After the healer had left, Magnus remaiill on the bed but restless.

  He was scious that the portrait guy was still ogling at him as if he could see the pn in his head.

  Luckily though, he ared the trouble as the guy soon got ued and walked out of the portrait.

  Perfect.

  Now was the time to act.Jumping up from the bed, he approached the door cautiously.

  For his sake, he hoped it wasn’t reinforced with those log spells he had seen being used in films. God knows he had enough problems as it was.

  It wasn’t.

  The first time he tried the knob, the door creaked ope it slide wide enough for him to peek outside.

  His hopes took a dive.The door opeo a corridor that was buzzing with movement. Most were dressed in robes simir to the healer who had attended him, but there were also people in normal clothes… at least normal as far as the magical unity was ed.

  He took a deep breath ahe knots in his stomach grow even tighter.

  His pn appeared quite simple in theory, but the execution was where it got plicated.

  From his knowledge of films and books, he khat St. Mungo's had to have some mode of transport work. I mean, such a peeded to attend to emergencies daily, and some patients o be brought to the hospital as quickly as possible.

  Muggles used ambunces, but this… this was a wizard hospital.

  It only made sense for him to believe there was some sort of magical transport in pce.

  There were a few options, but Magnus’s quick mind bed through them, eliminating the odd ohe first to go were broomsticks—they just weren’t fast enough.

  Apparition was , and that too was out for the pin reason that he didn’t know how to do it. He’d read about the theory but not enough to even sider attempting it.The thought of leaving half of his body behind was strong enough to stop him.

  He could try the Knight Bus, but that too was out. He could hardly expect it to bust into the hospital to rescue him, and even if he mao get outside, he would still o pay.

  That left only oion: Floo Powder.The hospital, being such a frequently visited pce, would logically have a Floo work i was, after all, the most ve means of transport, as most magical families had a Floo work at home.This idea was actually smart as it would get him instantly away from the hospital. But there were two giant fws.

  The first one was that not a single person wore robes like the ones he had on. These were clearly patient robes, which meant he’d easily be spotted and likely waste valuable time ing up with a lie.

  In that time, the man in the portrait would have returned and alerted the hospital about his absence.

  The sed problem was that he didn’t know where the ected firepce was situated. He’d be forced to look or ask around, which, simir to the first problem, would also e valuable time.

  But wait… what if…A wicked smile of victory crept onto Magnus's face.Of course! How stupid of him not to think of it sooner.

  He reached for the fsk that ced on a thick wooden table, which was the only other furniture in the room.

  He didn't o check what was inside... it was a liquid, he could feel it, but exactly what liquid it was, he did not give a damn. Any would do just fine.

  Without much thought, he poured its tents onto the bed.

  If this went the way he hoped, he might just kill two birds with ooched as the water soaked into the sheets and the sponge underh them.

  In his heart, he felt bad for what he was doing, but just like oreets he had thrived on, Magnus uood only one nguage: survival.

  Pushing the remorse aside, he cleared his throat in preparation.

  Now came the guesswork.

  I mean, how the hell do you summon a—That thought never finished f. Just then, a loud crack filled the room, and a short creature with poking ears and bulging eyes stood in front of him.

  'Crap… it actually worked!'For the first time, he began to fully appreciate his knowledge of this world.

  He’d gotten this idea from the memories of Hogwarts students.

  He had never once seen them do undry, and then he had remembered Dobby, Winky, and the little creatures that crowded the kits. It just made sehat the hospital would have the same setup.

  The house-elf was holding identical sheets, simir to the ones he had just “actally” soaked.

  Its eyes rolled between him and the soaked bed, as if trying to figure out how the hell it had happened.

  Magnus realized the way he had poured the water looked more iional than actal.

  “So sorry… I… I was trying to pour some drinking water, but my hands were trembling… Here, I’ll help you…” Magnus said, reag for the spoiled sheets and pulling them off the bed.

  He was almost expeg the elf to ask, 'So where is the cup?' because the only cup in the room y untouched oable.

  The elf, however, had set aside the new sheets and had taken hold of his hospital robes, tugging him away from the bed.

  “Sir must stop. Elvih will take care of it.”Magnus pulled away from the bed, thankful for the elf’s intervention.

  He couldn’t have done muyway—he didn’t have a wand and couldn’t perform wandless magic like the elf.

  “Sir is unwell… Elvih uands.”The house-elf was already ying a fresh set of sheets after pointing one of its cwed fingers at the mattress.

  Magnus's pity disappeared when he saw how easily the elf did it. The whole process took less than a minute, and the creature already had the wet sheets ready to go.

  “Wait,” Magnus called, afraid the elf would just Disapparate.

  Elvih turs bulging, i eyes on him.“Actually, I was just discharged this m. Could you please fetch my clothes for me?” Magnus tried hard not to look at the door. Even worse, he was stantly peeking at the portrait, praying the nosy guy hadn’t returned yet.

  Lucky for him, the elf looked more thaed to help.

  “Aye, that I will, if sir gives his name.”

  That was no problem.“You’ll probably find it under Unknown.”

  Magnus had expected the elf to look fused or ask more questions, but her happened.

  Instead, it disappeared with another crack, leaving him w if the elf had goo fetch the clothes iven up on him.

  Another crack, however, answered his doubts.

  The small figure stood before him with a bundle in its hands.

  It took a moment fnus to realize the bundle was, in fact, his clothes.

  Despite their worn-out look, they had clearly been ed and folded.

  Magnus guessed it had taken some serious spellwork to get his dirty clothes back to this state. His previously unreizable shoes sat on top of the bundle, looking like a det sed-hand pair.

  “Sir asked for his clothes,” the elf said, pulling him from his hesitation.

  He rushed to relieve the luggage from the elf.

  “Thank you, Elvih… Uhm, sorry to bother.”

  Without even b about privacy, Magnus stripped off the hospital robes and slipped into his fresh clothes.

  “If that is all, Elvih will go now,” the elf said, preparing to Disapparate.“Wait,” Magnus called, a little too loud, as he finished slipping his shoes on.

  “Listen, Elvih, I was supposed to be in the Floo work room some minutes ago. Please, could you take me there?”