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"Help! Someone help!" Before anyone came to her rescue, Lys noticed her shouts had caused books on the tilted, collapsed shelves around her to start struggling, making their chains rattle loudly. She was terrified - what if another biting book appeared?
How could she handle two at once - one foot on each book?!
She quickly fell silent, caught in her dilemma. She tried to remember what her mother would do - apply pressure to the wound, healing spells, potions, Skele-Gro and Blood-Replenishing Potion.
The wound was gaping, flesh turned outward, blood flowing steadily - a stark contrast against the unstained skin nearby.
Right, stop the bleeding first. Lys removed her only scarf, part of her school uniform, and pressed it against Madam Pince's neck wound.
Having to keep the biting book pinned made her movements awkward. Next came the healing spell - what was that incantation Professor Flitwick had used on her?
With trembling hands gripping her wand, she cast once, twice... Crouching above while pressing down on the wound below made her legs ache terribly. She felt she might collapse onto Madam Pince at any moment.
Watching the librarian grow increasingly pale, Lys cast countless healing spells until finally the bleeding stopped and her breathing stabilized.
Lys nearly cried with relief.
What a situation - she'd only wanted to read in the library, and now the librarian had nearly died before her eyes. Before tears could fall, her nose started running from all the dust.
Lys began patting Madam Pince's face, hoping she'd wake up. Otherwise, at this rate, she might be stuck here all night. It was nearly closing time, and likely no one would come to the library anymore.
"Ahhh! Ahhh!" Unexpectedly, before the librarian even opened her eyes, she started screaming - whether from pain or fear, Lys couldn't tell. She was more concerned about the books on the nearby shelves nearly breaking their chains!
"Please stop screaming, Madam Pince, please!" Before her tears of relief could fall, tears of terror were already forming.
Finally, Lys had no choice but to cast a Stunning Spell on the woman she'd just revived.
The area lost its previous silence, filled instead with a cacophony of whispers full of malice, like madmen dragging chains while muttering and cursing as they wandered about.
Lys was terrified. She wanted to run for help, but whenever she lifted her foot slightly, the book beneath would struggle violently, ready to break free and bite. She couldn't move at all.
To distract herself, she kept casting healing spells on Madam Pince, occasionally touching Grrbing through her clothes for comfort. In her unstable mental state, her spells became erratic - though the wound showed signs of healing, it now glowed with a silver light.
Silver light? At this point, Lys would gladly turn Madam Pince completely silver if it meant she'd wake up!
Sniffling, Lys crouched there for most of the night. Worried about Madam Pince's condition, she covered her with her cloak and warming vest, while she shivered with just Grrbing pressed between her stomach and shirt, afraid to sleep despite her exhaustion.
After spending so long crouching and casting spells, Lys was magically and physically drained, cold and hungry. Hugging herself, she hazily felt like she was back in that small dark room at home.
A light shone through.
"Mother, I haven't caused trouble, have I?" But the small crack of light quietly closed...
As her body tilted forward, the struggling book startled her awake. She swallowed hard and forced herself to stay alert, only to realize that vanishing light had been real. "Help! Someone help! Please help!"
Professor Flitwick was on patrol that night. The sensitive professor screamed in his high-pitched voice, causing the nearby books to rattle their chains so violently they nearly fell on Lys's head.
Terrified, Lys quickly shouted, "Stop screaming! Please stop! Help quickly, this book bites!"
When Lys next became fully aware, she was standing in the hospital wing, one hand pressed against Grrbing at her stomach, the other clutching Professor Flitwick's collar and refusing to let go. Her wand was missing, and her nose was still running.
Seeing Lys somewhat lucid, Flitwick quickly found a Calming Draught and made her drink it, then used a spell to settle her into the nearest hospital bed and tucked her in, cleaning the dust and mucus from her face.
Merlin knew what trauma the child had endured - she'd displayed such strength that he couldn't pry her hand loose, and he hadn't dared use magic on the frightened child.
Oh, poor child, poor Madam Pince.
Within minutes, Professor Slughorn and Headmaster Dumbledore arrived.
Seeing the child lying in bed, refusing to let go of Flitwick, with bloodshot eyes and disheveled appearance.
The portly Potions professor pulled two pieces of chocolate from his robes pocket and stuffed them into Lys's mouth.