Order Only Private Message to Sally Anne Perks

[alt_poppy]

I confess I was concerned to read that the ward was closed last evening. Was that at Crouch's insistence? Surely if there'd been another serious illness or injury, those students wouldn't have been turned away?

Never mind. It's not mine to interfere, which is why I didn't wish to write whilst you appeared to be in the midst of a difficult situation.

I trust that you feel things were managed well enough in the end.

Comments

[alt_sally_anne]

I wasn't there when things started so I don't know, but I think Healer Hayden closed it. I'm not sure if it was because she wanted to give Hydra privacy, or if she was seriously worried that Hydra might die.

Anyway, I was shut out with everyone else but I slipped in when Dolohov came to get Justin, because I wanted to make sure that the Order wasn't in any danger. It wasn't. So I gathered up some calming droughts and the other things I thought I might need and went back outside.

If anyone had arrived with a truly dangerous illness or injury I'd have shouted and banged on the door and I'm sure they'd have opened up -- I mean of course then they'd have had the problem of two students in dire need at the same time. I imagine they'd have had Dolohov firecall St Mungo's. But fortunately it was just the usual bad stomachs and the like.

[alt_sally_anne]

And I know what happened to Hydra and there isn't anyone I can talk with about it. I've been trying to decide whether you qualify under the 'discuss with a colleague' exception even though it's not as if I really need advice because Hydra's not actually under my care. I just want to tell someone about it and I don't know

I mean

it's her private business, really. Nothing to do with the Order at all. No one would have even heard about it if Milli hadn't decided to tell everyone that Crouch had murdered Hydra.

[alt_poppy]

I believe that if you wished to discuss the circumstances of her treatment as you observed them or wished to discuss her condition, it could be construed as part of your training. As could speaking about your reactions, concerns, apprehensions, etc.

I will, of course, hold in strictest confidence anything you might say on the subject.

[alt_sally_anne]

Well, okay, because although I do think Hydra and Justin ought to tell Mrs Longbottom, that's mostly just because Justin could still wind up in terrible trouble over this. It wouldn't be Order-related trouble, it would be Rodolphus-is-a-protective-father trouble, but still.

Hydra was pregnant, apparently. And the training accident in the salle made her miscarry. She hemorrhaged while Crouch was bringing her to the hospital wing, that was the blood on the stairs everyone was talking about.

And here's the thing. Back when I was a fifth year, Professor Sinistra gave Pansy and me copies of this book called 'Wise Witch, Wise Woman' which talked about every contraceptive spell or potion or rune anyone's ever invented (she gave us the 10th edition, the 12th apparently isn't is good, except for the Seaman's Shield but she'd copied that in). And she wanted me to pass it along to Hydra, so I did. There are long-term spells and short-term spells and potions that are very easy to brew and potions that you can get from the Matron if you can get over your embarrassment and even a rune is better than nothing. (I wear a rune, even though I don't usually DEPEND on the rune, just because it's never a bad idea to double up.)

I mean I KNOW it's easy to get careless about it when most of the time you're at Hogwarts but they were SO STUPID part of me wants to shake both of them. Even though I also want them to confide in me and feel comfortable with me so of course I'm not going to say this to either of them.

I did offer Hydra a rune, though, because you can just put it on and never take it off and it's quite a bit better than nothing.

[alt_poppy]

One of the most difficult duties of a healer is masking one's criticism when expressing it would serve no healing purpose and when it would discourage further communication.

I'm certain I've failed often enough in this regard. And I'd wager that most healers struggle to master it.

I gather you didn't observe the treatment Hydra received?

Do you know, instead, whether the spilt blood and tissue were promptly scourgified and vanished? What appeared to be merely blood might be easily analysed if someone had thought to collect a sample. And, of course, there are other uses for samples of spilt blood and she'd tissue.

[alt_sally_anne]

No, I didn't see what treatment Hydra received.

When I got into the hospital wing they'd cleaned -- I don't know if they vanished the blood and tissue or if they set some aside. But, she left blood all over the school. Someone did vanish the blood on the stairs, but there were still traces, and I haven't seen the salle. (I did have the Prefects close it just because I was thinking the last thing we needed was another serious training accident with the Healer so distracted.)

[alt_sally_anne]

Is there anything I ought to be saying to Justin or Hydra?

They're still not speaking to each other, as far as I can tell. I rather think it's their business and they need to work it out for themselves if they're going to, but he's also the only person Hydra ever really talks to.

Justin was very hurt and angry because Hydra didn't want the pregnancy. And I can understand that he's sad, but he -- I don't know. I mean, I keep trying to imagine Ron in the same situation and maybe for us it would be easier because I do at least want children someday and I guess Hydra doesn't and Justin does. Anyway I think Hydra was exasperated with him for being so sad, or possibly she felt like he was making it all about him, I'm not sure exactly because it's not like either of them is really telling me about this, it's mostly just between the lines.

I don't know whether to try to get involved, or not. Hermione guessed that it was a miscarriage, I'm not sure if anyone else did.

[alt_poppy]

It seems this is your time to learn how complicated it can be when Healing mixes with friendship.

I'm afraid my best advice is to let them seek you out if they wish your help or want to unburden themselves to someone whose silence they can trust. Pressing offers of help on them is likely to make them suspect you of cloaking personal curiosity within the professional gesture.

[alt_poppy]

If either of them do want your counsel, though, each of them will be working through what they feel and why. Even if they believe they know exactly what they feel, it's likely they'll continue to discover new layers of it for some time to come.

You say that Hydra did not want to be pregnant and does not want children at all. Her reasons for either are unlikely to be straightforward even if she believes them quite simple and clear-cut. Likewise, his sadness for a child he didn't know they'd conceived until it was already gone is likely for many things in addition to the child itself--things to do, perhaps, with his own mother and father and siblings if he has any or had any, and to do with a range of other memories, relationships, hopes and expectations he may not fully realise he holds.

I trust you to know how to listen, and how to encourage that they listen to one another--should they turn to you. And I trust you to know how to respect their privacy and their trust, so they don't remember every time they see you that you know things about them they may wish not to be reminded of.