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0760 Happy Endings
🕑 Added 2025-06-28 10:44:36 +0000 UTCAlthough the senior healers at St. Mungo's Hospital had anticipated the possibility of success to some extent, the awakening of the Longbottom couple from their seemingly permanent bedridden stupor after more than a decade of unconscious existence still caused an unprecedented and electrifying stir throughout the hospital.
Word of the miraculous recovery spread through the hospital like wildfire, carried by conversations between nurses, excited discussions among junior healers, and the rapid footsteps of staff members hurrying to witness what many were already calling the greatest medical breakthrough in wizarding history.
Whether they were long-term patients who had been staying there for months or years, or the staff members, everyone wanted to witness this extraordinary miracle with their own eyes.
Throughout the entire morning, Frank and Alice along with Augusta Longbottom, and their son Neville received an endless stream of heartfelt congratulations, expressions of amazement, and emotional well-wishes from an overwhelming group of visitors.
Some particularly enthusiastic busybodies, caught up in the excitement and greatness of the moment, even boldly suggested going to The Daily Prophet offices in the Diagon Alley to bring back a team of reporters and photographers to cover this extraordinary story.
This proposal gained surprising support from many people present, who argued that such a miraculous medical breakthrough deserved to be shared with the entire magical community. However, this well-intentioned but potentially problematic suggestion was ultimately stopped by Dumbledore.
"Please, you mustn't do that, Cetarius—" Dumbledore said gently to a short, elderly man who was wearing green robes that marked him as one of St. Mungo's most senior healers.
"I've already emphasized that the dangerous treatment method Bryan and I used for Frank and Alice cannot be widely promoted. The risks involved are simply too great, and the circumstances of this particular case were unique in ways that may never be replicated.
But if this matter gets publicized through The Daily Prophet, I'm afraid that Hogwarts will be completely overrun by desperate families of unfortunate wizards and witches who have suffered similar tragic fates."
Dumbledore's expression grew more serious as he continued. "We would be forced to turn away countless families, causing them additional pain and disappointment when they discover that their situations may not be suitable for this experimental approach. The false hope we would create could prove more devastating than their current acceptance of their circumstances."
"But people will find out eventually anyway, Albus!" Cetarius who held considerable prestige and influence among the hospital's entire healing staff, said with indignation.
"This is an absolutely epoch-making achievement—a breakthrough that will be studied and celebrated for centuries to come! The entire wizarding world should know immediately what kind of unprecedented miracle you and Watson have accomplished here today.
You two should have your faces immortalized on Chocolate Frog cards immediately, with this incredible achievement prominently featured alongside your other accomplishments! And the Order of Merlin should present you both with an oak barrel overflowing with First-Class medals!"
"Oh—" Dumbledore's silver beard swayed gently as he chuckled with amusement.
"That certainly sounds rather nice and quite flattering, Cetarius, but I'm quite certain that neither Bryan nor I have any personal need for such public recognition. Our reward lies in seeing Frank and Alice reunited with their son, in witnessing the joy on Neville's face, and in knowing that we've been able to restore a family that was torn apart by the cruelties of war."
Despite the passionate arguments from various medical professionals and well-meaning supporters, Dumbledore still used his considerable 'supreme authority' and respected position within the wizarding community to firmly put the matter of publicity to rest. However, he knew rumors about this would inevitably begin to spread.
"Mm."
When Bryan finally awakened from his long deep sleep, the evening glow of the setting sun had already painted the white wall opposite his hospital bed in a lazy, romantic reddish color.
After blinking several times to clear the lingering haze of deep sleep from his vision, the drowsiness and disorientation quickly dispersed from his mind. More remarkably and strikingly than the simple return of consciousness, his purple pupils had become more pure, more vibrant, and more intensely colored than they had been before.
His fingertips brushed against the corner of his right eye as Bryan quietly sensed the changes that had occurred within himself.
Everything within his field of vision had become clearer and more transparent than before, as if he had previously been viewing the entire world through gray, dusty lenses, and now all that dust and interference had been completely wiped away, revealing everything around him in sharp detail.
"The Limit—" Bryan whispered to himself. He raised his right hand and, as if stirring thick honey or disturbing the surface of still water, traced his index finger through the empty space in front of him.
Incredibly and almost impossibly, the light streaming into the room through the window seemed to become tangible, visible threads of pure energy that actually twisted and bent in direct response to the movement of Bryan's fingertip, following his gestures.
Like a child who had just discovered a fascinating new toy, Bryan watched this scene with great interest, and began continuously manipulating the air around him with more complex gestures. Under his gentle movements, within the enclosed hospital room, ripples of invisible magical power began to set the previously still air in motion, creating a pleasant, refreshing breeze.
As if suddenly realizing something, Bryan's gaze fell upon the toothbrush cup placed on the small bedside table. Without making any move to draw his wand, without speaking any incantation or performing any traditional magical gesture, he simply pointed his fingertip directly at the cup and wiggled it a few times in a seemingly casual manner, and then—
The sky-blue cup suddenly began to tremble, growing more and more intense. In what appeared to be rapid spinning blur, the cup began to twist and transform into a small white snake as thick as a human thumb.
Hiss—
The incredibly lifelike little snake coiled its body, then suddenly sprang toward Bryan. In mid-air, its tail nimbly wrapped around Bryan's wrist like a bracelet, and the snake blinked its lively pupils while gazing at Bryan with affection.
"Interesting—" Bryan smiled with satisfaction and fascination as he murmured to himself.
"The strengthening of my soul power has directly brought about a significant enhancement of my mental power. Mm, perhaps one day in the not-too-distant future, I'll be able to completely abandon the use of a wand."
After playing with the little snake for several minutes, Bryan opened his palm and looked at it.
"Go on," He said simply.
The white snake, upon receiving this command, actually showed a hint of reluctance in its eyes. After circling around Bryan's wrist several times in what seemed like a farewell gesture, it finally obediently loosened its grip, quickly slithered down along the bedding to the foot of the bed, descended via the bedpost, and disappeared into the dark shadows beneath the bed.
After watching the snake depart, Bryan glanced toward the door of his room, then rose from his bed and dressed himself with efficient movements.
"Come in, everyone," He called out toward the room's door.
The Longbottom family entered the room one by one. Perhaps to give the family an opportunity to express their deep gratitude privately, Hermione, Sirius, and Tonks remained waiting outside the door in the corridor.
"I don't know how to thank you, Bryan!" Augusta Longbottom's voice rang out with more strength and vitality than anyone had heard from her in years.
Having not seen her for just one single day, Madam Longbottom seemed to have grown twenty years younger in appearance and demeanor. Her back was straighter than it had been in a decade, her voice was booming and powerful, some of the deeper wrinkles had faded from her cheeks, and the remaining seemed to radiate vitality. However, she remained as direct as always.
She walked straight to Bryan beside the hospital bed, reached out and took his hand in both of hers, and began to shake it vigorously with an enthusiasm that showed no signs of stopping.
"You've restored Frank and Alice to complete health and consciousness, you've allowed Neville to finally live with his own parents as a proper family should be. I've always known this child dreams constantly of such a life. In any case, Bryan, whatever you wish to do in the future, whatever challenges you choose to face, the entire Longbottom family will support you unwaveringly!"
Bryan gently withdrew his somewhat aching palm from Augusta's enthusiastic grip and smiled with warmth and humility.
"I was simply doing what I'm capable of doing and what I believe is right, Augusta."
"Yes, I knew you'd say exactly that," Mrs. Longbottom responded, her mouth curving slightly, her eyes bright and sparkling as she gazed at Bryan with admiration.
"Just like Dumbledore—noble to the core, always thinking of others before yourself, always downplaying your own remarkable achievements. But as I said, the Longbottom family will always support you as long as you don't plan to become a Dark Lord!"
"Grandmother!" Neville interjected with clear displeasure. "Professor Watson would never become a Dark Lord!"
Bryan looked at Neville with slight surprise and immediately noticed the change in the young man's demeanor and the new brightness that seemed to shine from his eyes.
This child, who had always been somewhat weak and uncertain under Madam Longbottom's strict educational methods, and who had often become the target of others' mockery and bullying at Hogwarts, now seemed completely transformed—he actually had the courage to speak to his grandmother in this manner.
"Oh, I was just making an example, Neville, testing the waters so to speak," Madam Longbottom replied smiling at Neville.
Bryan chuckled with amusement then turned his gaze to Frank and Alice Longbottom, who each had a hand resting gently on Neville's shoulders.
Unlike their haggard and lifeless appearance on their hospital beds, this courageous couple who had been trapped in mental stupor for over a decade now looked absolutely radiant with health and vitality.
Their transformation was like that of Sirius's recovery after escaping from the horrors of Azkaban prison and finally resolving the deep inner conflicts that had tormented him for so many years—their eyes were filled with hope, new purpose, and vitality.
"So then," Bryan said, looking at the two heroes from the previous wizarding war with a gentle expression.
"How does it feel to regain full consciousness after such a long absence from the world, you two?"
When they had first regained consciousness earlier, Bryan had already communicated briefly with them both, establishing their mental clarity and ensuring that the treatment had been completely successful without any negative side effects.
So, they knew who this young man in front of them was, understood the magnitude of what he had accomplished, and after spending a full day listening to various people chattering excitedly and explaining the details of their situation, they had finally come to fully understand and appreciate just how truly remarkable and gifted this young wizard who had pulled them from their nightmare truly was.
"To be honest, the experience isn't entirely positive," Frank replied and unlike his condition during his illness when he had been incapable of clear communication, the reborn Frank was a gentle, thoughtful, and humorous wizard. He laughed lightly.
"I went to sleep as a young man and woke up to discover I'd aged more than a decade without experiencing any of the years in between. That's quite a shock to the system, I must say.
But worst of all, after all this time sleeping, after missing more than ten years of magical sports, I've discovered that England still hasn't managed to make it to the Quidditch World Cup finals!
Some things apparently never change in the wizarding world."
Everyone in the room laughed softly at Frank's words, including Sirius, Hermione, and Tonks, who were listening from their position outside the door in the corridor.
"But there are definitely things worth celebrating too, aren't there, Frank?"
Alice gently brushed Neville's temple. She gazed at her son with eyes that shone with unconditional love and said tenderly.
"I'm so glad that at least we didn't miss Neville's coming of age. Oh no, from now on, we won't miss a single birthday in your life, until we depart from this world."
"That won't be for many, many years, Mum," Neville replied with a bright smile that seemed to light up his entire face.
This scene of family reunion and harmony moved Bryan.
It had been only half a month since leaving Hogwarts, but Bryan felt as though much more time had passed. Fortunately, all the incidents and challenging situations he had faced had resulted in positive outcomes and good endings, and now he needed to prepare himself well in the brief time ahead to face even more tough challenges.
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