The Magical Food God of Hogwarts

Chapter 8 Riding the Dragon

"It's Uncle Fergus's signal!" Ellie exclaimed in surprise.

"They're still tracking us!" Lucas breathed a sigh of relief. "Great! Quick, if you still have the strength, send a signal back to them!"

"That's what I was thinking," Ellie said, reaching for her wand at her waist, only to find it empty. Her face paled further. "Oh no... my wand must have slipped from my hand and fallen when I passed out."

Lucas looked down at the rolling mountains and the desolate wilderness.

"It's alright," Lucas tried to reassure Ellie. "They'll catch up. The black dragon is so big, they'll definitely be able to see it—"

But suddenly the sky darkened! A thunderclap boomed!

A large rain cloud appeared on the horizon, and the black dragon Skye roared and charged headlong into the rain cloud. Before the two could react, it plunged into the thick, ink-like rain cloud!

It will use the rain clouds to shake off the pursuers!

In an instant, the world turned into a chaotic blackness.

The gale, mixed with icy raindrops, lashed Lucas and Ellie like countless whips, the large raindrops stinging their faces.

A bolt of lightning, like a silver snake, exploded not far away, clearly illuminating the dragon's ferocious outline and the two men's pale faces. Immediately afterward, a deafening roar of thunder, like the rumble of a celestial chariot, rolled overhead, making their eardrums buzz.

Lucas had no time to hesitate. He held Ellie tightly with his left arm and gripped the black dragon's spine with his right, trying to shield the weak girl with her dislocated right hand beneath him. But then he heard her shout, "Get inside the cloak! It can protect us!"

Ellie stretched out her left hand and struggled to open the heavy dragonhide cloak she was wearing. Lucas immediately understood and dove under her cloak. The two clung tightly to each other on the back of the dragon, which was bobbing like a lone boat on a raging sea. The wind was blocked by the dragonhide cloak, while the rain lashed against it, playing a low and rhythmic drumbeat.

In the cramped space beneath the cloak, the two were pressed tightly together, able to clearly feel each other's trembling bodies.

"Are you trembling? Are you scared?" Ellie's face was very close, water droplets were constantly dripping from her long hair, and Lucas could vaguely see her purple eyes.

Her voice was soft, but firm: "I promise I will bring you back alive. The McFastie family never goes back on its word!"

Lucas paused for a moment, then laughed.

This wasn't a forced, composed laugh; rather, an uncontrollable laugh welled up from deep within his chest.

"Scared? No! I'm fine!"

"I never imagined I would have such a wonderful journey!"

Lucas's voice was filled with excitement: "Riding a black dragon through thunderstorm clouds! I'm so lucky! This world... this world is so interesting and amazing!"

His laughter grew louder and louder, even drowning out the rumbling thunder outside his cloak.

Ellie's eyes widened, and she leaned closer, her warm breath brushing against Lucas's cheek. "Hey, Lucas," she asked anxiously, "did you hit your head?"

……

The torrential rain, the turbulence, and the thunder finally stopped, and the black dragon carried them through the storm clouds.

Pulling back the cloak, the setting sun painted the sky a brilliant gold. Below stretched an endless expanse of dense forest, like a dark green carpet.

Ellie looked around blankly, completely disoriented. Lucas, gazing into the distance, suddenly widened his eyes.

In the distance, a magnificent castle complex was silhouetted against the sunlight, its spires towering, its walls imposing, and large windows reflecting glittering light.

The castle was built on a cliff, next to a vast, shimmering lake; at first glance, it looked like a magnificent dream.

"Ellie, look over there!" Lucas pointed to the castle complex. "What's that place? Do you recognize it?"

Ellie squinted and shook her head: "Never seen this before. This place should still be in the highlands?"

Lucas was highly skeptical. He grew up in the Scottish Highlands but had never heard of such a magnificent castle complex, which would have been a world-famous tourist attraction long ago.

Where did this black dragon come from? Is it still in China?

By this time, the black dragon beneath them was also exhausted. It flew lower and lower, blood still seeping from the wounds on its wings. Its belly began to scrape against the treetops of tall trees, producing a series of teeth-grinding scraping sounds, and broken branches and leaves flew everywhere.

"We have to jump now!" Ellie said, struggling to keep herself upright. "Skye isn't paying attention to us now, but when it stops, it'll make us its dinner!"

"Doesn't your McFastie family have any dragon-taming magic or tools?" Lucas asked. "It's quite weak now, so could we take this opportunity to tame it?"

"...Taming?" Ellie looked at Lucas in surprise. "No, no one can tame a dragon. Our family has managed black dragons for generations, but that management was about supervision, guarding, and emergency response. However, through long-term contact, we can gain a dragon's trust. Skye wouldn't normally do this, but its mind isn't quite right now..."

The treetops below were getting lower and lower, and Ellie stopped speaking: "Get ready!"

She half-squatted up, but her body was still trembling; it was clear she was still weak.

"Hold on tight," Lucas said immediately. "I'll grab the tree trunk, but Ellie, you have to hold on tight."

Without hesitation, Ellie wrapped her left arm tightly around Lucas's waist, pushed off with her legs, and climbed directly onto Lucas's back, her golden-brown hair brushing against the tip of Lucas's nose.

"Tie me to you with the cloak," she gasped. "I...I'm not strong enough..."

She blinked in confusion, not understanding what was wrong with her. She felt weak all over and dizzy; this feeling was even more tiring than doing a day's hard work.

The memory in his mind was still that he had fired a levitation spell at Lucas, and then lost consciousness until Lucas pulled him up and he woke up on the dragon's back.

Strangely enough, the Levitation Spell, which I had just learned and could only move small things, miraculously lifted Lucas up this time.

Was this an exceptional performance?

Without hesitation, Lucas grabbed Ellie's dragon-skin cloak, wrapped her tightly inside, and then tied the wide corners of the cloak to his chest, both binding her and providing protection.

The girl's supple body pressed completely against his back, and a few strands of hair peeked out from under the cloak, creeping into his neck. It tickled, and he shook his head vigorously.

At this moment, Lucas suddenly realized that Ellie seemed to be completely different from all the girls he had met in his two lifetimes.

But now was not the time to think about that. Lucas kept his eyes glued to the rapidly passing treetops below, waiting for the right moment. As the dragon grazed past a massive oak tree with a canopy as large as a giant umbrella, Lucas shouted, "Hold on tight!"

He carried the girl on his back and jumped!