Suddenly, a commotion broke out in the crowd.
"A snake!"
Someone nearby immediately corrected them excitedly:
"It's Serpentine Speed Skating! Brilliant Transfiguration, isn't it?
Look, Harry's already in first... ah, a snake!"
The student turned his head and suddenly discovered that quite a few people around him had scattered. A long black snake had darted out from somewhere.
The commotion among the spectators finally drew the attention of those in the race.
Lee Jordan shouted excitedly:
"Merlin's beard, they've actually attracted a real snake.
Haha... faster, faster...
Our Gryffindor lions aren't just going to trample snakes underfoot. They're going to outpace a real snake too..."
The race instantly descended into chaos.
Not everyone was unafraid of snakes.
Many students seemed to have lost their bearings, steering their Serpentine Speed Skating straight toward the surrounding crowds.
Some students were even so startled that the Transfiguration beneath their feet instantly came undone.
They fell flat on the grassy slope.
But soon, several students reacted.
They drew their wands and began casting spells.
"Impedimenta!" (Impediment Jinx)
"Petrificus Totalus!" (Full Body-Bind Curse)
"Glacius!" (Freezing Charm)
Unfortunately, because the snake moved so nimbly, most of their spells landed around it.
Several spells even hit nearby students.
Only one Impediment Jinx struck the snake, unexpectedly knocking it several meters away.
Before anyone could cheer, the snake slithered back in fury.
Still, it had given everyone time to react.
Standing in the crowd, Hermione cast Sonorus on herself, then shouted:
"First-years using Serpentine Speed Skating, leave the battlefield!
Second- and third-years, wands ready!"
Thanks to the strong studious atmosphere in the Gryffindor Common Room lately, Hermione, an outstanding student, enjoyed considerable prestige among the first-years.
In fact, quite a few students had disliked Hermione before, thinking she was always showing off.
But this term, they had discovered