Harry's feet stopped dancing, Malfoy stopped laughing, and they were able to look up.
A haze of greenish smoke was hovering over the scene. Both Neville and Justin were lying on the floor, panting; and Tracey was holding up an ashen-faced Seamus, apologizing for whatever. But, Hermione and Millicent Bulstrode were still moving. Millicent had Hermione in a headlock and Hermione was whimpering in pain. Both their wands lay forgotten on the floor. Harry leapt forward and pulled Millicent off. It was difficult; she was a lot bigger than he was.
"Dear, dear," said Lockhart, skittering through the crowd, looking at the aftermath of the duels. "Up you go, MacMillan Careful there, Miss Fawcett - Pinch it hard, it'll stop bleeding in a second, Boot.
"I think I'd better teach you how to block unfriendly spells," said Lockhart, standing flustered in the midst of the hall. He glanced at Snape, whose black eyes glinted, and looked quickly away. "Let's have a volunteer pair; Weasley and Finnigan, how about you..."
"A bad idea, Professor Lockhart," said Snape, gliding over like a large and malevolent bat. "Weasley causes devastation with the simplest spells. We'll be sending what's left of Finnegan up to the hospital wing in a matchbox." Weasley's pink face went pinker.
"How about Malfoy and Potter?" asked Snape with a twisted smile.
"Excellent idea!" said Lockhart, gesturing Harry and Malfoy into the middle of the hall, as the crowd backed away to give them room.
"Now, Harry," said Lockhart. "When Draco points his wand at you, you do this."
He raised his own wand, attempted a complicated sort of wiggling action, and dropped it. Snape smirked as Lockhart quickly picked it up, saying, "Whoops! My wand is a little overexcited."
Snape moved closer to Malfoy, bent down, and whispered something in his ear. Malfoy smirked, too. Harry looked up, feigning nervousness at Lockhart, and said, "Professor, could you show me that blocking thing again?" "Scared?" muttered Malfoy, so that Lockhart couldn't hear him.
"You wish," said Harry out of the corner of his mouth.
Lockhart cuffed Harry merrily on the shoulder. "Just do what I did, Harry!"
"What, drop my wand?"
But Lockhart wasn't listening. "Three - two - one - go!" he shouted.
Malfoy raised his wand quickly and bellowed, "Serpensortia!"
The end of his wand exploded. Harry watched, aghast, as a long black snake shot out of it, fell heavily onto the floor between them, and raised itself, ready to strike. There were screams as the crowd backed swiftly away, clearing the floor.
"Don't move, Potter," said Snape lazily, clearly enjoying the sight of Harry standing motionless, eye to eye with the angry snake. "I'll get rid of it."
"Allow me!" shouted Lockhart. He brandished his wand at the snake and there was a loud bang. The snake, instead of vanishing, flew ten feet into the air and fell back to the floor with a loud smack. Enraged and hissing furiously, it slithered straight toward Justin Finch-Fletchley and raised itself again, fangs exposed, poised to strike.
Harry wasn't sure what made him do it. He wasn't even aware of deciding to do it. All he knew was that his legs were carrying him forward as though he was on casters and that he had shouted stupidly at the snake, §Leave him alone!§ And miraculously - inexplicably - the snake slumped to the floor, docile as a thick, black garden hose, its eyes now on Harry. Harry felt the fear drain out of him. He knew the snake wouldn't attack anyone now, though how he knew it, he couldn't have explained.
He looked up at Justin and said, "Back away, Mister Finch-Fletchley. No sudden moves, now."
Justin backed away until he was well out of striking range. "That should be far enough, thank you," said Harry.
"What do you think you're playing at?" shouted the other boy. And, before Harry could say anything, Justin had turned and stormed out of the hall.
"Professor Snape, since you seem to have taught Mister Malfoy that spell, perhaps you should have the honour of returning it to his home." Snape stepped forward, waved his wand, and the snake vanished in a small puff of black smoke.
Snape, too, was looking at Harry in an unexpected way. It was a shrewd and calculating look, and Harry didn't like it. He was also dimly aware of an ominous muttering from the collected students.
"That was an incredibly dangerous spell you just cast, Mister Malfoy," glared Harry at Malfoy. "That was one of the most deadliest snakes in existence - a Black Mamba. If it had bitten Mister Finch-Fletchley I dare say you and Lockhart would be facing charges of committing severe bodily harm, if not manslaughter right now!
"What the bloody hell did you think you were doing?" he snarled. Malfoy stared back with a look of fright and fear on his face.
Turning to the shocked face of Lockhart, he said, "As for you, Professor Flophart; your clear incompetence damn near saw Mister Finch-Fletchley killed! Perhaps you should consider your career at an end!"
Harry stormed off the platform and, with the group following him, stormed out of the Great Hall. As they went through the doors, the people on either side drew away as though they were frightened of catching something. Harry didn't have a clue what was going on; and none of his friends explained anything until they had dragged him all the way up to the Come and Go Room.
Daphne pushed Harry into an armchair and said, "You're a Parselmouth. Why didn't you tell us?" "I didn't know," said Harry.
"This changes things," said Tracey.
"Why?" said Harry. "I bet loads of people here can do it."
"Oh, no they can't," said Daphne. "It's not a very common gift. Harry, this is bad."
"What's bad?" said Harry, starting to feel quite angry. "What's wrong with everyone? Listen, if I hadn't told that snake not to attack Finch-Fletchley..."
"Oh, that's what you said to it?" asked Daphne.
"What do you mean? You were there. You heard me..."
"I heard you speaking Parseltongue," said Hannah. "You could have been saying anything. No wonder Justin panicked. You sounded like you were egging the snake on or something. It was creepy, you know..."
Harry gaped at her.
"I didn't realize," said Harry. "How can I speak a language without knowing I can speak it?"
Neville shook his head. Both he and Hermione were looking as though someone had died. Harry couldn't see what was so terrible.
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