Fay turns to them as soon as they enter. Her expression is drawn, stressed, but it relaxes when she sees them, and she excuses herself from a hushed conversation with McGonagal and an Auror the girls haven't met. 

"Ellie, Anathema, I'm glad to see you're alright," she says.

"We just got back. Came straight here."

She nods. "We're trying to coordinate right now - we don't know exactly what's going down at the Ministry, but we're arranging for any wounded who're recovered to be evacuated here. We're also arranging to preemptively evacuate at-risk patients from St. Mungo's - I'd like to have you two on that."

"I won't be around for a while - I'm about to join one of the groups staging for a counter-assault."

Nod.

"Stay safe."

"I will."

"Take care of each other."

"Always."

"I promise."

She nods. "Thank you."

"We're not ready to receive people yet, but - the house elves who assist Poppy are coordinating that. Head to the Hospital Wing, tell them I sent you to ferry patients. Madam Pomfrey might send you over to St. Mungo's right away..." Deep breath.

Quick hug.

Tight squeeze.

"We'll all be back before you know it."

Small smile, and one last squeeze. "I trust you."

Then off to their respective duties?

Off.

Fay turns back to the Aurors.

"Come on," she says to Anathema, and makes for the hospital wing.

Onward.

Madam Pomfrey does indeed send them straight to St. Mungo's to help with triage and with getting patients ready - the ones who can be floo'd in will go straight to the Hospital Wing, but some need to be Apparated, some need to be prepared to be moved on the Knight Bus... 

They get the go ahead to start Apparating fairly soon, at least, bringing the patients to a staging area at the edges of the wards and handing them off to the house elves - staying with them if no one's there to immediately hand off to, until someone can be found.

And - 

The work load doesn't drop. Wounded start coming in from the Ministry, from Diagon Alley - they're triaged as quickly as possible, all of them rushed to Hogwarts - almost all of them can be safely Apparated, at least, being the ones who found their own way here - 

They don't hear much about what's going on outside the controlled chaos in the hospital. Snatches. Murmurs. 

It doesn't sound like their side is doing well.

(It's exhausting work. They've never Apparated this much back to back, under this much creeping dread and fear.)

They've just got to keep going. This is how they're helping, for now.

Yeah.

It's better than waiting.

Much.

The rush slows, eventually. They're put on moving medications, especially those they'd rather deny the Death Eaters, as the medical staff get the last few patients ready for transfer. 

The news seems increasingly final, and the hospital head made the call to evacuate everyone who doesn't refuse to go. 

They were getting a lot of critical injuries for a while there, though - just a trickle, now. 

And as it gets down just to moving stock and equipment -

The hospital head tells Ellie, Anathema, and the other students who were recruited to help to take their last load and then help at Hogwarts. She'll keep a skeleton staff here in case more patients come in, but -

The evacuation is over, by and large.

(Anathema's shaking a little.)

They haven't seen Fay come through, at least.

Hug.

Let's go home.

It's not the final word. Anathema won't feel - settled, until they see her in front of them

(There's more things they can help with. A constant swirl of activity. A pressing need for every hand.)

(Anathema is exhausted.)

She gets their supplies unloaded and starts the long climb back to Fay's quarters, feeling almost numb. 

They'll be of more help if they take some time to rest now.

Yeah.

Fay's not back yet when they get to her rooms, though Scarlet's lurking unhappily. Anathema sits on the couch, pulling the kneazle into her lap and rubbing their ears.

Ellie plops next to her and cuddles.

They'll just wait up til she's back.