https://novelcool.info/chapter/Chapter-393-Spell-Counters-and-Cooperation/13460735/
Chapter 394: Golden Snitch
Chapter 394: Golden Snitch
A sharp cry echoed from the golden fire, and a beautiful phoenix emerged, its forehead ablaze with a cluster of golden flames. The long beak shimmered with a dazzling light.
"Harry!"
Hermione shouted, her wand and left hand held defensively in front of her, struggling to control her magic. The fire dragon in Classroom Seven was fake, but their magic was real, and they had to be careful.
They had been taught this lesson before.
Harry, still engaged with the fire dragon, quickly ran away. Ron, who had been preparing for a long time, shot a bright light beam from his wand. It hit the dragon's wing at an angle and was scattered into finer rays by the smooth scales, illuminating the dim space around them.
The spell missed!
Ron hastily adjusted the angle. This time, the light beam exploded on the dragon's face. The bright light was not blinding, but it still obscured most of the dragon's vision. The dragon's movements paused momentarily as it shook its head in agitation, its powerful claws digging into the brown rocks, sparking like daggers.
In the blink of an eye, the phoenix crossed a distance of over a hundred feet, its long, sharp beak aimed at the dragon's belly, where the scales had somehow been cracked by an external force—
"Shh!"
Drops of blood splattered.
The fire dragon let out a painful roar and swatted the phoenix away, reducing it to pure fire that clung to its body. It panted heavily, flapping its wings and spewing a brilliant blue flame at low altitude. The grass and trees instantly turned to ash, and the rocks cracked with a loud popping sound, engulfing Harry, Hermione, and Ron.
After everything returned to silence, Harry licked his dry lips, his green eyes still holding the image of what had just happened. Hermione and Ron, pale-faced, walked over, looking at Cedric and the others, who were standing nearby with their mouths wide open.
It was already afternoon, and Felix had brought them to Classroom Seven, intending to let them experience the power of a fire dragon for the first time.
However, Cedric and his group of warriors were taken aback. Their performance wasn't perfect, but it showcased their individual strengths, including Cedric's weather magic, Roger Davies' magical plants, and Collins' Disillusionment Charm and non-verbal spellcasting.
As for Harry's group…
It was hard to describe their performance accurately. They seemed to have a deep understanding of how to attack the fire dragon, and many of their reactions were instinctive. This level of understanding couldn't be learned from books or stories; it required real, hands-on experience to internalize.
This was also the method for training dragon handlers. Every dragon handler, in the first couple of years of their work, would acquire some scars, some of which they would deliberately keep as a testament to their courage.
"Still no good... Fire is inherently at a disadvantage against a fire dragon. Even Hermione's Ancient Magic can't penetrate the thick dragon hide", Harry said, slightly out of breath.
"Only the most powerful spells can do that. Sirius Black's suggestion wasn't bad—using the Blinding Spell. But that requires excellent dynamic vision and precise control. Among the three of us, only Harry might be able to pull it off, but you haven't mastered that spell yet", Hermione said, her chest heaving as she tried to maintain her composure.
Ron, exhausted, sat on the ground. "Luckily, we encountered a Swedish Short-Snout. If it had been a Ukrainian Ironbelly or a Hungarian Tree Hornet..." He glanced meaningfully at Cedric and the others, noticing their uneasy expressions.
His mood improved considerably. Despite still looking shaken, he began to enthusiastically describe the dangers: "The Ukrainian Ironbelly is the largest, about sixty to seventy feet long. We once encountered a seventy-footer. All it had to do was charge and stretch out one of its feet... snap! You're done. All you'd see is a gray shadow growing larger in front of your eyes..."
"And the Hungarian Tree Hornet is a big one too. When it spews fire, it's not so bad. Once, I successfully cast a Shield Charm, but then I saw a long black tail covered in spikes. Your spell would shatter like an eggshell..."
"The Peruvian Vipertooth's breath is toxic and it's incredibly fast. It's hard to hit with a spell..."
"Alright", Felix said, interrupting Ron's seemingly complaining but actually bragging monologue. He looked at them with some surprise. "You've actually completed part of the work ahead of schedule. Although there are still tactical issues, you've clearly adapted to the fire dragon's attack patterns and can cast spells without being scared. However, I have to impose some restrictions to prevent you from forming bad habits."
"The more you fail, the more you'll reinforce the idea that everything in Classroom Seven is fake. You might confuse this false courage with real bravery. During the actual competition, the audience, judges, and the environment will remind you what is real. You'll find that your courage is like a beautiful soap bubble, ready to burst at the slightest touch..."
Harry opened his mouth to argue but realized there was some truth to what Felix said. After experiencing various "deaths" dozens of times, they seemed to no longer care about getting hurt. Participating in the competition with this mindset might lead to better performance, but it could also result in reckless actions.
For example, he had once tried to buy Hermione time with a completely ineffective spell, only to be swatted away.
Next, we will focus on specialized training. Each of your groups has a lot of room for improvement... My goal is to help you find your strengths, because you will soon realize that time is not on your side.
...
After leaving Classroom Seven, Harry and the others put on their thick cloaks and walked out of the castle, following the path to Hagrid’s hut.
In the pumpkin patch behind Hagrid's Hut, a black dog was running around playfully. Harry, Ron, and Hermione grinned.
When the black dog saw them, it transformed into a man. Sirius Black’s hair was cut short and neatly groomed, and his cheeks were pale, making him look younger.
"Sirius—" Harry hugged him, "You don’t need to come every day."
Sirius flashed a toothy grin, "It's my responsibility, and I’m bored anyway!"
"Remus suggested you find a job; you should get back to a normal life", Harry said, but a smile spread across his face despite himself.
Sirius absently scratched his chin, his mind elsewhere. "That’s not a priority right now; I just can’t get motivated... But let’s not talk about that. How was Felix? Did he surprise you?"
Over the past few days, Sirius had been guiding the three of them, including how to work together, but he wasn’t a Hogwarts staff member, so he couldn’t enter the castle. His presence near Hagrid's Hut was only possible because Dumbledore turned a blind eye to it.
Harry reluctantly recounted the events, and Sirius rubbed his chin, sitting on a large pumpkin. Hagrid’s dog, Fang, sniffed his shoes and wagged his tail.
"Scram, Fang!" Sirius tossed Fang a dog biscuit, then thought seriously, "He has a point. You might confuse the real and the fake, but we’ve achieved our goal—you’ve experienced the various attack methods of a fire dragon firsthand, and that’s crucial!"
He added with a hint of schadenfreude, "I saw the warriors from Wagadu running around the Forbidden Forest, they’re probably having a headache."
As the hosts, the Hogwarts warriors had a significant advantage, backed by the school’s vast resources. Although Hogwarts had opened the Library and some resources to the other schools, the crucial Classroom Seven was off-limits.
"But don’t get too smug. I saw new faces from those schools, likely their professors, coming to give the warriors special training."
Sirius quickly moved on from that topic.
"Let’s start today’s practice. We’ll work on the Blinding Spell, Extinguishing Spell, and Softening Spell. If we have time, we can try the Disillusionment Charm and Transfiguration, but those might be too difficult for you, and I’m not very skilled at Transfiguration..."
Harry hesitated, "I think the Blinding Spell isn’t as effective as we imagined. The fire dragon’s head is mostly covered by thick scales, and there are prominent bones and spikes. It’s hard to hit."
Ron had a creative idea, "What about the Bat-Bogey Hex? I heard Ginny mention it. This spell turns boogers into bats. Imagine a swarm of bats flying out of the fire dragon’s nose, making it swell up..."
Sirius coughed twice, "It’s a good idea, but no one has tried it. The Blinding Spell is a proven spell."
He looked at the three of them, "Regarding the accuracy of your spells, there’s only one way to improve—lots of practice." Seeing their expressions drop, he continued, "Of course, the right method can make the process more efficient. You need some handy tools."
"Did you bring it, Harry?" he asked.
Harry, puzzled, pulled out the Golden Snitch from his pocket. Last night, Sirius had instructed him through the two-way mirror to bring the Golden Snitch, but he never explained why. When Harry asked, Sirius changed the subject, leaving him in the dark.
Sirius’s hand brushed over the Golden Snitch’s wings, and a row of alchemical symbols glowed on the golden wings. "This is my gift to you. It has two hidden functions. One is that its interior has been expanded with the Undetectable Extension Charm, allowing you to store things. The other is that it has a 'following' function."
"Following function?" Harry asked, confused.
"Exactly. It will fly around you within a certain range, which you can adjust. I originally intended it to help you practice Quidditch, but you didn’t realize that."
Harry felt a bit embarrassed and explained quietly, "I was afraid it would fly away, so I didn’t bring it outside."
Sirius didn’t dwell on this minor issue, "Besides practicing Quidditch, it can help you improve your spell accuracy. I’ll have it fly around you at a height of twenty to fifty feet. You need to hit it with the Blinding Spell. Of course, you don’t know this spell yet, but that’s okay! You can start with other spells!"
Harry and the others got excited, but Hermione asked with some concern, "We won’t break it, will we?"
"No", Sirius said nonchalantly, "It’s protected by powerful magic. I told Felix that this gift is meant to be passed down to Harry’s children."
Harry’s face turned red, and he rolled his eyes in frustration.
(End of Chapter)
Chapter end
Report
