The True Meaning in the Mirror and Spreading Like Wildfire (Part 2)

"Merlin's beard..." Hermione covered her mouth, tears streaming down her face again. This was the price of withstanding the Killing Curse! If not for the Star Stone... she dared not imagine the consequences.

"Hermione! The Philosopher's Stone!" Harry's voice rang out urgently. He struggled to get up, his gaze falling on the base of the Mirror of Erised. With Voldemort's departure, the mirror's surface was once again shrouded in thick mist, but at the base of the mirror, at some unknown time, a blood-red stone emitting a soft halo had appeared out of nowhere! It lay there quietly, like a beating heart.

The Philosopher's Stone! The very thing Voldemort had schemed to obtain, and it ended up left here!

Harry rushed over and carefully picked up the warm stone. The moment his skin touched it, a gentle yet powerful life force surged into him through his palm, invigorating his spirit.

"We need to leave quickly! Go find Madam Pomfrey!" Harry ran back, holding the Philosopher's Stone, and his face turned ashen upon seeing Linley's horrific injuries.

"Right! Hurry!" Ron stumbled over to help as well.

Just as the three were preparing to lift Linley together, hurried and heavy footsteps echoed from the entrance of the stone chamber!

"What happened here?!" a majestic voice filled with shock boomed.

Headmaster Dumbledore appeared at the doorway! His silver-white beard and the azure eyes behind his half-moon spectacles were now filled with solemnity and disbelief. Following him were Professor McGonagall and Professor Snape. Professor McGonagall gasped and covered her mouth. Professor Snape's gloomy gaze swept across the devastated stone chamber, the fallen Quirrell, the unconscious Linley, finally settling on the Philosopher's Stone in Harry's hand, his expression inscrutable.

"Professor!" Harry exclaimed, sounding like he'd found a savior, his voice choked with tears, "It was Quirrell! Voldemort was attached to the back of his head! He wanted to steal the Philosopher's Stone! Linley... Linley to save us..." He choked, unable to continue.

Dumbledore strode quickly to Linley's side and knelt down. His aged but strong fingers gently felt for his pulse, then carefully examined the charred wound on his chest. For the first time, his eyes, which seemed to see through everything, revealed an expression of extreme gravity, especially when he noticed the faint starlight flickering beneath the scorched mark.

"Star Origin Backlash..." Dumbledore murmured to himself, his brow furrowed. "Forcibly activating it to counter the Killing Curse... has damaged his very foundation..." He immediately took out a small, crystal-clear vial from his robe sleeve. Inside swirled a liquid like molten gold – Fawkes' Tears!

"Support him," Dumbledore's voice carried an undeniable authority. Hermione immediately gripped Linley's shoulders firmly.

Dumbledore carefully uncorked the vial and dripped a few drops of golden Phoenix Tears onto the horrific charred wound on Linley's chest.

Ssss--!

Like a scorching hot iron meeting ice and snow, the charred wound emitted a puff of silver-gray smoke dotted with starlight the moment it touched the Phoenix Tears! The stubborn dark energy, carrying the aura of the Killing Curse, seemed to have met its nemesis. It let out faint hissing sounds, like the cries of venomous snakes, as it began to be neutralized and dispersed! At the same time, the faint starlight beneath the wound seemed to be nourished, its glow stabilizing slightly.

Linley's breathing, which had been so weak it was almost imperceptible, finally became more noticeable after the Phoenix Tears dripped onto him. Though still faint and rapid, it was no longer on the verge of stopping.

Hermione stared intently at Linley's face. Seeing his tightly furrowed brow relax slightly, her own taut heartstrings loosened a little, and tears blurred her vision once more. The Moon White Stone emitted a faint, comforting warmth.

"Send Mr. Linley to the Hospital Wing immediately!" Dumbledore ordered decisively, his voice carrying an unprecedented weight. "Severus, please escort Mr. Potter and Mr. Weasley for examination as well. Minerva, please seal this place at once and notify the Ministry."

Snape nodded silently and stepped forward to help Harry and Ron up. Professor McGonagall began setting up protective enchantments with a grave expression.

Hermione didn't move. She continued to hold Linley firmly, her gaze never leaving his pale face. Dumbledore looked at her, his azure eyes filled with deep reassurance. "Miss Granger, you need rest too. Mr. Linley requires the most meticulous treatment, and Madam Pomfrey will take good care of him."

Only then did Hermione seem to snap back to reality. She watched as the school nurse and a stretcher hurried over, carefully lifting Linley onto it. She followed the stretcher in a daze, her hand instinctively clenching Linley's cold fingers, as if they were the only link to her world.

As they passed through the dark corridor and left the underground stone chamber filled with the scent of death, returning to the bright and warm corridors of the castle, Hermione felt no warmth at all. Her heart sank with the unconscious figure on the stretcher, as if plunging into the icy depths of the sea. Only the extremely faint pulse beating in her fingertips and the continuous warmth from the Moon White Stone sustained her, preventing her from collapsing.

The pungent smell of disinfectant from the Hospital Wing hit them. Madam Pomfrey, like the most competent general, directed the nurses to place Linley on a bed by the window and immediately began busy with examinations, spells, and preparing potions.

Hermione was stopped outside the white curtain. She could only see Madam Pomfrey's stern face and the healing light flashing at the tip of her wand through the gaps. Every time the light flared, her heart clenched tighter.

Harry and Ron were placed on nearby beds. After a brief examination, Madam Pomfrey confirmed they had only sustained some bumps and frights and were not seriously injured. After drinking a calming potion, they soon fell into a deep sleep.

Only Hermione stood stubbornly outside the curtain of Linley's bed, like a silent statue. The bloodstains from Linley on her school robe had turned a dark crimson, glaring and cold. Tear tracks remained on her cheeks, and her brown eyes had lost their usual sparkle, replaced by an unshakeable worry and fear as she stared intently at the blurred figure within the curtain.

Time flowed slowly in the dead silence. Madam Pomfrey finally pulled back the curtain and emerged, her face weary but slightly more relaxed.

"Miss Granger," Madam Pomfrey's voice was unusually gentle, "Mr. Linley is temporarily out of mortal danger."

These words were like heavenly music, instantly breaking through Hermione's strained resolve. Her legs went weak, and she almost collapsed to the ground, but she managed to grab onto the nearby bedpost in time.

"Is... is it true?" Her voice trembled with disbelief and choked sobs.

"Yes," Madam Pomfrey nodded affirmatively. "The Phoenix Tears brought by the Headmaster played a crucial role in dispelling most of the dark erosion left by the Killing Curse. The wound on his chest was very severe, and his Star Origin was greatly depleted, but his vital signs have stabilized. However..." She paused, looking at Hermione's face, which had instantly tensed up again, "He will need a long period of rest and magical replenishment to recover, and it is highly likely... there will be sequelae of damaged magic. He overexerted himself too much."

Damaged magic... Hermione's heart sank again. For a wizard of such exceptional talent, this was almost a devastating blow. But compared to losing him, this was the best possible outcome. As long as he was alive...

"Can I... see him?" Hermione's voice was a humble plea.

Madam Pomfrey looked at the girl's red, swollen eyes and lost expression, sighed, and moved aside. "You can, but don't wake him. What he needs most now is deep sleep to recover."

Hermione practically lunged to Linley's bedside. He lay on the white hospital bed, his face still pale to the point of transparency, his long eyelashes casting faint shadows beneath his eyes. The wound on his chest was covered with thick bandages soaked in ointment, and the scorched edges were still faintly visible. His breathing was weak and even, as if he were merely in a deep sleep.

Hermione carefully reached out, her fingertips trembling, and very gently touched the hand resting outside the blanket. It was still cold. She carefully wrapped her own hands around his cold fingers, trying to transfer the warmth from her palms. Tears fell silently, dripping onto the white bedsheet, forming small water stains.

"I'm sorry... it's all because of me..." she sobbed softly, her voice broken, "You have to get better... Linley... please..."

She stayed quietly by the bedside, holding his hand, as if trying to pull him back from the abyss of slumber. The moonlight outside the window streamed through the glass, casting a gentle glow on both of them, forming an embracing shadow at the foot of the bed. The Moon White Stone emitted a faint, steady warmth on her chest, like an unquenchable glimmer in the darkness, persistently connecting two closely intertwined hearts.