Harry Potter: Another Chance

Chapter 353: Hold Still

Disclaimer:

Harry Potter and all of its characters belong to J.K. Rowling.

I own nothing but the original characters I create.

"Dialogue"

'Thoughts'

-Author notes-

Chapter 353: Hold Still

There was absolute silence for a long moment.

Most were still trying to comprehend what had just happened...and why the dragon was now in two pieces.

Neville let out a sigh of relief.

"At least he has more control than I thought..." He removed the protective wards. Thankfully, he didn't have to test their effectiveness against such powerful magic.

Harry had aimed the cut downward, making sure it didn't hit the stands or the audience. Instead, it only sliced through the lower part of the wall. It hadn't even cut anything behind him. That showed a lot of restraint on his part. Someone else would have made a mess in this situation.

The person in question, however, seemed to be preoccupied with something else.

"Ew, gross!" Harry exclaimed, jumping back to avoid the dragon blood spilling everywhere.

He sheathed the sword and carefully made his way around the dragon's remains to grab the golden egg from the nest to complete his task. He did not want to stay here for longer than necessary.

"Okay, I've got the stupid tacky egg. This is disgusting, my silk robes are ruined, and I think I broke a nail. I really hope this was worth it," he continued to complain.

"Did that really happen?..." Victoria was still in shock. "He cut the dragon in half!."

"I never knew the Sword of Gryffindor had such abilities..." Dumbledore remarked. He never really realized that the sword could have anything hidden. After all, he had the chance to observe a few of the founder's artifacts in his life in great detail. "Even at my age, it seems like I can still learn new things."

"Don't beat yourself over it. I doubt there's anyone else who could use it in that way. It probably requires a very specific set of magical skills and a mindset to project a cutting charm to that extreme," Neville explained.

"Something even you couldn't do?" Dumbledore asked with amusement.

"I've told you before...there are plenty of things I can't do." Neville glanced over at Harry, who was still standing next to the nest, holding the egg. "Oi! You have to bring it here to finish the test!"

"I know!" Harry shouted, looking around in panic. "There's blood everywhere!" He could not find a single clean path to pass.

"Ugh..." Neville rolled his eyes. "Just come over already! You can clean your shoes with a spell afterward!" His patience was wearing thin.

"Okay, okay, no need to yell. That's easy for you to say, wearing those cheap boots..." Harry muttered as he navigated through the pools of blood under the watchful eyes of the audience.

"Ew, oh, this is so gross! And it smells! I think I'm going to vomit!" he whined.

"I can't believe this guy just bisected a dragon..." Victoria said. "And now he's complaining like a little girl."

"You shouldn't judge by appearances alone. "Professor Silverbell told her.

"Ugh... okay, I'm here," Harry finally arrived, looking down at his blood-soaked shoes in disgust. "I'm throwing these out... So, we're done? I'm done here, right?"

"Yes, I believe you are," Neville confirmed, pointing at Harry's legs. They had begun to fade.

"Wonderful! I can't wait to be back," Harry glanced at Neville. "Good luck with the rest."

Neville nodded.

"Thanks. And be careful with that sword. That move you made is a lot more dangerous than you realize. There are some things you really don't want to cut."

Harry disappeared completely, and soon, the dragon and its nest followed. Even the blood vanished, leaving the stones clean.

"Okay, you don't need to guess," Neville twisted his wand.

"That's your dragon." As he said this, one of the two remaining dragons was dragged forward. "And the nest behind it...that's yours."

"Are you sure?" Victoria asked.

"There are only two left, and I never lost track of mine, so yes, I'm sure," he answered confidently.

A noise from the sky caught their attention.

The large crack from earlier was now just a thin black line.

"It's almost healed! Just one more!" Silverbell muttered.

"Okay, let's finish this," Victoria said as she walked forward and stopped beside Neville, glancing at him.

"I guess I owe you a thank you. You've been very... competent. For a Gryffindor."

"Thanks?, I guess...Do you have a plan for the test?" Neville asked.

Victoria removed one of her rings. "I am the last Lady of the Ancient House of Black. I have prepared myself to surpass any obstacles and ensure the prosperity of my house. It's the least I owe to my family... I am always prepared."

The dragon roared with pure rage, finally freed from its chains and eager to burn something to ash. Its eyes locked on Victoria.

The black-haired girl strolled forward without concern.

The ring in her hand gleamed silver as she tossed it into the air.

"I won't let that annoying boy get all the credit today. Let me show you what a Rune Master can do."

The ring transformed mid-air into a long metallic object that landed in her hands.

"Isn't that the thing Muggles use?" Silverbell asked while staring at the newly appeared weapon.

"Indeed... I haven't seen a wizard wield one since... the Great War," Dumbledore replied.

"She has a runic rifle?" Neville had seen similar weapons before.

Muggles had made them with the help of wizards. It was a rare combination of disciplines from both worlds. To create one, that person needs a great deal of knowledge about runic enchantments and also firearms.

The long metallic rifle had a large blue crystal embedded in it, glowing with power.

Victoria flipped a switch, and the crystal began to shine brightly.

She aimed the gun at the dragon's head.

"Hold still..."

And then, she pulled the trigger.

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