Appear, My Patronus
Avery was dragged forward by Regulus.
Cold sweat slid from his forehead to his chin, and he clenched his teeth so tightly that he could almost hear his back teeth grinding together.
He was just an eleven-year-old wizard, and the scene before him was beyond his comprehension, bizarre and terrifying; it was impossible for him not to feel fear.
But he is the Heir of the Cuthbert family, and this identity is his greatest source of recognition.
Fear may exist, but it should not be allowed to dominate.
He could see clearly that ahead was the entrance to a narrow passage, the dark opening resembling the open mouth of some kind of creature.
If you rush in, your speed will inevitably decrease, and the Grey Mist behind you will catch up.
Avery didn't say anything.
His face was pale, his lips were pressed into a thin line, his brows were furrowed, and his gaze turned to Regulus's profile.
His life is now in Regulus's hands.
Regulus was much faster than him and Alex.
If they release the Gripping Charm and break the Levitation Charm at this moment, the two of them will be caught up by the Grey Mist, and the outcome could be dire.
No, I might die!
In Avery's mind, Regulus was powerful, but also clear-headed.
This person always has a purpose in everything they do, plans three steps ahead for each one, and never makes worthless sacrifices.
There's no point in saying anything now; pleading or making promises are futile. Only one choice remains for Regulus.
Should they rush towards that narrow entrance together, or should the person trying to escape themselves?
Alex is in even worse shape.
His body was trembling violently, his teeth were chattering, and he was whimpering incoherently.
Heads were bowed low, not daring to look back at the Grey Mist, nor to look at the dark passage ahead.
His legs were as limp as overcooked noodles, and he was almost being pulled forward by the force of the Gripping Charm.
Regulus did indeed calculate that option.
Let Avery and Alex go; run on your own, and you'll be much faster and have a better chance of escaping the Grey Mist.
From a practical point of view, this is the optimal solution: sacrifice the burden and preserve the core.
And he is the core.
But he still maintained the Gripping Charm and Levitation Charm.
He brought these two people in; he decided to have them participate in this exploration mission.
Since you've led someone into danger, there's no reason to abandon them halfway through.
This has nothing to do with calculating profits or the rules of survival.
This is something more fundamental, a principle deeply ingrained in the marrow of a soul that has lived a complete life.
Of course, he wasn't naive; his principles varied from person to person.
He wasn't a saint, and he made many choices that weighed the pros and cons, but he couldn't bring himself to send the people he brought with him to their deaths.
Moreover, he wasn't completely unprepared.
Fiendfyre Curse, that Dark Arts that can devour everything, even Voldemort's split soul, should be effective against the Grey Mist that is the essence of the curse.
The Magic Power siphon of Natural Magic, if the Grey Mist can be regarded as purely negative Magic Power, might be theoretically feasible to forcibly extract it through Magic Power circulation and then convert it into harmless Magic Power through Star Orbit Meditation.
In the worst-case scenario, a forced Spatial Warp. This Magic is still immature; it can only Warp objects and is not very precise. But it has to be used when necessary.
However, every option carries risks.
We still lack the necessary methods.
Regulus pulled the two of them forward, his mind racing simultaneously.
Dumbledore really not know that something like this was buried beneath Hogwarts?
As a first-year student, he was able to piece together clues and find his way here based solely on Hermes' injury, Darren's unusual behavior, and the traces left at the scene.
The Hogwarts professors couldn't possibly be unaware.
Dumbledore is the headmaster, the entire Castle is his territory, and there's no reason he wouldn't know that a cursed bomb lies hidden beneath the school.
Regulus recalled the principal's usual style: seemingly easygoing and lax, turning a blind eye to minor squabbles among students.
But they always appear at crucial moments, steadily taking control of the situation.
Perhaps Dumbledore already knew the secret behind the Stone Gate, and even knew about Darren's actions and the assigned task.
They simply chose to observe from the shadows, waiting for the right moment to strike.
As for whom they are observing?
Regulus shook his head slightly; hadn't he just barged in headfirst?
This thought calmed him down a little.
The Grey Mist was only three meters away from his back.
Regulus made his decision without hesitation.
The entrance to the narrow passage was just five steps away, and he suddenly stopped in his tracks.
The Repelling Charm struck Avery and Alex.
Caught off guard, the two staggered forward and landed just at the edge of the passageway.
Regulus stood still, his back to the two men, facing the surging Grey Mist. His hand holding the wand was steady, without the slightest tremor.
His voice was calm and unhurried, yet carried a convincing power. "You run, I'll hold them off. Go find the professor."
Avery steadied himself, and upon hearing those words, turned around abruptly.
His face was filled with shock, his eyes widened, and his pupils suddenly contracted in the dim light, as if he couldn't comprehend what he had just heard.
In the education system of Pureblood families, the principle of prioritizing self-interest is self-evident.
Survival, development, power, resources—all actions revolve around these.
Companionship is a byproduct of the exchange of benefits and can be severed when necessary.
He had known Regulus for less than a year.
Initially, it was arranged by his family, but later he accepted it, recognized the other party's abilities, and decided to follow.
But he never imagined that Regulus would stay behind for him and Alex, facing that deadly Grey Mist alone.
Regulus's expression remained unchanged.
His upper body stood ramrod straight, facing the overwhelming Grey Mist without shrinking back an inch.
But in Avery's eyes, this boy of the same age looked completely different at this moment.
Avery's lips moved, as if he wanted to say thank you, take care, or something else, but in the end, no sound came out.
Alex fell to the ground, his palm scraping against the rough stone slab, drawing blood from the scraped areas.
He felt no pain, but upon hearing Regulus's words, his eyes instantly reddened, and large tears fell to the ground, kicking up dust.
He wanted to cry out loud, but fear choked him, and he could only let out suppressed, intermittent sobs.
Avery glanced at Regulus with a complex expression, a mixture of gratitude, shock, and a hint of obvious admiration.
At that moment, he was completely convinced, not because of the power, but for something else.
He knew that saying anything now would be superfluous, Regulus made his choice.
All he could do was help Alex run out as fast as he could and find the professor.
Avery quickly pulled Alex up, gripping his wrist tightly, without turning around.
He turned and rushed into the narrow passage, his steps so fast he almost tripped, yelling only two words at Alex: "Keep up."
Regulus closed his eyes.
As consciousness sank into the depths, Star Orbit Meditation unfolded in my mind, and a model of the four and a half Orion Four Stars lit up.
He extracted the Starry Sky Imagery and wove it into the Shield Charm.
The Shield Charm took shape, and Crystal- like barrier unfolded in front of him, its light soft yet its texture resilient.
He mobilized the fifth star, Bellatrix, the shield of Orion, symbolizing the star of Protection.
Even with only half a star's worth of power, the will to Protection was clear and strong.
The blue-white aura of Bellatrix overflowed from the tip of the wand, intertwining and merging with the light of the Shield Charm, adorning the surface of the barrier with tiny starlight.
The barrier became thicker and heavier.
The Shield Charm enveloped his entire body.
The next moment, the Grey Mist crashed into the barrier.
Sizzle--
A piercing corrosive sound exploded in the passage, the barrier shook violently, and ripples spread across its surface, but it did not break.
It withstood the onslaught of the Grey Mist with all its might.
The Grey Mist carried echoes of despair and cries of agony.
The sounds washed over the barrier again and again, rapidly draining Regulus's Magic Power.
Regulus's consciousness was unusually clear, and the Starry Sky Imagery in his mind became clearer and clearer. The light of each star was slowly flowing, synchronized with the Magic Power cycle.
The impact of a single face is not significant.
But there were too many of them, densely packed, and endless.
One face shatters and vanishes, only to be immediately replaced by another.
Time stretched out during the confrontation, and the Grey Mist completely engulfed the barrier.
Countless faces were reflected in Regulus's eyes through the semi-transparent barrier, with distorted features, gaping mouths, and empty eye sockets.
Every face was venting centuries of pent-up pain, trying to drag the living into the same despair.
The sound of a face slamming into the barrier merged into a silent roar.
Come on, join us!
Regulus remained steadfast and unmoved.
But as time went on, he could clearly feel his limit approaching.
This Shield Charm, incorporating Starry Sky Imagery, is far more powerful than ordinary spells, but its consumption is equally astonishing.
The onslaught of the Grey Mist had no end; every second, hundreds and thousands of faces were wearing down the barrier's Magic Power.
The barrier's light began to dim, the vibrations intensified, and fine cracks appeared on its surface, like glass about to shatter.
At this very moment--
A pure and warm power welled up from the bottom of my heart.
It broke through the restless Magic Power within her, flowing down her arm and gushing out through her wand.
A dazzling silver-white light burst forth from the tip of the staff, rapidly condensing in front of him and outlining the silhouette of Avis Spell.
Wings spread, tail feathers fluttered, and silvery-white feathers scattered like tiny starlight.
His Patronus.
Starry Sky Kite.
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