Hogwarts: Voldemort, don't stop me from studying

Chapter 1004 A Tricky Patient

In the few years since Vader arrived at the school, Hogwarts, which has stood for a thousand years, has undergone many significant changes, but those changes seem to have had little impact on the Medicine Wing.

As always, the air was filled with the mixed scents of potions and herbs. Having been notified in advance, Madam Pomfrey had already prepared a small bed with railings and a soft blanket.

Dumbledore stood by the window, watching the snow falling outside. He only turned around when he heard footsteps.

Mrs. Pomfrey had already gone to greet him, wiping her hands and taking the swaddled baby with a look of delight: "Oh, this is the child? Good heavens, he's so adorable."

“Although he looks like a baby, he is actually a forty-seven-year-old man,” Wade reminded her when he saw that Mrs. Pomfrey seemed about to kiss him.

“Of course I know, Wade. I haven’t forgotten why this child was sent here.”

As Mrs. Pomfrey spoke, she carefully touched the child's soft hand before bending down to place him in the crib.

Baby Hughes opened his clear eyes and looked around curiously. Seemingly because his hands and feet were finally free, he showed a happy smile without any gloom.

"Merlin..."

Mrs. Pomfrey clutched her chest, looking as if she was about to faint from cuteness.

After all, she had been a school doctor for decades, and the youngest patient she treated was eleven years old. She hadn't seen a child whose total body length was less than three feet in a long time.

Wade smiled helplessly, looked up, and met Dumbledore's gentle gaze.

"Wade," the principal asked with a smile in his eyes, "Is everything going smoothly?"

Wade smiled and said, "Aside from the baby crying too loudly... it should be going smoothly."

Dumbledore nodded and said, "Then, if you'd like, tell me about your experience later?"

Wade replied softly, "Yes, Professor."

While they were talking, Mrs. Pomfrey had already begun her diagnostic examination.

She flicked her wrist, and a soft, milky-white light shone from the tip of her cane, evenly illuminating the baby. The baby Hughes's entire body then glowed, albeit in varying degrees of intensity, as if he had suddenly been covered in bruises and spots.

Madam Pomfrey frowned, her previously relaxed expression turning serious. She drew small spirals with her wand in her hand, creating tangible ripples that swept across the baby's body.

After a long while, Pomfrey finally put down his wand.

“His situation is different from yours back then, Wade.”

She whispered, “You were regressing in a neat fashion before—every cell, every bone regressed in sync, like a movie that had been precisely reversed for a period of time, so it was easier to reverse it back.”

"But this child..."

She looked at the baby on the bed with pity and said, "It's not a simple regression, it's... shattering."

"Time within his body was in a terrifying chaos. The magic of time fell upon him like a rain shower, but in some places it was a downpour, in others a drizzle, and in still others it only dampened him slightly..."

"In a sense, it's a miracle that he survived... Most people would probably die from ruptured blood vessels in that instant."

Wade paused for a few seconds, then asked, "Then... if we send them to St. Mungo's Hospital, is there still hope?"

He knew that while Madam Pomfrey possessed exceptional healing magic, it didn't mean she could cure all ailments. In extremely complex situations, or those involving severe magical damage, she would transfer patients to St. Mungo's for treatment.

But this time, Mrs. Pomfrey shook her head.

"If this were a curse, poisoning, or black magic infection, I would have packed the person up and put them on the carriage by now... The healers there are more experienced and have seen more cases than I have in my entire life. In some areas, they do have better treatments."

“But this is time magic… Wade, when it comes to this kind of illness, they are novices just like me… no, probably even less skilled than me!” At least, she had experience successfully curing Wade.

"Moreover, St. Mungo's Hospital for Magical Treatment doesn't have time to adjust the pot, which is the key to the treatment."

Wade's eyes flickered: "You mean... 'the key to treatment'?"

“That’s right.” Madam Pomfrey smiled faintly. “His condition is very complicated and difficult to treat, but I didn’t say there was ‘no hope,’ did I?”

Just as Wade smiled, Mrs. Pomfrey added, "But given the complexity of the situation, I must say—even for me, the chances of success are less than 50. What if…"

“I understand.” Wade nodded before she could mention the worst-case scenario, saying, “I’ll talk to his people. I think… they’ve been prepared for this for a while now.”

……

As expected, after Wade explained the situation to Hawthorne, they quickly received a reply.

The 50% cure rate far exceeded Hawthorne's most optimistic predictions, and he did not hesitate to say that Hughes should stay at Hogwarts for treatment.

The time-regulating pot is the golden pot that made Wade and Harry shrink and grow again last time. That thing is actually a "yin-yang pot" and it's very easy to operate.

The left side of the kettle pours out particles that accelerate the flow of time, while the right side pours out particles that reverse time in a small area. There is a switch button on the handle, as well as a one-click retraction function that can retrieve all the released time particles.

But curing such a difficult patient requires more than just a time-regulating kettle; it also requires precise calculations and adjustments.

Mrs. Pomfrey planned to adjust time in Hughes' body in sections, making small adjustments each time, so that his body could gradually adapt to the normal flow of time, at least keeping most organs on the same level, in order to have a chance of a cure.

This is obviously a very time-consuming and meticulous task, and it may not be able to be completed in one or two months.

Meanwhile, to restore Hughes's body to normal, many precious potions are needed. Fortunately, the rarest of these—the tears of a phoenix willingly offered and the first tail hair shed by a unicorn cub—can be easily found at Hogwarts.

As for the dosage of time particles released each time, the conversion of time flow rate, and how to stack the spells to stabilize the body...

Madam Pomfrey had discussed these points with Dumbledore during the last treatment of Vader, and now only slight adjustments are needed.

After agreeing on the treatment plan, Mrs. Pomfrey went about her business, completely absorbed in a state of intense focus.

Dumbledore didn't bother her any further, but simply patted Wade on the shoulder, and then the two went out together.

It was late at night, and it was pitch black outside the window, with only the howling wind and the occasional snowflakes hitting the windowpane.

Dumbledore looked at the thin layer of fog on the windowpane, sighed, and said:

"The discussion of treatment options took longer than I expected... Wade, if you're tired, you can go back to your dorm and rest. We can talk about your trip tomorrow morning."

Wade shook his head: "Now is just right, Principal."

Looking at the castle corridors he hadn't seen in a long time, he said with a touch of emotion, "In the future... perhaps I won't want to talk about some of these issues anymore."

Dumbledore turned his head, the curve of his lips did not widen, but a bright light appeared in his eyes.

Then, a warmer smile slowly spread across his eyes, and he seemed to relax a bit.

He nodded slightly and said, "Indeed, some words are like the Chocolate Frog; you have to catch them before they jump away."

"Then come to my office. I happen to have a jar of the new cream toffee I bought from Honeydukes. It probably has a little bit of euphoria added, and it makes you feel exceptionally happy when you eat it."

"Of course, I also have the new Chocolate Frog in my drawer, or would you like to try it?"

(End of this chapter)