Green flames rose from the fireplace. Professor Snape strode out carrying Amanda, with Professor McGonagall and Professor Flitwick following close behind.
Three Hogwarts Professors appearing at St Mungos late at night, and carrying a student to boot.
This was something no one had seen since the founding of St Mungos.
The medical staff, who quickly surrounded them, froze in their tracks upon seeing the three Professors; many couldn't help but gulp.
After all, how many Wizards in the UK didn't come from Hogwarts?
Facing these three Professors truly felt like being back at school.
Fortunately, their professional skills were extensive. After only a moment's hesitation, a female doctor quickly stepped forward and took Amanda from Professor Snape's arms.
Looking down at Amanda, whose nose and eyes were bleeding incessantly and whose body was trembling, she couldn't help but frown.
"What's the situation with this child?"
She looked up at the three Professors, wanting to determine exactly what was wrong with Amanda.
"Crucio, more than once."
Professor Snape's low voice rang out as his eyes swept over everyone present.
"We expect everyone to keep this confidential."
Professor McGonagall nodded in agreement. "Yes, for the sake of this child."
The moment they heard "Crucio," the eyes of all the medical staff widened.
As for the Professors' request for confidentiality, they didn't even listen seriously.
Maintaining patient confidentiality was their duty; now, all they had to do was provide emergency treatment as quickly as possible.
The female doctor carrying Amanda turned and ran toward a ward, shouting the names of the required Potions to the nurse behind her.
Upon hearing her shouts, Professor Snape nodded to Professor McGonagall. "I'm going back for a moment; I'll be right back."
With that, he stepped back into the fireplace. With a handful of floo powder, green flames flared up.
Professor McGonagall and Professor Flitwick quickly followed the medical staff, watching as they placed Amanda onto a bed in the ward.
As soon as she was placed on the hospital bed, Amanda's body instinctively curled up tightly.
Three doctors simultaneously drew their wands and used professional healing magic on Amanda, attempting to stabilize her condition.
As three streams of magic connected to Amanda, her body finally relaxed slightly.
"No, this can only stabilize her for a moment. Where are the Potions?! Not here yet?"
The female doctor from before shouted toward the door. Merlin's beard, how many years had it been since St Mungos had received a patient injured by Crucio?
Not to mention the girl's condition was so poor—Crucio more than once. Which Dark Wizard was so powerful yet so insane?
To use Crucio to harm such a young Young Wizard right under the noses of so many Professors and Headmaster Dumbledore.
Every member of the medical staff present gritted their teeth. Fortunately, it wasn't long before the nurse rushed back, pushing a cart full of Potions.
"The Potions are here, the Potions are here."
"Quick, Soul Stabilizer."
One of the doctors reached out, and the nurse quickly pulled a bottle from the Potions and handed it to him.
The doctor acted quickly, bypassing the three doctors using magic on Amanda to feed the Potion directly to her.
As soon as the Potion was administered, the shaking of Amanda's body immediately intensified. "Ugh..."
A small whimper sounded. The doctor frowned; the child's soul damage was too great, hence this reaction to the Soul Stabilizer.
"Continue, give me another bottle."
The nurse didn't delay for a second, handing him bottle after bottle of Soul Stabilizer in succession.
After a full five bottles, the trembling in Amanda's body finally diminished slightly, and the blood seeping from her nose and eyes stopped.
By now, the pillow Amanda was resting on had been stained red.
"Merlin, five bottles and it's still not enough."
Just as the doctor was about to turn and ask the nurse for more Potions, he saw her looking at him with a face full of anxiety, speaking incredibly fast.
"We're out of Soul Stabilizer!"
The scope of use for Soul Stabilizer was very narrow; almost no one ever needed it.
Furthermore, its ingredients were precious and it was difficult to make; only a few Potion Masters in the entire UK could brew it.
Thus, St Mungos Hospital for Magical Maladies and Injuries only had five bottles in stock. They had originally thought that would be enough, but who knew... "Gone!"
The doctor's head buzzed, and the three doctors who were constantly using magic to stabilize Amanda's condition also turned pale.
Their current magic output was too high; they couldn't hold on for much longer.
"Please hold on, everyone," Professor McGonagall said, taking off her Wizard hat and pursing her lips at the three doctors. "Severus has already gone back to get more Potions."
If she and Filius weren't unskilled in professional healing magic, they would have already stepped in to help stabilize Amanda's condition.
Shifting her gaze to Amanda on the bed, Professor McGonagall's eyes grew moist. What a foolish child, using Crucio to punish herself.
Once she woke up, she would definitely have to receive some stern disciplinary education.
Of the gentle variety, of course.
"I think these should be enough." Professor Snape strode into the ward, manipulating over a dozen bottles of Soul Stabilizer to fly in front of the doctor, along with five bottles of Blood-Replenishing Potion.
This time, he had used up his entire stock of Soul Stabilizer.
The doctor responsible for feeding Amanda the Potion's eyes lit up, and he quickly resumed his work.
As bottle after bottle of Soul Stabilizer was poured in, the trembling in Amanda's body slowly stopped. The doctor raised a hand to wipe the sweat from his forehead.
The most critical moment had passed; at least the child's soul shouldn't have any issues.
Next, she needed blood replenishment. Prolonged bleeding had already made Amanda's face pale.
Everyone knew whether to choose a Blood-Replenishing Potion from St Mungos or one from a Potion Master.
After two bottles, Amanda's complexion returned to a healthy glow. The doctor feeding Amanda couldn't help but click his tongue; Professor Snape's skills had improved yet again.
Seeing Amanda's condition turn for the better, everyone's mood relaxed slightly.
The three doctors who had been maintaining the magic also withdrew their wands. Each staggered back two steps, and Professor McGonagall quickly conjured a chair for each of them to sit.
"Thank you, Professor McGonagall." The three thanked her somewhat sheepishly. To still be looked after by their Professor after graduation... it was indeed a bit embarrassing.
"You're welcome. Even if you've graduated, you're still children I've taught."
Professor McGonagall shook her head and walked to Amanda's bedside. With a light tap of her wand, a clean set of hospital pajamas instantly appeared from the bedside cabinet.
The men present instinctively turned away, not looking back until the rustling sound of changing clothes stopped.
By then, Amanda had been automatically changed into the hospital pajamas, and Professor McGonagall had also replaced her pillow.
Professor Flitwick sighed, stepping forward to look at Amanda's face, which had regained its color and was now as calm as water.
"There are still areas where we haven't done enough, especially me."
"This will be a long process of change, Filius," Professor McGonagall said, gently stroking Amanda's forehead. "You know we can't rush it."
"Alright..." Professor Flitwick nodded, trying to pull himself together. "I think I should go find Miss Cho Chang and the others later. Amanda might feel better seeing her friends when she wakes up."
"Mm." Professor McGonagall smiled in agreement.
Although the medical staff were very confused as to why this young girl named Amanda had been tortured like this by Crucio.
But seeing that none of the three Professors intended to speak of it, they simply didn't dare to ask.
Professor Snape flicked his wand, causing the remaining three bottles of Blood-Replenishing Potion to land on the small cart in front of the nurse.
"The Potion makers at St Mungos now are Mr. Trento and Miss Fuina, correct?"
The nurse shuddered violently and nodded tremulously. "Y-yes..."
Merlin knew that as a Little Badger who had graduated years ago, what she feared most was Professor Snape.
During her school years, she was scolded in almost every Potion Class, and being scolded to tears happened more than once or twice.
"Hmph," Professor Snape snorted coldly. "Tell them to go to Hogwarts every Sunday night. Brewing Blood-Replenishing Potion like this, and not even knowing how to brew Soul Stabilizer."
"Working for several years and your Troll heads still haven't changed. Is it Fluxweed growing inside?"
Hearing this familiar "scolding," everyone in the ward—except for Professor McGonagall, Professor Flitwick, and Amanda lying on the bed—couldn't help but shudder.
Professor McGonagall looked at Professor Snape helplessly. He clearly wanted to help, yet he insisted on speaking like that; this child Severus... Sensing Professor McGonagall's gaze, Professor Snape remained unmoved, his lips tightly pursed as he looked at Amanda on the bed.
With Amanda's condition stabilized, except for one doctor who stayed behind to keep watch, the other medical staff prepared to hurry back to work after a brief rest.
Although it was the middle of the night and there weren't many people, they still had to be on duty!
However, before they could even reach the door, Amanda on the bed twitched violently, causing the hospital bed to clang loudly.
Professor McGonagall and Professor Flitwick simultaneously took a step back, their wands already in their hands.
Professor Snape quickly stepped forward to stand beside them, turning to the medical staff at the same time. "Out! Everyone out! Now!"
The medical staff reacted quickly and turned to leave, however... Bang!
With a loud crash, the ward door slammed shut instantly. No matter how hard they pulled, it wouldn't open.
"The door won't open..." the nurse said tremulously, her eyes fixed on Amanda on the bed in shock.
This young girl had looked so critical just a moment ago; what was happening now?
"Everyone stay back, don't come over," Professor McGonagall warned over her shoulder, then slowly moved in front of them with Professor Flitwick and Professor Snape, shielding the medical staff behind them.
What was currently happening to Amanda was not within the expertise of these medical staff, nor did they have the ability to deal with it.
In the eyes of the three Professors, they could clearly feel the magic within Amanda churning incessantly. Moreover, the amount of magic—already more terrifying than that of her peers or even adult wizards—was growing at a geometric rate.
"Ugh..."
Amanda's body on the bed arched slightly upward.
Blurred images flashed through her mind one after another, accompanied by several indistinct voices.
In a brightly lit underground laboratory, over a dozen children whose faces were obscured and who were at most fifteen or sixteen years old were constantly moving about, operating equipment.
"How much longer... until total completion?" a boy's voice asked.
"At least five minutes... we still need to... before we can..." a girl's voice answered him with incredible calm.
"The ones outside... are already here. We'll go... time."
The voices of the dozen or so children were intermittent, like a radio with a poor connection.
Then the scene flashed; several of the children walked out of the underground laboratory, closing the heavy door.
When the image appeared again, only their corpses remained on the ground, along with the blown-open door of the underground laboratory.
The other children with obscured faces stood in a row, holding each other's hands, their faces showing no fear and even bearing smiles.
"We succe... you must..."
"Deformed... blinded by greed... will never under... childhood... power."
A series of gunshots rang out, and large-caliber bullets flew straight toward them as they held hands.
For the first time, Amanda's face showed the truest, most terrifying hatred.
"Ah!!!"
She shrieked, roaring and twisting her body in convulsions on the bed. Her previously hoarse throat and pained body were no obstacle under the support of her geometrically increasing magic.
All the objects in the ward began to shake violently. The three Professors exchanged a glance and simultaneously cast Shield Charms in front of them.
Sure enough, in the next instant, every object except for the bed Amanda was lying on rose into the air, spinning incessantly.
Even more intense, angry roars continued to erupt from Amanda's mouth.
Having never roared like this before, it was as if she were trying to snap her own ribs with a single shout, her chest constantly exerting force.
Within seconds, the entire ward began to tremble, followed by the entire St Mungos Hospital for Magical Maladies and Injuries.
Everyone still in the hospital instinctively grabbed onto nearby fixed objects, not understanding what was happening.
"Roar!"
With a roar like a wild beast, Amanda raised both hands and slammed them down hard on the bed.
The entire St Mungos Hospital for Magical Maladies and Injuries shuddered heavily for a second.
Amanda's internal magic surged in an instant; in the eyes of the Wizards, she now looked like a sun.
Including Professor McGonagall and the other two, everyone in the ward closed their eyes and turned their heads away, but the intense light still kept piercing their eyes.
It stung their eyes with pain. Rumble... rumble... a massive sound of the earth shaking rang out, and the silent night of London was awakened by this huge rumbling.
People who were startled awake ran out of their homes in panic, looking at everything shaking around them and shouting that there was an earthquake, while constantly running toward open areas.
Amidst Amanda's roars and venting, the entirety of London began to shake in this dark night.
At the same time, in different places: in the massive Oak Library, a gentle elder sister's sudden fury blurred the entire sky... in the deep forest, a girl bent on death stopped her steps toward the lake, turned, and walked toward the small wooden cabin outside the forest, the darkness in her eyes deepening...
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