Chapter 35 35. Thunderbolt Explosion
The spruce tree with a height of more than ten meters was covered with ribbons and small golden stars, and hundreds of candles floated in mid-air, illuminating the space.
A long table has been set in the middle of the cleared space, and the little wizards are bringing freshly prepared turkey, steak, sausage, and suckling pig to the table. Dumbledore is wearing a funny Christmas hat on his head, and Several other professors sat at the front of the long table together, looking at the students who were already sitting on both sides of the long table with smiles on their faces.
"You have harvested a lot this year, and I also hope that you can harvest more next year. Of course, it is time for our stomachs to harvest."
He raised his glass of cider.
"Merry Chrismas!"
The students also raised the pumpkin juice in their hands.
"Merry Christmas!"
The temperature outdoors at night was very low, but everyone present couldn't feel the slightest bit of chill. I don't know if it was the body driven by the enthusiasm in the heart, or because the dozen or so stoves that Hagrid placed around the long table played a role. A warm blush appeared on the faces of the students.
“George and Fred often took me to drink Dad’s wine secretly at home, but I couldn’t drink it after drinking half a bottle. In fact, it was not good at all. I thought it was better than pumpkin juice.”
Ron gnawed on the chicken leg while talking big words. Justin listened enviously to him bragging about his glorious deeds, while Lavender teased and demolished the situation beside him.
"Maybe it's not because it's not good to drink? Is it because I'm drunk?"
Ron of course proved it loudly for himself.
"I just don't like the taste of wine. If I really drink it, I can still catch the golden snitch on a broomstick after drinking ten bottles!"
His rhetoric caught the attention of Dumbledore who was chatting with Flitwick in front, and he blinked and said.
"Maybe when I meet your parents next time, I should discuss with them and let you show such a unique skill in front of everyone, Ron."
Ron trembled instantly, he smiled embarrassingly and scratched his hair.
"Butter beer is wine too, I'm talking butter beer, butter beer, professor."
There was a burst of laughter on the long table, and Fred smirked and brought the super-large butterbeer for five people in front of him to Ron.
"Really, Ron, if you can finish this butterbeer, George and I will give you that Chudley Cannons poster you've always wanted!"
Ron had a stinky face, and without thinking about it, he pushed the butter beer he brought away.
"I can't eat anything else tonight after drinking it!"
The atmosphere of this Christmas dinner was undoubtedly relaxed and joyful. The food on the long table was not wasted and was eaten clean in the end.
Around 11 o'clock in the evening, the sky began to snow again, and the students who were full and tired from playing returned to the warm compartment.
As the candles floating in mid-air were gradually extinguished, and the surrounding vision also dimmed, Justin was belching with an empty plate, still reminiscing about the delicious Christmas pudding after dinner.
Jon didn't know why, but he kept feeling restless after the dinner.
Neville, who had lived in the same dormitory with him for a long time, obviously noticed Jon's strangeness, and he asked suspiciously.
"What’s wrong with you?"
Jon frowned and glanced around. Ten meters away, the dense fir forest could not see anything, and the dense branches covered with snow covered most of the night sky. People are strangely quiet.
"We better move fast, I always feel something is wrong there."
His voice didn't sound like he was joking. Ron and Justin, who were still joking, also became serious. Jon had a great say among them.
The two female professors, Lily and McGonagall, have already boarded the carriage to manage the students who returned to the dormitory. Flitwick, Slughorn, Dumbledore and several senior boys stayed behind, and they were clearing the empty space. Various decorations left on the ground and garbage on the ground.
When Jon and the others cleared away most of the plates on the long table, Slughorn and a student were clearing the spell cast by Flitwick on the fir tree. It seemed that the student was not skilled in the technique. , the old walrus was teaching and demonstrated it to him first.
The gleaming yellow stars on the fir tree slowly went out, and Jon, who was following Neville and preparing to get on the carriage, glanced at the clearing for the last time.
Just before those twinkling stars were completely extinguished, he saw behind the tree next to Slughorn and the boy, there was a man shrouded in darkness, only the ferocious metal mask on his face slightly reflected yellow. People of light, raised their wands to them!
"Teacher! Left!"
"Thunderbolt Explosion!"
The difference between Jon's reminder and the sound of the spell was less than a second, piercing the silent night in tandem!
Slughorn's reaction was extremely quick. The moment Jon yelled, he had already turned his head and saw the masked man who had sneaked up to him unconsciously.
He should have had enough time to dodge or defend, but looking at the unsuspecting senior student in front of him, he made an extremely risky decision in the blink of an eye!
Slughorn didn't have time to cast spells, he just swung his wand hard! Then he used his chubby body to block behind the student!
"Boom!"
The thunderous explosion completely turned the tranquility into a noisy one. The golden flames directly engulfed Slughorn and the boy. Countless pieces of soil were blown up all over the sky. Mud rain!
Dumbledore and Flitwick responded quickly, and when Jon's reminder sounded, they had already aimed their wands in the direction of the masked man.
Time was so tight that none of them could cast a spell, and golden-red flames erupted from the tip of Dumbledore's staff!
The red fire instantly covered the entire space with a radius of ten meters, including Jon and the others who hadn't stepped into the carriage.
These rising fires did not make them feel any burning sensation, but the masked man who was about to continue waving his wand after releasing the explosion spell, avoided the flames, directly interrupted the spell, and retreated quickly.
At this moment, there was a sound like a whip twitching the air, and Slughorn, covered in blood, staggered down in front of Jon with the student!
(end of this chapter)