Outside Hogwarts Castle.
The night wind wailed, and the moonlight was obscured by thick clouds.
Ron and Neville sat slumped on the ground.
As they watched Snape carry Hermione away toward the Forbidden Forest, they felt slightly relieved.
However.
Now their legs had begun trembling uncontrollably again.
They were shaking even harder than when facing Snape—how could they not? Snape might have been terrifying, but he was still a professor at Hogwarts.
Although Ron had always possessed an exceptional imagination, he had only felt fear when facing Snape. Now, however, both he and Neville were filled with terror.
Pure, absolute terror!
Most wizards would have reacted the same way—the damp night wind swept rotting leaves past their feet. Then, a shrill screech tore through the night sky, as though countless wronged souls were wailing at once.
A shadow wrapped in Black Mist drifted around the corner of the tower, its aura of coldness and despair rushing directly at them. Within its eye sockets churned the kind of hollow emptiness that inspired terror.
It was a Dementor!
Its entire body was covered in skin like waterlogged blisters, its hands were scabbed over, and it stood more than three meters tall—or rather, floated in midair. It had no visible facial features, only a hole-like "mouth" used to suck souls away.
Its appearance alone was terrifying enough.
Not to mention its characteristics.
No creature in the wizarding world inspired more fear than Dementors. They usually moved in groups. Wherever they went, the air became cold and damp, and even Muggles could sense the invisible aura of despair.
Wizards were no different.
There was no helping it.
It could be said that most wizards in the wizarding world possessed no means of fighting Dementors. Most wizards had virtually no ability to resist when facing