章節 69: Chapter 69: "The Guardian Charm: A Tale of Pride and Peril"
The line of people moved steadily forward.
As more people finished their business and left, new people joined the back of the line. The girl in the line grew closer to the counter over time. Despite feeling embarrassed, her pride prevented her from apologizing. Suddenly, she found herself at the counter.
"Please take out something that can prove your identity," Draco said politely, as if nothing had happened.
In the blink of an eye, the girl was already in front of the counter. Draco. politely asked her as if nothing had happened.
The girl felt annoyed that she had been ignored. She was confident in her appearance and enjoyed the attention she received. Despite not being popular at school, she relished the rare opportunity to be noticed when she was out.
However, she misunderstood the situation, as the person at the counter, Draco, hadn't looked up at her at all. Had he done so, he might have glanced at her a few more times.Maybe he would even guess her identity.
"Oh, a rare foreign friend, your vault is number 413."
Draco raised his head and looked at the girl in front of him, his eyes flashing with surprise. However, he quickly hid his reaction and said, "Oh, a rare foreign friend, your vault is number 413."
Everyone appreciates beauty, but it is impolite to stare. "Miss? Are you listening?" Draco asked, noticing that the girl seemed to be in a daze.
"Thank you, I was a little distracted just now," the girl replied.
In just a short time, she had been defeated twice by this boy who was probably a few years younger than her. The blow was so huge that she became distracted and didn't notice the abnormality behind her.
The line that had been noisy just a moment ago had become completely silent. Suddenly, the boy in front of her took out a magic wand from the cabinet and pointed it at her. Despite feeling that the person in front of her was not hostile, years of practice in defending against dark magic made her subconsciously raise her own wand and cast a spell. "Expectu Patronum!" she shouted.
"Faint to the ground!" Draco yelled, his wand emitting a little silver gas.
The girl's pupils shrank slightly as she realized that the Guardian Charm was only used for protection, not for attacking others. This meant that there was only one explanation for what was happening.
The young girl abruptly turned around and saw a large number of people falling to the ground like wheat cut by a sickle. "Dementors!" she exclaimed, recalling the infamous creatures that her Defense Against the Dark Arts professor had introduced to her.
These creatures were shrouded in cloaks, and their bodies seemed to be constantly soaked in water. Their palms were covered in scabs, and their bodies appeared rotten. They were known for draining the happiness from wherever they went, and they had a reputation for reminding people of their worst fears.
They guarded the wizarding prison of Azkaban, and were feared for their ability to suck out a person's soul using their "mouth" under their hoods. Known as Dementors, these dark creatures were cold and soulless, and were widely feared throughout the wizarding world.
The Guardian Spell is the only way to banish the two creatures that float in the middle, resembling the Grim Reaper. This year, the protagonist has spent her fifth year at Boothbottom School. As one of Madam Maxim's favorite students, Madam Maxim mentioned that the Triwizard Cup might be held in the coming years and hoped that the protagonist could bring glory to the school.
As a result, Madam Maxim privately taught the protagonist many things, including improving her reaction speed. However, the Guardian Charm has been a constant challenge for the protagonist, and she has not been able to find a solution.
At school, the protagonist struggles to fit in with her peers and is often ostracized, which is made worse by her somewhat arrogant personality. She has few true friends. Every time she uses the Guardian Charm, it only produces white mist when she thinks about her beloved little sister, Gabrielle. Otherwise, no mist appears.
Despite her confidence in her accuracy with the Guardian Charm, then she just realized that she made a mistake. The only person present who could potentially use the Guardian Charm has been defeated by her. She is skilled at delicately controlling her wand, which gives her an advantage over male wizards.
The boy who was injured by her Guardian Charm might have been able to block it with the Iron Armor Charm, but since they were both casting spells at the same time, he could not survive. The protagonist was about to dispel the Guardian Charm on Draco, but stopped when she saw someone unharmed and about to cast the Guardian Charm again.
"Ma'am, if you still want to get rid of these annoying Dementors, we can't afford to be distracted now. I can answer your questions later," Draco said as he stared at the creatures. At this moment, the girl can only nod.
Despite being a few years younger than her, Draco is surprisingly mature and calm in the face of danger. He is much better than other students her age who only know how to seek attention with flashy but empty actions. The girl notices that Draco's Guardian Charm is in the shape of a proud rooster, which improves her impression of him.
As a Frenchwoman, she feels a sense of familiarity with this symbol of her country. "If possible, you should use the Guardian Charm. Even if it can't banish these disgusting creatures, at least you can protect yourself," Draco says as he glances at her. He then waves his hand and orders his Guardian Angel to attack the Dementors. The Dementors feed on the peace, hope, and happiness in the air around them.
The Dementors love darkness, corruption, and despair. However, things are relative. Just like how water can extinguish fire, fire can also evaporate water. As long as a person has a strong enough belief, the Dementors will not be able to drain their happiness. The Guardian Charm is a shield that uses happy memories and feelings to protect a person. Its power has nothing to do with the form of the Guardian Charm.
In fact, the strongest Guardian Charm was once in the form of a rat. Draco recently defeated the Basilisk with this Guardian Charm, which was a combination of unusual factors. Now is the time for the Guardian Charm to take effect. The proud white rooster flies towards the Dementors on the left. The Dementors flee as if they have encountered their natural enemy, but they are still reluctant to leave their source of food.
The Dementors can't remember the last time they had a full meal. The prisoners in Azkaban all went mad after a few days of being drained by the Dementors. But today, there are so many human emotions that the Dementors can't resist.
They just want to eat to their heart's content. Suddenly, the rooster's silhouette in the air becomes more solid and emits an even more dazzling white light. The Dementors flee even faster, their tattered cloaks fluttering in the wind. Although they are blind, the strong emotions are more intense than what they have seen with their own eyes. Their instincts tell them that they can't eat the delicious food and that it would hurt them.
Draco turns back to look at the girl, surprised. He didn't expect this abnormally beautiful girl to be more than just a decorative object. The sudden increase in the power of his Guardian Charm is thanks to her.
"Thank you," he says.
The girl's face reddens, adding a touch of seduction to her already beautiful face. Unfortunately, Draco doesn't have time to appreciate the scene. After thanking her, he continues to control his Guardian Charm to banish the two monsters. Wizards can't afford to be too distracted in a battle because a moment of carelessness can mean the difference between life and death.
The Dementors either become full or can't withstand Draco's attacks anymore and retreat from the hall.
"Is it safe now?" the girl asks carefully as she watches the Dementors being chased out.
"No, we still have to use a Banish Charm. Don't underestimate these greedy creatures' desire for pleasure. The battle just now at most made them uncomfortable. We still haven't found a way to completely defeat them, so we can't let our guard down," Draco replies
"But I've only heard of Muggle-Banishing Charms," the girl said, feeling even more embarrassed. The only advantage she had over the young man in front of her was that she was a few years older. "You don't have to worry about that. But can you do me a little favor?" Draco glanced at the group of unconscious people and snapped his fingers, startling the girl.
"Of course," she replied, nodding. The success of the battle had filled her with trust in Draco, or perhaps an inexplicable fondness for him. "What do you need me to do?"
"Go straight from here," Draco instructed. "After entering the narrow stone corridor, take the left fork for two meters, then turn right and walk to the end. There's an unlocked room there. Once you enter, you'll see a mahogany office desk. On the right side of the desk, there are a few packages in the third cabinet. Bring them all to me. I can't leave here."
"Okay," the girl said, nodding. She didn't ask him what the packages were for, guessing that they were probably magical items. She jogged off to do as he had asked.
Draco was surprised to see her jog all the way there. Thinking back to the battle, he realized that aside from the unconscious spell that had almost interfered with him, her performance had been commendable. It wouldn't be an exaggeration to say that she had been a great help.
Now that he had some free time, Draco found himself thinking about the accident that had happened earlier that day. The thing he couldn't understand the most was the Dementors. They were closely connected to the Ministry of Magic, the governing body of the wizarding society.
This society had a self-contained financial system and various rules, making it like a small country. Most countries have an army, but the wizarding society didn't. This was one of the reasons why Dumbledore had a strained relationship with the Ministry of Magic.
The Phoenix Society, which Dumbledore controlled, was strong enough to fight against Voldemort, but the Ministry saw it as a threat. The bureaucrats of the Ministry of Magic did not think that everyone in the Phoenix Society was a good person, despite the fact that only good people could join. The human heart was the most difficult thing to predict.
The wizarding society didn't have a traditional army, but they did have the Aurors, who acted as both police and soldiers. The Aurors were responsible for hunting down prisoners from Azkaban and fighting against Voldemort. In order to do this effectively, they needed a powerful, organized group that followed orders.
When it came to the enforcers of the Ministry of Magic, there were only a few Aurors, such as Moody and Kingsley, who were truly capable of fighting. The rest were mostly responsible for dealing with small-time wizards who abused their magic. During times of crisis, the Aurors' authority was also increased. If necessary, they were even allowed to use the Unforgivable Curses in battle. This made sense, as they couldn't afford to have their own people bound by rules when it was a matter of life and death.
However, the Law Enforcement Division, which was directly under the Auror's direct command, actually did something that violated human rights.If the above were all due to the characteristics of the wizarding society, for example, it was not easy to govern, and the rules and institutions were set up due to the uneven strength of individuals.
However, throwing people into prison without trial was simply a gross insult to the laws that had been perfected over thousands of years.Anyone, even if there was a live broadcast of someone killing someone in front of the whole world, could only be considered a suspect. However, without a trial, he could only be called a suspect. Only when the judge knocked down the gavel that symbolized justice could he be called a criminal.
To make an extreme example, if Voldemort had surrendered during the final battle, no one would have had the right to throw him into Azkaban, let alone kill him. No matter what kind of world it is – high magic, low magic, slavery, or empires – if there is no respect for order, it will eventually fall apart, no matter how strong it is. Perhaps this is retribution for the Ministry of Magic hindering Voldemort's return.
Next, there are the Dementors. It's one thing to not have an army, but it's another thing entirely to have the Dementors, which were created by the Ministry of Magic. For example, today the Ministry probably released some Dementors to capture Blake, which caused a huge mess. The Ministry of Magic has almost no restraints on these ugly, evil creatures. After being released from the island, the Dementors became a nightmare for ordinary people. They could hunt for food whenever they wanted, as we saw with Dudley from Privet Drive, the students on the express train, and the Gringotts today. When did the Ministry of Magic ever have any concrete restraints on them? Sending them back to Azkaban? Is that really a form of punishment if a criminal is allowed to go home? They indiscriminately plunder the happiness of the human world. The ugliest Dementors's kiss is even more terrifying than the death penalty.
But that's not the main point. You're telling me that these great killing machines all defected after Voldemort's return? These undisciplined, disorganized creatures, who can only bully prisoners in prison and kneel when faced with the Guardian Charm, rebelled? I really don't understand why the officials of the Ministry of Magic often discriminate against ordinary Magi and are more willing to trust this bunch of evil magical creatures. Isn't this ironic?
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