Harry Potter: The Golden Viper

0182 Defeat Me

Snape stared at Bryan's smiling face with his unique sharp eyes, trying to see through the essence behind that confidence, but Bryan always responded to his scrutiny with a calm and composed manner, showing no sign of cowardice. Snape felt a surge of irritation and curiosity, wondering what secrets this boy was hiding behind his mask of indifference.

'When was the last time I saw Bryan fight?'

Snape couldn't help but think about this question, and without much effort, he remembered that it should be the night before Christmas in the fifth year, when Bryan had a fierce confrontation with a mysterious black witch in the Forbidden Forest, and even, after Dumbledore returned, he clashed with Dumbledore. 

At that time, he was focused on saving Bryan from Dumbledore's hands, and he didn't think much about how incredible it was for a fifth-year wizard to resist Dumbledore's disarming charm, and when he came to his senses later, he wanted to find out Bryan's true dueling level, but he found that it was hard to force him to go all out. Bryan always seemed to have a trump card up his sleeve, that he rarely revealed.

This kid was in the fifth year. Snape moved his lips, and suddenly realized that he hadn't seen Bryan fight for six years. 

Six years - for a talented young wizard, this was already a very long time, enough to make his strength change dramatically. 

But - Snape's black eyes moved, holding his breath, he still couldn't understand, Bryan dared to claim that only Dumbledore could make him take it seriously, was this a bit too arrogant? No, Snape shook his head in his heart, denying this view. 

He watched this kid grow up, and knew that Bryan was not a person who didn't know himself, and besides, Bryan had been wandering outside for these years, and he knew the situation of the wizarding world better than him who had always stayed at Hogwarts. 

"Perhaps you have abandoned the virtues of humility and caution, Bryan -" Snape narrowed his dark eyes, and in a low voice, a gloomy and fierce magic power was sweeping out of his body. 

"But since you think that Black, a dangerous criminal, is not worth your serious attention, as your head of house, I think I have to make you realize again, what a ruthless dark wizard can do." He said, his voice dripping with venom.

"Do you want to fight me, Professor Snape?" 

Bryan raised his eyebrows strangely, 

"I thought you knew I wasn't the kind of person who talks big." He said, his voice calm and confident. 

"I used to think so, Bryan, but now I may have to change my opinion." 

The rows of flickering candles on the ceiling swayed violently under the deep magic, and the tip of a birch wand quietly emerged from Snape's wide sleeve. He gripped it tightly, ready to unleash his fury and skill,

"Take out your wand, Bryan, try to defeat me, and if you can't, take your confidence and leave far away…. From here-" 

Snape's tone wavered for a moment, but then became as firm as his eyes. 

"And never come back!"

Dumbledore said nothing, separated by a door panel, Bryan couldn't see what his expression was, but obviously, he acquiesced to Professor Snape's behavior, and even, he might want to take this opportunity to get a close look at his current level. 

Bryan sensed the old man's silent observation, and felt a mix of gratitude and resentment,

Looking at the determined Professor Snape, Bryan rubbed his forehead and smiled bitterly, he just wanted to spend Halloween with Lupin at his residence, but not only did he find Sirius Black, who had been missing for a while, suddenly jumped out, even Professor Snape wanted to pull out his wand and compete with him. 

Bryan felt a surge of amusement and annoyance, thinking that this was a ridiculous and unnecessary situation,

'Could it be that I still have Voldemort's curse on me, and because I was too close to Lupin, it resonated?' He joked in his mind, trying to find some humor in the chaos.

He smiled, his eyes twinkling and playful.

"If you insist on doing this -" 

Out of respect, Bryan put away his frivolity, his expression returned to calm, his right hand hanging naturally suddenly opened, and before Snape could react, the cozy living room where they stood, decorated with festive ornaments, expanded by several times in area in a hasty blur, and Bryan, who was originally in front of him, also appeared a hundred feet away, and, walking leisurely, approached Snape. 

"Then, as you wish." 

As Bryan's voice fell, Snape, who had come to his senses, suddenly felt like he had fallen into deep water, a clear pressure lingered around him, and this pressure was so heavy that it made him feel suffocated! The slender figure that was approaching from a hundred feet away became tall and insurmountable at this moment, and even the rhythmic footsteps exuded majesty. Snape felt a chill run down his spine, as if he was facing a predator that could tear him apart at any moment.

'This feeling' - Snape's eyes showed horror, he had experienced it on the Dark Lord! 

The Dark Lord may not necessarily be the most powerful, but there is no problem in calling him the most evil. Most of the Wizarding world had never experienced what it was like to face Voldemort, but Snape, who had followed him, knew that the crushing sense of powerlessness, fear and despair are deeply rooted in the soil of the soul, making you unable to muster the courage to resist. 

But now, after many years, Snape never dreamed that he would relive this nightmare-like fear on another wizard, and this wizard was his proud student who was in his early twenties. 

At this moment, Snape believed that Bryan had the strength to face Dumbledore, a legendary wizard, but he still raised his wand, he wanted to try if Bryan could break his composure. He wanted to see if he could still surprise him with something. 

"Expelliarmus!" 

Accompanied by a sharp shout, the red beam of light that shot out from the tip of the wand crossed the eighty feet distance in the blink of an eye, and very accurately grazed Bryan's cheek. But it didn't hit. Snape felt a flash of frustration and admiration, knowing that Bryan had dodged his spell with a subtle movement, and anticipated his attack.

Tap, tap, tap 

The steady footsteps made Snape's eyelids tremble, he failed to test him. The young man was no longer the young wizard who was wary of everything at the sorting ceremony many years ago! He was distracted for a moment, and the distance between the two had come to fifty feet. 

Snape swallowed a mouthful of saliva, he knew he had to use more powerful magic, but he was worried about it, he narrowed his eyes, and raised his wand again, suddenly pointing at Bryan. 

Silent spell casting, 'Expulso!'

Boom!

Bryan didn't dodge the spell, the milky white iron armor barrier that appeared out of thin air after being modified twice by magic didn't fit in front of him, but unexpectedly appeared in front of Snape five feet away, and this directly resulted in Professor Snape being blown away by the explosion caused by the dissipation of his own Expulso Spell! Snape felt a blast of heat and pain, as he was thrown back by the force of his own magic, and crashed into the wall behind him, he felt his bones and muscles ache. 

Tap, tap, tap 

The footsteps were still stable, greasy black hair stuck to his cheek, Snape, who looked miserable, got up from the ground, and looked at Bryan again, with an incredulous expression on his face.

Snape knew that his genius student was very good at modifying standard spells, but to make the iron armor charm cross such a distance and appear directly in front of the opponent. He didn't know how he did it, but he knew it meant that Bryan had the ability to make the iron armor barrier have more complex shape changes. 

The distance between the two had narrowed to fifty feet, and at this distance, Snape could clearly see Bryan's expression. Like the deep blue sea, calm and without a ripple, but under the deep and unfathomable sea surface, there was a radiating aura affecting the surrounding that was irresistible. 

A sense of powerlessness rose from Snape's heart, he hadn't done his best, he still knew many advanced dark magic, some of which were powerful magic taught by the Dark Lord himself, with terrifying effects that made people despair. 

But Snape never thought of using those magic, at first because he didn't want to hurt Bryan, and now because he knew that even if he did, it wouldn't have any effect. 

"Do you remember the magic I taught you, Bryan!" 

Sweat ran down his cheek, Snape straightened up, panting and said, "I warned you, only use it when your life is threatened." 

 "Sectumsempra -" Bryan's footsteps didn't stop, he smiled and said, "A very powerful offensive magic, a year ago in the Norwegian Fire Dragon Nature Reserve, I used this spell to kill that red-scaled dragon." 

Snape's face darkened, if this matter was dug up someday, he will be famous- 

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