novelnext Chapter 153 Seeing Dogs and Rats: Harry's Naming
Chapter 153 Seeing Dogs and Rats: Harry's Naming
Chapter 154 Seeing Dogs and Rats: Harry's Naming
Picking up where we left off, Colin's three shouts of righteous indignation ignited the students' fighting spirit. In mid-air, Harry saw his classmates forming an alliance to fight back, and his heart surged with heroic spirit. He looked up at the sky and laughed three times.
"What a true hero! Seeing such a scene today, even death would be worthwhile!"
He pointed his wand into the air, and the giant worm led its horde of Dementors to pounce. It opened its mouth wide, its teeth like swords and its eyes like lamps, its mouth like a blood basin and its tongue like fire. Upon encountering a Dementor, it would inhale with a single breath, swallowing it whole like a whirlwind.
The giant worm had swallowed thirty or forty Dementors in a row. Harry suddenly felt a surge of evil thoughts in his mind and hallucinations appeared before his eyes. He quickly recited the scripture for a while before he could barely recover.
He thought to himself: My cultivation is still shallow, and I'm afraid I've reached my limit. I need to find another way to dispel the other soul-devouring monsters.
Just then, the silvery barrier below expanded by another three degrees, completely enveloping Harry. The Dementors, who had not yet transformed into ghouls, could not force their way in and had no choice but to scatter.
As soon as Harry put down the broom, Wood rushed forward, his bear-like arms encircling him tightly, and cried out joyfully:
"Harry! We won!"
"The Slytherin guys are afraid of Dementors and have run away!"
"They've forfeited the match!"
Lee Jordan, sitting on the referee's bench, was grinning from ear to ear. He held the willow wand in his left hand and gripped the megaphone in his right, then shouted at the top of his lungs, his voice echoing through the heavens.
"Slytherin has forfeited! They've run away! Therefore, I declare Gryffindor the winner!"
This pronouncement was like a spark thrown into a boiling oil pan; over a thousand students in the stands shouted in unison, their voices surging so loudly they seemed to churn the dark clouds.
Stirred by this heroic spirit, the guardian barrier swelled with silver light like a cascading celestial river, transforming into a large, crystal-clear canopy that enveloped the entire Kui Di Qi Chang (a type of martial arts arena) completely.
Those Dementors that came into contact with the silver light instantly vanished without a trace, their souls scattered.
Harry and the others, holding the trophy in their hands, returned to the locker room.
He changed into his robes, put down his broom, and was about to go find Ron and Hermione when the oak door creaked open, revealing Dumbledore.
When Wood and the others saw the principal, they hurriedly bowed and greeted him.
Dumbledore smiled and said, "Well done, boys."
"I haven't seen such a great match in a long time."
Fred blinked. "But, Professor, we didn't score a single goal."
"Ah... well, that's good flying." Dumbledore winked at him. "Could you give Harry and me some private space? I have something to say."
Upon hearing this, Wood and the others, as if receiving a command, filed out in single file.
After the onlookers had dispersed, Dumbledore found a chair and sat down, a look of satisfaction in his eyes.
"Harry, I must say, you've accomplished something that even the four founders of Hogwarts couldn't do."
"That is to unite all the students."
Harry had no interest in chatting with him; he was focused on finding Ron and Hermione. He simply bowed slightly and said urgently, "Professor, what else do you want to ask? Please speak freely, for I have something urgent to attend to."
Seeing this, Dumbledore stopped talking and went straight to the point.
"Harry, I want to know what you did to the Dementors?"
"I could hardly believe my eyes; the Dementors seemed to have split into two factions."
Upon hearing this, Harry asked doubtfully, "Professor, you really have a bad memory. You already know that my Patronus Charm can control Dementors, so why are you asking again?"
Dumbledore frowned, a sense of unease creeping into his heart. "But can't you only control a few?"
Harry laughed, "Ha! My good fortune is all thanks to my second uncle's guidance!"
He then recounted Lupin's teachings in detail. Dumbledore listened until he felt dizzy and disoriented, and nearly fell over.
"Please let me catch my breath, Harry."
Dumbledore quickly took out a potion for his headache from his robes, tilted his head back and gulped down most of it, panting as he said:
"So, you had the Ministry of Magic send more Dementors so you could turn them into... the ghouls you mentioned?"
Harry cupped his hands in a respectful gesture. "Professor, please don't be offended. It's not that I intentionally concealed anything, but rather that you, old man, are terrified of anything related to black magic. You avoid anything that comes with it like the plague."
"Otherwise, I should have mastered the Unforgivable Curse back in first grade! Why bother using that useless Armor Curse to block Quirrell's Killing Curse?"
Dumbledore remained silent, rubbing his temples. "Harry, dark magic is extremely evil. I've seen too many righteous wizards research dark magic and ultimately commit unforgivable sins."
"That's something those scoundrels easily corrupt!"
Harry rose to his feet, his eyes gleaming like cold stars, and roared, "As the saying goes, 'The knife has no good or evil, only the man who wields it.' To attribute all sins to magic is no different from that corrupt official who let bandits escape punishment!"
"If someone is a wicked and depraved person, even if they only know the levitation spell, they will still lift a huge rock to kill; if someone is a pure and virtuous hero, even if they are proficient in the killing spell, they will only punish the wicked and not harm the good in the slightest!"
These words are truly:
They argued fiercely about the evil law, their heroic spirit shaking the mountains.
After a century of cultivation, I was questioned and realized that the new generation surpasses the old.
Dumbledore's words left Harry speechless, like a sudden Zen koan, leaving him stunned and unable to utter a sound for a long time.
Seeing that he remained silent, Harry didn't say anything more, just clasped his hands in a gesture of respect, and strode away.
Emerging from the dressing room, Harry strode towards the Gryffindor tower. Pushing open the door, he saw Ron and Hermione sitting cross-legged in front of the fireplace, warming themselves by the fire.
One stared intently at the fireworks, while the other pondered over Crookshank inside the iron cage. The firelight cast their long shadows on the stone wall.
Harry rushed forward and grabbed their arms. "Did you and your brother encounter any danger on your journey? Did you find any trace of that scoundrel Black?"
Ron handed the Invisibility Cloak back to Harry, nodding. "He's hiding in the woods at the foot of Hogsmeade, and..."
Seeing his hesitation, Harry felt an itch of curiosity and urged, "Is there something else going on? Brother, please speak freely!"
"We saw Crook Mountain."
Hermione took a breath, her expression complex, and said, "It's bringing food to Sirius Black."
"And they seem to know it well; it's obvious this isn't the first time they've done it."
Ron leaned closer to the iron cage and whispered, "Harry, do you think it's possible that Crookshanks was also transformed from some kind of Animagus?"
"oh!"
Hermione shuddered, covered her face, and cried out, "Please, Ron, please don't say such frightening things."
"It's alright, Hermione, I can teach you the Rebirth Mantra. It's incredibly effective at calming you down."
Harry ignored the two men, only squinting at the large cat in the cage. The cat scratched at the bars, meowing obsequiously, doing everything it could to please them.
Seeing his demeanor, which lacked his usual sharp tongue and claws, Harry gripped the hilt of his knife tightly and said coldly, "What a treacherous beast, having an affair with that Black."
Crookshan straightened up, but still pretended to be deaf and dumb, only wagging his tail and trying to please.
Harry saw this and, without saying a word, reached out and pulled off his glove, revealing the black lines winding and faintly visible on the back of his hand.
Seeing his appearance, how could Crookshan not understand? His previous fawning demeanor vanished, his spine arched, and every hair on his body stood on end.
"ha!"
Seeing this, Harry laughed and said, "You're quite the clever one, even more adept at seeking advantage and avoiding harm than other beasts."
"You chased and bit that spotted rat last time, but today you're feeding that black dog. Do you think the rat is guilty and the dog is innocent?"
Upon hearing this, Crookshan's vertical pupils narrowed to slits, and its tail tip swayed three times as if in response.
Ron and Hermione exchanged glances, but neither dared to speak.
This cat can hardly be described as having any spirit anymore, right?
It can completely understand human speech!
Harry snapped his fingers and knocked on the cage door. "Since you can speak, I'll make a deal with you. You can continue to associate with that Black, but you must keep your mouth shut and wait for the right opportunity."
"When you achieve success, you will surely be rewarded."
Upon hearing this, the cat actually sat down upright, its long tail sweeping left and right like a whisk, making a gurgling sound in its throat.
Seeing this, Hermione carefully opened the cage door, took the baby out, and held it up to examine it closely. She said with a mixture of joy and worry:
"Krokshan, you're not an Animagus, are you?"
The raccoon simply poked its furry head against her cheek and lightly licked it with its tongue.
Hermione laughed as she was tickled, and said reproachfully, "Fine, I believe you're just a clever little cat."
"You believe that just like that?" Ron looked suspicious. "If you ask me, we should torture him severely."
"Don't be silly, Ron. I'll use the Death Diary tonight; it'll tell me whether Crookshanks is really a kitten."
Having said that, she stroked Crookshan's fur and said coldly, "You'd better be."
Having caught Black in the act, Harry's pent-up frustration vanished, and he proclaimed loudly:
"Now that the black dog's whereabouts have been found, all that's left is to find Peter Pettigrew. Once these two are together, the truth about the murder of my parents thirteen years ago will finally come to light!"
Hermione saw the murderous glint in his eyes again and quickly took his arm, comforting him, "Let's go, Harry, let's go to the Great Hall for dinner."
"Everyone is celebrating today's victory in the auditorium."
Without saying anything more, the group went to the auditorium together.
Without further delay, the three headed for the Great Hall. Pushing open the massive oak doors, they found it bustling with activity. A thousand candles illuminated golden goblets, and banners from all four houses stood together in one hall. It turned out that the Gryphon House had won the championship, but even the Hound and Badger were celebrating. Even the Slytherin students wore smiles reflected in the candlelight.
Harry was astonished; it was strange, as if everyone had won the lottery.
Fred and George, who had spotted Harry and his two companions earlier, jumped up and raised their arms, shouting:
"The King of Hogwarts has arrived!"
This shout was like a thunderclap from a clear sky; the entire hall of over a hundred people stood up in unison, and applause surged forth like a tide.
Two Gryphon valiant men stepped forward, one on each side, and flanked Harry, leading him to the head chair. In an instant, more than ten arms reached out, raising their drinking cups like a dense forest.
"Thank you, Harry, for teaching me the Patronus Charm."
"That's incredible! I've never seen anyone fight off hundreds of Dementors at once!"
Everyone was talking at once, focusing on the fierce battle with the Dementors during the day, completely ignoring Quidditch victories.
Harry suddenly realized that the celebration was not for the championship, but to celebrate the good friendship among the brothers.
As the saying goes: Friendships deepen in times of hardship, and loyalty is strong when people live and die together. Today, as everyone fights against the Soul-Snatcher, even those who were strangers in the past have become warmer at this moment.
"Boss, say something," Fred said, hooking his arm around Harry's shoulder. "Nobody's more qualified than you."
George pulled a bottle from under the table, filled a glass with Flaming Whiskey, and handed it to him. "That's right, after all, you taught us our Guardian Charm."
As soon as the two finished speaking, the other students began to jeer. Harry had no choice but to stand up.
Before the Eagle and Badger Halls, the students who had been making a ruckus all held their breath in silence.
Harry scanned the Slytherin seats, seeing some bowing respectfully as if they were the leader of a martial arts world, and others with sinister eyes, like a jealous and envious scholar in white.
He withdrew his gaze, then suddenly leaped onto the long table, raised his silver cup high, and exclaimed:
"All men are brothers within the four seas; in times of turmoil, harmony is of paramount importance!"
The students in the hall responded with a roar, and hundreds of wine glasses clinked together, splashing the fine wine everywhere.
"Cheers!"
Everyone drank and ate heartily. Large pieces of steak crumbled like snowflakes, and whole turkeys were scrambled in the wind; butterbeer flowed like streams, and pumpkin pies were piled high like mountains. It was truly a scene of revelry and unbridled joy.
Fred and George sat on either side of Harry, drinking with him. One said, "It's all thanks to the Lion King's divine power," and the other said, "It's all thanks to His Majesty's teachings." Their flattery was more rapid than a machine gun.
Harry poured whiskey for the two men, shook his head and laughed, "God helps those who help themselves. Your courage in the face of danger, your willingness to fight to the death with your staffs, truly shows your heroic nature. What does that have to do with me?"
Upon hearing this, the two mischievous boys blushed and looked ashamed.
Fred scratched his head and said, "Oh, Harry, very few people can face hundreds of Dementors without being afraid like you."
"In fact, what really unites us is Harry Colin Jr."
Harry looked in the direction Colin pointed and saw seven or eight younger students gathered around to offer a toast, their faces flushed as they gestured to the scenes on the Quidditch field.
Immediately afterwards, the two men discussed Colin's drumming and rallying of the righteous.
Upon hearing this, Harry exclaimed in admiration, "When I first met this young man, I sensed a heroic air about him and a refined demeanor. Seeing him today confirms it!"
"There is one more thing I need to tell you, my two brothers: how did you get the nickname 'Little Harry'?"
Readers, please hear this: It turns out that all the students saw that Colin, though only a second-year student, was the first to raise his staff and chant incantations when a hundred or so Dementors were pressing down on him.
Moreover, his three shouts rallied heroes from all directions. If not for such courage, the hall would have been filled with cries of despair by now. Such bravery truly embodies the spirit of a newborn calf daring to subdue a tiger, and the cry of a young phoenix surpassing that of an old one.
Therefore, Lady Helena Grey praised him highly and gave him the nickname "Little Harry".
Don't think this nickname is borrowed from someone else. You should know that Harry is a famous hero in the wizarding world, and not just any nobody can borrow his name.
Think of the legendary archer Hua Rong, didn't he also inherit the fame of Li Guang?
After the two finished explaining, Harry clapped his hands and laughed, "Sister Helena really has a great nickname!"
Just then, Colin came stumbling over, his face flushed with wine, carrying a wine glass.
"Harry! You were absolutely amazing today! I never imagined anyone could hold off hundreds of Dementors!"
Harry laughed heartily, "Brother Colin, you are mistaken! I am but a reckless fool, while you, my worthy brother, remain calm in the face of danger and raise your arm to rally the troops—that is the true mark of a general!"
This compliment made Colin's ears turn red, and he quickly changed the subject, "Ahem, Harry, is your Dementor bounty campaign still ongoing?"
"I think I can catch a Dementor by myself now!"
Harry's eyes lit up, and he chuckled, "Let's put the Dementor business aside for now. I have another great fortune to discuss with you all."
(End of this chapter)