Chapter 289: Damn It!
In a relatively open clearing deep within the Forbidden Forest, Dylan sat on a wooden chair he had Transfigured. The chair's grain was clear, carrying the fresh scent of newly formed wood.
His wooden table was laden with various delicacies. Steaming stew released fragrant wisps of white steam, the aroma of potatoes and carrots mingling with the scent of meat. A small mountain of freshly fried chips, golden and glistening with oil, sat next to a small dish of bright red ketchup. Several thick beef patties were neatly arranged on a plate, their flaky crusts slightly puffed, with drops of juice seeping from the edges.
The pumpkin pie, baked by Cedric and his girlfriend, was cut into small pieces. Its golden crust still gleamed with a honeyed sheen, and its sweet aroma was irresistibly inviting.
But the most striking dish was a plate of freshly made Guo Bao Rou (Crispy Sweet and Sour Pork). The pieces of pork were coated in a crunchy crust, their color a golden-yellow with a reddish tint, the sweet-and-sour scent wafting through the forest.
Sequel was lying by Dylan's side. Its fur shimmered faintly in the setting sun. The raw meat in a nearby wooden bucket still exuded a fresh, raw scent, but it seemed to hold little appeal for it now. Its gaze was fixed on the plate of Guo Bao Rou in front of Dylan, its nose twitching, a low whimper in its throat, and its tail gently sweeping the ground it was clearly captivated by the unique aroma.
"No, you can't eat this. It's too heavily seasoned; it's bad for you." Dylan looked down at Sequel, smiling as he spoke.
Sequel let out a sound of protest, a hint of grievance in its voice, and edged closer, its nose almost touching the edge of the plate.
"Ah, ah, ah no can do." Dylan gently shook his head, picked up his chopsticks, and precisely grabbed the last piece of Guo Bao Rou, throwing it into his mouth without hesitation.
Crunch~
The crispy crust shattered between his teeth, the sweet and sour sauce bursting in his mouth, the meat inside tender and juicy it was delicious. He chewed slowly, a small smile playing on his lips as he watched Sequel's dejected expression.
"That won't do. Buckbeak will ultimately be fine. I can't just cruelly kill your companions, can I?" Dylan said, his eyes crinkling in a smile. "I can't understand what you're saying, and I doubt you can fully grasp what I'm saying either."
As he spoke, Dylan reached out, his fingertips passing through Sequel's thick neck fur, the touch soft and warm. After stroking it a few times, Sequel narrowed its eyes in contentment, a low purr rumbling in its throat.
"But don't worry, I have a feeling that the oldest one in your flock will die of old age next year."
"At that time, we'll be able to communicate without any barriers. Maybe we can even have a good discussion about where you want to live before I graduate..."
Dylan looked down at Sequel's intelligent eyes. Just as he finished speaking, an explosion rang out. One wizard and one beast slowly looked up, their gazes turning toward the source of the sound.
"Well, so they're finally here."
Sequel perked its ears, raised its head alertly, a low growl rumbling in its throat.
In the direction they were looking, a series of muffled explosions could be faintly heard in the distance, interspersed with the indistinct sound of colliding spells.
"I don't get it. This was supposed to be a two-on-one rout, but it's turned into a five-on-one stalemate. They're just getting in each other's way."
Though he had seen this scene in his previous divinations, the reality of the situation made Dylan couldn't help but purse his lips and grumble to himself.
With the crucial piece of information that Scabbers was actually Peter Pettigrew, it was natural for Hermione and the others to suspect there was more to James Potter's death. Thus, when they found the names of Sirius Black and Peter Pettigrew together on the Marauder's Map, it was inevitable that the trio would immediately go after them.
But here was the problem. Originally, it was Sirius Black versus Peter Pettigrew. Sirius, weakened from his long imprisonment in Azkaban, was at a slight disadvantage. But with the addition of Harry and his friends, the situation had completely devolved into chaos. It was a complete meltdown.
It was fortunate that Professor Lupin arrived just in time, using a few precise defensive spells to narrowly block Pettigrew's attacks and bring the battle back to a state of balance. Otherwise, one adult with three children would have likely been in a very bad situation.
Just as Old Dumbledore "couldn't" use Dark Arts, he didn't possess the ability of divination and couldn't precisely anticipate everything. Furthermore, he was currently tied up with the Ministry of Magic officials sent to execute Buckbeak and couldn't get away.
Upon seeing Lupin's arrival, Peter Pettigrew knew he absolutely could not stay at Hogwarts. If he did, and the other professors arrived, he would be doomed. So, in a panic, he cast a few random confounding spells and turned to flee into the Forbidden Forest.
But he had no idea that Dylan was waiting for him up ahead.
At this moment, Peter Pettigrew had no idea which cell he would be occupying in Azkaban in the future, but Dylan had already "chosen" one for him through divination. He wouldn't have to live in Azkaban, but in a much more pleasant place and his soul would be making the journey. Of course, the Ministry of Magic would have to handle his body. If Dylan had the chance, he might just take his body with him, too. Hmm, perhaps he should just take Sirius with him as well. They could both work for him in his world, couldn't they?
"You damn fools, once I escape, you'll all rot in Azkaban!" Peter was still dreaming of a successful escape and a triumphant return.
Just as he predicted, Sirius and Lupin, needing to protect the three children, dared not fight without restraint. They could only defend themselves passively. Pettigrew's spells came one after another, forcing them to retreat repeatedly. The distance between them grew, and it seemed they would be shaken off. Once he was completely out of their sight, he would simply turn into a rat and burrow into a pile of leaves or soft soil. Finding an inconspicuous rat in the vast Forbidden Forest would be like searching for a needle in a haystack.
What a shame about his comfortable life as the long-term pet to be a rat in the Weasley family, hiding his identity and getting free food, how leisurely! And now that peace was ruined by that devil, Sirius Black, who should have stayed in Azkaban!
Peter Pettigrew cursed under his breath, retreating and fighting at the same time, randomly waving his wand to block the spells from behind him. He burst through a dense thicket and stumbled into a clearing the very spot where Dylan was having his dinner.
"Damn it! Who's having a picnic in the Forbidden Forest?!"
He hadn't had a chance to survey his surroundings or react when Professor Lupin, who was in the lead, spotted Dylan in the clearing. His face changed instantly, and he cried out in warning, "Watch out!"
Peter Pettigrew reacted as well. The corner of his eye caught sight of the boy sitting at the table, and a vile thought immediately took root.
A little kid? He couldn't recall who the boy was, only vaguely remembering that he was Ron's roommate. Just a third-year student! Although he felt an inexplicable fear of the boy, he quickly dismissed it. What could a mere boy do? He's just a brat! If he seriously injured this boy, Lupin would have another liability to protect, and he could seize the opportunity to escape!
Yes! That's the plan! The thought flashed through his mind, crystal clear.
"Confringo!" He pointed his wand at Dylan without hesitation and cast the Blasting Curse. He even deliberately controlled the power, aiming to injure, not to kill.
Dylan naturally detected the incoming spell and also picked up on Peter's despicable thoughts. He didn't even stand up. With a slight movement of his fingertip, a silent Finishing Charm shot out, precisely colliding with Peter's Blasting Curse and nullifying it.
At the same time, he gave a slight wave of his wand toward a tree branch above Peter's head. Under the influence of the Transfiguration Charm, a branch as thick as a wrist suddenly extended several feet, whistling through the air. It swung in a wide arc and solidly slapped Peter Pettigrew across the face.
SMACK!
A crisp and loud slap echoed in the clearing. Peter Pettigrew's short, plump body spun like a top three or four times before he staggered to a halt. His head was ringing, and he was seeing stars, on the verge of a concussion.
Before he could fully recover from the daze, Professor Lupin's Disarming Charm, cast to save the boy, whizzed past. Immediately after, a second, silent Blasting Curse from Dylan hit him.
CLANG!
Peter Pettigrew's stolen wand spun out of his hand and flew precisely into Professor Lupin's grasp. Peter himself was blasted by the curse, his clothes tattered, his exposed skin covered in scorched marks, and blood trickling from his wounds. He was clearly seriously hurt though Dylan had again controlled the power, only seriously injuring him and not killing him.
Everything happened in an instant.
Professor Lupin held the Disarmed wand tightly. He first looked down at Peter Pettigrew's charred and bleeding body, his brow furrowing instinctively. Then, he slowly looked up at Dylan, who was just leisurely rising from his chair and walking toward them.
Lupin's throat bobbed as he swallowed, his eyes filled with undisguised shock. To be able to silently cast a Finishing Charm, a Transfiguration Charm, and a Blasting Curse in succession, with each spell being precise and powerful had third-year Gryffindor students become this ridiculously skilled?
He had heard many stories about Dylan and had heard from other professors about how much of a genius the boy was. But Dylan was always a loner, and Lupin's interactions with the other professors hadn't been deep. And, if he remembered correctly, Dylan shouldn't have known about Peter Pettigrew. Although it was true that Peter Pettigrew had cast a spell at him first, Dylan's immediate and relentless counter-attack had completely demolished him... The boy's actions were far too decisive.
"What happened? Who is this? Why did he suddenly attack me?" Dylan's face wore a perfectly crafted expression of confusion as he looked at Professor Lupin, his eyes clear, as if he truly had no idea what was going on.
As he spoke, he gave his wand a slight wave. On the ground, several thick, gnarled roots suddenly burrowed out of the soil and wrapped themselves around Peter Pettigrew like flexible ropes, binding him so tightly he couldn't even struggle.
Dylan also noticed that Peter Pettigrew was twitching in agony as the roots touched his wounds, about to wake up. So he raised his hand again, casting a Stunning Spell to be safe. The spell landed, and Peter's twitching eyelids immediately drooped, and he fell into a deep unconsciousness. At the same time, a part of his soul was being silently torn away, soundlessly traveling along the roots to be collected by Dylan.
"...It's a long story." Lupin opened his mouth, unsure where to even begin explaining the situation. He could only let out a long sigh, his voice filled with a complicated mix of emotions. "But you did a great job. This is a villain who rightly belongs in Azkaban."
He looked at Peter Pettigrew, who was tied up like a dumpling, and then at the composed Dylan. He felt that the events of these past few minutes were more bizarre than anything he had experienced in the last few months of course, with the exception of the Wolfsbane Potion. He couldn't figure out why that potion contained so many different kinds of tastes? Like smelly socks, farts, and even... Oh, God. He didn't want to remember those bizarre tastes. Ugh.
Suddenly, a clear sound of fighting came from a distance. There were the muffled thuds of spells colliding and the crackle of spells exploding, sounding particularly sharp in the quiet of the Forbidden Forest.
Dylan and Professor Lupin exchanged a glance. Without hesitation, they immediately began to run toward the source of the sound.
"Sequel, wait here for me, and keep an eye on him." Dylan turned and instructed Sequel. As he spoke, he raised his hand and cast an enhanced Memory Charm on the bound Peter Pettigrew, ensuring he wouldn't easily wake up.
Sequel gave a low chirp in response.
The two ran through a sparse patch of forest. Not far ahead, they saw multicolored spells crisscrossing in the air, colliding and bursting into short-lived flashes of light. They moved closer and clearly saw Professor Snape and Sirius Black facing off. Their eyes were cold, and both were on high alert, their faces tense. They occasionally raised their wands to fire spells. The attacks weren't fierce, but they were precise and vicious.
Harry, Ron, and Hermione stood not far away, their faces filled with anxiety and worry, unable to intervene, only able to watch the standoff.
.......
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