Professor Dumbledore wasn't at the castle?
Kyle quickly stood up on his seat, scanning the area around the commentary box. Another flash of lightning briefly lit up the pitch, confirming what Mikel had said—Professor Dumbledore was indeed absent. With the rain coming down in torrents, there were far fewer professors watching the match than usual. Those who were there looked deeply alarmed, clearly grasping the severity of the situation.
Around them, panicked voices rose louder and louder as students realized what was happening.
"Dementors... there are Dementors!"
Everyone remembered the terror of encountering just two Dementors on the train—and now there were at least a hundred of them hovering above the pitch.
"This is impossible... the professors said they'd only stay at the school entrance!"
"Stop the game! Harry's in danger!" Hermione cried, leaning over the front row and shouting desperately towards the pitch. Her voice, however, was swallowed by the chaos around her. Yet it seemed her worry had been justified—a shadow was hurtling towards them at alarming speed.
Malfoy, pale-faced, clung tightly to his broom, rocketing toward the stands. Terror had apparently unlocked his full speed, faster even than when he'd been pursuing the Golden Snitch.
"Help! Help!" he yelled, panicked. "I can't stop!"
Acting quickly, Kyle drew his wand and transfigured nearby cloaks and umbrellas into a large net, which stretched out to catch the broom and prevent it from crashing.
Malfoy landed, visibly relieved. As soon as his feet hit the ground, he shoved an unconscious Harry off the back of his broom. "It wasn't me!" he protested loudly. "I didn't touch Potter! He just fainted when he saw the Dementors and fell onto my broom. He nearly made me fall too!"
Fuming, Malfoy attempted to give Harry another kick, but a few students held him back.
"What happened?" someone demanded.
"We were chasing the Snitch, then all of a sudden, the Dementors appeared!" Malfoy's voice shook as he spoke. "Potter fainted right over me. I barely managed to steer the broom down. I tried my hardest, but I could only adjust it a little."
Then, as if realizing something, Malfoy looked up, his expression turning to horror. The Dementors were now alarmingly close, closing in on the students with unmistakable hunger.
A dim silver glow flickered from various parts of the stands—some of the older students had begun casting the Patronus Charm. But while a few faint Patronuses appeared, they were incomplete, barely holding back the encroaching Dementors.
Then, from the direction of the teachers' table, three brighter silver lights burst forth—McGonagall's cat, Sprout's weasel, and a swift from another professor. The powerful Patronuses swept across the pitch, covering most of the area with brilliant light. Yet a small gap remained.
"Severus!" Professor McGonagall called urgently. "What are you waiting for? Hurry!"
Snape, visibly shaken, hesitated but finally drew his wand, his eyes on the Dementors approaching the unprotected section of the pitch. Just as he opened his mouth to cast the charm, a new Patronus appeared, drifting into place and casting a broad silver light that filled the final gap.
It was a strange, beautiful form—a translucent, umbrella-like creature that floated through the air with rippling movements, tendrils trailing below it like water. The Dementors recoiled, contained outside the pitch, unable to advance another step.
Professor McGonagall let out a sigh of relief, wiping the cold sweat from her forehead before turning on Snape angrily. "What were you doing just now? Don't tell me you can't cast the Patronus Charm!"
Not even in her most intense moments with Snape had she spoken with such fury, but Snape, knowing he was in the wrong, didn't protest.
As she regained her composure, McGonagall's eyes lingered on the jellyfish-like Patronus, noting that she had never seen one like it before. Its soft, umbrella-shaped body and delicate tendrils were unique.
"A jellyfish?" she muttered, glancing at Professor Sprout. "Do you know anyone with a Patronus like that?"
Professor Sprout shook her head, equally puzzled.
"Could it be... Kyle?" Professor Flitwick suggested after a moment's thought. "I remember Remus mentioning that Kyle used the Patronus Charm on the train."
Professor McGonagall looked toward the Hufflepuff section, though the downpour made it impossible to see clearly.
"Kyle, is this your Patronus?" Kanna tilted her head, watching the silvery creature hovering gracefully in midair.
"It's so beautiful..." Kanna whispered, mesmerized.
Cho nodded in agreement. While Kyle's Patronus wasn't as large or as powerful as the professors' Patronuses, it was undeniably the most elegant. Its silvery form floated serenely, like a spirit gliding through the rain, captivating everyone's attention.
"Can our Patronuses be ?" Cho asked hopefully.
Kanna's eyes sparkled. "Maybe even more beautiful."
"Not necessarily," Kyle replied thoughtfully. "Everyone's Patronus is different, and you can't tell what it'll be until it appears. Yours could turn out to be a toad, or a caterpillar, or... something."
Cho's hopeful expression vanished instantly, and the sparkle in Kanna's eyes faded. Both of them slowly turned to glare at Kyle, eyes narrowed.
"I swear..." Kanna gritted her teeth, "if my Patronus turns out to be a caterpillar, I'll make sure you pay for it."
"Same here," Cho agreed.
"But why is that my fault?" Kyle stammered. "I was only giving an example!"
"I don't care!" Kanna snapped.
"Pfft..." Cedric couldn't hold back a laugh.
"What are you laughing at?" Cho glared at him. "You're in trouble too."
"What?" Cedric looked bewildered. "I didn't say anything—it was all Kyle!"
"You laughed!" Cho retorted.
"I..." Cedric looked helplessly at the others, who were all biting their lips, shoulders shaking as they tried not to laugh.
Malfoy, watching the scene, was also on the verge of laughing but held back as Kanna shot him a warning glance. He quickly lowered his gaze, gripping his broom tightly.
"I'm only keeping a straight face as a favor to Kyle," Malfoy thought to himself. "It's not like I'm actually afraid of her or anything..." But, thinking back to how Kyle had saved him from the out-of-control broom—and realizing Kanna was Kyle's friend—he convinced himself he was just showing loyalty.
Yes, that's it, he assured himself.