https://novelcool.info/chapter/Chapter-410-Professor-Abigail-of-Cat-Panther-Academy/13685421/
Chapter 409: Malfoy: He saved me?
The silver creature streaked across the night sky like a bolt of lightning, its form a Guardian Dog protecting the train, while the eagle soaring at high altitude dove downward, crashing into the Dementor and dissolving its body into mist. Countless Dementors finally began to retreat, their ghostly figures blending into the darkness until they vanished completely.
The lights inside the train flickered once—then flared bright. The temperature in the car rose sharply. A wave of cheers erupted. Many students leaned out of the windows, waving frantically at Professor Abigail.
"Professor! Professor! You came to rescue us!"
A first-year student burst into tears, overwhelmed with emotion. "Professor Abigail, did you get my message? You came so fast!"
Several students scrambled off the train, rushing toward her, breathless with fear and gratitude, babbling about how terrified they’d been and how relieved they were to see her. "That eagle was amazing! Professor! It was so cool!"
This was a student who hadn’t seen the full scene—just Abigail standing outside the train, unaware of the danger that had just passed.
"That eagle was Wade’s Patronus!" a Ravenclaw student shouted proudly. "And the Doberman was Professor Abigail’s!"
A chorus of voices joined in—students shouting Wade’s name over and over.
"Wade! Wade! Wade!"
The Weasley Twins led the chant, arms raised as if to lift him up. But as Wade waved his wand, a sudden gust of wind swept through, knocking everyone back with a startled gasp.
Wade pointed his wand at his throat and spoke, his voice amplified by magic, thundering through every corner of the train.
"Everyone back on board. Don’t let those people run out again. They’re drawn to happiness. So keep calm. Stay quiet."
It was rude to interrupt the celebration—but after facing the Dementors, everyone remembered the icy dread, the suffocating despair. The students quickly obeyed. Those who had rushed out were pulled back into the train by a crowd of classmates surrounding Abigail.
Students made shushing gestures, and a few Gryffindors even clamped their hands over the twins’ mouths. Smiles faded. Tension replaced relief. The heavy, gray sky above them stirred dark thoughts.
—Were those shadows flickering through the cloud layer the lingering Dementors, still prowling nearby?
But the train was intact. With a long, echoing whistle, the wheels began to turn again. White steam billowed from the locomotive’s chimney.
Clink… clink… clink…
The rhythmic clatter of wheels on tracks was deeply comforting.
The silver eagle returned, flying from the front to the back of the train. Some students instinctively reached out—then froze, astonished by the sensation of warmth and softness beneath their fingertips.
"That’s incredibly advanced magic…" Penelope whispered in awe. "A living Patronus is extremely rare."
The eagle flew down the corridor, trailing silver mist that drifted behind it, dispersing the lingering chill in their hearts.
It circled back to Wade, lowered its head slightly, and gently touched his cheek with its forehead.
Wade stroked its wings, then pointed at Harry. The Patronus understood. It flew forward and settled onto Harry’s body, its wings briefly covering his head.
Harry opened his eyes, drenched in sweat, his face contorted in agony.
The eagle dissolved into silver mist—gone in an instant.
"Hey, mate, you okay?" Ron pushed through the crowd, helping Harry sit up. "You all right?"
Others gathered around, worried.
"I… I’m fine," Harry panted, glancing around. "Where did those… things go?"
"They fled," Hermione said. "Wade and Professor Abigail drove them off."
Harry looked at Wade—then quickly looked away.
"Did anyone… get hurt?"
"What?" The students exchanged glances. "No one died. Just a few passed out. Everyone else is alive."
"That’s… good," Harry said, then hesitated. "I… I heard terrible screams."
The others were confused. Yes, someone had screamed when the Dementors appeared—but that cry didn’t quite match the word terrible. Still, they were kind enough not to point out how silly it sounded, not wanting to embarrass him for fainting.
"Here, eat some chocolate," Neville offered, handing him a chocolate frog. "My grandma always says, no matter what happens, just eat a piece. It’ll make you feel better."
"Thanks, Neville," Harry said, taking the chocolate—but didn’t eat it. He stared at Wade, shame filling his voice. "Sorry… I didn’t summon my Patronus. I failed."
He’d studied with Remus for a long time. He could now summon a Patronus—barely. It looked like a horse, or a deer, but faint, wobbly, almost translucent. He knew his charm was nowhere near Wade’s level. But he hadn’t expected to be completely useless—especially not to faint in fear.
He looked at Ginny Weasley. The girl, pale and eyes red-rimmed, was still standing strong.
But Harry felt weak, trembling, cold sweat dripping down his forehead.
He clutched the chocolate frog, awkwardly wishing he could vanish into the floor.
"It’s not your fault," Wade said, shaking his head. "Dementors affect you more than most. You’ve been through more than anyone else here. That’s not your failing."
Harry froze.
Wade nodded at the others. "I’m going to talk to Professor Abigail. I need to ask her something."
"You go ahead," Michael said, waving. "We’re not kids anymore. We can take care of ourselves."
Wade turned and left.
Silence followed. No one had much to say. They didn’t dare play games now. Instead, they comforted one another, quietly tidying up snacks and scattered trinkets.
Almost every student’s Book of Friends burned hot—parents urgently messaging, worried.
Back in their compartments, the students began sending messages to their families, reporting they were safe.
Harry sat quietly, his book silent. Then he remembered Wade’s words: "Dementors affect you more because you’ve faced more fear."
And suddenly, he remembered—too late.
He’d heard it before—clear as day.
"Don’t move, Harry! Don’t move Harry… Kill me… Please… Have mercy… Have mercy…"
He realized, with a jolt, that it hadn’t been a classmate’s scream.
It was… his mother’s final voice… left behind in this world.
Tears welled in his eyes. He swallowed hard, fighting back a sob, then forced himself to bite into the chocolate frog.
…
Wade walked down the train corridor, passing students along the way. Most leaned against the doorway, staring at him with awe. Some friendly ones clapped him on the shoulder, shouting, "Nice job, Gray!" One even tried to shake his hand—Percy Weasley, the red-haired, freckled prefect.
The boy gripped Wade’s hand firmly, his voice serious. "As President of the Student Council, I thank you for protecting this train and all the students aboard, Wade Gray. The rest of the journey will be in your capable hands."
"And… that Patronus was impressive, Wade."
Wade flinched. He hated this kind of official praise—so stiff, so full of empty politeness. He barely managed a quick handshake, then asked where Professor Abigail was, before turning away.
Abigail was in a cabin near the rear, surrounded by a cluster of chattering students—mostly girls.
As Wade approached, he saw Pansy Parkinson lingering in the corridor outside, pacing, hesitating, as if torn between entering and staying away.
She turned at the sound of footsteps. Seeing it was Wade, she quickly looked down, face flushed.
Wade pretended not to notice. He raised his hand to knock—when a thin, strained voice spoke from behind.
"Uh… Gray…"
It was barely more than a whisper, like air squeezed through a needle.
Wade turned.
Pansy still stared at the floor. "You… you called?"
"Yeah…" Pansy stammered, cheeks burning. "I heard… Potter fainted. But you brought him back instantly…"
Wade raised an eyebrow. "Word travels fast."
Pansy clenched her teeth, gathering courage. "Draco fainted too… Could you… could you please check on him?"
She had every reason to worry. A Dementor had broken in right outside their compartment. Malfoy had opened the door to check the situation—only to face the creature head-on.
Dementors had little intelligence. They didn’t know Malfoy was a pureblood heir. But even without draining souls, their mere presence could sap happiness—leaving behind depression, madness.
And while Wade and Abigail were both skilled in Patronus magic, Abigail had made enemies among the Slytherins. She’d been strict, harsh—especially when teaching Defensive Magic Against the Dark Arts. Many had been humiliated in class. So, when she arrived, they’d tried to push her out of their house. They failed—but not without causing her trouble.
That was why Pansy had hesitated outside the cabin. She thought Abigail seemed kind, but was actually cold and distant.
After a long pause, seeing Wade pass by, she’d acted on impulse.
Now she regretted it—feeling like she’d just humiliated herself.
Wade hadn’t planned to help. But as he turned to walk away, a memory surfaced—Dumbledore’s words:
"Never push someone who might be on our side into the enemy’s camp. Offer respect. Offer kindness."
He sighed.
Fine. Even if some people didn’t deserve it—this was just a small favor. No reason to hold a grudge.
The words on his lips changed.
"...Let’s go."
"…Huh?" Pansy blinked, stunned.
Wade looked at her. "You wanted to see Malfoy, didn’t you?"
"Oh… o-okay! Thank you!" Pansy stammered, turning to lead the way—almost tripping over her own feet. She kept glancing back at Wade, afraid he’d suddenly vanish.
Malfoy’s compartment was close. He lay slumped on a seat, Crabbe and Zabini sitting silently across from him.
Unlike Harry, who’d been surrounded by friends, Malfoy had only these two—silent, indifferent. Crabbe even flipped through a snack bag.
"Draco!" Pansy rushed in, touched Malfoy’s forehead, then turned to Wade. "What do we do? He hasn’t woken up!"
The moment they saw Wade, both Crabbe and Zabini froze—surprised, then wary.
Wade raised his wand. "Patronus Charm!"
The silver eagle reappeared, circling the ceiling before landing gently on Malfoy’s chest.
The Patronus charm was ancient—older than the Dementors themselves. It was a manifestation of positive emotion, a shield against dark creatures that preyed on fear and despair.
Malfoy suddenly shot upright, shouting, "I’m not a Muggle!"
He collided headfirst with Pansy’s chin.
Both yelped in pain—one clutching his forehead, the other cradling her jaw, gasping for breath. Tears welled in Pansy’s eyes.
Zabini let out a snort of laughter. "Muggle?"
Malfoy glared at him, still trembling. "Where’s that… thing?"
"Gray drove it off," Zabini said, glancing toward the door. "He just left."
He didn’t hide it. "He saved your life. Otherwise, you’d’ve stayed unconscious until we reached the station."
"…He saved me?" Malfoy’s face drained of color. "Who asked for his help?"
Zabini shrugged. Pansy shot Malfoy a sharp look.
Malfoy flinched, pressing his hand to his head. It hurt more now.
"Want chocolate?" Crabbe offered a bar.
Malfoy took it, swallowed it whole, then mumbled, "Tell me… what the hell happened?"
…
Knock knock knock.
A soft voice came from the door.
The train compartments weren’t fully sealed. Through the glass door, students saw Wade Gray standing outside.
The laughter stopped. The room fell quiet.
One girl stood, face red, and pulled open the door. "Uh… Gray? What do you need?"
"Sorry to bother," Wade said. "I’m looking for Professor Abigail."
He saw her at the back of the cabin, seated among the students.
"Oh…" Abigail paused, then smiled. "Train’s almost at the station. Kids, get ready."
She looked at Wade. "We need to talk."
(End of Chapter)
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