Words in Blood

After finishing her own work during this period, Mia spent her time researching new potions with Professor Snape.

Professor Snape was already a Potions Master, and Mia was highly intelligent and gifted at Potions, so their work on the new potions went quite smoothly.

The healers at St. Mungo's adopted Mia's method and tried interventions on volunteers. The results were remarkable, and Mia was often invited to St. Mungo's to make adjustments to the treatment trials.

The first batch of potions Professor Snape and Mia had worked on together had also made great progress. After testing them, they attempted human trials. The Longbottoms were among the volunteers; they lacked the capacity to decide for themselves, so Neville's grandmother Augusta had made the decision.

"Are there any side effects? How well can they respond to their surroundings?" The healers, Mia, Professor Snape, Headmaster Dumbledore, and Neville's grandmother stood outside the observation room, watching anxiously.

"The side effects so far are nervous excitation and dizziness. They can perceive and respond to their surroundings."

"The patients' mental condition has visibly improved."

"Try communicating with them."

"Mr. Frank, can you hear me clearly? What is this?" The attending healer held up a medicine bottle and waved it in front of Frank Longbottom.

"Yes, I, can. It's, a medicine bottle." After being unconscious for so long, Frank's mind was still a little sluggish now that he had awakened, and his voice was hoarse. But his response heartened everyone. They had succeeded.

"It works!" The healers looked at one another excitedly, and Dumbledore's eyes were full of joy. Professor Snape kept recording the data, preparing to make a second, improved batch of potions.

Augusta bent over, sobbing with emotion. Mia hurried to support the strong woman, and Augusta embraced her, trembling. "Thank you, child. Thank you." After more than ten years, her son and daughter-in-law were finally responding.

"It was what I should do." Mia patted her thin shoulder gently.

"Keep watching how the others respond." Professor Snape needed more accurate data.

"Mrs. Alice, who is this?" The attending healer held up a photograph of Neville for Alice Longbottom to see. The photograph had been taken before anything happened to the couple.

"It's, Neville, my, child," Alice answered hoarsely, her eyes brimming with tears.

"That's wonderful!" "It really works!" "Then all those patients here can be saved."

After all these years, the many people who had been harmed by the Unforgivable Curses back then could finally be saved.

"Mia, you've done very well. Your parents would be proud of you." Dumbledore crouched down and gently ruffled Mia's hair, his eyes full of warmth and kindness.

"The patients need to rest. Let's go to the conference room and discuss the next stage of treatment." The attending healer also came out, looking pleased, and called everyone involved together to continue discussing the plan. As a doctor, seeing his patients recover was the best reward.

"What should we do next?"

Mia and Professor Snape stood at the front of the conference room, while the healers sat before them with notebooks in hand.

"Now that their condition has improved significantly, we can further test their ability to respond to their surroundings and begin rehabilitation at the same time. Of course, I think it would be more effective if family members could accompany them at this stage. In addition, the professor and I will improve the potion to strengthen its mentally soothing effects. As for St. Mungo's, please keep a close eye on their mental state and record your observations on the potion's effects."

"If the Longbottoms really can make a full recovery, theirs will be the first case in the wizarding world of a full recovery from the aftereffects of the Cruciatus Curse. Then all the patients will have a chance of recovering."

"That's right. What a young genius you are! Miss Potter, would you consider working at St. Mungo's in the future?" The director beamed at Mia, secretly hoping to recruit her. Ever since the Longbottoms' condition had improved, everyone had relaxed considerably.

"That won't do. Mia's talents go far beyond this. I'll teach the child myself in the future." Dumbledore wasn't about to let his fine student be lured away. He had his eye on Mia's talents too.

"She is my student now," Professor Snape said in dissatisfaction. What was that supposed to mean? Mia was the child he was teaching.

The group came out of the conference room, talking and laughing. Augusta immediately rose and walked over to Mia.

"Grandma Augusta." Mia hurried to support her.

"Child..." Mia understood what Augusta meant and nodded gently.

"It's truly... wonderful."

Everyone's eyes grew a little red. How many people had died in the great war back then, and how many more had ended up like the Longbottoms? Augusta and Neville were not the only ones.

By the time they returned to school, Neville had also received a message from his grandmother. Because the next stage of treatment required the family's participation, Neville finally learned about his parents' condition.

Behind Neville were Harry, Hermione, Ron, and other students who had likewise lost their parents to the Cruciatus Curse. They waited at the castle entrance to welcome Mia and Professor Snape.

Neville and the other students were sobbing too hard to speak. Harry and the others stood beside Mia and took her hands.

"Mia, you're amazing." Harry looked tenderly at his sister. At this moment, Mia was the one who deserved to be the Chosen One.

"I only did what I could. It was thanks to the professor, the healers at St. Mungo's, and those strong-willed heroes. Otherwise, I couldn't have succeeded either." Mia returned the Longbottom family photograph to Neville, then patted his shoulder. "As long as you're still alive, as long as you can keep going, there will always be hope."

Neville clutched the photograph and nodded vigorously.

Snape and Mia named the potion Hope. For the next stage of research, Mia and Snape spent nearly all day in the dungeons, and Headmaster Dumbledore even gave Mia special permission to skip classes.

It was just then that something happened with Harry. The second stage of the potion research had reached a stopping point, so Mia and Professor Snape could take a few days off. That day, Mia gave Theodore the defensive items she had made and discussed some of her unique insights into Potions with him, then went to find Harry. Harry had previously been caught by a Prefect and given detention after training too late in the Room of Requirement and returning to his dormitory, and he had not yet finished serving it.

So Mia went with Hermione and Ron to Lockhart's office to pick Harry up.

"Blood. I smell blood. I'll rip you apart. I'll kill you, kill you."

Harry suddenly heard a strange voice in Lockhart's office. After leaving the office, he heard the voice moving, and followed it along the wall, wanting to find out what it was.

"Harry!"

"Did you hear that?" Harry looked at Mia, Hermione, and Ron.

"Hear what?" Ron asked, puzzled. Mia frowned deeply and looked around.

"That voice." Harry glanced around.

"Voice? What voice?"

"I first heard it in Lockhart's office, and now it's back!"

"The time has come."

"It's moving. It's going to kill." Harry looked toward the source of the voice and hurried after it.

"Follow him." Mia, Hermione, and Ron hurried after Harry as well.

"What's this?" Mia stopped behind Harry and watched the spiders crawling in an orderly line toward and out of the window.

"Strange. I've never seen spiders crawl like that." Harry studied the floor. Its reflective surface seemed to be reflecting something.

The four followed the reflection upward and saw large, bloody words on the wall: "The Chamber of Secrets has been opened. Enemies of the heir, beware."

Mrs. Norris's body was also hanging on the wall. Mia stepped forward to examine her, then gently and carefully took Mrs. Norris down into her arms.

"No..." Harry approached in disbelief.

"Don't worry, she's only petrified. Mandrakes can save her." Mia easily determined Mrs. Norris's condition and reassured Harry.