The moment Snape sat down so casually, the other people in the room were left utterly dumbfounded.
Professor Quirrell, in particular, went through an entire spectrum of expressions in the span of a second.
Harry, Ron, and Hermione exchanged glances before collectively turning their attention to Professor Quirrell. Noticing this, Quirrell let out a nervous chuckle, stepped forward toward Snape, and hesitantly asked,
"P-Professor Snape… do you not have faith in me?"
Snape gave Quirrell a brief glance and, without the slightest attempt to conceal his disdain, replied,
"No."
Quirrell: "…"
Seeing the displeasure flicker across Quirrell's face, Snape continued,
"I originally suggested to Headmaster Dumbledore that I should take over as the Defense Against the Dark Arts professor. However, the headmaster declined and chose you instead. So, I'm quite interested to see what exactly it was that convinced him you were the better choice."
He paused momentarily before locking eyes with Quirrell, then added slowly,
"Or perhaps… we could demonstrate for the students first? What do you think?"
At Snape's suggestion, Quirrell immediately waved his hands in protest, forcing another uneasy laugh.
"No, no, Professor Snape, I fully admit I am no match for you! After all, I was previously just the Muggle Studies professor, so please—do guide me as much as you like!"
At this, Snape finally shifted his gaze away from Quirrell and muttered,
"Let's get on with it. If I recall correctly, you were an outstanding student during your time in Ravenclaw. I do hope you won't disappoint me."
Quirrell's expression stiffened. He could do nothing but let out a strained chuckle and nod before turning back to Harry and the others.
"Now then, where were we?"
Hermione's hand shot up at once.
"Professor Quirrell, you were just telling us that in a wizard's duel, the most important thing is to render your opponent incapable of fighting back. As a result, wizards often resort to the simplest method—such as the Killing Curse."
At Hermione's words, Snape immediately turned his attention back to Quirrell.
Quirrell: "…"
"Heh."
Quirrell forced another dry laugh before quickly correcting,
"Yes, well… that's true, but I was referring to situations where there's deep and irreconcilable hatred between dueling wizards. For ordinary sparring matches, however, there is a far more suitable and convenient spell—one that is just as effective. The Disarming Charm!"
With that, Quirrell proceeded to explain the incantation, casting technique, and key points of the Disarming Charm to Harry and his friends.
Snape, meanwhile, remained seated in silence, watching them with his usual penetrating gaze.
His presence alone was enough to instill a formidable sense of pressure. Under his scrutiny, the three students found themselves listening more attentively than they ever had in class.
As the Defense Against the Dark Arts professor, Quirrell's office was naturally well-equipped with magical dummies and practice tools. He demonstrated the spell repeatedly while explaining, ensuring the students grasped its proper execution.
Without question, Quirrell's mastery of spells was solid—befitting a former top student of Ravenclaw.
It didn't take long before Hermione, ever the prodigy, became the first to successfully cast the Disarming Charm.
Snape said nothing, but for the first time, a portion of his sharp gaze shifted from Harry to Hermione.
Quirrell, on the other hand, was visibly delighted.
"Oh, Merlin's beard! I certainly didn't learn it that quickly when I was a student!"
Seeing Hermione's success, Harry and Ron exchanged glances, feeling the pressure mount.
Fortunately, Harry—blessed with the protagonist's flair—was not far behind. Before long, he too successfully cast the Disarming Charm. His eyes lit up with excitement, and he turned to Hermione, ready to celebrate.
But before he could even speak, Snape suddenly let out a cold scoff.
"What now? Were you planning to set off fireworks in celebration? That pitiful excuse for a Disarming Charm? At that speed, any opponent who isn't blind could easily dodge it."
The once lively atmosphere was instantly doused in ice-cold silence.
Harry and Hermione glanced at each other, swallowed their excitement, and continued practicing in silence. Meanwhile, sweat was now visibly forming on Ron's forehead.
Snape then shifted his attention back to Quirrell.
"Professor Quirrell, surely the Disarming Charm isn't the only spell one would use in a duel?"
Caught off guard, Quirrell froze before quickly forcing a smile.
"Of course not, of course not! In fact, the Disarming Charm is often most effective when combined with other spells—such as the Stunning Spell, and…"
Before he could finish, Snape cut him off with a wave of his hand and gestured toward Harry and the others.
"Then get on with it, Professor Quirrell. The Stunning Spell is an excellent choice. For an average Hogwarts student, learning one spell per day is barely acceptable. But for the 'famous Mr. Potter'—surely two spells in a single day shouldn't be too much to ask?"
Quirrell's expression twisted in hesitation. He was debating whether to let the students rest when Snape—naturally—offered no such opportunity.
"Hurry up, Professor Quirrell. I would hate for it to be said that the great Defense Against the Dark Arts professor at Hogwarts was outperformed by a student trained by a second-year."
"If that were truly the case, I believe I'd have no choice but to suggest to Headmaster Dumbledore that, for the sake of the students, it may be time to reconsider who holds this position."
At Snape's words, Quirrell had no choice but to let out yet another dry chuckle and nod in agreement.
Meanwhile, in the Room of Requirement, Wentworth stood before a practice dummy, raising his wand.
"Levicorpus!"
The dummy was suddenly yanked into the air, flipping upside down before suspending from the ceiling.
Draco, standing beside him, stared in amazement, his mouth agape.
"Wicked!"
Wentworth, still holding his wand, pointed at the upside-down dummy and turned to Draco, who was still gawking at the ceiling.
"This spell is called Levicorpus. You've seen its effect for yourself. The Disarming Charm? You've got it down well enough for now—functional is good enough. But this spell… this is your real secret weapon for catching your opponents off guard."
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