Clearly, the lion had no intention of giving them time to discuss why the world had suddenly become so unfamiliar.
The lion opened its great maw...
"Protego!" Harry and the others in the front row instinctively raised Protective Shields.
A deafening roar erupted.
It was no ordinary lion's roar, but something more like a physical sonic weapon. Ripples of air visible to the naked eye swept through the narrow dungeon. Although they failed to shatter the students' Protective Charms, the deafening sound made many clutch their ears in pain. Even their screams were drowned out by the lion's roar as they slumped onto the damp ground and curled up.
Just as the older students were about to buckle, Hermione endured the searing pain in her eardrums, raised her wand overhead, and shouted frantically, "See No Evil, Hear No Evil!"
A pale blue glow poured from her wand tip like a tide, sweeping over everyone present. The roar drilling into their brains was instantly cut off.
The world around their ears fell into an eerie silence. Everyone could see that the lion's mouth was still open and that the Withered Mountain Charm was on the verge of collapse. Yet it was as though two wads of cotton had been stuffed into their ears, leaving them unable to hear anything.
Ron shook his head, dug at his ears, then patted Harry beside him, opening his mouth wide. "What? What did you say? Am I deaf?"
Harry dug at his ears too and said loudly, "I can't hear! What are you saying?"
Clearly, everyone looked panicked at their sudden inability to hear.
Only Neville frowned and pulled a longsword from his pocket. He had learned this from Douglas. There was no need to carry a sword on his back during lessons or in