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Ring, ring—ring, ring—
The crisp sound of the bell ending class echoed through the Defense Against the Dark Arts classroom. On the podium, Professor Lupin had just closed his textbook, and the final words of "That's all for today, your homework is..." hadn't even fully faded—
Whoosh!
A figure had already bolted up from the back row of the classroom!
Lynn snatched up the trunk he had placed by his feet long ago with one hand while haphazardly sweeping his quill and parchment inside with the other, moving so fast he almost left behind an afterimage.
Without even waiting for Lupin to say the words "class dismissed," he was already charging straight for the classroom door!
"Eh?! Lynn! Wait for us!"
"Why are you running so fast? Didn't we agree to go together...?" Edgar scrambled to pack up his things while trying to call him back...
Outside, the wind howled.
Lynn expertly found the spot where he had buried the Moonlight Potion. He pulled an LCD screen displaying complex data from his pocket and pointed it toward the sky. Graphs and figures began scrolling rapidly across the screen, analyzing a series of meteorological parameters such as cloud thickness, humidity, temperature gradients, and high-altitude wind shear.
A few seconds later, lines of striking analytical conclusions popped up:
[Real-time Monitoring:
Cloud Type: Cumulus congestus/Cumulonimbus (Development Phase)
Cloud Base Height: Approx. 1200 meters
Cloud Thickness: Approx. 4000 meters
Water Vapor Content: Above average
Atmospheric Instability Energy: High
Prediction: 80% probability of thunderstorms within the next 2-3 hours, but precipitation efficiency may be low and localized; the possibility of a "dry thunderstorm" cannot be ruled out.
Based on the monitored conditions, there is sufficient potential for artificial intervention.]
"Tsk, just as expected." Lynn glanced at the results, his brow furrowing slightly. "Another case of thunder without rain... Are you doing this on purpose just to spite me?"
He put away the screen, a "just as I thought" sneer appearing on his face.
"Fine. If you don't want to fall naturally, then I'll help you 'fall'!"
He muttered to himself before raising his voice:
"Dodo!"
Snap~
Dodo appeared immediately at the call, dressed today in an outfit suitable for movement, its small face full of seriousness.
"Dodo! Bring out our 'big guys'!" Lynn pointed toward the open ground ahead. "I want to see what excuse the weather has left today for not giving us a proper storm!"
"Yes, Master!" Dodo squeaked in response, its eyes flashing with excitement at being able to participate in its master's "grand plan."
It turned toward the open entrance of the trunk and snapped its fingers.
Buzz—Creeeak—
A faint light flickered inside the trunk, and one by one, twin-barreled anti-aircraft guns painted in matte olive green "flew" steadily and orderly out of the opening.
Dodo controlled a total of four anti-aircraft guns, placing them in four roughly symmetrical positions around the clearing, their muzzles aimed high into the sky.
Lynn quickly walked to each gun for a final inspection: the carriages were stable, the elevation and traverse mechanisms moved smoothly, the loading systems functioned properly, and the sights were clear...
Before long, Edgar, William, and Ollie came running over, panting as they pushed through the bushes.
Edgar looked at the gun barrels, which were taller than he was, and the complicated control mechanisms, becoming so excited that he didn't know what to do with himself.
Ollie looked at the dark clouds gathering in the sky before glancing nervously at the guns.
"Lynn, I know we're testing this, but... is this really safe at Hogwarts?" he asked quietly.
"Don't worry, it's all calculated," Lynn replied without even looking up, nodding in satisfaction after checking the last gun.
He turned around, looked at his three roommates and Dodo standing rigidly off to the side, and clapped his hands.
"Edgar, you're in charge of the northeast gun. William, take the northwest one. Ollie, you've got the southeast corner. Dodo, you control the southwest position."
Under Lynn's command, the four hurried toward their respective "posts."
Lynn stood in the center of the clearing, looking up toward the area where the clouds churned most violently, quickly calculating wind speed and shell trajectories in his mind.
"All units, attention! Target area: the cumulonimbus cloud directly overhead! Adjust elevation to fifty-five degrees! Maintain current azimuth!"
"Understood!" the others responded as they began turning the elevation handwheels.
Lynn walked over to a nearby stack of special ammunition crates. With a wave of his wand, all the lids popped open.
Another wave of his wand sent the long, slender shells into the ready positions of the four anti-aircraft guns, completing the loading process.
Just then, Edgar turned his head while gripping the traverse mechanism and asked a very practical question:
"Lynn, exactly how many shells are we supposed to fire? Is there a set number? We can't just keep shooting forever, right?"
Lynn, who had been staring at the sky while waiting for the ideal firing moment, stiffened slightly at the question.
"Uh..."
Lynn was stumped.
He quickly searched through the memories he had "borrowed" from the Director, only to discover that even the Director himself wasn't particularly clear on the specific operational standards and technical manuals regarding dosage, firing frequency, and effect evaluation.
A trace of embarrassment flashed across Lynn's face.
He scratched his head, glanced at the dark clouds overhead that he had waited so long for, and then at the four "artillerymen" eagerly awaiting his orders.
He couldn't exactly back out now just because he didn't know the precise number, could he? The equipment was finally ready, and the weather conditions were perfect...
"Ahem... standards are fixed, but weather is dynamic! According to this commander's on-site assessment, cloud development is vigorous, and the required amount of catalyst is... substantial! Therefore, our operational policy shall be—"
He paused dramatically before announcing with complete conviction:
"Fire as you see fit! We'll judge by the results!"
Edgar, William, Ollie, Dodo: "..."
Just then, as if to break the awkward atmosphere—
Flash!
A dazzling white light suddenly tore through a gap in the thick clouds overhead.
A second later came the roar of rolling thunder.
Before the thunder had even faded away, Lynn's eyes narrowed. He no longer hesitated and barked out:
"On my command—fire!"
Bang! Bang! Bang! Bang!
The four anti-aircraft guns roared almost simultaneously, their sound even louder than the thunder itself. Fire and thick smoke burst from the muzzles while the gun carriages recoiled violently, making the ground tremble beneath them.
Four shells tore through the air and drilled directly into the churning dark clouds.
The smoke from the firing slowly dissipated. Everyone stared intently toward the point where the shells had vanished, ears perked up.
A few seconds passed... then more than ten seconds... then half a minute...
Aside from the clouds appearing to churn more violently from the disturbance caused by the shelling, the expected rainfall never came. Even the thunder itself seemed to pause for a moment.
"It seems... like there's no reaction?" Edgar whispered uncertainly.
Lynn's brow furrowed tightly as he stared at the sky, his lips pressed together unwillingly.
"Forget it, I don't care anymore!" He waved his hand sharply. "Continue! Fire for effect! Ready—"
His wand flicked repeatedly. The lids of the nearby ammunition crates sprang open automatically while more shells slid into the still-hot chambers of the four anti-aircraft guns.
"Fire!"
Bang! Bang! Bang! Bang!
The second volley! Fire erupted once again, and the roar of the guns echoed through the forest.
"Reload!"
"Fire!"
The third volley!
"Again!"
"Fire!"
The fourth volley, the fifth...
No one knew how much time had passed or how many volleys had been fired.
The ammunition crates scattered across the ground now stood completely empty, their lids hanging open. The gun barrels had become scorching hot from the constant firing, radiating heat waves noticeable even from several meters away.
Everyone finally stopped, panting heavily as they looked up toward the sky.
The clouds had become completely different.