Chapter 729
Slughorn
Chapter 729 Slughorn
The moment Wade pushed open the ward door, he smelled a heavy, oppressive odor mixed with the scent of sedatives and blood.
The room was dimly lit by only a kerosene lamp. In the corner, a hunched figure was curled up on the ground, wrapped tightly in a dark green robe like a frightened hedgehog.
“Don’t use the Fluorescent Charm, and don’t speak loudly,” the young healer, Pai, who had brought them there, whispered to Wade and Harry. “He’s afraid of bright light and loud noise.”
The commotion of the group entering the room startled the patient huddled in the corner. He twitched reflexively, tried to hide himself, and said in a hoarse voice:
"No...don't come here..."
Wade saw that it was a very thin, bald old man, whose bathrobe looked empty, like a curtain hanging on a skeleton.
His neck and wrists, which were exposed by his clothes, were wrapped in bandages, and dark red blood was seeping out from the bandages.
Ordinary wounds heal in the blink of an eye under the influence of potions. Wounds that require bandages and are still bleeding either contain a potent toxin or are the result of dark magic.
Dumbledore walked over slowly and said softly, "Horace, it's me, Albus..."
"no no……"
Slughorn suddenly began to tremble violently, waving his hands wildly in front of him as he screamed, "I don't know anything... spare me... please spare me..."
He banged his head against the wall several times, and Dumbledore quickly waved his wand to stop him from hurting himself any further.
After being controlled by the spell, Slughorn struggled frantically for a few moments before suddenly stopping. His cloudy eyes shone with a sickly light, and his lips curled into an exaggerated smile.
"Oh, thank you for the pineapple, yes, I really like it..."
A blush rose on his sallow face, and he spoke mysteriously to the empty wall:
"See this mead? It was a gift from the principal of Vagado, top-quality stuff... Want some? Let me tell you, no one else has the honor of this..."
Suddenly, the light in his eyes shattered, and he curled up into a ball again, nervously biting his nails.
"Don't ask me...this...this is very evil...I won't say anything..."
Harry stared blankly at the crazed patient when suddenly, Dumbledore gently nudged Harry's back.
The boy hesitated, then took a step forward, and the faint light shone into his green eyes.
Slughorn turned his head and saw it. He suddenly froze, his bloodshot eyes fixed on Harry's eyes.
Those scarlet eyes immediately reminded Harry of Voldemort. He felt uneasy, yet also a little sorry for him. He took another step forward and whispered:
"Hello? Sir... how can I help you?"
Large tears suddenly slid down the patient's sunken cheeks. He opened his mouth slightly and cried like a child, mumbling a name incoherently.
Harry listened carefully for a while before he understood what he was saying—
“Lily…Lily…Forgive me…Lily…I was wrong, I shouldn’t…I shouldn’t have told him those things…”
Harry froze.
Slughorn sobbed incoherently, then slid to the ground, curling up like a child, repeatedly apologizing and repenting to the deceased.
Harry turned to Dumbledore in disbelief, then to Slughorn, and asked, "The Lily you're talking about... is my mother? You know her? Why are you apologizing to her?"
Slughorn, who was curled up on the ground, stopped crying, looked up at Harry blankly, and then suddenly chuckled foolishly.
“Correct answer. Ten points for Gryffindor. Please have a seat, Miss Evans.”
Slughorn spoke as if he were lecturing students, saying, "Yes... the preparation of Felix Felicis is extremely complex. I dare say there are very few wizards in all of England who can successfully brew it... Now I will explain the key points..."
As he lectured, an overly bright smile spread across his face, while tears streamed down his face.
This bizarre expression completely shocked Harry. He didn't know why, but for a moment he couldn't even bear to continue talking to him. "Go try it, Wade."
Dumbledore said softly.
Vader stepped forward, and before he could even offer a polite smile or speak, Slughorn suddenly began to tremble violently as if he had been electrocuted.
His eyes were wide open, his pupils shrinking to the size of pinpoints, as he stared intently at Wade's face.
"Do not--"
A heart-wrenching scream ripped through the ward. Slughorn frantically pressed himself against the wall, clutching his head and screaming hysterically:
"No—no—don't ask me—I'd rather die—Tom!"
Wade's eyes widened instantly.
In the struggle, Slughorn knocked over the medicine bottle on the bedside table. The young therapist wanted to stop him but didn't know how, waving his arms helplessly like a clumsy bird practicing flight.
Amidst the continuous screams, the healers rushed into the ward. Dumbledore pulled him behind him, and he saw the dark green curtains slam shut, shutting out the crazed Slughorn, but the piercing wails continued to echo:
"Don't ask me...don't ask me!"
"Excuse me, the patient cannot be disturbed at this time. Please leave!"
A therapist wearing a mask spoke rudely, opened his arms and pushed the group out of the ward, then slammed the door shut.
Outside the door, Harry, pale-faced, gripped his wand tightly, unable to imagine the terrible torment the people inside had endured.
Dumbledore stood like a statue, his long beard trembling slightly, his eyes flashing with indescribable pain.
After a while, Wade heard the wailing inside gradually turn into intermittent sobs, like a dying animal, the sound getting softer and softer until it finally disappeared.
They seemed to have just gone through a terrible ordeal, and now they could finally relax a little, their backs covered in a layer of cold sweat.
Wade's gaze suddenly became somewhat unfocused, and he seemed slightly lost in thought.
For the first time, standing outside the ward, he truly understood the excruciating torment that bystanders endured when patients struggled in pain.
The person inside was a stranger to him, and their wails already broke his heart. If it were a blood relative... how heart-wrenching would that be?
The light in Wade's eyes dimmed slightly, and an unspeakable pain began to surface.
"boom!"
The ward door suddenly opened, and an elderly therapist strode out, his robes billowing, and growled angrily:
"Dumbledore! I told you long ago, the patient's condition is very bad! He needs rest! Rest! How could you agitate him like this?!"
Before the sound stopped, she suddenly noticed the appearance of the two boys beside her and immediately opened her mouth in surprise:
"You...you two are..."
“Yes.” Dumbledore placed his hands on their shoulders and said, “They are Wade Grey and Harry Potter. I think you understand why I brought them here, dear Elliott… This is very important to Horace, to the wizarding world. Please give us a little more time.”
The therapist hesitated, glancing at the huddled figures in the ward, then at the two boys, before finally letting out a heavy sigh:
"five minutes."
She said, "If he gets provoked again, I'll kick you all out immediately!"
(End of this chapter)