**Chapter 82: Can He Really Walk Through Walls? Malfoy: Tonight Is My Judgment Day!**  

"Of course, it's Malfoy!" 

Dylan's gaze swept over the group before he withdrew it. "You guys haven't forgotten that Malfoy is going to tell the professor about this, right?" 

"But you've already hidden the dragon. As long as they can't find it, the professor won't believe Malfoy, right?" Hermione said. 

"That's true, but we still need to make Malfoy believe we're planning to send the dragon away." 

"Otherwise, if we do nothing and let Malfoy be certain that we're keeping a dragon, won't he keep bothering us?" 

Hearing this, Harry nodded vigorously. "Dylan's right! He's really good at making trouble for people!" 

"So what do we do?" Ron asked. 

"It's simple. You and Harry will pretend to chat and make sure Malfoy overhears you saying that you wrote to your brother about sending the dragon away. Once he hears that, he'll naturally try to stop you." 

Dylan smiled. "And we don't have to do anything at all. Even if Malfoy asks later, we just have to firmly deny that a dragon ever existed." 

"Besides, when he goes through all the trouble to investigate and realizes that Hagrid no longer has a dragon, he'll assume we already sent it away." 

Ron blinked. "So… do I actually need to send a letter to my brother?" 

"…" 

Dylan, Hermione, and Harry all looked at him at the same time. "Of course not!" 

Hermione sighed. "Dylan means you don't have to do anything else." 

Ron was confused. "But didn't Dylan just say that I need to pretend to chat with Harry and let Malfoy overhear?" 

Hermione: "...Yes. That's the only thing you need to do." 

Ron nodded firmly. "Alright then!" 

After they returned… 

Dylan assigned tasks to Harry and Ron, then headed back to his dormitory. Seeing that no one else was there, he took the opportunity to test his newly acquired ability. 

**"Pet Ability Domination…"** 

As Dylan focused his mind, he slowly closed his eyes, shifting his consciousness inward. 

Soon, he sensed a special power closely connected to him, and in his mind, two distinct shapes emerged—his two pets. 

First, Dylan directed his attention toward the shadowy lynx-like creature. 

In an instant, a chilling sensation crept into his heart like a quiet frost. 

When Dylan attempted to draw upon this power, it felt as if fine threads of ice spread through his bloodstream and veins, coursing through his entire body. 

Then, he became acutely aware of the weight of his physical form—almost as if it were being stripped away. He felt lighter, more ethereal. 

He raised his hand and "saw" his body gradually fade into the darkness, its outline growing blurrier as if merging with the surrounding shadows. 

Nearby, his pet, Coalball, had been waiting for Dylan to pick it up, lazily swishing its tail. 

But when it saw its owner suddenly turn into a dark, shadowy figure—just like itself—its half-closed eyes widened into perfect circles. 

Its pointed ears shot up, its body tensed, and its head tilted as its slit-like pupils filled with shock. 

**"Moo?"** 

Dylan ignored Coalball's reaction, fully immersed in the strange transformation. 

**"This is incredible…"** 

He stood up and walked to the door. He was about to reach out and touch it when a thought struck him— 

What if someone was walking by outside and saw him? 

After a moment's hesitation, he turned back toward his bed and reached out. 

With ease—without any resistance—his arm passed right through the bed. 

There was no obstruction whatsoever. It was as if the bed didn't exist. 

**"So using my pet's abilities also drains my own mental energy?"** 

Dylan immediately noticed that as his arm phased through the bed, his mind felt noticeably fatigued. 

Moreover, as long as he maintained the phasing ability, his mental energy continued to drain rapidly. 

He withdrew his hand. 

The tension in his mind instantly eased. 

But even just staying in this shadow-like state required a constant expenditure of mental energy. 

Dylan slowly deactivated the ability to control the shadow lynx. 

At once, he felt relieved. He took a brief pause, regulating his breathing and calming his racing thoughts. 

**"Looks like I can't just use my pets' abilities freely without any limits."** 

After settling his mind, Dylan found this quite reasonable. 

Forget energy conservation— 

Even the Philosopher's Stone, which could create the Elixir of Life and turn objects into gold, wasn't limitless. 

Being able to use the abilities of magical creatures without directly casting spells was already incredible. 

After all, he wasn't a magical creature himself. Having limitations made sense. 

If he could use his pets' abilities without restriction, he would actually be more concerned. 

Because in that case, the more he used them, the more likely his mind could be eroded by these abilities, eventually making him believe he *was* a shadow lynx… or even a dragon. 

**"Right now, Arno is just a baby dragon. He doesn't have any defined abilities yet. I wonder what I'll be able to do if I tap into his power…"** 

Dylan pondered for a moment before closing his eyes and trying to connect with Arno's abilities. 

In an instant, a scorching heat surged through his body, filling him with immense energy. 

**"Hot!"** 

Dylan felt as if he had been wrapped in a wave of searing heat. 

His chest burned, and an uncontrollable impulse rose in his throat. 

Instinctively, he opened his mouth— 

A strong, scorching sensation welled up from deep within, as if a fireball was about to burst out. 

Dylan braced himself, expecting to unleash a roaring blaze. He had already raised his wand, ready to put out the flames if necessary. 

But when he exhaled— 

What emerged wasn't fire. 

It was a thick cloud of black smoke. 

**"Hic~"** 

A second later, he let out a hiccup—releasing another puff of charred, smoky air that reeked of burnt material. 

Dylan winced at the foul stench. 

He quickly deactivated Arno's power, and the intense heat within him vanished instantly. 

Looking at the swirling, murky air in front of him, Dylan's mouth twitched. 

**"Tornado!"** 

A powerful gust erupted from his center, forming a fierce whirlwind. 

The vortex swept through the room, forcefully driving out the black smoke and suffocating odor, sending them straight out the window. 

However, the sudden blast of wind also sent various small objects flying across the dormitory. Papers fluttered wildly in the air. 

Dylan ignored the mess, only making sure nothing actually got blown out the window.

In the blink of an eye, the filthy air was completely swept away. 

Then, a rush of fresh air came pouring in. 

Dylan took a deep breath, feeling the cool sensation travel through his nasal passages and into his lungs, invigorating his entire body. 

He squinted in contentment and let out a long breath. "Refreshing!" 

Looking at the mess around him, Dylan casually waved his wand. "Reparo!" 

A surge of magic burst from the tip of Dylan's wand, swiftly spreading across the entire dormitory. 

The scattered papers, which had been flying around chaotically, suddenly froze in midair as if they had gained consciousness. They floated back into place in an orderly fashion before gently landing on the desk. 

Various small objects that had been strewn about also bounced into motion, swiftly returning to their designated spots. 

A fountain pen shot straight into its holder, while an eraser rolled obediently into its designated corner. 

In just a few moments, the dormitory—previously in disarray due to the whirlwind spell—was once again neat and orderly. 

Seeing this, Dylan nodded in satisfaction. 

"Although, for now, I still can't breathe fire while channeling Arno's power..." 

Dylan reflected on the sensation he had just experienced while wielding the power of the dragon. 

It was a strange feeling, as if no magic in the world could affect him. 

That feeling made Dylan swell with confidence—so much so that if Voldemort were standing right in front of him, casting Avada Kedavra, he wouldn't even think about dodging. 

"But only an idiot wouldn't dodge." 

Though the dragon's power made Dylan feel invincible, he was well aware of reality. 

Just because he had high magic resistance didn't mean he should recklessly take damage head-on. 

"Moo! Moo!" 

Coalball jumped onto Dylan's side, tilting its little head up at him and mooing expectantly. 

Dylan patted its head. "From now on, we'll be able to walk through walls together." 

"Moo?" Coalball tilted its head even more. 

Two days passed. Dylan continued studying diligently, spending his time in the library and professors' offices. 

Then, one afternoon, during dinner in the Great Hall— 

Harry and Ron ran up to him, looking excited. 

"It worked!" Ron said eagerly, winking at Dylan. 

Dylan looked at the two of them. "It really worked?" 

Harry nodded emphatically. "It really did!" 

Ron lowered his voice. "Harry and I made sure to talk about dragons while Malfoy was around. Sure enough, he took the bait!" 

"Now that I think about it," he continued, laughing, "watching him pretend to be busy while actually eavesdropping was hilarious!" 

Dylan asked, "And the time you gave him—it's today?" 

Ron nodded repeatedly. "Exactly! The moment Malfoy came over to eavesdrop, I took the opportunity to tell Harry that my brother was sending someone today to take the dragon away! I even gave him the exact location—right at the edge of the Forbidden Forest!" 

Dylan nodded slightly. "In that case, there's nothing more to worry about. You can completely forget about Arno because I'm not going to bring him out at Hogwarts just to show you." 

Ron's expression froze, and he immediately looked disappointed. "Not even secretly?" 

"No." Dylan didn't give him any hope. 

After all, keeping a dragon as a pet was already illegal. 

He had no intention of facing off against the Ministry of Magic over this. 

Sure, he had mastered all three Unforgivable Curses and a few high-level Dark Arts spells, but that didn't mean he wanted to end up in Azkaban. 

Of course, even if the Ministry found out about him keeping a dragon, they might let it slide since he was just a student. But that wasn't something Dylan was willing to gamble on. 

Legal or not—it didn't matter as long as he didn't get caught. 

If there were no explicit rules against it, then it was fair game. 

If there were rules against it, then he'd just do it in secret! 

"The bold thrive, the timid starve," as the saying goes. That principle applied everywhere. 

"Oh, what terrible news!" Ron had arrived all excited, but now he left feeling deflated. 

Though, of course—he left with a full stomach. 

Dylan didn't dwell on the matter any further. 

After dinner, he went to Professor McGonagall's office for tutoring. 

By the time the night grew late, he returned to his dormitory and fell into bed, exhausted. 

This time, he didn't cuddle with Coalball. 

Ever since he had placed Coalball into the pet space to keep Arno company, the little guy had no interest in coming out anymore. 

Dylan was heartbroken. 

But all he could do was hug his pillow and fall into a deep sleep. 

--- 

Until the dead of night. 

In a secluded corridor of Hogwarts— 

Moonlight streamed through the stained-glass windows, casting patches of colorful light and shadow onto the stone floor. 

Malfoy sneaked out of his dormitory, clutching a lantern tightly. The dim light flickered across his pale face, reflecting the excitement and nervousness in his eyes. 

"This time, I'm definitely going to teach Harry and his friends a lesson!" 

He hunched over, moving cautiously with each step, making sure his boots didn't scrape against the stone floor. 

The lantern's glow wavered slightly with his movements, casting twisted, irregular shadows on the walls. 

It was time for payback. 

Tonight would be his night of reckoning! 

"That idiot Potter, and that buffoon Weasley, spilling their secrets so carelessly!" 

Malfoy could barely contain his glee. 

He was heading straight for the edge of the Forbidden Forest to stop Harry and the others from sneaking the dragon away. 

If he could catch them red-handed, he would have the perfect leverage over Harry. 

And once he had that, he could finally force Harry to stay away from those foolish nobodies! 

At that time, he could be merciful and not make Harry his underling, but instead, let him become his friend—his, Draco Lucius Malfoy's, friend! 

Just as Malfoy was imagining a future where he and Harry were friends, he turned a corner in the corridor, ready to pick up his pace. 

However, a familiar and imposing figure suddenly appeared in front of him, nearly causing him to crash straight into them. 

Malfoy froze in place, staring at the tall, slender figure before him. Dressed in a long robe, with her hair neatly secured in a net, Professor McGonagall stood with a commanding presence, the moonlight outlining her sharp features. 

At that moment, her arms were crossed, her piercing gaze locked onto him. She held a lantern in one hand, her expression severe. 

"P-Professor McGonagall?" 

Professor McGonagall's face remained stern as she suddenly reached out and firmly twisted Malfoy's ear. 

"Do you have any idea what time it is? Instead of being in your dormitory asleep, you're sneaking around the castle—how dare you!" 

Her strict voice echoed through the corridor. 

"And you even had the nerve to bring a lantern with you!" 

(End of Chapter)