Author's Note

Prompt 3. Write about a character with a quick temper.

Bonus prompts: (word) frantic, (emotion) disgust, (word) distraught, (object) silk dress, (character) Augusta Longbottom. Total: 35 points

2233 words.

The Visitor

'Sixteen years?' the overweight woman sounded incredulous. 'We must do something about that!'

To emphasise the correctness of her words, she nodded vigorously, confirming that she was in complete agreement with herself. As her loudly expressed opinions echoed down the corridor, her chins continued to wobble their concurrence with her conclusion; her complicatedly coiffured hair, however, remained unnaturally immobile.

Only two hours earlier, Senior Healer Absalom Bibby had met Mrs Carbis for the first time. The ill-fitting but fashionable lime green robes were, he'd first assumed, an attempt to blend in. But they weren't Healer's green, and they simply made her stand out. Perhaps that was the point.

Healer Bibby had already reached a number of conclusions about her. Primarily, he'd decided that this was a woman who not only loved the sound of her own voice, but who was also convinced that everyone else loved it, too. His newly appointed manager was a woman could never be wrong; worse, she was a woman who believed that loudly, and constantly, repeating her ill-informed opinions was all that was needed to ensure everyone else knew she was right.

It was then that Healer Bibby realised that his mind was drifting. He'd been distracted by the unnatural juxtaposition of mobile chins and immobile hair. Realising that it would be dangerous to do anything other than give Mrs Carbis his full attention, he forced himself to concentrate.

'Why are they still here?' she demanded. 'They're a drain on precious resources, surely they'd be better off dead, or somewhere else. Anywhere else! Can't you do something about it? There must be some way to get rid of them. They'll have to go!'

'This is the long-stay ward, Mrs Carbis, and the Longbottoms…' Healer Bibby began slowly as he worked out how to frame a reply that would keep his patients safe.

'The Longbottoms! You're talking about Frank and Alice?'

Healer Bibby recognised the voice, which was dangerously close behind him, and quailed. Turning, his attention was immediately focussed on the tightly-furled cane-handled umbrella; the elderly witch accelerating towards them was brandishing it like a broadsword. The fox-fur stole around the old lady's neck flapped and snapped; the long dead fox's head seemed somehow imbued with the old lady's rage, it almost appeared to be preparing to join in her assault.

Mrs Carbis would, no doubt, expect him to protect her from the wrath of an angry relative, even one as formidable as Augusta Longbottom. In a foolish act of bravery, Healer Bibby tried to interpose himself between Mrs Longbottom and Mrs Carbis. Augusta Longbottom simply elbowed him aside, and he watched helplessly as the elderly witch, incandescent with rage, brought her umbrella down on Mrs Carbis' head. The blow was so hard that Bibby expected head, umbrella, or even both, to break. What broke, however, was the rigidity of Mrs Carbis' hairdo; bouffant collapsed into chaos, leaving nothing but buffoon.

'Ow… Who… Ooh!' Mrs Carbis' angry query was halted by a powerful thrust to her stomach. The umbrella seemed to disappear at least a foot into the folds of flesh.

Winded, and now furious, Mrs Carbis reached for her wand. Knowing what was coming next, Healer Bibby simply cowered in the doorframe.

'Draw a wand on me, would you?' Augusta Longbottom's wand appeared in her hand in an instant.

With a single flick, the old lady catapulted Mrs Carbis backwards. St Mungo's newly appointed Director of Admissions, Administration and Procedures hit the wall at the far end of the corridor with so much force that the walls shook. Another, more complex, wand movement from Augusta Longbottom brought the woman rebounding back along the corridor, bouncing off walls, floor, and ceiling.

When Mrs Carbis arrived back at the door to the Janus Thickey Ward, she was a lime green, star-shaped, balloon bobbing against the ceiling. Her overly bright robes were stretched and scuffed, and her hair was now an immobile bird's nest with a cobweb in it. Noticing the cobweb, Healer Bibby made a note to speak to the cleaning staff. It was then he realised that, given what had just happened to Mrs Carbis, he might not even have a job when she deflated.

'Hmng, hmng, hmng!' Mrs Carbis complained.

'Don't bother trying to talk,' said Augusta Longbottom as she began to calm down. 'I inflated your tongue, too.'

'Mrs Longbottom,' Healer Bibby began, hands out, palms forwards. The umbrella reappeared, this time only an inch from the tip of his nose. He felt himself going cross-eyed as he tried to look at it.

'No!' Augusta Longbottom told him forcefully. 'I will not remove my hex. It will wear off soon enough; she'll deflate in an hour or so.'

Healer Bibby looked up at the woman bobbing against the ceiling, and considered his options.

'I wouldn't try to remove the hex, if I were you,' Augusta advised. 'Remember what happened when you tried to help Healer Furze? Is his nose still purple?'

'But…'

'Who is she?' Augusta thrust her umbrella up at the balloon shaped woman.

'Mrs Carbis is the new Director of Admissions, Administration, and Procedures for St Mungo's.' Healer Bibby chose his words carefully, but it was no use.

'A meaningless title if ever I heard one. Is she a Healer?' Augusta's next question was directly on target.

''No, but…'

'Was she appointed by Pius Thicknesse?' Augusta's final question also hit the bullseye.

Healer Bibby nodded.

Mrs Longbottom snorted her disapproval, and said, 'Thicknesse is an incompetent toady who needs to look good to the people who are really in charge. In order to do that, everyone he appoints will have to be less competent…' she poked Mrs Carbis again, to emphasise her disgust, 'and more,' (the "and" was accompanied by another poke) 'toady!' With her final word Augusta hit Mrs Bibby on the leg. That final blow set Mrs Carbis rapidly rotating against the ceiling.

'I'm here to visit my son and his wife, Mr Bibby,' Augusta had calmed down almost as quickly as she'd exploded. Her voice was pure honey, but the threat of an angry swarm of bees lurked within it. 'Where's Healer Skemp?'

Looking anxiously up at his literally over-inflated superior, Healer Bibby decided that discretion was required. 'I'll let you into the ward, Mrs Longbottom,' he said. Pulling out the key, he unlocked the door and ushered Augusta inside. The moment he'd closed the door, Augusta turned on him.

'Frank and Alice both liked Healer Skemp,' said Augusta quietly. 'And Chloe Skemp liked them. Where is she?'

'You have to understand…' Healer Bibby stopped, because the tip of Augusta's umbrella was now resting gently on his foot. Although there was no pressure, he tried again. 'Times are… difficult…' The pressure on his foot increased by the merest fraction. 'She's been taken away,' he admitted. 'She's being held by hospital security in a room behind reception.'

'Hospital security?' Augusta asked.

Mrs Carbis brought them with her,' Bibby explained. 'Two men, I believe that they're both…' He stared into her face, silently begging her not to force her to say the words.

'They're some of the people recently freed from Azkaban,' said Augusta.

He gave the tiniest of nods.

'Has Chloe Skemp done something wrong?' Augusta asked. 'Other than having Muggles as parents?'

Bibby's eyes widened, the shake of his head was almost imperceptible but it was enough to confirm Augusta's suspicions.

'Frank and Alice were Aurors, they probably captured some of the people Thickness has pardoned,' Augusta continued. 'Can you guarantee that they will be safe here?'

Healer Bibby felt tears of shame burn his eyes. Overcome, he firmly shook his head. 'Act with care and compassion. Heal without favour,' he repeated the parts of the Healer's oath he held most important. 'But…' He stared through the wall at the point where Mrs Carbis floated. 'Difficult times! We'll do our best,' he promised.

'Under normal circumstance, that would be good enough, young man,' Augusta told him. 'The key, please.'

He silently handed her the key to the ward. She flicked her wand, and he found himself tightly bound by heavy ropes. Levitating him sideways Augusta gently placed him in a position where, when she opened the door, Mrs Carbis could see him. Augusta left the room, casting a Disillusionment Charm on Mrs Carbis, before closing and locking the door.

After about five minutes, Frank and Alice, who were still in their pyjamas because—in Healer Skemp's absence—no one had dressed them, shuffled over to investigate the man lying bound on the floor. Gilderoy Lockheart, engrossed in his own autobiography, simply sat on his bed ignoring everything going on around him.

'Your mother will be back soon, Frank,' Bibby assured him. Frank looked blankly down, and remained silent.

'Hmm,'

Alice's anxious moan worried Bibby. It was difficult to be certain what, exactly, was causing her concern, but she was always disturbed by any change in her routine, so he made a guess. 'It's Monday, Alice,' he began. 'I know that Augusta doesn't normally visit you on a Monday.'

'Hmm,' Alice repeated.

'I'm sorry, Alice, but I don't know why she decided to come here today.'

'Ne-ll,' Frank, arms waving wildly, fists clenching, forced the word out. He rarely spoke, but this was one of the few of his utterances Bibby understood.

'I'm sure your mother would have already told you if Neville was in trouble,' Bibby spoke slowly, wishing that Augusta hadn't bound him. His presence on the floor was another thing that would upset the equilibrium, and the Longbottoms required balance in their lives. 'And Neville can't be here. Term has started, Frank, your son is at Hogwarts, in his final year! Where has the time gone, eh? I'd only just finished my training when you arrived. I did my best for you, you know that, don't you?' As he remembered the dreadful day when the Aurors had brought in the Longbottoms, he felt the tears sting his eyes. Bibby fought to contain them, so as not to further upset the Longbottoms.

The door opened, Augusta returned, accompanied by Healer Skemp.

'Hello, Alice, hello Frank,' Skemp said brightly. She was a solidly built young woman with the face of a Beater who'd seen too many Bludgers up close. 'We're going away for a holiday. That will be nice, won't it?'

'Eee,' Alice's distraught squeal was accompanied by a frantic shaking of her head.

'Alice,' Augusta began firmly.

'Shush,' Healer Skemp ordered. Healer Bibby braced himself for an explosion that didn't come. 'You told me that you trust me, Missus L,' Skemp continued, 'so trust me!'

She turned her attention to Frank Longbottom. 'Oh, Frank, she said. 'You have cornflakes on your pyjamas. No one has tidied you up, have they? Don't worry. Your favourite shirt is clean. Let's go and get you dressed.' Turning her attention to Alice, she added. 'Alice, today is a special day, would you like to wear your special dress? You can go and find it, while I tidy Frank up.'

'A red silk dress is hardly appropriate attire,' Augusta began.

'It's her favourite, and it makes her look lovely,' Healer Skemp's words were bright and cheerful as she glared Augusta Longbottom into silence. 'This won't be easy for any of us, Missus L, but I don't want my wand taken from me, and I don't want to be sent to you-know-where. But going on the run with these two…'

'You can say Azk…' Augusta began, but Skemp cut across her.

'That's a trigger word,' said Skemp firmly. 'We never use it in here, because if we do, it will take hours to calm dear Frank and Alice down, and we don't have hours. Why don't you tell them why you decided to visit today?'

'This morning, I received a letter from Severus Snape,' said Augusta, proudly pulling an envelope from her patent leather handbag. 'A letter that took me back to when you were a boy, Frank. To be honest, I'd forgotten what they looked like. I certainly never thought I'd get one about your Neville.'

Frank and Alice stared at her. 'Ne-ll' Frank mumbled.

'Yes,' said Augusta happily waving the envelope. 'Do you recognise this? I still have every one the school sent to me while you were there, you know! It seems that Neville has been getting into trouble at school. So much trouble, that not only has he been given detention, the Headmaster has also felt it necessary to ask me to reprimand him.'

From his position on the floor, Healer Bibby tried to hear the tone, not the words. From years of experience he knew that tone was almost all that Frank and Alice would be hearing. Augusta's tone was happy, even joyous, and Frank and Alice were responding to it. This was a good thing as Augusta's words were ones most parents would not want to hear.

'I've already written back to Neville, of course,' Augusta continued. 'I told him, "well done" and said that you would both be proud of him.'

A bewildered Healer Bibby watched Alice smile and clap her hands.

'I know,' Healer Skemp told her. 'We're going out to celebrate, Alice, so you can wear your best dress. But we must be very careful, and very quiet, as we leave the hospital.'

'Free me,' Absalom Bibby asked. 'Time is of the essence, and I can help.'