Ian's voice rang out clearly as he cast his spell with precision. A bolt of red light shot from the tip of his wand like a lightning strike and struck the snake.
The next moment,
To everyone's astonishment, the snake did not get knocked away. Instead, it trembled violently in midair and fell to the ground, lifeless and still, like a puppet with its strings cut.
Dead silent.
The surrounding students were dumbfounded.
The classroom remained quiet for a few seconds, then erupted into enthusiastic applause and cheers.
"Amazing!"
"One spell and it's over!"
"Little Professor Ian is truly top-tier! I want to learn this magic, too!"
…
The students all cast admiring glances at Ian. Those who didn't understand the situation yet still watched in awe. Only Aurora stood there speechless with a head full of question marks.
It wasn't that the young girl couldn't accept losing.
Even if Ian had simply used a basic disarming charm to remove her wand, she would have stayed calm, after all, she knew Ian had surpassed her by far.
This was obvious from how her grandfather spoke of him. Aurora had been ready to lose, but she hadn't expected the young wizard to be so bold.
Expelliarmus?
Wasn't that basically the Killing Curse?
Changing the color doesn't make it unrecognizable! The students didn't recognize it, though; none of them seemed confused. Meanwhile, the German girl's mind felt as if ten thousand Ian Princes were galloping through it.
"Ian Prince!" Aurora stammered, then raised her voice. "Please remember, we are learning Defense!"
Her tone was sharp as she clearly called out to Ian.
But, The simple girl had underestimated just how shameless Ian could be.
"Yes, this is Defense. See? I've already removed your 'weapon,'" Ian said, pointing with his wand to the dead snake on the floor. Ian pointed his wand at the dead snake on the floor.
The students nodded and agreed that Ian's explanation made perfect sense. They gained a basic understanding of the spell Expelliarmus, which they hadn't studied before.
"...
Aurora looked around at the students, who were chatting excitedly. She had the uneasy feeling that Ian was slowly leading them astray.
"Your turn!"
She glared at Ian in exasperation, but unable to argue further, she sighed and returned to her original dueling position.
"All right then."
Ian stepped back to his starting spot as well.
Everyone's attention was fixed on the scene. Sunlight slanted through the tall windows and cast golden beams onto the oak floor. Tiny specks of dust floated lazily in the light.
"Now it's Ian's turn to demonstrate 'Serpensortia.'" Aurora announced in Lockhart's signature flamboyant tone. Her blue eyes glinted with alertness beneath her blonde hair.
Though her disguise was flawless, Ian noticed that her fingers, which gripped the wand, were slightly pale.
"What kind of snake do you think Ian will summon?"
A short boy's eyes sparkled with anticipation as he asked.
"Maybe a cobra, those things are deadly!" his companion replied.
"I think it might be a python, big and long. Just imagining it is scary enough." Another voice chimed in from the corner. It was Michael, who was obsessed with large things.
"Why not a delicate Succubus-lineage beauty snake?" Someone else suddenly suggested, clearly influenced by reading too many forbidden books.
Aurora tilted her head slightly, listening to the students' chatter. Though she maintained the serious expression befitting a professor, Ian noticed a hint of nervousness in her demeanor.
"Ready, Professor?" Ian asked cautiously.
Aurora took a deep breath and raised her wand into a defensive stance.
"Whenever you're ready." She adjusted her mindset, radiating battle intent. Her body leaned slightly forward, and her eyes locked on Ian's wand.
By comparison, Ian felt quite relaxed. But the demonstration still had to be performed.
"Serpensortia!"
Ian flicked his wand and mouthed the words in mock form, after all, the act had to be complete. If he didn't chant, his earlier use of the deadly Disarming Charm would seem deliberate.
Details!
Details are important!
"Professor! Watch out!" As Ian controlled a large amount of magical power, a small portion flowed into his wand. Instantly, the tip erupted with a dazzling light.
The light was brighter than the midday sun, causing everyone to squint.
"Hm?"
Ian knew something was wrong the moment his wand reacted.
Confusion laced his voice. Then, with a loud "hōng lóng," a tremendous force smashed through the classroom ceiling.
Dust and bricks rained down from above.
"Merlin save us!"
Michael screamed, clutching his head and crouching down.
Most of the students reacted similarly, they were terrified. After all, a giant snake now filled nearly the entire Defense Against the Dark Arts classroom!
The classroom had been magically expanded to resemble a miniature Quidditch pitch, and now the serpent completely filled it. Its massive, shadowy form seemed to blot out the sky!
The serpent's black, metallic scales were as large as human skulls. Its head was enormous, it could undoubtedly swallow a dragon in one bite.
As the snake lowered its head to the floor, it seemed as if the air in the classroom had been sucked out. Not a single student dared to scream or move.
The giant serpent's golden, vertical pupils resembled two icy full moons reflecting the tiny humans below like ants. It fixed its gaze on Cho Chang, and she immediately fainted, her eyes rolling back.
It wasn't that Cho Chang was cowardly.
It was the terrifying, oppressive presence emanating from the giant snake.
Its presence sent shivers down the spines of every student in the classroom. Michael and William, Ian's two roommates, were already frozen in place like statues.
Though considered brave, the other students either collapsed to the floor or pressed themselves against the walls, trembling uncontrollably. A few even began to shed silent tears.
"Uh…"
Ian looked up and locked eyes with the colossal creature he had summoned.
He swore.
He hadn't put much magical power into it.
The giant snake seemed to sense the fear emanating from below. It raised its massive head and let out a deafening roar. Filled with boundless anger and authority, the sound made the entire classroom tremble.
The glass in the windows shattered, scattering in all directions. The snake looked impossibly menacing.
"Damn it, Ian! What kind of magic is this?!" Even Aurora, who was mentally prepared, was completely stunned. She couldn't think about the identity she was portraying.
The German girl suspected that Ian was up to something again.
"This is really 'Serpensortia.' Trust me." Ian wiped the sweat from his brow, not because he had lost control of the snake but because he was uneasy about the damage to the classroom.
At that moment,
"Who should I eat?"
The giant snake actually spoke to Ian in human language.
"!"
Ian was astonished.
"This serpent can talk?" He hadn't expected his "Serpensortia" to have such an effect. This was surely unprecedented in history.
"Do you still call this a 'Snake'?"
Aurora didn't dare raise her wand. Though the snake looked smaller than in her visions, she recognized it immediately. She knew it was the very being she had seen in the prophecy.
She wanted to warn Ian about the seriousness of the situation when, suddenly, a figure appeared in the classroom. It was none other than Albus Dumbledore himself.
Even at Hogwarts, the old headmaster had apparently used Apparition, which was normally forbidden by magic.
It was obvious.
He must have sensed the level of danger.
"What is this?"
The old headmaster held his wand steady in front of him, not attacking, but instead turning to observe the origin of the incident. He could feel Ian's magical power flowing through the giant serpent.
"Uh... just a slightly larger Serpent?" Ian answered uncertainly.
"A Serpensortia?"
Dumbledore froze, his expression shifting to one of profound shock.
"It's Jörmungandr! The World Serpent from Norse mythology!"
Aurora suddenly spoke up, her voice rising eight octaves as she corrected him. Her words startled not only the old headmaster but also made Ian swallow nervously.
The students lowered their heads and stared at their quivering wands.
Ian couldn't help but recall his previous attempt in the Room of Requirement to "borrow" power from his wand. Despite the delay, it seemed the wand had indeed responded.
Uh.
Hopefully, it wasn't usury!
(End of chapter.)
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