Chapter 196: The Strange Shop
Disclaimer:
"Harry Potter" and all of its characters belong to J.K. Rowling. I own nothing but the original characters I create.
"Dialogue"
'Thoughts'
- Author notes -
Chapter 196: The Strange Shop
"Harry!" Daphne wanted to run to his side but wasn't sure if entering the magical circle would make things worse.
"W-wand…." Harry said with difficulty as he tried to stand up.
"Your wand?....hold on, I think it was over here." She hurried to his pile of clothes where she recalled him leaving his wand holster.
Harry let out some painful noises before more blood came out of his mouth and nose.
'What is this?!. It's like my entire body is rejecting the magic from the ritual…and destroying itself in the process.' He could feel his muscles trying to tear themselves apart and his organs starting to fail.
He was dying…and very quickly.
"Here!" Daphne came back with the wand but stopped at the edge of the circle.
Harry did not have the vocal capacity to explain to her that once the ritual was over, it didn't matter if she entered the circle.
So, with a lot of difficulty, he took a few steps closer to her.
When he was about to reach her, his legs gave up, and Daphne had to grab him and hold him up.
"Harry, what happened?!, did something go wrong with the ritual?...should I go call Madam Pomfrey?" Daphne stammered nervously while trying her best not to let him fall.
Harry managed to stabilize himself a bit and placed an arm over her shoulders to avoid falling. "W…wand…"
Daphne hurried to place the wand in his free hand.
'Madam Pomfrey would not be able to save me…and neither would Saint Mungo's…I have a few minutes left at best.'
There were only two persons he thought could have a chance to save him. And only one of them was in the British Isles.
Since he was in no shape to attempt bypassing the international barriers, that left him with only one choice, and it wasn't a good one…
'I have to try… I wonder if she will actually help me…' Harry lifted the wand, and it felt like it weighed a hundred pounds.
Daphne opened her mouth to speak, but before she could say anything, she felt a pulling sensation and disappeared from the chamber.
"Ahhh!" She felt dizzy for a moment and closed her eyes.
"T-there….urggg!" Harry grunted.
Daphne quickly opened her eyes again when she heard him vomit more blood. "Harry!...wait…" She then realized that they had apparated into a different location.
It was a dark and humid-looking alley.
Her eyes followed the direction that Harry's wand was pointing.
It looked like an old shop that had not been maintained in decades. The windows were incredibly dirty, making it impossible to see what was going on inside. Even the letters on the sign were gone, leaving it as a shop with no name.
"You want to go in there?" She asked him with a dubious face. She did not understand why they didn't go to the hospital if he was able to use apparition from the Chamber.
"Hurry…." Harry urged her to go.
As much as she wanted to question his decision, Daphne knew that he was in no shape to answer.
She had made full use of her limited physical strength to help Harry to the door.
He tapped it with his wand, and it opened immediately, revealing the interior of the shop.
She was a bit surprised to find that it looked clean. At least the parts she could see under the limited light of a dozen candles or so.
"We have customers today, welcome!" A cheerful voice could be heard as soon as they put a foot inside.
"Help!" Daphne immediately called.
"Mmm?" The owner of the voice came into view now. It was a tall middle-aged woman with average looks, black hair, and black eyes.
She wore a simple-looking violet dress and several pieces of jewelry on her wrists and neck.
She stared at Daphne and Harry with mild interest. "I don't usually get customers this young…"
"Please, he needs help!" Daphne begged the woman. After all, whoever this was, Harry appeared convinced that she could help him.
The woman raised an eyebrow. "Does this look like a hospital to you, little girl?..."
"But…" Her eyes went back to Harry. If this woman was not a healer… then why did they come here?
"Mo…." Harry clenched his teeth and tried to ignore as much of the pain as he could. He had very little time, and now he had to convince this difficult woman to save him. He could only think of one way to accomplish that.
"Mo?" The woman asked. Her eyes gained a slight shine as she gazed at Harry.
"Morgana." Harry finally said.
Her expression immediately changed from mild curiosity to anger.
A large wooden staff appeared in her hand and was pointed at Harry.
"Where did you learn that name?!"
Harry's answer came in the form of vomiting more blood on her shop's floor. He was completely pale now.
Daphne looked at this woman. "My Lady, please. If you can't save him… he is going to…" Tears fell across her face.
Harry lifted his face and looked at the older woman. "Morgana… pact… ritual…" He then collapsed.
"Harry!" Daphne cried.
The woman walked to one of the shelves and took a flask before walking next to Harry.
She used her staff to flip him over. Then, she opened his mouth and dunked the entire flask down his throat.
Daphne saw some of the liquid spilling from his lips and gasped loudly.
"Are you giving him blood?"
"Unicorn blood… this will keep him alive until I find how to save him. But…"
Her eyes moved to Daphne. "He better have a good explanation once he recovers… or I'm killing both of you."
The door of the shop closed by itself with a loud 'bamf' noise.
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