dmims Chapter 151 Bounty Order: Harry Says He's Gone.
Chapter 151 Bounty Order: Harry Says He's Gone.
Chapter 152 Bounty Order: Harry Says He's Gone.
Picking up where we left off, Ron claimed that all the Dementors guarding Hogwarts had been turned into ghouls, but Harry didn't believe him.
"Brother, don't try to fool me. When I enrolled, I saw more than thirty or fifty Dementors on that train. There are at least a hundred inside and outside this castle."
"I've only eaten a few dozen so far, how could they all have vanished?"
"But these are the only ones that are out in the open," Ron sighed. "The rest of the Dementors are either flying in the sky or hiding in all sorts of nooks and crannies, only appearing after curfew. They're not easy to find."
Harry pondered for a moment upon hearing this, then suddenly his eyebrows lifted and he whispered to Ron, "Brother, come closer, I have a brilliant plan."
He whispered something in Ron's ear. Ron, upon hearing it, slapped his thigh repeatedly and exclaimed, "Wonderful!"
When evening classes ended and the stars and moon shone brightly, Harry, Ron, and Hermione went straight to the Chamber of Secrets.
Before half a cup of tea could be brewed, the sound of rustling footsteps, like silkworms eating leaves, could be heard. Then, groups of students in black robes surged in through the stone gate, like rivers flowing into the sea.
Some impatient ones would chant a levitation spell and leap onto the water's surface, their toes lightly touching the blue waves, just like a dragonfly standing on a lotus leaf.
The ground was packed with people, and the water was dotted with them. A dark mass of three to five hundred people had gathered, filling the secret room like an iron bucket.
At this hour, the couples would usually be practicing spells in pairs, with Harry the Head Instructor giving them pointers. But today, the Head Instructor sat motionless on the stone platform, as still as a mountain, remaining silent for a long time.
Colin, sensing something amiss, crossed his arms and shouted, "Harry, aren't we learning the Patronus Charm today?"
Ron and Hermione exchanged a glance, secretly admiring each other.
This Colin is really on point.
Harry laughed upon hearing this, "Of course we should learn this spell, but there's no need to practice it here."
"You've all learned this guardian incantation for a month or two; it's time for you to meet that Dementor."
Before the words were even finished, a gasp of surprise erupted from the crowd. Some of the more timid ones, their legs went weak, and they fell into the icy pool with a splash.
Fred also jumped up with a strange cry, but George quickly wrapped his arms around his waist and caught him.
"Shall we go deal with the Dementors?"
"Great Lord of the Castle, aren't you overestimating us?"
This back-and-forth prompted the students to find excuses to complain. One said he had a stomachache, another claimed he needed to urinate; they were like frightened birds, ready to scatter like birds and beasts.
Just as the chaos was at its peak, Harry suddenly slammed his fist on the table and roared, "Don't panic! Whoever can drive the Dementors to the edge of the Forbidden Forest will get five Galleons for every one they drive away!"
Hermione quickly added, "Even if you team up to catch Dementors, Harry will provide an equivalent amount of silver Sickles and bronze Knuts for you to split equally."
"Of course, we must prioritize saving your lives. You know what happens after being kissed by a Dementor."
These words were like a bucket of cold water poured into a pot of boiling oil, causing an immediate uproar. The students, hearing the clear message, had their eyes light up, like hungry wolves eyeing a fat sheep or mosquitoes gleaming with desire.
Fred, who had been complaining of weak legs, jumped down from George's arms, straightened his back, and shouted:
"Actually, I've been putting up with these Dementors for a long time! Just seeing them makes me nauseous!"
"Yes, me too!"
"It's not about the money, I just want Harry to see how much effort I put in!"
Seeing everyone's interest, Harry clapped his hands and laughed, "If that's the case, what are we waiting for! The Dementors are destined to die; first come, first served!"
"Every evening at dusk, I set up a table and tent in front of my wooden hut beside the Forbidden Forest, waiting for you heroes to come and report your achievements!"
Before he could finish speaking, the students, unable to contain themselves any longer, let out a shout and surged out of the secret chamber. The air was thick with the noise of footsteps and the echoes of cheers. The truth was: the generous reward had spurred them on, and they were itching to capture the demon.
"Anyone looking for a team? Looking for an upperclassman, preferably someone skilled in defensive magic!"
"Bring in a female freshman! A 7th-grader will show you how to make money! Blonde hair preferred!"
"My Guardian Angel has barely taken on a physical form; nine or more OWL players are welcome!"
With a whistle, the students dispersed, and in an instant, the secret chamber was empty except for Harry and his two leaders.
Hermione clicked her tongue and sighed, "Harry, you've let the Dementors drown in a sea of people!"
Harry listened to these words, paused for a moment, and asked in surprise, "Big sister, what you say is truly insightful. Where did you get this profound knowledge?"
"Aha! You think that's a great saying too, don't you? It's what those Chinese wizards told me when I was traveling in China."
Harry pondered these words again, shaking his head and praising them repeatedly.
"As the old saying goes, 'He who wins the hearts of the people wins the world, and he who loses the hearts of the people loses the world,' and this is the same principle."
Poems as proof:
Galon offered a bounty on the Dementor, and hundreds of students flocked to him like a vast ocean.
The will of the people has always been aligned with the will of Heaven, and the great path has been followed in both ancient and modern times.
Enough of this rambling. Ever since Harry's bounty was posted, the students who usually spend their days reading books and chanting spells are now all gleaming with excitement, gathering in small groups to search those damp, dark corners.
Within just two or three days, a long queue had formed in front of the Hagna wooden house.
"Chimera Squad, two Dementors, over by the fire dragon's side."
At dusk that day, four students from the Lion and Snake Houses walked towards us, and the one in the lead pointed at Norbert.
"We only want Silver Xike."
Hermione checked and found nothing amiss, then counted out thirty-four silver coins from the embroidered pouch and handed them over.
Ron, standing nearby, sang in a booming voice, "Next team~"
"Okay, all the good names have been chosen by the dogs. Team of three."
Hermione was taken aback when she heard the name. When she looked up, Wood was standing right in front of her, his face flushed. Fred and George were jumping around beside him, and Angelina and the two Gryffindor Seekers were also waiting nearby.
"Your names are really powerful."
Hermione couldn't help but chuckle upon hearing the name, glancing sideways at the two mischievous little devils with her beautiful eyes. "I bet you two came up with this name."
George pretended to clutch his chest, feigning ecstasy, and exclaimed, "Oh, Miss Granger, you are the one with true taste!"
"In terms of artistic achievement," Fred chimed in, his face hardening, "you've far surpassed Wood by a great deal."
Wood's forehead veins bulged as he listened, and he turned around, slamming his fists, each the size of a bowl, into the back of the two men. "Shut up! What's wrong with the Quidditch champion team?"
"Hey! Wood, this was decided by vote!"
"That's right, you should ask Angelina and the others why they agreed!"
Angelina remained calm. "If we don't win the championship this year, I don't even want to think about how those Slytherin guys will laugh at us."
"I'd rather use Fred."
Hermione saw the group making a ruckus, shook her head and chuckled, then paid the fifty-one silver dollars herself.
Ron was about to call the squad down when Wood slammed his hands on the table and glared at him, saying:
"I want to see Harry one more time."
"He hasn't come to training for over a week!"
"Want to see Harry?" Hermione pondered for a moment, then pointed to the cabin behind her. "Okay, he's in there."
Wood, having received permission, rushed to push open the door and burst in, only to find Harry standing on a chair, playing a drinking game with Hagrid.
"The Five Champions!"
"May everything go smoothly!"
"Seven-Step Challenge - Let's Go!"
Hagrid laughed loudly, picked up a bottle of brandy, tilted his head back, and gulped it down in one go.
Wood stared in disbelief, momentarily stunned. Seeing him arrive, Harry waved and said with a smile, "Brother Wood, you've come at just the right time! Join us for a drink!"
This call pulled Wood back to his senses. He was immediately overcome with anxiety, his chest heaving like a bellows as he gasped for breath:
"Harry! You should have come to training with us today!"
"How long has it been since you last rode a broomstick? That Malfoy from Slytherin seems to want to fly on a broomstick all the time!"
Seeing his urgency, Harry stopped joking, straightened his clothes, and bowed, saying, "Brother, please don't be offended. It's not that I'm being lazy. It's just that I've been busy with trivial matters lately, and it's hard to find the time."
He then added with a smile, "Besides, Malfoy's team is one that gets in by paving the way with gold and silver. Even if they are diligent, they are ultimately hopeless cases. Why bother mentioning them?"
Seeing that he didn't seem to care about the competition at all, Wood became anxious, pacing around him like a cat on a hot tin roof:
"The ones who really need to work hard are us! I've already had people inquire; Malfoy's dad got him a fire bolt—a broom only the national team uses!"
"Its performance is several times better than the Nimbus 2000—no! It's several times better than the Nimbus 2001!"
He deliberately spoke in a threatening tone, intending to warn Harry. But Harry paid no attention, simply waving his wand and summoning a long package from behind the barrel.
"Brother, please open it and take a look."
Wood knew that Harry's family was wealthy. When he saw the long package that looked like a flying broom, he felt his breath catch in his throat, his eyes widened like copper bells, and he said in a trembling voice.
"This is...this is...a fire crossbow bolt?"
He reached out shakily to unscrew it, and the first thing that caught his eye was the gold serial number branded on the broom. Then he touched it; it was slippery and had smooth, flowing lines that gave him goosebumps.
Wood took a deep breath, suppressing the turmoil in his heart. He glanced around again, and seeing no other long packages, he finally calmed himself down.
"Alright, Harry, although now each of our teams has a Firebolt—"
"Hey, brother, you're mistaken. If we only get one broom, wouldn't that be unfair? I actually ordered seven, but the craftsmen were slow, and I only got this one so far."
Before he could finish speaking, Wood was struck dumb, his legs gave way and he slumped into his chair, muttering to himself:
"Seven, seven fire crossbow bolts?"
He struggled to get up, but it was as if his feet were stuck in cotton and he couldn't get any strength.
Harry clasped his hands in a solemn gesture and said, "As the saying goes, 'If you're in a position, you should do your job.' As the Seeker, I should train with my brothers and sisters."
"Unfortunately, I am entangled in worldly affairs and have no free time. These six fire crossbow bolts are my apology. I hope you will forgive me, brother."
Wood was terrified and wanted to refuse Harry, but his tongue went numb. He quickly took a swig of wine to calm himself down.
"This... Harry, this is really inappropriate. I've already accepted your Nimbus 2001, how can I accept something even more valuable like a Firebolt?"
Harry laughed loudly, "As the ancients said, 'A fine sword is given to a brave warrior, and a fine horse is given to a hero.' A hero like you, brother, if not riding this fire crossbow, would be the only one in the world worthy of such a steed!"
Wood was so flattered by Harry's words that he was completely bewildered, as if he were in a fog, unable to tell which way was which.
After being urged by Hagrid to drink three more cups of strong liquor, he had long since forgotten his soul. He staggered and kicked over a bench, muttering incoherently, and swayed as he stumbled out the door.
Fred and his men had been waiting outside for a long time. When they saw Wood come out alone, they quickly surrounded him and bombarded him with questions:
"Why didn't Harry come with you?"
"Is he still not able to participate in training?"
Wood did not answer, but gazed at the clouds on the horizon for a long time before suddenly turning around and walking away.
"Let's go, let's go to training."
"Harry has more important things to do."
Seeing his sudden change of heart, everyone was filled with doubt and whispered among themselves.
"I told him he was too close to that Dementor and must have injured his brain."
"No, no, no, I think he must have been single for too long, and when we weren't looking, he secretly had a passionate kiss with the Dementor..."
Fred and George were talking behind each other's backs, not in front of anyone, and Wood, who overheard them, glared at them with murderous intent.
"Stop spreading rumors about me!"
"To tell you the truth, Harry bought a Firebolt for each member of our team."
Upon hearing this, George's expression froze, and his smile remained on his face.
Fred took another breath and said seriously, "I must make Harry my brother-in-law."
George snapped out of his daze and scoffed, "Come on, you'd be better off having Ginny do it herself."
"Stop talking nonsense!" Wood roared like thunder, his eyes fixed intently on the group.
"We absolutely cannot let Harry down. We must crush those Slytherins in the Quidditch match in December!"
"Make them kneel down and beg for mercy!"
The two mischievous boys raised their arms and shouted in unison, "For the Lion King!"
Back inside the cabin, Hagrid watched through the window as Wood and his group walked away along the grassy path, and then he poured Harry a full glass of wine.
"Harry, I know you don't care about money, but Firebolts aren't cheap. How much is left in your vault?"
"You must have spent at least ten thousand Galleons on your schooling over the past few years, right?"
Harry, enlightened by his words, thought to himself: "That's true. The goblin on duty at Gringotts did indeed send a message via owl, saying that the gold and silver in our treasury have been depleted by a great deal, and that the interest will be reduced."
I think of Master Chai, who owns vast estates, and Brother Shi En, who reaps huge profits in the Happy Forest. I, on the other hand, only spend and never earn, and my fortune is dwindling. I must find a way to make money.
These thoughts swirled in his mind several times, but he suppressed them for the moment, and instead slapped the table and laughed at Hagrid:
"Brother, don't worry! This is nothing serious. Those two scoundrels, Legnac and Lockhart, always use my name to show off."
"When I have some free time, I'll definitely go and ask those two for my share."
After saying this, the two poured wine into large bowls, cut large pieces of meat, played drinking games, and ate until the moon rose over the mountain, before finally parting ways in high spirits.
Time flew by, and more than ten days passed in the blink of an eye. The Dementors inside and outside Hogwarts Castle had already been mostly captured by the students, and it was rare to see one alive every three to five days.
So Harry converted the bounty to ten Galleons per monster, but even with such a large reward, he only managed to find two or three monsters that slipped through the net.
By this time, Harry had gathered over a hundred Dementors under his command, and feeling that he still had some strength left, he went straight to find Dumbledore.
Inside the headmaster's office, Harry sat upright, his gaze sharp as lightning. Dumbledore's brows furrowed deeply. He took the potion for his headache, drank most of it, and then sighed:
"You mean you feel very unsafe at school, so you want the Ministry of Magic to send in another batch of Dementors?"
Harry sighed deeply, "Indeed. I've been having nightmares every night, my heart pounding like a drum; I fear my lifespan is nearing its end."
(End of this chapter)