Chapter 179: Even a Glimmer of Hope!
The ward where Neville's parents resided was a long-term care ward at St. Mungo's Hospital for Magical Maladies and Injuries, housing wizards whose brains had suffered permanent magical damage.
This was, in fact, the ultimate fate of the original Gilderoy Lockhart.
As Lockhart followed Neville's uncle into the room, he looked at the ward with a peculiar expression.
Inside, besides the Longbottoms, there was also a sallow-faced wizard lying in bed, muttering incoherently, and a witch with the distinctive features of a dog's head..
Long dog fur, and speaking in barks.
Healer Naomi, seeing his curiosity, quietly explained, "It's said to be due to illegal use of Animagus. You know, this high-level Transfiguration can only turn a wizard into an ordinary animal, but some people are always too greedy, wanting to transform into more powerful magical creatures."
"Such wizards eventually turn themselves into neither human nor ghost, never able to return to their original form."
"Naomi!" A plump Healer next to them snapped in a low, angry voice. "Who gave you permission to discuss my patient's condition so freely in my ward!"
The Healer in charge of this ward was a witch, possessing a unique gentle demeanor. Even when scolding, she seemed more like a "mother" protecting the patients in her ward.
"Madam Strout," Naomi sheepishly stuck out her tongue, her expression somewhat embarrassed.
"What if we used Polyjuice Potion?" A voice suddenly chimed in, making both of them look.
It was Lockhart. He stroked his chin, curiously observing the witch with magical creature features. "If we brewed Polyjuice Potion using her own previous hair, could she temporarily transform back into her original self?"
The two Healers were stunned, exchanging glances. "That's possible?"
Lockhart shrugged. "Even if only temporarily, right? Polyjuice Potion doesn't last long, but I imagine this patient would be extremely happy to even briefly transform back into herself for some important moments."
Madam Strout's expression softened. She looked sadly at the dog-headed witch. "Yes, Agnes's son is about to graduate from Durmstrang Institute, and I hear he's found a nice girlfriend. They plan to get married after graduation. If only she could be there to bless the children..."
"Polyjuice Potion won't work!" A deep, stern voice abruptly interrupted the tender moment.
Such a spoilsport, and predictably, it was Snape.
He was somewhat surprised that Lockhart would appear here, but he quickly refocused on professionalism. As an excellent Potions Master, he couldn't stand by and watch others haphazardly use potions and cause accidents.
"Polyjuice Potion can only be used for human transformation. It's not permitted for non-humans; it will only cause more terrible problems."
He glared sternly at the three before him. "While we sometimes, out of tolerance and care, acknowledge some individuals' 'human' status, in the academic field, non-humans are non-humans. Wizards with mixed magical creature blood are not human. They must pay special attention to this when using potions only allowed for humans."
"Especially some half-blood wizards with magical creature bloodlines, they cannot be considered human at this time!"
The logic seemed sound.
But Lockhart disagreed; he had his own viewpoint.
"Severus, at least one thing I'm very clear on: wizards with Veela blood, who are half-Veela, can use Polyjuice Potion."
In the original story, the Order of the Phoenix transferred Harry Potter from Privet Drive for safety. Six people drank Polyjuice Potion to disguise themselves as Harry in an attempt to confuse the Death Eaters' pursuit. One of them was Fleur Delacour, who had Veela blood.
Veela belonged to the "elf" category of magical creatures, along with house-elves, Cornish pixies, gnomes (garden pixies), and various magical creatures with "fairy" in their name. However, Veela were physically more akin to normal human form and possessed allure.
But this allure wasn't a good thing; it indicated characteristics of Dark magical creatures. Many Dark magical creatures were often known for alluring males.
Many male wizards couldn't resist Veela, which led to a large number of wizards with Veela bloodlines in the wizarding world today.
Snape frowned, deep in thought. "Perhaps it's because of repeated interbreeding with wizards after mixing with Veela blood, leading to a certain dilution of the magical creature bloodline."
"Regardless!" His expression was so serious. "To my knowledge, half-giants, half-goblins, half-centaurs, half-kneazles—"
He listed more than a dozen types of half-breeds. "Even after multiple generations of interbreeding, they are not recognized as human in the academic field. All potions that can only be used by humans cannot be used on them."
This was a harsh reality. No matter how much societal consciousness or political demands classified these individuals as human, in the academic field, there could be no confusion. A single careless mistake in administering a potion or spell could lead to terrible disaster.
"I'm more inclined to believe that Veela half-bloods can use Polyjuice Potion, or rather, can be directly categorized as 'human,' because they look exactly like humans. The only difference is their magical bloodline."
Lockhart didn't agree with Snape's dilution theory. No matter how much something was diluted, different was still different. In Muggle genetics, pigs and humans could have up to 98% genetic similarity; a tiny difference could be a world of difference.
He patted his chest. "The body, a body made of flesh and blood, presents standard human characteristics. The differentiating magical bloodline resides in the soul, existing as magical power, only manifesting when magical power surges."
"The most obvious evidence is that when werewolves are not transformed, that is, when the lycanthropic bloodline is not manifesting, their bodies present as human, and they can use Polyjuice Potion at that time."
Referring to the seven Harry Potters incident again, when everyone returned, Lupin explicitly stated that Hagrid was not human and would not be disguised by Polyjuice Potion, but he himself had to undergo Kingsley's examination to confirm he hadn't used Polyjuice Potion.
These conclusions partly came from Lockhart's past life memories, partly from Voldemort's "Ever-Burning Flame of Life," Lyle Lupin's research on werewolves, and Lockhart's own understanding of "mind, subconscious, body, and thought."
Lockhart gestured to the dog-headed witch on the bed. "Clearly, she developed some magical creature characteristics due to a spell problem. As long as this magical power, which manifests her magical bloodline, is suppressed, she can recover her human body. A Polyjuice Potion made from her own bodily materials, her hair, can precisely reverse this magical change."
Evidently, he wasn't simply drawing conclusions for a treatment plan based on the original function of Polyjuice Potion.
"This is just your conjecture." After careful thought, Snape no longer objected, but he didn't fully endorse the approach either. "I still maintain the conjecture that she will consequently face more problems."
Madam Strout, the Healer in charge of this ward, looked torn, unsure whose advice to follow. Both were undoubtedly academic giants, yet neither could convince the other.
"This is a long-term care ward," Lockhart shrugged. "They might stay like this their entire lives. Perhaps at some point in their lives, they'd be willing to take a risk? Magic is inherently full of oddities and dangers; no one can guarantee everything."
He was simply offering a glimmer of possibility to a patient who might otherwise have no hope in life. Whether she was willing to try, and whether trying would lead to salvation or death, was beyond his control.
The dog-headed witch clearly had more than just an appearance issue. Although she sat up in bed and listened to their conversation, her eyes were blank, as if she understood nothing, with a simple, clear gaze like a puppy's. This was why she lived in the hospital long-term.
Her bodily thoughts were greatly influenced by the magical creature bloodline.
Long-term care ward—
An extremely cruel term, as if all hope had been extinguished.
Neville's grandmother, Augusta Longbottom, who was listening to their discussion, covered her mouth to stifle a sob, her eyes filled with sorrow and despair.
Neville's uncle, Algie, sighed, gently patting his mother's back to comfort her.
Lockhart evidently sensed the strong sadness. He glanced at them, then gestured to Neville's parents' bed to Snape. "Have you found anything over there?"
Snape nodded gravely. "Their cognitive abilities are extremely chaotic. Only their subconscious is driving their bodies, but the subconscious isn't enough to make their bodies perform complete behavioral expressions, which is why they are in their current state."
"So, reconstructing their cognitive abilities is key. My treatment plan involves using certain potions to put their bodies into a state of complete suspended animation, then using a Time-Turner to guide their consciousness into the past, to relive their life journey—"
He frowned. "But this will undoubtedly bring more unforeseen circumstances. Whether it's the mismatch between the consciousness and body after the consciousness repairs itself independently, or the dangers of time travel, it's not an easy task."
"And, I can't guarantee that this will succeed."
Lockhart was stunned. "Doesn't the Cruciatus Curse affect the soul?"
"The widely accepted academic theory is that the three Unforgivable Curses target the soul," Snape shook his head. "But in fact, they don't. I don't agree with that. Wizards killed by the Killing Curse can be clearly observed entering the slow embrace of death with their souls still intact and unharmed. The Cruciatus Curse is evidently the same."
Lockhart understood, recalling the knowledge and experience of the Imperius Curse "learned" from Tom. He was certain that the Imperius Curse also affected thought.
The thoughts of the body, not the subconscious of the soul.
This was clearly an extremely marvelous and complex field.
Lockhart's expression shifted. He gently drew his wand and looked at Madam Strout, Neville's parents' Healer, and the family members, Grandmother Augusta and Uncle Algie. "I'd like to try something. Don't worry, there's no danger at all, but I need your consent."
Madam Strout didn't express an opinion, only turning to look at the family.
"Even a glimmer of hope!" Grandmother Augusta clutched Uncle Algie's arm tightly, hurting him.
Algie nodded. "I trust you."
....
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