Chapter 80: Spell Collaboration, The Moment of the Hunt

Support me and be 20 chapters ahead of webnovel:

patreon.com/Draco_

******

"Blindness!"

The eyes have always been one of the most obvious weaknesses of living creatures. Even the remarkably resistant fire dragons are most effectively countered by blindness spells, just as trolls are vulnerable to confusion spells. For any magical creature with eyes, turning them blind while inflicting excruciating pain would be a lethal blow.

Harry couldn't break the bowtruckle's legs; blinding it was the optimal solution for this surprise attack.

Getting close enough, Harry unleashed his spell before the bowtruckle could react. The creature, blissfully drinking from the stream and munching on tender grass, let out a piercing scream of agony.

As it lowered its head and violently swung it to the side, a whistling sound cut through the air. At that moment, the bowtruckle realized Harry's position.

Its long, sword-like horns swept through the air, but aside from a few grass blades cut in half, the spot where the red light had flashed was now empty.

"Dismemberment!"

An invisible sword descended in an instant, and a spray of blood erupted from the back of the bowtruckle's head. The area where its skull connected with its sharp horns became a bloody mess. The ebony wand, which inherently bypassed a degree of defense, maximized the damage of the dismemberment spell.

A half-centimeter deep cut appeared at the tip of one of its horns. The bowtruckle's weapons were incredibly tough, as they were its only means of countering predators.

These sharp weapons posed a significant threat to Harry. The bowtruckle's massive body granted it immense vitality, and with Harry's spell-casting abilities severely limited, he couldn't rely on spells alone to defeat it. Although his magical recovery had dramatically increased with the development of his third magical lung, if he couldn't reach his upper limit, he wouldn't be able to finish off the creature in one go.

With each passing moment, the danger of this hunt increased exponentially. Harry couldn't match the bowtruckle's raw power. He still had a long way to go to reach Hagrid, and the only option available to him was to disable its weapons and then unleash his fist magic.

Of course, he could resort to potions, but the ones Snape had prepared for him were not meant for critical moments. Harry wouldn't touch them, even if it meant risking his life; consuming an entire bottle felt like a journey through hell—an experience no normal person could endure.

As the second attack approached, Harry leaped off the ground, evading the whirlwind of blades stirred up by the enraged bowtruckle. The successful blindness spell would buy him at least fifteen seconds. His silver-gray magic amplified the effects of the spell. For an ordinary wizard, the blindness spell might last only three to five seconds.

"Silencing Charm!"

The area around the rampaging bowtruckle was engulfed in the sound-reducing spell. Stripped of its vision, the creature was now also deprived of sound. It paused for a moment, the initial rage and fear transforming into chaotic unease. The fear awakened within it as it realized it could neither see nor hear. As a herbivorous magical beast, the bowtruckle lacked the courage to fight back, and it was now following the path Harry had designed for it.

"Dismemberment!"

The invisible blade materialized again, but this time it wasn't merely a strike. With the ivory trigger held tightly, Harry appeared on the bowtruckle's back, using the Levitation Charm to descend like a feather. In its confusion, the creature didn't notice him climbing onto its back.

Pointing the muzzle of his wand at its head, he unleashed a deadly beam!

The connection point, now severed by the ebony wand, expanded rapidly under the onslaught of nine invisible blades. In that split second of the bowtruckle's stunned confusion, the relentless pain began to ravage its nerves!

But as Harry pulled the trigger, the last enhanced dismemberment spell struck mercilessly, completely severing the sword-like horns!

The frantic bowtruckle howled in terror. It charged forward, its powerful legs propelling it recklessly. With the wand clamped in its mouth, Harry grabbed onto the creature's back fur, lowering his body and inching forward to its nape.

Warm, fresh blood filled his nostrils. Clenching his right fist tightly, his muscles bulged, forming a grotesque dragon's head. Without hesitation, the half-ton punch, carrying a fierce gale, slammed into the bowtruckle's blood-soaked ear.

The force wasn't enough to break its spine, but the strike to its vulnerable spot caused the tank-like creature to stagger back. As it collided with a tree trunk, it let out a mournful cry. The sudden stop almost threw Harry off its back, but he clung tightly to avoid falling.

With each blow raining down heavier than the last, Harry's knuckles were exposed, bloody and raw. He gritted his teeth, and as his magic gradually replenished, he once again grasped his wand.

"Healing!"

"Blindness!"

"Release!"

"Damn it!" Harry spat as he dodged a sweeping thorn attack. The disarm spell had little effect on the furious bowtruckle. Its thick hide made it challenging for Harry's magic to fully take hold.

"Still, the magic taught by my godfather is the best!"

"What nonsense about black and white magic! The only good magic is effective magic!"

Grindelwald's attitude towards dark magic was something Harry admired; as long as you used this double-edged sword correctly, magic shouldn't be classified as black or white.

"Dismemberment!"

The invisible blade sliced through the bowtruckle's thick skin, causing it to charge forward in a frenzy, driven by the intense pain in its neck. The underbrush that it had previously disregarded now posed a significant threat to Harry; if he were to get caught in the thorny branches, he risked being thrown off the creature's back.

Time was running out for Harry. The bowtruckle, realizing it needed to continuously shake its head to avoid another attack, was not as foolish as it seemed. Hitting its eyes with a third blindness spell was becoming nearly impossible.

With only ten seconds left, Harry estimated that he had enough magical energy for about twelve more spells.

"Dismemberment! Dismemberment! Dismemberment!"

Three successive dismemberment spells ripped open the bowtruckle's neck. While this spell was effective, relying solely on it wouldn't be enough to kill such a tough creature.

Although Harry couldn't yet wield the advanced spells introduced in second year, Professor Flitwick had taught them about the concept of spell collaboration.

Using a completely harmless levitation charm combined with a crash landing, two simple spells could combine to create a heavy impact on the target. Without any protection, the victim would experience a free fall from about three meters. According to Professor Flitwick, if he were to use this spell combination, the impact would be comparable to a fall from a hundred meters.

The spell he devised to pair with the dismemberment spell was:

"Sever and Split!"

Originally intended to cut objects in half, this obscure branch of the cutting spell (Shatter) was primarily used by meticulous wizards for precise division. However, Harry discovered a special effect of this magic: not only could it cut, but it could also tear apart objects, just as its name suggested.

As if gripped by an invisible force, the wound sliced by the dismemberment spell was violently torn apart, instantly widening several times over. The bowtruckle's neck split open, exposing its white spine to the air.

Herbivorous magical creatures have an incredible tolerance for pain. Even after suffering such severe injuries, the bowtruckle continued its frantic charge, letting out a mournful cry but refusing to stop.

"It's over!"

"Shatter!"

With the protective flesh stripped away, the severed spinal cord rendered the creature unable to transmit biological signals to its body. Without any sense of its limbs below the neck, the bowtruckle lost its balance as it ran. The thorny vines it had trampled caught on its horns.

Harry leaped gracefully from the creature as it stumbled forward, rolling onto the ground several meters later.

Though its heart still pumped blood vigorously, death had arrived.

After catching his breath and feeling his magical energy surge back, Harry regained his composure.

"Hedwig!"

With a sharp whistle, a white figure darted through the gaps in the trees and landed on his outstretched arm.

"Go tell Hagrid the good news. Uh... he should be out delivering gifts right now." Harry hesitated. This bowtruckle weighed at least three and a half tons, far too heavy for him to manage alone. He doubted Hagrid could come help him immediately. "I'll look for the centaurs instead. That Bane who mocked me for not being able to catch a little pony? This time, I'll show him what I can do!"

"If you're so capable, why don't you centaurs find a pony that can take down a bowtruckle?**" Harry huffed, crossing his arms in a moment of pride. "I bet Bane's the designated mover now!"

Harry pulled out a quill and parchment, quickly writing a note. After tying the note to Hedwig's leg, he couldn't help but imagine the black-skinned centaur running around with a confused expression. Bane had certainly given him a hard time in the past; that guy had quite the sharp tongue.

After Hedwig flew off, Harry used magic to clean up the bloodstains and mask the scent, then hid behind a nearby tree. Even though he had completed his hunt, he couldn't afford to let his guard down in the Forbidden Forest, where danger lurked.

Within a few minutes, he heard the sound of rustling leaves, indicating the approach of a four-legged creature.

"Are the centaurs coming this quickly?"

Rising apprehension made Harry scan his surroundings carefully, and then a shadow emerged from the depths of the Forbidden Forest.

(End of Chapter)