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Chapter 644: Awakening
Chapter 644: Awakening
It's finally over! Albert excitedly checked the completion status of the panel task. Now that Tom Riddle and his "little snake" were thoroughly defeated, he felt a sense of relief throughout his body.
The attack incident had indeed put Albert under significant pressure.
Being a well-known Muggle-born wizard in school, he was already high on the list of potential targets, making him the perfect choice for Riddle to make an example of.
Who knew when the Basilisk would strike and attack him?
If he had been petrified, he would have considered himself lucky to have escaped with his life. But if he had lost his life inexplicably like Myrtle, he wouldn't even have a place to lament his misfortune.
Fortunately, it was all over now! As Albert exited Professor McGonagall's office, he saw Fred and George waiting for him in the corridor. The two were giving him unfriendly looks, clearly still upset about being knocked out by his Stunning Spell earlier.
"It's best to keep this matter confidential."
Albert didn't wait for the twins to cause trouble and took the initiative to speak first. "You wouldn't want Ginny to get into trouble, so it's best to keep this quiet. Just announce that Harry entered the Chamber of Secrets, killed the Basilisk, and rescued Ginny, who had been taken by the monster."
The twins were stunned but quickly understood what Albert meant.
Indeed, if the other students found out that the attack was related to Ginny, her life at school would likely become difficult.
"Remember to tell Harry, especially Ron," Albert reminded them. "Don't let them blabber; they might accidentally let something slip."
"Speaking of which, how did Lockhart overhear your private conversation with Hermione?"
"That was an accident."
"Yeah, an accident."
Fred and George chimed in together. They felt that unlucky Lockhart had probably been thrown out as bait by Albert, but the mysterious person hadn't taken the bait.
"Where are you going?"
The two asked curiously as they saw Albert continue walking forward.
"To the hospital wing," Albert replied without hesitation.
Before leaving, Fred and George turned back and teased, "You'd better hurry up, or all the good food will be gone, and don't come complaining to us later."
"See you later."
As Albert turned into the hospital wing, Madam Pomfrey was handing a cup of sleep-inducing potion to Ginny, discussing her condition with the Weasley couple beside her.
"Mr. Anderson, is there something I can help you with?" Madam Pomfrey asked in surprise.
"I heard that Professor Lockhart met with an accident? I came to visit him and also to see how Hermione is doing," Albert said, nodding slightly to the Weasley couple. "How's Ginny doing?"
"Ginny is just a bit shaken up," Mrs. Weasley said. "Thanks to you, if it weren't for you..."
"It was all Harry's doing," Albert said modestly.
"Anyway, feel free to visit us during the summer holidays," the Weasley couple said, giving Albert a hug before leaving Hogwarts together.
"I heard you uncovered the truth behind the attacks," Madam Pomfrey winked at Albert. "Everyone will be grateful for your contribution to the school. Professor McGonagall mentioned to me earlier that the school might have been closed otherwise."
Albert glanced at Lockhart, who was sleeping in the bed, and changed the subject.
"His condition is quite severe," Madam Pomfrey shook her head. "Someone cast a powerful Obliviate spell on him, causing permanent damage to his mind. He has forgotten everything, even how to speak and walk. It's as if he's a newborn baby. I've never seen such a terrible case. He'll likely have to spend the rest of his life at St. Mungo's."
"The Dark Arts taught by the Defense Against the Dark Arts professor are indeed dreadful," Albert bluntly blamed the curse. "Now that I think about it, Professor Burbage was truly wise to resign early and escape the curse. Perhaps Professor Lockhart should have resigned earlier as well."
Madam Pomfrey didn't respond but seemed to agree with Albert's opinion.
The fates of the last three Defense Against the Dark Arts teachers had been nothing short of tragic.
Ronald Smith had gone missing without a trace.
As for Professor Quirrell, he had been turned to ashes.
And now, Lockhart had suffered the worst fate of all; the powerful spell had reduced him to a blank slate, robbing him of even the ability to speak or take care of himself. He would likely spend the rest of his life as a simpleton.
"By the way, here's a Mandrake Restorative Draught. I had originally prepared it for myself, but it looks like I won't be needing it anymore. It should be able to help wake up those who were petrified." Albert took out a bottle of potion from his pocket and handed it to Madam Pomfrey.
"You prepared this for yourself?" Madam Pomfrey was taken aback, feeling somewhat incredulous. Nonetheless, she reached out and took the potion from Albert, examining it to confirm its effects.
If they had to wait for the Mandrake to mature and then brew the potion to lift the petrification, it would be at least mid-June before it was ready.
Having a potion to wake up those who had been petrified by the Basilisk was undoubtedly a good thing.
"Where did you get this potion from?" Madam Pomfrey asked, realizing that the quality of the Restorative Draught was exceptionally high.
"I know a famous Potioneer, Mr. Hector Dagworth-Granger," Albert explained. "I asked him to brew this Restorative Draught for me, just in case."
"However, I'm afraid this amount will only be enough to wake up one person," Madam Pomfrey said, guessing that Albert intended to use it on Hermione.
"I have more."
Albert didn't want to put Madam Pomfrey in a difficult position, so he took out two more bottles of the Restorative Draught from his pocket.
Madam Pomfrey's expression turned a little odd, as she hadn't expected Albert to be so well-prepared.
"How should I get her to drink the potion?" Albert asked as he approached Hermione's bedside, preparing to complete the task of waking her up.
Looking at Hermione's face, Albert suddenly felt a sense of deja vu, as if he were about to wake up a sleeping beauty.
"Don't tell me... I have to kiss her?" he thought with a mischievous smile.
A romantic tale of a prince and princess.
"Just slowly drip the potion onto her lips," Madam Pomfrey instructed Albert as she did the same with Colin Creevey.
Albert followed her example and dripped the Restorative Draught onto Hermione's lips.
However, the effects didn't seem very noticeable.
Albert poked Hermione's cheek with his finger, but her body remained stiff.
"It'll take some time for the Restorative Draught to take full effect," Madam Pomfrey explained.
A few minutes later, Hermione blinked and returned to her normal state from the petrification. Upon waking up, she was startled to find a familiar face so close to hers.
"Albert!"
Hermione almost bumped her head against Albert's face.
"Shh! If you keep making a fuss, Madam Pomfrey will kick me out of the hospital wing," Albert said, putting his finger to his lips in a shushing gesture. With a smile, he added, "The Restorative Draught worked well."
"I saw..." Hermione recalled what she had witnessed before being petrified, and she instinctively covered her chest with her hand, her whole body shaking uncontrollably. "I saw the Basilisk, and I thought it was going to kill me with its eyes."
"It was Nick who saved you, and he was petrified as well," Albert said nonchalantly. "But don't worry, the Basilisk has been killed by Harry, and I've caught the culprit. Hogwarts will soon return to its peaceful state, and the danger is over."
There seemed to be an indescribable magic in Albert's voice, calming Hermione's emotions.
"Harry and Ron will be very happy to know you're awake. They're planning a small celebration," Albert said, turning to Madam Pomfrey. "Will Miss Granger be able to attend?"
"You can wait over there for a few minutes while I perform a full check-up on her," Madam Pomfrey said.
"I know you must have a lot of questions, so don't worry. I'll tell you everything you want to know," Albert assured Hermione.
(End of Chapter)
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