Harry Potter: The Golden Viper

0197 Race (Part-3)

The oak boat that came into their sight was twice as big as Harry and Hermione's boat. This was a special favor from Professor Watson to accommodate the huge size of the two young wizards on board. 

Slytherin's Crabbe and Goyle! 

Harry felt a wave of anger and disgust as he recognized the bulky figures of Malfoy's cronies. Because Professor Watson had said that this was a race, Draco Malfoy had ruthlessly abandoned his two loyal lackeys and chosen Pansy Parkinson, a simpering girl with a pug-like face, as his partner. 

Harry's face sank as soon as he saw these two. He turned the rudder and changed direction to get away from them, but Hermione stopped him. 

"Wait, Harry, look at their faces." 

Hermione blinked and looked at Crabbe and Goyle, who were slowly drifting towards the orange light. She realized right away. 

"They seem to be bewitched by Hinkypunk!" 

That was indeed the case. Even though their boat was twice as big as the others, Crabbe and Goyle's eyes were still dazed, and they looked silly. They stared blankly at the orange glow, ignoring Harry and Hermione not far away, and just controlled the boat to slowly go there. 

"It's not easy for these two big fools." Harry sneered. 

"I guess their heads smoked before they figured out how to make this boat move, and that's how Hinkypunk took advantage of them and controlled their minds." 

"Don't say that, Harry."

Hermione said in a slightly reproachful tone, then looked anxiously at Crabbe and Goyle, who were sliding into the foggy vortex. 

"Do you think we should warn them, Harry?" 

"Are you crazy, Hermione?" 

Harry's eyes widened in surprise. "These two big fools won't appreciate our kindness, and besides, Professor Watson won't let the young wizards really get into trouble, he just wants to teach them a lesson. Malfoy used such a despicable way to frame Hagrid, and lied to avoid playing against the Gryffindor team. In my opinion, it's just right to let them go down and take a bath!" 

Frowning slightly, Hermione hesitated and nodded. 

"Alright, you're right." 

Splash! 

Just as they were about to mind their own business and change direction to continue exploring, a horned, green-toothed, long-fingered monster suddenly jumped out of the pale green mud under the calm water. 

The monster grabbed the boat's gunwale with one hand and reached straight for Crabbe's collar with the other, as if it wanted to drown them both in the water! It was a Grindylow, a small water demon with a vicious temperament and a carnivorous appetite.

"Relashio!" 

Seeing this scene, Hermione didn't have time to think, and instinctively acted. She took out her wand and pointed it at the Grindylow. After a clear shout, a faint stream of air jumped over sixty feet in an instant, hitting the claw of the thin and long finger that was holding the gunwale. The Revulsion Jinx was effective underwater, as it shot jets of boiling hot water that scalded the Grindylow's skin and made it release its grip and retreat. 

Poof! 

The Grindylow fell into the water, and when it found out who had ruined its hunt, it immediately bared its teeth and snarled at Harry and Hermione. It looked like a furious crocodile with horns and long fingers, and it was not ready to give up. It swam towards them with incredible speed, stirring up two white waves behind it. 

"Well, it looks like Professor Watson has prepared the final exam for Defence Against the Dark Arts for us in advance." 

Harry raised his eyebrows and quickly took out his wand from his pocket and held it in front of him. His statement made Hermione a little embarrassed. She felt guilty for attracting the Grindylow's attention.

"Let me do it, Harry, this is my fault. I have a spell, I hope it can scare it away." 

Looking at the Grindylow that was like a speeding shark, Hermione came to Harry's side, swallowed nervously, and then gently circled her slender wrist, whispering, 

"Canrady LeviOsa!"

CLANG! 

On the charred wood not far away, a dangling dead branch made a crisp sound. Under Hermione's control, the dead branch cut through the water with lightning speed and made a sharp scream. In an instant, the calm water surface rose up, and a ten-foot-high wall of water rolled over, directly knocking out the Grindylow that was rushing over. 

Bryan, who was floating in the air, withdrew his gaze back from Ron and Parvati, who were desperately dodging the water arrows from the Silverback Fish in the mud. He looked at Hermione with surprise and smiled softly. 

"Not bad, Miss Granger.."

"Professor Watson's Improved Levitation Charm?!" 

Harry exclaimed in astonishment, his green eyes wide as saucers. He stared at Hermione and asked, 

"What the hell, when did you master this spell?" 

"Just recently." 

Hermione smiled shyly, but she felt a surge of pride with the awe shown by Harry. She had been practicing the charm in secret, hoping to impress Professor Watson with her skills. 

"Potter–" 

As Harry and Hermione were amazed by the power and applicability of this spell, the water wall stirred up by the Improved Levitation Charm fell down, and the cascading waves caught up with Crabbe and Goyle's boat, waking up the two people who were in a daze. 

In the oak cabin, the two big fools looked like drowned rats. They struggled to turn their walnut-sized brains, trying to figure out what was going on, and then they noticed Harry Potter not far away. 

They looked at each other happily, and Goyle pointed at Harry and showed a silly smile. He had a row of yellow teeth and a pug-like nose, and he looked more like a troll than a human. 

"You're in trouble, Potter, Draco told us–" 

"Malfoy?" Harry's eyes became alert. He looked at the two big idiots who had escaped by Hermione's kindness, and asked harshly. 

"What did Malfoy tell you?" 

But Crabbe and Goyle were unexpectedly smarter than Harry thought. They glanced at each other maliciously, and the next second, one rushed to the bow and the other to the stern. 

"Damn it!" 

Harry was quick-witted. He figured out what Malfoy had told the Slytherin gang of stinky snakes. 

"Go to the stern, Hermione!" He shouted. "I guess Malfoy gave them orders, as soon as they see our boat, they'll attack!" 

He knew that Malfoy was a coward, who would never face Harry himself, but would use his minions to do his dirty work.

"But, Harry!" Hermione stumbled back to the stern, injecting magic to make the oak boat move. 

"Professor Watson clearly said that we are not allowed to attack each other!" 

She was a rule-abiding girl, who always respected her teachers and followed their instructions. She did not want to get into trouble, or worse, lose points for Gryffindor.

"Professor Watson only said that we are not allowed to use our wands to attack each other, Hermione!" Harry said. Since last year, when he was tricked by Professor Watson in dealing with the 'Inferi', he had learned to listen carefully to his instructions. 

As Harry said, Crabbe and Goyle drove their boat straight at them, and this was no fun. Their boat was twice as big as normal, and once they hit it, they would be superior to others. Due to its mass, there was no way Harry and Hermione's boat could survive the damage. It would be smashed to pieces, and they would be thrown into the water, where they would face the dangers of the Grindylows, the Silverback Fish, and the Hinkypunks.

Clang! 

It was just a slight collision. As Hermione screamed, the two people's boat shook violently from side to side, and Harry and Hermione might have been thrown out of the cabin if they hadn't been prepared enough. They held on to the gunwale tightly, and tried to balance the boat. 

"I thought their boat would be slow!" Harry gritted his teeth. 

"Professor Watson probably put a spell on this boat, ignoring the weight factor, and only considering our magic!" Hermione screamed. 

She realized that Professor Watson had enchanted the boats to match the magic level of the occupants, and that Crabbe and Goyle had an advantage over them. They had not used much magic, while Harry and Hermione had used a lot to deal with the obstacles and the creatures in the water. Their boat was slower and weaker, and they had to find a way to escape.

In the process of dodging the Silverback Fish just now, Harry and Hermione had consumed a lot of magic. Harry and Hermione had to use their wands to deflect the water arrows, and to stun the fish that came too close. 

Because of the fast speed, Crabbe and Goyle's boat drew a huge arc when turning on the water surface, and taking advantage of this time, Harry and Hermione barely stabilized the boat and ran in another direction, but Crabbe and Goyle chased them up with a grin. 

"These two stupid fools probably never had such a glorious moment in their lives!" Harry thought angrily. He felt like he was riding a Nimbus 2000 and competing with a Firebolt, being crushed in a straight line, and could only rely on constantly flexible turning to avoid Crabbe and Goyle's repeated collisions. 

"Show them what you just did, Hermione, or we'll end up feeding the fish." 

Harry said. He was referring to the Improved Levitation Charm that Hermione had used earlier, to knock out the Grindylow that had attacked them. 

"Oh, no, Harry!" Hermione stubbornly said with a sweaty cheek. 

"You said it yourself, Professor Watson doesn't allow us to use magic to attack each other!"

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