Chapter 49: Exposure
The two stopped casting spells at the same time, with quite a tacit understanding.
"Wonderful! An evenly matched battle!" Lockhart's voice appeared at the right time, "Did you see that? How tacitly they understand each other! I bet they practice together a lot in private, two cunning guys!"
Snape's face turned dark and ugly, and he walked off the stage without saying a word. But he did not leave either, but stood in the shadows.
The exchange between them, rather than a duel, is more like a probe.
He did still have a few Dark Magic hidden, but they were learned from Dark Lord, and he never used them since that incident, which meant quite a lot. And what about Felix ... his ancient runes? What about his Alchemy artefacts? What about Dark magic?
In the duel, his magic power has been constantly strengthening, by the end of the duel what he showed, is that his limit?
Snape tried to make a specification of Felix's strength, but he found he could no longer discern it.
Felix calmly walked off the stage, and the crowd automatically made a way out, as the young wizards' eyes flickered in awe over Snape and Felix.
To the eyes of the young wizards, the duel ended evenly and without a winner. Although Professor Hap had shown a very relaxed display overall, didn't Snape also pierce two shield charms with a single spell?
That's the strongest defensive magic available to most minor wizards.
"Snape is actually so strong!" Ron is obviously taken aback.
"Professor Hap has very high regard for Snape," Hermione whispered, she is now somewhat fretful, to make polyjuice potion, the odds were they would have to break into Snape's private collection, and if they were caught ...
Harry didn't say anything, the duel just made his blood boil, he could not wait to replace either one of them. But he realized that he might be able to see each spell clearly, but in their place, he might not even be able to avoid the first spell.
At this point, Professor Lockhart returned to center stage, and he gave a spirited speech, "It looks like the demonstration went very well, and I think you can't wait to - gosh, to cast spells as smoothly as the three professors, but don't be overly ambitious, you're nowhere near that level! You're not even close to that level!"
Ron muttered underneath, Harry didn't hear it, but he intuitively thought it was a rebuke for Professor Lockhart's words because his thoughts were similar.
"- Next, we will follow the intended schedule and choose two representatives to demonstrate for all. As I just said, how about Longbottom and Finch-Fletchley?"
"I don't think that's appropriate, Professor Lockhart." Snape regained his composure as he walked quickly to the stage, his robes fluttering like a bat gliding lightly across the stage.
" Longbottom can wreak unexpected havoc even with the simplest spell, and if we let him up here," Snape's gaze was rather icy as his eyes swept over Felix, "we'll just have to keep the remains of the Finch-Fletchley in a tinderbox."
The Slytherin student laughed.
"How about Malfoy and Potter?"
"Great!" Lockhart agreed quickly, whatever Snape's proposal might be.
He gestured for Harry and Malfoy to walk to the center of the stage.
Watching Snape and Malfoy muttering, Harry first glanced at Professor Hap at the other side of the stage who didn't know what he was thinking, he could only turn his head to look at Lockhart, "Professor, can you show me how to use the disarming charm once more?"
Lockhart: "..." He came closer, right next to Harry, paused for ten seconds or so, then straightened up, tapped him on the shoulder, and said, "Just do as I said!"
"What?" Harry asked, stunned, but he noticed that Malfoy is already standing across to him.
"One, two, three - go!" Lockhart shouted quickly.
"Serpensortia" Malfoy shouted, his wand exploded and a cloud of black smoke quickly turned into a single black snake.
The black snake hit the floor with a "thud" as it moved closer and closer to Harry.
The small group of wizards closes to the stage screamed and backed away to make some space available.
Felix took one look at it, then lost interest, a simple little mischief spell. Snape lazily drew his wand, "Don't move, Potter," seeing the expression on Potter's face, he is so flattered that his bad mood, which Felix had just caused, is miraculously improved.
At this point, Lockhart saw an opportunity, he thought he had to do something to salvage the situation. So he stepped forward and shouted, "Let me do it, I'll take care of this trouble." But then he noticed that Harry's gaze became even more alarmed.
A spell from Lockhart meant trouble, a plain knowledge Harry had developed in just a few short months, as the bones he had taken from him on the Quidditch field could prove it.
Sure enough, a potent spell from Lockhart hit the black snake, and a loud "bang" sounded throughout the great hall, and instead of disappearing, the black snake rapidly expanded and turned into a large python.
And the python, as if on steroids, became manic, it raised its head high, revealing fangs, took an offensive posture.
Felix and Snape raised their wands at the same time, but the next second, a creepy sound came, it's like a snake "hissing" sound, but it seemed more horrible and frightening, people can not help but feel their hair erect.
The two turned their heads at the same time, looking at the little wizard who spoke a strange language - Harry Potter.
The black python swung and twisted its body as if it had a cramp, looking more and more hideous, but it quickly collapsed on the floor, smashing the floor into a large crater, nearly taking Justin who is in front of it in one wave.
Although Harry is still confused about the situation, he knew that he had stopped the black python from attacking, so he gave Justin a big smile.
But he soon realized something wrong, the hall was suddenly quiet.
Everyone looked at him strangely, and Justin shuddered as he shouted, "What are you up to?" Like a frightened rabbit, quickly ran out of the great hall.
Snape came forth and looked at the Black python, which is lying on the ground, and turned back into a wisp of black smoke, his eyes also became extremely deep, which contained too many things, which Harry simply could not understand.
The crowd began to whisper and point at him - this is never going to be pleasant, and a chill ran through Harry's spine.
Just then, he became aware of someone tugging at the back of his shirt.
"Come on," Ron whispered, "let's go--"
"But why-"
"Don't ask, Harry, let's go ahead."
Ron and Hermione almost dragged Harry out of the Great Hall with a forceful tug.
The crowd automatically parted way for them, and as they walked out of the Great Hall, murmurs exploded behind them.
Felix halted in place as pieces of the recent time kept surfacing.
Parseltongue ...
Harry Potter is surprisingly a Parseltongue.
The previous places that could not be figured out suddenly one by one coherent, Hermione's several desires to inquire, looking for him to ask about other wizard's inaudible murmurings, after the attack and a special interest in snake magical creatures ...