The Dementor retreated.
When the closest ones were swept by the silver light, their cloaks suddenly flipped backward, emitting a hoarse howl like a leaking bellows, and then they scrambled backward.
They retreated very quickly, taking more than a dozen steps back within seconds, and huddled together.
But they didn't leave. Those gray-black shadows formed a circle a dozen steps away, surrounding everyone in layers.
They dared not approach; the silvery light was like a red-hot iron to them, and even a touch would cause their skin to peel off.
But they wouldn't leave; they just floated there, their hands beneath their cloaks stretching and contracting as if waiting for something.
Allen's heart skipped a beat as he looked at the circle of Dementor.
"They won't leave." He said casually, but his fingers tightened around the wand.
The silvery-white stag stood beside him, its head slightly raised. The silver light flickered and expanded, and each time it expanded, the front row of Dementor would take a half step back, but when the silver light subsided, they would move forward half a step.
They went back and forth like this.
"They're waiting," Hermione began, her voice still trembling but her mind racing. "They know the Patronus Charm won't last long, so they're waiting—"
"Wait until my magic runs out?" Allen finished speaking for her and nodded.
He quickly did the math in his head: James ' character card had less than four minutes left.
Four minutes later, his magic power will drop back to level five, and even if he can still cast the Patronus Charm, it certainly won't be as strong as it is now.
When the Dementor swarm him, he might escape alone, but the three children and the dirty man on the ground won't get away.
"System," he gritted his teeth and shouted again, "Is there any area-of-effect version of the Patronus Charm?"
The system screen flashed, and a line of text popped up: [ Patronus Charm- No Area-of-Effect Version. It is recommended that the host use other methods to dispel it.]
"Isn't that obvious?"
Allen took a deep breath, pulled out his Lucius- esque scheming skills, and quickly reviewed the current situation.
Dementor fear Patronus, but these creatures are clearly waiting for him to run out of magic.
If he just stands there and wastes time with them, they'll all be finished in four minutes.
We need to find a way to get rid of them all at once, or at least move them far away.
He glanced down at the wand in his hand, then at the silver-white stag.
James Potter, one of the inventors of the Marauder's Map, and the leader of the Marauders. This guy is not only powerful with his Patronus Charm, but he's also quick-witted.
What would James do if he were here?
Allen took a deep breath and brought out every happy memory he could think of.
When he was a child, the first time he saw a Harry Potter movie, his dad bought him his first plastic wand...
His college roommate dragged him out for barbecue late at night, and beer foam splattered all over the table...
The first time he used magic to fly after transmigrating, he was so startled he almost fell off his broom...
Then he raised his wand and poured all his joy into the Patronus Charm.
" Expecto Patronum!"
The silvery-white stag suddenly grew larger, its silvery sheen changing from "bright" to "dazzling."
It raised its forelegs and took a step in mid-air, causing the silver light on its antlers to explode and spread outwards in ripples.
The Dementor reacted instantly.
Their ability to sense emotions is a hundred times more sensitive than that of humans.
The joy emanating from that silvery-white stag was like a pot of boiling syrup, both sweet and scalding, making them feel uncomfortable all over.
The first Dementor retreated several steps, then turned and disappeared into the forest with its cloak billowing around.
Then came the second, the third, like dominoes, the gray-black shadows retreating in swathes, the sound of cloaks billowing echoing through the air.
In just over ten seconds, the circle of Dementor had vanished.
Allen put down his wand and let out a long sigh, "Damn... this thing really drains magic."
"Alright," he glanced back at the circle of Dementor that had retreated to the edge of the woods, "then let's see if the Hogwarts people can make it in time—"
He stopped mid-sentence.
Because the Dementor started moving forward again.
At first, a few scattered ones tentatively drifted a couple of steps in this direction, and when they found that the silver light wasn't as dazzling as before, they drifted a couple more steps forward.
Those behind, seeing that those in front were alright, followed.
Within minutes, the circle of gray-black shadows returned from the edge of the woods, though sparser than before, but still quite numerous.
Allen stared at the group of Dementor, a chill running down his spine.
Why are they back again?
Hermione frowned deeply. "They're testing us. Once your Patronus Charm has completely dissipated, they'll attack again."
Allen glanced down at the wand in his hand.
James has a little over three minutes left on his card. His magic reserves are still decent, but he probably won't be able to maintain the Patronus Charm at that intensity until the Hogwarts people arrive.
For a time, tensions rose within the Forbidden Forest.
In the courtroom of Wizengamot, at the Ministry of Magic, Dumbledore stood in the spot before the defendant's dock—though he wasn't the defendant today; he was only there to "assist in the investigation."
Fudge sat in the first row of the audience section on the side of the courtroom, clutching a document in his hand, his expression somewhere between "concern" and "let's get this over with quickly."
Amelia Borns sat in the middle of the dock, two pages of parchment in front of her already filled with dense notes.
" Mr. Dumbledore," Amelia began, "about Peter Pettigrew— "
She didn't finish her sentence.
A burst of green flames suddenly erupted from the fireplace on the side of the courtroom. Professor Flitwick tumbled out of the flames, his hat askew, his robes covered in soot, and his face flushed with anxiety.
" Headmaster Dumbledore!" Flitwick's voice was shrill and almost cracking, " Dementor! Over in the Forbidden Forest Forbidden Forest, hundreds of Dementor are all gathering at the edge! Professor McGonagall sent me here immediately—"
Dumbledore has stood up.
" Harry Potter is missing," Flitwick added. " Professor McGonagall said that during the headcount, there were three Gryffindor, and Harry, Ron, and Hermione weren't in the common room."
The documents in Fudge's hand fell to the ground.
" Black," he blurted out, "it must be Black— "
Someone else emerged from the fireplace. Snape strode in, his black robes billowing, his face so dark it seemed to drip water.
"The count is complete," his voice was cold and quick. " Gryffindor three: Potter, Weasley, and Granger."
"Why aren't they in their dorms in the middle of the night? Clearly, some of them don't know the meaning of the word 'rules'."
Dumbledore didn't respond to Snape's comment.
" Fudge," he turned around, all the gentleness in his blue eyes gone, "I'm afraid I need to go first."
Fudge jumped up from his chair. "I'll go with you."
He spoke so quickly that he didn't even have time to react before the words slipped out.
He probably realized that if Black was really in the Forbidden Forest, this might be the only chance to catch him recently.
"Let's go." Dumbledore had already walked to the fireplace.
Fudge followed behind, shouting to the assistant at the door as he walked, "Have everyone in the Auror Office go to the Forbidden Forest at Hogwarts immediately! Now! Right now!"
Green flames rose in the fireplace, Dumbledore went inside.
Fudge followed closely behind.
However, no one noticed that Fudge had a small beetle pinned to the corner of his robe.
The beetle had thin legs with a ring of patterns. It had been lying quietly, but now it seemed to have smelled something interesting. Its wings fluttered slightly and flashed in the firelight.
Then the green flames engulfed Fudge's figure.
The beetle disappeared as well.