part about his clothes, he shot in, "Hospital gowns are the latest in fashion, Watset. I'm surprised you didn't know." His facial expression remained sincere and he fondly observed as his boss was immediately convinced. But perhaps that was simply because he thought muggle fashion was always odd?

"Had you been a better observer, Potter, I'd say you would find that I left a letter for you at the hospital; enclosed was information about the mission." Watset smiled as he said this.

He then turned serious. "However, I can confirm that a number of death eaters were indeed caught and all of the muggles were safely returned to their respective homes with or without medical needs."

Harry processed the news and sighed faintly. He rubbed the bridge of his nose in an attempt to cure the headache. It didn't work. "You mean to say that many of the death eaters escaped capture?"

"Sadly, yes."

The two walked to Watset's office where they discussed further details of the mission in privacy. Harry was there disappointed to learn that twenty more death eaters from that very mission were still on the loose. He felt as if the mission had failed his expectations. He had thought that he had defeated them all, but no, he had not.

They further discussed how the ministry would act and how they would reveal the secret mission. They had agreed to tell the Daily Prophet about the mission in the evening. They would have to be careful about not revealing too much about the secret Department of High Crisis as this would surely defeat its purpose of secrecy.

Harry had then rather reluctantly agreed to take some days off work to recover from the mission. Watset meant it would be good for his physical and mental health.

Then, when the two men were finished discussing important matters, Harry returned to St. Mungos to fetch his things. There, he was met with dissatisfaction and disappointment from a healer who had searched for him for a long time. He was told that it was dangerous to leave the hospital the way he had done and Harry agreed without much thought or meaning. The healer left him after he had examined him for the last time and Harry had signed papers confirming that he was leaving the hospital.

At his nightstand, he found several flowers and letters he had not paid attention to earlier. He found a letter from Mrs Weasley asking him to eat dinner at the Burrow in the evening, the letter with information about the mission and a new edition of The Quibbler inside an envelope from Luna.

He dressed in the clothes he had worn earlier and as he was putting the letters in the pocket of his jacket, he felt a small piece of paper that was already there. He fished it out of his pocket and saw that it was Sharlene's telephone number, which, in the midst of everything, he had forgotten all about.

His mind contemplated if he should call her or not and when he remembered that he had almost died for the millionth time recently and that perhaps taking a risk would not harm him, he decided to call her at the earliest opportunity.

After taking a final look at the piece of paper, he put it back in his pocket together with the letters. He then disapparated and the very next moment, he found himself in the familiar space that he had loved for so many years of his life.

The smell of different spices and the smell of cat hit him and before even a second had passed, he could hear the familiar sound of Mrs Weasley's voice calling him, "Harry, is that you?"