"If they could only take the bandages off, I'd be fit to go home." "Why can't they take them off, Dad?" Fred questioned. "Well, I start bleeding like mad every time they try," Arthur said in an oddly cheerful voice for the subject. He stretched and reached for his wand which resided on the table beside his bed. He waved his wand and made an extra seven chairs appear around him for them to sit. "It seems there was some rather unusual kind of poison in that snake's fangs that keeps wounds open. . . . They're sure they'll find an antidote, though, they say they've had much worse cases than mine, and in the meantime I just have to keep taking a Blood-Replenishing Potion every hour. But that fellow over there," he said, lowering his voice and gesturing to the man who had yet to move or make a single sound during their visit across the room. "Bitten by a werewolf, poor chap. No cure at all." "A werewolf?" Molly's eyes widened and she now looked worried. "Is he safe in a public ward? Shouldn't he be in a private room?" "It's two weeks till full moon," Arthur assured her quietly. "They've been talking to him this morning, the Healers, you know, trying to persuade him he'll be able to lead an almost normal life. I said to him- didn't mention names, of course- but I said I knew a werewolf personally, very nice man, who finds the condition quite easy to manage..." "What did he say?" George inquired. "Said he'd give me another bite if I didn't shut up," Arthur said solemnly. "Maybe we ought to get Remus in here and talk to him himself," Mikayla chuckled. Arthur smiled and continued. "And that woman over there, won't tell the Healers what bit her, which makes us all think it must have been something she was handling illegally. Whatever it was took a real chunk out of her leg, very nasty smell when they take off the dressing." "So, you going to tell us what happened, Dad?" Fred asked, scooting his chair a little closer to his dad's bed. "Well, you already know, don't you?" Arthur said, giving a side smile to Harry and Mikayla. "It's very simple- I'd had a very long day, dozed off, got sneaked up on, and bitten." "Is it in the Prophet, you being attacked?" Fred questioned, nodding to the newspaper he put down earlier. "No, of course not," Arthur answered, still in an unusually good tone for what he was saying. "the Ministry wouldn't want everyone to know a dirty great serpent got-" "Arthur!" Molly intruded, her tone warning him from saying anymore. "- got- er- me," Arthur hesitated, Mikayla looked at both of them, trying to read from their faces what he really meant to say.
"So where were you when it happened, Dad?" George said curiously. "That's my business," Arthur said simply with a smile. He grabbed the Daily Prophet again and opened it wide. "I was just reading about Willy Widdershins's arrest when you arrived. You know Willy turned out to be behind those regurgitating toilets last summer? One of his jinxes backfired, the toilet exploded, and they found him lying unconscious in the wreckage covered from head to foot in-" "When you say you were 'on duty'," Fred interrupted, Mikayla thought he was making a nasty joke but he was only steering the conversation back to what his father was really doing. "what were you doing?" "You heard your father," Molly whisper discouragingly. "we are not discussing this here! Go on about Willy Widdershins, Arthur-" "Well, don't ask me how, but he actually got off on the toilet charge," Arthur said, disheartened. "I can only suppose gold changes hands-" "You were guarding it, weren't you?" George chimed in quietly. "The weapon? They think You-Know-Who's after?" "George, be quiet!" Molly snapped at him. "Anyway," Arthur said, talking over them, trying to avoid the subject. "this time Willy's been caught selling biting doorknobs to Muggles, and I don't think he'll be able to worm his way out of it because according to this article, two Muggles have lost fingers and are now in St. Mungo's for emergency bone regrowth and memory modification. Just think of it, Muggles in St. Mungo's! I wonder which ward they're in?" Arthur looked around the room, hoping to see some indication as to where they were, like a sign or map. "Didn't you say You-Know-Who's got a snake, Harry?" Fred asked, looking between Harry and his father, for an answer and a reaction. "A massive one? You saw it the night he returned, didn't you?" "That's enough," Molly said strictly. "Mad-Eye and Tonks are outside, Arthur, they want to come see you. And you lot can wait outside," she waved them, the children, off. "You can come and say good-bye afterward. Go on...." The others huffed and trampled back outside the ward. Mikayla stayed where she was, "Mr Weasley, I might know a way for you to be healed." "What?" Molly questioned, "Well since Professor Umbridge has been using Blood Quills during detention, I kind of invented a really strong healing potion." They both looked at her in bewilderment, "I can talk to the head healer and tell her the details of the potion. I do have my own stock but I don't have it with me it's back in the house." Mikayla spoke quietly, "Why didn't you say something?" Molly questions, Mikayla looked down at her hands, "Well I thought the Healers would've figured it out by now and I thought you'd be mad that I was making new potions without adult supervision." Mikayla heard the two Weasley's sigh, "Don't say anything to the healer, you can get in a lot of trouble." Arthur said first, "I'll get your stock and bring it tomorrow and we'll give it a try." Mikayla looked up at Mrs Weasley who devised a plan. "I'm sorry you got hurt." She whispered looking at Arthur with glassy eyes, "Shit happens." Mikayla chuckles lightly at Arthur's conclusion before she leaves the ward, allowing Tonks and Moody to go inside and closed the door.