bioinnovel Chapter 352 The Last Whisper
Chapter 352 The Last Whisper
Chapter 352 The Last Whisper
The unconscious Igor Karkarov was carried to the school hospital by his students, where he was treated by the kind and compassionate Mrs. Pomfrey.
After a thorough examination, Mrs. Pomfrey was absolutely certain that, apart from slight malnutrition, Karkaroff was in excellent health.
That's right, Principal Durmstrang was not ill; his cold and fever had long since healed, and his fainting was not due to any physical cause.
Igor Karkarov's problem lies in his psychology; the area of his psychological trauma is so vast that it envelops him completely, making it hard for him to breathe.
Therefore, Mrs. Pomfrey suggested that he take some euphoric drugs to boost his spirits and give him the courage to confront the shadows in his heart.
Alternatively, Karkaroff could use Dr. Bad's Oblivion Ointment to forget the wounds of the heart and mind.
Of course, forgetfulness spells are not impossible, but one must be extra careful with the intensity of the spell to avoid causing greater damage, such as developing amnesia.
Under Mrs. Pomfrey's meticulous care, Karkarov, who had been unconscious and then regained consciousness, appeared much calmer. He lay on the hospital bed with a blank stare, not communicating with anyone.
Upon seeing Karkaroff awaken from his unconsciousness and after repeatedly confirming that he was not dead, Viktor Krum and the other Durmstrang students turned and left without the slightest hesitation.
These people didn't need to be driven away by Madam Pomfrey at all; they left faster and faster than the last, as if whoever was left behind would have to stay and take care of Karkarov.
"Viktor!"
Karkarov, lying in his hospital bed, suddenly shouted.
Krum, who was in a hurry to leave, paused and fell behind everyone else.
"Go find Snape and tell him I want to see him!" Karkaroff said. "I want to see Snape!"
Krum did not respond or stop. Instead, he quickened his pace and caught up with the group ahead.
So, Kakarov was left alone in the ward of the school hospital. He lay on the bed, feeling weak all over and unable to muster any strength.
Nothing could distract Karkaroff; he felt as if he were back in the Forbidden Forest that day, as if he were lying back on the ground piled with fallen leaves, and as if he could hear Belvina's devilish whispers in his ear.
After an unknown amount of time, Igor Karkarov, whose body was limp and weak, suddenly awoke.
The ward in the school hospital was pitch black, so dark you couldn't see your hand in front of your face. Even the moon outside the window was hazy and indistinct.
At that moment, Karkaroff realized with horror that there was someone standing at the entrance of the school hospital, and that person was watching him!
A terrified Igor Karkarov suddenly felt a dryness in his mouth. He instinctively swallowed, but it did not relieve the dryness.
"I heard you wanted to see me, Karkaroff." The person standing in the doorway slowly entered the ward. "But you don't seem very willing to see me."
The person who walked into the school hospital ward was a thin man with sallow skin, a large hooked nose, and crooked teeth. His greasy, shoulder-length hair clung to his face like curtains.
Severus Snape was still wearing a long black robe, the flowing hem making him look like a giant bat.
"Severus!" Karkaroff breathed a sigh of relief as the dryness in his mouth gradually subsided.
"It is I, Karkaroff," Snape said, his voice soft but each syllable clear enough to reach the ears of those around him.
Snape, upon entering the ward, did not go to Karkaroff's bedside, but instead stopped in front of the bed next to Karkaroff's.
"I'm busy, Karkaroff. If you have something to say, you'd better hurry up and tell me," Snape continued, his deep black eyes filled with disdain for Karkaroff.
It's one thing for Karkaroff to be out of his mind, but he actually dared to make a move at Hogwarts.
It's not a big deal to start a fight at Hogwarts, but he actually dared to fight Belvina, and he hadn't even won.
Not being able to beat Belvina isn't a big problem, since there are very few people who can defeat her. But getting your pants soaked by her is another issue.
That's Karkaroff's problem.
Therefore, Snape, who despised Karkaroff, stood far away, always feeling that Karkaroff smelled of urine and had an indescribable stench.
"Severus, Severus, I have something very important to tell you." Karkaroff forced his limp body to sit up in bed. "You must have noticed it too, you must have noticed it!"
"I don't understand what you're saying," Snape said coldly. "I don't know what I should be paying attention to."
Karkarov leaned against the headboard, his trembling fingers nervously twirling his goatee.
He exclaimed in alarm, "You didn't know? We talked about this at Christmas, you couldn't possibly have missed nothing!"
Snape didn't say anything, and turned to walk out of the ward.
"Look!" Karkaroff rolled up his left sleeve. "See for yourself, are you planning to sneak away?!"
Snape stopped and turned to look at Karkaroff on the hospital bed. He said, "Slip away? Why would I slip away? I don't know what you're talking about."
"It's never been so obvious before, it's getting clearer every day!" Karkaroff said anxiously. "You and I both know what this means—he—that man—might be coming back!"
"What are you afraid of?" Snape chuckled. "I thought you weren't afraid of death anymore. After all, you've been so close to death before, an inch, or two?"
Karkaroff's face turned deathly pale. He didn't care how Snape knew what had happened in the Forbidden Forest that day; he just wanted to know what Snape was planning.
"Death is not terrible, what is terrible is waiting for death, Severus!" Karkaroff said through gritted teeth, his pale, cracked lips barely moving.
"A profound realization, Karkaroff. Congratulations," Snape said softly. "You've grasped something very important."
Karkaroff snapped, "Don't back down, don't run away, Severus! What are you planning to do if—if he really comes back—"
Towards the end, Karkarov deflated like a punctured balloon, and the last few syllables became difficult to understand.
However, Snape heard clearly; he always knew what Karkaroff wanted to ask.
"Run away if you still fear death," Snape said. "I'll make excuses for you."
absolve?
What does that mean?
Karkarov was a little confused for a moment.
Is he trying to exonerate himself at Hogwarts, or in front of the Dark Lord?
"And what about you?" Karkaroff asked tentatively. "Aren't you planning to run away? Are you going to stay—"
"Run away? Why would I run away?" Snape said. "I'm staying at Hogwarts, and I'm not going anywhere else."
"We all know that man won't let a traitor get away with it, Severus," Karkaroff said. "I betrayed the Death Eaters."
And you, you betrayed him!
Karkaroff lowered his voice and roared, "Dumbledore vouched for you with the Law Committee; you're his spy! Severus, you should know better than I what the fate of a traitor is!"
Snape, who had been standing at a distance, suddenly stepped forward, frowned, and approached Karkaroff's bedside. He said softly, "So what?"
Instantly, Kakarot just wanted to get as far away from Snape as possible.
Karkaroff didn't know why Snape was so confident, but he realized with horror that Snape was anything but simple.
"Don't be nervous, Karkaroff," Snape said softly. "This is Hogwarts. Nobody will dare to do anything to you. You're safe."
As he spoke, Snape seemed to remember something, and he looked out the window at the Forbidden Forest, which he could not see clearly at all.
He continued, "Kakarov, you may not know this, but there were indeed giant eight-eyed spiders in the Forbidden Forest, but that was two years ago."
It was too dark to see Igor Karkarov's face clearly, but it must have been quite interesting.
"Two years ago, one night, a fire burned all the giant spiders in the Forbidden Forest to death," Snape continued. "Oh, right..."
Do you know who started the fire?
Shrinking on his sickbed, Karkaroff tried to make himself look as small as possible. He felt that Snape in front of him was terrifying, even more terrifying than the eight-eyed spider.
"The person who started the fire happens to be someone you know," Snape's voice softened. "Belvina Black, she burned the Forbidden Forest to the ground."
Having said that, Snape turned and left, his black robes billowing in the wind.
Under the cover of darkness, Snape's figure quickly disappeared, leaving only his last whisper in Karkaroff's ear.
Belvina Black burned the eight-eyed giant spider in the Forbidden Forest to the ground.