Chapter 338: Hypothermia (Edited)

Very soon, the radiance gradually faded away, revealing the true appearance of the creatures within: the two puppies had disappeared, and in their place was an even larger three-headed dog. If the three-headed dog was previously just a puppy, it was now the size of a young calf.

The new three-headed dog shone brilliantly, with a faint silver sheen mysteriously rippling in the wind, resembling flames burning on its body.

Without hesitation, the three heads of the dog silently headed towards the crowd of Dementors in the sky.

The silver dog ran in the rain, leaving behind tiny star-like sparks in its wake. These tiny silver fragments fell upon the young wizards and melded with them. Any wizard who had these fragments within their body would feel a warm sensation radiating from within and experience an unexpected sweetness in their mind. Even in the rain and wind, it was as if they were bathed in an intoxicating spring breeze.

Although the Dementors continued to hover above their heads, the young wizards no longer paid them any attention.

They watched as the three-headed dog made its way through the Dementors, effortlessly knocking them down. In the face of the mighty three-headed dog, the Dementors became as fragile as potato chips in a vacuum-sealed bag, shattering at the slightest touch. The Dementors, who had considered themselves invincible a moment ago, now scattered and fled like frightened rabbits.

The most terrifying part was that the Dementors struck by the three-headed dog burst into flames covering their bodies. The Dementors in flames emitted a strange and painful cry, and all the wizards who heard that sound trembled involuntarily, feeling their souls quiver under that sound.

Soon, not a single Dementor was visible in the sky, and the three-headed dog also disappeared after circling in the air for a while. The ceaseless torrential rain gradually subsided, a ray of sunlight pierced through the gaps in the clouds and spilled onto the earth.

Seeing that everything had returned to normal, Snape and Professor McGonagall breathed a sigh of relief. Professor McGonagall began loudly ordering the students to evacuate the Quidditch field, while Snape gave a deep glance to Tom and Hermione before pocketing his wand and hurriedly leaving.

Tom was not surprised by the expulsion of the Dementors; he thought that if he were a Dementor, he would have fled the instant the whirlwind formed, but he didn't expect them to wait a few seconds, waiting for the Patronus to form.

As for the changes in his own Patronus, he couldn't explain it clearly, but he had a hypothesis in his mind. Perhaps if he tried, he could verify it.

He remained in the air for a moment, watching his teammates land one by one on the ground. Gryffindor and Ravenclaw players gathered, quickly leaving with Harry. Richie followed Wood, it seemed like he was saying something, but Wood didn't pay attention and simply waved before leaving.

Albert finally vomited everything in his stomach, including the Golden Snitch. The Golden Snitch had accidentally entered his throat during the game and nearly choked him.

In the end, Ravenclaw won the match. Although the Hufflepuff captain said they would accept a rematch, even Wood admitted that Ravenclaw had won fair and square, and a rematch was unnecessary.

Seeing the stadium, so large, almost empty, Tom controlled his broom to descend slowly in the Ravenclaw stands, landing next to Hermione.

As if they were in sync, Hermione hadn't left either.

Tom jumped off his broom and hugged her. But Hermione's condition surprised him: she was soaked, her delicate face was pale, and her lips were even turning blue. Her dark brown hair was plastered to her forehead. As he held her, Tom could feel her body trembling uncontrollably.

Tom was genuinely worried. He quickly removed Hermione's rain-soaked cloak. But he realized her undergarments were wet as well. The wet clothing was stealing Hermione's warmth second by second. As the soaked garment was removed, the cold wind outside made Hermione shiver.

"Silly, why didn't you take shelter under the platform... and let the rain soak you like this..." Tom felt tears welling up in his eyes. As he spoke, he took off his own dry team robe and wrapped it around Hermione. After wrapping her up, he remembered something and unfastened the ribbon from his neck, tying it around Hermione's neck.

After dressing her, Tom let go of her, but Hermione stumbled and almost fell. Tom quickly caught her in his arms again. Hermione slumped softly in Tom's arms, looking into his eyes and giving a smile. "You... successfully conjured your Corporeal Patronus... in return... I'll give you a reward..."

"Alright, alright, let's go back to the castle first," Tom agreed. He knew Hermione was showing signs of hypothermia after being soaked in the rain, but it didn't seem to be a severe case; she just needed to be taken to a warm environment.

So, the priority now was to get Hermione back to the castle.

Tom got on the broom with Hermione. First, he spread her legs and had her hold onto the broom, then he sat in the back, holding Hermione in his arms, cocooning her. However, this maneuver proved somewhat awkward as Hermione kept slipping off the broom.

After the third time of helping Hermione onto the broom, he had an understanding flash and realized he had a better solution.

He directly transformed into a phoenix and clutched Hermione in his talons, flying toward the castle. Phoenixes were closely related to fire, and their touch was warm, which was perfect for this situation.

Instead of heading back to the Ravenclaw tower, Tom flew directly to the Room of Requirement. Once on the ground, he returned to his human form and held Hermione in his arms.

"Tom, I'm so cold..." Hermione murmured, cuddled in Tom's arms.

"It's okay, we're almost there," Tom said anxiously as he paced in front of the Room of Requirement. As soon as the doorknob appeared, he rushed to the door and swung it open.

A wave of warmth rushed out, revealing a cozy room with a crackling fire in the fireplace. Tom quickly entered the room, carrying Hermione in his arms, and closed the door behind them.