The Hollow Beneath Hogwarts

115. Believe

Several things happened at once.

The moment Stephen's wand shot into the air, every person in the room reacted on instinct.

Sloane moved first.

Years of accidental magic, training, duelling lessons, near-death experiences and pure survival instinct kicked in before her brain had even caught up.

Her wand was already in her hand. "Protego Maxima!"

A brilliant dome of golden light exploded outward from the tip of her wand. The bubble expanded rapidly, engulfing herself, Draco, Blaise, Harry, Ron, Hermione, Theo, Ginny and Luna in seconds.

The shield shimmered overhead like liquid gold.

Ancient runes briefly flickered across its surface before vanishing again. The entire room was illuminated in warm amber light.

For a split second everyone simply stared.

Then chaos resumed.

Draco's reaction was considerably less elegant. The second Stephen raised his wand, Blaise attempted to launch himself across the room.

Unfortunately for him, Draco saw it coming.

"Blaise, no!" The Slytherin barely made it half a step before Draco practically threw himself onto his best friend.

The resulting collision was neither graceful nor dignified. It looked more like two wrestlers fighting over a sofa.

"LET ME GO!"

"No!"

"I'M GOING TO KILL HIM!"

"NO YOU ARE NOT!"

"HE CALLED HER A BITCH!"

"I KNOW!"

"HE CALLED HER A SLUT!"

"I KNOW!"

"HE SAID SHE SHOULD HAVE DIED!"

"I KNOW!"

"THEN LET ME AT HIM!"

Draco tightened his grip. "No!"

Blaise growled like an angry bear. Draco wasn't much better.

Across the room every Auror had drawn their wand. Every single one. The atmosphere immediately shifted from argument to potential battlefield.

Several moved left. Several moved right.

Trying to gain a better angle. Trying to determine who would make the first move. Trying to ensure nobody got hurt.

The situation looked bizarre.

A room full of highly trained law enforcement officers doing a strange sideways shuffle whilst aiming wands at each other.

Harry would later describe it as "aggressive crab walking."

At that moment, however, nobody found it funny.

Harry and Ron had immediately jumped in front of Sloane.

Neither had thought about it. Neither had discussed it. They had simply moved. Protectively.

Instinctively.

Just as Newt had. The elderly magizoologist stood beside them, wand raised. Which was perhaps the strangest sight of all.

Newt Scamander hated violence.

Despised it. Yet there he stood. Between Sloane and danger. Ready to fight if necessary.

Harry glanced upward.

The protective bubble shimmered overhead. The sight triggered a memory. A powerful one.