Chapter 305: An Angry Snape
As Kyle stepped onto the stage, cheers erupted from the crowd. Fred and George were the loudest, waving a Quidditch-style banner they'd whipped up in record time. Cedric and Cho added to the chaos, appearing with a confetti gun and sending colorful bits of paper showering over the stage.
Kyle, feeling a mix of pride and embarrassment, wished he could pretend he didn't know them.
"Alright, Kyle, no need to panic!" said Lockhart with a forced air of confidence. "Here, I'll show you a little trick. When Flint points his wand at you, just do this..."
Lockhart attempted to demonstrate a complex maneuver with his wand, only to fumble and drop it to the floor. Laughter rippled through the crowd as he hastily retrieved it.
"Ah... just a bit overexcited!" he said, brushing it off with a nervous smile.
Meanwhile, Snape strode over to Marcus, leaned in, and whispered something. A nasty smirk spread across Marcus's face as he gave a low, mocking chuckle.
"Don't worry, Kyle!" Lockhart said cheerily, patting him on the shoulder. "Flint may be in sixth year, but if you follow my example, you've got nothing to worry about."
"What, by dropping my wand on the floor?" Kyle muttered.
Lockhart ignored the remark, straightening up and calling out, "Ready? Three... two... one... go!"
Marcus whipped his wand up, prepared to strike.
"Protego!" Kyle called, summoning a shield in front of him.