The entire audience was stunned.
A few seconds later, a burst of exclamations erupted:
"Wow--!"
"Success!"
" The Patronus Charm really drove away the Dementor!"
" Hermione is too strong!"
" Hermione, when did you learn the Patronus Charm? Professor Lupin only started teaching it a short while ago!"
Hannah asked her in surprise, Hermione smoothed her hair and calmly replied, "The professor talked about it in class, and I practiced it a few times after class."
George looked sour. "That's not fair! We were both attending classes, so why did you get promoted so easily?"
"This talent is something you can't envy; it's so enviable it makes you want to play pranks," Fred sighed repeatedly.
Ron muttered under his breath, "That's right... I've been practicing for ages and haven't even gotten a single point of light..."
"Stop lying, you were definitely secretly Draco at home, weren't you?" Lavender immediately exposed him.
"I really trained on my own!" Hermione said, her voice lacking confidence.
"Probably... otherwise, how could the professor be so proficient after only a few days of teaching?" Harry added insult to injury.
Hermione's cheeks flushed, and she glared at the jeering crowd. "If you keep talking nonsense, I won't take you to Hogsmeade later."
Everyone immediately burst into laughter, waving their hands in surrender:
"No, no, no! We were wrong!"
"I'm not saying anything more, I'm counting on you to lead the way!"
Many boys around them saw this and secretly gritted their teeth, holding back a surge of determination.
No, I must practice the Patronus Charm diligently when I get back.
That would be so cool if I could summon a Patronus to drive away Dementor in front of my girlfriend someday.
If those Dementor that were driven away knew this from the shadows in the distance, they would probably be so angry they'd almost twist out of their wits.
They've lived all this time and have never encountered anything like this. Not only are humans not afraid of them, but they even use them as tools to practice spells and show off in front of their partners...
This is the greatest disgrace of the Dementor's career.
Draco took Hermione's hand and said to the crowd, "Alright, the excitement's over, let's go to Hogsmeade."
Leaving the castle gates, the path leading to Hogsmeade unfolds before you.
The morning sunlight filtered through the gaps in the branches and leaves, casting dappled shadows on the path covered with fallen leaves.
A cool breeze carried the fresh scent of grass and earth, and the sunlight dispelled the chill brought by the Dementor.
The roadside was covered with all sorts of magical plants, making it look like an open-air Potions Class.
Hermione immediately recognized several lavender plants with pale purple flowers and moonstone grass that shimmered with silver light. She pointed at them with her finger and quietly explained their uses to the people around her.
"Those are the tender shoots of the Wolfsbane. Don't touch them; the sap is poisonous. If you get pricked, it will cause festering sores, or even worse, you'll be infected by its demonic poison."
Olivia stared at a clump of vines with dark purple thorns in the corner and calmly reminded the others.
Many students around shrank back, then curiously crowded forward to identify it, each pulling out their notebooks to take notes, chattering excitedly about the knowledge points in their textbooks, even more attentive than in class.
Ron, looking utterly exasperated, complained:
"Have you guys done that? You haven't learned enough after a whole day of classes in the castle? You're out having fun and still can't stop studying?"
" Weasley, that's not the right attitude. Potions are all about practice. When do you usually get the chance to identify living plants in the wild? This is such a great learning opportunity," Percy retorted.
The group split into two factions and started arguing as they walked.
"I agree with Percy! It's always good to know more; it'll come in handy when brewing medicine or encountering danger in the wild."
"That's right, Hermione and Olivia are doing it for everyone's good, to prevent anyone from accidentally stepping on a poisonous plant."
"When you're out having fun, you're supposed to be having fun! If all you talk about is textbooks, facts, and harmful information, where's the fun in that?"
Ron was very dissatisfied.
"Since we're going to Hogsmeade, shouldn't we be thinking about Butterbeer, chocolate, and candy?"
Neutralist Lavender, clinging to Parvati's arm, tried to smooth things over. "I think both sides are right! You can learn about plants while having fun—it's a win-win situation!"
"Anyway, with Draco and Hermione around, we're safe and we can learn something."
"Yes," Parvati nodded, "If we ever have to operate on the edge of the Forbidden Forest, we can't be completely ignorant of Wolfsbane, can we?"
"But... it's too tiring to study while playing."
Seamus agreed with Ron.
Susan immediately said, "You don't have to listen. Nobody's forcing you to memorize it. We just think it's useful."
"I think we should learn that too," Neville whispered, "Many plants in Potions Class are dried out, but this is the first time I've ever seen a living plant like this."
"The more you know, the less danger you'll face, which is good." Hannah nodded gently.
The noise from the group actually livened up the atmosphere.
Draco walked at the very edge, listening to the group's argument with a slight smile on his lips.
He didn't participate in the argument.
He would only occasionally and subtly lead Hermione to the inside of the road, away from the shadows where poisonous plants might be hiding.
After walking about halfway, Qiu Zhang frowned, stopped, looked around, and asked in confusion:
"Don't you find it strange? Even when it's not crowded, we usually run into students from other schools or guests from Hogsmeade on this street. Why is it so quiet today? There's not a soul in sight."
Upon hearing this, the older students around stopped in their tracks and nodded in agreement.
"Yes, when I came last week, the streets were packed with people, but it's so deserted today."
"This is so unusual; I feel uneasy."
Olivia guessed:
"Could it still be because of the Dementor? They roam around the school; who would dare come this way? Nobody wants their happiness sucked away, leaving them feeling dazed and confused."
Hermione shook her head:
"That's not the whole reason. Professor Dumbledore must have set up a powerful barrier around Hogwarts Castle to keep out the Dementor and protect us from harm."
"But Hogsmeade isn't within the protective barrier, so the Dementor can't get close to the school. They'll most likely all gather in Hogsmeade to drain the emotions of the villagers and passersby, so naturally, no one dares to go out and travel."
Upon hearing this, the students erupted in excitement, their eyes filled with gratitude and reassurance as they looked towards Dumbledore's office in the castle.
"So that's how it is!"
" Professor Dumbledore is amazing! With the barrier in place, we finally don't have to live in fear every day."
"No wonder the Dementor only lingered at the doorway and didn't dare to actually charge in; they were only protected by the professor's barrier!"
"With Professor Dumbledore around, I feel so safe. That idiot Fudge only knows how to send Dementor to scare us."
Upon learning of Hogsmeade's plight, many students expressed their sympathy.
"How pitiful! The villagers of Hogsmeade were living peacefully, but now they're too afraid to even leave their homes."
"Those Dementor are awful! They've sucked all the joy out of the village. How desperate the villagers must be."
"I was planning to go to Three Broomsticks for Butterbeer Honeydukes for candy, but now it looks like the village will be deserted."