Everyone in the classroom was stunned, including Snape.
He never expected that Dudley would attack him right in class, especially at a time when he thought the atmosphere had slightly eased.
But despite his surprise, Snape's defenses were quick.
He truly deserved his place as a powerful wizard. He was in the first echelon of the wizarding world, second only to Dumbledore, Voldemort, and Grindelwald. Before Dudley's fist could hit him, he instantly grabbed his wand from his sleeve and cast a solid Silencio charm and Protego charm on himself.
"Bang!"
Dudley's fist glowed with a dazzling red light as it slammed into the white - light shield that Snape had just conjured.
The semi - transparent Shield Charm barely managed to stop Dudley's fist, and cracks quickly spread across the shield.
The next second, Snape's Shield Charm suddenly shattered.
However, sensing something was wrong, Snape had already taken the opportunity to leave the podium and darted to one side.
"Dudley Dursley! Are you crazy!" Snape roared as he dodged.
"You're nuts! You stinking bat! I've had it with you! Now that Dumbledore's gone, you still dare to cause trouble and disgust my cousin. You're just looking for a beating!
Today, I'm gonna beat you to a pulp and leave you half - crippled! Let you spend the rest of your life in the school infirmary! Flock of Birds!"
Dudley insulted Snape recklessly and raised his hand to summon a large flock of magic birds to harass Snape. Then he took the opportunity to charge again, his fist glowing with a dazzling red light.
"You're being unreasonable! Impedimenta! Protego!"
Snape took out his wand and cast two defensive incantations, the Impedimenta and the Shield Charm. Anyway, he couldn't use a spell to attack an eleven - year - old wizard in his own class, especially since this wizard was one of his students.
Dudley clearly saw that Snape was holding back his attacks on him, but he wouldn't show any mercy. He leaped into the air, avoiding the restriction of the Impedimenta.
He allowed Snape's Impedimenta to stop the flock of magic - energy - made birds he had just summoned.
Then he created a block of air under his feet and stepped on it. In mid - air, he was like a gliding bird, quickly approaching Snape.
"Stinking bat, don't hold back. It'll just make you fall faster!"
"Dudley Dursley! Do you want to tear this place apart and hurt all the first - years from the two houses?!"
Facing Dudley, who was approaching him again, Snape had nowhere to hide and could only say this.
The potion - making studies classroom was small. At that moment, Snape was in a corner. Behind him were jars of potion materials, and to his left was the wall while to his right were the desks and chairs where students sat. So, if he dodged further, he'd have to scramble into the group of first - years on the right.
Of course, he had other ways to dodge, but as long as he didn't slink out of the classroom, dodging would only be a temporary solution.
"Oh, come on! You're pulling the moral - card on me. Is this what a teacher should do? Using students as a human shield?"
Dudley was unrelenting in his words, but he temporarily stopped his attack and landed from mid - air.
The still - panicked first - years of Slytherin hurriedly left their seats and shrank into the far corner against the wall. Two clever ones were ready to open the door and escape, seemingly going to call for reinforcements.
Dudley raised his hand and cast an anti - unlocking spell on the door of the potion - making studies classroom from afar, blocking the Slytherin first - years who were suspected of going to report.
"Don't be afraid! Don't run! I, Dudley Dursley, can tell right from wrong and never harm the innocent. It's different from your Old Bat dean. You'll be all right!"
Dudley 'comforted' gently the Slytherin first - years in an extremely cold tone.
However, the Slytherin first - years were not comforted at all. A dozen young students huddled in the corner, hugging each other for warmth, shivering, not daring to say a word or even look at him more.
The Gryffindor first - years were now on the other side of the classroom, looking at Dudley timidly, especially Neville and the female first - years except Hermione.
"Dudley Dursley! What on earth do you want? I'll surely report this to Dumbledore, deprive you of your teaching assistant position, and expel you from Hogwarts!"
Snape couldn't stand Dudley's extremely arrogant attitude and angrily threatened him.
"Hahaha!" Dudley laughed, and his laugh was creepy. "You want Dumbledore to expel me? Hahaha! Just try it! I'll leave you half - dead!"
"You... You're crazy! You're completely crazy!"
Snape had never encountered such a situation before, nor had he ever met someone as difficult as Dudley. Looking at Dudley's spell - casting technique and the surging magic power on him, he really wasn't absolutely sure he could take Dudley down.
He couldn't take action now, nor could he just do nothing. He was caught in a dilemma.
As for giving in and backing down, he never even thought about it. In his life, he had only given in and backed down in front of Voldemort and Dumbledore.
Dudley wasn't qualified!
"Don't worry about whether I'm crazy or not." Dudley spoke again during Snape's hesitation. "You just need to tell me, does the question you asked Harry just now have any deeper meaning?"
Hearing this, Snape's eyes showed shock, the kind of shock when one's secret is exposed. But soon this look disappeared, and his eyes became cold again:
"I don't understand what you're saying!"
"Don't understand?" Dudley's expression became even colder. "The symbolic meaning of narcissus is death, and wormwood represents regret. Mixing the two will make the Draught of the Living Death. Do you want to do something to Harry? Do you have the kind of regret that makes life worse than death about Aunt Lily's death?!"
Muffliato!
When Dudley mentioned Lily's name, Snape's emotions were on the verge of losing control. He couldn't tolerate this scar being exposed in front of everyone, so he immediately cast the Muffliato incantation to prevent Dudley's words from being heard by others.
Snape was the creator of this spell, and when he cast it, it had the best effect.
Suddenly, the voices of Dudley and Snape became hissing sounds in the ears of the first - years, but they could still talk to each other normally.
"Reacting so strongly? Don't want others to know?"
Seeing Snape's reaction, Dudley's anger rose to the verge of explosion again. "Now you know to be ashamed? What did you do before?"
Why did you have to blab about that prophecy to Voldemort? Do you know how many people you've killed?
You made Harry an orphan, and now you even have the nerve to pick on him and talk in that sarcastic way? You're a brute! You're a beast!
If you were trying to apologize to Harry with that veiled remark just now, you're a disgusting maggot!
If you didn't even have that intention, you're even worse than a maggot!
"Enough! Stop it!!! I told you to stop!"
Snape waved his wand, summoning a bright green light curtain to block the first - years' view. Then he slumped to the ground in despair, and tears of remorse streamed down his face.
"Crying? What good does it do? Can your tears bring Harry's parents back? Can they ease my mother's pain of losing her sister? Can they make up for the harm you've done to Harry?
You stinking bat, I'm getting angrier by the second! I'm gonna beat you to a pulp!"
Dudley roared and charged again. He rushed up to Snape and first kicked the slumped Snape into the air. Then, his fist glowing red, he punched Snape right in the chest.
This time, Snape neither blocked nor dodged.
He was sent flying into the wall. Bones cracked, and blood splattered all over the place.