It struck the figure who had turned to flee back through the doors—a sleeping Auror. After being hit, he toppled sideways, bumped against the edge of the doorframe, paused for a moment, then slid down to the bottom of the steps.
The second wave of beams blanketed the other three people at the main building entrance. Their positions formed a loose vertical line, as though they had just run out of the corridor and were still trying to identify the direction of the alarm.
The moment the man at the front was hit, the other two began scattering to either side. Yet the spell that struck the first man did not vanish. Instead, it split into two beams that pierced the two Aurors behind him. The three rigid bodies collapsed in a heap at the doorway.
A second wave of people rushed out through the main building's doors. The one in front stumbled on the threshold. After steadying himself, he looked up and saw the hand lowering from the stern. His gaze met Bella's from roughly fifty paces away for less than half a second.
"Damn it, she's waiting for us... Get back inside, don't come out!" Before he could say anything more, a green beam crossed the distance, freezing his terrified expression on his face. As he fell backward, his body left a dark red scorch mark on the doorframe behind him, whose doors had not yet been shut.
The scene at the entrance not only made the recruits behind Bella proudly straighten their backs, but also frightened several Aurors hiding in the second-floor corridor, preparing to head downstairs to help.
"Damn it! Damn it... What is wrong with that witch?! Why are her spells splitting?!"
"Shut up... How would I know? Those Death Eater lunatics who sold their