The storm clouds split apart, and a single ray of dawn-like light poured down, falling directly onto Harry.
Those with sharp enough eyesight could see that Harry had already completely lost consciousness, and his rate of descent was becoming faster and faster. Many people shut their eyes in fear, unable to bear the thought of seeing Harry smashed into pulp on the ground.
Yet the cries of astonishment around them made them open their eyes again despite themselves.
Then they gasped as well.
A gigantic white, shining arm came crashing down from above the clouds. It scooped up the unconscious Harry as easily as if snatching a little fish from water. Then, with an earth-shaking dragon's roar, Usagi transformed into a streak of dark light, moving even faster than the wildly spinning Firebolt, and caught the broom in its hand just before it could slam into the Whomping Willow.
The Dementors let out furious shrieks.
The temperature in the air plummeted even faster, frost spreading and freezing along the wind itself.
For months, they had not had enough "food." And now, just when they had finally been about to enjoy a great feast, someone had actually stepped in to ruin it.
Yet instinctive fear held them back. They were unwilling to give up, but equally unwilling to advance. For a moment, they hung frozen in the air.
But while they hesitated, the Patronus did not.
After the arm, the rest of the body emerged.
The clouds were completely blown apart, and streaks of lightning still lingered across the surface of the Patronus, making it look like some divine being descending from the heavens.
One hand held Harry.
The other struck straight toward the black tide of Dementors.
The moment that palm fell, the Dementors burst apart like balloons. Large quantities of black mist rose into the air with shrill, miserable cries, only to be instantly vaporized by powerful magic. The strange sounds sent chills through the students below, but there was none of the crushing pressure or terror the creatures had carried when they first arrived.
"Is that the Patronus Charm?" one older student exclaimed, recognizing the spell, yet sounding utterly incredulous. "But the books all say Patronuses take animal forms. How can there be a humanoid Patronus, and one this huge?!"
"Tom," Astoria suddenly said, staring at the sky.
Daphne immediately looked around in alarm. "Where? Where's Tom? Didn't he go to the Ministry to talk business?"
"That Patronus... it looks like Tom," Astoria said, pointing upward.
Daphne snatched the binoculars from a nearby Slytherin student. After staring for a few moments, she cried out in delight, "It really is Tom! Astoria, your eyesight is amazing!"
The silver-haired girl secretly pouted.
It was not that her eyesight was especially good.
Her sister was just too careless.
More and more people began to notice the same thing. Though the shape was still a little blurred, one could vaguely make out that the Patronus had Tom's appearance. At once, cries of astonishment spread across the stands.
At the commentator's podium, Professor McGonagall secretly let out a breath of relief.
Fortunately, Riddle had acted even faster than she could. At that distance, she had not truly been confident she could use magic in time to stop Harry from falling and pull him clear before the Dementors reached him.
But after the relief came uncertainty.
McGonagall stared at the humanoid Patronus in the sky, which was slaughtering its way through the Dementors, every swing of its fist turning one into black smoke.
She was no longer entirely sure this could still be called a Patronus Charm.
The issue was not just its form. After all, Dumbledore's phoenix Patronus was itself an existence that defied common rules of shape.
But a Patronus was supposed to drive Dementors away through overwhelming positive energy.
Riddle's Patronus, on the other hand, had entered outright massacre mode. The moment it touched a Dementor, it dealt completely destructive damage.
And then there was its size, several times larger than a normal Patronus, perhaps dozens of times larger.
McGonagall suddenly thought of the legendary wizard of ancient Greece:
Andros the Invincible.
So the old records had not exaggerated after all.
It truly was possible for someone to summon a Patronus this enormous.
At the same time, warmth rose in her heart.
To possess such a powerful Patronus was enough to prove that Riddle's heart contained many bright and joyful memories.
What a good child he was.
"Tsk."
An amused sigh sounded from behind her.
"I didn't expect that less than a day after Dumbledore left the school, this pack of Dementors would slip in."
Tom stood shoulder to shoulder with Professor McGonagall.
To be honest, he had completely forgotten about this minor episode. It just happened that he had returned from the Ministry and coincidentally run into the Dementors flooding into the school grounds.
Since he had encountered them, naturally he could not let go of such a fine opportunity to show himself off in public.
At the same time, it was also a good chance to test the current strength of his Patronus Charm.
And to tell the entire magical world one thing:
He, Tom Riddle, was an absolutely righteous white wizard.
"Fairly average," Andros commented inside the learning space, though his face was full of pleased approval. "Better than ordinary people, but still a long way from me. Don't get complacent, Tom."
Andros was very happy to see his own signature technique reappear after thousands of years. Still, he was not about to praise Tom aloud. Otherwise the boy would only get carried away again.
"Mr. Riddle, thank you for saving Potter," Professor McGonagall said first, offering formal thanks. Then she added, "But this cannot continue. I am equally furious at the greed of these Dementors, but they do still belong to the Ministry. If too many are lost, it may bring you trouble."
The Dementors' losses were already severe.
What had looked like a black sea of them moments ago had already been reduced by half, and the other half were beginning to scatter in all directions in flight.
Tom nodded indifferently.
The Patronus in the sky halted in place, then crushed the last two slowest Dementors before carrying Harry up to the commentator's podium.
"Professor, Harry is in your hands now."
McGonagall crouched down to examine Harry's condition.
"I'll take good care of him. Fifty points to Slytherin. Go back and rest properly."
Tom left the platform.
The moment he returned to the Slytherin stands, an excited Daphne threw herself at him and wrapped him in a hug.
"Tom, you were incredible! I want to learn that too!"
"You want a corporeal Patronus as well?" Tom considered it for a moment. "I'm not sure whether I can teach you, but we can try."