Although Sean wasn't the most generous person, he could tolerate a few jokes as long as they didn't cross his bottom line, so he only answered Aldridge's friends with a few lighthearted remarks of his own.
After motioning for Aldridge to stay and chat with his friends, Sean stepped out of the house and sat on a stone just outside the small village within Bulstrode Manor. He pulled out a book and started reading under the warm sun and the gentle breeze.
But just as he was settling in, Sean suddenly heard a faint argument in the distance.
He frowned slightly. He really couldn't stand noise while reading — either he didn't read at all, or he demanded complete silence when he did.
The sunshine and breeze were perfect today. He could have finished the last few alchemy books comfortably, but the raised voices carried on the wind made him increasingly irritated.
After thinking for a moment, Sean decided he might as well check out the commotion. If he couldn't concentrate on reading, he could at least see what was going on. Besides, ever since he'd arrived at Bulstrode Manor, things had been unusually peaceful. Now that he heard arguing, his curiosity was naturally piqued.
On top of that, the voices sounded familiar.
He got up and headed toward the noise. Not far from the main building was a small facility — a glance at the sign told him it was the Bulstrode Family Hospital. The doctors here were well-paid professionals from St. Mungo's Hospital for Magical Injuries and Sicknesses, so the medical standard was reliable.
When Sean arrived at the hospital gate, he immediately saw the two adult wizards who had brought a child here earlier — but the child was still lying on the ground outside, not even through the front door.
What on earth was this?
By now, Sean could tell something was seriously wrong. He stepped forward and asked directly, "What's going on? Didn't I say before that if this child's hand wasn't treated immediately, it might never heal properly?"
When the two men saw Sean, they hurried to explain. They didn't know Sean was the young master of the Bulstrode family whom Aldridge served, so they said quickly, "Of course we know — but the people at the entrance wouldn't let us in. They said someone inside was being treated and didn't want to be disturbed."
"This place isn't small. Are you telling me there's only one doctor?"
"Of course not, there are plenty of doctors, but they—"
The two men trailed off, but Sean already understood what they meant.
This was the Bulstrode family's estate — and the Bulstrode Family Hospital. The only people who could block access like this were family members or important guests. Obviously, no matter which it was, these two men didn't have the power to argue. In the end, they were just retainers under the Bulstrode family's wing.
Turning his head to look inside, Sean immediately spotted the female attendant who had accompanied Barnabas when they were at the Leaky Cauldron. From that alone, it was obvious who was blocking the entrance now.
No wonder Barnabas had vanished after lunch — so this was where he was causing trouble.
Since Barnabas was inside, Sean naturally couldn't resist making things difficult for him. Besides, the child's condition really couldn't wait any longer. Without hesitation, Sean drew his wand and aimed at the two wizards standing guard.
"Expelliarmus!"
A flash of red light shot forward. Before the stunned guards could react, Sean's Disarming Charm sent one of them flying straight into the door of the family hospital. The force knocked the door open, and the wizard tumbled into the lobby beyond.
The female attendant saw Sean's sudden move and immediately pulled out her wand, but the moment she recognized him, her motion faltered for half a second. She hesitated — but remembering her master's feud with Sean, she forced herself to act first.
Unfortunately for her, she had underestimated Sean completely. He now possessed two talents that made his casting lightning-fast — Swift Casting and Agile Casting — but even without them, the moment an opponent hesitated, Sean would overwhelm them.
A flurry of spells slammed into the shield she managed to conjure just in time. She barely held them back with a Protego, but under Sean's relentless assault, her Shield Charm quickly broke apart.
She tried to fire back, but Sean gave her no chance. A precise Stupefy struck her square in the face, snapping her head back before she crumpled to the floor beside the unconscious wizard in the lobby.
Sean glanced at the panel. Since the male wizard had been taken out so cleanly, it didn't even count as a proper duel — the system gave him nothing. But because the female attendant had fought back, it registered as a duel and awarded him two spells. Unfortunately, one turned out to be just a household charm, and the other was a Level 2 Petrificus Totalus, which he couldn't use yet.
"Go inside and find him a doctor. Now," Sean ordered.
"You— how can you do this here? You—"
Seeing their reaction, Sean realized they didn't recognize him. They were just lower-level followers in the Bulstrode family — of course they'd object.
He cut them off coldly: "My name is Sean. Sean Bulstrode. Now get him inside."
At the mention of his name, the two men instantly understood. Without another word, they picked up the child and hurried into the family hospital. Sean followed and called out to the staff inside: "I'm Sean Bulstrode. Do everything you can to save this child — sorry for the trouble."
They knew exactly who he was — and even things that outsiders could only guess at, they knew well enough. The moment they heard his name, they moved at once. Two nurses and a doctor took the child from the men and rushed him to a treatment room.
Watching the child finally receive help, Sean let out a quiet sigh. He sat outside the treatment room door and waited silently for the results.