Petunia's expression could hardly hide her tension and panic; after rescuing Harry from Vernon's grip, she frantically grabbed his shoulders to check his condition.
"We're going to the hospital, to the hospital."
She hurriedly picked up the small, thin Harry and called out to the still-dazed Vernon, "Go start the car!"
"Ah!" Vernon snapped out of it, grabbed the keys in a fluster, and hurried out, even tripping a few times along the way.
Heaven knew he hadn't meant to hit him that hard. He absolutely had no intention of killing Harry.
He had just wanted to warn the boy. How had things turned out like this?
As Petunia carried Harry, before leaving, she looked at Dudley, who seemed frozen in shock from the blood Harry had coughed up, and said gently, "Duddy, you stay at home quietly, all right? Mummy and Daddy are taking your little cousin to the hospital for a check-up and will be back soon. Don't go running outside, remember?"
Dudley's plump face was pale, his eyes involuntarily darting towards the pool of blood on the floor.
Hearing his mother's instructions, he finally snapped out of his fright, nodded repeatedly, and curled up obediently on the sofa.
He looked quite shaken by the whole series of events.
Dudley had never been this well-behaved before.
Petunia looked at her frightened son with a hint of worry in her eyes, but then she closed the door, got into the car with Harry, and prepared to head to the hospital.
Harry was gently placed in the car by Petunia, an unprecedented treatment that made him tilt his head with a strange expression.
Was he imagining things?
Was she worried about him?
He had thought they would be glad to see him dead.
Petunia anxiously craned her head to see the road ahead, and when she noticed Harry's curious gaze, her expression stiffened for a moment.
She cleared her throat, her expression turning cold and hard as she glared at Harry and said flatly, "We'll be at the hospital soon. You'd better keep quiet and stop showing off your tricks on the way."
Harry blinked, tilted his head, and gave an innocent smile. "Okay, Aunt Petunia."
His big green eyes fluttered, and his unruly black hair bobbed slightly.
Petunia said nothing, her lips moving as if she wanted to say something, but she closed her mouth and turned her head away.
At the hospital, Petunia and Vernon rushed Harry through registration and consultations, getting a full-body examination. When the final results came out, the doctor frowned deeply.
The man in the white coat looked at Petunia and Vernon with an almost stern gaze, a look that made them feel uneasy and somewhat cowed.
"Please step outside for a moment."
He expressionlessly told them to leave, and Petunia and Vernon exchanged an uneasy glance before slowly exiting.
They closed the door.
The doctor took a deep breath and looked gently at little Harry, who was curiously looking up to observe the situation.
"Young man, tell me, have your parents ever hit you?"
He had softened the word 'abuse' by phrasing it differently.
Harry said nothing.
What?
Seeing Harry remain silent, the doctor thought he was scared, and his expression grew even gentler.
"Don't be afraid. No one can hurt you while you're with me."
"Even if they are your parents, they cannot abuse their child. If you're willing to testify, I will call the police right now and make sure they face the consequences."
British laws regarding child and women abuse were very strict. Eager to see what seemed like abusive Dursleys punished, the doctor's hand was already reaching for his phone.
Harry's mouth twitched. "No."
"They're my aunt and uncle. They don't abuse me."
Harry was seven now. His magical outbursts had started when he was six. Before that, Petunia and Vernon had treated him like any ordinary child, nothing special, and were relatively kind.
But after his magic started manifesting, their attitude changed, and they began calling him a monster and bossing him around daily.
Harry was still young, so the Dursleys hadn't tormented him much yet.
Maybe they would in the future, but Harry wouldn't allow that to happen.
The doctor frowned, his expression serious. "Are you sure?"
"Yes, sir." Harry's expression was calm, and he unconsciously wore a slight smile while talking to the doctor as a sign of politeness.
"My aunt and uncle took me in when I lost my parents. I am grateful."
Only after repeated confirmation did the doctor call the Dursleys back in. Holding Harry's examination report, he spoke in a grave tone.
"The child's physical condition is very concerning. Malnutrition is the least of it. He has some injuries that may affect his physical development. Furthermore…"
The doctor paused, a hint of doubt in his eyes. "No cause has been identified. His body is very fragile. The internal organs cannot withstand any force or impact."
In short, he could die very easily.
He was as fragile as they came.
Harry thought back ruefully, remembering a time he could have cobbled together bombs and carried a machine gun, and rubbed his arm.
Petunia and Vernon's vision went dark repeatedly.
"Can… can it be treated?" Petunia asked cautiously.
Considering treatment, perhaps they did treat the boy decently.
The doctor's expression softened slightly.
"For a condition like this, you would need to go to a more specialized hospital, consult experts for a treatment plan, and expect a long hospital stay," the doctor admitted frankly.
It required not just money, but also connections.
Petunia and Vernon's expressions shifted slightly. They understood this, of course, but the problem was that they weren't wealthy and didn't have powerful connections.
"Ahem." Harry tugged at Petunia's sleeve.
He knew about his condition. It was magical, something science couldn't solve.
"Aunt Petunia, I think I'm fine. I don't need treatment," he said sincerely.
To solve his problem, he would either need to find a way to strengthen his body or get rid of the magic inside him.
The former required large amounts of potion ingredients, which were hard to find and would cost time and money.
The latter was simpler. He could use some darker methods, find a few attached servants to channel away the power.
He would just need to find people with sufficient physical endurance; otherwise, after binding them with a contract, they wouldn't last more than a few days before they exploded.
Harry pondered it, but where would he find such people?
Hearing Harry's words, Petunia's expression flickered with momentary sadness, but she quickly put on a hard face again. Harry thought he must have imagined it.
Treat him, or not?
Petunia knew well that they simply didn't have the financial resources.
But he was her sister's child.
"Treat him." Petunia gritted her teeth. Vernon seemed about to speak, hesitated, and finally grunted but didn't voice an objection.
"Which hospital should we go to?" Petunia asked the doctor.
The doctor hesitated, seeing that this family didn't seem particularly wealthy.
Were they serious?