"Correct answer, pity there's no points for it."
Snape made what even he found to be a cold joke. "Dursley, if I wanted to recover quickly, what potion would I need?"
Is he using himself as a test case for me?
Every potioneer was also a qualified healer, and naturally, a qualified poisoner as well.
"Let me first assess the extent of your injuries."
Dudley's expression became serious as he began carefully observing Snape's wounds, not missing any detail.
The femoral artery wasn't damaged, nor were any bones injured. No need for Skele-Gro or Blood-Replenishing Potion.
Those seemingly dramatic fang marks and the wound that almost pierced through his calf were actually the easiest parts to treat. Just one bottle of Dittany would suffice.
This was the miraculous effect of potions. Most external injuries could heal shortly after application. Even something like regrowing bones only took one night.
But Snape's leg injury wasn't just superficial. Snape could easily treat minor surface wounds himself with any random salve.
His wound was emitting faint gray vapors, with the edges covered in a thin layer of aged moss-green substance. With gentle touch, viscous, foul-smelling pus would seep out from beneath the skin.
To treat this, the first thing to determine was what had injured Snape. It seemed Snape wouldn't tell Dudley directly. So he'd have to analyze it himself.
"Large canine magical creatures aren't common, especially ones that can cause this kind of cursed effect."
With curse effects, it definitely wasn't an ordinary animal. It had to be a magical creature.
"Festering... rotting..."
"And it can prevent new flesh from growing."
Dudley muttered to himself, comparing Snape's injuries one by one. Finally reaching a conclusion.
"A guard dog? Or... a three-headed dog?"
Guard dogs and three-headed dogs were actually different branches of the same genus of magical creature. Both were enormous, ferocious, carnivorous canines, just that the latter had more heads.
Legend said they were guard dogs of the underworld and hell. Whether this was true could only be known by actually visiting the underworld.
So their teeth contained a type of curse that could make the bodies of creatures they bit rot bit by bit. Ordinary healing potions had no effect and would actually worsen the condition.
Seeing Snape remain silent, Dudley took it as confirmation. Besides, these two types of magical creatures required the same treatment method.
"Professor Snape, I'm curious where you encountered this creature. As far as I know, even the shallow areas of the Forbidden Forest don't have these creatures."
Dudley spoke while pulling out several small bottles, beginning to brew a potion on the spot. He didn't have ready-made healing potions.
"You've been to the Forbidden Forest?... Hiss..."
The potion dripped onto the wound, making a sizzling sound as it dispelled the curse, though the process wasn't particularly comfortable. Even Snape sucked in a sharp breath.
It wasn't ordinarily painful.
"There are many potion ingredients there, Professor."
"Rather than let them rot there, I might as well make good use of them."
Dudley kept talking while his hands never slowed their movements.
Since it wasn't a bite to a vital, life-threatening location, removing this curse wasn't difficult. Just apply medicine on schedule. However, given Snape's constitution, it would take at least three days to heal.
Dudley poured the prepared potion onto pre-prepared gauze, then pressed it firmly against Snape's wound.
"Just keep applying it for three days."
Job done.
"Assessing the injury: full marks."
"Selecting materials: full marks."
"Brewing the potion: full marks."
"But it's too ugly."
Snape commented on each aspect of Dudley's performance, finally looking at the poultice on his foot with a slight twitch of his eyelid.
White cloth with a round black core. It looked exactly like a medicinal plaster.
Good thing Snape was bitten on the foot, not the face...
"Professor, I'm not a professional healer."
Dudley said this while packing the used materials into his waist pouch.
"Now let's begin today's lesson."
Snape limped up to the podium.
Finally, watching Snape's back, Dudley wanted to speak but hesitated.
Logically, after being bitten by a wild animal, one should also get a rabies vaccination. Dudley glanced at Snape's grim expression, thinking he probably wouldn't get one.
So the question was: did magical creatures count as wild animals? Could three-headed dogs carry the rabies virus? Could potions kill the rabies virus?
Dudley didn't know the answers to these questions, and could only hope Professor Snape would be fine. After all, the rabies virus had a maximum incubation period of ten years.
Come December, temperatures plummeted drastically, and the young wizards all began bundling up in thick clothing. Daybreak also gradually came later, so Harry and the others' morning training was delayed by half an hour.
Only Dudley still wore just a vest, exercising punctually day after day as always. The bone-chilling cold of the Black Lake in winter was just child's play to Dudley.
As long as he kept training, Ripple Breathing would continuously strengthen his body.
At this hour, even the merpeople living at the bottom of the Black Lake had gone to rest, leaving only Dudley still training relentlessly.
After swimming back and forth ten times, Dudley finally stopped his intention to continue swimming. Golden sparks continuously flickered across his body, appearing so obvious in the dim lake water. These were special effects from Ripple Breathing, the power of Ripple.
Then he took a deep breath, slowly closed his eyes, adjusted his mental state to optimal condition, and Dudley did something unexpected.
His body began rising and falling in the water, the golden sparks from Ripple Breathing flickering bright and dim, his whole person bobbing up and down. However, this phenomenon didn't last long. Dudley rose again, but this time he didn't sink back down. Before long he rose once more, this time his body again exceeded the water's surface. Finally, as if climbing stairs, he slowly walked step by step to the water's surface, his feet eventually resting steadily on the water's surface.
Golden sparks continuously flickered beneath his soles.
Walking on water. This was a technique of Ripple Breathing.
Previously Dudley couldn't reach this level, at most able to keep half a leg above water. With his continuous training during this period, he could finally achieve this level.
Subsequently, Dudley saw in his personal status panel that Ripple Breathing had also increased by one level from its initial LV1.
Now it was Ripple Breathing LV2.
"Finally have some self-protection ability."
Dudley could feel the vigorous energy constantly flowing within his body, full of vitality and strength, and his body seemed about to enter another growth phase.