"Correct. No extra points, unfortunately," Snape said, making a joke so dry it could have come from the Sahara. "Dursley, if I wanted to recover quickly, what potion would I use?"
So, he's testing me now, is he? Dudley thought. Every Potion Master is a skilled healer, and a skilled poisoner, too.
"First, allow me to assess your injuries." Dudley's expression grew serious as he began to meticulously examine Snape's leg, taking in every single detail.
The wound hadn't hit the femoral artery or a bone, so there was no need for Skele-Gro or Blood-Replenishing Potion. The exaggerated fang marks and the gash that went almost all the way through his calf were surprisingly the easiest part to treat. A single dose of Dittany would be all that was needed for those. That's the amazing thing about potions; most external injuries heal quickly with a simple application. Even a broken bone can knit back together in a single night.
But Snape's leg was more than just a surface wound. He could have taken care of that himself. A faint gray vapor was rising from the wound, and the edges of the skin were tinged with a faint, ancient moss green. When Dudley gently touched it, a foul-smelling, putrid fluid oozed from beneath the skin. To treat it, he first had to figure out what had caused the injury.
Snape, it seemed, wasn't going to tell him directly. So Dudley would have to deduce it himself.
"There aren't many large, magical dog-like creatures, especially ones that can cause this kind of curse," Dudley murmured to himself. The curse effect ruled out any normal animal; it had to be a magical creature.
"Pus... putrefaction..."
"And it stops new flesh from growing..."
Dudley continued his quiet analysis, comparing the symptoms to what he knew. Finally, he came to a conclusion.
"A Watchdog? Or... a three-headed dog?"
Watchdogs and three-headed dogs were essentially two branches of the same magical family—large, ferocious, carnivorous canines. The only real difference was the number of heads. The legend says they're the gatekeepers of the underworld, but who knows if that's true. Their teeth, however, contained a curse that would cause the victim's body to slowly rot. Common healing potions were useless and would only make the condition worse.
Seeing that Snape wasn't going to object, Dudley took his silence as confirmation. The treatment was the same for both creatures anyway.
"Professor Snape, I'm curious as to where you ran into this fellow. As far as I know, these creatures don't live in the shallow parts of the Forbidden Forest."
Dudley spoke as he pulled out several small vials and began to mix a potion right there on the spot. He didn't have any pre-made healing potions for this particular injury.
"You've been to the Forbidden Forest? Hiss..."
The potion sizzled as it hit the wound. It was working to lift the curse, but it was an uncomfortable process. Even Snape, the master of emotional control, winced. It was a pain that was more than skin deep.
"There are a lot of potion ingredients there, Professor," Dudley said. "Rather than let them go to waste, it's better for me to put them to good use."
Dudley's mouth kept moving, but his hands didn't slow down for a second. Since the bite wasn't in a fatal spot, lifting the curse wasn't too difficult. All it would take was a regular application of the potion. Given Snape's magical constitution, he'd be fully healed in about three days.
Dudley poured the finished potion onto a prepared piece of gauze and stuck it firmly to Snape's wound.
"Just apply this for three days, and you'll be good to go," he said, the job done.
"Diagnosis, A+. Ingredient selection, A+. Potion preparation, A+."
"But it's hideous," Snape said, his eyes twitching as he looked at the patch of gauze on his leg. It was a white cloth with a round black center, like some kind of dog-plaster. At least he hadn't been bitten on the face.
"Professor, I'm not a professional healer," Dudley said as he put his ingredients away.
"Now, let's begin today's lesson..." Snape limped to the front of the classroom.
Dudley watched him, a thought nagging at him. He knew that when you got a bite from a wild animal, you should get a rabies shot. He looked at Snape's grim face and figured he probably wouldn't. So that led to a few questions: Did magical creatures count as wild animals? Could a three-headed dog carry the rabies virus? Could a potion kill it?
Dudley didn't know the answers to any of these questions. He just hoped Professor Snape would be all right. After all, the incubation period for rabies could be up to ten years.
A New Level
It was now December, and the temperature had dropped dramatically. Students were bundled in thick clothes. The sun rose later, so Harry and the others' morning practice sessions had been pushed back by half an hour. Only Dudley continued to work out every day, wearing just a vest.
The Black Lake was freezing, but for Dudley, it was just another challenge. With every session, his Hamon breathing technique got stronger, and his body was constantly improving. At this hour, even the Merpeople were asleep, but Dudley was still training.
After ten laps, he finally stopped swimming. A golden spark shimmered across his body in the murky water, an effect of the Hamon breathing and power. Then, he took a deep breath, closed his eyes, and focused his mind. What he did next was incredible.
His body bobbed up and down in the water, the golden sparks of his Hamon breathing flickering with him. The movement didn't last long, though. He rose to the surface again, and this time, he didn't sink. He rose again and again, as if climbing invisible stairs, until he was standing, still and steady, on the surface of the water.
Golden sparks twinkled beneath the soles of his feet. This was a Hamon technique called "walking on water." Before, Dudley could only get half his legs out of the water, but with all his recent training, he had finally mastered it.
He checked his personal information panel, and just as he thought, his Hamon breathing skill had leveled up from LV1 to LV2.
"Finally, I have a bit of self-defense."
Dudley could feel the powerful energy flowing through him, full of life and strength, and his body felt as if it was about to enter another growth spurt. He was already at 190 cm tall, and if he grew any more, the height difference between him and Hermione would be so extreme that from a distance, it might look like he was just carrying a hot water bottle.