Chapter 102 Utilitarianism or Friendship

Beside the bonfire, Maca rubbed his cheeks vigorously—he had put on a good show with Slytherin just now, and it really took him a lot of expression.

Around him, many students crowded around him to praise the open-air party. Many graduates have expressed that this is probably the most precious memory since entering Hogwarts.

Of course there are quite a few precious memories, but this is the first memory that can clearly point out its "value"!

Maca raised the corners of her mouth, forced herself to smile, and then chatted with everyone.

To be honest, the real purpose of Maca holding the party is indeed utilitarian, but from another perspective, he may not have the intention of "really wanting to make friends with everyone".

The word "friend" can be light or heavy; but no matter how you say it, it is something that can affect a person's life.

Although for the current Maca, friendship is really difficult to understand, but this does not prevent him from using the "past self" as the criterion to spend more time deciding how to act.

As time went on, more Slytherins joined the ranks around the campfire. It can be seen that they are not used to such simple, enthusiastic, and even rude exchanges, but Maca usually takes the trouble to help them understand each other and integrate into it.

The night was getting deeper, and everyone was a little tired from the quarrel, but just when Maca was about to announce the end of the party, everyone felt a little strange...

"Did you feel like it suddenly became cold?"

The little wizards communicated with each other in doubt, and as the feeling of uneasiness gradually rose, the venue became quiet. But the professors have already drawn out their wands—they know very well that those dementors must be coming again!

At this moment, the calmest person in the audience was of course Maca - he couldn't be calm if he wanted to, but Snape's appearance was actually not inferior to him.

Both of them squinted their eyes, Maca was staring closely at the direction of Hogsmeade village, and the cold air was coming from the opposite side of the hillside; while Snape, on the contrary, stared at Hogsmeade blankly. Maca is watching.

Snape was very curious about Maca's strength. He always felt that every time Maca made a move, it would bring everyone a big surprise.

Maca will of course bring surprises to everyone.

Not to mention the past few shots, at least today, he has long been mentally prepared for the "dementor will come".

Since those dark creatures would patrol the streets of Hogsmeade village at night, the huge "happiness" released at the party was almost like a delicacy specially prepared for them.

Although it is not clear why Dumbledore acquiesced to the holding of this party, even he did not come to attend it at ease; but it can be seen from the fact that he also acquiesced in the participation of the professors, he has already identified the Dementor They will come suddenly.

"Don't panic, everyone, gather in the middle!" Maca suddenly said loudly.

The restless students heard the words, and subconsciously obeyed Maca's command, and almost all of them crowded towards him.

After the last dementor attack on the Quidditch pitch, everyone was familiar with the chill. At this moment, Maca's words are like a key, opening the door of everyone's memory.

"Is... is it a dementor?" one of the Slytherins said nervously, taking a few more steps in the middle.

At this moment, several black figures suddenly appeared on the top of the opposite hillside, and they were floating away from the ground, coming this way. Behind them, more and more terrifying figures gradually appeared.

The students couldn't help but exclaimed in a low voice.

The professors all stepped forward, standing in the middle of the dementors and the little wizards without hesitation, their wands all lit up with a familiar silver mist.

At this time, of course Maca was not idle,

He took out a large potion bottle from his waist—it was as big as two adult fists, and such potion bottles were obviously not common.

Snape frowned and looked at the big potion bottle with a thoughtful expression.

At this moment, the dementors were getting closer and closer, and the surrounding chill became more and more solid, and everyone shrank their necks involuntarily.

Maca noticed that the students who were closest to that side began to keep retreating, and everyone was getting closer and closer.

"It's time." Maca thought so, and pulled out the cork decisively.

Immediately, an extremely dense milky white mist quickly emerged from the bottle mouth and spread out in a spherical shape.

The haze of light spread very quickly, and its range was quite wide, not only covering the students, but also covering the professors standing in the front.

"Everyone, don't worry, this kind of light and fog can prevent dementors from approaching. As long as you stay inside, you will be safe!" Maca said loudly, "Leave everything to the professors, and you will be fine soon!"

"By the way, everyone, let me go..."

He squeezed all the way to the front, and then quickly walked out of the area full of white light mist, standing behind the professors.

Yes, he had no intention of using his wand today at all. With several professors around, he just had to watch.

Although the number of dementors attracted this time was not small, compared to the time at the Quidditch stadium, it was obviously less than half. The professors, who had no worries about their future, summoned their own patron saints, and quickly drove the dementors away.

In fact, if there is no light and mist shield made by Maca, the students will have nothing to do, at best it is just a piece of chocolate.

But it is a very meaningful thing to give everyone a sense of security when everyone is panicking.

Afterwards, under the leadership of Professor McGonagall, everyone packed up and went back to Hogwarts in a carriage pulled by Thestrals.

On the way back, everyone happily discussed about the party...of course, there was also the experience of being attacked by a dementor just now.

To be honest, the little wizards didn't have much fear left this time. In addition to the protection of the professors, it has to be said that Makana's seemingly unnecessary behavior also contributed a lot.

...

The next morning, in one of the dormitories in Gryffindor Tower...

"Harry?" Ron called hesitantly.

Harry didn't move, pretending to be asleep.

After a while, he heard Ron leave. After that, there seemed to be another movement, but he was not in the mood to open his eyes to take a look.

Harry didn't sleep much all night, and he felt a hatred running through him that he had never known before, and this hatred was like poison.

Dazedly, he saw Blake laughing at him through the darkness, as if someone had taken a magic photo from an album and pasted it in front of his eyes.

He watched as if someone was showing a movie for him, and Sirius Black was blowing Pettigrew to pieces - for some reason Peter looked like Neville.

He seemed to hear someone muttering excitedly: "It's over, master... The Potters have made me their secret keeper..."

Then came the voice of another man, who laughed sharply. It was the man's voice that he would hear in his head when the dementors approached...

It wasn't until near noon that he got up from the bed, only then did he realize that there was no one in the dormitory.

He dressed and walked down the spiral staircase to the common room. There was no one there either, just Ron, who was eating a toad mint and massaging his stomach, and Hermione, who was spreading homework across three desks.

"Harry, you—you don't look very well." Ron said, looking at him.

"Where is everyone?" Harry asked.

"Let's go! It's the first day of the holidays, remember?" said Ron, watching Harry carefully. "It's almost lunch time, and I was going to wake you up right away."

"Yeah! If it wasn't for the open-air party last night, everyone would have gone home yesterday." Hermione followed, "Just after visiting Hogsmeade Village."

Harry sank into the chair by the fireplace. Snowflakes are still flying outside the window. Crookshanks lay sprawled in front of the hearth like a great ginger blanket.

"You're really looking bad, you know?" said Hermione, looking anxiously into his face.

"I'm fine," Harry said dryly.

"Listen, Harry," said Hermione, exchanging glances with Ron, "you must be distraught by what we heard yesterday. But the point is, you must not do anything stupid - and, Ma Doesn't Ka think something's wrong? You know, he's usually right—"

"So what!" Harry said angrily, "Whether it's Black or Peter, the outcome of the matter has not changed at all... Besides, what stupid things can I do?"

"Like... going after Black," said Ron sharply.

Harry knew that the two of them had probably rehearsed this conversation before he came down. He didn't say anything.

"You wouldn't do that, would you, Harry?" said Hermione.

"It's not worth dying for Black," Ron went on.

"As soon as the dementor approached me, I could see and hear something, you know?" Ron and Hermione both shook their heads with worried expressions.

"I could hear my mother screaming, I could hear her pleading with Voldemort. If you heard your mother screaming like that, before she was about to be killed... you would never forget it! If you found someone , everyone thought he was her friend, but he betrayed her and told Voldemort to go after her—”

Just then, a figure appeared at the door of the common room.

"So, what do you want to do?"

"Maca?" Hermione asked in surprise, "Didn't you go back? Also, how did you pass the fat woman?"

"It just so happened that I came from Professor McGonagall, and she told me the password." Maca said calmly, "As for why I didn't go back, that's exactly what I want to say..."