Hogwarts: This professor is too Muggle.

Chapter 302 Above the White Mist
The strange gray mist that shrouded the Dementors and Boggarts was like a dark cloud sinking from the sky. It forcefully pushed aside the white mist that accompanied the gathering of Dementors, rolled and spread out, and in the boundless space, the gray mist continued to accumulate and become dense.

Lupin seemed unaffected by the external changes, pointing his wand at the full moon and the wild and violent wizard beside him, and unleashing two spells in quick succession.

[Expected Guardian]

[Hilarious]

"Snapped……"

With a deafening crack, the Defense Against the Dark Arts professor's all-out effort resembled a circus animal trainer lashing out with a whip at an unruly beast.

The white mist that was separating them seemed to be torn apart.

As the Silver Wolf Guardian ran, it created a hurricane that swept through and tore apart the white mist, revealing a space large enough for the comical spell to pass through.

Finley Graybuck's eyes widened, the ferocity in them turning into confusion. The hair of varying lengths on his cheeks and head grew and faded rapidly, becoming fluffy. His exposed fangs and nails began to retract, and in just a few seconds, the fierce and cruel werewolf transformed into a Chihuahua.

Lu Ping, who had just won the battle, turned around, took a deep breath, and his expression remained solemn.

Boggart, disguised as Greyback, was dealt with, but the full moon beside him remained completely unaffected, its light shining even brighter, casting a pale silver glow.

The colors are similar to those of the guardian deity, yet they evoke completely opposite feelings. The guardian deity's silver glow brings peace and tranquility, while this round moon, which draws upon fear and emotion, seems to guide monsters in the shadows, making people's hearts tremble with unease.

In another direction, Sirius and Snape are facing the same terrifying scenario.

Broken doors and windows, glass shattered like snow, a crystal chandelier fell from the ceiling and shattered, James's body lay on the ground, and Lily pleaded desperately. This was the Potter mansion thirteen years ago.

But the story's outcome was already predetermined. The ghostly light of the Killing Curse flashed, and the green-eyed witch instantly collapsed onto the carpet, dying with her eyes wide open.

"no no……"

Sirius's cracked lips trembled, his eyes reddened, and his speech was slurred.

Even knowing it was a false illusion, that Boggart was experiencing his fear, he was still overwhelmed with grief when he saw James and Lily die before his eyes.

"..."

Snape stared at the changing scene in the area, expressionless, but his hand gripping his wand so tightly that his knuckles turned pale from the force, and the veins under his skin were almost visible.

Perhaps sensing their fear, the recurring scene changed.

On the carpet in front of the white crib, two fallen corpses rose again, opened their empty eyes, and turned to look at the source of their fear.

"Sirius!"

The male witch's corpse cried out, its voice shrill and mournful, as if it were a demon from hell.

Sirius's body trembled as he stared at the face as if hypnotized. The wizard had James's face and the voice was exactly the same as in his memory. He was an old friend he hadn't seen for thirteen years but always dreamed of.

James's face contorted with resentment: "Why did you have to hurt me? I trusted you completely, entrusted you with keeping secrets, and put the lives of my entire family in your hands—my wife, my child… but you ruined it all!"

"No...no..."

Sirius met those eyes and unconsciously took a few steps back: "I'm doing this for insurance purposes..."

"You dare not take this responsibility! I despise your cowardice, your stupidity, your timidity..."

Sirius Black trembled as he raised his wand, magic emanating from its tip, but he couldn't utter a spell. The Boggart's voice, speaking in James's voice, drilled into his head, making him dizzy and disoriented.

On the other side, Boggart, disguised as Lily, also met Snape's gaze. She was even more beautiful than the witch in his memory. The moonlight reflected in her green eyes was dim and seemed to have an eerie magic that made it impossible to look away.

The witch did not rebuke or scold, but instead wept in a trembling voice:

“Severus… Severus…”

The Dementors and other monsters became blurred at this moment. Snape stared blankly into the air, and through the layers of mist, he could almost see the resentment in those eyes, which clearly contained a hint of hatred and anger. Just one glance made his heart stop and he couldn't breathe.

It felt as if what was flowing in my veins at this moment was not warm blood, but the guilt that had accumulated over the past ten years, thick as the silt at the bottom of a black lake, with a putrid stench.

Snape snapped out of his daze, feeling only anger:
"That's her face, that's her voice... How dare you? How dare you!"

The potions professor brandished his wand, and the spell crackled and exploded, some even deafeningly loud.

The invisible whip seemed to tear through the thick fog, striking Boggart's true form heavily. The illusory Lily dissipated into wisps of mist, while the Potter mansion not far away began to collapse, crumbling and crumbling inch by inch from the walls to the ceiling.

"How did you do that?!" Lupin exclaimed in surprise.

“Occlumency,” Snape replied in a low voice, too lazy to describe it in detail.

The Defense Against the Dark Arts professor recalled that in a third-year class, Melvin had demonstrated how to use a closed brain to block the Boggarts's prying eyes and cut off the illusion at its source.

Moreover, the young professor could use the False Memory Charm to manipulate Boggarts, turning these fear-feeding monsters into toys, transforming them into whatever he wanted.

This method was later used to treat the Longbottoms' psychological trauma.

Although he couldn't concoct a logically sound false memory on the spot, it was enough to get by.

"Sirius, calm down. Use Occlumency to block the Boggart's senses. Don't let the illusions affect you." Lupin quickly notified the others. "Harry, you guys try to stay calm too. Leave this to us."

Harry wanted to ask something more, but the white mist had already enveloped them, and a chilling, ominous feeling seeped into their bones.

Boggart, in his Dementor form, fixed his gaze on him. The hem of his cloak swayed slightly, and his pale, withered hands slowly approached, his mouthparts breathing out a heavy, rumbling sound.

Harry instinctively reached for his wand, hesitated for a moment, and as the spell reached his lips, he didn't know whether to use the Wicked Charm or the Patronus Charm.

Never mind, I'll just use any one.

[Hilarious]

Harry roared, and with a sharp crack, the Dementor that Boggart was in suddenly froze in place, his arms outstretched as if nailed to a cross, clumps of straw billowing in his cloak, and brightly colored floral fabric peeking out from under his hood.

Although it lacked the imposing presence of the Patronus Charm, the simple and effective Cursed Charm still worked, keeping the Boggarts who were eyeing Harry at bay.

"If only the Patronus Charm were this simple." Harry waved his wand, chanting incessantly, unleashing one comical spell after another to drive away the Boggarts disguised as Dementors.

But more shadowy figures kept rushing in, as if they were formed from condensed mist, their numbers endless, waving their pale, withered hands, like a horde of undead lunging at you.

The flaw of the Cursed Curse lies here: it's a single-target spell, meaning it can only eliminate one Boggart at a time.

Harry barely had time to think, chant spells, or wave his wand. He felt confident he could get a perfect score if the final exam included a practical test on the whimsical charm.

The comical spell was quite effective; the Dementors were whipped by an invisible whip, and with each crack of the whip, a monster would turn into a scarecrow, with straw and scraps of floral fabric falling from under its hood.

The scarecrows melted into the fog, and perhaps after resting, they would launch another attack. Each time one was eliminated, more monsters would surge up, drifting slowly over and pouncing once more.

Occasionally, a monster's face would peek out from under the black cloak. Its eyes had no eyeballs, only two wisps of gray mist. Its nose had only two holes, and its mouth was a mouthpart connected to its internal organs. It looked more like a monster sculpted based on a skull.

Harry waved his wand faster and faster, with each spell less than a second apart, but that one second was enough for the cloaks to get right up to him.

Several hands reached out onto his face, glowing faintly, pale and thin, covered in scabs, as if something had died and rotted in water.

Harry's stomach began to cramp, and his tongue paused suddenly as he chanted the spell. In that brief moment, the mouthparts under the hood trembled, taking a long, slow, and shaky breath.

Harry's eyes rolled upwards, and his consciousness sank to the bottom of the boundless lake.

This isn't a Boggart; it's a genuine Dementor.

Seeing a gap appear in the tight defense, the Dementors, like a swarm of sharks smelling blood, paused briefly before swarming forward even more frantically, rushing towards Harry with chilling gasps.

"Severus!" Lupin roared. He and Sirius were responsible for the defense of the other direction and couldn't leave at the moment.

A bright silver light shone forth, and without turning his head, Snape drew his wand in a long arc. A doe came leaping through the air, its four hooves gleaming with silver light, and nimbly charged into the shadows, clearing a space.

"A doe..."

Sirius was momentarily stunned.

Lupin couldn't help but glance at him sideways, and murmured to himself, "No wonder Dumbledore is willing to believe him."

Snape pursed his lips and remained silent.

Before Harry could even catch his breath, he heard Ron scream hysterically, "Funny, funny..."

Harry and Hermione then realized his predicament. Perhaps sensing Ron's change in mood, the Boggarts changed their strategy. The intimidating eight-eyed spiders swung their fangs and retreated, making a clicking sound, allowing the smiling rats behind them to push forward.

A bunch of ugly mice, all bald and missing toes, stared at Peter Pettigrew's face, chattering in high-pitched voices about their good old days.

"Ronnie! Ronnie! How could you bear to abandon me?"

"Do you remember when we shared the same piece of chocolate frog? You didn't even mind the teeth marks I left!"

"I kept you company during those sleepless summer nights. How many worries did you tell me?"

"..."

"No! I didn't! Get away from me!" Ron screamed, his face pale, waving his wand.

Just then, a large ginger cat suddenly appeared from the side, its sharp claws drawing a clean arc that tore the head off a mouse. Without turning its head, it kicked another mouse to death, its sharp teeth biting its neck and constantly swinging and tearing at it.

The big cat with the face of a persimmon charged into the swarm of mice, chasing them away in panic, as if it were a savior who had descended from the sky.

“Crook Mountain!” Ron exclaimed.

“Crooked Hill?” Hermione paused, taken aback.

"It's a fake memory spell!"

Lupin directed the silver wolf guardian spirit to drive away the Dementors: "Melvin's method, I used a false memory charm to trick the Boggart into turning into Crookshanks to help drive away the rats."

It turned out to be a fake Crook Hill, but even the actor playing Bogut still upheld his duty, mercilessly slaying the rats. His ginger-yellow fur was stained with blood, and he looked majestic, like a knight in armor in a painting.

Ron stood there dumbfounded, almost moved to tears, and didn't know what to say.

Sirius Black used his somewhat clumsy Occlumency to block out spying, while Lupin and Snape combined a false memory charm to manipulate the Boggart. They were able to protect the three children while dealing with the Dementors, and by simply manipulating the Patronus to run back and forth, they were able to drive away a large number of Dementors, and the situation gradually stabilized.

They carved out a safe zone amidst the monsters' encirclement and slowly retreated in the direction they had come from, glancing occasionally at the gray mist outside the shadowy figures, their hearts constantly filled with unease.

What's truly terrifying is the unknown brewing within. No matter how dangerous the Boggarts and Dementors are, there are special spells to counter them. But the monster gathering outside has yet to take shape, and even the Dementors are moving away from that area.

A few faint red lights seemed to be hidden in the gray fog, opening and closing slowly like eyes.

If the Boggart is the embodiment of fear, and the Dementors draw pleasure and devour souls, then that cloud of gray mist is like a collection of negative emotions, exuding a faint despair, a deep self-loathing, and seemingly hating the entire world.

At some point, the Dementors' attacks slowed down, much to the surprise of Lupin and the others. They were able to cast spells with greater ease. Snape put away the doe and, relying only on the hounds and silver wolves, managed to hold off the onslaught.

Looking up, the Boguts were still so dense.

“Professor Lupin helped conceive of Crookshanks, Harry corresponds to the Dementors, and I correspond to the Octopod and Peter,” Ron suddenly asked. “Hermione, you don’t know Occlumency either, so what would the Boggart become when facing you?”

As soon as the words were spoken, the gray fog rolled down, swirling and whipping up a hurricane, tearing the Dementors apart and sending them scattering in all directions.

Hermione's face turned pale: "It's here."

The powerful convection created a pressure difference, causing their robes to flutter wildly. They could clearly feel the pressure approaching inch by inch, making their eardrums throb, while they heard a dense series of cracking sounds.

The spiders and rats that Boggart conjured were flesh-and-blood creatures; they were swallowed by the gray mist, their limbs scattering everywhere.

As expected, it was the Obscurial. No wonder Boggart had been brewing this for so long, because this power that destroys everything is no longer magic. It is a strange power generated by the mutation of magic after the young wizard despised himself.

Anything caught up in it will be torn to pieces.

(End of this chapter)