Chapter 304: Burning

Chapter 304: Burning

Hagrid carried Ron out of the house first, followed by another Hermione. Then, a short, tightly bound man floated out, upside down, his head occasionally bumping against the stones, "Ouch!"

The small man's face was swollen, his hands tied behind his back, and his clothes were tattered. To avoid the stones, he tilted his head awkwardly to one side.

"Sirius Black, please—"

"You deserve this, Peter Pettigrew! You should be grateful that Harry is kind enough—"

A wand appeared, revealing Sirius Black's alert face. He limped, supported on either side by Harry and Lupin. Snape walked last, his expression enigmatic, his wand always pointed at Peter Pettigrew.

"Sirius, you should go to the hospital", Harry whispered.

"No! I want to see him face justice!" Sirius bared his teeth in a chilling smile, "A Dementor's Kiss would be fitting." His wand lowered, and Peter Pettigrew let out a sharp cry of pain.

...

Hermione hid behind a large pumpkin, peeking out cautiously, "Professor, should we do something? Professor Mcgonagall warned me not to change the past."

"I think we should be cautious, but..." Felix gently flicked his fingers, and a small stone silently adhered to Peter Pettigrew as he fell again.

Once they were far enough away, Felix and Hermione emerged from their hiding place.

"Professor, what did you just do?"

"I marked Peter Pettigrew with magic—just in case. As you said, they'll be trapped on the viaduct. If he tries to escape as a rat, I can find him!"

Hermione thought about it seriously and agreed that it was a good idea.

The two of them trailed behind the group from a distance. Hagrid's strides were long, and he quickly outpaced the others. The "other Hermione" beside him had to jog to keep up.

Hermione said with a peculiar look, "From this angle, I look so silly. Hagrid takes one step, and I have to take three."

Felix chuckled but soon became serious, "I don't want to meddle with the time taboo. My plan is to let everything proceed as planned until the future you saw arrives, and then I will appear."

Hermione nodded; this seemed to be the best approach. She imagined the scene: half an hour later, when the Dementor army attacked on the viaduct, Professor Felix would suddenly appear and save everyone.

This way, the past wouldn't be altered, yet the future would be genuinely influenced.

They walked at a steady pace, maintaining a distance of about two hundred feet from Harry and the others. Felix asked, "I have a few more questions. How did you hear Umbridge and Fudge's conversation?"

Hermione explained, "I followed Hagrid to the Hospital Wing. Madam Pomfrey said Ron was out of danger, so I came back to check on Harry and the others. I accidentally saw Umbridge greeting Fudge, and a group of Aurors were following behind him."

She said angrily, "That woman was so rude, using her power as the Minister of Magic to be especially rough with Professor Mcgonagall. If only Dumbledore wasn't away..."

"Did she and Professor Mcgonagall have a confrontation?"

"Yes, Professor Mcgonagall questioned why she brought Dementors into the school, but Umbridge ignored her, only fawning over Fudge."

"I see..."

Felix looked ahead. With Sirius Black being injured, the group's pace was not fast. The uphill path slowed them even more.

The wind carried snippets of their conversation, including Sirius's hesitant voice, "I don't know if anyone has told you—Harry, I'm your godfather..."

Ten minutes later—

"Here they come!"

Felix suddenly broke the silence. Hermione followed his gaze and saw a pink, round shape in the distance. She said in surprise, "Is that the woman?"

Then they heard a long whistle, and Hermione felt a chill run down her spine. A black shape emerged, like a black plastic bag caught in the wind, quickly flying toward Harry and the others, who were still some distance from the viaduct.

Hermione took a deep breath as more Dementors appeared, spreading like a black plague across the sky in response to Umbridge's call.

"It's a Dementor!" she heard Professor Lupin's voice from a distance, "How did Dementors get into the school? The Ministry of Magic promised... Use the Patronus Charm!"

By now, it was nearly dusk, with the twilight half-obscured, half-revealed. The light was being swallowed, and the Dementor hung high in the sky, constantly releasing black mist, as if the night had come early.

A silver light pierced through the darkness; it was Lupin's spell. He raised a silver barrier, but it was an incomplete Patronus.

Not far from them—“Let's get closer,” Felix said, casting a faint silver glow over both of them.

“Professor, what is this?” Hermione looked at her glowing hand.

“Unpleasant memories. The Dementors will instinctively avoid us, of course, assuming they have better options,” Felix explained.

The two of them moved closer, close enough to see the expressions on Lupin's face. Lupin urgently shouted, “Harry, Sirius Black, use the Patronus Charm! And Severus, if you can!”

The silver barrier he maintained grew stronger, and a large, corporeal Patronus appeared—it was a wolf, the very thing Lupin despised the most, but it was necessary in this moment.

With the appearance of the wolf Patronus, the crisis was temporarily alleviated. The silver wolf roared silently, leaping and swatting away Dementor after Dementor.

Harry's mind cleared a bit. His lips trembled as he instinctively recited the spell, “Expecto Patronum—Ex, Expecto—Expecto Patronum!” A silver mist emerged from the tip of his wand. With the faint light of the incomplete Patronus, he felt better, the initial suffocating sensation fading, and he took deep breaths.

“It's not enough! Not enough...” Lupin shouted, “Sirius Black, Severus!”

Snape, however, made no move. His expression was rigid, and he clutched his wand so tightly that his knuckles turned white.

Sirius Black lightly touched the ground with one foot, raising his wand and repeatedly chanting, “Expecto Patronum! Expecto Patronum! Expecto Patronum... Damn, I can't do it!”

“What do you mean you can't? We learned it together,” Lupin called out.

“I can't... The happy memories are all tied to James,” Sirius Black said, his face in his hands, his lips turning blue under the Dementors' influence, just like Snape's.

Harry looked at Sirius Black as if he were meeting this man for the first time, truly recognizing him as his godfather. He mustered his courage, recalling various happy memories, and a silver light began to surge, gradually taking shape.

But there were too many Dementors. “Let's get to the viaduct!” Lupin said decisively.

Peter Pettigrew, who was bound, was set upright. He rolled his eyes, constantly plotting an escape route. “Behave, Peter Pettigrew! It's a cliff below...” Sirius Black threatened, pushing him hard to make him walk on his own.

The green light from Snape's wand disappeared, and he glared at Sirius Black with a fierce expression, which left Sirius Black puzzled.

They climbed onto the viaduct, fighting a losing battle. Lupin was the only one with full combat strength, but his Patronus couldn't hold off the hundreds of Dementors. The black mist they emitted brought a bone-chilling cold, causing everyone's breath to form white mist, making them feel as if they were freezing.

Snape sent a few red beams into the sky, his face dark. “Others will come, they have to...”

...

Taking advantage of the Dementors being distracted, Felix whispered to the side, “When time returns to normal, you should appear on the other side of the viaduct, right?”

“Yes, I came with the Ministry of Magic and hid to use the Time-Turner after taking a quick look from a distance,” Hermione said, her eyes anxiously fixed on the bridge. “They should be here soon... the Ministry of Magic should be coming.”

“You should worry about yourself! When the Ministry of Magic arrives, how will you cross the viaduct to the other side?” Felix said calmly. “If I remember correctly, after using the Time-Turner, you should return to your original position?”

Hermione looked at him in surprise, “You're right, Professor. I need to form a closed loop in time and space.” She suddenly realized the problem and screamed, “What am I supposed to do? Oh no! If I can't get back in time, I, I—” She shuddered, recalling the consequences of Time-Turner misuse she had read about.

“How long was it from the last time you saw Harry and the others to when you used the Time-Turner?”

“About seven or eight minutes! Many students were coming, so I had to hide in a bathroom to use the Time-Turner.”

"That's enough. I'll create an opportunity for you... When the time comes, you'll be wearing the Invisibility Cloak, and with the Disillusionment Charm, you should be able to go undetected." Felix looked at her seriously, "You must seize this chance."

Hermione nodded vigorously. She didn't know what the professor was planning, but she trusted him completely.

"Stay here for now, and put on the Invisibility Cloak as soon as possible, always be ready..."

Hermione quickly donned the Invisibility Cloak, and Felix cast various spells to mask her scent and sound. She seemed to vanish into thin air.

Then, Felix, under the Disillusionment Charm, stepped onto the viaduct.

Footsteps echoed from the other side of the bridge. Umbridge's pink robes were unmistakably visible as she led a dozen Aurors, her voice shrill and high-pitched, "Minister, they're just ahead!" The short, stout figure at the front was none other than the Minister of Magic, Cornelius Fudge.

Beside him was Professor Mcgonagall. She took one look at the scene on the viaduct and her eyes widened in alarm, "Minister Fudge, you must stop those Dementors! They're attacking Hogwarts professors, and there are two of them!"

Umbridge giggled, "That's because they're associating with Azkaban's most dangerous fugitive. Look, they're even attacking Ministry of Magic officials... Minerva, I thought you wouldn't cover for them."

"Severus and Remus would never shelter a fugitive!" Mcgonagall said angrily.

Fudge patted his belly, "Don't worry, Minerva. We can control the Dementors; we won't let them harm these professors. Otherwise, I wouldn't be able to face Dumbledore..."

He gave Umbridge a meaningful look, and she fished a black whistle from her pocket, puffing out her cheeks to blow it. She looked like a toad ready to pounce and feed.

The whistle's sound echoed, and the Dementors received their command. Their attacks grew more intense, darting and swirling through the gaps on the viaduct, the air thickening with ice crystals.

Strands of black mist were carried by the wind toward the Ministry of Magic officials. Fudge shivered and muttered, "Disgusting creatures." He tightened his collar, his eyes fixed on the bridge. Professor Snape cast an invisible spell from his wand, and to everyone's surprise, it managed to slightly hinder the Dementors' advance.

But... Fudge extended his thick finger, "Who's that bound figure?"

Professor Mcgonagall examined the scene closely and gasped, "It's Peter Pettigrew!"

"How is that possible? He's supposed to be dead", Fudge asked, his voice tinged with uncertainty. He sensed something was wrong—someone who had been dead for over a decade suddenly appearing just didn't add up.

Umbridge rolled her eyes, "Minister, perhaps this hero never died but lost his memory. Upon hearing about Sirius Black's escape, he was triggered and regained his memory, deciding to fight his old enemies once again..."

Fudge's eyes lit up, "That's a plausible—"

"No!" Professor Mcgonagall interrupted, "Peter Pettigrew is an illegal Animagus. He disguised himself as a rat and lived in one of my students' homes for over a decade! Dumbledore suspects that the betrayer of the Potters was someone else. Minister Fudge, you should stop the attack and uncover the truth."

Fudge frowned, uneasy. "What are you saying? Peter Pettigrew is a recognized hero of the Ministry of Magic and a recipient of the Order of Merlin, First Class. How could he be...?"

But he knew Professor Mcgonagall's character—she never spoke without reason. Fudge was hesitant, his gaze shifting to the battle on the viaduct.

The situation had become critically urgent. Snape had been using concealed Dark Magic, but it wasn't very effective against the Dementors, only managing to barely hold them off.

The Dementors grew more agitated. The fire Sirius Black was casting grew weaker, and finally, one of the Dementors flew past him, stealing away his last happy memories.

"No—!" His wand dropped.

A gap appeared in the defense, and more Dementors surged forward. The silver mist Harry was maintaining grew thinner, and he felt as if he were holding up a mountain, bending under the immense weight.

His mind began to fill with illusions, and he heard his mother's voice again, clearer than ever. He struggled to resist, but his reactions grew weaker.

Harry found himself enveloped by a warm force, and he heard a gentle voice say, "Harry, cheer up, think of happy memories..."

Harry felt the influence of the Dementor lift, and he regained his clarity. He quickly scanned the area, noticing that the tip of Snape's wand was glowing with a silver light. But there was no time to ponder this. About seven or eight steps away, he saw his godfather lying on the ground, with a Dementor leaning over, lifting the tattered hood to reveal a decayed, mouth-like hole. Harry even caught a whiff of the putrid breath.

"No, no!" Harry desperately imagined the feeling of having a new home, of living with his godfather. "Expecto Patronus!" he shouted. He felt an unprecedented surge of power, magic gathering and swirling in a silver mist like rolling waves. From the sea emerged a dazzling silver creature. Just standing still, it sent ripples of silver light that pushed the Dementor far away.

Then, it began circling Harry, its massive silver horns tossing one Dementor after another. The Dementor army retreated, disintegrating into chaos.

Umbridge and Fudge were dumbfounded, mouths agape. "This is Harry Potter?" Fudge said in a strange voice.

Umbridge hesitated, then grabbed her whistle and blew it fiercely, urging the Dementors to attack.

"Old toad, what are you doing!"

Unnoticed, a group of students had gathered behind the Ministry of Magic officials, their faces filled with righteous anger. A spell flew from the corner, striking Umbridge's black whistle, which exploded with a loud "bang." Umbridge screamed and fell to the ground.

"Who! Who attacked a Ministry of Magic official!" Fudge roared in fury.

Professor Mcgonagall raised her wand, joined by the students surrounding her. Suppressing her anger, she said sternly, "Minister Fudge, order the Dementors to stop attacking immediately. If anything goes wrong, you will regret it."

Fudge looked around, bewildered. He had never been pointed at by so many wands. The young, angry faces around him, and even the elite Aurors he brought, had no will to fight. They couldn't bring themselves to harm the students.

Fudge's demeanor softened, and he tried to defend himself. "I actually... wasn't..." He paused for a few seconds, then turned and shouted, "Recall the Dementors, Aurors, move out, but don't hurt anyone!"

A subordinate whispered, "Minister, the whistle that controls the Dementors has exploded."

Fudge exploded in rage. "Can't control the Dementors without that damned whistle?"

The man replied in terror, "Under normal circumstances, yes, but they are heavily injured now and desperately need to feed..."

Fudge's pupils dilated, as if in response to the words. The scattered Dementors regrouped, though they were not dead. Their robes were even more tattered, and some had large, glaring holes in their chests.

These were caused by Harry's Patronus, but they were not fatal or even serious injuries. For Dementors, physical form was expendable, but they felt hunger, and before them lay a sumptuous feast.

They aimed for the students behind the Aurors, circling like black birds of ill omen. However, they seemed hesitant in the presence of their former controllers, hovering at the edges and sucking in the air, causing the temperature to visibly drop. Many students breathed out white mist, their faces pale with fear.

On the other side, Harry leaned against a fence, gasping for breath. He was exhausted, barely managing to stay on his feet. The Patronus ran back to him slowly. It was not a horse or a unicorn, but a stag. It glowed all over, and when he reached out to touch its antlers, the Patronus dissipated.

He succeeded! He had saved Sirius Black, Professor Lupin, and even... Snape. Harry's gaze swept the area, seeing his godfather lying on the ground, breathing heavily with a look of relief, and Lupin sitting on the ground, exhausted.

He turned to look at Snape, only to see Snape, his body swaying, moving his wand like a blade, casting a heart-stopping green spell. Harry's eyes widened in shock. Reality seemed to overlap with his nightmares, and he heard his mother's scream again, followed by a green light filling his vision.

It was the Avada Kedavra!

How could Snape use this spell? No, who was he using it on?

Harry belatedly realized that Peter Pettigrew was gone, leaving only his clothes behind. His gaze followed the direction of Snape's spell and saw a black rat desperately fleeing.

Snape wanted to kill Peter Pettigrew!

But just then, a hand emerged from the air, grabbing Snape's wand. "Severus, he's not worth it."

“Don’t stop me, Felix!” Snape’s face contorted with a deep, seething hatred, more intense than anything Harry had ever seen. “Let me have my revenge... I beg you!”

“There’s a better way,” Felix said, casting a spell. A light flashed over the rat, and its head and body stretched, pulling it out of the Animagus form. It stumbled and fell to the ground, kneeling.

Peter Pettigrew’s luck had run out. He had just made it to the other side of the viaduct, a dozen steps away from a group of Aurors and students who had been nervously watching the agitated Dementors. Now, they were drawn to this sudden, dramatic scene.

Seven or eight Dementors glided down, one of them gripping Peter Pettigrew by the neck and pulling back the hood from his face—

“No! Spare me, James, Lily! The Dark Lord forced me, he was too powerful... You don’t know what he’s capable of!” Peter Pettigrew cried out in despair.

The Aurors from the Ministry of Magic stared with wide eyes, their wands raised but frozen in mid-air. Professor Mcgonagall, along with everyone else, was stunned by Peter Pettigrew’s shocking confession.

In his final moments, he seemed to regain his senses, shouting desperately, “He’s coming back! The one whose name cannot be spoken is coming back! I did wrong, forgive—”

His voice abruptly cut off as the Dementor sucked out his soul.

Snape took a few steps back, collapsing to the ground as if paralyzed. He covered his face, mumbling to himself.

After a long while, Fudge exclaimed, “Ridiculous! He’s babbling nonsense!”

Professor Mcgonagall retorted sharply, “Only you would think so. He made himself quite clear. And your Dementors are out of control!”

The Dementors were indeed out of control. The loss of Peter Pettigrew’s soul had agitated them. No longer content to hover at a distance, they began to inch closer.

Fudge, terrified, retreated and huddled in the crowd. “Protect me! Use the Patronus Charm!”

Unfortunately, the Patronus Charm was not a routine spell. Even among the Aurors, it was not a required skill. Including Professor Mcgonagall, only four people present knew the Patronus Charm.

Mcgonagall frowned, dismayed by the incompetence of the Ministry of Magic, particularly Minister Fudge, who looked as if he might faint. She controlled her Patronus, just as Harry had, the intense light gathering around her. But then she heard Felix’s voice.

“Now’s the time!”

What time? She turned her head and gasped in surprise. Felix stood at the edge of the viaduct, holding an invisible, transparent vortex in his hand. Blue magic swirled around him, tearing the Dementors away and shrinking them as they fell into the vortex.

One, two, ten, twenty... the Dementors, now uncontrollable, were pulled from the air and the sky, falling like a black rain.

Felix maintained the spell, hearing the light footsteps of Hermione, who was wearing the Invisibility Cloak, passing by. He smiled, “Good timing, Hermione Granger.”

“Thank you, Professor,” Hermione whispered.

She carefully avoided the Aurors and Professor Mcgonagall, weaving through the group of students. “Who’s bumping into me?” someone grumbled. “Don’t crowd, we can all see. Professor Flitwick is so cool, and Harry’s Patronus, my goodness, it’s incredible!”

After a dozen seconds, not a single Dementor remained in the sky. Felix held the spherical vortex, looking at the stunned Minister of Magic and Aurors. He said softly, “Since these Dementors have lost control and attacked students and the Minister of Magic, there’s no reason to keep them...”

“Boom!”

A ghostly white fire ignited within the spherical vortex. The vortex began to spin violently, thick black smoke billowing out, forming twisted faces that were quickly consumed by the fire. The black dots in the vortex disappeared one by one, as if they had never existed.

Umbridge, her mouth bloody, opened her eyes and saw Felix burning the Dementors. Memories flooded back, and she screamed, fainting.

“Mr. H-Hep...” Fudge stammered.

Felix flashed a white smile, “No need to thank me, it’s what I should do.”

(End of Chapter)

Chapter end