"Hey, Glenn, what exactly have you been doing to Professor Snape? Why is he so targeting your weapons?"
Hermione was doing high knee lifts, warming up. Seeing Glenn put away all his dangerous weapons—rifles, pistols, and whatnot—at Snape's demand, she found it rather amusing.
Who would have thought Professor Snape had things he feared too.
"Nothing much. It's just that when I tried incorporating firearms into dueling, the bullet I fired pierced Snape's shoulder and burned through a section of his hair. After his hair nearly caught fire entirely, he banned me from using them."
Hermione glanced at Snape's gloomy face... and his hair, which gleamed greasily, looking like it hadn't been properly washed in ages. She recalled a certain period when Snape had worn his hood during classes for unknown reasons. Her mouth twitched as she struggled not to laugh aloud.
During that time, rumors about Snape going bald due to excessive late nights, mental stress, and not washing his hair had spread widely throughout Hogwarts. These rumors only died down after Snape finally removed his hood some time later.
Glenn! So you were the culprit all along!
No wonder Snape banned Glenn's firearms. Whether he could dodge them aside, at least Glenn wouldn't aim for Snape's vital points during duels. But if he hit Snape's precious hair like last time, an enraged Professor Snape might just send a Killing CurseGlenn's way.
Hair was always a middle-aged man's pain, especially for someone like Professor Snape who stayed up all night with irregular schedules. Maybe he didn't wash his hair because every wash meant clumps falling out.
Though she had no proof, Snape somehow felt that Hermione across from him was making baseless assumptions and insults about him. He stomped his foot heavily and urged impatiently:
"Start immediately once you're ready. I don't have time to play house with you—I have many things to do."
Hearing Snape's call, Glenn turned to Hermione and asked:
"I'm ready. How's your warm-up?"
"Let's go. I can start anytime."
Hands on her hips, Hermione rotated her head, shook her hands, gripped her wand, and pointed it at Snape.
"Professor Snape, we're ready on this end."
Similarly drawing his wand from his sleeve, Glenn said.
Snape nodded, pulled out his wand, pointed it forward, and said coldly:
"You know the rules. Fight me with your full strength, and I'll grade you based on your performance... Of course, I won't hold back. You'd better provide me with some entertainment."
"Professor, we have two people on our side, and their names happen to be Hermione Granger and Glenn Hawthorne. Maybe you'll be the one losing later."
Hermione grinned as she delivered her threat to Snape, though her slightly tensed muscles showed she didn't dare underestimate Snape at full combat readiness.
"...Very well. Let us begin then."
Snape fell silent for a moment, his mouth twitching before slowly stretching into a grin, his black eyes flashing with terrifying light.
Both sides took their positions, eyes meeting. Without any warning, all three began casting simultaneously.
"Nebulus!"
Snape cleanly swept his wand horizontally forward. The arena was instantly filled with dense fog, visibility plummeting to rock bottom.
Among Glenn's abilities, what Snape feared most was that strange magic using his eyes as a medium to briefly interrupt or even dispel others' spells. However, through many private duels with Glenn, he'd figured out this magic's weakness—Glenn had to see the target he wanted to affect to release this bizarre curse.
If so, then block his vision!
Snape didn't stop moving, sending four or five spells toward the area near where Glenn and Hermione had originally stood, while constantly repositioning himself.
Then Snape's vision was covered by even denser black-red mist rushing at him from the fog ahead.
"Nox Velum."
Seeing Snape cast the fog spell, Glenn guessed Snape's intention. In that case, he'd do the opposite—taking advantage of Snape's similarly obstructed vision, he released the perception-blocking Nox Velum forward.
If the Nox Velum surprise attack hit Snape, this duel's outcome would be decided.
Unfortunately, it didn't.
Violent hurricanes swept in, intersecting stone walls suddenly rose, and the endless black-red mist was blown toward Glenn by the fierce wind.
"Missed! Professor Snape dodged!"
Hermione, clinging to Glenn's back with eyes closed, used sensory sharing to cast Transfiguration attacks on Snape, trying to restrain him while his vision was blocked. But now in her field of vision, Snape's figure had completely vanished without a trace.
"Right side—Protego!"
Glenn made a split-second decision, immediately dispelling the Nox Velum before instantly casting Shield Charms on himself and Hermione.
"BOOM!!!"
The invisible barrier immediately dented, cracking with fissures as the explosion's energy was completely absorbed by Glenn'sShield Charm.
Smoke and dust erupted, engulfing Glenn and Hermione, but the next moment, two figures darted out from different directions in the smoke.
"Stupefy."
Beside Hermione's ear, an emotionless voice rang out eerily. Blue light filled the young girl's vision. Before her, Snape emerged from rippling space as if he'd been waiting there all along, firing a Stunning Spell at Hermione as she burst from the dust.
Oh, probably not just one Stunning Spell.
"Stunning Spell, Disarming Charm, Paralysis Hex, Binding Curse, Knockback Jinx."
Hermione's pupils contracted slightly as she immediately identified the four spells Snape had hidden behind his Stunning Spell. She quickly cast the Stunning Spell counter-curse to neutralize the blue light she couldn't dodge, then immediately dodged sideways.
"Tractus Permuto."
An invisible, familiar force came from Hermione's waist. Her body immediately flew backward at high speed, just dodging a poison curse, while simultaneously, Glenn switched places with her.
Close combat—he was better at it than Hermione.
"Magic Eye."
Glenn immediately activated his Magic Eye. Crimson light spread rapidly outward from his pupils' center. The Obscurus power instantly interrupted Snape's attempt to cast a transfer spell, making his form stiffen.
Wait, something's wrong.
The interrupted Snape almost instantly cast a spell at Glenn. His action that Glenn had just interrupted was a feint.
Unable to dodge in time, Glenn was hit by Snape's spell.
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