The Return to Hogwarts

"Oh, you've finally arrived, Headmaster Dumbledore!"

Lady Pomfrey's voice trembled with anger.

“You won’t believe what happened! The two of them were fighting outside the university hospital. Oh, if it weren’t for Amostall, you’d be searching for our bodies in the rubble right now, Dumbledore!”

"Wow, that was a brilliant move!"

In the other half of the corridor, filled with smoke, Sirius Black strode forward. He unleashed a spell that blasted open half a wall, sending pebbles flying like bullets. Snape dodged into the doorway of a room, waving his wand. Three streaks of silver magic shot out, scattering the ashes, grazed Sirius Black's cheek, and crashed into Amostella's magical barrier!

Seeing that no one was injured, Dumbledore's expression softened slightly. His gaze fell on Amostella, but before he could speak, the prescient Amostella patted the trembling Draco on the shoulder and said casually,

"Our Mr. Malfoy tried to show off his personality in Sirius's class, which resulted in him being punished and sent to the school hospital. The little guy was quite clever; he had Miss Parkinson inform me first, and then inform Professor Snape. Sirius came to the school hospital to check on Malfoy's condition after the morning classes ended—"

Amosta shrugged.

"Well, then they started fighting."

"Why didn't you stop it, Amosta?"

Dumbledore's voice was stern.

"Why stop it?" Amosta turned his head and smiled. "A conflict is bound to happen, and it's better to do it sooner rather than later. At least with me watching over things now, nothing serious will happen."

"Is that all you've got, you snotty-nosed brat!"

Sirius Black, his cheek bruised, didn't retreat but advanced, raising his wand and unleashing a thick, crimson beam of light from the end of his spell, shooting towards Snape by the doorway.

"You haven't made any progress all these years, have you!"

Snape was prepared for Sirius's counterattack. His gaze was intense, and his wand drew an arc in the air. Amidst a burst of dazzling silver-green sparks, Sirius's spell light was shattered. Then, he flicked his wand and sprayed a thick black mist onto the ground. Under the influence of this black mist, the scattered pebbles on the ground transformed into venomous snakes as thick as wrists.

Hundreds of black venomous snakes occupied the corridor's floor, walls, and ceiling, hissing and flicking their scarlet tongues at Sirius Black.

"You've certainly improved a lot, you lapdog!"

Snape stood in the middle of a group of pythons, grinning maliciously.

"I mean, stubbornness and arrogance!"

Chapter 370 Stop the war

2023-07-07

"You expect this to scare me?"

Faced with hundreds of venomous snakes that were ready to pounce, Sirius showed no fear whatsoever, but instead spoke with disgust.

"Your magic is as disgusting as you are, you snotty bastard!"

"I expect you'll still be this stubborn later, you lapdog!"

Snape's dark eyes gleamed with a fanaticism that no one else could comprehend. He raised his wand and brought it down, and in an instant, hundreds of venomous snakes began to slither through the corridor, trying to surround Sirius from all directions. The scene was undoubtedly very shocking. Madam Pomfrey screamed, and the young wizards standing next to Amostall, including Draco, turned pale and trembled like leaves.

call--

Suddenly, a blazing and surging flame appeared in the narrow corridor. This flame came from the tip of Sirius's staff. Although it was not Fiendfire, it was clearly a very powerful magical flame. Bathed in this surging purple magical fire, Snape's snakes twisted their bodies and let out miserable hissing sounds!

However, the flames did not completely stop the snakes from getting closer. Under Snape's command, the snakes reacted quickly. Dozens of snakes intertwined their bodies and rolled swiftly across the area covered by the flames. Although the snakes on the outer ring were also charred by the demonic fire, the snakes on the inner ring were still alive!

call out!call out!call out!

The venomous snakes that had rushed through the flames immediately stretched out their bodies. They sprang up from the ground like springs, baring their ferocious fangs in mid-air, and charged straight at Sirius's face!

"Armor protection!"

Seeing this, Sirius quickly retreated two steps. He had no choice but to remove the flames that suppressed the snake formation, raised his wand in front of him, and roared to summon a magical barrier.

Snape, a skilled duelist, seized the opportunity to suppress Sirius. His eyes blazed, and with a flick of his wrist, shards of glass from the collapsed school hospital door flew up one after another, their reflections gleaming coldly. With a piercing whistle, they hurtled straight toward the back of Sirius's neck.

Boom!

Suddenly, a muffled, thunderous roar echoed across the fourth floor. The rolling thunder swept across, and the glass shards controlled by Snape instantly turned into countless dust particles. The venomous snakes that had not yet been burned exploded one after another, turning back into black magical smoke. At the same time, the invisible magical barrier in front of Sirius Black shattered with a crisp crack.

Sirius and Snape turned deathly pale instantly, and an unbearable dizziness caused them to collapse to the ground, retching simultaneously.

The instant the thunder roared, Draco felt his mind go blank, as if an irresistible force had forcibly erased his consciousness.

A few seconds later, he finally came to his senses, but his heart was still gripped by a chilling sense of dread, making it hard for him to breathe. Out of the corner of his eye, Draco noticed that Madam Pomfrey and the few unfortunate young wizards who had been dragged into the mess looked just like him. Only Dumbledore looked as if a gentle breeze had brushed his cheeks, his silver beard fluttering, and his eyes behind his half-moon-framed glasses half-closed.

"When old friends exchange ideas, they need to be mindful of boundaries."

Amostella slowly lowered her wand and swung it at the empty space in front of her, clicking her tongue in dissatisfaction.

Sirius Black and Snape, staggering to their feet, both glared angrily at Amostella. Snape, in particular, had been so close to achieving his life's ambition, only to have that rare opportunity ruined by Amostella.

"I think you should explain your behavior."

Dumbledore stepped out from behind Amostella, his calm tone laced with coldness as he looked at the two impulsive middle-aged men who, after catching their breath, were glaring at each other again.

This is absolutely outrageous.

Although Dumbledore knew that if Amosta hadn't been there to keep things under control, Snape and Sirius wouldn't have been fighting right outside the hospital, such an action was still extremely egregious.

"That's a question for your new professor, Principal Dumbledore."

Snape raised his chin, his voice venomous.

"Broadly attacking a bright Slytherin student with a spell in class, I suspect that twelve years in prison have not changed the evil nature hidden in his character."

"Oh, the evil nature, how amusing, you snotty-nosed brat!"

Sirius was breathing heavily, and it seemed that he was more exhausted than Snape. However, this was not surprising. Perhaps their levels were similar when they were young, but Sirius had been tormented by Dementors in Azkaban for so many years, while Snape's strength had improved during his years at Hogwarts.

"Do I need to remind you of all the 'pranks' you played when you were working for Voldemort?"

Sirius Black –

The name Voldemort still carries a great deal of impact among ordinary people. Upon hearing it, Madam Pomfrey and several young wizards immediately showed expressions of terror. Dumbledore then warned them in a deep voice...

“Severus has moved far from the past, and I firmly believe that his position will not waver again.”

"This is your opinion, Headmaster Dumbledore—"

Sirius Black stared coldly at Snape, whose face also looked rather pale, and said...

"I don't think he's completely reformed!"

"At least you need to explain--"

Dumbledore's sharp gaze, peering through his half-moon spectacles, landed on Sirius Black.

"Regarding what Severus just said about you using magic to punish the young wizards in class, I believe Minerva must have shown you the teacher's regulations and knew that those punishments were not allowed, right?"

"Then you'll have to ask that Malfoy kid next to you what he was doing in class—"

Sirius gave Draco a disgusted look and said...

"He tried to remove Harry's earmuffs while I was teaching Harry how to deal with the Witch Bird, and you should know what the consequences of doing that are—speaking of which,"

Sirius glared at Snape again, his tone firm.

“I know from many sources how you messed with Harry in Potions class. I must warn you, you snotty-nosed brat, if I hear of any more incidents like this, I’ll settle the score with you again.”

"What a touching father-son relationship!"

Snape sneered.

"I'm sure you've already noticed how much Potter resembles his father, haven't you?"

“Not bad,” Sirius said proudly.

"Then you probably also know that he is just like his father, arrogant and self-righteous, and criticism is like water off a duck's back to him. Oh, I forgot to mention one more thing, he is completely ungrateful!"

"That's what Snape said diplomatically."

Sirius raised his wand again, and this time, Dumbledore's voice was much sterner.

“I don’t want to take your wand, Sirius, but if you insist on doing this in front of me, then I have no choice but to do it.”

In the corridor in front of the school hospital, Snape and Sirius stared at each other, their eyes revealing undisguised disgust for one another. This disgust was so profound that even Dumbledore could not reconcile the two.

"Alright—" Amosta clapped his hands and said happily, "The score is settled!"

Where did you get that conclusion? -- Draco looked at Professor Blaine, admiring his ability to lie through his teeth, even though Professor Snape and the new, disgusting professor both wanted to tear each other to pieces.

Regardless, now that Dumbledore was here, the duel could not continue. Snape sneered, then turned and strode away down the corridor, while Sirius Black wore a grim expression.

"If I hear Snape continuing to make trouble for Harry in his Potions class, Dumbledore—"

Sirius's words trailed off abruptly. Then, he leaped over Amos Tower and Dumbledore, disappearing in opposite directions. After his figure vanished into the shadows of the stairs, a slightly somber voice rang out again.

"--This is my responsibility."

Dumbledore's half-closed eyes revealed helplessness, and Amosta shook his head with a smile—Sirius was provoked by what he had said when they first met. Both godfather and godson wanted to express their concern for each other, but they both seemed a little too eager.

"Now how to do?"

Mrs. Pomfrey paid no heed to any of that; she glared angrily at the school hospital, where almost half the foyer was in a state of disrepair.

"If Hogwarts no longer needs the hospital, Dumbledore, I can hand in my resignation right now!"

“The young wizards can’t do without you, Bobby—” Dumbledore said gently, “Don’t worry about it, I can help with the cleanup—”

With that, Dumbledore walked into the ruins, waved his wand, and everything was restored as if time had turned back.

"You don't need to worry, Draco—"