0342 Stop!

The tense atmosphere was thick with apprehension as Sirius stood his ground, unflinchingly facing the menacing slithering of dozens of venomous snakes that converged upon him from all directions in the narrow corridor. His expression was one of utter disgust, his steely gaze unwavering as he retorted,

"You think this can scare me?-- Your magic is as disgusting as you are, Snivellus!"

"I hope you can still be this tough later, you mutt!"

Snape's obsidian eyes burned with an unsettling, fanatical gleam that seemed incomprehensible to onlookers. With a sharp, decisive motion, he raised his wand and slashed it downwards, wordlessly commanding the slithering horde. In an instant, dozens of the snakes began to accelerate, rapidly closing in on Sirius from every angle. The scene was undoubtedly highly shocking – Madam Pomfrey let out a shrill, piercing scream that reverberated through the corridor, while the few young wizards standing beside Bryan, including the pale and trembling Draco, turned a ghostly shade of white, their bodies quivering uncontrollably like sieves caught in a tempest.

Whoosh--

Suddenly, an intense and surging blaze erupted from the tip of Sirius's wand, the scorching purple flames shooting forth and bathing the confined space. Though not the infamous Fiendfyre, this was clearly an extremely powerful magical fire. The snakes under Snape's control, now enveloped by the swirling inferno, let out agonizing hisses as the searing heat relentlessly assailed their scaly forms.

However, the raging flames did not completely halt the snakes's advance. Under Snape's relentless mental command, the snakes quickly adapted. Dozens of them entwined their bodies, rolling into compact, armored balls that swiftly rolled through the range covered by the magical fire. Although the outer layer of snakes had been charred and burned by the scorching flames, the inner core remained very much alive!

Swish! Swish! Swish!

Several of the snakes that had rushed through the flames immediately unfurled their bodies. Like coiled springs unleashed, they leaped from the ground, fangs bared in mid-air as they targeted Sirius's face in a lethal strike!

"Protego!"

Seeing this, Sirius quickly took two steps back. He reluctantly removed the suppressing flames and raised his wand in front of him, summoning a shimmering magical barrier to protect himself.

Snape, as an exceptionally skilled duelist himself, did not miss the appropriate moment to subdue his adversary. His gaze burned with intense determination as he flicked his wrist, and the shattered shards of glass from the broken hospital wing doors rose into the air one by one, glinting coldly. Amid piercing whistles, they shot directly towards the unprotected back of Sirius's neck in a ruthless assault.

Boom!

Suddenly, a muffled, thunderous rumble shook the entire fourth floor. Rolling clangs of deafening thunder swept through the corridor, instantly reducing the glass shards controlled by Snape to countless particles of dust. The uncharred snakes, one by one, exploded into plumes of acrid, black magical smoke. Simultaneously, the invisible magical shield before Sirius shattered with a crisp crack.

Sirius and Snape instantly turned deathly pale at the same time, overwhelmed by an unbearable wave of dizziness that caused them to collapse to the ground, retching violently.

The instant the thunderous roar sounded, Draco felt his mind go utterly blank, as if an irresistible force had forcibly erased his consciousness in that moment.

A few agonizing seconds later, he finally regained his senses, but his heart was still gripped by a chilling sense of dread that left him breathless and lightheaded. Through his peripheral vision, Draco noticed that Madam Pomfrey and the few unlucky young wizards caught up in the chaos looked similarly stunned and disoriented – only Dumbledore seemed remarkably calm and composed. The old man's silver-white beard fluttered gently as if brushed by a gentle breeze, his eyes half-closed behind his half-moon spectacles.

"A duel between old friends needs to be mindful of its surroundings and consequences."

Bryan slowly lowered his right hand, which had been raised to strike the empty space before him with his wand, clicking his tongue in dissatisfaction.

Sirius and Snape, who had staggered back to their feet, both cast angry, resentful glances at Bryan, especially Snape. He had been just one step away from achieving his "lifelong wish," but this rare "opportunity" was ruined by Bryan.

"I think you both should explain your actions," Dumbledore emerged from behind Bryan, his calm voice carrying a distinct chill as he looked sternly at the two impulsive, middle-aged men, now glaring at each other with renewed anger and animosity etched on their faces.

This confrontation had indeed gone too far, spiraling out of control in the most unacceptable manner.

Although Dumbledore knew that if Bryan had not been present to control the volatile situation, Snape and Sirius would not have directly started dueling outside the hospital wing, their actions were still highly intolerable and a blatant violation of Hogwarts's rules.

"You should ask your newly hired professor about this, Headmaster Dumbledore," Snape lifted his chin, his voice dripping with venom as he spoke. "He openly attacked an outstanding Slytherin student with a spell during class. I suspect twelve years in that prison have not changed the evil nature hidden within his character."

"Oh!-, evil nature, how interesting, Snivellus!" Sirius panted slightly, his exhaustion more evident than Snape's, though this wasn't particularly surprising. Perhaps their skill levels were not much different in their youth, but Sirius had been tormented by the soul-draining Dementors in the nightmarish confines of Azkaban for so many years, while Snape had honed his abilities at Hogwarts over that same time.

"Do I need to remind you of the 'pranks' you played while serving under Voldemort?" Sirius continued, his tone mocking.

The mere mention of the Dark Lord's name still carried significant weight among ordinary people. Upon hearing it, Madam Pomfrey and the few young wizards visibly recoiled in horror, while Dumbledore's voice took on a grave tone as he warned, "Severus has left that dark past behind, and I firmly believe his stance and beliefs will never waver again."

"That's your opinion, Headmaster Dumbledore," Sirius stared at Snape's sullen expression and said coldly, an undercurrent of barely restrained contempt in his voice. "I don't think he has completely changed or left that evil behind!"

"At least you need to explain," Dumbledore's piercing gaze, filtered through his half-moon spectacles, fell upon Sirius with a stern intensity. "What Severus said earlier about you punishing a young wizard with magic during class – I'm sure Minerva showed you the professor's guidelines, so you know such punishments are not allowed, correct?"

"Then you should ask the Malfoy brat here what he did during class,"

Sirius glanced at Draco with open disgust, "He tried to remove Harry's earmuffs while I was teaching him how to deal with the Fwooper Birds. You should know the severe consequences of that reckless action. Speaking of which,"

Sirius glared at Snape, his tone stern and uncompromising, "I've heard from many sources how you've been treating Harry in Potions class. I must warn you, Snivellus, if I hear of any more such incidents or mistreatment, I will personally settle the score with you."

"How touching, the father-son bond," Snape sneered coldly, his lip curling in disdain. "I'm sure you've already noticed how much Potter resembles his arrogant, bigheaded father, haven't you?"

"Yes," Sirius said, a distinct note of pride evident in his voice as he acknowledged the similarities between Harry and James.

"Then you should also know that like his insufferable father, he is arrogant, conceited, and criticism bounces right off him like water off a duck's back. Oh, and I nearly forgot – he is completely ungrateful!"

Snape's words were smooth yet dripping with disdain, his obsidian eyes glittering with undisguised loathing as he verbally whipped both Harry and his deceased father.

Sirius's grip tightened on his wand, the whites of his knuckles showing as he raised it once more in a threatening gesture, the air practically crackling with pent-up rage and hostility. This time, Dumbledore's voice took on a stern edge as he interjected.

"I do not wish to disarm you, Sirius, but if you insist on resorting to senseless violence before me, I will have no choice but to subdue you," Dumbledore warned, his half-moon spectacles glinting as he too gripped his wand.

In the tense corridor before the hospital wing, Snape and Sirius continued to glare daggers at each other, their deep-rooted hatred and animosity towards one another laid bare for all to see. This enmity clearly ran so deep that even Dumbledore's presence could not douse the flames of their bitter resentment.

"Alright—" Bryan clapped his hands together, a broad smile on his face as he cheerfully declared in a tone of finality, "All grievances are settled and behind us now!"

'Where in Merlin's name did you get that conclusion from?'

Draco thought incredulously as he eyed Professor Watson with a mixture of disbelief and admiration for his ability to spout such blatant nonsense like corrupt Ministry politicians – it was clear that both Professor Snape and the disgusting new DADA professor wished to violently tear each other limb from limb if given half the chance.

In any case, since Dumbledore had arrived on the scene, the duel could not be allowed to continue. Snape sneered contemptuously and then swiftly turned on his heel, his black robes wafting behind him as he rapidly departed from the other end of the corridor without a backwards glance.

Sirius, his expression gloomy and roaring, growled, "If I hear that Snape continues causing trouble for Harry in his Potions class, Dumbledore—"

His parting words trailed off in an ominous, unfinished threat before he too leaped past Bryan and Dumbledore, stalking off in the opposite direction. His silhouette was quickly swallowed up by the deep shadows of the stairwell, but a slightly muffled remark still drifted back.

"—It will be my responsibility to put a permanent stop to it."

Dumbledore's wrinkled features took on a helpless, resigned look, the lines of worry etched deeper into his face, and Bryan smiled shaking his head slowly. Sirius had been stimulated by what he said when they first met and his protective instincts as Harry's godfather fueled to a fever pitch by the heated confrontation and Snape's scathing words. Both godfather and godson were eager to express their concern for each other, but perhaps they were being a bit too overt and eager about it.

"What should we do now?" Madam Pomfrey didn't care about all this. She glared at the almost half-destroyed state of the hospital wing in the aftermath of the intense duel and turned her scowling gaze on Dumbledore and said sharply,

"If Hogwarts doesn't need a hospital wing anymore, Dumbledore I can submit my resignation right this instant!"

"The young students cannot do without you, Poppy," Dumbledore replied in a soothing tone, "No need to worry about this unfortunate incident. I can help clean up and restore everything—"

With that, Dumbledore stepped amidst the wreckage of shattered glass, overturned furniture and scorch marks, giving a casual wave of his wand. Like rewinding the gears of time itself, the entire hospital wing was rapidly restored to its original, undamaged condition as if the previous confrontation had never occurred.

"And you don't need to worry either, Draco," Bryan said, turning his attention to the pale-faced Malfoy heir. This boy had clearly realized that his troublemaking and disruptive behavior in the Defense Against the Dark Arts class had been the catalyst that sparked the explosive fight between the two feuding professors. Now, faced with the grave consequences of his actions, Draco seemed visibly shaken and afraid.

"No one will punish you for this incident," Bryan said with a reassuring smile, attempting to comfort the young Slytherin's fears. However, his comforting words seemed to have the opposite effect, as Draco's face turned an even more sickly shade of blue, his lips drained of blood until they were practically colorless. Faced with Professor Watson's words, the shaken boy could only nod stiffly, his body tense and rigid.

While Dumbledore continued meticulously repairing the heavily damaged hospital wing, carefully restoring each tile, window and fixture to its original state with skillful wandwork, Bryan did not plan to linger and offer his assistance to Sirius and Snape in cleaning up the aftermath of their catastrophic clash.

"Come along now, Draco, accompany me to my office I happen to need your help with something— "

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