On the Quidditch pitch.
The rain poured down relentlessly.
Harry, astride his broomstick, was soaked through and shivering uncontrollably.
Every breath he exhaled turned to frost in the air.
Harry glanced down.
He saw swarms of Dementors below.
Like a dark vortex, they swirled endlessly, closing in to engulf him.
"Ahhh—!"
"Please, please—no—!"
A woman's scream, mingled with wild and cruel laughter, echoed once more in his mind.
It left Harry dizzy, his teeth chattering without restraint.
Then.
He spotted a golden flash.
It was the Golden Snitch!
It darted among the oppressive Dementors.
Like a cheerful little bird.
Harry's spirits lifted in an instant.
Almost instinctively, he urged his Nimbus 2000 forward, shooting straight toward the Golden Snitch like an arrow released from a bow!
A collective gasp rose from the stands!
"Is he mad?!"
Ron shouted, his eyes wide with terror.
"Oh—Harry must have fainted and fallen! That's at least dozens of meters high!"
Hermione covered her eyes, barely daring to look.
"No!"
Hagrid roared, holding up his binoculars:
"Harry's found the Golden Snitch! He's deliberately charging at the Dementors!!"
Ron: "That's why I said Harry must be mad."
The whistling wind rushed past his ears.
Cold rain slapped haphazardly against his face.
In that moment, Harry heard nothing else.
As he drew closer to the Dementors, the extreme chill caused a layer of frost to form on his fingers and cheeks.
The Dementors swarmed in.
The terrifying, black-hole-like mouths beneath their dark cloaks sucked relentlessly.
Stealing away Harry's will!
Damn it... how could he fall here? The world spun before Harry's eyes, and he reached out desperately, but the Golden Snitch seemed to drift further and further away.
In his mind, his mother's scream threatened to split his head open.
Captain Wood was graduating this year; this was his last Quidditch match... Gryffindor had to win the championship... Ethan... those goblins... those screams and the fire of explosions... the joy of personally killing enemies with magic and protecting everyone!!
Harry's gaze sharpened.
He suddenly gripped his broom handle tightly, righting himself in an instant!
He pulled his wand from his robes, pointing it directly at the rampant Dementors!
In his mind, the spell Professor Lupin had taught him flashed—"Expecto Patronum!!!"
A blinding silver light erupted from the tip of Harry's wand!
It coalesced into a shimmering silver stag.
Like a guardian clearing the path, it leaped lightly and swiftly among the Dementors!
Wherever it went, the Dementors shrieked and scattered!
In the teachers' stands.
All the professors stood up.
Utterly shocked.
Dumbledore's half-moon spectacles reflected the silver-white stag leaping among the dark clouds.
The same Patronus as James Potter's.
His eyes couldn't help but well up slightly.
"Ah... look, Severus."
Dumbledore turned, smiling hoarsely at Professor Snape:
"What a wonderful generation... This time, it won't be like before, where so many people left us."
Professor Snape's lips twitched a few times.
Then he suddenly flicked the hem of his robe, turned, and strode away from the stands.
"I've killed goblins and won a battle! I'm a member of the Enlightenment Society led by Ethan!!"
"Mere Dementors! Don't think you can scare me!!!"
Harry's hoarse roar pierced through the rain, echoing across the entire stadium and resounding in every student's ears... "Merlin, was that a full Patronus Charm? Harry successfully summoned a corporeal Patronus?"
Michael murmured, staring blankly at the scene.
He whipped his head around to look at Ethan.
He saw Ethan leaning casually in his seat.
His expression was one of complete expectation.
Michael immediately felt a surge of respect.
Indeed, everything was within Ethan's predictions...
As if he already knew that Harry could cast the Patronus Charm.
Ethan is truly an unfathomable, terrifying person.
Michael became even more determined to firmly stand with Ethan and cling to his coattails.
What if he's evil?
He's strong!!
"Ethan's Coattails, I've Been Clinging to Them Since Childhood."
"Beep—!!"
A sharp whistle cut through the stadium.
Referee: "Harry caught the Golden Snitch! Gryffindor gets one hundred and fifty points! Gryffindor wins!!"
The shouts reached Harry's ears.
They felt as if they came from a very distant place.
He clutched the Golden Snitch tightly in one hand, but his body had reached its limit.
His consciousness gradually blurred, and the silver light slowly faded.
Those greedy and angry Dementors slowly gathered around him again.
Until—"Boom!!!"
A dazzling, brilliant light pierced the sky!
Like a thunderous strike from the heavens, the Dementors suddenly exploded, tearing open a cylindrical gap!
A giant spear, golden all over and entwined with crackling lightning, was deeply embedded in the ground.
As if to tear the entire earth apart.
The remaining Dementors wailed and fled, quickly vanishing without a trace.
Only fragments of cloaks, like pitch-black cotton wool, fell with the rain.
In the stands, it was eerily quiet.
The students stared at the golden spear standing in the ground, momentarily losing their power of speech.
"Hmph... cool as hell."
Ron murmured, staring at the scene, his eyes burning with excitement.
Harry looked up and saw Ethan standing in the storm, in the stands.
At this moment, he held a paintbrush, golden lightning coiling around his body.
His black hair flew in the wind, his robes flapping.
He truly looked like a god descended from heaven, radiating vigor and imposing majesty!
Harry immediately felt at ease.
He closed his eyes, letting himself freefall.
He felt that Ethan... wasn't so evil recently.
Look at that lightning spear, how bright it is.
Ethan watched as everyone anxiously surrounded Harry, taking him to the infirmary.
He pondered in his mind.
"You observed the scene of 'Harry bravely catching the Snitch' and gained inspiration."
"You gained the inspiration 'Vicious Eagle Swoop'."
"...Hmm, it still feels a bit strange."
In Ethan's mind, the image of the Golden Snitch appeared—nimble and swift, almost representing victory and glory, guiding people to constantly pursue... That's right!
Isn't this the effect of Felix Felicis!
Ethan snapped his fingers, his eyes sparkling:
"I know!"
"I know how to materialize Felix Felicis on canvas!"
Ethan had a brilliant idea.
Very righteous, very bright!
He couldn't wait to paint it.
Ethan: "It's a good thing I collected some Goblin Leader Red Dragon's blood before... Now it can come in handy."
Ethan entered the painting phase again.
The location, naturally, was the Ravenclaw bedroom, which offered a view of the distance and made him feel most comfortable.
His roommates, Michael and Anthony, slept in the common room again.
Time flew by.
In a flash, it was before Christmas.
"Have you heard birds chirping at night?"
A Ravenclaw yawned, holding his textbook, chatting with his companion.
"I think so... probably owls outside the window or something."
"Hmm, maybe. But when I heard it, it felt like it was right next to my ear."
As he spoke, the student shivered.
For some reason, he felt a bit chilly.
They didn't think much of it.
Soon, they changed the topic.
"Look, the Aurors are patrolling again."
"It's funny, as if Sirius would really hide in a classroom."
"The day before yesterday, Professor McGonagall couldn't stand it anymore and turned a table into a pig, throwing it at the intruding Aurors."
"They haven't caught a glimpse of Sirius in so long, hmph, the Ministry of Magic is really weak."
"Speaking of which, what class is after lunch?"
"Care of Magical Creatures class."
"Oh—I have to say, that tall, strong giant is quite interesting when he teaches..." The group chatted as they walked away.
Auror Delice, with dark circles under his eyes, caught a few snippets of gossip and couldn't help but clench his fists.
Damn it... where on earth is that hateful Sirius hiding?!
"He'd better pray I don't catch him." On the other side.
Ravenclaw dormitory.
"Done!"
Ethan stopped painting, the whites of his eyes streaked with blood, looking joyfully at the painting before him.
"Congratulations! You have successfully combined Felix Felicis with painting! You have created an extraordinary artwork!"
"Name: 'The Shrike's Nest'"
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