Chapter 285: Not Just Them Can Hold Grudges
Chapter 285: Not Just Them Can Hold Grudges
It was only evening, but it felt like the middle of the night outside. Dark shadows flitted past the windows, making the compartment feel increasingly oppressive.
Harry sat there, stiff and motionless, drenched in cold sweat.
Hermione was also frightened. She suddenly remembered that the new Defense Against the Dark Arts professor was in the compartment and quickly turned to look.
Lupin had already stopped pretending to sleep and was standing up. He looked out the window, noticing the gathering shadows, and said to Ivan with a sigh of resignation.
"You were too reckless, Hals. There are quite a few Dementors here, and they do hold grudges!"
"Not just them", Ivan replied, tossing aside his potions book. As more Dementors gathered, his mind was filled with memories of anger and pain.
"What do you plan to do?" Lupin furrowed his brow.
"Obviously, make them go away!" Ivan's tone was sharp.
Earlier, he had forced a Dementor off by casting Expecto Patronum under immense pressure, which significantly boosted his proficiency. The Patronus Charm had now advanced from level four to level five, meaning that emotional fluctuations would no longer affect his use of bloodline magic.
The numerous Dementors hovering overhead grew restless. They could sense delicious prey below, and the recent death of one of their kind had them seething with anger. The Ministry's rules no longer held sway over them.
A large number of Dementors swooped down, the air growing colder, and faint cries could be heard from outside. It was clear that some young wizards were unable to withstand the pressure and had broken down.
The Dementor at the front of the pack slipped through the window, but before it could suck the life out of anyone, it was blasted back by a beam of white light.
"Expecto Patronum!"
As Ivan uttered the incantation, more white mist swirled out, forming a large, glowing shield that enveloped the entire compartment and continued to expand.
Several Dementors crashed into the shield, causing ripples, but the white mist was incredibly resilient, showing no signs of breaking. Instead, the mist seemed to corrode the Dementors' bodies.
The Dementors were not deterred; they gathered in even greater numbers, and the mist, now more spread out, struggled to hold them back.
Lupin gripped his Wand tightly, ready to intervene if Ivan faltered, though he was reluctant to reveal his own Patronus.
Ron and Hermione watched the sky anxiously, fearing the Dementors would break through the shield.
Ivan calmly waved his Wand, and nearly half of the white mist separated from the shield, converging into a single mass. With a piercing cry, the Dementors diving down scattered in terror.
The Dementors, though numerous, were no match for Ivan's Unicorn Shadow. For the Dementors, it was like a natural predator. Any Dementor hit or trampled by the Unicorn suffered severe injuries, becoming nearly transparent.
Ivan drove the Dementors away from the Hogwarts Express, not intending to kill them. After all, they were Ministry employees, and killing too many would be a slap in the face for the Ministry.
A white, glowing figure could be seen chasing the Dementors, creating a surreal scene in the sky. However, due to the white mist, only vague outlines were visible, a deliberate choice by Ivan.
Hermione sighed in relief, while Lupin remarked with a touch of admiration.
"I didn't expect you to be able to summon a Patronus at your age."
The strength of Ivan's Expecto Patronum exceeded his expectations. Lupin estimated that while he could also drive away the Dementors, he couldn't do it as effortlessly as Ivan.
"It's not that difficult to learn", Ivan shook his head.
In the original timeline, Harry had learned this spell in his third year and successfully summoned a Patronus.
By fifth year, many students in Harry's DA had managed to do the same after some practice.
Suddenly, Ron's urgent voice broke the silence.
"Harry, what's wrong? Harry?"
Ivan turned to see Harry, who had lost consciousness and slumped to the side, his face pale.
Lupin's expression changed, and after a quick check, he relaxed and reassured Hermione and Ron.
"Harry is fine; he just fainted due to the Dementors. Let him rest for a while."
"But why didn't we faint?" Hermione asked, puzzled. In her experience, Harry wasn't that fragile.
"Dementors drain happiness and bring up all painful memories. Those with painful pasts face more pressure when confronted by Dementors", Ivan explained.
"Yes, as Hals said, Harry fainted because he has experienced some terrible things. There's no shame in that", Lupin sighed, looking at Harry's pained expression in his sleep.
Ron nodded, while Hermione glanced at Ivan thoughtfully, recalling his earlier aggressive reaction to the Dementors.
At that moment, the sound of hurried footsteps came from outside the door.
Soon, two middle-aged wizards in uniform appeared, their faces grim. The leader scanned the compartment and his gaze settled on Lupin.
"Who cast the Patronus?"
"It was me, Aurors!" Ivan met their gaze fearlessly. He understood that these two were likely the accompanying Aurors tasked with supervising the Dementors.
After all, Dementors were chaotic and evil beings, and the Ministry would send someone to prevent them from getting out of control during large-scale operations.
"You?" The stout Auror leader looked at Ivan with disbelief and then cast a strange glance at Lupin.
He found it hard to believe that a thirteen- or fourteen-year-old wizard could drive away so many Dementors. He suspected that Lupin might be trying to avoid responsibility by having a young wizard take the blame.
Lupin chuckled helplessly. That wasn't the case.
Ivan didn't respond, but he waved his Wand, summoning a wave of white mist that brought a sense of peace and tranquility to everyone.
The Aurors finally took the young wizard seriously. Although Ivan hadn't shown his Patronus, this display was enough.
(End of Chapter)
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