"You've worked hard. How about a cup of black tea?"
Madame Maxime gently lifted the teapot and poured a cup of tea for Fleur.
"Thank you."
Fleur gently accepted the porcelain cup decorated with a rose pattern. Steam still rose from the tea inside. She took a small sip, and the fragrant black tea soothed her tired mind.
"What brings you here?"
She suddenly put down her teacup.
She had been so busy arranging the transfer of the patients that she had not had time to ask.
Madame Maxime's broad face also showed a puzzled expression.
"Didn't you call me here, Fleur?"
"Me? How could that be?"
A look of doubt appeared on Fleur's delicate face as well, and her brows furrowed slightly.
Madame Maxime quickly pulled a letter from her wide sleeve.
"Look. I was surprised when the owl arrived because I remember that you don't use owls."
She held up the envelope. The red wax seal had already been broken.
The delicate handwriting could still be faintly seen on it.
"I didn't write that."
Fleur stared at it in surprise.
Yet it was unmistakably her handwriting.
In the dim candlelight, the words on the envelope were still faintly visible.
Just as the letter was taken out of the envelope, a spark suddenly appeared in its very centre.
"What's going on?"
Fleur was startled and immediately threw the letter away.
The sparks rapidly spread across the parchment. In an instant, the entire letter turned to ash in mid-air, embers scattering onto the table.
"Clean it up!"
Fleur tapped the table with her wand, and the ashes quickly and orderly swept themselves into the rubbish bin outside the door.
There were patients everywhere in this area, so keeping it clean was essential.
After dealing with the mess, the two women looked at each other in bewilderment.
"Could I have made a mistake?"
"I have a very good memory…"
Fleur tried desperately to prove that she had not written the letter.
"I remember that two weeks ago, I had honey tea and macarons for breakfast."
"The patient I treated the day before yesterday had been stung by a scorpion…"
She paused for a moment before asking anxiously,
"What did the letter say?"
"It asked me to come and help you, just as I did today."
"But everything seems to have gone well. The hospital really was under surveillance."
Madame Maxime lowered her voice.
"You said that the Dark Lord's next target might be St Mungo's Hospital for Magical Maladies and Injuries, and you asked me to help you."
Fleur's expression immediately became rather strange.
That was exactly what she had thought.
But she had never actually put those thoughts into action.
"Where are we going?" Fleur suddenly asked.
"The letter suggested Hogwarts."
Madame Maxime looked at her.
"You know, I've already crossed the border without a legitimate reason or the proper procedures. After I take you there, I'll need to hurry back to France. Otherwise, it could cause an international dispute."
"This is also the safest option at present, just as you told me in your letter."
"Whether the letter is genuine or not, I think it is a good choice."
"Do you want to come back with me? Your parents and sister miss you very much."
"It may take a little longer."
"I think so too."
Madame Maxime nodded and looked around at the patients.
Fleur snapped out of her reverie.
She gazed at the weathered, round stone pillars lining the corridor before her and had to admit that Hogwarts was quite a sight.
Looking back, she realised that she had ended up at Hogwarts almost entirely by accident.
She could not help feeling a little wistful at the unpredictability of life.
Whenever she took a break or became bored, she sometimes thought about the boy who had "kidnapped" her.
She had heard that he was several years younger than her.
It was rather embarrassing.
Am I really that useless?
I was actually subdued by a younger student.
Her amnesia meant that she no longer retained the emotions associated with those memories.
Of course, that was merely her own opinion. She had even heard that the boy had competed in some event here.
Fleur shook her head, indicating that she truly could not remember anything.
Still, perhaps visiting Hogwarts again as a first-time visitor was not such a bad thing.
But that would have to wait until her work was finished.
After taking a short rest to relieve her fatigue, she stood up again and walked towards another ward.
Just as Fleur returned to work, the person who had caused all of this found himself dealing with some troublesome questions.
In the Slytherin common room, Pansy suddenly put down the magazine she was holding.
She stared intently at the boy sitting opposite her with curious eyes before finally asking,
"Draco, aren't you going to check on the hostage you kidnapped before? She's in the school hospital right now."
Contrary to her usual behaviour, she was actually encouraging Malfoy to get closer to another girl.
However, it did not seem like a particularly kind gesture.
"She doesn't remember anything, so there's no need. I don't want people thinking I'm some clumsy flirt."
Malfoy spoke casually, his eyes never leaving the book in his hands.
Of course, he was nowhere near as calm inside as he appeared.
If they were talking about surprise, his astonishment was no less than that of any other Hogwarts student.
It was genuinely astonishing to see that pampered and arrogant young woman lower herself to care for patients.
Of the three letters he had written, one had been sent to Madame Maxime at Beauxbatons, thousands of miles away.
Another had been sent to Professor McGonagall as a means of contact.
The final one had been sent to Gringotts as a warning.
However, it seemed the latter had not taken his advice seriously.
After careful consideration, Malfoy had concluded that Lord Voldemort's possible future targets were likely to be no more than these two locations.
However, the first situation had not developed entirely according to his plan.
His original idea had been to use the Abraxans to transport the patients away and have Fleur return to France with Madame Maxime.
He had never expected Fleur to remain behind in this capacity.
Pansy was somewhat disappointed by his answer.
She had wanted to see whether the girl had really forgotten everything.
"Although I don't particularly want to see her, you've actually given me an opportunity."
"What?"
Pansy suddenly had a bad feeling.
"Your leg needs a check-up, doesn't it?"
Malfoy stared at the girl's calf and shrugged.
The Hogwarts hospital wards were somewhat crowded now.
Even though they had been expanded, there were still many more patients than before.
"Miss Parkinson is recovering quite well."
Augustus's voice came from inside the ward.
Just as Fleur was about to change a patient's bandage, she heard voices coming from inside.
She pushed open the door.
The student named Malfoy was leaning against the wall.
Their eyes met.
A brief look of surprise appeared in his eyes before disappearing almost instantly.
Strangely, when Fleur saw that somewhat thin and pale face, she felt a peculiar sense of guilt.
She wondered whether she was hallucinating.
It made no sense for her to feel guilty.
Did this student use some kind of empathy magic on me?
After their silent exchange of glances, Fleur behaved as though nothing had happened.
She changed the patient's bandage and then decisively left the ward.
She was not in the mood to search for an explanation.
Perhaps she had simply forgotten the matter altogether.
In any case, she had no desire for revenge.
If she ever recovered her memories, perhaps she would ask him about the truth herself.
Malfoy did not dwell on the encounter either.
Feeling sentimental or agonising over emotions was not in his nature.
It was Fleur's choice, and naturally, he respected it.
"Are you all right?"
Malfoy looked towards Pansy.
His greatest concern now was the condition of her injury.
"Of course."
Pansy smiled lightly.
She jumped several times on the spot to demonstrate that she had completely recovered, then gently shook her arm.
"That's good."
Malfoy nodded.
A rare smile appeared on his face.