Chapter 50: Exposure
Chapter 50: Exposure
The two casters stopped their spells in perfect unison.
"Brilliant! An evenly matched duel!" Lockhart's voice chimed in at the right moment. "Did you see that? How well they coordinated! I bet these two professors practice their spells together all the time, those sly devils!"
Snape's face was dark and grim. He said nothing, walking off the stage, but he didn't leave. Instead, he stood in the shadows.
Their exchange was more of a probing than a duel.
Snape indeed had a few dark magic spells up his sleeve, but they were learned from the Dark Lord and hadn't been used since that incident, making them largely irrelevant. As for Felix... what about his Ancient Magic? His Alchemical Artifacts? His dark magic?
Throughout the duel, his magical power had steadily increased. By the end, was that his limit?
Snape tried to gauge Felix's true strength, but he found himself unable to see clearly.
Felix calmly walked off the stage, and the crowd automatically parted to let him through. The young wizards' eyes darted between Snape and Felix, filled with a mix of awe and respect.
From the perspective of the young wizards, the duel was a tie, with neither side gaining the upper hand. Although Professor Hup had displayed remarkable composure, Snape had also managed to penetrate two Shield Charms with a single spell.
Those were among the strongest defensive spells known to most young wizards.
"Snape is so strong!" Ron exclaimed, clearly surprised.
"Professor Hup has a high regard for Snape", Hermione whispered, her brow furrowed. To complete the Polyjuice Potion, they would likely have to break into Snape's private storeroom, and if they were caught...
Harry didn't speak. The duel had left him exhilarated, and he wished he could have taken the place of either of the combatants. He realized he might be able to follow each spell, but in their position, he might not even survive the first one.
At that moment, Professor Lockhart returned to the center of the stage, his demeanor brimming with confidence. "It seems the exhibition duel went well. I'm sure you're all eager to—oh, to be able to cast spells as smoothly as those three professors, but don't get ahead of yourselves. You're still far from that level!"
Ron muttered something under his breath, though Harry didn't catch it. However, his intuition told him it was likely an insult directed at Professor Lockhart, as that was what he was thinking too.
"Next, we'll follow the plan and select two representatives to demonstrate for everyone. How about Longbottom and Finchley?"
"I don't think that's a good idea, Professor Lockhart", Snape interjected, his composure restored. He swiftly ascended the steps, his robes billowing behind him like a bat gliding across the stage.
"Longbottom can cause unexpected destruction even with the simplest spells. If he were to come up", Snape's gaze was cold, his eyes sweeping over Felix, "we'd have to fit Finchley's remains into a matchbox."
The Slytherin students chuckled.
"What about Malfoy and Potter?"
"Excellent!" Lockhart agreed quickly, ready to accept any suggestion from Snape.
He gestured for Harry and Malfoy to step to the center of the stage.
Seeing Snape and Malfoy whispering to each other, Harry glanced at Professor Hup on the other side of the stage, wondering what he was thinking. Then he turned back to Lockhart. "Professor, could you demonstrate the Disarming Charm for me one more time?"
Lockhart: "……" He leaned in close to Harry, paused for a few seconds, then straightened up and patted his shoulder. "Do exactly what I said!"
"What?" Harry asked, bewildered, but he noticed that Malfoy was already standing opposite him.
"One, two, three—start!" Lockhart called out quickly.
"Serpent Tongue!" Malfoy shouted, and his wand exploded, sending a cloud of black smoke that quickly transformed into a long, black snake.
The black snake slammed onto the floor with a thud, writhing its body and inching closer to Harry.
The young wizards standing near the stage screamed and retreated, clearing some space.
Felix glanced over and quickly lost interest; it was just a simple minor curse. Snape lazily drew his wand. "Don't move, Potter", he said, finding Potter's expression highly satisfying. His terrible mood, which had been worsened by Felix's earlier remarks, miraculously improved.
At that moment, Lockhart saw an opportunity. He thought he needed to do something to regain control of the situation. He stepped forward and called out loudly, "Let me handle it. I'll take care of this problem." However, he noticed that Harry's eyes widened in even greater terror.
Lockhart's spells always meant trouble, a simple fact Harry had learned in just a few months. The bones Lockhart had removed from his arm during the Quidditch match were proof enough.
Sure enough, a powerful spell from Lockhart struck the black snake, and the Great Hall echoed with a loud boom. Instead of vanishing, the snake rapidly swelled, transforming into a massive python.
The python, as if on steroids, became wildly agitated. It raised its head, baring its fangs, and prepared to attack.
Felix and Snape raised their wands simultaneously, but the next moment, a bone-chilling hiss filled the air. It was a sound like that of a snake, but far more terrifying, causing everyone's hair to stand on end.
Both turned their heads to see the young wizard speaking in that eerie language—Harry Potter.
The black snake convulsed, twitching violently as if in a fit. It looked increasingly menacing but soon collapsed, smashing a large hole in the floor and nearly taking Justin with it.
Despite not fully understanding what had happened, Harry knew he had stopped the snake's attack. He flashed Justin a bright smile.
However, he quickly realized something was wrong. The Great Hall fell silent.
Everyone's eyes were fixed on him with a strange, almost eerie look. Justin trembled, shouting, "What trick are you playing?" before bolting out of the Great Hall like a frightened rabbit.
Snape approached and transformed the collapsed black snake back into a wisp of black smoke. His expression grew deeply serious, filled with a complexity Harry couldn't comprehend.
Whispers and pointing fingers spread through the crowd—this was not a good sign. Harry felt a chill run down his spine.
Just then, he felt someone tugging at the back of his robes.
"Come on", Ron whispered. "Let's go—"
"But why—"
"Don't ask, Harry. Let's just go."
Ron and Hermione almost dragged Harry out of the Great Hall, the crowd parting to let them through. As they exited, the whispers and murmurs erupted behind them.
Felix remained rooted to the spot, recent memories flashing through his mind.
Parseltongue...
Harry Potter was a Parseltongue.
Everything that had been puzzling him suddenly made sense: Hermione's hesitant questions, her inquiries about whispers no one else could hear, and her sudden interest in magical creatures after the attacks...
(End of Chapter)
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