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Chapter 361: Annoying Dementors
Chapter 361: Annoying Dementors
A strong gust of wind blew across Hermione's face, making it difficult for her to open her eyes. The upward thrust made her body sway as if she were about to fall.
"Don't worry, just hold on tight. You won't fall", Ivan noticed Hermione's tension and reassured her with a smile, adding a jest.
"And don't forget, we're Wizards. We can use magic. If you fall, just cast a Cushioning Charm or a Levitation Charm in time!"
"But what if I can't cast the spell in time?" Hermione asked anxiously.
"Then there's me, right? You should have some faith in me", Ivan replied with a smile.
"Okay", Hermione nodded, feeling much more at ease knowing Ivan was right behind her.
Once her tense nerves relaxed, the young witch quickly began to enjoy the ride. Flying on the Thestral felt entirely different from riding a broomstick. She didn't need to focus on controlling her mount and could freely admire the scenery along the way.
The Thestral beneath them began to glide steadily through the air. Hermione looked out to see distant, mist-shrouded mountain peaks and vast, lush forests below.
Hermione relished this peaceful feeling, but as the initial novelty wore off, the long journey started to become a bit boring. For hours, they saw no signs of civilization, and sitting on a Thestral was far less comfortable than sitting in a train.
Fortunately, the two of them could pass the time by chatting, sharing amusing stories. Before they knew it, the distant Hogwarts Castle was in sight.
To avoid being seen, Ivan cast a Disillusionment Charm on the Thestral and then put on the Invisibility Cloak with Hermione. They then directed the Thestral to fly towards the Forbidden Forest.
At that moment, a burning sensation came from Ivan's chest.
Ivan furrowed his brow and reached for the Time Turner hanging around his neck. The golden hourglass pendant had grown increasingly hot.
This indicated that he was about to be sent back to his original time.
"Ivan, what's wrong?" Hermione noticed Ivan's movement and turned to ask.
"Nothing, I just need to go back soon", Ivan put the Time Turner back and replied casually.
Hermione was initially taken aback, but she quickly realized what Ivan meant by going back to his original time and asked in a panic.
"What do we do? We're still in the air! We should land quickly!"
As she said this, Hermione began to guide the Thestral to land, but Ivan stopped her.
"There's no need to worry. It won't happen that fast. I usually have about ten more minutes to linger, enough time to get to the Forbidden Forest", Ivan explained.
The Time Turner was getting hotter, clearly a warning mechanism set by its creator.
From his previous experiences using the Time Turner, Ivan knew that after it gave a clear warning, it would allow a short period for the user to prepare, preventing awkward situations.
Even if something unexpected happened, he was a powerful Wizard and wouldn't fall to his death. Ivan was more concerned about Hermione being left alone, so it was better to take her back with him.
Fortunately, they were already very close to Hogwarts Castle, and it would take only a few more minutes to reach it.
The smooth journey made Ivan feel that his luck was on his side this time. He remembered how, when he first rode a Thestral from Hogwarts to London, it started pouring halfway, and the feeling of being drenched was absolutely terrible.
However, just as Ivan was thinking this, the clear sky slowly turned dark. A large mass of black clouds seemed to be drifting towards them, with something indistinctly writhing inside.
The clear sky was now covered by the clouds, and a deep, cold chill began to spread. Hermione shivered, and Ivan immediately realized that something was wrong.
The Thestral beneath them let out an uneasy eagle-like cry, trying to fly higher to avoid the black clouds, but they seemed to have a will of their own and quickly followed.
As the black clouds drew closer, Ivan realized that they weren’t clouds at all, but a large group of figures in tattered cloaks, their forms decaying.
"It’s Dementors!" Hermione trembled and screamed in shock.
Ivan quickly embraced her, covering her mouth with his right hand to silence her. He tried to hide their bodies under the Invisibility Cloak and urged the Thestral to fly faster.
However, the number of Dementors was too great, and they quickly surrounded Ivan and the others in mid-air.
Ivan shook his head helplessly. It seemed that Dumbledore was right—Invisibility Cloaks couldn’t hide them from these revolting creatures.
Dozens of Dementors floated around them, creating a space of darkness and cold. It felt as if all light and warmth had been stripped away. Happy memories began to fade, while deep-seated pain and unwanted memories surged to the surface.
Killing, blood, and slaughter!
Hermione turned pale, her hands gripping the feathers of the Thestral tightly. Scenes of murder and the sounds of agony and pain echoed in her mind.
Ivan was also affected by the approaching Dementors. He quickly activated Occlumency, which helped him feel better.
He was annoyed that he hadn’t anticipated the Ministry of Magic would send these Dementors to Hogwarts before the start of the school year.
Were they planning to search Hogwarts thoroughly while the students were away?
If he had known, he would have returned a few days earlier, instead of running into the Dementors’ defensive net.
Since these Dementors were employed by the Ministry of Magic, Ivan had no legitimate reason to attack them.
This situation was different from the last time. It was within the Dementors’ duty to intercept anyone trying to enter the castle, and he couldn’t explain why he was riding a Thestral into Hogwarts.
In the short time it took, the Dementors had already floated in front of them, their hollow eyes staring in the direction of Ivan, as if sensing something.
(End of Chapter)
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