Malfoy didn’t understand, just like he didn’t understand why Snape had killed Dumbledore without hesitation, he also couldn’t understand Evan’s behavior just monts ago.
If Evan had stopped them, they definitely wouldn’t have been able to escape!
“P-Professor!” Malfoy murmured, licking his dry lips.
This word was so unfamiliar to him, he hadn’t called Snape that in a whole year.
Noticing that Snape was listening, he continued to ask, “Evan Mason, why did he let us go just now?”
There was a mont of silence, and Malfoy thought Snape would not answer.
Just when he was about to give up, he heard Snape say coldly, “Because he knew.”
What did that an?
Evan knew? Knew what?
Malfoy wondered if he had misheard. Perhaps Snape wanted to say Evan didn’t know, didn’t know that they had killed Dumbledore on the Astronomy Tower.
So, he let the two of them leave and went to help with the defense inside the castle.
Malfoy figured that had to be the only explanation. Just as he was about to ask Snape sothing else, Harry’s furious voice rang out nearby: “Crucio!”
He missed, and the jet of light soared past Snape’s head.
Snape shielded Malfoy and dodged. He pushed Draco and shouted, “The magic’s been undone! Draco, get out of here — Disapparate, now!”
Harry jumped straight off the broom. He didn’t have ti to wait for it to land.
He tumbled across the ground, pain blazing through his body like fire, but it was nothing compared to the pain in his heart.
He raised his wand and pointed it at Snape. “Cruc —”
Snape blocked his spell again, and Harry saw him sneering.
“No Unforgivable Curses from you, Potter!” said Snape. He didn’t leave with Draco, but turned around and looked at Harry, and didn’t attack, “Stop showing off your pathetic curses. You can’t control them. You haven’t got the nerve or the ability —”
“Incarc —” Harry roared, but Snape deflected the spell with an almost lazy flick of his wand, as if Harry’s magic was no more than an annoying mosquito.
“Fight back!” Harry scread at him. “Fight back, you cowardly —”
“Coward, did you call , Potter?” shouted Snape. “I’m braver than you’ll ever know. Your father was the real coward, he would never attack unless it was four on one, what would you call him, I wonder?”
“Stupe —”
“Blocked again and again! Pathetic attack, pitiful spell. Is that all you’ve got?! Is that your rage?! You’re the son of a coward! Co on then, Potter — keep attacking ! I’ll block you again and again until you learn to keep your mouth shut and your mind closed!” Snape sneered, blocking another curse.
“Impedi —”
But once again, Snape blocked Harry’s attack!
Harry was burning with rage. At the edge of the grounds, Snape was humiliating him over and over again. He didn’t seem to be planning to run anymore — instead, he stayed behind to trample on Harry’s dignity.
Attack — blocked. Attack again — blocked again. Over and over!
Ti passed slowly. No one ca. Only Snape and Harry were engaged in this ridiculous, pitiful duel. As his magic depleted rapidly, Harry was already exhausted. Snape’s words slithered into his heart like a venomous snake. He needed to vent. He needed to let the fire inside him out.
Now, he hated Snape as much as he hated Voldemort himself!
“Sectum —!”
Snape flicked his wand and the curse was repelled yet again;
but Harry was re feet away now and he could see Snape’s face clearly at last: He was no longer sneering or jeering;
under the dim moonlight, his face was full of rage.
Mustering all his powers of concentration, Harry thought, Levi —
“No, Potter!” scread Snape.
There was a loud BANG and Harry was soaring backward, hitting the ground hard again.
And this ti his wand flew out of his hand. Snape seed to have finally gotten tired of this ga. He closed in and looked down on him.
At this ti, Harry, like Dumbledore before him, was wandless and completely defenseless.
Harry raised his head with all his strength, and he could see Snape’s face.
That face was suffused with hatred just as it had been before he had cursed Dumbledore.
Yes, full of hatred, even stronger than Harry’s anger at this mont!
“You dare use my own spells against , Potter? It was I who invented them — I, the Half-Blood Prince! And you’d turn my inventions on , like your filthy father, would you? I don’t think so … no!”
Harry didn’t answer him, he had dived for his wand.
Snape shot a hex at it and it flew feet away into the darkness and out of sight.
“Kill then,” panted Harry, who felt no fear at all, but only rage and contempt. “Kill like you killed him, you coward —”
“DON’T—” scread Snape, and his face was suddenly dented, inhuman. filled with extre pain — “CALL COWARD!”
And he slashed at the air: Harry felt a white-hot, whiplike sothing hit him across the face and was slamd backward into the ground. Spots of light burst in front of his eyes and for a mont all the breath seed to have gone from his body. …
In a daze, Harry could still feel Snape standing over him.
His wand was pointed at him, and there was an extrely distorted and crazy expression on his face.
He was holding back a scream, a scream so raw and full of tornt that Harry had never heard anything like it before.
Harry had only ever heard that kind of sound from a werewolf who had lost all reason. He knew that Snape had finally lost control too. He was going to be killed by Snape… by that coward!
Just like Dumbledore, maybe he was about to leave this world as well.
But nothing happened. Snape’s scream of pain soon stopped. It ended just as it had begun. Then ca the sound of barking from the direction of the castle, as well as Hagrid’s shouts and Snape’s footsteps, as he turned and walked away from Harry. …
The deep darkness covered everything. Harry tried to sit up. He was shaking in every limb, his body ached all over, and his breath ca in painful stabs.
There was no one else around — he was all alone. Hagrid’s figure appeared from the darkness.
Beside that enormous silhouette, Evan was stumbling forward, leaning heavily on the massive Twin-Serpent Staff. The staff was far taller than he was, and up close, the green serpents coiled around it were each as thick as Evan’s own body — an astonishing sight.
“Yeh all righ’, Harry?” Hagrid ran over and hauled Harry to his feet. “Yeh all righ’? Speak ter , Harry. …”
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