His gaze was sharp as a blade, trying to cut through Skofot's calm exterior.
Skofot met his eyes, his black gaze devoid of any emotional fluctuation, and did not answer his question.
Just as Snape thought he would continue his silent resistance, Skofot suddenly took a deep breath, threw back his head, and screamed at the top of his lungs toward both ends of the corridor—a shattering cry filled with terror and disbelief:
"Help—!! Professor Snape's gone mad and is attacking a student with spells—!!! Help—!! Mmph!!"
His voice was high and clear, echoing through the empty corridor and carrying far into the distance.
Snape's face instantly turned livid. He had never expected Skofot to pull something like this!
That bastard!
Almost the instant Skofot cried out the first word, "Help," Snape reacted with astonishing speed and flicked his wand.
"Langlock!"
A faint glimmer struck Skofot in the throat.
His subsequent cries for help cut off abruptly, as though an invisible hand had clamped tightly around his throat, leaving him able to make only muffled "mmph mmph" sounds.
Yet there was no fear on his face. Instead, he raised an eyebrow slightly at Snape, whose expression had grown so dark it seemed ready to drip water. There was even a hint of triumphant... provocation in his eyes?
From the far end of the corridor came the sound of hurried footsteps and startled voices.
"What was that?"
"Did someone just shout for help?"
"It sounded like Professor Snape..."
Snape glared at the little monster before him, bound and gagged yet still capable of stirring up trouble with nothing but his eyes. His chest heaved once.
He abruptly tightened his grip on the boy's collar and forced several words through clenched teeth.
"You... very well."
Without lingering, he dragged the Binding Charm-bound