Chapter 98: Ninety-Eight

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Senna shoved Lys against the wall, raising her wand as her pale eyes scanned the surroundings, her mind racing. Who could it be?

Was Mungos' earlier arrival merely a test before reporting back?

Senna's light-colored eyes narrowed slightly. No, it was to confirm—to confirm that she was indeed their target, so they could act directly.

Grabbing Lys and abandoning the items on the ground, Senna briskly walked away, cautiously holding her wand at chest level. In a low voice, she said to Lys, "Be ready. If we can't win, this might be our last day alive. Got it?" Her words scared Lys into gripping her wand tightly.

After multiple failed attempts at dispelling the curses, Senna even considered using the fireplaces in some shops to escape with Floo Powder.

At this moment, several hooded wizards appeared, blocking the shop entrances and raising their wands.

Senna tried to leave, but her path was always obstructed. Meanwhile, the shops along the street seemed to have witnessed something terrifying, as their doors slammed shut one by one.

Senna had always kept a low profile, never drawing attention, because her magical prowess wasn't particularly strong. Without protection, she couldn't take on a group of people!

Moreover, there was a burden beside her. Even though Lys had grown to be as tall as Senna, height didn't equate to ability.

Faced with the looming danger, Senna felt anxious but refrained from acting rashly. The hooded wizards hadn't attacked directly; instead, they stood respectfully as if waiting. As long as they didn't strike first, it meant they were after something other than her life.

If her life wasn't at stake, then there was room to maneuver.

With this thought, Senna dragged Lys to stand by the side of the street, quietly observing the four hooded wizards standing silently nearby. She waited to see who they were waiting for or what they wanted.

Lys stood quietly beside Senna, opening her palm to offer a candy.

Frowning, Senna gave Lys a puzzled look. This little oddball had developed numerous hobbies since returning this year. Though none of her skills were exceptional, she dabbled in curses and alchemy. After receiving guidance from August, even her mind seemed to have sharpened considerably.

So, this untimely candy...

One of the nearby wizards let out a mocking laugh, seemingly amused by Lys's calmness in offering candy at such a moment.

When one of the vigilant wizards turned to stop Senna from making any moves, she had already swallowed the candy.

Lys quickly cast a smoke spell, pulling Senna down into a crouch. With swift movements, she summoned a blood-sucking black mist, sending it drifting toward the smoke's edge.

The four wizards raised their wands, casting Petrification spells at the shadow. It wasn't until their spells passed through the target that they realized it was a decoy.

"Apparate!"

As soon as Senna regained control of her magic, she Apparated to an open field.

Lys supported Senna, who was weakened from forcibly casting magic, and poured a vial of magical stabilizer and a magical replenishment potion from her pocket into her mouth.

Once Senna stood upright, she immediately grabbed Lys by the collar and Apparated multiple times. They eventually reached an old house. There, she instructed Lys to store the school wand in her clothes, hold onto the box, and Apparated once more to a forest.

By this point, Senna was reaching her limit. She began to suffer from nosebleeds, and the extreme strain of spatial movement had cost her a chunk of flesh from her thigh.

She was starting to Splinch. Apparition required a clear target, determination, and composure. But under such urgency, Senna lacked composure, and her targets were hastily chosen and unclear.

However, these minor injuries were an acceptable price for Senna. That Mungos had let slip some information earlier, emphasizing potioneers and potion quality. It seemed they were after her skills.

Escaping was a relief. Senna had no desire to be captured and forced to brew potions, bound to someone else's cause with no hope of freedom.

If they were indeed part of the Dark Lord's Death Eaters, it would be even worse. Rumor had it that the Malfoy heir had been branded with that Dark Mark, becoming a follower under a powerful figure.

In Senna's view, that Dark Mark couldn't possibly be a good thing. Moreover, the organization seemed to harbor extraordinary prejudice against different backgrounds and bloodlines.

As these thoughts swirled in her mind, Senna collapsed onto the forest grass where they last Apparated.

Lys found a sturdy tree, climbed onto a branch, and used a Levitation Charm to painstakingly lift her mother up as well.

She touched the pouch made of chameleon skin hanging around her neck and began casting healing spells on Senna's leg.

The injuries from Apparition were peculiar; ordinary healing spells were largely ineffective. By the time they worked, Senna would have bled out.

Frantically recalling the contents of Advanced Healing and Restoration Magic, Lys found no answers.

Just as Senna impatiently considered using cauterizing potions to forcibly stop the bleeding, Lys finally remembered a similar case from St. Mungo's Curious Cases, a Christmas gift.

Stopping her mother from pouring the potion, she took Senna's wand and cast the spell. Though it left a scar, it was a better outcome than using cauterizing potions.

The scar could be removed later with anti-scar potions, but the damage from the cauterizing potion would have been irreversible.

"Not bad, little oddball," Senna said, closing her eyes to rest. Then she asked, "What was that candy?"

"A neutralizer, Mom, to prevent magical stagnation from excessive potion consumption. It was Gah-Bang who reminded me," Lys replied. Earlier, Gah-Bang had stirred violently in the pouch, alerting her.

Frowning, Senna understood Lys's meaning. She had been hexed—but when?

Mungos! That stench of dirty socks.

She had been careless, reacting slower than a fourteen-year-old.

The secondhand blackthorn wand wasn't suitable for healing magic, so Lys was using Senna's wand.

The rapid healing of the wound drained both energy and stamina. Lys rummaged through her cloak pockets and pulled out two lunchboxes containing juicy chicken legs and potato pancakes.

Wiping away her nosebleed, Senna sighed at how much this child resembled her father. She instructed Lys to cast some protective spells around them to guard against the possibility of their pursuers tracking the Apparition trail.

Senna couldn't use Apparition again anytime soon unless she wanted to risk her life.

But this wasn't an ideal place to recover. Senna needed a safe and comfortable environment to heal.

Lys didn't dare stray far from her mother, as she noticed traces of magical creatures nearby. She even found some Mooncalf dung.

There was also evidence of a large, agile creature. Senna informed Lys that it was a gorilla.

Lys curiously observed her surroundings.

Each day, she guided her mother bit by bit, trying to find a way out of the forest.

When they finally encountered the first household, Lys wasn't even disappointed to learn it was a Muggle family.

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