Chapter 123: The Gryffindors and Slytherins Unite! A Rescue Mission Full of Setbacks!

Seeing this, Madam Hooch was extremely anxious. Her eyes quickly locked onto Dudley, whose legs had begun to glow red. As she mounted her flying broom, she said at breakneck speed:

"Teaching Assistant Dursley, Mr. Longbottom is in your hands! I'll go and save Miss Granger, dear!"

"Okay!"

Dudley immediately agreed. His eyes fixed on Neville, who was flailing about in the distance high above. He pushed off hard with his toes and shot forward like an arrow.

He aimed to dash to a spot just below Neville. That way, he could use the Shock Absorption and Speed Reduction Incantation to catch Neville safely at the critical moment.

But shortly after he took off, he saw two figures flash across the sky above his head.

Two wizards mounted their flying brooms and soared into the air, heading straight for Neville.

Dudley could see clearly that in the front was Malfoy, wearing a green wizard's robe, and right behind him was Harry, hot on his heels.

Unlike Neville and Hermione, who couldn't control their flying brooms, these two were flying quite smoothly, one after the other. It was obvious that they had excellent inborn endowment. Moreover, judging from the technical moves Malfoy was using, it seemed that he had learned them before.

"Cousin! Malfoy might bully Neville. Let's go after him!"

Harry Potter, flying high on his broom, shouted at the top of his lungs.

He was closing in on Malfoy tightly and showed signs of overtaking him soon.

Dudley was skeptical about Harry's concerns.

In the spell - casting classes, Malfoy didn't laugh at Seamus, who was covered in soot from an explosion. Instead, he stopped Crabbe and Goyle from mocking Seamus. Dudley had seen all this with his own eyes.

He figured Malfoy was turning over a new leaf and didn't seem like the type to take advantage of someone in a difficult situation.

At this moment, there came a hubbub of shouts from behind Dudley.

He looked back and found that the remaining first - years from Gryffindor and Slytherin had divided into two groups, arguing noisily.

One group was cheering for Harry, and the other was cheering for Malfoy.

"Be quiet, all of you! If anyone dares to fly on a flying broom again, I'll hang them outside the eighth - floor of the Castle for three days and three nights!"

Dudley turned back and let out a thunderous and icy roar.

The first - years from Gryffindor and Slytherin were all terrified. They quickly threw their flying brooms to the ground and covered their mouths tightly, afraid of angering Dudley.

If it were other professors saying this, they would definitely think it was a joke. But when it came from Dudley, they didn't dare to take the risk.

After suppressing the first - years, Dudley started running again, looking up at the situation around Neville as he ran.

He saw Malfoy fly up to Neville's side. With a dexterous move like the Dragon's Tail Whip, he hovered in the air for a moment and reached out to grab Neville's elbow.

However, Neville, who was already panicked and on the verge of falling, was even more frightened when he saw Malfoy reaching for him. Instinctively, he dodged to the side, ruining Malfoy's rescue attempt.

At this time, Harry also flew over. Seeing Malfoy trying to pull Neville, he instinctively thought Malfoy was up to no good. So, imitating Malfoy with his own inborn endowment, he also performed a Dragon's Tail Whip, causing Malfoy to be caught off guard and eat a mouthful of broom bristles.

"Pfft! Pfft! Pfft!"

Malfoy spat out the broom hairs in his mouth, extremely angry. "Harry Potter! Aren't you going to save your cousin's sidekick?"

"What?!"

Harry blurted out in confusion. He didn't react immediately. He turned his head and saw Malfoy pressing the front end of his flying broom and diving down diagonally at high speed to chase Neville, who was falling rapidly at this time.

Seeing this, Harry didn't dare to delay. He also dived down rapidly, rushing towards Neville at a faster flying speed than Malfoy.

"Neville, pull up your broom handle! Steady!"

On the ground below, Dudley had already taken his position and looked up, shouting a reminder.

He had no intention of casting the [Calm Mind Spell] on Neville. He still hoped that Neville could toughen up on his own earlier and have a [Transformation]. Instead of becoming heroic only when slaying Nagini and waiting until then to earn the name of the Sword Saint of Gryffindor.

During his rapid fall, Neville couldn't even keep his eyes open against the strong wind. Faintly hearing Dudley's voice, he didn't think much and started to exert force as if grasping at a lifeline. The hands that had been tightly holding the front of the broom suddenly pulled upwards with all his might...

Then, Malfoy and Harry, who were diving down rapidly, saw that below, Neville, screaming, crying and with his eyes closed, rushed upwards at high speed, passed quickly between the two of them, and rushed obliquely straight towards the outer wall of the upper - level of the distant Castle.

"Not good!"

Malfoy, Harry and Dudley exclaimed in unison.

They quickly took remedial measures.

Malfoy and Harry rode their flying brooms, changed direction, and chased after Neville directly.

Below, Dudley directly threw his [Smelting stick] upwards with force.

The [Smelting stick] shot towards Neville like a sharp arrow with great force. After reaching the target position, it immediately turned into a wide and thick flying carpet, covering Neville and struggling to resist the forward momentum of Neville and the flying broom.

Blocked by Dudley like this, Neville's flying speed decreased. Malfoy and Harry seized the opportunity, flew to Neville's side from left and right respectively, and reached out to grab the outer handles on the edge of the flying carpet that Dudley had specially transformed.

They all performed the Dragon's Tail Whip together and exerted force in the opposite direction at the same time.

Finally, without any real danger, when the flying carpet covering Neville was only five or six meters away from the outer wall of the Castle, they forcibly stopped all the forward momentum.

Dudley had already reached out his hand, ready to turn the air in front of that area of the outer wall into a soft air cushion for buffering. Seeing that Neville had successfully stopped, he slowly put down his hand.

Watching Malfoy and Harry pulling Neville wrapped in the flying carpet, they slowly descended and finally landed smoothly.

In the office on the second floor of the Castle, Professor McGonagall, who had been attracted by the shouts outside the window, witnessed the second half of this high - speed rescue.

An idea popped up in her mind to recommend Harry to the Gryffindor Quidditch school team exceptionally.

As for Malfoy, although his skills were also good, Professor McGonagall wouldn't say a word.

She upheld justice, but that didn't mean she would deliberately cause trouble for the Gryffindor house she led.

Thinking of this, Professor McGonagall immediately left the office and walked towards the playground outside the Castle.

Outside the playground at this moment, Harry and Dudley were supporting Neville, whose legs were shaking, towards the gathering point for the first - years.

"Humph!"

Malfoy glared at Harry haughtily. Keeping a distance from the trio, he stalked far ahead alone, holding a flying broom with a supremely arrogant air.

"Cousin, I think I misjudged Malfoy! You told me before that people have many sides and we can't judge them one - sidedly. I have a deeper understanding now."

With his right hand supporting Neville, Harry whispered to Dudley, reflecting on his actions just then.

"Most of the time, when we judge others, we're influenced by first impressions. We're just ordinary folks. As long as you reflect on it before any serious consequences occur, it'll be okay. Just find an opportunity to apologize to Malfoy."

Dudley's words comforted Harry, making him feel much better.

After walking some distance, Dudley and the others saw from afar Madam Hooch leading a group of first - years from Gryffindor and Slytherin walking towards them.

Hermione was among them. She was walking at the front of the group. Though her face still bore the marks of shock, she held her head up haughtily.