The Return to Hogwarts

hum!

Centered on the black wing, an invisible wave instantly spread outwards. The Dementors swept by the energy seemed to be attracted by something, appearing on the left and right sides of the black wing like bees attracted by the fragrance of flowers.

"Those Dementors--"

In the center of the young wizards, someone murmured absentmindedly.

"Can Professor Blaine control them?"

The crowd stirred, many exchanging uneasy glances, terrified by this terrible speculation.

Controlling Dementors?

If the wizarding world were to vote for the most terrifying creature, then without a doubt, the Dementors, the merciless watchers of Azkaban, who can drain wizards of their happy memories and magic, turning them into soulless shells, would be the top choice.

Just like the Parsleyan, the ability to control such terrifying creatures is probably not something that any righteous wizard could possess.

The whispers of the young wizards reached the ears of the faculty and staff in the center of the stands, making their expressions turn grim.

What do you think, Albus?

Professor McGonagall frowned and asked seriously.

“I don’t see the problem, Minerva!”

Before Dumbledore could speak, Snape rudely cut him off, saying curtly,

"Amosta possesses an unparalleled talent in spell modification; perhaps he simply made some modifications to the Guardian Charm!"

"A reasonable guess, Severus--"

Dumbledore suppressed the astonishment on his aged face and regained his composure. His sharp gaze pointed at Amosta, who was perched high on the pole. After a moment's thought, he quickly walked down the platform and onto the course below.

Rumble--

The earth suddenly trembled, and to the disbelief of the young wizards, a huge stone pillar suddenly grew from the cracked ground. This pillar supported Dumbledore as he rose into the air and came to Amostall's side.

Dumbledore initially believed that everything was under Amosta's control, but when he first saw Amosta's serious expression amidst his disheveled gray hair, Dumbledore knew that his guess was wrong.

Has this happened before, Amosta?

Enormous objects always have an extraordinary sense of awe. Compared to being on the ground, observing this sky-covering guardian up close was enough to make even a wizard like Albus Dumbledore's heart flutter. After struggling to withdraw his gaze, Dumbledore looked into Amostella's eyes and asked softly.

"No, Headmaster Dumbledore—"

Amosta shook his head.

“I’ve had the Patronus Charm for several years now. I used it against Groundbats in Papua New Guinea before, and there was nothing unusual about it then. It was just the size of the Patronus that people are familiar with. This is the first time I’m using it against a Dementor. What are your thoughts on this?”

Faced with this unprecedented magical phenomenon, Dumbledore dared not draw any conclusions lightly. His azure gaze once again fell upon the charred wing of the Teng Snake. As a 'Saint,' possessing a unique perspective surpassing that of anyone else, Dumbledore suppressed the turbulent, unpleasant thoughts surging within him and continued to speak softly.

"It's hard to say, Amosta. What I'm concerned about is whether you can still control your guardian spirit now?"

Amostah narrowed his eyes, sensed the situation, and confirmed that he had no problem controlling the guardian deity. Then, he slowly nodded.

"It's the same as before."

Hearing that the Teng Snake had not lost control, Dumbledore looked somewhat relieved. If Amostella had truly lost control of her Patronus and allowed this giant monster to wreak havoc on Hogwarts, to be honest, Dumbledore really couldn't find anything in mid-air that could control it.

"Since that's the case,"

Dumbledore glanced at the increasingly restless young wizards. His anger, fueled by the Dementors, was gradually replaced by worry for Amostella. With a sigh, he...

“Then let it disappear for now, Amosta. I’m worried it will frighten the children.”

"Then let's do this for now."

Amosta flicked his wand. Although his Patronus couldn't materialize like Gryffindor's, the sheer size of the creature immediately instilled a sense of impending doom.

Many young wizards screamed and ran away, while some of the more timid ones even collapsed on the ground, unable to move.

The mountain-like serpent quickly contracted, surrounding the Dementors. After a dazzling burst of light, the terrifying serpent finally disappeared, and Amosta held a pitch-black, icy-cold glass bottle in his hand.

“Every Dementor is registered with the Ministry of Magic.”

Seeing this, Dumbledore said with a hint of helplessness,

“They won’t let this creature fall into private hands, Amosta.”

“Then let the Minister of Magic come to me in person to get it, Dumbledore.”

Amosta, in a foul mood, said coldly.

Chapter 213 Global Hostility?

No one could have imagined that the Quidditch preliminary tournament, which had been anticipated for almost half a year, would end in this way.

Hufflepuff won, but there was little excitement on their faces. Gryffindor lost their first match, but they had no energy to grieve. Even Slytherin forgot to mock the Gryffindor team for their Waterloo defeat. Most of the young wizards from the four houses gathered in their respective common rooms, discussing the breathtaking scene that had just unfolded on the playground.

The young wizards learned from the graduating upperclassmen that the spell Professor Blaine cast was called the 'Patron Saint Charm,' a very advanced form of white magic specifically used to deal with terrifying Dementors.

"Deal with?"

In the Hufflepuff lounge, Justin Finley was excitedly talking to the classmates surrounding him.

"I thought that strange snake was the Dementor's master!"

"Don't say that, Justin—"

Hannah said in a reproachful tone,

"We can't make the same mistake, can we? Last year, in Lockhart's dueling class, Potter used his Parseltongue to stop Malfoy's snake from attacking you. Today's situation is similar. The professors have already said that Professor Blaine only used a modified Patronus Charm against the Dementors, but that spell hasn't been used in actual combat, which is why it seems a bit strange."

"I feel like this is just a way to brush us off, Hannah."

Justin retorted defiantly.

"But at least—"

Ernie shrugged to express his opinion, "At least after Professor Blaine conjured the Patronus, I didn't feel cold anymore. Before that, ugh, I'd rather die than go to Azkaban."

There are many similar discussions.

"Profound white magic? Do you believe such nonsense? In my opinion, it's a very advanced form of black magic!"

In the shimmering green basement of Slytherin, Draco spoke excitedly.

"I knew he had this ability all along. I dare say, even the Dark Lord might not have this skill!"

In Slytherin House today, many young wizards' fathers were loyal followers of Voldemort, and the vast majority of these young wizards still believe that the Dark Lord is a savior who can bring unprecedented glory to pure-blood families.

Therefore, Draco's assessment did not elicit the flattery he had anticipated, and even his two loyal followers, Crabbe and Goyle, seemed hesitant to speak.

In the school hospital, Madam Pomfrey, having seen off the Gryffindor team captain who had come to visit Harry, was cleaning up the muddy ground with a displeased expression.

After a period of reflection and Professor Blaine's encouragement, Hermione and Ron finally stood together again. Although Scabbers' matter remained an unresolved issue for both of them, they both tacitly and deliberately ignored it.

“You can’t imagine how big that thing is, Harry!”

Ron stretched out his arms and gestured frantically at Harry, his face filled with longing, and spoke in a tone full of awe.

"That giant serpent was as tall as the Gryffindor Tower, with a pair of wings on its back. At first, they were all silver-white, but later one of them turned black for some reason. The Dementors... they flew around that black wing."

Ron seemed to be trying to find a metaphor to describe the Dementors' appearance when they were surrounded by wings, but he couldn't find a suitable adjective no matter how hard he tried. In the end, he could only come up with the word 'friendly'.

"Isn't this a bit unusual?"

Unlike the excited Ron, Hermione looked worried.

"Professor Blaine's magic looks the same as the one Professor Lupin used on the train to deal with the Dementors that came to search for them. They're both silvery creatures that can spew out silvery mist, but their effects are completely different."

"Perhaps Professor Blaine is more skilled in this magic,"

Ron shrugged and said in a matter-of-fact tone,

"Isn't it obvious? Just look at the size of the things they conjure up."

"Those Dementors."

Seeing Ron and Hermione able to communicate normally again was probably one of the few things that brought Harry some joy after today's ordeal. He lay in his hospital bed, silently listening to Ron and Hermione discuss Professor Blaine's Patronus.

Based on Ron's description, Harry could roughly imagine what an amazing thing Professor Blaine had created, but he wasn't in the mood for such surprises right now.

Because he was once again utterly defeated by the Dementors, Gryffindor lost this crucial match, and in his fading consciousness, he heard that humble, pleading voice.

"Where are the Dementors?"

"Ha asked in a low voice."

"They're all locked up. Professor Blaine is furious; I've never seen him like that before—"

Hermione said in a trembling voice,

"He probably felt he had failed in his duty. When he flew off the club, Professor McGonagall asked him how he planned to deal with the Dementors. He said he would wait for Fudge to come over and ask him why the Dementors had gone out of control."

Harry pursed his lips and nodded, his thoughts once again being occupied by that desperate voice.

A fierce gust of wind rushed into the room through the gap in the not-quite-closed window, making the curtains rustle.

Ron quickly ran to close the window, and when he returned, Harry finally looked up again.

"Did you guys retrieve my broom?"

Seeing Ron stumble, Harry's already slumped spirits lifted again, and he instinctively asked,