When Severus Snape had still been a teacher at Hogwarts, he often punished children with detention. One of the tasks was squeezing leech juice.
It was a rather disgusting job, but it was a commonly used ingredient in potions. Yet the onyx cup placed before the sculpture at the Innocence Fountain kept drinking blood without knowing when to stop, unlike a leech. The bright red, bloodlike substance had filled an entire pool, but Felix was nowhere to be seen.
After spotting all this with his excellent eyesight, he went to the nearby Saint-Sulpice Fountain. Alessandro, Monica, Haji, and Felix were all waiting for him there.
"It's an ambush!" Felix said at once when he saw him.
"I know," Severus said calmly. "What we need to do now is draw them somewhere else."
"How?" Monica asked.
"I have a task for you." Severus took out a vial. "I need to find a safe place..."
"You want me to stay home?" Monica planted her hands on her hips and said bluntly. "Why? Because I'm a girl?"
"The smell released when this burns will make souls leave their bodies. But that will leave our bodies as if they were dead. I need you to find a safe place where everyone can lie down safely." Severus handed the vial to Monica. "And you have to wake them before dawn."
"Them? That doesn't include you?" Haji asked.
"I'll cross over, body included," Severus said. "You don't have to do the same."
Everyone fell silent.
"What will happen if our bodies cross into that world too?" Alessandro asked.
"I don't know. I only know that if your souls haven't returned by dawn, you'll all die," Severus said calmly.
As they spoke, they suddenly heard the sound of hoofbeats. Everyone turned toward it and saw a carriage