Adrian had always felt helpless about his sister's condition. Normally, people subjected to the Cruciatus Curse would experience unbearable pain, and only after a long period would they go insane.
But Ariana's illness... Honestly, it didn't seem like the aftereffects of the Cruciatus Curse. The Cruciatus Curse couldn't make a person remain in a coma for so many years.
Adrian had once asked the Wisdom Tree to analyze it, but the Wisdom Tree hadn't provided useful information.
After watching his sister for a while. "By the way, Mom," Adrian turned to his mother and asked, "Earlier in your letter, you mentioned you had some leads. What did you mean..."
Leah noticed Adrian's gaze, sat down beside Ariana's bed, gently holding her hand, and said, "Your father and I recently happened to meet an Experience Retired Healer. According to him, Ariana's illness should have affected her soul."
"Soul?" Adrian murmured.
The concept of the soul was beyond everyone's understanding.
Leah nodded and continued to explain, "He told us that everyone's perception of pain is different, and Ariana might be somewhat special, extremely sensitive to the pain of the Cruciatus Curse. It was this sensitivity that caused her soul to be... torn apart."
"So, you're saying Ariana has been in a coma because her soul was damaged?" Adrian thought for a moment and said slowly, "Is what this Retired Healer says trustworthy? It sounds a bit far-fetched."
"Perhaps," Leah frowned, her hand gently caressing Ariana's forehead, "But unfortunately, that person didn't tell us what to do. He knew nothing about how to treat this kind of illness, so he suggested we consult someone with higher research in matters of the soul."
'Someone with higher research in matters of the soul?'
Adrian's mind slowly conjured up Voldemort's noseless face. He was someone who could split his own soul to create Horcruxes. In terms of research in soul, he would certainly rank highly in the wizarding world.
However, Voldemort was not a suitable advisor. Let alone advice, he would only give Adrian an Avada Kedavra...
Not to mention, Adrian had already destroyed one of Voldemort's Horcruxes.
"Eldra."
Adrian asked the Wisdom Tree in his mind: "Analyze the reason for Ariana's coma."
Perhaps because the Wisdom Tree had grown a lot recently, it could obtain more information.
Soon, the information from the Wisdom Tree was transmitted to Adrian's mind.
[Name: Ariana]
[Status: Soul Integrity (51%)]
Adrian's pupils suddenly constricted.
'51% soul integrity? This meant half of Ariana's soul was missing!'
Adrian asked the Wisdom Tree again how to make the soul complete. Unfortunately, this time the Wisdom Tree didn't provide a specific method.
Adrian quickly asked his mother: "About that Healer, what's his name?"
Leah was stunned for a moment, then shook her head: "We don't know, but your father and I both think what he said is somewhat valuable for reference. So, we might as well follow his advice next and seek consultation from someone with higher research in related fields of the soul."
"Then the location? Where did you find him?"
"In Paris. We were attending a conference there at the time and brought Ariana with us. When we were pushing Ariana out to get some sunlight, he approached us."
Leah stood up from the bed and continued to recall, "However, he said he was only in Paris to see an opera and was living elsewhere. So now your father and I can't find him anymore, and we didn't even have time to ask more questions."
"It doesn't sound very credible."
Adrian spoke while walking to the Christmas tree beside Ariana's bed—just as Leah had written in her letter, there was a photo of Adrian and Ariana hanging on it.
In the photo, a young Ariana was holding Adrian's arm and grinning, with the Hogwarts Express in the background.
Looking at the photo, Adrian was lost in thought for quite some time.
"Don't worry, Adrian." Leah looked at the clock on the wall, then walked towards the door, giving Adrian a reassuring look, saying, "Your father and I will figure something out. I need to get back to work now, feel free to look around."
After Leah left, Adrian pondered a bit more by Ariana's bedside.
'Paris... Opera...' A vague guess was forming in his mind.
At Afternoon.
Paris Opera House, France.
"Damn... was it too ambitious after all?"
Adrian sat on a bench in a nearby park, breathing heavily. He was holding an exquisite small bottle in his hand.
Because long-distance Apparition wasn't easy, Adrian had used countless Apparitions in succession to reach here, which left him feeling dizzy.
Adrian painfully clutched his forehead, looking at the empty bottle in his hand—just that afternoon, he had drunk the Felix Felicis given to him by Dumbledore.
It was the guidance from the Felix Felicis that made him go to such lengths to reach this place. However, after arriving here, that magical guidance disappeared. This also meant he had no idea what to do next.
'Wasn't Felix Felicis supposed to maintain luck for nearly a dozen hours? Could it be that what I drank was a fake?'
Adrian looked around. Although passersby came and went nearby, due to magic, no one noticed Adrian sitting on the bench.
At this moment, a middle-aged couple walked past Adrian, and their conversation reached his ears.
"When does the performance start, dear?"
The man looked at his watch: "In half an hour, we still have time..."
Their voices grew more distant, and when they were completely inaudible, Adrian stood up from the bench.
He straightened his robes, ensuring the Disillusionment Charm was still effective, then followed the couple towards the Paris Opera House.
Since he had come this far, he might as well check out the opera house.
The evening sun's glow fell upon the golden roof of the opera house, coating this magnificent building with a layer of surreal color.
Following the crowd into the opera house, Adrian silently slipped into a seat in the last row of the hall.
In fact, Adrian had sneaked in using the Disillusionment Charm, and he wasn't sure if the seat he was sitting in had been reserved.
Fortunately, until the performance began, no one came up to Adrian to tell him that the seat was taken.
Today's opera performance was "The Magic Flute," (In German: Die Zauberflöte) roughly telling the story of a prince who, after experiencing various trials, finally united with a princess.
Due to language barriers, Adrian could barely understand what the performers were saying, but he still immersed himself in the performance.
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