The pointed Sorting Hat hanging atop the cabinet beside the broad headmaster's desk suddenly spoke, the rip beside its brim opening like a mouth. "Gentlemen! Please do not fight in the Headmaster's Office! You'll tear my newly repaired skin... We must remain tightly united within, or everything will collapse from the inside..."
Under the new system, the Sorting Hat's leather, along with its brim that had originally been so worn it had sprouted old frayed edges, had been repaired, and many of its wrinkles had been smoothed out. Compared with its former filthy, patched, ashen-gray appearance, now that House-elves cleaned and maintained it regularly, it at least looked, when it was not speaking, like a normal wizard's hat. At this moment, the tip of the Sorting Hat shrank back in fear. Having changed into new clothes, it seemed to have forgotten how careless it had once been; if it had had feet, it clearly would have preferred to hide itself away, lest its new skin be caught up in the damage.
Only Little Hand at the side had no concern for the Sorting Hat's feelings. It had already drawn two metal wands from the cabinet and accurately tossed them toward the two men facing off.
"Come on, Snivellus, let me see how much you've improved... Heh, metal too?" Sirius Black caught the Suppression Wand in one hand, then put away his own wand. After Snape did the same, the two of them casually went through the motions of a duel, bending slightly in what counted as a bow, and then Sirius Black immediately began chanting, "Levicorpus!"
Snape did not chant. He merely waved his wand at Sirius Black—hidden, vicious Dark Magic that showed no obvious sign, no beam, no spark, no thread of light, surged powerfully from his Suppression Wand...