Alice, sitting by the window, gnced briefly at the newers before turning back to t the people walking by oreet below. Her gaze was vat, detached. Merriam gave Augusta and Alex a sympathetiod before stepping out to give them some privacy.

  Augusta walked up to Frank, taking his hand in hers. “Frank, you o eat less sugar. Too much isn’t good for you,” she said softly, her voice filled with both love abreak. She checked his clothes and bedding, meticulously ensuring everything was in order. The nurses clearly did their job well, but Augusta couldn’t help herself; it was a mother’s instinct.

  Alex sat beside Alice, trying to engage her. “Alice, it’s Alex. Do you remember me?” he asked gently, but she didn’t respond, her attention still fixed on the window. Frank, meanwhile, clutched his dy, his focus entirely oreat.

  After a few moments, Alex turo Augusta. “Mrs. Longbottom, I’d like to ask for your permission to do something.”

  Augusta looked up from adjusting Frank’s b. “Why are you being so formal? Just say what’s on your mind.”

  “I’d like to check their memories,” Alex said carefully. “I know it might not help right now, but I want to see if there’s something—anything—that could lead to a solution.”

  Augusta sighed heavily. “Alex, I know you mean well, but when it first happened, Dumbledore himself tried. If he couldn’t help, what ce do you have? I don’t want you wasting your energy on false hope.”

  “I uand,” Alex replied early. “But I’m still young, and just because I ’t do something now doesn’t mean I won’t be able to iure. And…” He hesitated, his voice softening. “I promised Neville I’d bring his parents ba someday.”

  Augusta’s stern expression softened. She studied Alex for a moment before nodding. “Alright. Give it a try. Maybe… maybe you’ll find something everyone else missed.”

  Alex nodded gratefully and approached Frank. “Frank, it’s Alex. I’m going to try something. It might feel a little strange, but I promise I’ll be gentle.”

  He pced his hands lightly on Frank’s temples and closed his eyes, fog his thoughts. As soon as Alex ehe Legilimency spell, he sat back, drenched i. trolling his magical vision to delve into the depths of Frank's mind had been far more exhausting thaicipated. The deeper he explored, the more frequent the memory fragments became, like drifting flotsam in an o of thought.

  Within this boundless space, where dires held no meaning, Alex followed the memory fragments as though chasing a distant lighthouse. He moved steadily toward the areas where fragments clustered more densely. After what felt like ay of searg, he found the source of the problem—but the sight before him was staggering.

  In his magical vision, an enormous, twisted mountain towered into the void. It wasn’t made of sto of tless memory bubbles and fragments, pressed and bound together into a chaotic, t mass. Every moment of Frank’s life—past and present—seemed to have accumuted here, fused unnaturally.

  “What... is this?” Alex muttered to himself, his voice tinged with disbelief. He scrutihe grotesque mo, determio us secrets. Something within the mountain glimmered faintly—a soft green light flickered deep ihe mass of memories.

  Alex hesitated, weighing his optioually, he decided to probe further. Carefully, he extended his magical "tentacle" of thought toward the mountain’s peak, ing closer to the source of the green glow.

  As soon as he made tact, Frank’s body vulsed violently in the physical world. His previously bnk, dazed expression twisted into a mask of anguish, and he began thrashing against his restraints. Startled by the suddeion, Alex immediately pulled back his tentacles, breaking the spell.

  “What’s happening?!” Augusta hurried over, armed by her son’s outburst. But as Alex withdrew, Frank’s struggling subsided. He returo his usual catatonic state, his body going limp once more.

  Augusta bent down to i Frank closely, her brows furrowed in . Despite her careful examination, she couldn’t find anything visibly wrong with him. Her gaze then shifted toward Alex, filled with unspokeions. Alex, still catg his breath, wiped the sweat from his brow. His voice was steady but tinged with fatigue. “Frank’s situation is… plicated.”

  “You found something, didn’t you?” Augusta asked, her tone sharp with a mix end hope.

  “I think so,” Alex admitted cautiously, “but I haven’t figured it all out yet.”

  “What does that even mean?” Augusta pressed, her frustration bubbling to the surface.

  Alex thought for a moment, trying to simplify his expnation. “All of Frank’s memories seem to be… stuck together. It’s as if the Cruciatus Curse twisted and fused them into a single mass. This mountain I saw—it’s not natural. If we want to restore his memories, we’ll o somehow untahis mess. But it’s not as simple as pulling them apart.”

  Augusta paced the room, her fingers gripping the edges of her robe tightly. “So, you’re saying there’s a way to fix it, but it’s dangerous?”

  “Exactly,” Alex nodded. “Memories aren’t like bricks you stad unstack. They’re fragile, and trying to tamper with them could cause even more damage. I’ve read every book I could find on memory magid I’ve never e across a case like this. Without guidance, I ’t risk using Frank or Alice as experiments.”

  Augusta let out a heavy sigh, her shoulders sagging uhe weight of his words. “I k wouldn’t be simple… Still, thank you, Alex. Your effort means more than I say. At least I know someorying. Even if they never recover, I’ll be happy as long as I see them.”

  “You don’t have to give up hope just yet,” Alex said, his tone firm. “I’ll figure something out. I might not have the answer now, but knowing the cause is a step forward.”

  Augusta forced a small smile, appreciating his determination. “Thank you. Let’s leave it here for today. It’s been a long m.”

  The two left St. Mungo’s Hospital fical Injuries and Madies with heavy hearts. Back at the Longbottom estate, Alex spent the fe ical texts and scribbling down notes, but no breakthrough came. It seemed like he was at a standstill.

  “I need more information,” he muttered to himself, closi another fruitless book. “Maybe I should broaden my search. And while I’m at it, I take care of… him.”

  The day, Alex approached Augusta with a proposition. “I o visit Diagon Alley for supplies. I’ll head back to the house afterward.”

  Augusta nodded. “Be careful, and don’t overdo it.”

  Taking Muggle transportation to the Leaky Cauldron, Alex was greeted by the familiar sight of its weathered wooden sign swayily in the breeze. Ihe air was filled with the warm hum of versation. Behind the bar, the ever-reliable Tom olishing a gss, just as Alex had st seen him three years ago. “Boss, a butterbeer, please,” Alex called out casually as he approached the ter.

  Tom’s head shot up at the familiar voice, and his face split into a wide grin. “Well, well! If it isn’t Alex! You’ve got some nerve showing up after all these years, you rascal. Three years! Where’ve you been hiding?”