Chapter 66: Visiting the Sick

"Professor," Sean asked seriously, "what is the way to counter this?"

"Actually, it's very simple," Dumbledore replied, his voice losing its usual warmth. "The attacker just needs to kill you a second time within seven days."

The moment he heard this, Sean subconsciously wanted to say that he already knew being killed a second time would be fatal. But in the next instant, he grasped Dumbledore's true meaning.

In a wizard's battle, whoever has the power to kill him once has the power to kill him a second time immediately after.

Once someone decides they want to kill Sean and also knows the function of the pure white pocket watch, they only need to cast the Killing Curse a second time, right after the first one fails, and Sean would be well and truly dead.

For example, last night when Sean encountered Quirrell, if Quirrell had known about the existence and function of the pocket watch, he would only have needed to use a second Killing Curse after the first one hit. He could have completely killed Sean. This was what Dumbledore wanted to express.

This was why Dumbledore said that the biggest drawback of the pure white pocket watch was that it was not discreet enough.

Of course, even so, the watch was still an incredibly valuable magical item; of that, there was no doubt.

Moreover, there were not actually many people who knew about the pure white pocket watch. At least Snape, standing right in front of Sean, had not known its specific function before this.

After finishing the topic of the pocket watch, the two chatted briefly again, and Dumbledore said goodbye and left.

Just after Dumbledore left and Snape was about to follow, he suddenly seemed to remember something, turned to look at Sean, and said, "Sean, there are still three days until the end of the term. I hope that during this period, I can see your paper. If there is nothing wrong with your body, then get up quickly and write it."

After saying this, Snape turned around and strode out of the ward, leaving only a stunned Sean, who stared blankly at Snape's departing figure.

Being hospitalized and still being given homework? Sean thought incredulously. Is there any humanity left in the world?

Blaise sat in the ward, watching his good friend sitting on the hospital bed, writing his paper at a rapid pace. He truly didn't know what expression he should be showing.

When he had received the letter that Sean had entrusted someone to bring him this morning, he had been a little surprised to hear Sean was in the school hospital. However, when he saw that the letter asked him to go to the room to get Sean's papers and books and also asked him to help feed Kulkan, Blaise was sure that there was no major problem.

Originally, Blaise had wanted to visit Sean and ask about what had happened last night, but Sean hadn't said more than a few words before he just took his things and started writing his paper on the bed. If Madam Pomfrey hadn't insisted that Sean not be discharged immediately and stay for a couple more days for observation, Blaise felt that Sean might have already been discharged and gone to the library.

Looking at Sean at this moment, Blaise suddenly felt that he was a bit too lazy on weekdays and that perhaps he should also take his studies a little more seriously.

After thinking about it, Blaise finally came to a conclusion: he must have woken up too early this morning; otherwise, how could such an outrageous idea as wanting to study hard appear in his mind? It was a joke. Could studying possibly be as interesting as dating?

Just as Blaise was getting bored and was about to grab some fruit from the bedside table, the door of the ward was pushed open again, and a voice Sean recognized sounded.

"I haven't been to the wards of Hogwarts for a long time. The changes are really quite big."

The moment he heard this voice, Sean immediately snapped out of his paper-writing state. He turned his head and looked at the ward door. His grandfather, Gavin Bulstrode, was standing there. He did not talk to Sean immediately but instead looked at Blaise, nodded, and said, "Blaise, right? I had a gathering with some old friends last month, and your mother happened to be there. We chatted for a bit and also talked about you. Seeing you in person now, you really are a fine young man, very spirited."

Blaise took his mother's surname. His mother, Mrs. Zabini, was famous for being in her seventh marriage. However, the end of her first six marriages was not due to divorce, but because her first six husbands had all died from unnatural, albeit officially accidental, causes. It was said that her seventh husband was also currently seriously ill, and the cause could not be found.

In fact, when Mrs. Zabini's third husband died unexpectedly, the husband's distant relatives had gone to the Ministry of Magic to have her investigated. The Ministry confirmed that the cause of death was indeed an accident. The deaths of the later three husbands were also investigated again by some people, and the results all showed accidental death or death by illness, proving Mrs. Zabini's innocence.

But precisely because of this, Mrs. Zabini had also gained the nickname "the Black Widow" in the magical world.

Ordinarily, Blaise strongly disliked others mentioning his mother. It wasn't because he didn't love her; on the contrary, Blaise loved his mother very much. However, most people who mentioned his mother in front of him had malicious intentions and spoke carelessly, which was why Blaise disliked it so much.

Of course, at this moment, when Gavin mentioned his mother, Blaise didn't show any sign of displeasure. He knew very well that given his mother's financial power in the magical world, anyone who could dine with her must be a high-level figure from a prominent family. Coupled with the other person's age and Sean's reaction, Blaise guessed the man's identity.

The Head of the Bulstrode family.

Blaise immediately stood up, put the peach he had taken in his hand aside, and said to Gavin very respectfully, "May I ask if you are Mr. Bulstrode?"

Nodding, Gavin said, "Smart boy… I want to talk to Sean now. Could I trouble you to step aside for a moment?"

"Okay, I won't disturb you." Blaise stood up, bowed slightly to Gavin, then nodded to Sean before leaving the ward.

At this moment, after glancing at Blaise leaving, Gavin walked over to Sean, looked at the paper Sean was writing, and asked, "Is there still homework after the exam?"

"This is the paper Professor Snape asked me to write about my answer to the final exam questions."

"Oh?" Gavin looked at Sean's paper again and asked, "May I see it?"

Moving aside, Sean nodded and said, "Of course."

Taking the paper, Gavin read it carefully. As he read, his expression gradually became serious. He looked at the paper intently, up to the part Sean was currently writing, then looked up at Sean and said, "Although I heard a long time ago that your grades are quite good, I really didn't expect that at your current age, you would already reach this level."

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