Chapter 387: Back Handspring
Chapter 387: Back Handspring
As the only injured party in the Dementor attack, Harry had to remain in the Hospital Wing for the entire weekend.
A steady stream of visitors came to see him, all with the intention of cheering him up, but Harry struggled to find any joy.
His broom was broken, shattered into two pieces.
Yes, falling from a height of fifty feet would undoubtedly damage it.
Harry had already considered this when he first woke up, but seeing the shattered remains of his broom made his heart ache.
Although Wood assured him that it could be fixed, a trip to Diagon Alley and some Galleons would make it as good as new.
But right now, he couldn't even go to Diagon Alley, let alone Hogsmeade.
There was another matter that also troubled Harry.
During the first Divination class, Professor Trelawney saw an omen of doom in his reading, resembling a black dog.
And during the match, there was indeed a black dog on the stands, and then he fell from a height of fifty feet.
Harry hadn't mentioned this to anyone, not even Ron or Hermione, because he knew Ron would panic, and Hermione would dismiss it. He understood his friends too well.
He sought genuine and sound advice because the black dog had appeared twice, each time heralding deadly danger.
The first time was before school started when he almost got hit by the Knight Bus. This time, he fell from his flying broom.
Would he have to be wary of this beast from now on?
And then there were the Dementors...
Harry sat silently on his hospital bed, half-heartedly listening to Hermione sharing amusing anecdotes about school.
Kyle's Dragon Scale Badge was in high demand again.
"I don't think it's that effective, but most people say it works wonders," Hermione fiddled with the badge on her chest. "Dean Thomas said he didn't feel the Dementors at all, but in fact, he almost cried before the Patronuses appeared.
I was right next to him and saw it clearly."
"But how do you explain Neville's situation?" Ron argued. "He wore two badges and felt so much better than on the train. He even came to visit Harry."
"Maybe he's already accustomed to the effects of Dementors," Hermione said. "It's not related to wearing the badge or not."
Ron obviously didn't agree, saying seriously, "Everyone knows that you can't get used to such things; you'll only become more afraid."
Listening to their conversation, Harry suddenly wondered if Kyle could offer him some advice about the mysterious black dog.
He also wanted to ask about dealing with Dementors... or the Patronus Charm, as Professor McGonagall had called it.
...
The opportunity came soon enough.
On Monday, when Harry returned to school, he happened to see Kyle and Cedric walking towards the Great Hall.
He quickly approached them, using the opportunity to ask about his concerns.
"A black dog?" Harry said. "I saw it on the stands, and then I fell from fifty feet. I want to know if there's any solution.
You probably don't know that I also saw it on Lavender Crescent... If it were an ordinary dog, it couldn't have chased me all the way from Privet Drive to Hogwarts, right?"
"Well..."
Cedric paused briefly, "It's possible you might have mistaken it. If the breed, size, and color are similar, it's hard to tell if it's the same dog.
"Well..." Harry hesitated, as it was already dark and he only caught a glimpse of it before being interrupted by the sudden appearance of the Knight Bus. It was possible that he had mistaken it, but this seemed a little too coincidental.
"I'm not sure about Privet Drive," Kyle said, "but the dog you saw on the stadium stand should be a good one... It's huge, and its fur is all tangled up, as if it's never had a bath."
"You've seen it too?" Harry exclaimed in surprise.
"Yes, the last time we went to Hogsmeade," Kyle explained with a smile. "It was lying at the entrance of a shop, and I played with it for a while. I think it must have wandered over from there."
"What?" Harry was still a bit confused. "You mean, it's a dog from Hogsmeade, not a bad omen?"
"If a black dog represents a bad omen, then what about Hagrid?" Kyle asked. "Don't forget that Fang is also black."
Upon hearing this, Harry realized that it might indeed be the case.
Fang was a black hunting dog that Hagrid kept, and they could see it every time they went to Care of Magical Creatures class...
"And..." Kyle continued, "the dog is very human-like and extremely smart. It knows how to roll over, shake hands, and even go through fireworks hoops.
You can try it out next time you see it. It's really interesting."
"I highly recommend the back handspring," Cedric said. "I bet even some trained poodles don't have moves as graceful as that dog."
"I think going through the fireworks hoops is pretty cool too," Kyle added. "With three hoops of different sizes, it feels like playing an alternative version of Quidditch."
As Harry listened to their conversation, his aversion and fear towards the black dog gradually faded away.
If many people had seen it, perhaps it was just an ordinary dog like Fang.
Moreover, with all the talk about back handsprings and fireworks hoops, Harry became curious. Was the dog really as smart as Kyle claimed? Unfortunately, he couldn't go to Hogsmeade, but he could tell Ron and Hermione to look for it.
"Oh, and one more thing," Kyle reminded him. "If you want to see it perform tricks, remember to bring some food. Otherwise, that lazy dog won't move a muscle."
Harry nodded to indicate that he remembered.
"There's one more thing," he said. "Can you teach me how to use the Patronus Charm... I don't want to faint again the next time I encounter a Dementor."
"Well..." Kyle hesitated for a moment before shaking his head. "I'd love to teach you, but I might not have much time lately.
With three training sessions a week and other activities, my free time is almost fully booked."
Harry felt a bit disappointed.
However, Kyle quickly continued, "But you can ask Professor Lupin. He also knows this spell."
"Oh, Professor Lupin!" Harry exclaimed with delight. "Hermione told me that he made the Dementor on the train disappear."
"Thank you, Kyle."
Harry didn't even finish his meal and hurried towards Professor Lupin's office.
(End of Chapter)
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