Chapter 176: Physical Patronus
Chapter 176: Physical Patronus (Please subscribe, favorite, and vote)
"There is a way... I know, it's the Guardian Charm, right?" Hermione said, reacting quickly. "But how can we tell him how to practice the Guardian Charm when we're in Castrobrusso?"
Liam looked at her helplessly and said, "He can also learn from someone else. There are so many professors at Hogwarts; it's impossible that none of them know the Guardian Charm."
"You're right. Even if the professors don't teach him, Harry and the Weasleys are such good friends that they must have a way to get the learning materials for the Guardian Charm. Alright, I'll write to Ginny now." With that, Hermione hurried back to write her reply to Ginny.
I wonder when Hermione and Ginny became so close. But sometimes, girls' friendships can form in the strangest ways. Liam shook his head and returned to the dormitory, as he needed time to research his idea about combining Life Magic and Nature Magic.
It was Saturday practice time again, and as usual, it started with a magical combat session. According to the agreement, they could only use the Disarming Charm and the Armor Charm to avoid damaging the surroundings.
As soon as they began, Hermione waved her wand and sent a red beam of light at Liam. After so much practice, she had mastered the silent casting technique for these two spells. Liam sidestepped and began his guidance, "You need to be more precise. Your enemy won't stand still like a tree."
"When predicting your opponent's movements, remember that few people move at a constant speed. Carefully observe your opponent to accurately judge their next move."
"Power, you lack power. Even if I hadn't used the Armor Charm, your magic wouldn't have been strong enough to disarm me."
"Great, your rolling maneuver effectively dodged the spell. Remember, at our current magic level, your first reaction to a spell should be to dodge, not to block. It doesn't matter if your movements look awkward or lack grace; what matters is that they help you survive. A dead person can never talk about grace."
"Don't glare at me. Sometimes, even if your wand is knocked away, the fight isn't over. You didn't notice that we were too close. For a wizard, that distance is dangerous. If I had landed that strike, you might have been out for the morning. Remember, many werewolves yearn for close combat with wizards. They are much more ruthless than I am, and the damage they inflict is irreversible."
After about ten minutes, Liam's shouts finally ceased. By then, Hermione was panting heavily, sweat dripping down her messy brown hair. Even in a magical battle, it was clear that this was a demanding physical activity for wizards, especially when it required mental effort as well.
After a short rest, Liam resumed teaching the Guardian Charm, as they would be returning to Hogwarts after Christmas. Learning the Guardian Charm to protect against Dementors had become crucial, despite the Ministry of Magic repeatedly assuring that the previous incident was just an accident. But what if the next accident happens to us?
As soon as the lesson began, Hermione brought up a question she had thought about while practicing the Guardian Charm on her own: "Is the Guardian Charm the only way to deal with Dementors in this world?"
"No, I can confidently say there are at least two methods", Liam replied confidently.
"Two methods?" Hermione sounded skeptical. "Are there other spells besides the Guardian Charm?"
"Of course there is. The most crucial elements for casting the Guardian Charm are happiness and love, which the Dark Lord lacks. However, during the last war, the Dark Lord could command Dementors. These evil creatures don’t negotiate, so it must mean he had an even more sinister spell to control them. But compared to that, the Guardian Charm should be relatively easy to learn."
Of course, Liam was holding back quite a bit. He believed that the Thunder Art contained several spells that could counter Dementors, and perhaps even eliminate them. Moreover, when he faced the Dementor in Combat Professor's class, he noticed that he wasn’t affected like the other two students. This meant he could perform at his best when truly facing a Dementor.
At first, Liam found this a bit strange, but he soon realized it might be due to his mastery of the Taoist Heart Method. After all, those Taoist Techniques emphasized the importance of the mind from the very beginning. It was understandable that Liam, with his Taoist Techniques, could remain calm in the presence of a Dementor.
After the explanation, the two began practicing the Guardian Charm. When they cast the spell, silver mist appeared at the tips of their wands. The only difference was that Liam’s mist was thicker and covered a larger area.
"This mist can probably handle one or two Dementors, but any more and it won’t be enough", Liam said as he tried to shape the mist, glancing at the mist emanating from Hermione’s wand. "Theoretically, a Physical Patronus represents a person’s inner self, and for many, it never changes throughout their life. Additionally, the Physical Patronus of a magical creature is more powerful than that of a regular creature. For example, Dumbledore’s guardian is a Phoenix."
"Oh, I see. I can’t wait to see my Physical Patronus. Maybe it will be a Mythical Beast."
Hearing Hermione’s words, Liam felt a bit uneasy. In the fanfiction he read in his previous life, the protagonists’ guardians were often Mythical Beasts. He didn’t want to end up with something ordinary and feel embarrassed.
However, some things don’t change just because one wishes it. After practicing for over half an hour, Liam vaguely felt he had broken through some barrier. He immediately used his Core Techniques to fill his heart with pure joy and then waved his wand, chanting, "Guardian Spirit."
As he finished the spell, a leg emerged from the tip of Liam’s wand.
"Damn, could it be that all the spiders I’ve killed have made my guardian a spider too?" Liam felt a cold sweat break out on his forehead. The sense of foreboding grew stronger as more legs appeared one after another.
Finally, a claw emerged, and Liam let out a small sigh of relief. At least it wasn’t a spider. But when the entire creature appeared, Liam felt as though he had offended some deity, causing everything to go awry.
For there, in front of him, was a plate-sized Blue Crab. Even from its underside, it was clear that it was a male Blue Crab.
The guardian quickly circled around Liam, brandishing its large claws. No wonder the legs came out first; crabs move sideways, so the legs would naturally lead the way.
Hermione also leaned in, curious. "Hmm, your Physical Patronus is a crab. But I’ve never seen this type of crab before. What species is it?"
(End of Chapter)
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