68 ch 68 Horror of Cruciatus Curse

1:47 pm , Near St Mungo's Hospital

Whoosh~

After lunch, Amelia and I apparated to the street near St Mungo's Hospital for Magical Maladies and Injuries.

"St. Mungo's is just around the corner, but we need to be discreet to avoid attracting attention," Amelia said as she fixed her coat collar to hide her face.

I frown and wave my hand and a thin film envelope the two of us in a huge transparent bubble which immediately turned us invisible. Turning to Amelia, who was shocked by what she saw, I said, "Problem solved."

"You can do wandless magic!?"

"Yeah" I just answered plainly. "Let's proceed, Ma'am."

She wanted to say something but choose to start walking toward the hospital.

We cross the street and face an old-looking building that has a faded signboard that says, "Purge & Dowse--".

At the window display upfront, Amelia and I stopped and look at the mannequin that is wearing an outdated dress.

The mannequin's head looked at the two of us, and waved its arms as if saying "Come In". Even with the invisibility field, it can still detect us.

When I walked through the display window, a cacophony greeted us.

There were matrons and patients walking around. At the corner, I even saw mam with a gigantic head accompanied by a woman who is supporting and nagging at him.

Amelia tapped my shoulder and point at the hall down the right. She took me to a quiet corridor with a room that has two people guarding the door and said, "You can remove the invisibility charm now, Marshall."

Waving my arms again, the field disappeared, and the two people immediately got startled by our sudden appearance.

"Ah!!" "Madam Head!"

Amelia asked, "Peasgood, Tonks... Where is Moody?"

One of the guards, a girl with a pink hair, answered, "Mad-Eye is inside, Madam Head. I can't believe he can stay there watching all those people in their miserable state."

The other guard said, "Hey, watch your language. Those miserable people used to be aurors and hit-wizards."

The pink haired girl lowered her face and apologized. As she did, she notices me standing beside Amelia and said, "Oh! So you're the kid that cured the Longbottoms. I heard you're a fellow Hufflepuff. Nice to meet you, I'm Dora Tonks."

I smile and said, "Nice to meet you, Nymphadora."

"DON'T CALL ME NYMPHADORA!!!" She yelled out, and her hair caught on fire.

"Hahah... Fred and George were right. Your pet peeve is your name… Hahaha" I laughed.

Tonks was fuming, "Those two said what!?"

"Ehem!" Amelia called our attention and proceeded to open the door.

"Ahhhh!!!!"

"Stopp...topppp...stafttttt!!!!"

"They're coming...RUN!!!!!!"

"Hahahahaha"

Immediately we were assaulted by screams of people.

Amelia frown and looked to the side and found Moody sitting on a stool reading a book. He noticed us and said, "Well it's about time."

"You didn't put them to sleep?" Amelia asked as we enter the room.

Looking around, I counted eight beds. Each have one person in a strap jacket wiggling around or trying to free themselves.

Though the ward appears to be relatively clean, I can still smell the lingering feces and urine. From their appearance, the patients have not bathed in a long time as well.

In the last war, many died, while others were tortured to the point of insanity by the Death Eaters. Frank and Alice were just the most famous example of the latter.

Meaning, they were not the only ones. The people on the beds are the few Aurors and Hit-wizards that survived the Cruciatus Curse.

When I heard of Amelia's request to save them, I agreed. But instead of giving my potion, I asked to see them, so I can check how the Cruciatus Curse affects the body.

My Spring Water is in limited supply. Even the ones I gave to Neville were 50% diluted, but still required me to give 4 weeks worth of my accumulated Spring Water.

As much as I want to be generous, I'm saving up my Spring Water in case of emergencies.

Moody stood up, snapped the book close and put it down. "I don't want other potions affecting the cure. Better be safe than to be wasteful."

He looked at me and his mechanical eye from head to foot. "'D names Alastor Moody, boy. Hmmm... The noise does not bother you. It seems you have a bit of a backbone to yah huh... Unlike Dora."

Tonks wanted to protest, but she got startled by another screaming episode of one of the patients. It seems she's still a trainee.

Extended my hand, I greeted him ,"Marshall Witcherly."

Moody stare at my hand and said, "Apologies, boy. I don't do handshake from strangers."

Retracting my hands, I awkwardly cough and looked the patient nearest me.

He looks to be a man in his 40s pr 50s, but that's just base in his unkempt appearance.

I asked Siri…

Me: What is the status of this patient?

Siri:Currently suffering from soul-mutilation.

?! Soul-Mutilation? It's basically another term for soul attack, but instead of hurting or extinguishing, it leans more on torturing the soul.

I quickly channel magic into my eyes and activated my soul-reading ability.

"Woah!!" I took a step back. Even if I was prepared to see deranged people today, I was not prepared for how these people's souls appeared.

Soul-Reading is an ability I got from Reza which allows me to view a person's soul. I never used it, since the souls appear naked.

I didn't notice it when I practiced it on rats, but when I tried using it on Nana… I saw a naked Heidi Klum. Good thing that I didn't see much as I was blinded by her brilliant light.

Now back to the patient's soul. I noticed that his soul was burnt all over.

I steel myself and walked around the room looking at each patient's soul. Some have mangled limbs, cuts and holes all over the body, missing eyes…etc.

Moody, Amelia and the other two looked at my action with a mix of worry and curiosity.

When I return to them, I sat on the stool and took out a bottle of Coke to calm myself.

Amelia walked up to me and asked, "What happened, Marshall?"

I was going to answer, but Moody said, "You saw their soul, didn't you, kid?"

"Yeah!" I nodded. "Have you seen it too?"

"No, but from the records of old magic theories explaining the Cruciatus Curse, I deduced that the 'will' the caster use involves having a clear picture of what they want their victim to feel." said Moody in a solemn tone.

"Their souls were mutilated and left in their miserable state to suffer every day.." I sighed, "To enforce such 'will'… the casters are definitely psychos."

"I'm going to try something else other than my potions…" Not waiting for their opinion, I approach the man whose soul was burnt.

With a wave of my hand, the man was engulfed in white ghostly flame.

Amelia and the others were shocked, but seeing that the man was unharmed they calmed down.

Moody and Amelia approach me from the back and observe. Alastor asked, "What are you doing?"

"Soul-Healing… My potions are of limited supply, and I'm saving it in case of emergencies. When I helped the Longbottoms, it was just a spontaneous decision. Now that I had a better look at the patients, I can administer a more cost-effective treatment." I explained.

When I 'see' that the man's soul was healed up and resemble a man in his thirties, I extinguished the flame and place my hands over his forehead and administer a wave of healing magic through my healing touch.

I checked with Siri and confirmed that the man was fine, just a bit malnourished.

Returning to sit on the stool and sipping my coke, I tried to catch my breath.

Amelia approach the man and run a diagnostic spell to check and was surprised to find nothing wrong with him. She looked at me and said, "Thank you, Marshall."

Alastor looked at the man and his mechanical eye keep moving around. He looks at me and said, "You're a necromancer."

Silence~

Amelia was shocked as well as the other two. They look at me waiting for an answer.

After taking a sip of my coke, with a relax expression, I smile and replied, "Yup. What are you going to do about it? Send me to Azkaban?"

Moody walked up to me, followed by Amelia. He said, "Do you think I won't?"

I nodded, "Yes… For one, you don't have any legal basis. So far, I only showed that I can HEAL souls…."

"... Second, as far as I know, the Art of Necromancy has a vague definition by the law, neither good nor bad. If it was, then half of the magical populace is guilty. The existence of Knockturn Alley alone is a testament that some forms of 'Dark Arts' are acceptable in our society."

"Besides, magic by nature is neither light nor dark. It was humans who created such distinction. At the end of the day, it is up to the individual on which nature his or her magic takes."

"... Third, the Head of DMLE herself, asked me to help. If you arrest me, then that will send a message to those that are willing to stand on 'your' side that you are inflexible and can turn against your allies."

"... Finally, do you really think I will let you arrest me?" The last part, I said with a chuckle.

Moody's one good eye glare at me while his mechanical one assessed me up and down. He quickly points his wand at me, "You might be gifted, but you are conceited, boy. Don't forget that you are still a first year student."

"Man… You're really mad, aren't you? Care to weigh in on the conversation, Madam Bones," I looked at Amelia who remained silent the whole time.

She looked at me and then the man on the bed. With a sigh, she said, "Stand down, Alastor. Marshall is right. He haven't broken any law. We can't arrest someone base on the stigma that society has regarding necromancy. "

"... If we arrest him, I'm pretty sure that we won't be able to handle the backlash. His association with the Flamels alone is enough to have others attack us and defend him on their behalf."

Moody falter for a moment, but insisted, "We can't let such a kid, with a potential to be the next dark lord, be free."

I rolled my eyes, "Please, if you really judge kid's like that, then why the heck does the Slytherin house still exist in Hogwarts?"

"And Mad-Eye, ...is that really what you think? ...Or are those the words that Dumbledore asked you to say?"

"Gah! I don't know what you're talking about." Moody said.

"Really?" I laugh and look at the far end corner of the room and yelled,

"THEN WHY THE HECK IS THE HEADMASTER HERE?!"

Silence ~

Amelia followed my gaze at the corner and asked, "What do you mean, Marshall?"

Waving my hand and disarming Moody, I then reached out to the corner of the room and grabbed something in the air.

Whoosh~

A cloak levitated and Dumbledore appeared. The cloak flew across the room and into my hand, and I said, "Shouldn't this be return to Harry, Headmaster."

When Amelia saw Dumbledore, she yelled out, "Alastor! You dare go against my order!"

I joked, "It seems being a member of Dumbledore's vigilante group is more of a priority to you, Mad-Eye."

*Cough* Dumbledore had a guilty look and said, "Apologies, but I just want to observe…"

"Pfft… Whatever helps you sleep at night…" With the Invisibility Cloak in my hand, I walked to the center of the room and waved my hand.

Whoosh~🔥

The other seven patients were engulfed in white flame. It might be exhausting for me to do it all at once, but I rather push through with it than to stay here and be annoyed any further.

After confirming with Siri that their souls had already healed completely, I then threw the cloak into the bed in front of Dumbledore and proceeded to heal the patients individually.

When I'm finished, there was sweat dripping down my forehead and my breathing was labored.

Turning to Amelia, who was arguing with Moody, I said, "Madam Bones, I already held my end of our deal."

"Just give me a moment, Marshall." Amelia said, and she proceeded to give orders to Tonks and the other guard.

I sat down at the edge of one of the beds and took out a bottle of water to drink.

Dumbledore approach me and asked, "What is your deal with Amelia, Young Witcherly?"

Turning around, I frowned, "What does it have to do with you, Old Man? We are outside the school. You are not my family. Are you under some kind of delusion that I have a high opinion of you?"

*Cough* Dumbledore was flustered.

The other four in the room was shocked how I treated Dumbledore.

*pop*

The awkward moment was interrupted by the sudden appearance of my house elf, Jolly.

The elf immediately said, "Young Master, Young Master! Madam Dora said to come back home before 6:00 pm. The lawyer is having dinner at our house tonight."

Surprised, I said, "Thanks Jolly. Please help Nana prepare dinner and look after my pets. Are they still watching TV?"

I then took out my suitcase and handed it to the elf.

"Yes.. yes.. the owl, fairy, toad and the unicorn foal are watching TV. Jolly will keep an eye on them... Yes..Jolly will!..." The elf said while hugging the suitcase.

"Very well, you can go now." I said and Jolly disappeared.

Everyone in the room heard our conversation.

Moody said, "Did I hear your elf mentioned a Unicorn foal? You don't have a clearance to keep magical creatures above XXX, boy. You're ballsy to even take a foal away from its mother."

I raised my index finger and waved it, "No, I didn't. The whole unicorn herd took refuge with me when they were attacked by something in the Forbidden Forest. The centaurs can be my witness."

"Preposterous! Do you really think we'll believe that! And what attacked the unicorns?" Mad-Eye denied my claim.

I smirked, "Do you really want to know?"

Dumbledore quickly said, "Enough Alastor." He then called me out and said, "Do you intend to raise your clearance to keep the herd, Marshall? Is that why you need a lawyer?"

I playfully showed an expression that I'm in deep thought, "Eh... I was advised that it can be done if I want to, but I haven't decided yet. The lawyer is an old family friend of ours that someone recommended so that I won't trouble Uncle Nick and Aunt Penny when I have some problems dealing with the Ministry. Tonight's dinner is just our first meeting."

Amelia cut in and asked, "And who is this lawyer? I know all the active lawyer, solicitor and barristers in Britain and all of them don't have the ability to help you obtain an XXXX or XXXXX license. Such lawyer should be well known."

After another gulp of water, I nod, "He is well known. Just retired. Actually, everyone says his name a lot. Especially when cursing. I'm told that he actually hates that a lot you know..."

Silence~

Dumbledore, Amelia and Moody was shocked and figured out who I meant. They just can't believe it.

The other two had a puzzled look on their face. I hear the male guard mumbling and repeating what I just said.

Tonks on the other hand can't stand the suspense, "Who is it? A person everyone knows and mentioned when cursing???"

The male guard's eye pop when he realized something, "Oh Merlin! You must be joking!"

~end chapter ~

Next chapter is on Mar 4.