Sirius transformed back into his black dog. He returned the wand to Ron and prepared to speed up to see if he could stop Peter. As for Harry and Ron, they were responsible for following behind and waiting for the final battle with Peter.
Two third-year students were no match for Peter, and Harry wasn't arrogant enough to do so. He decisively instructed, "Fight a guerrilla war. Sirius, all you need to do is slow him down. This final battle will ultimately require you to finish it off. Ron and I can only provide support."
Sirius nodded, his black hair fluttering in the wind, gradually merging with the image of the black dog that had inadvertently appeared countless times in Harry's mind. He ran wildly, leaving Harry and the sound of the wind behind.
Not far from the Shrieking Shack was Black Lake, and between Black Lake and the school lay a Forbidden Forest. Sirius had a keen sense of smell, and he discerned Peter's scent in the air, spotting him in just a few minutes.
Reason told him that he should have Harry and Ron use their Magic Mobile Phone to inform their Director Lorne, but Lorne had told them not to mention his name, let alone his help, until everything was clear.
Sirius was a loyal friend, and besides, he didn't think he would let Peter Pettigrew escape.
But this matter is of great importance, and hopefully Harry and Ron will remember the Magic Mobile Phone as a means to contact Lorne or another professor as soon as possible.
Sirius didn't know was that Magic Mobile Phone were strictly prohibited during Hogwarts ' final exams, so neither of them had brought them with them. Otherwise, they would have announced it to the world as soon as they entered the Shrieking Shack and saw Peter transform into human form.
Harry and Ron were running as fast as they could. They looked at the dark and silent Forbidden Forest, hesitated briefly, and then immediately plunged inside.
"I hope the spiders in the Forbidden Forest are on holiday today," Ron joked as he leaned against a tree, panting. "If I had known it would be this exciting, I would have definitely worn my coat. It's a bit chilly in the Forbidden Forest."
Harry, also panting, suddenly got goosebumps when he heard Ron say he was cold.
Following the Quidditch Dementor' attack on the students, Dumbledore reached an agreement with the Ministry of Magic before Christmas to completely expel the Dementor from Hogwarts Castle, forcing them to cooperate outside—outside the castle, within Hogsmeade, weren't those the Black Lake and the Forbidden Forest?
Harry felt a cold touch on his neck. Without hesitation, he turned, drew his wand, and shouted, " Expecto Patronum!"
A wisp of silvery smoke emanated from his wand, and in the light of the incantation, Harry saw Dementor lurking in various places in the Forbidden Forest, poking their heads out like hungry tigers.
" Harry!" Ron stammered, stumbling back two steps and tripping over the withered branches and leaves in the Forbidden Forest. He gripped his wand tightly, unable to think of a spell to deal with the Dementor. "Wait, why do you have Expecto Patronum?"
Harry knew the situation was extremely critical. He didn't have time to explain, but to increase their chances of survival, he succinctly explained, "Think of happy things, chant spells, control your magic, we can only save ourselves!"
Actually, he was more worried about chasing after Peter's Sirius. The Dementor ' real target was still the fugitive Sirius. They might be tormented by the Dementor and have their happy memories drained, but if Sirius were caught, his life would be in danger.
" Expecto Patronum!" Harry waved again. He stood in the dark woods, the dark purple earth beneath his feet was soft, and he felt light as a feather, yet his conviction had never been stronger.
He must catch Peter, rescue Sirius... He cannot fall here.
" Expecto Patronum!"
The benefit of his clear mind was that the Patronus Charm he released shone even brighter, the silver mist spreading out and appearing even more sacred in the darkness. Ron saw Harry standing with his legs apart in front of him, using his wand to demarcate a silver territory for him, and the title of the Chosen One seemed to suddenly be placed above the head of the man before him.
Like a title in a game, it's grand, majestic, and Winky.
Ron gripped his wand tightly and, mimicking Harry, shouted, " Expecto Patronum!"
Nothing happened.
Undeterred, he tried again and again, his body unconsciously moving forward. Finally, upon reaching Harry, he released a cloud of silver mist, which immediately dissipated and had no effect, but it greatly boosted his confidence.
The Dementor are coming from all directions, so Harry can only focus on one direction at a time. Although Ron is extremely talented, he is currently only one-tenth the size of Harry, so his role is very limited.
The Dementor swarmed in, and beads of sweat dripped from Harry's forehead. He constantly adjusted his position, struggling to keep up with Ron as they ran through the encirclement of Dementor, occasionally casting a Expecto Patronum to repel the Dementor that might attack from any direction.
After an unknown amount of time, perhaps Harry's lungs could no longer support him running, or perhaps his excessive use of magic had made his mind somewhat dizzy, he finally tripped and fell to the ground on the uneven ground.
Compared to a horde of tireless, ever-flowing monsters, their greatest weakness is their lack of stamina.
Ron stood in front of Harry, his pronunciation still a bit off, his legs trembling, and even his spells were broken from running. He muttered the spell several times until he was sure he could pronounce it correctly, then he waved his wand and roared at the oncoming Dementor.
" Expecto Patronum!"
Ron closed his eyes; he knew he hadn't used the Patronus Charm properly, and the Dementor ' pleasure stripping was imminent.
But I didn't feel anything.
He tentatively opened his eyes and saw a silver otter encircling him and Harry, with a seashell hidden in its chest, as if swimming on its back, forming a solid silver barrier for Harry and Ron.
Seeing that the Dementor dared not approach any further, Ron finally breathed a sigh of relief. Still shaken but also overjoyed, he exclaimed, " Harry, is that my Patronus Charm? Am I that powerful?"
"It's not yours," Harry said, glancing behind the tree. "I guess someone broke the rules again."
"If it's not mine, then whose is it?" Ron was skeptical. "It couldn't be Hermione, could it? She said rats aren't a protected species, that your broom needs to be checked, and she even forbade us from sneaking into Hogsmeade. She's so strict with rules; she wouldn't be in the Forbidden Forest at this time."
"I'm glad you think I'm a rule-abiding person, but what can I do? I'm Gryffindor."
In the misty Forbidden Forest, a glimmer of silver light appeared and disappeared. Ron finally saw Hermione, holding a glowing wand, confidently walk out as if holding a candle. As soon as she appeared, the sea otters that had been circling around them immediately flew to her side.
"You've completely mastered it, and you can even summon Patronus..." Harry found it unbelievable.
"It's nothing. I've practiced this spell twice as long as you have. Diligence can make up for lack of talent."
Harry shook his head. "Impossible. I've studied long enough, unless you have forty-eight hours in a day."
Hermione shrugged and smiled, "Nothing is impossible in the Wizarding World. What if?"
Harry stopped asking about it. He led Ron closer to Hermione, forming a pincer movement with her, but couldn't help asking, "I didn't expect your Patronus to be a sea otter."
Ron didn't understand anything. "What practice? What forty-eight hours? What Patronus is a sea otter?"
Harry smiled but didn't say anything. They had learned from Lupin's teachings that the Patronus was a projection of inner joy, a quality deep within the soul.
Sea otters, being agile, lively, and playful, reflect the user's playful and unruly side.
Hermione knew what Harry was wondering about. She brushed some hair from her shoulder and smiled mischievously. "Who knows?"