The Eyes of Graphorns (Professor Sharp x mc)

An Uncertain Night

Sharp apparated with Elaine to the gates of Hogwarts. Since apparating within the castle was impossible, he cast a levitation charm on her, wrapped his arms around her body, and carried her to the nearest Floo Network fireplace. Warm blood soaked his clothes. The injury had worsened due to the apparating. He felt the weight of his thoughts, heavier on his shoulders than Elaine, as he entered the hospital wing and gently laid her on one of the beds. Hastily, he knocked on Nurse Blainey's door, which she opened a few seconds later.

"What's the - Merlin, what happened to you?" Nurse Blainey asked in shock, her eyes on Sharp's bloodstained clothes.

"I'm fine, but please hurry... Professor Hopkins..."

For a brief moment, Sharp's voice failed. Suddenly, he realized that all the tension, despair, and exhaustion were making him tremble. Nonetheless, he led Nurse Blainey determinedly to the bed where he had laid Elaine.

"My goodness..." Nurse Blainey gasped. Then, seeing the helpless look on Sharp's face, she continued, "Please go to the cupboard at the entrance and fetch Murtlap essence, poppyhead paste, and a blood-replenishing potion."

Sharp stumbled awkwardly to gather the remedies. Nurse Blainey heard him rummaging frantically through the cupboard. It would have been quicker for her to get the medicine herself, but even her short experience as a healer had shown her that it was as important to calm and occupy worried companions as to help the patient. When Sharp returned with the medicine and handed it to Nurse Blainey, she immediately began her work. She opened Elaine's belt and moved the fabric of her pants and shirt away from the injury. The sight made Sharp a little dizzy, even though he had seen a lot of blood before. Blainey dripped Murtlap essence on the wound. Then she diluted the poppyhead paste with the blood-replenishing potion and administered it to the still unconscious Elaine. She also tried a healing spell, but it remained ineffective. Sharp stood by as if in a trance. It felt like everything was happening in slow motion.

"What exactly was it that attacked her?" Nurse Blainey asked thoughtfully as she examined the wound, which still had not closed. Sharp thought for a moment.

"She... she mentioned an Obscurus..."

Nurse Blainey jerked her head up.

"How on earth did you encounter an Obscurus... that's powerful dark magic."

Sharp felt a new wave of despair threatening to overwhelm him. Suddenly, he was gripped by a feeling that made him shudder. It was neither fear nor pain, none of the emotions he had expected. A deep emptiness took hold of him, worse than any suffering he had experienced before, because it was unexpected. It felt as if a part of him was suddenly missing as he tried to shape the impossible words with his mouth: "She will survive, won't she?"

For a brief moment, Sharp tried to console himself with the thought that she had survived such an attack once before. But then he looked at Elaine's face. It had lost all strength and suddenly seemed so fragile. Dinah Hecat's words echoed in his mind: The further the curse spreads, the weaker she becomes. Her body was probably already greatly exhausted from the first injury.

Nurse Blainey hesitated with her answer: "Well, the healing process is not going as I had hoped. The only thing we can do for her now is wait. However, I must be honest with you: I don't know if she will survive the night. She has lost a lot of blood, and we can only hope that the potions work quickly enough."

She placed her hand on Elaine's forehead and briefly left the room, returning with a stack of cloths and a bowl of water. She added yarrow extract to the water and soaked the cloths in it, placing them on the wound and Elaine's forehead. Sharp stood frozen in the room, not moving.