Explosion

Pandora was stunned by the sight before her. The Inferi had already crawled out from the stairwell, advancing toward the exit with the stench of rot.

She suddenly let out a scream, drew her Wand, aimed it at the small bundle on the ground, and shouted with all her strength, "Bombarda Maxima!"

Hearing her voice, Snape desperately twisted his body backward in midair, trying to see whether Pandora had been hurt.

Everything seemed to slow down. He watched helplessly as the small bundle trembled slightly under the spell's effect, then flashed white and rapidly swelled as if someone had blown air into it.

Almost at the same moment, Snape reacted on instinct without even thinking and shouted, "Protego Maxima!"

An invisible barrier glowing with a faint blue light sprang into existence, enveloping the three of them.

"Boom—"

The explosion was deafening. The once-solid passage was torn apart in an instant as though it were made of paper.

The stairs collapsed, the walls caved in, stones tumbled down, and dust filled the air. The entire castle seemed to tremble beneath the thunderous blast.

The powerful shockwave broke the magic gripping Snape's ankle, sending him flying sideways.

Pandora was not far in front of him and was hurled high into the air as well. Like a drifting fallen leaf, she was about to slam heavily into the corridor's stone wall.

"Binding Charm! Ropes, come!" Snape shouted anxiously.

"Ah—" Pandora screamed in terror as her body flew uncontrollably toward Snape.

Using the force of the impact in the opposite direction when he caught her, Snape barely managed to adjust his posture in midair.

Then the two of them crashed heavily onto the ground.

Snape felt as though his back had been struck hard by a sledgehammer. The pain was excruciating; he could barely feel his back at all.

"Are you all right?" He endured the pain as he released the ropes binding Pandora, patted her where she lay sprawled across his chest, and shouted, "Are you hurt?"

Pandora seemed not to have recovered from the fright. Her hair was covered in dust, and her mouth hung silently open.

After struggling to help her up, Snape smacked his head hard, trying to restore his ears, which were still ringing, to normal.

As the dust gradually dispersed, the passage's miserable state was revealed.

The Secret Passage was now riddled with holes. The stairs had vanished without a trace, leaving only rubble and glinting fragments of mirror glass scattered across the ground.

Several pale severed Inferi limbs twitched weakly. One Inferius with only half a body remained crawled stubbornly toward them like a puppet, dragging a deep black trail behind it.

Snape pinned down its sole remaining arm with a stone, leaving it able only to struggle in place, unable to come any closer.

"Where's James?"

Remembering that James was here too, his heart tightened as he hurriedly looked around.

At last, Snape saw him in a corner.

James lay silently on the floor. Blood flowed from his forehead and ran down his cheek, while one arm was bent at an unnatural angle.

"Mending Charm." Snape waved his Wand and cast the healing spell.

As the spell took effect, the wound on James's head quickly healed.

Then Snape bent down again, tapped James's twisted right hand with his Wand, and said, "Splint Charm."

Bandages automatically wound around and around, firmly securing James's arm to a thin wooden strip.

James gave a soft groan, as if he was beginning to regain consciousness.

Snape reached out to check his breathing, then raised his hand and slapped him. "Hey, wake up already."

James weakly opened his eyes, his face pale from pain.

His gaze was unfocused as he stared dazedly at Snape, instinctively reaching up to touch his face.

"Don't touch it. You landed on your face," Snape said irritably. "Do you know you nearly caused a huge disaster?

"I saved your life, James Potter. Do you understand? I saved your life!"

Before James could reply, hurried footsteps sounded as the professors rushed over in their dressing gowns.

Professor McGonagall led the way. Her expression was stern, her lips pressed tightly together, and her eyes held both authority and urgency.

The short Professor Flitwick, the plump Professor Slughorn, and the gray-haired Professor Grubbly-Plank hurried after her.

"What happened here?" Professor McGonagall looked at the chaotic ruins before her and shouted in disbelief. "Snape! Potter! Why is it you two again?

"Flahos, why are you here too?

"Who did this!"

She looked as though she was about to faint from anger, her finger trembling uncontrollably as she pointed back and forth at Snape and James.

The pinned Inferius struggled, making a faint noise.

"What is that thing?" Professor McGonagall asked sharply.

"Inferi." Professor Grubbly-Plank crouched down and carefully examined the still-struggling Inferius. With a grave expression, she said, "They're not normal Inferi. They're weaker than usual."

"Wilhelmina, what does that mean?" Professor McGonagall pressed.

"They weren't made from fresh corpses." Professor Grubbly-Plank sniffed, frowned in disgust, and said, "These Inferi are nearly rotten."

"This isn't something they could have made." She stood and pointed at Snape and the other two. "I think you need to explain exactly what happened here."

"Let's seal this place off first," Professor McGonagall said.

Rays of light flashed one after another, and magical barriers swiftly formed.

The professors sealed off the collapsed passage, preventing anyone from entering or leaving.

"Professor McGonagall," Filch panted as he hurried over as well, his sallow face flushed red from running, "what happened? More troublesome students?"

He glared viciously at James and Snape with his sharp eyes. "This is outrageous! You never consider how much work you're creating for me!"

At that moment, urgent bells rang out from afar, sounding especially jarring in the silent night sky.

They were coming from the direction of Hogsmeade.

The professors' expressions suddenly turned tense.

Professor McGonagall paced anxiously in place, as though weighing something.

"Argus," she said once she had made up her mind, "take the three of them to the Hospital Wing.

"Horace, Wilhelmina, I'm leaving the school to you. Protect the students and have the prefects bring them to the Great Hall.

"Filius, this is an emergency. You're a dueling champion, so come with me to Hogsmeade."

The staff acknowledged their orders one by one and swiftly sprang into action.

"Where is Professor Dumbledore?" Snape asked Professor McGonagall's retreating back.

But he received no answer.

Professor McGonagall hurried away, her figure quickly disappearing around the corner.

The bells of Hogsmeade still echoed above the castle.

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