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'It actually works?'
Dudley found it unbelievable. Weren't Dementors supposed to be afraid only of the Patronus Charm?
Strictly speaking, even the Patronus Charm did not kill Dementors instantly. It could repel them and steadily weaken their influence.
And so Dudley tried the wizarding world's illumination spell, Lumos. Unsurprisingly, it had no effect on the Dementor at all.
If Lumos worked, then Incendio should have worked too.
Only the Illumination Spell taught by the system could do it.
Dudley tried the Illumination Spell again. Sure enough, it could harm Dementors.
The area struck by the Illumination Spell looked as though it had been burned, its rotten body turning charred black. Yet real fire could not burn Dementors at all.
'Magic is truly interesting.'
"Then how about this?"
Dudley extended one finger again. Points of golden sparks burst from his fingertip. This time, it was not the Illumination Spell, but Hamon Energy.
He lightly poked the Dementor.
That little poke had a much stronger effect than expected. The Dementor hissed again, and this time its reaction was even stronger than before.
When Dudley withdrew his finger, a hole had formed directly in the place he had poked.
'Hm?'
Dudley poked again.
Another hole.
Another poke.
Another hole.
As he poked, Dudley sank into thought.
This feeling was like facing a vampire wearing a Stone Mask.
Those vampires also feared Hamon Energy like this.
No, it was not only that they feared Hamon Energy. Even the way they were created was similar.
After being drained of blood by a vampire, a person could become an undead being of the same nature as the vampire. To create a new Dementor, a person's soul had to be sucked away.
One was physical.
One was spiritual.
"Hm?"
By the time Dudley reacted and withdrew his finger, the Dementor had gone from floating to lying on the ground, barely holding together.
Its body was already riddled with countless holes.
The ragged cloak it had originally worn had completely become strips of cloth.
'What a pity. I was planning to run a few other experiments.'
Dudley looked at the Dementor regretfully.
'Then I will make use of the remains and have it contribute one final thing.'
Dudley stepped on the ground and brought his hands together. The alchemical array beneath the Dementor gradually changed, and its color turned blood-red.
The essence of a Dementor was soul.
Although it was a foul, unbearable soul, theoretically, it could still be used for alchemy.
Then Dudley silently took out half a pig carcass and tossed it into the center of the alchemical array, overlapping it with the Dementor.
Carrying pork around had already become one of Dudley's good habits.
Before long, the red light gradually faded. The pork, the rotten strips of cloth on the Dementor, and the Dementor itself all disappeared. Only a Philosopher's Stone lay alone on the ground.
Dudley walked forward and picked up the Philosopher's Stone.
There were no magic crystals around it. It seemed Dementors were not like Voldemort's remnant soul.
But a Philosopher's Stone alone was already enough.
Unfortunately, this red was not the bright crimson created from Voldemort's remnant soul before. It was dark red, and when light passed through it, one could see that the ruby-like stone was filled with impurities.
It was a Philosopher's Stone of rather poor quality.
Its size was also much, much smaller, not even one-tenth the size of Voldemort's stone.
If quality was lacking, quantity could make up the difference.
Voldemort, even including all his Horcruxes, did not have that many pieces. Dementors were different. As Azkaban's local specialty, they were practically everywhere.
If he ever had the chance to refine all of Azkaban, the results would be impressive.
'If I get the chance, I can catch a few more. These are all moving Philosopher's Stones.'
The Dementors flying around the outer perimeter of Hogwarts did not know they had already been targeted.
After dinner the next day, Ron, who was just preparing for a perfectly good round of Wizard Cards with Harry, was called back by Dudley.
"Ron, do you have time later? I said we should talk."
"I do." Ron sighed. If it was good news, fine. If it was bad news, there was no avoiding it.
Ron lowered his head and followed Dudley until the two of them reached the eighth floor.
A door appeared on the wall. Dudley gently turned the handle and led Ron inside.
"Where is this?"
Ron said in surprise. He had never known there was such a magical place inside the castle.
"The Room of Requirement."
"Hogwarts is full of surprises."
Dudley found a stool in the room and sat down. What he had wanted was a room where they could train.
"Sit."
Ron sat down somewhat anxiously.
Although they had known each other for a long time, being alone with Dudley still made Ron a little nervous.
Dudley's presence was simply too intimidating.
"Ron, would you mind changing pets?"
It was over. It was over. Big D really wanted to feed Scabbers to that fat cat.
Dudley's first sentence made Ron's heart go cold. In an almost pleading voice, he said, "B-Big D... can we not feed Scabbers to him? He really does not taste good."
Dudley: "?"
"Don't worry. No one will eat your Scabbers. You may not have understood what I meant."
"I mean, have you ever thought about raising a different pet?"
Of course no one would eat Scabbers.
The one who would eat Scabbers was not human at all.
"Scabbers is my only companion. He is my brother in arms, my dearest friend! I cannot lose him!"
Although Ron was afraid, he still spoke up to defend his pet, tightly holding Scabbers in his arms.
Ever since Hermione brought Crookshanks back to the Gryffindor common room, Ron had kept Scabbers with him at all times, afraid that if he was careless for even a moment, Scabbers would be dragged away and eaten. As a pet owner, Ron had done his part.
Scabbers's condition was not very good. He looked listless, as though he had been badly frightened by Crookshanks.
'It will be fine. It will be fine. Big D is usually a very reasonable and principled person.'
Ron kept comforting himself.
"You truly did not understand what I meant."
Dudley took a small cage from his left pocket. In the middle of the soft cushion lay a sleeping Niffler.
This was not the one Dudley raised himself, but a Niffler cub.
"I remember you said you wanted to raise a Niffler."
Dudley spoke softly.
Raising a Niffler was something Ron dreamed of. It was just that their family could not afford such an expensive pet. It was not that they absolutely could not afford it, but Mrs. Weasley would not spend that many Galleons to buy Ron a pet.
A Niffler cost far more than a wand.
'Actually, I don't like Scabbers that much.'
Looking at the tiny, soft, lovable creature in the cage, Ron almost blurted it out.
"If you do not like it, forget it."
Dudley set the cage down with some regret.
From the moment the Niffler appeared, Ron's eyes had not moved away.
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