Chapter 173: You're Dementors!
"Egyptian Sphinxes are large, with tough hides and thick flesh, and they're quite intelligent—they're big creatures, so I think they'd be quite suitable for incubating Obsidius Blooms."
Dylan turned the pages of his book, quietly absorbing the knowledge within.
Meanwhile, the Hogwarts Express sped forward.
Outside the window, the sky gradually darkened, shrouded in gloom, and the sunlight grew dimmer.
Dylan could clearly feel the warmth inside the carriage slowly dissipating with time.
Around two or three o'clock, fine strands of rain began to fall from the lead-grey clouds, tapping against the train window with a "tap-tap" sound.
As the raindrops became denser, the sound grew more insistent.
Dylan, however, remained calm, silently turning the pages of his book.
"It's not going to rain at Hogwarts, is it? I really don't like rainy days."
Neville wasn't as patient as Dylan. After finishing the lunch his grandmother had packed for him, he was now tidying up his lunchbox.
In fact, there would be a feast waiting for them once they arrived at school that evening.
If they left home late in the morning and had a late breakfast, most young wizards returning to school by train would finish lunch around one or two o'clock.
This timing was just right.
Otherwise, eating too early or too late would more or less affect their appetite for dinner.
Neville pouted: "This dreary rainy weather always gives me a bad feeling."
Dylan's movement of looking down at his book paused, his fingers lightly pinching the page, not turning it.
He slowly looked up at Neville, raising an eyebrow slightly.
"Your Divination class choice is perfect. Professor Trelawney actually has a lot of knowledge she can teach you—of course, to truly master Divination, the most important thing is your own talent."
A faint smile curled on Dylan's lips: "I think you have a good talent."
Neville snapped back to reality, immediately realizing what Dylan was talking about.
"Me... talented? Dylan, you mean..."
Neville's mouth fell open.
Dylan smiled and nodded: "I think Hogwarts might encounter some strange things again this year—that's my hunch."
Neville's face changed dramatically!
"Heavens! Could Hogwarts have a second Chamber of Secrets?"
Dylan gently shook his head: "That's not likely—why would Slytherin make so many Chambers?"
"However... well, we'll know when we get to school—or perhaps, we won't even need to reach school."
Dylan left his sentence unfinished.
Neville's face froze.
What?
Why did he only say half of it and then stop?
Neville's mind began to uncontrollably speculate about what kind of trouble they would encounter this term.
After a long moment of hesitation, he really wanted to ask Dylan for specific details.
But then he thought, Dylan hadn't told him the full story, choosing to remain silent.
It wouldn't be right for him to press the issue.
Neville pursed his lips.
Suddenly, his desire to learn Divination reached a peak.
—If he could learn Divination, he wouldn't have to ask Dylan about everything.
Before he could fully process his thoughts, the Hogwarts Express began to slow down.
Until it came to a complete halt.
Neville froze, then quickly looked out the window.
Rain continuously spread, cascading down the windowpane.
The view was somewhat blurry.
But Neville could still tell at a glance that they hadn't reached the school yet!
"Why... why did we suddenly stop?"
Neville's cheeks gradually lost color as he stared at the world outside the window, made indistinct by the rain.
The fields were blurry in the curtain of rain, and the distant mountains were but a faint, elusive shadow.
Neville's ominous premonition reached its peak. A chill, rising from the soles of his feet, made him shiver involuntarily, and his hands instinctively clutched the fabric of his clothes.
"Dylan... I just feel... I just feel like there's something outside?"
Dylan finally put down his book completely, his gaze shifting from the pages of knowledge.
He didn't speak, simply allowing Neville to nervously stand up from his seat and then dart to his side.
—He even made room for Neville to sit in the inner seat.
Compared to Neville's panic, Dylan's expression was calm, even with a hint of delighted anticipation in his eyes.
They're finally coming!
Those little darlings!
Dylan's gaze was fixed beyond the compartment.
Neville instinctively followed his gaze, and his pupils immediately contracted violently!
On the compartment window, a damp, black handprint appeared without warning.
Before he could make out what it was, a chilling creaking sound came.
The sliding door was being opened from the outside!
"Dy... Dy..."
"Don't be afraid, keep quiet."
Dylan pointed his wand.
He covered Neville with several layers of armour, completely blocking his vision and even his hearing.
Dylan, meanwhile, kept his gaze firmly locked on the compartment door, the excitement in his eyes almost overflowing.
The compartment door opened.
A massive figure slowly stepped into the carriage.
It was impossibly tall, its head nearly touching the compartment ceiling, its entire body shrouded in a cloak of black mist.
—More precisely, the cloak looked somewhat like decaying mud soaked in water.
Then, a disgusting arm reached out—its skin covered in viscous liquid and scar-like marks resembling lividity.
"Looks even uglier than in the movies. Look at that face, like a piece of merchandise that didn't sell in the 19th century and became a financial loss again in the 20th century."
Dylan clicked his tongue in wonder, scrutinizing the Dementor before him.
In this world, there was a concept of Non-Beings, also known as non-human paranormal phenomena, a type of magical creature.
They inherently transcended life and death, with no corresponding entity in the Muggle world; Muggles could only perceive them indirectly.
Non-Beings were born from human emotions and fed on these emotions.
They did not experience birth or death.
And Dementors were among the most dangerous type of Non-Beings.
They were born from fear and despair, and many wizards called them the most vile things in the world.
Besides Dementors, another well-known type of Non-Being was the Boggart.
A creature capable of transforming into the deepest fear of the person it faced.
But Boggarts themselves caused no actual harm to wizards.
Dementors, however, were different.
These creatures would literally suck out a person's soul!
—Through a kiss.
Of course, to others, Dementors might seem terrifying.
However, at this moment, this creature, which looked somewhat like a pile of mud, appeared quite enticing to Dylan.
Ordinary corpses could be turned into Inferi.
So... what about Dementors, which couldn't be directly killed?
What kind of sparks would these creatures generate when faced with various types of magic?
Dylan was already impatient to capture it and research it in his own world.
Non-Being?
Born from fear, feeding on human happiness?
Wasn't this a perfect test subject that was hard to kill, could be controlled by his Enigmatic Cthulhu magic, and could be repeatedly used for experiments!
In the dimly lit compartment, raindrops struck, creating a suffocating atmosphere.
The Dementor's empty eye sockets met Dylan's gaze directly.
To its surprise, all other humans, upon seeing it, were filled with fear.
Yet this young wizard sitting on the compartment seat was actually smiling at it?
It grew curious.
This human child wizard must have many happy memories, didn't he?
Let it see...
The Dementor moved a step closer, politely closing the compartment door as it did so.
Seeing this, the smile on Dylan's face abruptly widened, yet it appeared even colder and more eerie.
The next moment, in an instant.
Dense black mist, centered around Dylan, surged and spread wildly.
The thick black mist churned and twisted continuously within the confined compartment, like countless greedy tentacles extending wantonly.
In the midst of the swirling mist, several pairs of eyes vaguely appeared, glowing with an eerie, cold light, blinking and exuding an indescribable aura of evil.
Just one glance felt like gazing into an endless abyss, as if one's soul would be torn apart by this dark power, causing one's sanity to collapse in an instant!
The Dementor had originally intended to press closer, to see if it could secretly siphon some happiness from this young wizard.
However, upon witnessing the black mist emanating from Dylan, a surge of overwhelming shock swelled within its normally emotionless "hollow" gaze!
The Dementor hovered in the air, its body beginning to tremble violently and uncontrollably, its muddy cloak rattling with it.
The Dementor instinctively wanted to flee from this young wizard before it.
—Bloody hell, this thing is scarier than us!
This Dementor wanted to phase through the wall immediately, but Dylan wouldn't give it the chance.
"Come in, dear."
Dylan snapped his fingers lightly.
A suitcase silently appeared at his feet.
Immediately after, the lid slowly opened.
It was pitch black inside, looking just like the Dementor's mouth.
And the Dementor grew even more terrified upon seeing the seemingly bottomless interior of the case.
At the same time, the black mist swirling around Dylan gradually surged into the case.
Within that swirling chaos, the empty black void inside the case now held several eerily glowing eyeballs, coldly staring at the Dementor.
The Dementor's attempt to escape stiffened; the entire creature seemed to be nailed to the spot, wanting to leave but completely unable to move.
It was truly going mad!
The Dementor before Dylan flapped frantically, trying to break free from the fear in its heart.
—Lord of Joy, how could it feel fear?
It was a Dementor!
The Dementor stared at Dylan, who silently raised his wand, its tip pointing directly at it, a faint holy light glimmering at the wand's end—much like the sparkling foam it saw when devouring others' happy memories.
But this time, it was a complete reversal!
"Profligspiritus!"
In an instant, white light burst forth, like sacred heavenly light appearing, dispelling the darkness in the compartment.
Yet, as this light flowed, chilling, bone-piercing evil energy spread.
Sending shivers down one's spine!
The light shot out with a whoosh.
Almost instantly, it struck the Dementor.
The black cloak furiously churned, yet it seemed to fall into an abyss.
Streaks of black mist swirled up, entangling it.
Several eyes revolved around the Dementor's body, staring fixedly at its empty, desolate face without blinking.
The Dementor struggled desperately, its twisted form thrashing left and right, occasionally emitting piercing shrieks.
However, no matter what it did, it couldn't break free from the bondage of that evil holy light.
Finally, under Dylan's control, the Dementor was slowly sucked into the suitcase.
"Bang."
As the suitcase heavily closed, the teeth-grinding shriek abruptly ceased.
—To prevent the Dementor from becoming a target for some mysterious individuals after being brought into his spatial realm.
Dylan directly used Enigmatic Cthulhu to envelop the Dementor.
This way, he wouldn't fear the Dementor uncontrollably wandering around when he wasn't inside the suitcase's space.
—If it scared his Coal Ball and little Fire Dragon.
Dylan would surely make this Dementor feel what true fear was!
With the Dementor's disappearance, the black mist in the compartment gradually faded.
The compartment became quiet again.
Dylan removed the numerous barriers, protective armour, silencing charms, Muffliato Charms, and interference wards he had cast in an instant.
Neville finally regained his vision.
But this sudden clarity did not dispel his fear; instead, it intensified abruptly.
Neville's legs trembled uncontrollably, and his teeth chattered, making a "clack-clack" sound.
"That... that thing, what was that thing? That black hand..."
After calming down for a while and finding the compartment empty, Neville finally dared to cautiously look around.
"Don't be afraid, that was just a Dementor."
Dylan said with a smile.
However, as his words fell, Neville felt a chill, and he shivered again.
He realized the compartment was terribly cold now, the chill seemingly penetrating his very bones, making him instinctively huddle up.
"A Dementor?!" Neville exclaimed.
But as soon as he opened his mouth, Dylan raised a hand and popped a sweet into Neville's mouth.
"Suck on this for a bit."
As his tongue touched the sweet, Neville savored the sugary taste, and the panic in his heart gradually subsided.
However, his face was still pale—even deathly pale.
Just like Malfoy.
Completely devoid of color.
"I knew it, the moment I saw that black handprint, I started thinking about things that made me feel so oppressed..."
Neville held the sweet in his mouth for a while, then said to Dylan, "How did those things get here—this is the Hogwarts Express! They should be in Azkaban, not here! Did they mistake us for prisoners? Or are they going to take us away?"
Dylan rubbed his chin.
His gaze pierced through the rain-blurred window.
A considerable number of Dementors had come this time.
Ten or eight wouldn't be too many; thirty or forty wouldn't be too few!
Should he... catch a few more?
Dylan thought aloud, casually replying, "Didn't you see the newspaper? Over the summer, I saw in the Daily Prophet that Sirius Black had escaped from Azkaban."
"Huh??"
Neville was startled again.
"Dylan, when you said we might encounter something strange again this term, you weren't talking about this, were you?"
At this point, Neville couldn't care less about being embarrassed.
He just wanted to understand the current situation!
Dylan chuckled: "Perhaps. Fate doesn't allow me to see the truth directly—I'm just speculating out of habit. Maybe it won't happen?"
He stood up.
Neville's expression visibly grew panicked: "Where are you going?"
"I'm going to check on Harry and the others. You stay here. A Dementor has already inspected our compartment. As long as you don't leave here, you'll be fine."
As Dylan spoke, an eye wrapped in a wisp of black mist beneath the compartment, looked up through a gap, gazing at the pouting Neville.
"But... I keep feeling like something is watching me..."
Neville was almost in tears.
"It's alright, don't be scared, trust me."
Dylan offered a triple reassurance.
Although Neville desperately wanted to follow Dylan out, the thought of the likely numerous Dementors outside at that moment made him hesitate.
"Then, then please come back quickly, Dylan... please!"
"Of course—of course, I will."
Dylan pulled open the compartment door and stepped out.
Watching the gradually closing gap in the door, Neville sat back down in his seat, curling up.
His eyes were wide, darting around the compartment.
—He truly felt an intense sense of being watched.
It made him feel as if he had daggers in his back, as if he were sitting on pins and needles!
"Oh, Merlin's socks! Dylan, please hurry back..."
Neville curled himself into a ball, even pulling his feet onto the seat.
—He was terrified that a hand might suddenly grab his ankle.
He would truly faint on the spot if that happened!
Meanwhile, Dylan walked slowly down the dim, elongated train corridor, carrying a suitcase.
Around him, a group of Dementors moved like specters, freely drifting through the compartments.
A chilling aura permeated every corner.
The young wizards in the compartments shivered uncontrollably.
Sensing Dylan's presence, a few Dementors suddenly glided towards him.
Their mud-like black robes swirled with their movements, exuding a bone-chilling coldness in the air.
"It truly is a very negative emotion."
Dylan allowed these Dementors to gather around him.
Then, in a flash.
The Dementors, who had previously surrounded Dylan, scattered in frantic, clumsy panic, as if they had been greatly startled.
In the blink of an eye, the Dementors that had been gathered around Dylan turned and fled, vanishing.
However, their number seemed to have decreased by one or two compared to when they had converged.
Dylan walked all the way to the end of the train.
Indeed, a considerable number of Dementors had arrived this time.
However, after he used his old trick and captured a few of them, it seemed the Dementors, perhaps having communicated with each other, had become clever. When they encountered him, they would simply detour around him.
This annoyed Dylan greatly.
What's going on? You're Dementors!
How can you walk around me, a human?
Come on, surround me!
Just like before!
All of you! Come at me!
Otherwise, I won't be satisfied!
....
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