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Don't be afraid, Harry. Are you hurt?"
Dwight stepped forward and gently helped Harry up, placing both hands on his trembling shoulders. Sensing Harry's body shake slightly, Dwight quickly led him out of the shed.
"It... it was still alive just now. I... I wanted to give it a piece of bread... and then it... it just..."
Harry clutched his forehead, his face contorted in pain. His eyes brimmed with anguish, as if recalling a deeply traumatic memory. His face was pale, fine sweat beading on his forehead. His entire body seemed weak and drained.
Dwight gently patted Harry's back in comfort.
"It's okay, Harry. I'm here now. You know me—I'm strong. Don't worry."
While consoling Harry, Dwight kept a wary eye on Vega out of the corner of his eye. His left hand tightened around his wand, fingers whitening with tension. He was prepared to strike at a moment's notice.
Harry looked up slowly, his gaze meeting Dwight's firm eyes. He exhaled shakily.
"Thank you, Dwight."
Harry attempted a faint smile, but confusion lingered in his eyes.
"I saw Vega flying toward me, then there was this flash of green light… and then it just… died in front of me."
He pressed his forehead again, groaning in pain.
"Ah! I don't know why—I just know it's dead!"
His voice grew more frantic. His expression twisted, increasingly feral.
Dwight noticed something unsettling—the pupils of Harry's eyes were subtly changing… becoming vertical slits. Alarm flared in Dwight's mind.
Harry's condition was far from normal.
Without hesitation, Dwight slipped an arm around Harry's waist and pressed his wand against Harry's temple. A small twist. A soft surge of magic. The aggression in Harry's face immediately faded. His entire body slackened and collapsed into Dwight's arms.
Dwight swiftly turned and gently laid Harry against the outer wall of the owl shed. His movements were practiced and light. The spell he'd used—a painless stunning charm—was one he had learned from Madam Pomfrey.
"Harry, rest now. I'll handle the rest," Dwight whispered.
Then, rising to his feet, he pointed his wand skyward. A flash of red shot upward—bright, urgent. The distress signal. The very first spell Professor Flitwick had taught them in Charms class: red sparks, the universal wizarding call for help.
But there was no guarantee Dumbledore or the professors would see it in time.
Dwight's thoughts raced. He couldn't leave Harry alone. But he also couldn't ignore the body of Vega. From what Harry had described earlier, Dwight was nearly certain—that had been the Avada Kedavra curse.
And the reason Harry survived?
The lingering protection from his mother's sacrificial love.
Which meant… Vega hadn't died from random magic—he had been killed by the Killing Curse he cast himself!
"Damn it… that curse was meant for me!"
Dwight's face darkened. It must have been the letter he had sent to Luna Lovegood. That had drawn attention—triggered this vicious ambush. A dark wizard had transformed into an owl to infiltrate Hogwarts… and then used the Killing Curse on a first-year student!?
If not for the owls in the shed interfering… Dwight would have walked right into the trap. No time to raise defenses. No time to dodge. He would've died.
But Harry had taken the blow instead.
Looking at the unconscious Harry beside him, Dwight's chest tightened. Even if Harry hadn't been physically harmed, the flash of green light must have triggered memories buried deep within—the curse from Voldemort when he was a baby. Worse still… the pain in Harry's scar was likely a reaction to the Horcrux embedded in him.
It had resonated. Awakened, even.
Dwight recalled his past experience in the Room of Requirement. The strange, dark reaction Harry had experienced there. He was becoming more and more convinced: in this altered timeline, Voldemort's Horcrux had developed a dangerous level of independent consciousness.
Those vertical pupils were proof.
Someone needed to stay by Harry's side—constantly.
As Dwight stood paralyzed in thought—
"HARRY! WHAT'S WRONG WITH YOU!?"
A thunderous voice roared across the grounds, shaking the earth beneath his feet.
Dwight turned sharply. A towering figure—over three meters tall—barreled toward them like an avalanche of urgency and dread.
Hagrid.
Rubeus Hagrid, Hogwarts' half-giant groundskeeper, had finally arrived.
Relief surged through Dwight's veins.
"Hagrid! I need your help—it's—"
But Hagrid wasn't listening. His entire focus was locked on Harry's limp form by the shed.
Dwight's words were swallowed by the thunder of Hagrid's strides. For a moment, Dwight feared Hagrid might destroy the shed just getting to Harry.
Sweat streamed down Hagrid's weathered face, falling heavily to the ground. His expression was a whirlwind of panic and sorrow.
"Harry! Harry! Wake up! Wake up!"
After several failed attempts to rouse him, Hagrid knelt and gently scooped Harry up. His massive hands, though clumsy, cradled Harry with remarkable tenderness.
He turned to Dwight, eyes wild with desperation.
"Harry! Huff—what happened to Harry!?"
Though Hagrid's voice was booming, it trembled with fear. Tears welled in his eyes.
Dwight, despite the tension, remained composed. He gathered his thoughts quickly and answered clearly.
"Harry was attacked by a dark wizard disguised as an owl. The attacker used the Avada Kedavra curse."
"What!?"
Hagrid's face contorted in horror. Tears spilled freely. His arms instinctively tightened around Harry, causing Dwight to worry he might crush him.
"Hagrid! Calm down! He's just unconscious—he's still alive!" Dwight yelled urgently. "We need to help him! And I need your help right now!"
The volume and clarity of Dwight's voice finally pierced through Hagrid's panic.
The half-giant sniffled and wiped his tears. His massive body trembled with anxiety.
"You… what should I do? How can I save him?"
Dwight exhaled in relief. Hagrid was listening now.
He stepped forward, voice firm and decisive.
"Hagrid, take Harry to the infirmary immediately. Then find Professor McGonagall or Dumbledore—whichever professor you can reach first. Alert any staff you meet along the way. And tell the students to stay away from this area. Understood?"
Hagrid nodded quickly, still crying.
"Okay… okay, I'll go now!"
And with that, he took off, running toward the castle with Harry held safely in his arms.
Dwight watched his figure fade into the distance, then turned back toward the owl shed. His gaze shifted to the lifeless body inside. Though he believed the enemy was dead—Avada Kedavra didn't leave much wiggle room—it was better to be cautious.
Not everyone could create a Horcrux… but some did.
Dwight rolled his neck, steeling himself.
Now, he could finally focus on the one who had come for him.
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