Chapter 191: Two Wands
"I shouldn't say that? Hah—just like you and those..."
Malfoy stopped himself, deciding not to utter the names of Sean's friends. He found his Godfather Snape increasingly inscrutable, but that didn't stop him from mocking the Gryffindor coward before him.
"Help me test this spell, Longbottom! Locomotor Mortis! (Leg-Locker Curse!)"
Malfoy waved his wand. Neville's eyes widened. His legs snapped shut, locking tightly together, and he tumbled to the stone floor with a thud.
Malfoy sneered, raising an eyebrow at his cronies. Crabbe and Goyle burst into laughter.
The corridor was dim. In the adjoining room, the black cat, which had been pressing its head against the door crack, swiftly pulled back.
It cocked its head, whiskers twitching, eyes locked on the corridor.
The black cat looked up, meeting the equally intense gaze of the tabby cat. The tabby's eyes betrayed a human-like, suppressed fury. She stalked out the door, passing in front of Sean.
The conflict in the corridor was not over. Neville shakily raised his wand.
"Finite! (Stop Spell!)"
Neville instinctively cast the charm and closed his eyes. When he opened them, the Leg-Locker Curse was broken.
I... I think I can do it! Just like Sean said...
He stared at the wand, a flicker of a smile touching his lips. He used the wall to push himself upright.
But when he looked up, a furious Malfoy, flanked by Goyle and Crabbe, was rushing towards him.
"Grab his arm!" Neville heard Malfoy scream.
Neville froze, terrified. But in his blank mind, a memory of Justin's words flashed: Good job, Neville. My father says—for people who lack morals and character, a fist works wonders.
When Goyle grabbed his left arm, Neville, knowing what was coming next, instinctively swung his right arm and punched Crabbe squarely in the face.
"Aaargh!"
Crabbe, completely unprepared for Neville to fight back, let out a shriek and collapsed to the floor.
Neville stared at his own fist, unable to believe what he'd done. "I'm... I'm sorry..." he mumbled, trembling.
"Hold him! Give him a proper taste of fear!" he heard Malfoy roar.
The noise attracted the attention of students down the hall. Two black shadows darted away.
When the black cat reached the end of the corridor, Malfoy and his friends had Neville cornered. They brandished their wands, muttering curses.
The black cat's ink-black fur bristled uncontrollably, its white-tipped ears flattening against its head.
The tabby cat paused, watching. The child... he's gone feral for the first time?
In front of the black cat's vision, Neville was trapped against the wall.
"Fine! I only wanted to test one spell, but now you'll help me a lot more!" Malfoy drew his wand.
"Rictusempra! (Tickling Charm!)"
"Finite!"
Neville was quicker than his own brain. He cast the Counter-Spell that Sean had drilled into him, and it worked perfectly.
But he immediately panicked. If he resisted, Malfoy would only get angrier. I'm dead!
Malfoy, indeed, was enraged. He began firing minor hexes at Neville, but Neville reacted instinctively, countering most of them with Finite Incantatem.
Before he could feel any pride, Crabbe and Goyle, recovering, rushed forward and knocked Neville's wand out of his hand.
The light of magic vanished, plunging the corridor back into dimness.
Neville stared blankly at his new wand on the floor. He felt his heart pound. His courage, like his wand, had fallen away.
Silence reigned for a few seconds before Malfoy sneered:
"Locomotor Mortis! (Leg-Locker Curse!)"
Neville's legs snapped shut. He was paralyzed against the wall.
"I see you only learned one charm from that Sean Green. You should look at your face. A fat fool, a coward."
Malfoy laughed loudly.
"I am not a coward..."
Neville, surrounded, watched helplessly as his new wand was picked up and toyed with. Tears welled up; he couldn't see his beloved wand clearly.
"I am not a coward..." he mumbled, his body betraying him.
"You are a coward through and through!" he heard someone shout.
"I am not a coward..." His voice grew fainter. He thought of the hopeful, encouraging eyes of his friends in the Room of Hope...
Sean, who spoke more in one day than he had in a week...
"Neville, there is only one kind of hero in this world: the one who fears and conquers that fear."
"Neville Longbottom, you are inferior to no one."
He heard the voice again. Looking up, he saw a black cat charging like lightning.
Is that... Sean?
In his moment of weakness, that was the first name that came to mind.
"...Sean said I'm inferior to no one..."
A second wand, sleek and sharp, sprang from a holster at his waist.
Neville gripped it. To Malfoy and his cronies' astonishment, he roared:
"Flipendo! (Knockback Jinx!)"
"Aaaargh!!" Goyle screamed, flying high before slamming onto the floor.
A terrified Crabbe rushed forward to restrain Neville, only for a fist to enlarge in front of his face.
"Aaaargh!!" He collapsed, too.
Neville couldn't believe what he'd done. He looked at his fist—it had that much power?
Then he looked at the wand that had just appeared. He knew his tears were flowing now.
Malfoy stood petrified. Goyle and Crabbe lay scattered on the stone floor.
Neville's sudden burst of power caused Sean, the black cat, to pause. He silently transformed back in a shadowy corner, noting the subtle nod of approval from Professor McGonagall, who had also just changed back.
Neville picked up his new wand, then carefully tucked his father's wand back into its holster.
He shakily walked away.
Sean watched the wand in the holster. He knew. The dormant wand had been given life by a father's will.
(End of Chapter)
☆☆☆
-> 30 Advanced chapters Now Available on Patreon!!
-> https://www.pat-reon.co-m/c/Inkshaper
(Just remove the hyphen (-) to access patreon normally)
If you like this novel please consider leaving a review that's help the story a lot Thank you