****
Having opened the door, which this time did not even creak (Sometimes they creak, sometimes quite the opposite. Miracles, and that's all.), I, like yesterday, found myself in the Hospital Wing. Without stopping to linger in the doorway, he immediately headed towards the bed where Neville was located.
Gradually approaching the desired bed, I could more and more clearly distinguish the voices that were coming from that place. And oddly enough, they were familiar to me. Who would doubt that they would end up here.
"...Sarah saw him there with her own eyes since the sixth year," a girl's voice said excitedly. - Why don't you need proof?
"But he could have ended up there by accident, haven't you thought about it?" - a firm voice objected to her. Hmm, but Neville still felt much better, since he regained the confidence that we cultivated in him. Great, that means your efforts were not in vain.
- Second time? I don't think so," the second youthful voice was filled with frustration and some hidden anger. "And Sarah has already managed to tell everyone exactly how Potter looked at her," here the guy's voice became much lower, and also ominous notes appeared in it. "His eyes burned with a flame, but not an ordinary one. His color was exactly like Avada's.
"That's right," the only girl in their company nodded. "And Sarah won't lie to my sister, she and she have become quite close friends," she said with a slight pride in her voice. And why is she so filled with pride? After all, she did not contribute a single grain of her strength to her sister's "successes."
- And who told you about this? Sarah herself? - a little silence. - Or is it Parvati? - Nev added mockingly. "You know yourself that your sister is a gossip." Capable of inflating a pixie into a manticore.
- No, my sister is not like that. "She wouldn't lie to me," Padma answered with slight offense. Apparently it still bothered her. "And even if Parvati slightly embellished the story, it does not change the fact that Potter ended up at the scene of the attack. And this is the second time.
"Eh," Nev sighed tiredly. - But we told you about this last time with Kol...
"It's that Calder again," Michael exclaimed displeasedly. - Neville, do you have an opinion? Or will you run after Caller like Weasley after Potter? Remind me how it ended? — he added with venom in his voice. - Look, you're already in the Hospital Wing, what will happen next?
- What are you hinting at, Korner? — Neville's dissatisfaction and anger would not have been noticed only by a blind person, let alone by me with empathy...
- Well, you don't know. But it's precisely because of him that you...
By this time, I had just approached the screen that hid my interlocutors from me (and I had heard the conversation from the moment I entered the Hospital Wing. And this is more than thirty meters). I grabbed the hard fabric with my hand and noisily pushed it aside.
"Let me find out what happened at Neville's because of me?" — my calm voice, filled with complete indifference to my interlocutors, burst into their ears.
Jumping slightly in their seats, they turned their faces towards me, with different emotions on them. Neville was glad to see me. Patil looked at me with interest, but I still felt that apprehension that was at the very depths under a heap of other emotions.
But the most curious reaction was from Michael. Several different emotions flashed across his face in a matter of moments. Fright, fear, disgust, anger and hidden hatred. Mmm, what a bouquet, as if I was suddenly plunged into a cesspool filled with choice waste. Interesting…
- So what? "I'm waiting," I reminded them, but the silence dragged on.
- Kol! — my friend greeted me with a wide smile. He was beaming with joy. - I'm glad to see you.
"And I to you, sickly," I answered, smiling at the corner of my lips. "Well," I again turned my attention to this couple. — Finish the deal since you started.
Padma came to her senses first.
- Yes, we didn't do anything...
- Oh, shut up, Wilson. This is not an audience or a classroom where you are the professors' favorite," Korner interrupted the girl, curling his lips in disgust.
"Curious," I slightly squeezed my chin with my hand and looked at this guy from a new angle. Another jealous person on my head, not because of a girl, but in the field of general attention. - What a bold statement for someone who did not even plan to understand the general situation.
"Listen," the guy said, jumping up from his usual place, "menacingly." - Yes, I...
"We are adults, Michael," I interrupted him. - And besides, they are magicians. Your actions don't make you look good at all.
- Oh you…
- Calm down! — the sharp cry of the only and slightly forgotten (but not by me) girl, instantly cooled the boy's fuse. "We really didn't mean anything like that, Calder," she smiled softly. - Oh, it's already late. It's time for us to run errands," grabbing the guy's hand, she headed towards the exit. - Bye Calder. See you later Neville. Get better.
Not a single sound was heard from the guy. Only at the end, when they were leaving the room, would I be able to hear something interesting.
- Have you gone completely crazy? Why are you provoking this frostbitten? — this lady hissed at the poor boy, like a real snake.
- What does this bastard allow himself to do? At all…
At this point, the door closed behind them, cutting off the couple from my senses.
So frostbitten? I wonder since when? Although, I must admit, this "title" suits me quite well, my facial expressions are painfully "speaking". I can easily pass for frostbitten.
- How are you, Nev? Are you on the mend?
- Yes! It's true that Mrs. Pomfrey doesn't want to let me go at all," he became a little sad. - They say I still need to go through several checks.
- If it is necessary, then it is necessary. "Who else but you should know this," I answered, sitting down in the chair next to him.
"That's true, but..." gradually his voice became quieter and quieter until it stopped altogether.
"Don't worry, just another day or two at most, the allotted week will pass." "And you will give up your freedom," I said encouragingly. "Better tell me, what's the last thing you remember about that day?" Still, we didn't manage to talk over these few days.
Having finished speaking, I looked at Nev expectantly. There was a slight silence that was not destined to last long.
"You know," he began, after a few seconds of thought. "The last half of the week I've been in a fog. There are rare glimpses in memory, but everything else is like a fog," here he fell silent again. "I even wondered what happened to me?"
"That's what it means," I muttered quietly so that Nev could hear. - Listen, Nev. Now I will tell you everything in order, but you promise that you will listen to me to the end. Fine?
- What is it...
"According to general Nev," I added more sternly.
"Okay," he nodded after a slight struggle of glances. - I promise.
"Well done," I said approvingly. (It's not for nothing that they say that people are quite susceptible to compliments. This can win you a couple of points in the eyes of others) - It all started about two and a half weeks ago. Then I…
The next half hour fell out of reality. All this time I told Nev almost everything that happened. About how he began to notice small changes in his character, about how he didn't attach much importance to it. About the stark, stark contrast of his changes at the very end.
I didn't miss the moment when I scanned his body (without unnecessary details). He talked about the cocktail that was in his body and what it threatened him with. I ended the story with how I brought him to the hospital wing, and also about the arrival of his grandmother.
I only hid two things. The first is his grandmother's promise. At the moment, he doesn't need to know about it. The second is the title of apprentice in the school of healing. Let me talk about the very fact of apprenticeship (having previously asked him not to talk about it), but about the rank itself... he shouldn't talk about it yet. Augusta herself will not tell him about this (she herself asked my teacher to keep silent about some "details"). And in a year Nev will be able to improve his occlumency and then I will tell him about it.
Why later, and not now, if his artifact will protect him? An artifact is not a panacea. Well, with the help of the magic of the mind, he will be able to control his speech much better, so as not to blurt out anything unnecessary.
As I told my story, Nev experienced so many emotions that even words cannot express. It was all there: Confusion, disbelief, fear, horror, anger, joy, apathy. He also bit his lip until it bled, and his hands squeezed the bed linen with such force that I could clearly hear the crack of tearing fabric (mini ejection?).
Now he just leaned back exhaustedly on the pillow, mindlessly looking at the ceiling. You can understand him, it's not every day that you learn that you could have been deprived of everything overnight, and you would never have understood anything. On the contrary, I would do everything to make it happen.
"Thank you, Kol," Nev responded, finally somehow coming to his senses. - If not you…
"Calm down, everything is fine, it's all over," a barely noticeable wave of the hand and a spell of calm falls on Neville, and with the help of empathy I fully "supplied" Nev with the necessary emotions.
Once again there was silence. Although Nev calmed down, it means my efforts were not in vain.
"Someday I will repay you, Kol, I promise," Neville said, turning to me and looking firmly into my eyes.
- Fine. "I'll remember," I nodded to him. That's great, you can "cross out" one of the points.
Our conversation then moved on to simpler topics. I saw that he needed to distract himself from the thoughts that were consuming him for now. And then, with a more sober head, he will think about everything.
After chatting with him for a few more tens of minutes, I said goodbye to him and left. I still have things to do. And no one canceled the training.
*****
The Potter situation became something worthy of the annals of history.
After finding her at the scene of the second incident, our hero was taken to the Great and Powerful Headmaster Dumbledore. I don't know what they were talking about, but an hour later she appeared in her living room. And they met her there, not exactly with open arms. As soon as Harriet showed up there, all the students ran out of the living room screaming. There was no one left except Patil. I think even an idiot will understand that the girl didn't like it.
And this picture haunted her for almost a month. They didn't greet her, didn't talk to her, and ran away at the sight of her figure. The screams, yelling, etc. were so strong that even Snape could not stand it and sent those who stood out to him for detention. I don't know what they are more afraid of: the Horror of the Dungeons or the Boy Who is the Heir of Slytherin.
Everyone turned against the heroine. There was no one else who believed her (at least in public) except Patil. Because of this, Harriet simply emitted a miasma of negative emotions, and a certain rage mixed with malice settled in her eyes for a long time. It's good that she didn't lose her temper.
However, what was her surprise when, walking past her, our whole friendly company (Me, Nev, Luna and Astoria. This was a week after the guy was discharged) greeted her. That shock and disbelief will haunt me for a long time (let me remind you, I feel it very badly. Perhaps some kind of artifact).
Nothing else worthwhile happened to her. The attacks changed, but the screams remained. I really have vague doubts that this won't last long...
*****
Winter has come, already the second I have encountered in this castle. Waist-deep snowdrifts, frost minus thirty. Wind in the corridors, frost and ice on the ceilings. In general, everything you would expect from an ancient castle.
Gradually, the school began to forget about the contents, although the fear of the main villain remained. And screams of horror too (especially impressionable).
Studies, as well as training (both with Nev and without him) are in full swing. And their result is visible to the naked eye. The magical body develops, mana becomes denser, and with it psi and prana.
My skills at the school of cryokinesis have already passed the apprentice level for half a month, although I put off the test until today. I have vague doubts that the spirit will create something again, but I don't need that.
Training under Poppy and Smethwick is also in full swing. At Mungo, I am already fully allowed to treat patients. This gives me a lot of practice, as well as an unplowed field for self-development.
Having finished with meditation, I finally decided to go. I prepared properly, so it's time to pass the test.
The descent down the stairs happened instantly, one minute I was in the room, and a second later I was in the living room. Having quickly looked around, I headed towards the exit.
- Would you give me a minute of your time? - As soon as the passerby closed my eyes, the enchanting voice of one person sounded. I felt it in the living room. Who knew that she was after my soul?
"Good night to you too, Miss Crystal," I said, turning towards this person.
You can't escape your destiny, no matter how much you run, right?
*****