The Mortuary

[Esmerelda Smickett]

Esmerelda Smickett apparated to the rear of the hospital and using a different entrance than the one facing the muggle street she levitated the body inside and with the help then of a hospital porter moved the body down to the basement where the mortuary was. It was only when this was done that she heaved a sigh, realising that Patrick would be waiting for her for sure at their rendevous spot. As she turned to go, thanking the porter for his help the hand of the charred body fell down.

"Miss you can't just bring a burnt corpse in here and leave. You need to fill in forms and speak with one of the administrators. The ministry must be informed as well. Miss? Miss are you listening to me?"

Esmerelda barely heard a word the porter said as she stared at the signet ring on the charred hand. A hand went instantly to her mouth and she took a step back to look at the body in its entirety for the first time. That ring was one of a kind, the Irish quidditch team had it made when Patrick left the team. It had the Irish teams emblem and the tri-colour. They had specifically charmed it against every eventuality wanting it to last until he was an old man. Now it was all that remained. Essie asked the porter to bring whatever paper work needed filling out.

"As soon as the body came in through our doors the ministry were alerted so when their representative comes you must inform him of what happened. Do you know who this person was?"

Essie could only nod her head as silent tears began to pour down, she felt the chair the porter pushed behind her and sat down gratefully.
"Yes I knew him".

 

[Chavdar Zhefarovich]

Chavdar had received news that someone was apparently murdered and brought into Saint Mungos. He was the representative. Although he much rather not be, he had to be at the hospital within the next few minutes. Sighing, he got up from behind his desk, and slipped on his jacket over his black shirt. He made sure his hair was tied back tightly and his fingers scraped the white scar upon his neck from a battle with Asparuh. Chavdar shook his head, glad that the truce was still in affect. Deciding it was time, he apparated to the hospital.

He opened his eyes to see the lobby. He had a decent fear of doctors, but at least he wasn't here to get a check up. He followed the signs to get to the area he needed to be. He entered through the door, and saw a woman and a man there with the body. Chavdar's face remained unchanged as he approached the woman on the chair, assuming that she knew the man from the way she was crying. "Evening, I'm the representative that the Ministry appointed to see what all went on. I need to know everything you know about what had happened."

Chavdar glanced once more at the body, and grimaced slightly. He finally introduced himself, "I'm Chavdar Zhefarovich, by the way." He put on a small smile, but it too quickly vanished. This was no time to be smiling, not now when he was on the job and a dead body in the room. He turned from the woman to stare at the body. It had to be done by a spell, but what? And who would have killed the man so...violently? He had an odd feeling in his gut, but then again, he always thought the same thing when he saw anyone's death in the Daily Prophet. He always thought of his father. But he was in Bulgaria or Europe, wasn't he?

 

[Esmerelda Smickett]

The porter bustled away to get the chief administrator who would need to be told that the ministry had finally arrived, promptly as well mind you which was rare enough.

Esmerelda didn't look up at the man but continued to stare at Patrick's body.
"I found him like this" her voice was low, broken only by the sobs that racked her body, "there was a woman, an elderly woman. She said she had hear terrible things and that the smell was unbearable but she was too afraid to go and look. By the time she did, there was only ..."
she took a tissue from her bag and blew her nose and dabbed her eyes.

"He is my god-daughters uncle. He... " she wanted to tell him how famous the man had been, how thousands had shown up to the 2018 to the world cup when he had captained the Irish team to victory. She could tell him how much he adored his family and most especially his niece who had already been through too much and would now have to deal with this too. Essie began to cry afresh as she thought about Andromeda.

 

[Chavdar Zhefarovich]

Chavdar put his hand to his chin, and thought long and hard over this situation. After the woman stopped explaining, something clicked in his mind. "Terrible things, which meant that this man was attacked. However, who would attack a man like that is beyond me, that is if..." He stared at her unblinkingly, "If the man was muggle-born. Were his parents' muggles, ma'am?" Chavdar, himself, was a pureblood, but knew after the events at the Twiwizard Tournament, the Death Eaters were bound to make the public fear of them. However, he must not jump to conclusions, and besides, his brother and father were both Death Eaters.

Chavdar murmured, "I'm sorry about your loss. Death really is hard on someone, and he to have...passed so young. Not long ago, my niece of age fifteen was killed by accident. I think I have an idea of what you are going through. My brother and his family are taking it hard." Chavdar wanted to reach out and comfort the woman, but restrained himself. He cleared his throat, and got back to seriousness. "And that is all the information you have behind the attack? If so, then the Ministry will have to go search for that woman." Chavdar wondered whether or not that would even work.

 

[Esmerelda Smickett]

She nodded her head.
"Yes his parents are... were muggles. His mother is still alive but his father passed away two years ago. His name is Patrick. Patrick O'Brien" she told him, her voice sounding more like a deathly toll itself. She didn't know anything else did she? Had the woman been about to say something else or was there something she had forgotten.

"It happened down bleak street, an alley off of it. I was late to meet him and decided to change into my animagus form to search for him. He's only 34. No family of his own but he had finally decided to plant some roots again. He had met himself a lovely woman apparently and they were going to go out."
She was beginning to ramble now, her eyes never leaving the body. He said something about a niece... Patricks niece? No, the ministry officials niece. She had died too. Essie shook her head, she hated loss. She hated the thought of the young dying when people like herself and 75 were still going strong. There was no sense in this world at all.

"I think the woman did maintain or allude that it was an attack" she put her face in her hands unable to go on. She would have to tell Andromeda of course, she would have to go back to the Gables as herself and Patrick had rented rooms out in Obsidian for the few days they were getting supplies. She still wanted to send Andromeda her things... no Andromeda would have to come out of school and go home to Ireland for the funeral. Just as she was settling in so well as well.

 

[Chavdar Zhefarovich]

Chavdar bit his lip once he heard the information, and sighed. He scratched behind his head out of nervousness. He murmured, "Well, though I would probably be going to the extremes in assuming this, but it could be an attack of Death Eaters, or prejudice Purebloods. Or even both. Though I will probably just talk to the aurors about this all." He listened to the woman speak, and nodding every so often at her story, the story of Patrick O'Brien. Chavdar folded his arms across his chest, and turned to the body. Sooner or later, he would have to question his father and see if he saw anything. Chavdar concluded, "I guess I better go and have a meeting with the aurors and see if they are able to do anything." He bowed slightly to his elder, and turned to leave.

 

[Esmerelda Smickett]

Esmerelda turned and watched him leave, she could say no more right now. She had already dispatched a letter to the Daily Prophet, some one would pay for this. Heads would roll, she would make sure of it. Looking back at the body she knew she had two more letters to write, the first one would be difficult of course but it was the second letter to her god-daughter that she dreaded writing. Standing up she smiled weakly as the porter came in.

"I am going home, please take good care of him. I will make arrangements for a cremation, his body cannot go back to his family like that. When the reporter from the Daily Prophet arrives give them my address" she wrote it down on a slip of parchment and handed it to him. With one last look at a wonderful man, she stifled another sob and left.

 

[Erica Matthews]

Erica arrived outside turning immediantly back into her human form as she entered Saint Mungo's to see the charred remains. Her mouth dropped open as she realised this could've easily had been Chloe or Ravyn like this instead of someone else. She looked away for a slight moment and quickly got a grip, she was a reporter and a professional and would need to be so if she was going to help these people that had suffered. Erica straightened herself out as she walked up to someone, it was a man whom Erica could only wonder whether it was a Ministry worker or a Saint Mungo's Healer either way he had some questions to answer "Who is this?" she asked indicating the roasted man hold the marshmellows.