Adelaide felt as though her hands no longer belonged to her body; they had completely lost all sensation.
Not only that, but a dull ache was gradually spreading through both of her arms, and every muscle twitch brought unbearable pain.
She didn't know how much longer she could hold on; perhaps today would be the day her life ended.
Adelaide was filled with regret. Knowing full well that she had become a target for Death Eaters and having noticed the many issues surrounding the MacFusty siblings, she must have been out of her mind to recklessly try and prove herself like this... Now, she might even lose her life over it.
She silently swore that if she were lucky enough to survive this ordeal, she would definitely become a 'scheming bastard' (scratched out)—no, a mature and steady Wizard in the future.
Since the enemy was hiding in the shadows waiting for an opportunity, she would hide in a corner even more secretive and profound than theirs, taking them down when they least expected it!
Just as Adelaide's mind was wandering, the Dragon that had been circling in the sky was suddenly attracted by something. It abruptly went into a steep dive, hurtling toward the surface of the Black Lake below.
The sudden sensation of weightlessness made Adelaide's stomach churn, and she nearly vomited.
She gritted her teeth, forcing her eyelids open against the wind and snow, and was surprised to find that the Giant Squid in the Black Lake had broken through the thick layer of ice. It had extended several thick, powerful tentacles above the water, waving them back and forth to draw the Dragon's attention.
100 meters, 50 meters, 20 meters, 10 meters—
As the distance closed, the pressure brought by the Dragon became more and more terrifying. The Giant Squid forced itself to stay put until the Dragon was within ten meters and baring its fangs before it suddenly retracted back into the lake water.
"""Protego Totalum!"""
Filius Flitwick, who had been hiding nearby using a Disillusionment Charm, was the first to jump out. Adelaide was his prized student, and he had long been unable to restrain himself.
As a dueling champion, Professor Flitwick certainly had skills. Even though the Dragon was moving at an extraordinary speed and the swirling snow made the target blurry, he was still able to accurately cast a powerful Shield Charm on Adelaide from a distance.
In an instant, Adelaide felt as if she were tightly covered by a massive transparent dome. The wind and snow that had been relentlessly battering her body vanished in a flash, and even her numb hands began to gradually return to normal.
At the same time, Dumbledore and Professor McGonagall worked in perfect harmony to cast powerful Shield Charms toward the lake surface together.
As the spells were cast, an incredibly sturdy transparent wall instantly spread across the lake. Caught off guard, the Dragon crashed into it and stumbled, flapping its wings and retreating several meters before stabilizing itself.
"Adelaide, jump now!"
Amandine's voice rang out from behind her, and Professor Flitwick on the ground also signaled for her to act quickly—
Adelaide did not hesitate. She immediately used her hands to brace against the bone spikes on the Dragon's back, stood up, crouched slightly, and pushed off with her feet, leaping as far away as possible.
She only heard a sharp, piercing sound of wind breaking behind her, followed immediately by a slender but powerful arm quickly hooking around her waist.
Amandine skillfully maneuvered the flying broomstick into a sharp turn. Using the momentum, she successfully swung Adelaide onto the flying broomstick.
Amandine hugged Adelaide tightly, and her heart, which had been racing with nervousness, gradually began to steady.
She shouted excitedly, "I got her!"
Amandine didn't take Adelaide very far, only circling in the air near Dumbledore.
That Death Eater was still in the shadows. In this tense situation, the safest place in Hogwarts was undoubtedly by Dumbledore's side.
Before everyone could celebrate Adelaide's rescue, the Dragon noticed the flying broomstick.
It opened its massive maw, let out a deafening roar, and charged aggressively, intent on tearing them to pieces.
Just as it was about to pounce on Amandine and Adelaide, a sudden, piercing pain shot through one of its wings.
Madam Hooch had arrived on her broomstick.
At this moment, Madam Hooch completely overturned her usual mature, steady, and elegant image. Gripping a thick, sturdy bat, she acted like a brave and fearless warrior, letting out wild and boisterous shouts while nimbly striking a dozen bludgers one after another toward the Dragon.
Each ball carried a fierce wind, accurately striking the Dragon's wings.
The Dragon was thoroughly enraged, but it could do nothing against its opponent.
Madam Hooch's flying speed was like lightning, and her flight path was unpredictable, making it impossible for the massive Dragon to track her movements. It could only watch helplessly as it was attacked over and over again.
The timing was perfect. Professor Bubbling, who had been invisible using runes, had also finished her masterpiece. A row of brilliant, dazzling golden runic characters suddenly lit up on the clearing by the lake.
The Dragon instinctively became alert and quickly moved away from the shimmering golden runes, ignoring the barrage of bludgers.
To the Dragon's surprise, these characters did not attack it as it had feared. Instead, as if pulled by an invisible force, they surged toward the four magic beans that Adelaide and Cho Chang had planted by the Black Lake.
The magic beans, which were only five meters tall, seemed to receive a massive surge of energy the moment they touched the runic characters. They began to grow and expand wildly, ballooning to a terrifying height of nearly a hundred meters in the blink of an eye!
To Adelaide's even greater surprise, these magic beans seemed to suddenly possess self-awareness. They nimbly danced their thick vines like a group of well-trained hunters, and without much effort, they wrapped around the Dragon's wings, firmly restraining it.
"""""Stupefy!"""""
Taking advantage of the perfect opportunity while the Dragon was unable to move, several Professors unhesitatingly cast powerful Stupefy spells simultaneously.
However, the Dragon's magic resistance was simply too high. This series of Stupefy spells only made it feel dizzy and lightheaded; it didn't actually fall unconscious.
But all this was clearly within Dumbledore's expectations. A black bat holding a large cauldron suddenly appeared on the snow—oh, it was Professor Snape.
Snape, with a dark expression, waved his wand and poured a whole cauldron of steaming Potion into the Dragon's yawning mouth.
The Dragon smacked its lips, wisps of green smoke rising from its nostrils, and its massive body slowly collapsed onto the dense tangle of vines.
With a faint rustling sound, the once-majestic Dragon began to shrink rapidly at a visible rate, disappearing into the mountain of vines after a short while.
Professor McGonagall, Professor Bubbling, and Madam Hooch immediately set off, rushing toward the spot where the Dragon had disappeared.
Meanwhile, the other male Professors quickly gathered around Dumbledore.
Amandine also quickly lowered her flight altitude, bringing the still-stimulated Adelaide to Dumbledore's side.
Adelaide faintly heard Professor Flitwick muttering under his breath: "It really is too difficult to subdue Miss MacFusty while knowing she could turn back into a young girl at any moment, meaning no harmful spells can be used, all while preventing her from falling to her death from such a height..."
Dumbledore did not relax just because Alice MacFusty had returned to human form. He frowned and said, "Everyone, please do not lower your guard! Since the other side specifically chose to act today, then I suspect things may not be peaceful with Hagrid and Jack either—"
Before Dumbledore could finish his sentence, everyone saw an exceptionally tall figure, covered in blood, sprinting out from the Forbidden Forest carrying a heavy object.
And beside this figure, several Centaurs followed closely, their faces filled with rage as if they were on the verge of a violent outburst.
As the group drew closer, Adelaide, standing to the side, finally saw clearly—that figure was actually a battered and bruised Hagrid!
And on his broad, thick shoulders, he was carrying the unconscious Defense Against the Dark Arts Professor, Jack MacFusty, who was also soaked in blood.
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