Harry Potter: The Rise Of Malfoy

Chapter 55.

On the morning of November 7, Saturday, Soren woke up early from his dormitory bed. He planned to attend the Quidditch match in person today; although he wasn't interested in Quidditch, he knew there would be a good show.

Outside, the thunder continued to roar, and the fierce wind struck the castle's outer walls, and of course, the windows couldn't escape either. When Soren arrived in the first-floor corridor, he immediately noticed the raging wind and pouring rain outside; it was evidently worse than yesterday!

Soren leisurely walked to the Great Hall, ready to enjoy his breakfast. Soon, Daphne, Astoria, and Meredith arrived in thick raincoats, looking at Soren, who was lightly dressed, with a puzzled expression.

Their confusion was quickly resolved; after finishing breakfast, the four walked out of the castle together. The weather outside was a turbulent wind and heavy rain, but to watch the match, all the staff and students poured out just like usual. They ran across the lawn toward the Quidditch pitch, sitting in the damp stands, bowing their heads against the strong wind.

In stark contrast to their hurried pace, Soren and the three girls leisurely strolled towards the playing field. As the torrential rain fell around them, it seemed as though an invisible barrier shielded them, causing the rain to slide away from them.

Astoria, confused, was awed by Soren, while Meredith, knowing the gravity of the situation, murmured in disbelief, "A water-fire invulnerability spell covering four people…" Even for Meredith, who was used to such things, Soren's rapid progress was astonishing. Despite her own hard work, why did it feel like the gap was only widening?

Five minutes into the match, all the players were drenched inside and out. The weather was cold, leaving many players frozen and struggling to see their teammates, let alone the chaotic moving ball. Players zipped around the field, with only blurry red and yellow figures visible, making it impossible to discern the state of the game.

In the midst of the howling wind, the audience huddled under cloaks and battered umbrellas that were already blown askew, with cheers being barely audible. Many players narrowly avoided being knocked off their broomsticks by the moving ball, and the downpour made it hard for everyone to open their eyes—none could see the ball careening toward them.

Just as Gryffindor pulled ahead by 50 points, Harry and Cedric suddenly spotted the Golden Snitch at the same time. Both spun towards its direction, with Cedric closer, but Harry, relying on his lighter build and the swift performance of the Nimbus 2000, was faster.

At that moment, something strange happened. A silence born from fear enveloped the tiered stands around the field—despite the wind being just as strong as ever, it seemed to have forgotten to howl, as though someone had pressed a mute button on it.

Like ink spreading in water, a deep blackness stretched across the distant horizon. Over a hundred Dementors, drawn by the joyful atmosphere of the Quidditch match, swiftly approached, bringing with them a chilling breeze.

The Dementors appeared as if invited to a grand feast, drifting in tattered, dark gray cloaks. Their rotting hands, seeping with pus, slowly shook outside their hoods, as the air filled with the stench of decaying flesh. Following the patterns formed by the icy air, Soren saw something intangible flying from the stands, drawn away by the Dementors above— the happiness of the young wizards watching the match.

Soren's eyes flashed with determination as he abruptly stood up, drew his wand, and pointed it at the Dementor in the center of the field, shouting, "Expecto Patronum!"

Instantly, everyone on the field gasped, and they caught sight of a massive dragon emanating a silvery light!

The dragon's body was larger than a human, even bigger than the half-giant Hagrid. Its wings, resembling bat wings, spread wide and flapped with grace, while its elegantly held head rose high, letting out a roar that echoed through the clouds!

The dragon soared rapidly, the silver mist swirling around its body, charging toward the floating Dementors below with magnificent force.

In mid-air, Harry swiftly approached the Golden Snitch. He was just inches away; he was faster than Cedric, but suddenly time seemed to freeze around him. Harry felt as though he had entered a black hole he could never escape from; helpless, he moved forward, the temperature plummeting, breath turning to ice, as frozen raindrops pierced into his body, slicing at his insides.

He heard the voice again, the one he had heard on the train—a woman's voice, moaning within his head, seemingly pleading for someone to spare Harry.

Then Harry felt a wave of dizziness and slipped off his broomstick. Just as he thought he would fall, a silver dragon suddenly swooped from below, catching the unconscious Harry and placing him gently on the grass.

In the stands, the young wizards, overwhelmed by the presence of over a hundred Dementors, were engulfed in despair, helplessness, and fear. Suddenly, the silver dragon appeared, like a ray of hope in the darkness, bringing the only color and light to the bleak world.

The young wizards all turned their heads, witnessing an unforgettable sight— a boy, still youthful in appearance, pointing his wand at the more than a hundred menacing Dementors above.

Compared to the countless Dementors in the sky, his solitary figure appeared so small—yet this seemingly insignificant figure exuded an aura of formidable strength, standing resolutely like a mountain. In the darkness, his eyes seemed to shine brightly with determination, and his wand was held high, continuously emitting white mist, firmly blocking the path of the Dementors.

Everyone could feel his unwavering resolve, which suddenly sparked a flicker of hope in the hearts of the despairing young wizards, even somewhat diminishing the effect of the Dementors. This scene was etched in everyone's minds, remembered for many years to come.

"Look! It's Soren! That's his Patronus!"

"Oh my! How did he do that? There are so many Dementors; isn't he afraid?"

"We, we can't let him do this alone…"

"Soren, hang in there! We're here to help!"

It seemed that Soren's leadership gave them courage, as one by one, the young wizards bravely stood up. They raised their wands and recited the spell for the Patronus Charm. Like stars in the night sky, a series of silver lights shone from the stands, with at least forty or more points of light appearing, among which many wands began to coalesce into full-bodied Patronuses.

Draco's Patronus was also a dragon; Pansy's Patronus was a fox; Daphne's Patronus was a cobra; Meredith's Patronus was a wolf; Astoria's Patronus was a peacock; Hermione's Patronus was an otter; Luna's Patronus was a hare; Moray's Patronus was a swan; Penelope's Patronus was a red-tailed hawk. Following these nine solid Patronuses, white mist surged upward, scattering countless halos.

A massive silver dragon burst into the midst of the clustered Dementors; with just one charge, it knocked away more than ten Dementors. It then flapped its wings vigorously, sweeping its long tail, and its four sharp claws sent one Dementor after another flying. The dragon seemed to be the natural enemy of the Dementors, moving freely and showing no fear of the terror they brought, while the Dementors were sent scattering in all directions.

The Patronuses followed behind the dragon, forming a second wave of assault against the Dementors, pushing their line back at least ten feet. Behind the Patronuses were the white mist released by the remaining young wizards. Their joyous emotions were not yet sufficient to form solid Patronuses, but as the abundant white mist slowly gathered, it formed a magical barrier, resembling a solid wall that instantly dispelled fear and cold.

In the next second, a melodious cry rang out from the highest point of the castle. A gigantic silver phoenix flapped its wings and flew out of the headmaster's office; it was Dumbledore's Patronus!

Soren sneered inwardly, our great headmaster always liked to arrive fashionably late, showing up with a dazzling ray of hope only at the last moment. This time, he might just be outdone!

By the time the silver phoenix finally arrived at the pitch, all the Dementors had been driven to the edge of the field. The phoenix seemed unwilling to miss the opportunity to make its presence known; it fiercely chased after the fleeing Dementors, delivering a final blow before awkwardly circling in the air a couple of times and finally disappearing.

Harry suddenly opened his eyes; he was lying in the school hospital.

The Quidditch players from Gryffindor were covered head to toe in mud, surrounding his bed, and Ron and Hermione were also there.

"Diggory caught the Golden Snitch!" Fred said, "Right after you fell, he didn't understand what had happened. When he turned around and saw you on the ground, he intended to stop the match and replay it."

"But they won fairly and squarely, even Wood admitted that," George chimed in.

Harry lay in the hospital bed, listening to Fred and George's discussion without saying a word.

They lost, and it was all his fault; it was the first time he had lost in a Quidditch match. About ten minutes later, Madam Pomfrey came in to tell the team members to let Harry rest. The team left, and Madam Pomfrey closed the door behind them. Ron and Hermione exchanged glances and stayed.

"I think I saw a lot of Dementors?" Harry said softly.

"There were over a hundred Dementors, Harry!" Hermione said in a trembling voice, "I was so scared I didn't know what to do, my mind was filled with terrifying thoughts. It was thanks to Soren and his Patronus that everyone was brought back to their senses…"

"Enough, Hermione!" Ron shouted as he saw Hermione's expression, his anger suddenly flaring up. "Slytherin's Patronus were useless; it was Dumbledore who drove those Dementors away. The reason the Dementors left was that they saw Dumbledore coming from a distance; they feared his Patronus! I say this is purely Slytherin's scheme; that Malfoy kid definitely has bad intentions. Think about it, if it weren't for his Patronus, maybe Diggory would have fainted, and if that happened, Gryffindor wouldn't have lost."

"What are you talking about, Ron!" Hermione said in surprise. "If it weren't for soren's Patronus catching Harry, he wouldn't know how badly he would be hurt falling from such a height!"

Seeing Hermione's expression, Ron grew even more irritated. He felt an inexplicable anger bubbling up inside him; he had been at the Quidditch pitch, trying to cast the Patronus charm, and all he managed was to make his wand emit a faint light before it vanished. Seeing Hermione successfully conjure her Patronus made him feel a burning discomfort inside, as if he were consumed by an emotion called jealousy.

He said loudly, "Hermione, he's a Slytherin! A Malfoy! His father is a Death Eater! Don't forget, most Death Eaters or dark wizards graduated from Slytherin. Ever since you went to that damn exchange program, it's like you've been brainwashed by them, always praising Malfoy!"

"Can you both just let me be quiet for a moment!" Harry said softly.

Ron's voice lowered, and there was an awkward silence in the room.

Harry couldn't understand what was going on between Ron and Hermione; they weren't caring about his well-being but instead discussing whether Soren Patronus had any effect. Although he didn't have any ties with Soren, he knew that it was Soren's Patronus that saved him from being seriously hurt, and he didn't want to speak ill of Slytherin behind his back.

"Forget about the Dementors, did anyone get my Nimbus 2000?"

"Well, when you fell, it blew away. Then it crashed into that Whomping Willow," Hermione hesitated, saying. "Professor Flitwick just got it back before you woke up." She reached for her bag at her feet and tipped it upside down. A dozen pieces of wood and the tail of a broom fell onto the bed; that was the wreckage of Harry's broomstick.

The trio fell into silence.

*****

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