"What if we let Mabel take Felix Felicis?" Vid asked, "Would that help?"
Lupin and Steven exchanged a glance and sighed simultaneously.
"Vid." Lupin's tone was full of affection and patience as he gently said, "Mabel hosts an Obscurus inside her. If she drinks Felix Felicis, it means the Obscurus does too—magic potions can't distinguish who they're supposed to help."
Steven reassured, "Don't worry, although Mr. Scamander has just arrived, he's actually received letters from Dumbledore long ago and has been preparing for several months—he will certainly succeed."
He was trying to comfort both Vid and himself.
The thick walls and solid door couldn't completely block the fluctuations of magic; the three of them could occasionally hear the whistling wind, see flashes of exceptionally bright light, and sometimes hear crackling sounds like popping beans, which were unsettling.
After a while, there was a sudden clatter from inside, followed by Madam Pomfrey's exclaim, "What happened?"
Lupin immediately stood up, pacing at the door, worried that entering might interfere with their treatment.
Vid also approached the door, lightly knocking on it, asking, "Professor, what happened inside? Is there anything we can do?"
After a moment, the door suddenly opened.
The three of them cautiously stepped inside, only to see Dumbledore sitting in an armchair, taking off his glasses and pinching the bridge of his nose, looking silent and weary.
Scamander was sifting through his gathered materials at the table, muttering something to himself, his brow furrowed tightly.
Only Madam Pomfrey remained at Mabel's side, waving her magic wand, and healing spell lights were falling on Mabel like stones sinking into the sea, without any visible effect.
And the once talkative and lively Mabel was now lying pale on the bed, eyes shut tightly, unconscious.
"Did the treatment...fail?" Lupin turned pale, his voice trembling as he asked.
During this time, he had been acting as Mabel's guardian, and having spent days and nights with her, he had come to regard this strong yet unfortunate girl as his family. Seeing her lying there, life and death unknown, his heart wrenched.
"I'm...I'm very sorry." Scamander glanced at him, then looked away, unable to bear it as he said, "The separation failed…and her condition is rapidly worsening."
"How could...how could this happen?"
Lupin asked in disbelief, his pleading eyes turning to Dumbledore.
Madam Pomfrey set down her wand, sighing, "It started off successfully; the Obscurus was almost separated from her, but then..."
Dumbledore put on his glasses, his blue eyes peering through the lenses at the sleeping girl.
He asked, "Remus, have you discussed with Mabel why it's necessary to separate the Obscurus?"
Lupin was puzzled, "Of course."
"What was her reaction then?" Dumbledore inquired.
"Her reaction? Of course, she agreed..." Lupin stammered midway, recalling after a prolonged pause, "She hesitated for a long time, then finally said...said she would follow our arrangements."
To Lupin and others, being able to separate the dangerous Dark Creature, the Obscurus, and restore the soul to a whole and pure state, Mabel had no reason to disagree.
The Obscurus not only devoured the host's life and soul but also made Mabel a wanted criminal by the Ministry of Magic, forcing her to hide and run, always at risk of being caught and possibly executed.
Moreover, if lost control, this entity could cause massive destruction to the surroundings and harm many innocent people.
Mabel was a kind child, and after Lupin explained the consequences to her, she naturally agreed, and showed no resistance afterward.
Only the previous night, Mabel tossed and turned for a long time, unable to sleep, and in the morning she told Lupin, "Remus, if I die, could you help take care of Hayley? It doesn't have to be troublesome, just check on her occasionally."
Lupin naturally agreed, then comforted her, "As Dumbledore said before, if the separation doesn't go well, we'll temporarily halt it and continue when a more suitable plan is found—don't worry, the worst outcome is that when you wake up, everything will be just as it is now."
Lupin recounted their earlier conversation briefly, then asked, "Could the reason for the failure be...Mabel resisted? She was too scared, so the separation failed?"
"That seems to be the case." Dumbledore said slowly, "Her soul and the Obscurus are intertwined, and if she is unwilling, no one can separate them—forcing it would only kill Mabel as well."
"But now, the separation magic has agitated the Obscurus; we managed to suppress it without letting it explode, but its devouring speed has increased." Scamander said with guilt, his gaunt face filled with unease.
Lupin said nothing, he walked to the bedside, seeing the girl's face pale as paper, her lips devoid of any color.
Even though they haven't seen each other for just an hour, the previously okay child now visibly appeared on the brink of death.
He didn't have the strength to blame Dumbledore or Scamander, as he knew he couldn't have done any better himself.
Lupin only blamed himself for persuading Mabel to undergo the separation of the Obscurus...he wanted this child to live openly in the world, but he overlooked the dangers involved.