Meanwhile, back at the Quidditch pitch.
Dementors had invaded the stadium.
And the emotion Harry felt in that moment was not fear, but bewilderment.
A mere horde of Dementors was not enough to scar the battle-hardened mind of Harry Potter.
Besides, who did they think was at this pitch?
Even excluding Aisen, who couldn't properly use his magic, Dumbledore and the other professors were sitting imposingly in their seats, watching the match. No matter how many of them there were, a lowly Dementor could do them no harm.
That was why Harry felt more baffled than anything else.
Seriously, what were the Slytherin students thinking, bringing Dementors here? This was an issue that went far beyond disciplinary action; they wouldn't have a word to say even if they were expelled!
"Did they lose their minds after being denied the House Cup a few times… or did Lestrange put Flint under the Imperius Curse? I'm pretty sure it's one of the two."
While Harry was muttering to himself, the Dementors drew closer to the players.
Wood shouted, "Everyone, scatter! Think of it like dodging a Bludger and fly! Now!"
Even though these were players renowned as the best fliers at Hogwarts, they were gradually overtaken by the Dementors, their faces pale with terror.
This wasn't because the Dementors were faster than their brooms.
Setting aside the sheer number of Dementors, the average person—wizards included—would not even think of resisting a Dementor.
As beings that were the very embodiment of negative emotions, their mere presence was enough to shake a person's spirit. Negative feelings would surge, a cold sweat would break out, and the mind would be consumed by fear.
For anyone who wasn't a high-level mind-magic user with an excellent mental barrier like Harry, it was a remarkable feat just to avoid falling off their broom to the ground.
Eventually, like a flock of sheep being herded by wolves, they were all driven into one corner.
Fred shouted, his face contorted in a frown, "Damn it all! What in the world is happening?!"
But there was one thing I hadn't expected… among the herded players, it wasn't just the red of Gryffindor uniforms, but also the green of Slytherin.
Flint, his face ashen, stared at the Dementors and stammered, "N-no. This isn't right. How did this happen?"
Harry was dumbfounded. Had they really unleashed this chaos without even coming up with a way to escape the Dementors themselves?
"I only jokingly called him a gorilla, I didn't think his actual intelligence was at a gorilla's level…"
He had muttered it loud enough to be heard, but whether Flint heard him or not, he remained pale and continued to babble incoherently.
*—Whooooooosh—!*
As if savoring the players' despair, the Dementors began to approach slowly, very slowly.
*Wait. What are the professors doing? Shouldn't this be the time for their Patronuses to drive the Dementors away?*
Puzzled, Harry looked down and his jaw dropped.
Well… there were a lot of Dementors. A *lot*.
Professor Dumbledore's phoenix Patronus was weaving through the Dementors, scattering massive waves of energy, but it was struggling to protect all the spectators in the vast stadium.
No. A Patronus, which held an absolute advantage over Dementors, should have been more than enough to defeat them all. The problem was whether those of us in the sky would be safe until then.
"Aaaaaah! I-it's scary! Help me!"
A scream erupted from the cluster of players, where it was no longer possible to distinguish between Gryffindor and Slytherin. Overcome by the terror of the approaching Dementors, everyone was starting to lose control.
George, dripping with cold sweat, tapped Harry's shoulder and asked, "Harry, got any ideas?"
"Why are you asking me? I'm only a third-year."
"Right…"
Harry's reply was incredulous, but deep down, he knew that he was the only one who could come up with a solution in this situation.
He needed to buy time, even if it was just for a few moments.
There was just one problem…
"I don't know how to use the Patronus Charm."
He genuinely didn't know how. He had been too busy learning the advanced mind-magic of Legilimency and Occlumency, so he had never learned the relatively less versatile Patronus Charm from Aisen.
*Whooooooosh—!*
Harry's deliberation was cut short. The Dementors' cry, like a gust of wind, echoed around them.
And then, the Dementors drew closer, step by step. Though they had no feet, the players could clearly hear footsteps. *Thump, thump.* After a moment, they realized the sound was not footsteps, but the beating of their own hearts, pounding wildly in the face of terror.
Harry suddenly felt a sense of déjà vu.
Death approaching his comrades with every passing second, and him, powerless to do anything.
The only difference was that this time, it wasn't his fault.
…Or was it? If he had broken through Malfoy's interference and caught the Snitch, the game would have been over long ago, and this wouldn't be happening. Was it really not his fault?
As Harry's thoughts drifted into introspection, his breath caught in his throat.
*Again? Is this because of me again?*
*Whooooooosh—*
Suddenly, the Dementors' wail seemed to grow louder. It wasn't just the sound of rushing wind. It was screams, shouts, cries of fear—a concentration of negative sounds.
It was a fleeting moment of inner darkness, but the Dementor's chill seeped into that crack in his resolve. His body went limp, and he thought he heard a scream in his ears. A familiar woman's voice.
*—Aaaah! Not my child!*
A high-pitched ringing filled his ears, and Harry's vision began to blur. He thought he saw the Dementor's faceless head curve into a grin.
Just then.
Through his fading vision, Harry's eyes met with another creature.
A creature that shone with a beautiful silver light.
A doe, with a lustrous coat of silver-white fur and eyes clearer and more beautiful than any other.
Harry's eyes met the doe's for a moment, and he stared at it, dazed.
For an instant, he had the feeling that the doe had smiled at him.
"…Mum?"
Harry wasn't even aware of what had come out of his own mouth.
*Fwaaaat—*
And then, a wave of energy pulsed from the doe, driving the Dementors back for a moment. Only then did Harry realize that the doe was not a living creature, but a Patronus.
The doe gazed at Harry for a moment longer before turning and moving away. Harry's eyes followed the retreating figure of the doe, unable to look away.
"...Ah."
As if bewitched, Harry drew his own phoenix wand from his robes.
For some reason, he thought he heard his mother's laughter in his ears.
Harry thought of his parents, who had sacrificed themselves for him. And he thought of the ancient magic flowing in his blood, proof of their immeasurable love.
Had they made a mistake? Perhaps. A single moment's mistake had cost Harry his parents. But if you were to ask if he resented them for it, the answer was not at all.
No one is free from making mistakes. There are only those who overcome their mistakes and move forward.
*Kieeeeeeeeek—!!!*
A Dementor's scream reached Harry's ears. Not a human scream, but a Dementor's.
Looking down, Harry saw that the number of Dementors had physically decreased. This wasn't the sound of them being driven away by a Patronus, but the scream of complete annihilation.
Instantly realizing it was his master's doing, Harry grinned.
His master was helping him once again.
Anyone can make a mistake. And his guardians, who accepted his mistakes, had always been there, hoping only that he would overcome them and move forward.
His heart finally at ease, Harry realized the truth. His life had been filled with happiness at every moment.
And so, with a brilliant smile, Harry thrust his wand forward and shouted.
"Expecto—Patronum!"
Harry wished for a guardian. And as if in answer, his guardians appeared from his wand.
A phoenix. A house-elf. A hound. A dragon. A stag. The guardians—his family—who worried for his safety and accepted his flaws.
The Patronus, formed of silver light, was one, yet it was many.
*FWAAAAAAAANG!*
The Patronus, which changed its form from moment to moment, radiated a massive silver pulse.
The Dementors, desperate to savor even a sliver of a soul, tried to withstand the resonant wave, but it was no use. Harry's guardians existed to protect his happy life.
*—Kyaieeeeek!*
With agonizing screams, the Dementors that had been targeting them finally scattered.
*Fwaaat!*
At the same time, the Patronuses summoned by the professors below were driving out the remaining Dementors from the pitch.
As if to celebrate their victory, a ray of light broke through the dark clouds.
As if completely drained, Harry and the other players landed on the ground in silence, despite the incredible sight they had just witnessed.
But the silence was short-lived. Fred, who had landed unsteadily, started a playful chant.
"Harry did it! I knew he would! For Harry, the Guardian of the Skies!"
Wood, who was sitting collapsed on the ground, weakly raised an arm and yelled, "Hail Harry, Guardian of the Skies!"
The Gryffindor students, caught up in the mood, also began to chant for Harry Potter, the Guardian of the Skies.
Eventually, even some of the Slytherins watching them began to follow suit, some reluctantly, others with resigned smiles.
"Hail Harry Potter, Guardian of the Skies!"
It was only natural that the professors who came to escort the players down were smiling at the scene.
***
After the Dementor incident had been resolved, on the way back to the common room.
The main castle was already bustling with people who had evacuated earlier.
It felt like he had ridden an incredibly intense roller coaster in a single day. To be honest, it felt even more draining than the night he had faced Bellatrix. With a small smile, Harry headed for the dormitory.
Just then, a familiar voice called out from behind him.
"Harry oppa!"
"Ah, Ginny. You're safe."
"I'm glad you're safe too, oppa. …Ah, it's about what I asked you before. My friends said they thought of an answer after watching the match."
Ah, right, they had talked about that. He had asked if they would resent him even if his mistake got a Gryffindor hurt.
The turmoil in Harry's heart had already subsided, but he was curious about the younger students' answer, so he raised an eyebrow.
Ginny grinned and said, "Well, they said that in Quidditch, Harry Potter would never make a mistake. What's there to worry about when you can even fight off Dementors?"
Harry burst out laughing at that. It was a pure, innocent answer that only young students could give.
"You're putting me on a pedestal. That's a lot of pressure."
Ginny added in a small voice, "And, this is just my personal opinion…"
"Hm? What is it?"
"I don't know about anyone else, but I don't think I would resent you at all, even if you made a mistake like that."
"…Why?"
"Because you would always be doing your best, Harry oppa. I believe in that Harry."
Harry stood there for a moment, stunned by her unexpected words. Ginny blushed, said goodbye, and disappeared into the crowd.
A moment later, Harry touched his own lips. For some reason, the muscles around his mouth had contracted, as if into a smile.
"…To do my best, I'll need to train, won't I?"
That night, for the first time in a long while, Harry put on the Nightmare Hat of his own free will and fell asleep.
***