Chapter 95: Tears

Just as Allen Finis sank into utter despair and seriously considered conjuring a red-hot branding iron to physically cauterize Harry's bleeding, music drifted in from somewhere unknown...

Allen Finis initially thought he was hallucinating, but the music grew louder and louder.

The sound was ethereal and mysterious, stirring excitement in anyone who heard it. It made the hair on Allen Finis's scalp stand on end and his heart beat rapidly.

The music rose higher and higher until Allen Finis felt it vibrating within his own chest.

Just then, flames suddenly erupted from the top of the nearest Shi Zhu.

A deep red bird suddenly descended from the sky, as large as a crane, playing its strange music beneath the arched ceiling. It had a tail of shimmering gold, as long as a Kong Que's tail, and a pair of shimmering golden claws.

Allen Finis recognized it as Dumbledore's pet—Phoenix Fawkes.

Although its arrival was coincidental, much like a police officer arriving late at a crime scene in a movie from his past life, its presence still brought Allen Finis boundless hope.

Fawkes flew straight toward Allen Finis and then landed heavily on his shoulder. As it folded its two huge wings, Allen Finis saw it had a long, sharp golden beak and two sparkling black eyes.

The great bird stopped singing. It sat quietly on Allen Finis's shoulder, staring curiously at his nose...

"Go quickly and tell Professor Dumbledore to save Harry! Harry is dying!" Allen Finis felt the great bird was very heavy; its small body could barely hold it.

Fawkes withdrew its gaze from Allen Finis, lightly jumped to the ground, approached Harry, placed its head on his chest and abdomen, and then let fall large, large tears like pearls...

Allen Finis watched Fawkes's actions in surprise, very puzzled by its behavior. After all, tears are salty; did Fawkes's action count as sprinkling salt on Harry's wound?

But next, Allen Finis saw Fawkes's teardrops shimmering on Harry's wound. Harry's wound soon stopped bleeding, and his breathing quickly became steady...

Allen Finis's hanging heart finally settled. He suddenly relaxed, and only then did he feel how very tired he was; all sorts of sensations flooded his brain at once...

He collapsed weakly onto the cold ground, panting heavily in great gasps. He felt extremely sore all over, as if he had just finished a marathon. Many small and large wounds on his limbs seemed to burn with pain, and the place on his back struck by the stone throbbed with intense agony...

But he soon heard the sound of claws scratching on the stone ground—Fawkes was walking toward him.

Allen Finis immediately thought of the miraculous effect of its tears. He looked at Fawkes with hope. Fawkes lowered its head, brewed for a long while, squeezed out two tears, and then raised its head...

Allen Finis was instantly speechless. Yet those two tears instantly healed the wounds on Allen Finis's arm, and the pain from other wounds lessened greatly. He felt his strength had recovered somewhat...

After resting for half a day, Allen Finis finally stood up again. He found that Harry had fallen into a deep sleep, and his complexion was no longer that gray and desolate color.

Allen Finis, relieved, cast a Levitation Charm on Harry, then began leading Harry back. The black flames on the path they had come had vanished without a trace.

Just as Allen Finis was about to lead Harry back, he felt he had forgotten something...

Finally, a red light on the ground reminded him; he had actually forgotten the Philosopher's Stone!

He picked up the stone glowing with red light from the remaining ashes of Professor Quirrell. That stone shimmered with a dreamlike radiance under the glow of the fire...

Allen Finis remembered the function of the Philosopher's Stone. He wanted to conjure several pieces of gold to change his financial situation, but sadly discovered that none of the books he had read about the Philosopher's Stone mentioned how to use it to conjure gold...

At that moment, a red light swept past Allen Finis—Fawkes had snatched the Philosopher's Stone.

Allen Finis finally came to his senses. He felt no regret over the stolen Philosopher's Stone. He knew the most urgent matter now was to take Harry for treatment. Although there were Fawkes's tears, Harry had lost too much blood today...

Allen Finis soon led the floating Harry to the Wizard's Chess room and ran into an anxious Hermione, Professor Snape, and Professor Dumbledore.

Professor Snape, usually detestable, now appeared handsome and refined in Allen Finis's eyes.

Professor Snape stepped forward to check Harry's condition and forced several potions of strange colors down Harry's throat.

"I just returned to the fourth floor when I met Professor Snape. The other professors seemed to have gone to Hogsmeade Village. Professor Dumbledore appeared just now..." Hermione whispered to Allen Finis.

But Allen Finis no longer wanted to think about these things; he only wanted to sleep well now...

When Allen Finis lay on the bed again, it was already three in the morning. However, this time he was lying on a bed in the Hospital Wing. Beside him lay Ron and Harry, both in a coma...

Hermione wanted to stay and look after them, but Lady Pomfrey chased her away...

The white linen sheets made him feel very secure. Everything he had experienced today felt like a dream. He gradually felt his eyelids growing heavier and heavier...

But he still remembered one thing. He found his wand, gripped it tightly in his hand, imagined the scene of Fawkes shedding tears today, and then fell into a deep sleep...

He did not know how long he slept. Outside the window, it was already sunset. He struggled to rise but saw a furry head buried at the head of his bed—it was Hermione.

Allen Finis's struggling movements had already awakened Hermione.

"You're awake? How do you feel?" Hermione said excitedly.

"I feel quite well. How are Harry and Ron?" Allen Finis observed the surrounding beds.

"Ron has fully recovered. He was just called away by Percy. Harry is still unconscious. Lady Pomfrey says his physical condition is very stable." Hermione quickly introduced the current situation.

Then their conversation was interrupted by the sound of Allen Finis's stomach growling...

Hermione laughed lightly and brought Allen Finis food that had been prepared long ago. Allen Finis immediately devoured it in a wolfish manner...

Full and satisfied, Allen Finis lay comfortably on the bed watching Hermione. She was holding a small knife peeling an apple. This was Allen Finis's after-meal fruit, but her technique did not seem very skilled...

Hermione felt Allen Finis's eyes today were particularly bright, holding an unusual sparkle that made her dare not meet Allen Finis's gaze. Under the scrutiny of Allen Finis's gaze, she became increasingly panicked...

Finally, Hermione let out a cry of surprise. Her hand was cut by the small knife, and fresh blood immediately flowed out...

Hermione prepared to get up and find Lady Pomfrey to treat the wound, but her injured hand was suddenly grabbed by Allen Finis. Her face immediately turned red...

She was forced to sit back in her original place.

Allen Finis sat up and slowly raised her hand before his eyes...

This was a slender, delicate, yet plump and fair hand. Hard calluses from frequently holding a quill marked it, but this did not detract from the hand's beauty at all. The golden sunset streamed through the window onto this hand, casting a dreamlike hue over it...

But a deep wound on the index finger made everything seem incongruous. The wound was still slowly oozing drops of blood...

Allen Finis slowly and firmly pulled Hermione's hand to his lips...

Hermione's face turned even redder. Her eyes became panicked, yet they still faintly held a hint of expectation. She sensed that the plot she had seen on television earlier was about to happen to her...

She involuntarily held her breath and quietly watched Allen Finis...

And then...

A crystal-clear teardrop, carrying the color of the sunset, fell onto Hermione's wound...

Hermione:???