Chapter 90: Ambush and Counterattack
Chapter 90: Ambush and Counterattack
Draco Malfoy and his gang fled in a flustered manner. When they returned to the empty Potions classroom, their spirits were dampened.
"Draco, we had the trap all set up. What happened?" Two girls cautiously entered the room, each carrying a few glass vials, and their expressions turned curious at the sight of the dejected group.
"Let's call it a day, Pansy," Nott said with a frown, his shoulders slumped in defeat. "I'm sure Goyle won't be coming... Professor Sprout must have figured it out, and she kept Vincent Crabbe with her."
"You all lack patience! Now look what's happened, everything's ruined!"
Malfoy kicked a chair in anger, then stormed over to sit at the table. Crabbe and Goyle glared at the others, as if it were their fault.
"We'll get him next time," Zabini said, shaking his head as he sat down as well. "As long as you want to... we'll catch him off guard eventually."
Despite these words, the Slytherins' morale had taken a hit, and aside from Malfoy, they seemed less enthusiastic.
The blonde girl who had come in with Pansy hesitated and asked, "What should we do with these potions? Throw them away?"
The vials contained failed batches of the Skele-Gro Potion. Malfoy was quite skilled in Potions, but the first class had left a deep impression on him due to Neville Longbottom's failed potion causing quite a stir.
In Malfoy's opinion, that potion was far more useful than a simple Skele-Gro.
This time, specifically to target Vincent Crabbe, Malfoy had secretly brewed a batch of Skele-Gro and deliberately added porcupine quills before removing the potion from the heat, successfully creating a large bottle of corrosive green poison that could melt cauldrons.
Unfortunately, this potion was constantly evaporating, and it wouldn't be long before it transformed from a highly corrosive acidic solution into an ordinary liquid that only emitted a foul odor without causing any harm.
Malfoy waved his hand dismissively. "Throw them away... Wait, give it to me, Daphne."
He suddenly had a mischievous idea, and he took the glass bottle from Daphne, carefully tucking it into the corner cabinet—Malfoy had inquired, and this was where Crabbe usually sat.
"I have some too, Draco!" Pansy pushed Daphne aside and eagerly handed over the potions she was holding as well.
Daphne hesitated. "But what if we hurt someone else?"
"Who cares!" Malfoy said nonchalantly. "It's their bad luck! Maybe the professor will even give Crabbe a detention!—Vincent Crabbe, why did you place such dangerous substances in the cabinet? Intentional harm to classmates, fifty points from Ravenclaw!"
Malfoy imitated Professor Snape's manner of scolding Harry Potter, and the group burst into laughter. Nott even made a strange face, whining in a high-pitched voice, "I didn't do it, Professor—I don't know what happened—"
"Hahaha—" The others laughed so hard they banged on the table, almost out of breath.
"He's here! He's here!" A boy rushed in, excitedly shouting, "Draco, he's heading this way!"
"Who?" Malfoy was momentarily confused.
"Who else could it be?" The boy named Millicent Bulstrode jumped up and down in anxiety. "—Vincent Crabbe!"
"How could he—?" Zabini asked, perplexed.
"He must think that with the professor's warning, we wouldn't dare to make a move!" Malfoy jumped off the chair, took the potion bottles out of the cabinet, and handed them to the others. "Quick, quick, quick, do as we planned before!"
Everyone sprang into action, and while the two girls moved away, Pansy couldn't help but edge closer to Malfoy, as if she were fighting alongside him.
Several boys drew their wands and locked the windows of the classroom. They prepared to cast their spells, while Crabbe and Goyle stood ready, holding the itching potion like live grenades. Nott pulled out two hidden dung bombs from under the cabinet, adding to their arsenal.
Daphne watched from the window, hiding in the corner to avoid being spotted as she carefully observed the scene unfolding outside.
"It's indeed Vincent Crabbe," the blonde girl whispered. "He's alone."
"No one with him?" Zabini frowned, confused.
"No one," she confirmed.
"Strange..." Zabini couldn't quite understand it. Was he really that careless?
"Hmph, what a typical bookworm from Ravenclaw!" Malfoy scoffed in disdain. He gave his final instructions: "Remember what we planned. Throw the dung bombs first, then the itching potion. I'll use the Leg-Locker Curse on him. Crabbe, Goyle, you two grab him, and Nott, make sure you get his wand!"
Crabbe and Goyle acknowledged with a sound of agreement, but Nott's face turned slightly green as he looked at the dung bombs in his hands.
Would he end up getting covered in that stuff when they tried to grab the wand? Nott glanced at the narrow space by the door uncertainly.
He started to consider putting the dung bombs back... or maybe swapping with Goyle? His larger-than-average size would definitely block most of it...
As Nott hesitated, he suddenly heard a low voice saying, "Expulso!"
"What?"
An invisible wind, carrying sand and gravel, began to whirl inside the classroom. Just as Nott was about to speak, a mouthful of sand hit him. Everyone cried out in unison and began rubbing their eyes.
"He's at the door!" Malfoy shouted, his sleeve covering his mouth. "Throw the dung bombs! Quick!"
Nott couldn't make out the voice from the doorway, but he threw the dung bomb with all his might.
"Bang!"
The dung bomb hit an ugly head and exploded, spraying the foul-smelling substance all over the classroom.
A giant cockroach crawled in through the door.
Facing that face that robbed one of their sanity, Nott realized too late—the spell he had heard earlier seemed to be "Engorgio."
The boy, scared out of his wits, was easily pinned down by the giant cockroach.
Right after, one, two, three... a total of five or six spiders, enlarged to the size of hunting dogs, scurried into the room.
"Ahhhhhh!"
The students in the Potions classroom let out insane screams and began to flee in panic. Malfoy quickly jumped onto a table to open the window but found it locked by their own spell.
"Alohomora—" Before he could finish his unlocking spell, a claw grabbed his clothes and pulled him backward.
"No—let go of me—!"
"Mom—"
"Help—"
The classroom was filled with the terrified cries of the students. The insects, affected by the Confundus Charm, didn't harm them, but the mere proximity was enough to scare them witless.
"Petrificus Totalus!"
(End of Chapter)
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