Regulus Black had left the Crimson Manor. Charlize Theron and Jennifer Connelly also boarded their flight back to the United States.
The jewelry Regulus Black gave them not only had wealth-enhancing attributes but also ensured their safety and traceability. If anything truly unavoidable were to happen, Regulus Black could Apparate to them immediately.
The post-production of Crimson Peak was already underway, so the director wouldn't be seeking Regulus Black again any time soon.
Therefore, it was time to take care of matters at Hogwarts.
The annual Quidditch tournament was once again in full swing. Despite the presence of Dementors, Hogwarts had not canceled the event.
However, the weather this year was far from pleasant—violent winds and rain lashed at everyone's faces. The young wizards who hadn't yet mastered protective spells struggled even to keep their eyes open to watch the match.
"Protego Maxima! Armor Fortis! Impervius!"
As soon as he arrived at the stands, Regulus Black cast the three spells to shield the area. Though he wasn't fond of watching Quidditch, he couldn't resist the pleas of numerous girls. Surrounded by fans, he claimed a stand as usual.
The Protego Maxima created a protective dome that enveloped the stands, Armor Fortis gave everyone inside an invisible suit of armor, and Impervius repelled all rainwater.
While the other stands were drenched in heavy rain, Regulus Black's stand remained dry and crystal-clear, making him feel like he was leisurely enjoying the rain from the serenity of a pavilion.
The stand had also been magically enlarged using the Undetectable Extension Charm, otherwise, it couldn't have held nearly all of Hogwarts' female students.
There were the entirety of Ravenclaw, most of Hufflepuff, half of Slytherin, and a few girls from Gryffindor.
Seated at the center, Regulus Black looked up at the darkening sky. The rain clouds above had grown thick—this thunderstorm would last for quite a while.
When he had first returned, he happened to arrive right after Harry Potter's Divination class. Being one of the easiest subjects to earn credits in, students attended it whether they liked it or not. Those in the know spent every class brainstorming death scenarios—for themselves or their classmates—to amuse the eccentric Professor Sybill Trelawney.
No student ever truly believed that Professor Trelawney could predict the future. They thought Dumbledore had made a grave error by hiring a fraud who had now been teaching at Hogwarts for thirteen years.
No one had ever tried to explore Professor Trelawney's past. They didn't know that it was one of her prophecies that had once sent Voldemort into a panic, causing him to hunt down the child in the prophecy—ultimately leading to the death of Harry Potter's parents.
It would obviously be inappropriate for Regulus Black to discuss that prophecy with Harry now. Children at that age couldn't grasp the true nature of prophecy. Any explanation would pale in comparison to letting them stumble through it on their own.
Harry Potter's own child would one day do just that—and be so terrified by the result that they never dared try again.
So, Regulus Black decided not to intervene. Let Harry remain blissfully unaware of what the prophecy truly meant.
The "Grim" that Professor Trelawney spoke of could refer to Sirius Black—the notorious Death Eater—or to the dog-shaped shadow formed by the thick, dark clouds in the sky.
Since Draco Malfoy had been injured after provoking the hippogriff Buckbeak, he gave up his role as Seeker. The previous Slytherin Seeker resumed the position. That had been Regulus Black's plan all along: to have Draco fake the injury, just as he had in the original timeline. After all, who knew if Draco—had he taken the position—could've avoided the Dementors' attacks while trying to outshine Harry Potter?
Clearly, it wasn't wise to gamble against the protagonist's plot armor.
In fact, Regulus Black had tampered with the Slytherin Seeker's equipment. A badge charged with electromagnetic energy, given by Draco Malfoy, was meant to inspire the Seeker to win—for both of them.
As expected, the Golden Snitch went berserk, soaring straight into the sky, higher and higher!
Eventually, the Slytherin Seeker, who had gotten a head start, was struck by lightning. Enveloped in dazzling arcs of electricity, he fell from the sky.
At that moment, Harry Potter saw a dog-shaped shadow in the clouds—a patch of darkness flickering with lightning in the distance.
Originally, Harry had a moment of clarity—a warning from deep within—but then the Snitch reappeared, shattering that insight. Chasing the Snitch, Harry flew straight into a death trap.
Frost began forming on his broom, and even his windproof goggles iced over.
Through the blurry vision, he glimpsed a black figure flash past—then another.
But none of it could stop the boy's burning desire to win and catch the Snitch.
Harry flew higher, past the rain zone and into the upper layers of the storm clouds. There, the clouds turned white, and the lightning and thunder ceased. It was like entering the heavens.
That's when Harry finally saw the truth—Dementors, and many of them.
They weaved through the clouds in all directions. Harry adjusted his broom, but the Snitch had vanished. Looking around, all he saw were Dementors swarming. At least four were closing in from below.
That broken sliver of insight returned—so the prophecy meant that seeing the shadowy dog head was a warning of imminent death.
While Harry was being foolish, a Dementor closed in, opened its disgusting black maw, and began sucking away his happiness. Then another Dementor approached…
Harry plummeted, utterly losing the ability to fight back. If the Dementors had grabbed him mid-air and continued their assault, he would've died—no one could've saved him. Not even Dumbledore, powerful as he was, could bring back someone whose soul had been devoured.
That's why Harry Potter is the protagonist. That's why he is the Chosen One.
So, instead of dying, he merely fainted and fell from the sky—just enough for Dumbledore to finally get angry.
Guided by the appetizer Harry had unwittingly provided, the Dementors swarmed toward the Quidditch pitch, now packed with happy students—a feast for the soul-sucking creatures.
The Dementors' primal instincts overpowered their reason. They lost control, turning from guards into predators.
Just as Dumbledore rescued Harry, a swarm of Dementors came darkening the sky.
"What do we do, Mr. Black?!"
Several girls on Regulus Black's stand cried out in panic. However, those closer to him, like Hermione and Cho Chang, looked ready for battle and drew their wands.
"Then let's use the Patronus Charm I taught you all—time to greet these Dementors properly!"
Regulus Black also drew his wand, pointing it at the sky.
"Expecto Patronum!"
A wave of silver light burst from the stand. Patronuses of all shapes and magical creatures soared into the sky.
Among them, Hermione Granger's griffin, Cho Chang's three-legged golden crow, Marietta Edgecombe's winged serpent, and Penelope Clearwater's thunderbird stood out the most.
"Regulus! You promised we'd do it together—release your Patronus too!"
Hermione stomped her foot impatiently, seeing Regulus holding his wand without casting.
"Alright, alright! Since you insist, I'll show you my Patronus."
With a flick of his wand, silver light burst forth in the sky—manifesting two angelic figures, one of light and one of darkness.
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