A "mission" is often a vague and ethereal thing.
Especially the so-called mission of the dragon race: waiting for someone who can lead the dragon race to rise again.
How many years had the True Dragons been gone? How many years had the Great Dragon slept and waited? Yet, the person who could revive the dragon race had not appeared.
Rey felt that not only had this person not appeared now, but even in the Harry Potter series from his future knowledge, there wasn't a shred of evidence suggesting such a person was coming.
Seen in this light, this melodramatic and frustrating mission might just be empty talk with no end in sight.
The little ghost dragon had sacrificed itself, granting Rey a chance to speak with the Great Dragon. This opportunity was precious. Although Rey was still angry, he knew he had to seize it.
The Great Dragon was right; the little dragon would disappear sooner or later. That was the purpose of a Dragon Soul's existence. It was meant to be absorbed by a dragon to birth a new True Dragon, but in the end, it chose to merge with Rey's soul instead.
Although he still felt bitter about it, Rey had to accept this fact.
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When a human wizard can transform into a specific animal at will, they are called an Animagus.
Such a transformation feels like instinct, preserving the wizard's magical power.
If human wizards could become Animagi, then the magically potent True Dragon could certainly do the same.
Except, its Animagus form was human.
After their conversation, the Great Dragon began to transform right in front of Rey. Its colossal body shrank again and again, finally becoming a human dressed in black robes.
Short, spiky grey hair. Yellow sclera, black pupils. Rey stared dumbfounded at the human the dragon had become.
"It seems I owe my ability to take human form to it," a serious female voice said. The "it" referred to the little ghost dragon.
Rey never imagined the ferocious dragon would transform into a human woman—and a woman he recognized, no less.
Rolanda Hooch, the flying instructor at Hogwarts. This was the dragon's human form.
"Madam Rolanda Hooch!"
The name slipped out of Rey's mouth in shock. But one thing puzzled him: in the future, when he first met Madam Hooch, she showed no sign of recognizing him.
"A good name. I'll take it."
Serious and unsmiling—that was the impression Madam Hooch left on all students. Rey hadn't expected that even her name would come from him.
Spiky grey hair, yellow eyes, hawk-like gaze, and that unchanging stern face. Rey was instantly certain: the human form of the Great Dragon was indeed Rolanda Hooch.
In his past life, seeing her eyes in the movies, Rey had speculated whether she had some connection to dragons. In this life, he had confirmed that guess with his own eyes.
Knowing the dragon's identity meant understanding Madam Hooch's future.
Rey spoke up. "Perhaps I know how you can fulfill your mission."
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Madam Hooch's mission was to wait for someone who could lead the dragon race to rise again.
This person could be anyone. Rey didn't know who.
But combining the fact that Madam Hooch would teach at Hogwarts in the future, he could construct an analysis of this mission.
The mission was to wait for someone. The appearance, age, and even gender of this person were unknown.
Rolanda Hooch only knew one thing: this person would appear here.
The clues were too few, too vague. Even Rolanda Hooch herself couldn't explain the specifics.
Rey suggested that since this was the case, they should increase the number of people coming here, thereby increasing the probability of that person appearing.
A place occupied by a dragon would naturally deter people. Moreover, Rolanda Hooch had likely killed countless treasure-seeking wizards attracted by the recent battle. Believe it or not, after a while, no wizard would dare come here to hunt for treasure.
After all, treasure is tempting, but you need to be alive to enjoy it.
Consequently, this place would become desolate, contradicting the purpose of the mission.
"You have a better idea?"
Rey's detailed analysis had fully captured Rolanda Hooch's attention.
This was a good sign. At least for now, the dragon-turned-human Rolanda Hooch had no intention of killing Rey. As long as she agreed with what he said next, Rey might just survive.
The Forbidden Forest was the location Rowena Ravenclaw had chosen for the school, and the other three founders were equally satisfied with it.
"A wizarding school will be built here. Perhaps the person you are waiting for will be a student of this school..."
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Conning is a rigorous art.
Except Rey wasn't conning her. With a little brainpower and his knowledge of the future, Rey's proposal perfectly fit logical deduction.
Let Rolanda Hooch become a benefactor of Hogwarts and later a professor. During her long wait, she would see generations of young wizards pass through. Surely, one day, the person from her mission would arrive.
The wait might be long—perhaps a thousand years, perhaps ten thousand.
Rey had said what needed to be said. Whether to accept it or not was Rolanda Hooch's decision.
Sometimes, you shouldn't push too hard. If he crossed the line and kept babbling, a logical proposal might start sounding like a hidden agenda.
Rey fell silent, looking at Madam Hooch, waiting for her final answer.
Maybe she would agree and let him go. Maybe she would kill him first, and then the Four Founders or someone else would propose the same idea, leading her to agree later.
Nothing was certain. The moment Rey, a time traveler, appeared, the established timeline had already shifted.
While Rolanda Hooch was silent, a figure appeared at the cave entrance.
It was Terence Barrow, who had just snuck in. His wand was already pointed at Rolanda Hooch.
Perhaps transforming into a human had dulled her senses, but Rolanda Hooch didn't seem to notice Terence at the entrance.
If not for his angle, Rey wouldn't have spotted Terence either. The guy moved silently—he had the potential to be a master thief.
"Avada Kedavra!"
"Stop!"
Before Rey could shout a warning, Terence unleashed the Killing Curse on the humanoid dragon.
Of course, the moment he attacked, Rolanda Hooch noticed.
A young wizard trying to destroy a dragon's soul with a Killing Curse? Impossible. No matter how powerful the curse, it couldn't bridge the chasm in power between them.
Rey wanted to warn Terence, fearing the attack would enrage the newly human Madam Hooch. But Terence moved too fast; he didn't hesitate for a second.
Green lightning flashed toward her. Madam Hooch turned just in time, waving the wand in her right hand to block.
A thick golden shield erupted from the pile of coins, intercepting the deadly green bolt.
Perhaps sensing Madam Hooch's danger, Terence had poured a lot of magic into the curse, making the casting time slightly longer.
But Madam Hooch didn't waste time. While the shield blocked the curse, she sidestepped to the left.
Without her magical support, the shield flew past her, smashing into the rock wall with a clang. In that split second, Madam Hooch pointed her wand at Terence, and a ball of translucent purple light struck him.
Terence flew backward, slamming into the wall. He slumped to the ground unconscious without even a struggle.
Having dealt with Terence, Madam Hooch turned back to stare at Rey, her voice cold.
"I almost believed you."
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