Love-Brained, Old Ginger, and Promises / A Brain Damaged by the Memory Charm

"Give me back how I got here!" To everyone's surprise, Sirius immediately started glaring and bristling. "You have the nerve to ask me? You just abandoned everyone and ran away without a word last night! Do you know how I survived?!"

"What else can we do but live normally?" Harry chuckled dryly and muttered, "What else can we do but live like me..."

"Stop playing dumb with me, you brat!" Sirius glared at Harry, annoyed. "Do you know that unfortunate girl kept bothering me last night, and even followed me to the nursing home? You're just trying to dump this kind of trouble on me! You're a complete scumbag!"

"She went to a nursing home?" Harry was taken aback. "And then, how did you get away?"

"How else can we get away? Just knock her out." Sirius shrugged nonchalantly. "It's just a sleeping spell, I've done it before."

"You're ruthless..."

Harry was speechless upon hearing this. Phoebe was, after all, a stunning beauty. If it were an ordinary person, they would probably treat her like a goddess.

But his godfather was quite different; he showed no mercy whatsoever, and would cast a sleeping spell at the drop of a hat.

Fortunately, it was just a knockdown, not a push...

"But speaking of which... with so many more patients, your expenses will probably increase considerably. And..." Sirius glanced around, his gaze settling on Lockhart, "And that guy too, are you sure it's okay to bring him along as well?"

Harry's agreement with St Mungo's's was to buy the entire ward and also be responsible for the treatment of the patients, but now that he's wealthy and powerful, he doesn't need to worry about any burdens.

However, Gilderoy Lockhart was glared at like this by Harry back then, but now Harry has to support him, which makes Sirius, who knows the inside story, very worried.

However, Harry seemed to take it all in stride.

"It's okay, consider it compensation for my excessive self-defense."

Chapter 676 Love-struck, Old Jiang, and the Promise

Sometimes, Harry thinks people should just be more easygoing.

Take Lockhart, for example; the conflict between Harry and Lockhart is all in the past...

Ahem, I'm not pretending anymore~

The truth is, Harry only agreed to let Lockhart move into the nursing home so that he could keep an eye on him at all times.

This guy clearly suffered theoretically irreversible memory damage, but after two years he showed obvious signs of slow recovery. Therefore, Harry decided to use him as a research subject, which might also help him better recover Bertha Jorkins' memories.

Furthermore, if this guy ever remembers what happened in the past and dares to cause trouble again, Harry wouldn't mind glaring at him like an idiot again!

The House-elf packed very quickly, but even so, by the time they finished packing everything in the ward, it was already past midnight.

Fortunately, the nursing home had a few House-elf to help them, and Colin, Will, Astoria Greengrass, and other friends were also there to help with the arrangements, so the patients were able to settle in quickly after they arrived.

To Harry's surprise, Sirius didn't come back with him. Instead, they parted ways at the hospital, and Sirius went back to 12 Grimmauld Place on his own.

Harry only learned the reason he did this after arriving at the nursing home... the Delacour sisters were still there, and Phoebe had already woken up.

"Harry, you're finally back! Gabrielle and I have prepared some tea. Come and rest, you must be exhausted!"

Phoebe, wearing an apron, was behaving like a hostess, greeting everyone around her, and her tone of voice towards Harry was rather... strange.

"No... Miss Delacour, what's going on?" Harry hesitated, taking a step back as Phoebe smiled at him. "Now that you're awake, why didn't you go back to the carriage in Beauxbatons? Why did you stay here with Gabrielle?"

As Harry spoke, he glanced to the side and saw a nine-year-old girl wearing the same apron as Phoebe, giving Harry a sour look.

"Of course I'm waiting... uh, of course I'm here to help~" Phoebe hesitated for a moment, then smiled even more brightly than before, "I was just worried you guys wouldn't be able to handle it all, so I stayed to help. By the way... where's your godfather? Is he still at the hospital?"

Heh... Harry shook his head inwardly upon seeing this.

He finally realized that Phoebe's strange attitude was clearly how an elder treats a child... and when the elder had ulterior motives towards the child.

If you don't believe me, just look at her face. Phoebe used to smile like a blue rose, alluring and aloof, but now she looks more like a carnation.

So, could she really have fallen for my godfather because of two sleeping spells and a dance?

This level of being love-struck is off the charts! Has she developed Stockholm Syndrome, or is she just a masochist to begin with?

Besides... you're only a few years older than me, is it really okay to act like you're the older one?

Besides, didn't you know my godfather is actually my older cousin?

"Hey, I'm asking you a question. Where is your godfather?" Seeing that Harry hadn't spoken, Phoebe couldn't help but urge him impatiently.

"Him? We parted ways at the hospital; he went home early," Harry said, shrugging as he came to his senses.

"What did you say? He actually left?!" Phoebe's eyes widened immediately upon hearing this. "You should have told me sooner! Gabrielle, let's go back!!"

Upon hearing that Sirius wasn't there, Phoebe's smile vanished instantly. She threw down her apron and dragged Gabrielle away from the nursing home, not even giving the little girl a chance to say goodbye.

"She's... really direct." Harry's lips twitched involuntarily at the sight.

Phoebe Delacour, this woman is quite something!

"Alright, you guys keep going, I'll go hang up that painting."

After instructing the other House-elf to continue their work, Harry picked up the picture frame he had taken from St Mungo's's and carefully placed it in the hallway outside the ward.

This is a portrait of Dilys de Dilys Derwent. When Harry was negotiating with the Headmaster of St Mungo's's, this former Headmaster put in a good word for him; otherwise, he wouldn't have been able to reach an agreement so easily.

"Young man, you certainly have some good methods. No wonder you can stir up a storm in the Britain Wizarding World." Just then, Mrs. Longbottom followed them out alone.

She looked at Harry silently, a hint of admiration flashing in her eyes.

"You flatter me," Harry smiled modestly. "To be able to see through my plans at a glance, the old man's insight is equally remarkable."

"I've lived for many years," Mrs. Longbottom said calmly, then changed the subject, "However, the environment here is indeed very nice, very suitable for my son and daughter-in-law to recuperate, and it will also be more convenient for Neville to visit his parents in the future."

"And what about you?" Harry asked tentatively. "Would you like to consider staying here too? I can give you a discount!"

"Not for now," Mrs. Longbottom shook her head. "However, I won't be going anywhere else either."

"That's enough for me," Harry said with a smile.

"Alright, I've been busy all evening, I must go home now. As for Neville, he can stay with you." After a few words of 'casual conversation,' Mrs. Longbottom took her leave.

However, as she approached the corner of the corridor, she suddenly asked softly, "Young man... could you tell me, is there any possibility that my son and daughter-in-law can recover?"

"Yes!" Harry answered decisively after a moment's thought.

"Are you sure?!" Mrs. Longbottom turned around abruptly upon hearing this, and even the vulture on her hat seemed to take flight in surprise.

"I'm sure!" Harry met the other person's gaze without wavering.

"Good!" Mrs. Longbottom nodded excitedly. "As long as you can show me any hope of their improvement, I'll agree to let them stay!"

"Don't worry, I won't keep you waiting long," Harry promised with a smile, his tone always brimming with confidence.

It has to be said that experience truly matters. In what seemed like a huge loss for Harry, Mrs. Longbottom saw through the trick and realized that Harry had actually made a huge profit!

Bertha Jorkins was a crucial witness; even the Death Eater tried to silence her, which shows how important the information she possessed was.

From now on, Harry can not only protect her closely, but also try to explore her memories at any time.

Meanwhile, the other patients in the room each have their own unique characteristics, so Harry could learn from Mrs. Strout and Headmistress Derwent Went while also researching topics that interest him, such as animal-to-human transformation and memory recovery.

Finally, he also used this opportunity to win over the Longbottom family.

In any case, with Neville's parents here, the Longbottom family will at least remain neutral going forward.

Once Harry can produce evidence that he can completely cure Frank and Alice Longbottom, the Longbottom family will become his staunch supporters!

Of course, Harry had no idea how to cure them.

However, he believed that as long as he joined forces with everyone around him, they would eventually find a solution!

What's more, he also has Rowena and his teacher Nicolas Flamel!

Chapter 677 The Brain Damaged by the Memory Charm

At the tail end of Christmas, an unexpected incident plunged everyone in the nursing home into a flurry of activity.

Fortunately, thanks to everyone's concerted efforts, everything was finally settled quickly.

Of course, as a good boss, Harry wouldn't exploit his employees, nor would he let them work for nothing.

He gave the House-elf an extra day off and took the time to visit the Three Broomsticks and Honeydukes, bringing back a huge pile of all sorts of food.

So when the House-elf woke up again a few hours later, they were all completely bewildered to find that a feast had already been set out in the dining room.

They stood there, bewildered, and took their seats as Harry had instructed, eating for the first time in their lives a meal prepared for them by someone else.

In addition to the food, they also received gifts, each person receiving a beautifully wrapped little box.

Harry certainly wouldn't cross the line with the House-elf, so what he gave them wasn't clothes or money, but chocolates and candies from Honeydukes.

"It was just a small token of my appreciation. Yesterday, the 26th, was Boxing Day, and as the boss, I was supposed to give gifts to my employees. It was just my oversight, and I haven't apologized to everyone yet."

At the banquet, facing a group of reserved and bewildered House-elf, Harry smiled and comforted them, "Take them all, consider it a belated holiday surprise."

Harry was pleased to see that the House-elf had finally accepted his small gesture, but he was even more pleased that... they didn't immediately object when they heard the word 'employee'.

While it might also be because they didn't understand the meaning of the word, Harry hoped it was because their mental state had improved.

At the same time, he eagerly anticipates that one day these House-elf will be able to face everyone with neither arrogance nor servility, and completely sever ties with their past lives of hard work!

Neville spent the night at the nursing home with his parents until noon the next day, when he declined Harry's invitation to lunch and took his leave.

He seemed very emotional when he said goodbye.

"Harry ...I really don't know how to thank you!" He seemed to want to take Harry's hand, but hesitated, standing nervously in place. "You helped my parents, provided them with this environment...I, I really..."

"I just happened to run into them, and it was within my ability," Harry said with a smile, shaking his head. "Besides, I was paid. More important than that, if you want your aunt and uncle to recover quickly, you should visit them more often in the future."

"I will!" Neville nodded vigorously. "I'll definitely come whenever I have the chance! Uh, also..."

"Is there anything else?" Harry asked, raising an eyebrow.

"I...I heard you're teaching Ravenclaw students magic..." Neville looked at Harry cautiously. "I don't know if I can... To be honest, I'm terrified after what happened. I can't imagine what would have happened if you hadn't spoken up for me. Even if I knew there was something wrong with that potted plant, I probably wouldn't have dared to tell Grandma, let alone know it could threaten my parents... So I think I should at least try to be more reliable..."

"That's it? Of course, no problem." Harry nodded with a smile. "Hermione is in charge of the early courses right now. If you want to learn, just go and report to her after the semester starts."

"That's wonderful!" Neville immediately showed a delighted expression, thanked him profusely again, and happily took his leave.

It should be said that Harry was also quite satisfied with his choice.

Harry was happy to help Neville, whether out of their friendship or because of the Longbottom family behind him.

Harry was even willing to treat Neville's brain as well as his parents' brains while he was busy healing Neville's parents... if Neville agreed.

He wasn't trying to belittle Neville; he was simply sharing information he'd obtained through special channels.

Logically speaking, given that Neville is the descendant of two elite Auror and the entire the Longbottom Family are intelligent, even if he isn't a genius, he shouldn't be behaving as... clumsy as others perceive him to be.

All of this actually stemmed from his tragic childhood experiences.

Neville's parents suffered horrific torture at the Death Eater when he was very young, driving them to madness. Neville witnessed this firsthand and was deeply affected by it.

Later, Neville's grandmother—the former Mrs. Longbottom— cast a Memory Charm on her young grandson to spare Neville further suffering.

It was precisely because that spell was so powerful that Neville grew up to be rather dull-witted, and his enlightenment came much later than that of other children.

"Another Memory Charm..."

After reviewing Neville's experiences, Harry couldn't help but find the Wizarding World's classification of black and white magic quite amusing.

Take the Memory Charm, for example. If its power is amplified, it can cause irreversible damage to the brain, potentially leaving a person confused or even demented for life. How is this any different from Dark Magic in terms of its insidious nature?

'I want to torture you to death,' 'I want to kill you,' and 'I want you to forget everything forever, even if it turns your brain into an idiot'... Magic is a power driven by emotions and thoughts, but Harry doesn't think the third thought is any more noble than the first two.

Therefore, magic is just magic; the true darkness always lies in the human heart.

"Hmm? Is that Winky?"

After seeing Neville off, Harry planned to have lunch in the dining room, but instead found a House-elf carrying a large plate, walking cautiously down the corridor.

He looked closely and realized that the other person was Winky from the Crouch family.

"You...hello, Mr. Granger." When he heard someone call his name, Winky was taken aback for a moment. When he realized it was Harry, he became even more nervous and quickly bowed ninety degrees, lowering his head deeply.

"Good morning, Winky," Harry greeted him warmly. "Where are you taking this food? I think that's not Mr. Crouch's room over there, is it?"

"This is..." Winky hesitated for a moment, but finally told the truth, "This was just brought from the restaurant. I wanted to give it to the person who moved in yesterday. Mr. Crouch felt that we have been taken care of by you and everyone else while we are living here, so we should do something to repay you. It just so happens that the House-elf at the nursing home are on holiday today, Winky went to the kitchen to make lunch and wanted to take it to the patient and the therapist."

"Then I'll thank you and Mr. Crouch for their kindness on their behalf, uh..." Harry was originally full of smiles and thanks, but a sudden thought flashed through his mind!

After that, a hint of playfulness crept into his smile.

"How about this, you just give it to me. I happen to need to consult Mrs. Strout about some things."