0203 The Final Winner (Part-4)

'Favour from Professor Watson's Practical Class Last Year' 

Harry helped Neville up in a hurry and struggled to free his feet from the sticky mud that clung to his shoes. He had already drawn his wand and was ready to strike first, since Pansy Parkinson had done such a 'dishonourable' and despicable act of pushing them into the swamp. Harry thought he didn't have to follow Professor Watson's rules anymore. 

But Malfoy, who was lying on the side of the boat and reaching out his hand, made Harry a little confused. He stayed in place for two or three seconds, before he figured out what Malfoy was talking about. His expression turned weird. He couldn't believe what he was seeing. Malfoy was actually a person with a conscience and gratitude. How ridiculous was that?! 

"Are you crazy, Draco?" Seeing this scene, Pansy widened her incredulous eyes and screamed, "That's Potter, are you scared out of your wits?!" 

She couldn't understand why Draco would offer to help their enemy. 

"Shut up, Pansy, you don't need to teach me what to do!" 

Draco turned his head and glared at Pansy, then looked at Harry. His tone was very annoyed. He hated to admit that he owed Harry a favor for saving him from the inferi. 

"Hurry up, Potter, get on the boat while I haven't changed my mind!" 

He snapped, hoping that Harry would take his hand and end this awkward situation. Harry was doubtful. He didn't dare to believe that Malfoy was really kind. He wondered if this was a trap or a trick. But the Hinkypunk that came out of the fog wouldn't wait for them to sort things out. In silence, it had already crept up behind Harry and Neville, twenty feet away. 

Swoosh!

On the island of Avalon, among a group of powerful undead creatures, the Hinkypunk could only be reduced to a bait for deception. It lured unsuspecting victims with its lantern and then devoured them. But in the outside world, it was a real dangerous creature that was corrupted by dark magic. 

On the river channel filled with thin mist, the Hinkypunk, which walked on the water with a strong single leg, let out a mournful scream. It was a signal for its prey to panic and run. Then, its body that was rolling with black smoke suddenly disappeared. When it appeared again, it had raised its five-inch claws and lunged at Harry! It aimed for his neck, hoping to rip his throat open. 

The wind hadn't risen, but Harry had already felt a chill rising from his spine. It swam to the back of his head in an instant. He felt a cold sweat on his forehead, and his heart skipped a beat.. 

Time seemed to slow down at this moment. Harry saw Malfoy's face twisted by fear, close at hand. He saw Pansy, who was holding the helm, slowly loosening the wheel and pouncing on the power device at the stern. 

At the door of the classroom, the young wizards who were caught off guard by the sudden changes were stunned. Hermione unconsciously pinched Ron's arm. Her pure yellow pupils showed despair. And Ron, whose arm had been pinched purple, also forgot to cry out in pain. He opened his mouth and saw the tragedy happening, but had no time to react.

Bryan raised his eyebrows, ready to activate the restriction magic that he had engraved on the Hinkypunk's body, But the next thing that happened made Bryan's raised fingers slow down. He decided to watch the situation first. He was impressed and surprised. 

"Watch out, Harry!" 

At the critical moment, it was Neville, who was clumsy, who reacted first. He shouted loudly and suddenly pushed Harry into the water. 

Malfoy, who retreated instinctively, fell into the cabin. He hit his head on the wooden floor, and felt a sharp pain. He cursed and groaned. He was confused and regretful. And Pansy, who pounced on the stern, pressed one hand on the power device and took out her wand with the other hand. She controlled the helm to move. Ignoring Malfoy's shouting, the boat turned swiftly and sped towards the left track.

The claws swept across Neville's back, and a few silk threads floated in the air. They were the shreds of his robe, stained with blood. The air was filled with indescribable depression. It was a moment of horror and sorrow. 

"Neville!" 

Harry, who was pushed into the water, bounced up as soon as he touched the bottom. He let out a scream. His left hand wrapped around Neville's neck and dragged him back. His right hand swung out his wand, and the red light of the disarming curse immediately shot towards the Hinkypunk's claws that came over again. He fought back with all his strength, hoping to drive it away. But this Hinkypunk was so agile that it It dodged Harry's disarming curse in the nick of time and appeared in another direction in the blink of an eye. It was cunning and relentless. 

"I'm fine, Harry." 

Neville, who was soaked all over, staggered up. His face was covered with water droplets, and he couldn't tell which ones were swamp water and which ones were sweat. He felt a cold shiver run down his spine, and his teeth chattered. He touched his back, and when he found that he was not injured, he said in a shocked tone. 

"I am all right?" 

He couldn't believe that he had survived the Hinkypunk's attack. Harry gasped and looked at Malfoy and Pansy who had escaped. His eyes were filled with anger.

'Sure enough, these despicable Slytherins were not trustworthy!' 

"What should we do now, Harry? Will Professor Watson come to save us?" 

Neville also pulled out his wand in a panic, but the thin stick in his hand couldn't give him much sense of security. He felt helpless and scared. He wished that someone would come and rescue them from this nightmare. 

"I don't know, Neville–" 

Harry's eyes pierced through the foggy track, and vaguely saw Professor Watson standing on the bank of the river.

"I think Professor Watson definitely won't sit idly by and watch his monster kill people in front of him, but he probably won't make a move until we suffer a bit." 

Harry had to say that he had a clear understanding of Bryan, and his teaching philosophy of Defence Against the Dark Arts. It was to restore the real dangerous situation as much as possible, and force the young wizards to improve themselves on the line of life and death. 

Anyway, it was very difficult to fight against such a flexible monster in the water. Harry used the freezing curse again–it was Hermione who taught him this spell. Last year, Hermione used this spell to deal with the Cornish pixies that Gilderoy Lockhart released in the classroom. Harry remembered how Hermione had saved them from the chaos, and wished that she was here with them. He missed her intelligence and courage. 

Harry and Neville helped each other climb onto the ice, facing the smoky monster who was plotting how to tear them apart. Both of them were wondering what kind of spells they were good at that could deal with it. They knew that they had to act fast, or they would be doomed. 

"Expelliarmus!" 

Harry shouted, hoping to disarm the Hinkypunk and make it drop its claws. This dark creature put them under too much pressure. Harry, who didn't know how to lure the enemy and feint, directly threw out the strongest attack spell he had. He was desperate and reckless. 

The dazzling red light illuminated the gloomy room. It looked very powerful, but as expected, it missed its target. The Hinkypunk was too quick and agile, and it dodged the spell with ease. The spell hit the water, and the water splashed with a bang. They were soaked again and felt cold and miserable. 

"Petrificus Totalus!" 

Neville yelled, hoping to petrify the Hinkypunk and make it stop moving. The petrification curse was probably the only attack spell that Neville could use. And the person who taught him this spell was also Hermione. As for the process of learning this spell, there was nothing faster than personal experience. 

To be honest, for the young wizards, compared to the Inferi, this Hinkypunk that was tainted by the dark was much harder to deal with. 

The Inferi, which were scarce in number, brought people a sense of threat mainly because they were corpses. They looked horrifying and disgusting, and they made people shudder. If you could get rid of the fear of them, the Inferi were actually just a monster with great strength but very slow movements. A first-year wizard could use the fire spell they had mastered to deal with them. And besides biting, the Inferi had no special attack methods. They were simple and predictable. 

But this Hinkypunk was not the same. It had a certain intelligence, and its agility in dodging movements far exceeded the limit of the wizards. It could disappear and reappear in an instant, and it could attack from any direction. Harry and Neville, who didn't know how to cooperate, their spells couldn't hit it at all. 

BANG! 

Another empty spell stirred up the water. Neville, who had been following the ghostly Hinkypunk with his eyes, slipped under his feet and fell on his butt on the wet and slippery ice. He cried out in pain. 

Harry, who was panting, saw this, and quickly bent down to help Neville. He reached out his hand, and tried to pull Neville up. But this was undoubtedly a very wrong decision. The Hinkypunk, who had been waiting for an opportunity, stomped on the water with a single leg, like an arrow off the string. And it appeared behind Harry again, opening its ferocious mouth and aiming at Harry's neck. 

"Watch out, Harry!" 

Neville, who had exhausted his physical and magical strength, screamed loudly and suddenly pulled Harry to the side. Before he could retract his hand, the monster's claws scratched his arm. The drops of blood splashed in the air, and the intense pain made Neville's round face twist. 

Bryan, who was far away on the bank, frowned. He saw the whole scene, and he was not impressed. He glanced at Malfoy and Pansy, who had rushed too fast and fallen into another river. Then he looked at Potter and Longbottom, who had been tortured to exhaustion. He sighed helplessly, and the next second, he lifted his right foot in the air, ready to bring these people back. But just then, Neville, who had injured his arm, roared. And under Bryan's surprised eyes, he suddenly hugged the Hinkypunk's sturdy leg and flipped it over! 

"Quick, Harry-!" 

Neville turned over and pressed on the Hinkypunk's back, using all his strength to press the monster's hideous head against the ice, not letting it move. He had seized the opportunity, and created a chance for Harry. His arm wound was still bleeding, but he ignored it. Even though the curls of black smoke made him dizzy, he did not let go. He endured the discomfort, and held on to his grip as he shouted anxiously at Harry. 

"Harry, while it's still stunned, use your strongest spell to finish it off!" 

Harry was stunned by Neville's sudden burst of courage, but he quickly realized that this was a rare opportunity. To make sure that his spell didn't miss, he rolled and crawled. He moved closer to the target, and reduced the distance. And like he did in his first year against the troll, Harry shoved his wand into the Hinkypunk's narrow nostril! 

ROAR! 

The Hinkypunk screamed in pain, and its violent struggle threw Neville off its back. But Harry, who was about to deliver the final blow, didn't waste this chance. He followed Neville's advice, and he was ready to end this fight. In an instant, many spells flashed through his mind. And then Professor Watson's instruction jumped into his brain. He took a deep breath, and Harry shouted, 

"Incendio!" 

There was no word to describe the brilliance of that moment. The violent explosion was swallowed by a black hole that suddenly appeared. But the roar and shock wave that followed knocked Harry out. 

"You two–" 

Bryan appeared behind Harry in an instant and lifted him up. He looked at Harry's face blackened by the explosion, and Neville, who was floating on the water with his eyes rolled back. Bryan shook his head and muttered with a frown,

"You just can't resist a fistfight, can you?"

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