Chapter 1482: Led Astray
Chapter 1482: Led Astray
Aberforth's plan did not come to fruition.
However, after insinuating that he should take a peek inside Albert's trunk and seeing the miserable state of the young students who had caused him to hide, his previous sullen mood instantly vanished, and he promptly abandoned the idea of bothering them further.
That night, the tortured students finally had the opportunity to be escorted to Hogwarts for treatment by Madam Pomfrey.
If even Madam Pomfrey was unable to heal their wounds, they would have to seek the healers at St. Mungo's Hospital for Magical Maladies and Injuries.
However, the members of the Order of the Phoenix did not want that to happen, as they could not be certain of the healers' reliability and whether Death Eaters were lying in wait for them to walk right into a trap.
In fact, the Death Eaters had indeed set a trap, expecting the Order to bring the injured students for treatment.
After all, the students had been brutally tortured, and their injuries were severe. They would undoubtedly require proper medical attention, and the Order would surely bring them to the hospital unless they intended to abandon them.
In Snape's own words, "If we abandon those students, we cease to be the Order of the Phoenix."
Of course, as the prime suspect, Madam Pomfrey was also under strict surveillance by the Death Eaters. Fortunately, the Order had ample experience in dealing with such situations.
When Alecto and her group of Dark Wizards barged into the infirmary, Madam Pomfrey was perusing the latest issue of the "Witch Weekly" magazine.
Unfazed by the intruders' aggressive demeanor, the matron glared at them, her voice low, subdued, and angry as she said, "Get out. Don't disturb the other patients."
Alecto paid no heed to the anger on Madam Pomfrey's face. She waved her wand, pushing the matron aside, and ordered her followers to search the infirmary thoroughly.
"Are you satisfied now? Leave," Madam Pomfrey said, raising her own wand, ready to forcibly evict them.
"I'll be watching you," Alecto said with a smirk, fixing her gaze on Madam Pomfrey before turning and leaving the infirmary under the nurse's angry stare.
After Alecto's departure, several Dark Wizards brought in tables and chairs to keep watch outside the infirmary.
Alecto had considered leaving them inside, but Madam Pomfrey threatened to resign, forcing the Death Eaters to leave the infirmary.
It couldn't be helped.
Hogwarts was in dire need of an excellent healer, or else who would treat the injured and sick students?
Harming students at Hogwarts was not permitted, as it was the Dark Lord's private domain, his means of controlling the British wizarding community. If a student were to die at Hogwarts, it would become a troublesome matter.
Even Voldemort would not want to provoke the entire British wizarding community.
He needed to keep the situation under control, not let it spiral out of hand.
However, the Dark Wizards playing cards outside were unaware that the woman inside was not the real Madam Pomfrey but a member of the Order of the Phoenix in disguise, thanks to a Polyjuice Potion. The real Madam Pomfrey was at that moment tending to the tortured students.
As for the timing, it couldn't be helped.
Ever since the cruelly tortured students had been rescued, Hogwarts had been under Snape's tight surveillance. It was no easy feat to return them to Hogwarts and seek Madam Pomfrey's help under his watchful eye.
All of this was Albert's fault. He had corrupted the once pure-hearted wizards.
At some point, the wizards had become increasingly treacherous.
Sometimes, one wrong step could lead to falling into a pitfall.
"Poppy, how are they doing?" Professor McGonagall asked, standing by the bedside and watching Madam Pomfrey work.
"If possible, I'd suggest sending them to St. Mungo's for more comprehensive treatment," Madam Pomfrey replied as she cleaned the whip marks on the unconscious students' bodies and applied magical ointment to their wounds.
After tending to the external injuries, Madam Pomfrey would continue to administer various potions to their mouths to neutralize the Dark Magic lingering in their bodies and alleviate their physical pain.
"I'm afraid that's not an option," Kingsley vetoed the suggestion immediately. "St. Mungo's is under Death Eater surveillance. We would expose ourselves if we went there." He had tried and discovered the trap, abandoning the idea of sending the students to the hospital.
"I can't guarantee that I can heal them completely," Madam Pomfrey said, her face grim throughout.
"Are the injuries severe?" Lupin asked worriedly.
"No, I'm more concerned about their mental state after enduring such torture," Madam Pomfrey replied. "Those Dark Wizards seem to have used excessive amounts of Veritaserum on them. Prolonged exposure to that potion can have adverse effects." She had heard their agonized screams from the dungeons when she went to the Great Hall for a meal.
"I just can't fathom what they were thinking," she muttered as she continued treating the students, her voice filled with complaint. "Why provoke the Death Eaters? Why put themselves through this?"
"We've reminded them more than once to take care of themselves," Sirius said after a moment of silence among the group. "But they just won't listen. They insist on courting death. In Anderson's words, they brought it upon themselves."
"We have a problem," Madam Pomfrey said suddenly.
"What is it?"
"I don't have enough of the potion Anderson left me to counteract the Cruciatus Curse," Madam Pomfrey explained, asking Professors McGonagall and Lupin to help administer the potions to the students.
"Is there anyone among you skilled in potion-making?"
The group exchanged glances, none of them speaking up.
"Albert should be good at it. I should've insisted that he come along," Sirius said.
"It's useless. Anderson dislikes those who court death," he added, pulling out a communication quill to try and contact Albert. As he expected, he couldn't reach him and could only leave a message.
"Poppy…"
"The pain relief potion is a bit tricky to brew. If I do it, the effect may not be as noticeable or even negligible," Madam Pomfrey admitted. She had tried brewing it before, but the results were not ideal.
"What should we do?"
"We'll have to make do. At most, they'll feel pain when they wake up," Madam Pomfrey said helplessly. The lingering phantom pain after the Cruciatus Curse was not easily eliminated.
She always felt that if Albert were willing to spend some time improving the pain relief potion, the Ministry of Magic should award him a Merlin Medal.
Of course, it was also possible that he already had one and didn't value the honor that much.
(End of Chapter)
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