"Riddikulus!"
The whole class said in unison.
"Very good!" Dumbledore nodded with a smile, "But this alone is not enough... The spell to repel the Boggart is very simple, but it also requires the willpower of the wizard; what really scares away the Boggart is laughter, and what you must do is to force it to become an image that you think is ridiculous!"
"A ridiculous image?" Following Dumbledore's instructions, all the students in the class lowered their heads and began to think.
Jon also pursed his lips slightly.
The Boggart will become the image that he fears in his heart. What will that be?
Become a basilisk?
That's impossible. The only time I faced a basilisk, I kept my eyes closed the entire time and didn't even see what it looked like... If it really transformed, it would just be a strange black thing.
Or will it become a college entrance examination transcript with a zero score?
...
...
It's been so many years since the college entrance examination. Even if the Bogartt conjures up some new things, it can't scare me!
Or has it turned into an AN-602 Tsar Bomb whose explosion program has already been activated?
This... is so big, can it fit in the classroom? And if such a hydrogen bomb appears openly in front of so many students, won't it have a bad impact?
Jon was thinking wildly there, and Albus Dumbledore took two steps forward and said:
"Very good, everyone can try it out... Miss Selwyn, are you willing to be the first one?"
Selwyn, a first-year Slytherin girl, bravely took two steps forward, drew out her wand with some trembling, and pointed it at the wardrobe.
"Don't be nervous." Dumbledore comforted him, "Imagine something you find ridiculous... Other students, please step back and make room for Miss Selwyn... I will call the next student to come forward."
Everyone stepped back and retreated to the wall, leaving Selwyn alone next to the wardrobe.
She looked pale and frightened.
"I'll count to three, Miss Selwyn..." Dumbledore said gently, and he also pointed his wand at the wardrobe: "One, two, three, go!"
A spark shot out from the tip of the elder wand, hitting the handle of the closet door, which was blown open.
A huge, smooth, maneless golden lion crawled out of the closet, staring at Selwyn with its eyes fixed and roaring angrily.
Dumbledore frowned slightly, and then said: "A Tanzanian Tsavo man-eating lion...Miss Selwyn, quickly, imagine something you find funny..."
Selwyn stepped back in fear, her wand raised, but she was tongue-tied and unable to speak.
The lion crawled towards her step by step, getting closer and closer.
"Rid…Riddiculus!" screamed Selwyn.
The lion's entire body was quickly surrounded by flames... Its already limited hair was all burned out in a few seconds, turning into a ball of black charcoal.
"Hahaha!" The students burst into cheerful laughter.
"Well done, Miss Selwyn... Next, Mr. Smith."
Zacharias Smith steps forward.
The black charcoal circled him twice, and then began to transform into a human shape little by little.
It turned into a middle-aged woman in her forties, with a face full of severity and anger...
The middle-aged woman advanced menacingly toward Zacharias and thrust her hand into her robe.
"Mom...Mom..." Zacharias said tremblingly and lowered his head.
Several Hufflepuff students laughed softly. Smith, who looked carefree and fearless, was actually so afraid of his mother.
"Don't be nervous, Mr. Smith, remember this is just a Boggart." Dumbledore said lazily.
Zacharias woke up as if from a dream and raised his wand: "Riddiculus!"
Mrs. Smith was knocked back a few steps by the spell, and then her whole body was covered with cream cake, and she was wiping it off in a panic.
Zacharias couldn't help but burst out laughing.
All the students laughed, even Jon.
Dumbledore looked down at the roster: "Miss Midgen!"
The Boggart transformed before her into a bandaged, bloodstained mummy.
But soon, the bandages on the mummy fell off, and it fell down with stumbles.
"Next...Mr. Avery!"
The fallen mummy transformed into a huge Welsh green dragon, its body almost filling the entire classroom.
But a few seconds later, the Welsh Green Dragon turned into a mouse with its tail hanging upside down.
"The Boggart has grown weaker. Next, Miss Greengrass."
Astoria, who had just been laughing with Selwyn at the rat hanging upside down, soon left the crowd.
The little mouse hanging in the air still made "squeak" and "squeak" sounds, but its eyes were looking at Astoria.
It began to deform again, little by little, slowly... this time, it turned into a mirror.
Jon couldn't help but frown, and several students nearby began to whisper.
This is a very beautiful bronze mirror, with elegant patterns carved on both sides of the top and many inscriptions; other than that, there is nothing unusual... The mirror floats in the air, drifting towards Astoria little by little.
However, the imagined phrase "Riddiculus" never came.
When Jon turned his gaze to Astoria, his expression changed.
"Wait a minute!" he shouted.
Astoria Greengrass's face had never been so pale... She stood there trembling, sweat dripping from her forehead uncontrollably, her whole body shaking, as if she might lose her balance at any moment.
"Bang!" With a crisp sound, her willow wand fell to the ground.
Jon didn't care about anything else. He rushed out of the crowd and supported Astoria.
The blonde girl fell into his arms, and Jon quickly supported her... The girl collapsed weakly in his arms, trembling and crying uncontrollably, her voice full of fear and helplessness.
She couldn't even make a sound.
Dumbledore came over as well, in fact he had stepped between the Boggart and Astoria seconds earlier.
The mirror began to deform again, turning into a strange creature that looked like black mist and exuded a cold aura.
"Riddiculus!" Jon felt a hint of anger as Dumbledore chanted the spell.
The Boggart, who had turned into an Obscurus, was almost smashed to pieces by him.
"Professor Dumbledore, she needs to go to the hospital!" Jon said anxiously.
"I think you are right, Mr. Hart." Dumbledore nodded solemnly.
With Dumbledore's permission, Jon quickly picked up the powerless Astoria and walked out of the classroom step by step.
At the same time, Dumbledore was heard saying behind him: "Miss Selwyn, please go to the Charms classroom and tell Miss Daphne Greengrass to go to the school hospital as soon as possible. There is something wrong with her sister's health."
...
....
.....
Madam Pomfrey walked briskly from the inside of the ward and asked with concern, "What's going on?"
As she spoke, she lent a hand to help Jon move Astoria Greengrass to the sickbed.
Even after covering herself with the quilt, Astoria still curled up there, trembling helplessly, her little hands tightly grasping Jon's hands, refusing to let go.
"It was a Boggart who did it, Poppy..." Heavy footsteps came from behind. It was Albus Dumbledore.
Dumbledore's voice was filled with guilt: "My negligence!"
"Boggart!" Madam Pomfrey frowned. "It looks like this girl was just a little frightened, but her reaction...seems to be very special!"
"Can you heal her, Madam Pomfrey?" Jon asked anxiously.
"Of course!" The female school nurse of Hogwarts nodded. "It's very easy, but she may have to stay here for one night."
As she spoke, she threw a hot towel to Jon: "Help me wipe this girl's forehead."
...
...
Jon nodded, picked up the towel with his other hand, and carefully began to wipe Astoria's forehead. The girl's violent reaction began to disappear little by little, and she began to calm down.
Madam Pomfrey came around the curtain, holding a large bottle filled with pale teal liquid.
With Jon's help, they managed to lift Astoria up from her sick body:
"Drink it, child...you'll feel better soon!" Madam Pomfrey said gently.
After drinking the potion, the blonde girl seemed to regain some vitality.
She raised her head, first looked at Jon apologetically, then turned to the headmaster and said weakly:
"I'm so sorry, Professor Dumbledore..."
"It's my fault, Miss Greengrass!" Dumbledore shook his head. "I forgot your special situation..."
The door slammed open and Daphne Greengrass burst in.
"Astoria!" she screamed.
"No loud noises allowed!" Madam Pomfrey warned sternly with a straight face.
"I'm so sorry, ma'am...it's my sister, the one lying in the bed is my sister..."
Madam Pomfrey did not try to stop her further, and Daphne reached the bedside as quickly as she could and pulled the blonde into a hug.
"Sister..." Astoria sobbed softly.
Daphne opened her mouth and tried to say something, but then glanced at Jon warily:
"Thank you for taking my sister to the hospital, Mr. Hart," she said dryly, "but now, can you please leave for a moment?"
Jon frowned, but nodded.
After touching the back of Astoria's hand and motioning her to let go, Jon stood up and left the ward.
…
Not long after he walked out of the ward, Jon saw a middle-aged woman wearing a black coat, short blond hair, and a pair of monocles, who passed by him and then hurried into Astoria's ward.
She's presumably Daphne and Astoria's mother, Mrs. Greengrass?
Astoria Greengrass must be hiding some secrets... He was not stupid, and he had guessed some of them on the train to Hogwarts. But since she didn't tell him, she must have her own reasons, and Jon would not ask about it.
Besides, I am just a first-grade wizard, so it would be of no use even if I knew.
Just as he was about to leave the school hospital, he suddenly heard someone calling his name.
"Jon?" A girl with thick brown hair and a pair of bright brown eyes looked at him in surprise: "Why are you here?"
"Good afternoon... Hermione..." Jon was also a little surprised, and quickly explained: "One of my classmates had some health problems during the Defense Against the Dark Arts class, so I sent her to the school hospital."
The person he happened to meet in the school hospital was Miss Hermione Granger; they met again after half a year.
"Is that so..." Hermione nodded: "That's OK, I'm here to send a friend of mine to the hospital. He was injured a few days ago, and although he has been discharged, Madam Pomfrey wants him to come back for another checkup today."
Almost to verify what Hermione said, the two boys also walked into the school hospital.
A boy with fiery red hair, and a thin boy wearing black-framed glasses.
Am I going to meet the three saviors? Jon thought to himself, with a smile on his face.
We have to get to know each other eventually, so it's better to do it early than to do it by chance.
"Harry, Ron!" Hermione waved at the two boys, and the two boys came over.
"Let me introduce him to you. He's Jon Hart... the son of a friend of my father's and a first-year Hufflepuff student."
"Jon, they are Ron Weasley and Harry Potter."
"Wait... this name... I seem to have heard Ginny mention it..." Ron murmured, "Jon Hart... She said you work very hard... and your grades seem to be the best among the first-year Hufflepuff students?"
"Compared to Miss Weasley, my grades are still a little behind." Jon said modestly.
"He looks like another Percy..."
Pretending not to hear Ron's muttering, Jon turned his gaze to Harry Potter on the other side.
"Nice to meet you, Harry."
The two shook hands.
"Uh... me too, Jon."
After a few more casual words, a minute later, at the entrance of the school hospital, Jon and the three of them parted ways.
Walking out of the school hospital, Jon couldn't help but smile.
Does this mean I have completed the achievement of "getting to know the three saviors"?
It is a rare thing that this achievement was completed more than six months after the start of the first semester.
But after taking a few steps, I heard three people behind me arguing:
"Harry, you must tell Madam Pomfrey that you are in good health now and ask her to allow you to participate in the Quidditch match between Gryffindor and Hufflepuff tomorrow." Ron was heard saying.
"Don't be silly, Ron!" Hermione retorted, "Madam Pomfrey said three days ago that the basilisk venom in Harry's body has not been completely eliminated. Although he can be discharged from the hospital, he cannot do strenuous exercise for at least a week!"
"You don't understand... Hermione... that's Quidditch... it's about the House Cup!" Ron retorted angrily, "You don't understand the importance of this matter at all!"