The days at Hogwarts

The young wizards of Slytherin's eyes lit up when they heard this. Is this their headmaster?

So arrogant, so excessive, I like it so much.

Sirius' eyes became more bloodshot with anger. He wanted to say something to suppress Snape's momentum, but he couldn't think of it for a while.

Standing up with some frustration, Sirius said angrily: "It's still unknown who will win or lose!"

In a blink of an eye, the two completed the duel etiquette, bowed to each other, took seven steps back, turned around, held their wands upright in front of them, and stood facing each other.

The students below unconsciously slowed down their breathing, as if they were afraid of disturbing the two people on the stage.

"Closer distance..."

"Close attack..."

Harry and Ron were talking.

Loren blinked and opened his magical vision.

At this moment, Snape and Sirius were filled with surging magic. Snape's magic was a cool dark green with a hint of chill, while Sirius's magic was bright red.

In terms of intensity, Snape's magic is more powerful.

Sirius Black was very talented, but the gap between them was widening now. This was probably due to the impact of the ten years in Azkaban.

Snape remained alert, he had no intention of attacking first. Being the first to attack does not always mean an advantage, it also means a flaw.

He knew that the other side would lose patience first.

Sirius looked at the other side. Although he wanted to teach Snape a lesson, he did not lose his mind. He recalled the scene of discussing tactics with Harry... close combat... tangle... quick attack...

It has to be said that Harry inherited James' dueling talent, and at a young age he found the correct response strategy.

After being imprisoned in Azkaban for ten years, many aspects of his life were affected. His spellcasting speed, spell strength, and even his combat instincts were somewhat rusty, and he probably wouldn't be able to defeat his opponent in a protracted battle.

If he were to exchange spells with Snape, he would definitely be at a complete disadvantage, fall into Snape's rhythm trap, be fooled, be dragged until he reveals his flaws, and finally be eliminated from combat with one blow.

You have to fight, only by fighting can you win.

Sirius no longer hesitated and started the duel with a disarming spell.

There was no intention of this spell being effective, and no matter whether Snape was defending or dodging, Sirius wanted to take this opportunity to close the distance.

There was no emotion in Snape's eyes, and the corners of his mouth still had a hint of sarcasm as he stared at Sirius's actions.

Without giving him any chance, he deflected the curse the moment it was about to hit him. At the same time, he retaliated with a curse that landed one body length in front of Sirius, shattering his idea of ​​closing the distance.

Once the battle begins, it's hard to slow down.

Sirius attacked with all his might, hoping to open a small gap in Snape's defenses so that he could close the distance.

But Snape was surprisingly calm, as if he had anticipated his thoughts, and defended himself impeccably, occasionally finding opportunities to return a few spells, blocking his space to advance.

Both sides tacitly refrained from using powerful spells and tried to avoid the direction of the little wizards.

Various defensive spells, offensive spells, and disarming spells cut through the air, making a piercing buzzing sound. One spell after another continued like a summer rainstorm. The spells of both sides collided with each other, and the magic light surged, dazzling and brilliant. The young wizards were delighted.

Harry and the others were distracted and clenched their fists unconsciously.

Occasionally, a spell would splash out of the stage and would be stopped by Professor McGonagall and Professor Flitwick, causing the nearby young wizards to exclaim in surprise.

The situation reached a stalemate, and Ron urged impatiently: "Get close, get closer! Why do we have to use spells?"

"You can't get closer." Loren explained softly. "It seems that Sirius is attacking, but in fact, both sides are attacking. You must focus all your attention on the attack and defense of the curse."

Harry said nothing, his lips pressed tightly together.

Sirius' breathing became rapid. His attack was fruitless and he could no longer maintain the high intensity of the spell and released it.

I plan to slow down first, adjust my rhythm, and then organize an attack...Sirius thought.

The frequency of spells being released decreased, and as the opponent facing the spells directly, Snape was the first to notice the reduction in pressure.

The curve of Snape's mouth corners widened, just like he said before the battle began: use rhythm, toy with the enemy, seize the opportunity, and strike a fatal blow.

You can't hold on any longer, and I haven't used my full strength yet... Now it's time to play tricks on the opponent.

A binding spell passed through the middle of the crossfire and landed at Sirius' feet with a slight clatter.

Sirius, who was sweating slightly, suddenly felt a chill and his whole body was cold... Oh no, he couldn't slow down after attacking for so long.

He slowed down the frequency of casting spells, and Snape's spells would break through his defense. Attack and defense changed, and he became the one being attacked and in need of defense.

Forced to maintain the high-frequency spell confrontation, Sirius' heart sank lower and lower. He gradually realized that Snape had seen through his intentions from the beginning, followed his ideas to cater to the fast break rhythm, and then stalemate the fast break.

The battle was stuck in this situation, and no one could withdraw. It was just that Snape was in a better condition, and he could keep up this high-frequency attack rhythm, but Sirius couldn't.

It was becoming increasingly difficult to cope with the attack, and Sirius gradually felt that he could not keep up with the opponent's speed. He could not block all the spells, but only those that could not be avoided.

The young wizards in the audience gradually figured out some clues. Although the two sides were fighting back and forth and casting spells against each other, the expressions of the two professors were somewhat different.

Professor Snape seemed to be at ease, his movements were quick but elegant, with a hint of teasing.Professor Black still had beads of sweat on his face, his brows were furrowed, and he couldn't hide his anxious look.

"Professor Snape is going to win."

"I thought Professor Black would win. His attack at the beginning was so fast."

The young wizards whispered.

The number of spells that break through the defense line is increasing. We can't go on like this, or we will lose sooner or later.

Sirius's eyes changed, and an idea suddenly popped into his mind. Under pressure, he put it into practice without much thought.

"【Hanging Bell】"

There was a special spell interspersed among the many spells. A dim yellow spell shot out. Judging from the magic light, it was not a powerful spell.

The moment Snape saw the spell, a surge of anger surged through his blood, and the memories that had once been sealed resurfaced.

In my distant school days, I was also cursed. In front of many students, I was hung upside down in the air...

James Potter, Sirius Black... the same people as before.

Ridicule...humiliation...anger...

"How dare you, how dare you!"

"How dare you cast this spell in front of me!" Snape's wand trembled slightly with anger.

Sirius Black took advantage of the moment when his attack slowed down slightly and instantly activated his Animagus, transforming into a sturdy black dog.

Relying on the animal's sudden burst of speed, he rushed forward despite several spells.

Looking at the sudden attack of the black dog, the invisible sharp edge accumulated on Snape's wand...

Many thoughts flashed through Snape's mind. If he released it from this angle, he could cut the dog in half.

This is at Hogwarts School, I can cast the counter-spell quickly, and Madam Pomfrey is always waiting, so there will be no irreversible consequences.

It can also let these little wizards see what a real duel is. Blood and flesh can teach them to grow.

Killing two birds with one stone…

Snape didn't have time to think, and a series of control spells flew out of his hands, and the casting speed was even faster than the previous attack.

Petrify, knock back, knock back, strong knock back...

The black dog's attack failed to work. After losing its ability to move, it was hit by repulsive spells one after another. It was knocked away by the impact force and hit the wall of the auditorium with a dull sound.

"Sirius!"

Harry exclaimed, pulling Ron quickly to the wall to check on Sirius.

Professor McGonagall and Professor Flitwick looked at each other and were not too worried. They saw the spell that hit Sirius and would not cause excessive injuries.

Snape stood on the stage for a moment, then took a deep breath. The cold air rushed into his lungs, freeing him from the control of anger.

He recalled his actions just now, and he didn't know why he didn't release the Divine Edge Shadowless Spell, but subconsciously switched to a string of control spells.

After coming back to his senses, Snape nodded to the young wizards in the audience and left the stage without saying anything.

"Won!"

"Long live Professor Snape!"

The little Slytherin wizards burst into loud cheers.

Chapter 241 Dumbledore: Insomnia Again

The light and shadow in the auditorium are intertwined.

Amidst the faint whispers, Professor Flitwick was explaining to the young wizards the key points of the duel.

"Rhythm! In your opinion, this is a very vague concept. In this exercise, Professor Snape explained the importance of rhythm very well!"

"The initial attack was initiated by Professor Black. But Professor Snape resisted it. He guided the duel to develop in the rhythm he expected, and it fell into a stalemate. Professor Black was forced to stalemate..."

"If it doesn't involve life, I don't recommend you to learn Professor Black's final struggle. In my opinion, it is very impulsive and unwise..."

Loren was listening among the crowd. He tilted his head and noticed Snape quietly leaving through the side door.

Walking quickly with big strides, his clothes fluttering in the wind.

……

Snape walked into the headmaster's office with a grim look on his face and renewed anger.

"No, he doesn't deserve it! He doesn't deserve to be a professor at all!"

Dumbledore was wearing loose off-white robes. Under the slightly yellowish light, his beard and robes were the same color. On the table was a cup of hot cocoa, and the rising white steam showed its temperature.

He looked up from behind the desk. "Um, Severus, you didn't say a name, but I assume you mean Professor Black."

"Don't mention! His! name!" Snape growled.

Dumbledore sighed softly, handed his cup of hot cocoa to Snape, and poured himself a cup of hot tea.

"Try it, it may restore some of your sanity."

"I do not need!"

Snape raised his head and met those azure eyes, as deep as a black lake.

After a moment of silence, Snape took a sip of the hot cocoa.

It tastes terrible. Very terrible. It's so sweet and sticky.

The taste is sticky and silky, sliding all the way from the throat into the stomach, slightly hot, warming the chest.

Dumbledore smiled and said gently, "Do you want to tell me about what just happened?"

Snape hesitated for a moment and said, "Duel, the duel tonight..."

"I really should cut him open, in front of everyone! See if an Animagus will return to its original form after being cut in half." Snape said gritting his teeth.

On the shelf in the principal's office, a rustling sound suddenly came from a glass bottle, and the beetle inside was trembling restlessly.

"Calm, calm! You scared our little guest." Dumbledore waved his wand, and the beetle in the glass bottle fell asleep and did not move.

Snape sneered.

"You should hate him. Many years ago, it was he who told you that you could get into the room by poking the knot on the tree trunk with a long stick. If he hadn't said that, you wouldn't have been saved by Harry's father. Maybe what happened afterwards wouldn't have happened."

"Of course I should hate him! Not only him, but also that despicable werewolf, that arrogant, discipline-breaking, exhibitionist, and insolent James Potter! Do you think they are good people?"

Dumbledore pretended not to hear him and took a sip of the hot tea. "You didn't do it in the end, did you? Severus, you know what this means."

"What does it mean?"

Dumbledore smiled but did not answer: "I knew it when you found me and promised to protect Harry."

"Don't mention it! You swore an oath, Dumbledore! It's something only you and I know!" A layer of painful fog appeared in Snape's eyes. Too many things happened tonight, and those long-lost memories were surging restlessly.

Dumbledore paused, then continued: "When you asked me to promise never to reveal the best side of myself, it made me more certain -"

"Love changes you, Severus."

"Love?" Snape raised his eyebrows and sneered in a sarcastic tone, "What a ridiculous word, Dumbledore, you still believe in the power of your so-called love."

Dumbledore smiled and said, "Severus, since you gave the Sharp Edge Spell to Loren and told him that it was a spell for processing medicinal herbs, can you still use it to cut the flesh and blood of living people without scruples?"

"Not long ago, I used it to cut a forty-foot basilisk into pieces." Snape was very disdainful.

"What about today, why didn't you cut open Black's body?" Dumbledore's tone was very relaxed, and he seemed happy to see the changes in Snape.

Snape's tone was still tough: "The blade of the Sharpness Curse is too sharp. I just don't want to kill him directly. That would dirty the dining hall."