Chapter 387: Backflip

As the only real casualty of the Dementor attack, Harry had to stay in the Hospital Wing for the entire weekend. People visited often, trying to cheer him up, but Harry struggled to smile.

His broomstick was shattered, split cleanly in two. He had known it would likely break from a fall of fifty feet, and the thought had crossed his mind when he first regained consciousness. Yet, actually seeing the pieces made him feel miserable. Wood had assured him that it could be fixed, that a trip to Diagon Alley and a bit of gold would have it as good as new. But he couldn't go to Diagon Alley now… he couldn't even go to Hogsmeade.

And something else weighed on Harry's mind. In his first Divination class, Professor Trelawney had foreseen a dark omen in his tea leaves—a large, black dog. And then, during the match, a black dog had been right there in the stands… and moments later, he had fallen fifty feet.

He hadn't told anyone about this—not Ron or Hermione—because he could predict their reactions. Ron would panic, and Hermione would laugh it off. He knew his friends too well. What he wanted was real advice. The black dog had already appeared twice, each time right before deadly danger. The first time, just before term began, he had nearly been flung off the Knight Bus; now, he'd fallen off his broomstick. Was he meant to be on guard against this creature for the rest of his life?

And then there were the Dementors…

Harry sat in silence on his hospital bed, half-listening to Hermione tell him about the latest school gossip. She mentioned that Kyle's dragon-scale badge was suddenly in demand again.

"I still don't think it does much, but most people say it's helpful," Hermione said, toying with the badge pinned to her chest. "Dean Thomas swore he didn't feel a Dementor at all, but I was there, and before the Patronuses appeared, he nearly cried."

"But what about Neville?" Ron countered. "He wore two of them and did a lot better than on the train. He even came to visit Harry."

"Maybe he's just getting used to the effects of the Dementors," Hermione suggested. "It has nothing to do with an amulet."

Ron wasn't convinced. "Everyone knows you can't get used to something like that—it only gets worse."

As he listened, Harry wondered if Kyle might have some advice about the black dog, which seemed to appear and vanish at the most unpredictable times. And he also wanted to ask about dealing with Dementors. Professor McGonagall had called it the Patronus Charm.

...

The opportunity soon arose. On Monday, as Harry returned to his classes, he spotted Kyle and Cedric heading toward the Great Hall. Seizing the moment, he quickly caught up with them.

"A black dog?" Kyle repeated after hearing Harry's question.

"Yes," said Harry. "I saw it in the stands during the game, and then… I fell fifty feet. I was wondering if there was anything to it. I saw it once before, too, when I was in Magnolia Crescent… If it were just some random dog, it wouldn't have followed me all the way from Privet Drive to Hogwarts, would it?"

Cedric thought for a moment. "It's possible you're mistaken. I mean, with similar size, breed, and color, it's hard to know if it's the same dog each time."

"Well…" Harry hesitated. He'd only caught a quick, shadowed glimpse before the Knight Bus had appeared, so maybe Cedric was right. But the timing seemed just a bit too coincidental.

"I don't know what happened on Privet Drive," Kyle interjected, "but the one in the stands is just a friendly stray. Big, shaggy, and hasn't had a bath in ages, from the look of it."

"You saw it too?" Harry asked, surprised.

"Yeah, the last time we went to Hogsmeade," Kyle said with a laugh. "I saw it lounging in front of a shop and played with it for a bit. I think it must have wandered over from the village."

"Wait, so you're saying it's just a stray from Hogsmeade? Nothing unlucky about it?"

"If a black dog really meant bad luck, then what about Hagrid's dog, Fang?" Kyle pointed out. "He's black, too."

Thinking of Fang, Harry realized Kyle had a point. Fang, Hagrid's enormous black boarhound, showed up regularly in Care of Magical Creatures class… hardly an omen of doom.

"And," Kyle added, "the dog's actually quite clever. It can roll over, shake hands, even jump through hoops. Try it out next time—it's really something."

"I'd recommend the backflip," Cedric added with a grin. "Not even some trained Crups could do it so well."

"And the fire-jumping!" Kyle said. "It's like a Quidditch show with three different-sized hoops."

Listening to the two of them, Harry felt his fear and distaste for the black dog fade. If it was just some stray everyone had seen, perhaps it really was just an ordinary dog, like Fang. And with the tricks they mentioned, Harry even felt a flicker of curiosity. Was it really as clever as Kyle made it sound? Although he couldn't go to Hogsmeade, maybe he could ask Ron and Hermione to check it out.

"Oh, by the way," Kyle added, "if you want to see it do any tricks, bring it some food. That lazy dog won't move a paw without it."

Harry nodded, making a mental note.

"There's one more thing," he said. "Could you teach me the Patronus Charm? Next time I see a Dementor, I don't want to faint again."

Kyle hesitated briefly before shaking his head. "I'd like to help, but I don't have much time lately. With Quidditch training three times a week and other activities, I'm barely free."

Harry's face fell, disappointment sinking in. But then Kyle continued, "You could try asking Professor Lupin. He knows the Charm too."

"Professor Lupin!" Harry said, brightening up. "Hermione mentioned that he made the Dementor on the train back off."

"Thank you, Kyle."

Without even stopping for dinner, Harry hurried off toward Professor Lupin's office, his mind racing with anticipation.