"Buzz..."
Time seemed to stand still in this moment, everyone just felt a flash of white before their eyes—the light of the Guardian God pierced through the rain curtain, illuminating the originally gloomy skies as bright as daylight, and the Dementors, arranged neatly in the center of the pitch, began to melt like snow upon contact with the dragon-shaped Guardian God.
Of course, they weren't destroyed; instead, they were eradicated by the joyful emotions until they were the size of a Bludger, completely subdued under the guardian's claws.
The despair that had just begun to spread instantly dissipated, and everyone felt that deep-seated joy.
"Cough, cough..."
In the spectators' seats, Grindelwald, who had been choked by tea, suddenly began coughing violently, but the old man with the drenched beard didn't bother to wipe it away, instead standing up abruptly, staring at the giant Guardian God coiled in the center of the field that hadn't disappeared, at a loss for words—
Is this a Guardian God that humans can have?
In historical records, the largest Guardian God was the invincible Giant summoned by Andros—but compared to this gigantic dragon yawning and wagging its tail, the difference was not insignificant.
Grindelwald didn't have a Guardian God. As a Black Wizard, he never tried such a charm, as it probably wouldn't do him any good.
"Albus, is that...?"
The old man frowned, looking at the gray-robed wizard who was standing at the front of the professors' table with his right hand slightly raised.
But he received no answer.
Similarly speechless were the other professors seated in the spectators' area, especially Dumbledore, who had stood up when the Dementors appeared. Now, his face still carried unresolved anger mixed with shock, making the expression on the old man's face somewhat amusing.
This was a rare moment of emotional fluctuation for Dumbledore, but others hardly noticed, as their expressions were not much better.
"Roar—"
Under the stunned gaze of everyone, the giant white dragon suddenly let out a long howl toward the sky, then shattered into bits of starlight dispersed into the air, along with the Dementors it had suppressed under its claws, disappearing together.
"Whew..."
It wasn't until the "dragon" disappeared that Harry started breathing heavily as if he'd just learned how to breathe, clutching his broom with trembling arms, doing his utmost to avoid falling into the muddy water below him, as the heavy rain resumed, once more obscuring everyone's vision.
"Boom—"
Lightning cracked brightly at the edge of the sky, and the muffled thunder broke the silence in the field, with players on both sides rising on their brooms again. Harry watched them looking at each other in confusion, as the recent incident had left everyone at a loss.
"Everyone, back to the castle—"
Fortunately, this feeling of "bewilderment" hadn't spread far before a sonorous voice interrupted, and Dumbledore's figure appeared at the front of the teachers' table, his Sonorus-enhanced voice quickly spreading, containing undisguised anger.
After such an incident, the Quidditch match obviously couldn't continue—
Now, there are more important matters to attend to, like those Dementors that disappeared...
"Professor, I think Fudge and the Ministry of Magic won't overlook this..."
Professor McGonagall's face was filled with worry. Upon discovering the disappearance of those Dementors, she was the quickest to break free from the shock. After all, while those creatures are disagreeable, they are essentially the prison guards of Azkaban and employees of the Ministry of Magic. When one went missing before, Fudge made quite a fuss...
Now with so many gone at once, it's hard to imagine how many loopholes those politicians might find.
"By the way, do you know the one who cast that Guardian God just now..."
After a pause, seeing Dumbledore not answer, Professor McGonagall seemed a bit anxious, asking Lee Jordan to relay a message to Percy to take care of Gryffindor's students. She then stepped briskly to Dumbledore's side, following his gaze to see an empty space beneath the rain curtain.
"…Should know."
Dumbledore's beard trembled gently. He paused for a moment and then nodded.
"Was it really him?"
Beside him, Grindelwald couldn't resist, grabbing Old Bee's arm, with a look of inquiry in his eyes—he knew about that person's "terror," but hadn't expected it to be so terrifying... That level of emotion, influencing the whole spectators' stand—
How exaggerated must his heart's beautiful memories be? Did he save the world or something?
"Professor Percival? You know that person too?"
McGonagall turned puzzledly towards Professor Percival, who had been at the school for a semester but still wasn't well-acquainted with their circle.
But before any answers could come, a clear cough interrupted their discussion. They simultaneously turned to see a girl in a heavy cloak standing behind them, holding a small, exquisite suitcase.
"... Miss Granger?"
Professor McGonagall widened her eyes in surprise. She took a glance at Dumbledore beside her, seeing that he just stared at the suitcase, seemingly speechless, she stepped forward two paces, forcing a smile at the corners of her mouth, "Why are you here?"