prynovel Chapter 251 The Screaming Strategy and Rejection
Chapter 251 The Screaming Strategy and Rejection
Chapter 251 The Screaming Strategy and Rejection (4.6K) (1/2)
What is it looking for?
Just as Lin Qi was filled with doubts and becoming increasingly wary, the Dementor that had just completed its "confirmation" was suddenly struck by an invisible force, its massive black-robed body abruptly drifting back several meters! It seemed to have confirmed a fact that had shocked or terrified it greatly.
The next second, it suddenly raised its "head" that was completely hidden under the hood, and a sharp shriek that could not be heard but directly shook the soul suddenly erupted from it!
"Awooo—!!!"
This shriek is not a sound wave in the physical sense, but a manifestation of despair, a noise that directly gnaws at the soul.
The moment the howl sounded, the forbidden forest within a hundred meters radius of the stone house seemed to be swept by invisible ripples of death.
The summer insects, shivering in the wisps of cold air, froze instantly, falling from the grass and branches, their tiny flames of life abruptly extinguished.
Several tree-guarding bowels, hiding in the nearby bushes, huddled together in fear, trembling, having lost even the courage to run away.
In the more distant Forbidden Forest, the Thestrals neighed uneasily, stamping their hooves restlessly, instinctively trying to escape the source of this terror.
Almost at the same time that the Dementor let out its shriek, the Dementors that had been slowly circling above the stone house also seemed to receive a unified command, raising their heads in unison and letting out the same piercing shriek, enough to drive any sane person insane instantly!
"Awooo—!!!"
More shrieks echoed from the darkness in the distance, as the Dementors that were gathering from all directions joined this terrifying chorus.
In an instant, the entire sky was filled with this silent yet deafening sonic boom of despair, as if the gates of hell had been opened!
Lin Qi's brows furrowed instantly.
Although he had isolated himself from all mental attacks with his soul armor, the chill that seemed to freeze the very essence of his soul and the pure malice contained in the noise still made him extremely uncomfortable.
Just as this piercing scream reached its peak, as if even the moonlight was about to be completely swallowed and frozen by this pure darkness and despair, a voice cried out, "Stop! Cease immediately! In the name of the Ministry of Magic!"
A young male voice, distorted by extreme fear yet forcibly mustering courage, attempted to pierce through the suffocating shriek.
Almost at the same moment that shout rang out, the leader of the Dementors abruptly stopped its shrieking.
Without any transition or lingering echo, the soul-tearing noise was as if it had been abruptly severed by an invisible blade.
From the extreme, maddening noise, one instantly plunges into an even more chilling silence.
This abrupt stillness was more unsettling than the continuous shrieking, like the suffocating calm before a storm, foreshadowing something unknown and more terrifying.
A young official dressed in the Ministry of Magic's standard black robes was seen riding an ordinary-looking broomstick, flying erratically and almost stumbling towards the stone house.
He was clearly terrified by the sight of hordes of Dementors screaming in unison below; his face was ashen in the moonlight, and his hand gripping the broom handle trembled violently.
But he still suppressed the instinctive fear and urged the broom to lower the height.
He dared not get too close, especially near the Dementor, which was clearly the leader and exuded an eerily terrifying aura. He stopped at what he considered a relatively safe distance, mustered his remaining courage, and shouted shrilly down below, "Back! Return to your designated patrol areas immediately! Search for the fugitive Sirius Black! That's an order! Do not gather here! Disperse immediately!"
His voice was somewhat hysterical with fear, but it still carried clearly in the silent night and as the screams gradually subsided.
The Dementor's gaze, hidden beneath its hood, slowly shifted away from Lynch, turning slightly as if it were looking at the Ministry of Magic official, who was riding a broomstick and staggering as he tried to approach, his face as pale as paper.
A moment of oppressive silence, as if weighing the options.
Then, it slowly turned its "head" back and looked again at Lynch, who was still standing on the roof.
Beneath that hollow hood, it seemed as if some unseen gaze swept across Lin Qi's face one last time.
Then, its massive black-robed body began to slowly turn, as if preparing to obey a command and leave with its kin, who were like muted devices, ceasing their shrieks, and merge into the darkness in the distance.
Just as it turned around, Lin Qi's calm voice rang out: "Would you like to talk sometime?"
The Dementor paused almost imperceptibly.
It didn't turn back or make any further indication. It simply accelerated slightly and, along with the other Dementors, transformed into blurry black shadows, silently gliding past the treetops and disappearing into the deep night of the Forbidden Forest, leaving behind only the bone-chilling cold and the lingering, nauseating despair in the air.
The young Ministry of Magic official visibly relaxed when the Dementors retreated. He wiped the cold sweat from his forehead, struggled to control the still trembling broom handle, and carefully flew to Lynch's side.
He glanced with awe at the figure on the rooftop, which appeared exceptionally mysterious and composed in the moonlight, swallowed hard, and called out, "Sir! Good evening! I am Edgar Casey, a trainee officer of the Ministry of Magic's Azkaban Oversight Committee." He flashed his identification, though it was difficult to read in the darkness.
"Excuse me—what happened just now? Why did those Dementors gather at your residence? Their—their collective screams just now were very unusual! Do you know what caused it? And, who are you—?"
He bombarded us with questions, driven by a sense of duty as an official, but more so by an undisguised nervousness and lingering fear.
Lin Qi looked down at the young official, a gentle and polite smile slowly appearing on his face.
This smile was completely different from his calm and indifferent demeanor when he faced the Dementors, as if it instantly dispelled some of the chill in the surroundings.
"Good evening, Mr. Casey." His voice was calm, with a reassuring strength. "I am Jim Lynch, Professor of Magical Studies at Hogwarts. I am temporarily residing here to conduct some independent research in magic."
He gently raised his hand, gracefully brushing away non-existent dust from his sleeve, his tone carrying a perfectly measured hint of helplessness and confusion: "As for these Dementors—to be honest, I was quite surprised myself. They suddenly gathered here, seemingly because of me—well, perhaps because I'm currently the only human in the Forbidden Forest?" He offered a guess that was barely plausible. "As for that shriek, I'm afraid we'll have to ask them themselves. I was just about to try and communicate with them—to see if I could get them to leave, since it's seriously disturbing my rest. Fortunately, you arrived in time, Mr. Casey; your authority is clearly more effective than my attempts."
His words were calm and composed, and his explanations were reasonable. He not only cleared himself of suspicion, but also shifted the focus of the issue to the abnormality of the Dementors themselves and the jurisdiction of the Ministry of Magic. Finally, he subtly complimented the other party.
The young Casey official was reassured by Lynch's calm demeanor and reasonable explanation.
Professors at Hogwarts, conducting independent research—it sounds reasonable.
Moreover, the other party was a powerful wizard who could face so many Dementors on his own. His attitude towards me was so cooperative and his smile so gentle. He didn't seem like a dangerous person who would provoke Dementors.
It must be that these damned monsters have done something strange again.
"Oh—I see." Casey nodded, putting away the parchment and quill she was using to record the events. "I'm very sorry to have disturbed you, Professor Lynch. These Dementors have indeed been quite restless lately—we will increase our surveillance. Please rest assured, we will also record tonight's unusual events. It's late, so I won't disturb your rest any longer."
He bowed again, then mounted his broomstick again. Although he was still a little unsteady, he was much calmer than when he arrived. He flew toward Hogsmeade, where there was a temporary command office for their Ministry of Magic officials, to prepare to report to his superiors on the "abnormal gathering of Dementors" that night.
Lin Qi watched the light disappear into the night, his polite smile slowly fading as he returned to calm.
The night wind brushed against his black hair, carrying the damp scent of the Forbidden Forest, trying to dispel the lingering, cold despair belonging to the Dementors.
He turned his gaze once more to the depths of the Forbidden Forest where the Dementors had vanished, his eyes deep and thoughtful.
According to the records of the Ministry of Magic and common knowledge, Dementors are monsters that cannot be communicated with and act solely on instinct.
But just now, he clearly sensed it.
The momentary pause that followed the question, "Can we talk?", was not a reaction to meaningless noise.
It is a pause—a reaction to linguistic information.
Is it true that Dementors cannot communicate?
Nonsense.
Moreover, they seemed to know him?
Or rather...to recognize some quality in him...
Thinking of this, Lin Qi's eyes narrowed slightly, a sharp glint flashing in his deep eyes.
It seems that these creatures, regarded as a plague in the magical world and driven only by instinctual devouring desires, are not truly mindless beasts; at least, the one just now wasn't.
It came with a purpose, and after achieving its purpose, it chose to leave.
This abnormal, almost "rational" behavior, and their unusual "interest" in him, are mysteries that must be explored.
Passive waiting has never been my style.
With that thought in mind, Lin Qi finally made a move.
He took a step forward naturally and casually.
Beneath my feet lies the void beyond the edge of the roof.
However, he did not fall due to missing the bottom of his shoe.
The moment he landed, the air beneath his feet seemed to solidify into invisible, subtly resilient steps, supporting his weight. Step by step, he calmly and unhurriedly "walked" down from the rooftop along a non-existent, downward-sloping path.
His posture remained relaxed, with his left hand in his pocket and his right hand hanging naturally at his sides, as if he were simply walking down a few ordinary steps during a stroll.
The moonlight outlined his tall and slender figure, moving through the void with an unnatural elegance and tranquility.
When he lightly stepped onto the damp grass in front of the stone house, the blade of grass under his feet, illuminated by the moonlight, did not even bend excessively.
He stopped and looked around.
The chirping of insects had not yet resumed, and the small animals remained huddled in their nests, shivering. The air was filled with a deathly silence, a silence born of the loss of life.
Only the lights of the distant castle and the eternal stars overhead proved that the world had not been completely swallowed by darkness.
Lin Qi took a deep breath of the cold air, dispelling the unpleasant lingering smell.
His gaze returned to the depths of the Forbidden Forest, to the direction where the Dementors had vanished.
Finding the cause requires clues and methods.
It is unwise to directly track and attempt to communicate with Dementors.
The Ministry of Magic views them as important law enforcement tools and political assets, and the level of surveillance they exert is beyond imagination. Any unauthorized contact could immediately trigger an alarm, bringing unnecessary attention to oneself and the Stone Tower Merchant Guild, or even being misinterpreted as an attempt to manipulate dark forces.
He turned to face the stone house that gleamed softly white in the moonlight.
The door slid open silently, as if welcoming the owner's return.
Perhaps... we should try a more roundabout, but also more in-depth, approach?
The wooden door closed, ending the night.
The following morning, the bright sunlight streamed through the windows, casting luminous shadows into the office on the second floor of Lynch Castle.
Lin Qi sat behind his desk, holding a document that looked like an ordinary piece of parchment in his hand.
However, if a skilled wizard is present, they can sense the faint magical fluctuations attached to the parchment, ensuring that only specific magical imprints can read its contents.
The record details Dobby, the Malfoy family's house-elf, and his recent activities: serving in the main house in the morning, tending the fence and feeding the animals outdoors in the afternoon, and returning to the main house in the evening.
His long, slender fingers tapped lightly on the table, his eyes thoughtful.
Just then, there were a few slightly hurried but polite knocks on the door.
"Knock, knock, knock."
Lin Qi's eyes flickered slightly, and the parchment in his hand instantly glowed. The ink on it disappeared as if washed away by water, restoring it to a blank sheet of paper.
He casually placed it among a stack of ordinary lesson plans on the table before calmly saying, "Please come in."
The door was gently pushed open, and Harry appeared in the doorway.
His face bore obvious worry, his emerald green eyes a mixture of anxiety and anticipation at seeing Lin Qi. He had clearly rushed here; some of his black hair was stuck to his forehead with sweat, and his breathing was somewhat rapid.
"Uncle Lynch—" Harry began, his voice trembling slightly.
"Harry," Lynch said with a gentle smile, beckoning him closer. "Coming to see me at this hour? Didn't you go to class? Looks like something important has come up." He glanced at Harry's expression and had a guess in his mind. It was probably related to the well-known "accident" in yesterday's Magical Creatures Protection class.
Harry hurried to the desk, his hands gripping the smooth surface with a nervous gait. "Hagrid! He's in big trouble! Yesterday in class, Malfoy got his arm scratched by Buckbeak—that hippogriff—and although Madam Pomfrey healed him instantly, the Malfoys aren't going to let it go! We went to see Hagrid last night, and he was devastated, thinking he was definitely going to be expelled—"
He spoke quickly, recounting the whole story and his worries in one breath.
Lynch listened quietly without interrupting him until Harry finished speaking and looked at him with pleading eyes. Only then did he slowly lean back in his chair, his fingertips gently touching.
"I heard about the incident in class," Lynch said calmly, with a reassuring tone. "So, Harry, what would you like me to do?"
Harry looked at Lynch anxiously, his emerald eyes filled with pleading: "Uncle Lynch, we all know it's not Hagrid's fault! It was Malfoy who disobeyed orders and deliberately provoked us! But Lucius Malfoy has a lot of influence in the Ministry of Magic, and he'll definitely use this as an excuse—Hagrid loves Hogwarts so much, loves teaching students, and if he's expelled for something like this—it's so unfair! Please, you can definitely help him, right? You know so many people, and you have influence in the Ministry of Magic—"
He placed almost all his hopes on the calm and seemingly omnipotent elder in front of him.
However, Lin Qi listened quietly to what he had to say, his gentle smile unchanged, but he slowly and firmly shook his head.
"No, Harry. I won't get involved in this for now."
"What?!" Harry froze, his face drained of color, as if he couldn't believe his ears.