"Protego!"
Harry reacted quickly. The moment the loud bang rang out, he raised his wand and cast the Shield Charm.
A blast of air, carrying smoke and dust, surged from the source of the explosion and sent Ernie Macmillan staggering.
Just as he was about to fall, someone grabbed his sleeve and helped him regain his balance.
Harry's voice rang out. "Ernie, are you all right?"
The billowing smoke and dust made Ernie Macmillan cough, blinded him, and brought tears streaming from his eyes.
Hearing Harry's words, he knew it had been Harry who had pulled him back and kept him from falling to the floor.
"Merlin's beard! Ptoo! Ptoo!" He spat the dust out of his mouth, then nodded with difficulty. "I'm fine..."
"Scourgify!"
A cold voice echoed through the corridor, followed by a surge of magical energy.
Under the effects of the Scouring Charm, the smoke and dust gathered together, eventually forming a small ball that fell to the floor.
Ernie Macmillan rubbed his tear-filled eyes and finally saw what had happened in the corridor.
A hole had been smashed through the corridor's thick wall, with broken bricks and stones scattered everywhere, leaving the place in complete disarray.
Both the savage breach in the wall and the expressionless Snape standing before him left Ernie Macmillan at a loss.
He looked at Snape, unsure what to say, and could only stammer out a greeting. "Pro... Professor? Professor Snape?"
While Ernie Macmillan was flustered and speechless, Harry's mind was overflowing with thoughts.
Snape was far more outrageous than he had imagined!
Instead of crouching behind the door, he had burst straight through the wall.
So what was Snape planning to do now?
While Harry's thoughts ran wild, Snape was also pondering the Flight Charm.
Drawing upon his own understanding