Dumbledore's Transfiguration

Making magic hover in mid-air isn't a particularly remarkable ability.

Many spells naturally have this effect, such as the Illumination Charm, Flame Blaze, Shield Charm, and even the Obstacle Charm Voldemort just cast.

But for Voldemort to make magic hover without any apparent cost is entirely different.

Snape had heard of his opponent's ability before, but this was the first time he'd seen it with his own eyes.

"Armor Charm, Armor Charm, Armor Charm..."

After casting seven Shield Charms in front of him, Voldemort stopped his actions and then unleashed another barrage of spells.

"Stupefy, Barrage of Spells, Flame Blaze, Expelliarmus..."

Following the blue-green curses came seven illusory armor shields.

After that came a colorful array of attack spells, floating quietly around Voldemort, awaiting his command to transform into offensive magic.

"My goodness, how did Professor Quirrell do that?"

"With so many spells, if they're all cast at once..."

"I thought Professor Quirrell was going to lose, but it's completely the opposite."

The students murmured amongst themselves, and many of the little snakes urged their head of house to attack.

But Snape didn't do that. He just stared at Voldemort, a sneer tugging at the corner of his lips—how could he dare to be so calm?

The answer was soon revealed. Just as Voldemort finished preparing his magic and was about to start the fight, Snape attacked first.

It was still a silent spell, and even the magic he cast was silent, formless, and colorless...

But with a "whoosh," the blue-green Obstacle Charm at the forefront seemed to be pierced by something. Although it didn't shatter, it couldn't block this spell.

Then came four consecutive "swish, swish, swish, swish" sounds.

The first four Shield Charms bore marks of being cut, and it wasn't until the fifth one that Snape's attack was blocked.

Voldemort's eyes narrowed as he recognized the spell—Sectumsempra.

Sectumsempra, invented by Snape himself during his school days, possessed the Dark Curse's "Unrecoverable" effect.

Glancing at the skill in the bottom left corner, Voldemort suddenly felt a pang of regret. In this state, he couldn't cast Dark Magic.

But then he thought better of it and felt at ease—if he truly used Dark Magic, he might expose his identity or be seen through by those with ulterior motives, like Snape or Dumbledore.

"Professor Snape."

Professor McGonagall spoke, her voice stern. "You know what you've used. Let's stop here. Don't continue."

Snape remained silent, and Voldemort was also quiet. The students didn't know what was happening, while the professors looked somewhat tense.

A Dark Curse had appeared. Would Unforgivable Curses follow?

Voldemort didn't think Snape would use those three spells, but he knew Snape had the ability to do so.

Killing Dumbledore with the Killing Curse... Voldemort wouldn't believe Snape didn't hate Dumbledore, because the most basic emotion behind this killing curse was an intense desire to kill the target.

Even if Snape was a master of Legilimency, could he deceive himself even if he could deceive others?

How much did Snape hate Dumbledore?

It was highly likely, because Dumbledore was involved in Lily's death.

And even without that incident, perhaps Snape could still use that spell on Dumbledore—inventing a Dark Curse in his school days, Voldemort would be the first to object to calling him a good person.

Numerous thoughts flashed through his mind in an instant. In the gaze he shared with Snape, Voldemort saw the fighting spirit in each other at that moment.

"Hoo."

Voldemort pointed his wand forward, and a multitude of spells charged out like a cavalry, covering the sky and earth as they attacked Snape.

"Whoosh, whoosh, whoosh..."

After casting several Sectumsempra spells in succession, Snape began to enter his defensive phase.

Facing the numerous spells, he finally stopped standing still. Instead, he began to retreat while casting Shield Charms, deflecting the multitude of spells one by one.

But there were simply too many spells, and some still hit him. However, they were mostly hard-hitting ones like Barrage of Spells, and he skillfully chose spells his physical body could withstand to endure them.

Meanwhile, Voldemort retreated, continuously increasing the number of Shield Charms to defend against Sectumsempra.

The distance between them widened, just as it had closed before. Their battle had shifted from speed, skill, and reaction to another domain—a contest of power.

Snape displayed the evil sharpness of Sectumsempra, while Voldemort showcased the temporal and spatial characteristics of his magic.

Professor McGonagall was already very displeased. She wanted to stop the two of them but didn't know where to begin.

The two, having widened the distance, launched their second attack. This time, Snape shouted the incantation, further enhancing the power of Sectumsempra.

Voldemort also chose to use more spells, abandoning less damaging ones like the stunning spell.

However, just as both sides were casting their spells, a red light flashed. Beneath a Fire Phoenix stood Dumbledore's tall figure.

He bent slightly, and with a flick of his wand from bottom to top, the tables and chairs near the center of Voldemort and Snape rapidly flew into the fray.

As the furniture flew, it twisted and deformed, transforming into two Treants wielding thick wooden shields.

They stood back-to-back, facing Snape and Voldemort respectively, then slammed their heavy shields onto the ground with a "bang."

There was a burst of crackling sounds, and all the spells were blocked by two shields. The Treant itself remained unharmed.

Voldemort and Snape finally stopped staring at each other. Their gazes were fixed on the eyes of the Treant, which revealed no emotion whatsoever.

"A beautiful dueling performance."

Dumbledore, dressed in a deep crimson robe and wearing a matching pointed hat, arrived at the center of the battlefield, spreading his hands wide in an exaggerated gesture.

With a gentle flick of the Elder Wand in his right hand, the two Treants strode back to their previous positions, transforming once again into long tables – several sword marks remained on the tables.

"Although the timing wasn't quite right, it certainly broadened everyone's horizons."

He spoke to himself, completely disregarding Snape's displeased expression. Voldemort, on the other hand, cooperatively gave a slight bow, as if taking a curtain call after a performance.

"Let us give a warm round of applause for the brilliant performance of our two professors."

Although the Headmaster's appearance and words were somewhat inexplicable, the students responded enthusiastically – that Transfiguration was incredibly cool, and Dumbledore's power had truly stunned them.

Not just them, even Snape and Voldemort were shocked. Not to mention Professor McGonagall; she was a true master of Transfiguration and could see Dumbledore's extraordinary skill even more clearly.

Amidst the applause, Dumbledore bowed to the students, like a stage actor about to exit. But as he finally looked at Snape and Voldemort, his gaze turned unusually cold.

"Come with me, you two remarkable professors."

There was still a hint of amusement in his voice, but neither of the named individuals was in a mood to joke.

Snape was displeased with Dumbledore's intervention; he felt he could have won.

Voldemort was angered by Dumbledore's power, making him feel that the road ahead was long and the future uncertain.