Hermione's decisive and swift action immediately caught the attention of the Dementors. They left behind the unconscious wizards and headed towards Hermione, but the Dementor at the end of the line took a couple of steps and then seemed to realize something, silently coming to a "halt" and keeping a distance from its companions.
Mrs. Rosmerta's face turned pale. "You... you..."
But under the pressure of the Dementors, she couldn't even utter a complete sentence. All she could do was wink at Hermione and motion for her to run; she didn't know if running would help, and she wasn't sure if Hermione had seen the look in her eyes... but it was better than sitting there waiting for death.
How could a third-year girl confront several Dementors? Haven't you seen all the adult wizards and seventh-year students in the shop who couldn't stand up to them?
They couldn't be blamed. First of all, it's unlikely that a young Hogwarts wizard would ever be exposed to the Patronus Charm, let alone learn how to use it, and if they don't learn it at school, how are they going to relearn it in society? Or if they have the perseverance to continue learning such difficult magic after graduating, they will probably be able to master it during their school years.
And to make matters worse, most of the pub's customers have never seen a live Dementor before... it's called "killing at first sight," and when you fight a monster you're not familiar with, you'll be hit. There's a big difference between being under the pressure of a Dementor and unleashing a Patronus in a calm state. So it's no wonder that the men felt defenseless against the Dementors and had to wait to be killed.
Instead of fleeing, Hermione pointed her wand at the Dementors:
"Expecto Patronum!"
In the next moment, a bright silver-white light burst from the tip of her wand, spreading quickly and enveloping the entire room, and the wizards inside were so dazzled by it that they squinted their eyes to try to discern the source.
Wherever the white light went, the negative effects caused by the Dementors were completely eliminated, and the last one to feel the familiar glow turned around and walked out the door. His companions were not as lucky, and when they tried to flee, it was already too late.
"Wow!" A loud bark sounded in everyone's ears, and when the light faded, a juvenile three-headed dog, no larger than the palm of a hand, appeared in front of Hermione, wagging its tail, its three heads proudly raised, crouching on the ground, crossing one of its hind legs and scratching the leftmost head.
Crowd: ???
How adorable! Are all pretty girls' Patronuses this cute? By the way, is this Patronus a three-headed dog? It's a three-headed dog!
Everyone's eyes were glued to this unique Patronus. No one noticed that the sense of pressure, of suffocation, that the Dementors had brought upon their appearance had vanished. Now they could feel emotions other than despair and sadness.
Dementors: ...
This seems to be a solid Patronus...
Although small, the strength of a Patronus does not diminish as it reduces in size, and theoretically, a large Patronus has the same lethality against a Dementor as a small Patronus. The Dementors understood that: the three-headed dog in front of them might be small and cute, but it had no qualms about teaching them a lesson.
They immediately attempted to retreat, but it was already too late. The three-headed dog, having finished scratching itself, stood on its short legs, the air felt like solid ground beneath its feet, and it soared into the air, running towards the Dementors who had turned their backs, showing their vulnerability, and then...
It bites!
The Dementors, who had just been unbeatable, were being chased by the three-headed dog Patronus like a village goose. The wizards in the room didn't understand the hissing of the Dementors, but they could feel their emotions: they screamed, especially when the dog's head bit them, and they screamed loudly.
The Dementors weren't foolish; they would flee even if they were struck. So after being heavily bitten by the three-headed dog, they finally shot out of the pub's door and into the sky, disappearing from everyone's sight.
The crowd breathed a sigh of relief: they had finally been freed from the negative feelings. They felt as if a heavy stone had been lifted from their hearts, and many of them felt their backs sticky from cold sweat.
When they regained their senses, they finally noticed the shape of Hermione's Patronus. They were a bit uncertain because it was a magical three-headed dog! Normally, wizards don't have a Patronus in the form of magical creatures; the only known exception is Dumbledore's Phoenix Patronus.
Patronuses are closely related to the summoner's state of mind. If the mental state changes drastically, the Patronus will also change. The young witch who could summon the three-headed dog Patronus must have a very special future ahead of her.
Then, the guests looked at Hermione with a sense of awe: she was someone extraordinary who could summon a special Patronus, and she was so young! It was as if the crowd was witnessing the emergence of a new and brilliant magical star.
Soon, someone in the crowd started applauding, and the others, caught up in the moment, joined in and offered their applause to Hermione.
"Thank you!"
"What a beautiful Patronus!"
"Just as beautiful as you!"
Hermione's face turned as red as an apple, her cheeks burning from the praise. She felt a surge of joy. But when her eyes swept across the opposite seat, she froze: Tom was gone.
No one except Hermione had noticed that the boy who had just been sitting at the table with the witch who had saved them had disappeared.
While Hermione successfully summoned the Patronus to banish the Dementors, Tom tapped his wand on the napkin in front of him and slipped out of the Three Broomsticks amid the confusion. He needed to keep up with the pace of the Dementors and try to get inside them.
Hermione didn't have to worry for long, as a message appeared on a napkin on her table, revealing Tom's plan. After reading Tom's plan, Hermione "cursed" him: how audacious of Tom, isn't he afraid of being discovered?
She couldn't help but worry about Tom.