The Prisoners of Hogwarts

Chapter 163 Diagnosis

Chapter 163 Diagnosis

Lin Qi frowned slightly, completely focused, and the air around him seemed to freeze because of his concentration.

Just as the pen tip was about to complete the writing of a crucial magical script, his movements suddenly stopped without any warning.

He seemed to sense something, and then looked up to the side.

With a familiar loud bang, the house-elf Thors appeared in the corner of the room, bowing his head respectfully.

"Mr. Lynch," Thortz's voice carried an unusual urgency, "an emergency has occurred at Hogwarts Castle. Professor McGonagall has asked me to deliver an urgent message, requesting that you proceed as soon as possible."

Lynch's gaze swept over the unfinished runes on the parchment, and the next second, he decisively put down the quill.

The moment the pen touched the table, all the flowing, shimmering runes on the paper vanished, leaving it as blank as a sheet of paper.

He stood up and said succinctly, "Let's go."

Totz immediately stepped forward, his slender fingers gently touching Lynch's arm. With a soft pop, the two vanished from the stone house in an instant.

Almost simultaneously, accompanied by the same spatial distortion sound, their figures appeared precisely in the center of Gilderoy Lockhart's office, which was filled with self-portraits.

With a soft "thump," Lynch was led by Totz into Lockhart's office.

The scene in the office instantly filled Lynch's eyes: Snape was leaning over his desk, on which lay a stiff cat. The tip of his wand gleamed faintly as he cast a series of complex, silent diagnostic spells, his expression completely absorbed. Gilderoy Lockhart stood close beside Snape, pointing at the cat and offering his opinions incessantly, his face a mixture of feigned concern and an undisguised excitement at being involved in such a "big deal."

Professor McGonagall stood to one side, her brow furrowed, her hands clasped over her chest, clearly trying to ignore Lockhart's commotion and await Snape's professional assessment. Mr. Filch, the castle caretaker, slumped in a chair, his body trembling with sobs, a filthy handkerchief covering his face, his gaze occasionally fixed on the boy in the center of the room with pain and hatred. Harry Potter, pale-faced, stood isolated in the center of the room, like a sapling in a storm, his hands nervously wiping his robes.

Lynch's arrival instantly drew everyone's attention in the office.

Professor McGonagall's tense shoulders relaxed almost imperceptibly: "Professor Lynch, thank you for coming so quickly."

Snape didn't turn around. He continued to use his wand on the stiff, motionless cat on the table until he finished a series of complicated testing spells before straightening up.

He remained expressionless, coldly reporting the preliminary results in his characteristically smooth tone: "I can only confirm that this thing is still alive; its vital signs are very weak but stable. As for what caused it to be in this state, I cannot be certain."

This goes beyond the scope of ordinary curses or poisons.

"Obviously!" Lockhart interrupted almost the instant Snape finished speaking, waving his arms to emphasize his point. "It's a very evil 'Transfiguration Torture Curse'! I remember something very similar happening at Vagadug! Alas, if I had been there, I might have been able to reverse the curse, but now I've probably missed the best chance to save you."

His face displayed a perfectly balanced expression, a mixture of professional judgment and regret.

But nobody paid any attention to Lockhart's boasting.

Professor McGonagall looked at Lynch, her tone grave: "Professor Lynch, could you please examine this again? Professor Snape and I agree; neither of us can identify what magic caused this."

Lin Qi nodded and slowly walked towards his desk.

His gaze swept over the stiff cat, and his brow furrowed almost imperceptibly.

Lynch stopped in front of the desk, carefully examining the cat before him, and asked in a calm tone, "Where is Headmaster Dumbledore? He should be here in this situation."

"Unfortunately, Headmaster Dumbledore is not at Hogwarts tonight," Professor McGonagall replied, a hint of helplessness in her voice.

"I see." Lynch didn't say anything more, but began his examination, which was different from Snape's.

He did not use any spells, but instead held his right palm down, hovering an inch above Mrs. Lorris, and moved slowly.

Beneath his fingertips, the air distorted slightly, creating ripples almost imperceptible to the naked eye, as if sensing every subtle trace of residual magic.

After a moment, he withdrew his hand, his conclusion clear and certain:

"A powerful residual magic. Not an ordinary curse, but complete petrification. The caster must either possess extraordinary power or—" He paused, his gaze sweeping over everyone present, "wielded some extraordinary dark creation. I cannot undo this level of petrification right now."

The office fell into an even deeper silence because of his calm and absolute judgment.

"Unresolved?!" Filch let out a choked, almost desperate cry, lurching forward in his chair, tears mingling with snot streaming down his deeply lined face. "My Loris, is she going to stay like this forever? No—"

Is there really no other way? Please, Professor, there must be some way!

Lynch's gaze shifted to the grief-stricken administrator. His tone remained calm, but carried a definite meaning, dispelling some of the despair: "Not forever. I said 'I cannot undo it now,' not that there is no solution."

He continued, his voice clear to everyone: "There is a very mature and reliable solution—the mandrake revitalizer. Using mature mandrake roots to prepare the medicine can perfectly reverse this petrification effect."

He looked at Professor McGonagall, "I remember Professor Sprout has mandrake growing in his garden. Although they are still growing, once they mature, they will be able to produce enough medicine."

This explanation was like a shot in the arm, rekindling a faint hope in Filch's cloudy eyes. Although he was still sobbing because of the long wait, at least he was no longer in utter despair.

"Let me do it!" Lockhart volunteered. "I've concocted this potion many times before; this kind of work requires a true master."

"Excuse me," Snape interrupted him coldly, "I am the Potions teacher at this school."

Lockhart fell silent.

Ignoring the little incident, Lin Qi turned his gaze to the only person in the room who shouldn't be there.

"So, was Mr. Potter the first person to discover it?"