When Madam Pomfrey saw the group of them, especially the hastily bandaged arm on Lynn that was still seeping blood, she immediately set down the medicine bottles she had been sorting and hurried over.
"Merlin! What happened?" She swiftly untied Hermione's handkerchief. When she saw the healing yet still gruesome burn wound beneath it, along with the lingering dark green, foul-smelling traces, her expression immediately turned grave. "Basilisk Venom?! You encountered a Basilisk?!"
"Yes, Madam." Harry quickly recounted what had happened in Myrtle's Bathroom, emphasizing how Lynn had been splashed by the venom while protecting Hermione.
Madam Pomfrey sucked in a breath and immediately directed Lynn to lie down on an empty bed. "Dittany can only handle emergencies! Basilisk venom is extremely complex. Even if it was diluted and blocked by Protego, the residue must be completely removed!" She briskly examined the wound, her brows tightly furrowed. "You need a special purifying serum and continuous magical guidance to prevent the venom from corroding your Magic Circuit. Mr. Stone, you'll need to remain here for observation these next few days!"
Lynn had no objection and merely nodded calmly. Leaning against the white pillow, his face was somewhat pale from blood loss and pain, but his gaze remained steady.
Hermione stood beside the bed, tightly clutching the hem of her clothes. As she watched Madam Pomfrey carefully use tweezers to remove the remaining charred tissue around the wound, watched the raw flesh slowly twitch under the effects of Dittany, it felt as though an invisible hand had clenched around her heart. Every touch of the tweezers made her own arm seem to sting in response.
"Miss Granger, your use of Dittany was very timely and accurate. Otherwise, this could have been much worse." Madam Pomfrey took a moment to praise Hermione.
Hermione