Nagini was a viper; her scales would never be this bright.
"Hiss—" A snake tail only slightly narrower than an adult's shoulders swept downward.
"Blasting Curse—"
Vincent's Blasting Curse, which could easily blow apart a wall, merely knocked the tail aside.
Amid the billowing smoke and dust, he crouched down and pulled Hermione up. "Run! That definitely isn't Nagini!"
She clutched her left arm and hesitantly looked toward the stairs.
"This is the third floor. It has to be Lockhart!"
"Hiss—" Snakes had poor eyesight and relied on their flickering tongues to gather information about their surroundings.
"Incendio—" The flame at Vincent's wand tip landed at the entrance to the corridor. "He couldn't possibly have gotten hold of such a gigantic snake."
Hermione frowned as she followed him down the stairs. "If it can crack the walls, then it definitely isn't something a Swelling Charm could do."
"That color—" Vincent suddenly froze.
The staircase had been sealed off.
"Someone's up to something!" He raised his wand and aimed it at the nearby window.
An attack, a blocked path, and torrential rain outside.
The giant snake was only the surface of it. Someone was controlling all of this from the shadows.
Hermione immediately thought of the House-elf that had stopped Harry from returning to school.
"Let me see your hand." Vincent caught the suitcase flying toward them. "Sorry, I didn't notice earlier."
Their only way down was through the window. Staying here would be far too dangerous.
Even in clear weather, it would be difficult to leave with an injured arm.
She rolled up her sleeve. "I don't think it's fractured."
Vincent threw several smoke bombs upstairs, then looked at her bruised elbow.
"Fortunately, it's only a bruise." The Alder Wand lightly tapped her arm.
"This might hurt a little."
"Try