"Expecto Patronum!"
Following a shout that still sounded somewhat weak, a silver-white giant beast burst from the man's wand and charged toward the Dementor at the compartment door.
The Dementor immediately retreated, drifting away from the compartment entrance.
Amanda, who had been immersed in the "painful" illusion, felt the tension in her mind suddenly relax for no apparent reason.
Her two talons could no longer support her weight, and with a loud crash, Amanda's Deinonychus form fell heavily to the ground.
Her entire body was trembling incessantly, as if she were sobbing or shivering from some immense pain.
Tears continuously streamed from the dragon's eyes, and Amanda's breathing was now so heavy that Hermione and the others could hear it without even trying.
As Amanda collapsed, her tail, which had been blocking Hermione and the other two, also fell to the floor.
Hermione jumped up immediately, ignoring the tear stains on her face as she lunged forward to embrace Amanda's dragon head. "Amanda, Amanda, wake up! Don't scare me, please don't scare me!"
At that moment, she had long forgotten the books she had read, forgotten that Dementors do not cause death, and that only a Dementor's "Kiss" takes away a person's soul.
She had even forgotten that Amanda had not been "Kissed" by the Dementor.
She only knew that Amanda had collapsed again, right in front of her, and had done so to protect them.
Tears blurred Hermione's vision, and grief and self-reproach shattered her reason.
"Miss Granger! Miss Granger!"
The man's calling pulled Hermione out of her grief and self-reproach, and she finally regained her senses to look at him.
Seeing that Hermione had finally recovered, Professor Lupin breathed a great sigh of relief. He stood up and carefully stepped over Amanda to head outside.
"I need to go see how the other compartments are doing. Don't worry, Miss Amanda has only fainted. I've left some chocolate for your two friends."
"Once Miss Amanda wakes up and returns to her human form, feed it to her. It will make her feel much better."
Professor Lupin spoke as he walked, and after finishing, he prepared to rush toward the other carriages.
However, before he could move, a series of thundering footsteps came from the carriages connected on both sides.
It sounded like two large groups of people were rushing toward this spot.
"What is this?"
Professor Lupin paused, not quite understanding what the footsteps were about.
The Dementors were inspecting the train; shouldn't the students be hiding in their compartments?
Why would they be running out in such large numbers?
Not long after his confusion arose, a dozen or so silver-white Patronuses burst out from the directions where the footsteps were heard on both sides of the carriage.
Elks, eagles, cheetahs, sharks... all sorts of Patronuses charged toward this carriage from both the front and the back of the train.
Professor Lupin was completely stunned. Was the overall quality of Hogwarts students these days really this high?
To be able to rush out so unitedly to drive away the Dementors on the train?
Wait, there was another question: how could so many students have mastered the Patronus Charm?
This spell was extremely difficult.
The silver-white Patronuses charged into the carriage, followed closely by the upper-year students of Ravenclaw.
The Seventh Year students led the way, with the Sixth Years right behind them; almost every student in these two years was waving their wand.
It truly looked as if every single one of them had mastered the Patronus Charm.
Even among the fifth and Fourth Years who followed, many were waving their wands to urge their Patronuses forward.
Watching the fierce approach of The Ravenclaws, Professor Lupin swallowed hard and leaned against the wall to clear the compartment doorway.
Since it was Ravenclaw charging over, it was obvious who they were looking for; it could only be that little girl who had transformed into an Animagus.
After all, Harry and the other two were in Gryffindor... but these Ravenclaws... Professor Lupin looked at them with a complex expression as they reached the door.
Usually, they studied quietly, giving off the impression that they were just bookworms who knew nothing but how to read.
But looking at them now, he seriously doubted that if someone like the Dark Lord were to ever unite The Ravenclaws,
the fear and destruction they would cause might be even greater than that of Voldemort and the Death Eaters.
"Amanda!" three voices cried out in unison.
Having seen Amanda's Animagus form before, Cho Chang, Marietta Eckmore, and Penelope cried out in horror as they saw her lying motionless on the ground, tears streaming down her face.
They immediately ran out of the crowd to gather around Amanda, staring intently at her dragon head alongside Hermione.
"It's all my fault... all my fault... Amanda did this to protect us again."
Hermione covered her mouth, her head bowed as tears fell one by one onto Amanda's face.
As her tears traced paths across Amanda's tough skin, it seemed to soften under their touch.
Taking a deep breath, Cho Chang quickly composed herself, stood up, and went to Hermione's side, putting an arm around her shoulder.
"Silly girl, the first thing Amanda would think of is protecting you, protecting all of you."
"If the person beside Amanda had been me, or any of us from Ravenclaw, she would have done the exact same thing."
"This isn't your fault."
Cho Chang gently reached out to wipe the tears from Hermione's face. "You've only just started your Third Year; you can't be expected to have learned the Patronus Charm yet."
"That spell is truly difficult. Don't forget what you and Amanda said: don't set your expectations too high or push yourself too hard."
"But... but I'm always a burden!"
The emotions Hermione had been harboring since the Basilisk incident last year finally erupted, and she wept loudly, burying her face in Cho Chang's arms.
"With the Basilisk, it was... and now, it's still the same!"
"I can never help her... I can never do it!"
Cho Chang sighed and gently patted Hermione's back.
She couldn't help but keep looking at the dinosaur slumped on the floor. Amanda... if you keep sleeping, Hermione really is going to cry herself unconscious.
Marietta Eckmore and Penelope also looked back and forth between Amanda and Hermione with worried eyes.
The other Ravenclaws were sensible enough not to crowd forward, leaving enough space for the air to circulate around Amanda while standing silently at a short distance.
They formed a semicircle, keeping a wary eye on the scenery outside the window as it slowly began to move backward, while looking at Amanda with concern.
Harry and Ron also kept their heads down in silence. The atmosphere grew oppressive for a moment, leaving only the sound of Hermione's sobbing in the entire carriage.
"It's not Hermione's fault..."
A talon that had transformed back into a human hand grabbed Hermione's hem before anyone could react.
Amanda, lying on the ground, struggled to look up at Hermione, who was still sobbing in Cho Chang's arms; her face remained absolutely indifferent.
Even though a moment ago she had been "experiencing" doing push-ups barehanded and barefoot in the snow.
"It's because I didn't learn the Patronus Charm... I'm stupid..."
Before she could finish, she was pulled into a tight hug by Hermione, and her vision was completely filled by her.
In front of Amanda, Hermione's crying stopped instantly; she seemed to be making herself strong at an incredible speed.
She reverted to that steel-like strong person, the shield that could stand in front of Amanda, even if she couldn't quite do it yet.
Hermione held her hand tightly over Amanda's mouth, her voice a bit raspy from crying.
"Don't you dare say that about yourself," Hermione sniffled. "If you say it again, I won't hold back; I'll use something else to plug your mouth."
Amanda blinked, her heart as calm as still water. Her still-aching brain even began to wonder what "something else" Hermione meant to use to plug her mouth... Harry took a deep breath, stepped forward cautiously, and held out a piece of chocolate.
"Sorry, I don't want to interrupt, but Professor Lupin said Amanda would feel much better if she ate some."
"Thank you." Hermione took the chocolate, thanked Harry and Professor Lupin, who was standing not far away, unwrapped it, and fed it to Amanda bit by bit.
"Hermione is not a burden."
Amanda chewed the chocolate and suddenly spoke.
Hermione's hand feeding her paused for a moment, but she said nothing and continued feeding her the chocolate.
"According to my calculations, without Hermione... my status would drop by 54%, and my mortality rate would increase by 29%."
Although she couldn't be certain of all the influencing factors, according to the data calculations, Hermione's presence had indeed tangibly improved her state and survival rate.
It was Hermione who made her sleep six hours a day, Hermione who made her slow down while eating, and Hermione who told her not to punish herself for her studies anymore.
Besides these few variables, there was another variable that Amanda couldn't calculate, which had changed her state.
It had made her condition 54% better than before.
Without Hermione, her state would undoubtedly be the same as before or even worse, both mentally and physically.
At the same time, if Hermione hadn't told her that her own life should not be placed in an inequality for comparison,
she would likely have placed her own life in an inequality against the lives of others or other valuable items when faced with danger, thereby sacrificing her own life, which she deemed of lesser value.
Therefore, Hermione's existence was not that of a burden, but rather one that improved and saved her.
Hearing the two statistics Amanda spoke, Hermione leaned down and gently kissed her forehead.
"Thank you, Amanda. Thank you."
Amanda swallowed the chocolate in her mouth without expression and shook her head. "It is I who should thank Hermione."
Hermione broke into a smile through her tears, wiped the tear stains from her face, and the knot that had been in her heart completely vanished.
Looking at Amanda held in her arms, Hermione secretly resolved that she would never let Amanda see her tears so easily again.
She also had to accelerate her own growth to become a steel wall that could protect Amanda.
This growth... would start with the Patronus Charm.
Once her reason returned, Hermione realized very keenly that in Amanda's current state, she really couldn't use the Patronus Charm.
Because her emotions were not yet fully developed, and the Patronus Charm required a person's happiest memory as its source of power.
For Amanda, who still didn't have a good understanding of happiness, this was undoubtedly impossible.
That was why she appeared so powerless when facing the Dementor, so she should be the one to learn this spell first.
To prevent a scene like today's from happening again in the future.
She wanted her Patronus to truly guard Amanda.
"We'll head back now. If you need anything, just shout; we'll be able to hear you."
A Seventh Year girl leaned down and whispered to Penelope.
Penelope nodded. "Alright, senior, thank you."
Amanda also looked up at The Ravenclaws surrounding her and, supported by Hermione, propped herself up and stood.
"Thank you, everyone. Because of me, you all had to come all this way. I'm sorry for the trouble."
"Don't say that," a Fourth Year senior said gently to Amanda, her attitude so mild and fluid that her boyfriend standing next to her couldn't help but click his tongue. "You are the darling of all of us Ravenclaws."
"Yeah!"
The next moment, the boyfriend and many other Ravenclaws shouted in agreement.
Amanda's deadened gaze flickered intensely. She nodded and, with Hermione's support, walked back into the compartment and sat down.
Cho Chang, Marietta Eckmore, and Penelope also entered the compartment, sitting on the other side of Amanda.
The two boys, Harry and Ron, sat opposite them with Professor Lupin.
"When we get to school, I'll go with you to the Hospital Wing to have Madam Pomfrey check you over," Hermione whispered to Amanda, looking down.
Amanda shook her head. "I can go by myself. Hermione, you don't need to follow me; just go straight to dinner."
By the time they reached Hogwarts, it should be dinner time. If Hermione accompanied her, it would inevitably delay her dinner.
That would make Hermione feel hungry, and hunger was very unpleasant; Amanda, who had felt it deeply before, was certain of this in her mind.
"No arguing," Hermione said, reaching out to tap the tip of Amanda's nose. "I'm going with you."
"Eating dinner ten minutes late won't starve me."
Amanda blinked and agreed in a voice as flat as water, "Alright, then Hermione will accompany me."
"Mhm." Hermione curled her lips in a satisfied smile, while Cho Chang and the other two beside her looked at each other and shook their heads with smiles.
Looking at the situation between Amanda and Hermione now, once Amanda's emotions fully developed, she would probably fall head over heels into Hermione's arms.
The hogwarts express finally arrived at the school amidst a drizzle of rain.
Being held by Hermione as they walked to the carriage door, Amanda was about to pull out her wand to give everyone a waterproofing charm when Hermione pressed her hand down.
"I'll do it. Don't use magic for now; wait until after the check-up at the Hospital Wing."
After speaking, she pulled out her wand and tapped Amanda and herself respectively, muttering the incantation for Impervius twice.
The others following them also cast a spell on themselves, and the seven of them walked out of the train together.
Coming off the train to the area where the carriages were, Amanda's eyes flickered as she looked at the Thestrals in front of the carriages. Just as the books said, they had wings and were skeletal.
Harry, who could also see the Thestrals, looked at them with slight surprise and then said with a complex expression, "These... horses? Why are they so thin?"
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