More than a dozen little birds made of light flew at Snape, chirping away like a trick meant to amuse children.
At such feeble magic, obvious displeasure surfaced on Snape's face.
He reached out and clenched his hand in midair, and the little birds of light were snuffed out in an instant, as if they had never existed.
"No wonder Malfoy complained to me and hoped his father would get you fired... Is this what you're capable of? Defense Against the Dark Arts... Professor Quirrell?"
"What are you... what are you going to do?" Quirrell's eyes widened as he kept backing away.
He wore a look of utter terror, and even stumbled over his robes in a moment of carelessness as he retreated, falling to the floor.
The corner of Snape's mouth twitched. Just as he was about to say something, he noticed that Quirrell's eyes had changed. It was an extremely focused gaze.
Silent casting!
Snape instantly went on alert, and at the same time, he felt a wave of heat erupt behind him.
The little birds of light reappeared and gathered together, burning like a phoenix reborn from the ashes, forming a huge fireball.
The fireball distorted the air around it, dragging a fiery red tail flame behind it, and rushed toward the wooden door at astonishing speed like a meteor streaking across the sky.
"Finite Incantatem!" Snape barked.
The fireball was just about to go out, but then rapidly swelled again. Clearly, Quirrell had cast another spell.
Everything happened far too quickly. In the blink of an eye, the wooden door was swallowed by flames, and vicious barking came from within.
Three enormous dog heads instantly thrust out of the doorway, all opening mouths full of fangs and biting forward savagely.
Although Snape reacted quickly enough, he