"I was wondering, is there a cure for hearing loss?"
My question hung in the air for a few seconds. Madam Pomfrey's smile faded slightly, replaced by a more thoughtful expression.
"Is it for that Bell girl?"
I nodded, trying not to look too eager. After all the magic I'd seen at Hogwarts - moving staircases, talking paintings, even objects with their own consciousness - surely fixing someone's hearing would be simple enough.
"No," she said gently, "there isn't a cure for her condition."
"But why not?" I pressed, leaning forward in my bed. "We can regrow bones overnight with Skele-Gro. We can heal cuts and burns in seconds. Why can't we fix hearing?"
Madam Pomfrey sat on the edge of my bed, her expression sympathetic but firm. "Magic is powerful, child, but it isn't omnipotent. Her hearing loss is total - we'd need to regenerate extremely delicate structures in her inner ear, structures of dead cells something known to be impossible as of now, and even then..." She paused, choosing her words carefully. "Even then, I'm not entirely sure that's the root cause of her deafness."
"What do you mean?"
"Well, sometimes magical healing is more complex than simply fixing what appears broken. Take werewolf bites, for instance - we can close the wound, but we can't prevent the curse from taking hold. Or consider spell damage to the brain - we might repair the physical injury, but the magical effects often remain."
I frowned, processing this. "So you're saying her deafness might have a magical component?"
"It's possible. Without knowing the exact cause..." She shook her head. "Have you considered that perhaps she doesn't need to be 'fixed'?"
"That's not what I-" I started to protest, but she held up a hand.
"I know your heart's in the right place, Mr. Serendipity. But in my years as a healer, I've learned that not everything we see as an ailment needs to be cured. Sometimes what we perceive as limitations are simply different ways of experiencing the world."
I slumped back against my pillows, frustrated but thoughtful. "I'm just interested is all."
"Yes, healing magic is interesting," Madam Pomfrey said, standing up. "But in the end there is only so much we can do, or at least there is only so much I can do. But who knows? Maybe you will find the cure for deafness, and while you're at it, if you're interested in a challenge, you can try and fix eyesight. After all, I'm sure Professor Dumbledore would love not to have to carry his glasses wherever he goes, though maybe it is also a stylistic choice. Still, I'm sure many other wizards would thank you if you're able to find the cure for it."
That brought me up short. I hadn't really thought about it. I mean, sure, why not take up the challenge, though it was just going to the end of my list of stuff to do.
"Indeed. If you're truly interested in healing magic, I could recommend some books on medicinal potions," she added with a knowing look.
I couldn't help but grin. "Thank you, Mrs. Pomfrey. I would appreciate it."
"Well then," Madam Pomfrey said, shaking her head but smiling. "If I were you, I'd start with Bones and Muscles by Remedia Dewcure. In exchange, I ask that you stop mending students' butt cracks - it's quite the hassle to fix."
"Would I do something like that?" I asked, trying to look innocent.
"Mr. Serendipity, in the few months you've been at Hogwarts, I've treated no less than seven cases of mysterious magical afflictions that your classmates swear appeared 'completely out of nowhere.' Including, if I'm not mistaken, a rather creative case of 'testicular torsion' affecting the Weasley twins."
I managed to look slightly abashed, though I couldn't quite hide my smirk. "They started it."
"Mm-hmm." She stood up, straightening her apron. "Well, I won't keep you any longer. Your clothes are on that chair. And Mr. Serendipity?"
"Yes?"
"While I appreciate your curiosity about healing magic, perhaps try to send fewer students my way in the future?"
I nodded, already plotting my next experimental spell. As soon as she left the room, I scrambled out of bed.
After quickly changing back into my robes, I made my way out of the hospital wing, my mind already racing with new possibilities. Maybe I couldn't cure Bell's deafness - at least not yet - but there had to be other ways magic could help. Perhaps something to visualize sound waves, or enhance other senses...
As I walked through the corridors toward Ravenclaw Tower, my thoughts were interrupted by a familiar sight, the eagle doorknocker, ready with another riddle.
"You measure my life in hours and I serve you by expiring. I'm quick when I'm thin and slow when I'm fat. The wind is my enemy. What am I?"
Great, just what I needed right about now. I was about to pull out the map to check the answer when a rough voice came from behind me.
"A candle."
I turned to see Chester Davies, his dark brown hair slightly disheveled as if he'd been running his hands through it while studying. His prefect badge gleamed in the torchlight, though it was slightly askew.
"Oh, thanks Chester."
"No worries," he grinned. "Take it as thanks for teaching my brother how to shut up from time to time."
"I mean he had it coming," I said, following him through the now-open door. "He really needs to learn to stop talking about people behind their backs' or his awful quidditch opinion for that matter.."
Chester snorted. "You're only saying that because you haven't had to live with him for eleven years. Did you know he once spent three hours explaining why the Chudley Cannons' defensive strategy in 1638 was superior to modern formations?"
"Yeah," I said, warming to the topic, "honestly i think that the only reason he's a Ravenclaw is because he loves to learn about Quidditch because when it comes to magic he.."
"He's not the best I know," Chester interrupted, "still one of these days I'll have to ingrain to him the Ravenclaw studying agenda but we'll see."
"Either way talking about studying I have to do some light studying of my own," I said. "Hope your N.E.W.T.S go well."
"Thanks Felix I hope your own studies go well."
With those parting words I left Chester in the common room and quickly made my way up to my dorm room. Drawing my wand, I pointed it at the door.
"Collopurtus."
The lock clicked satisfyingly. Charms really were the easiest part of magic I'd learned so far, though whatever enchantment the doorknocker used still completely baffled me.
FWAP!
I slapped my cheeks, forcing myself to focus. Time to get to work. I sat at my desk, taking out the stolen parchment and returning it to its original size. Then I pulled out a fresh piece of parchment, ready to begin my own version, though I did have to go to the other chambers to figure out how they worked and place the reading charm on the map.
"Homonculous," I whispered, raising my wand. This was going to be interesting.
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