Chapter 494: Snape’s Favoritism
As soon as the storage cupboard opened, students surged forward, though a few struggled to hop along with legs bound tightly together.
"Mr. Baggins... cease these idiotic antics in my classroom!" Snape's voice cut sharply across the room, targeting Ryan, who was stuck at the edge of the crowd, still trying to inch his way forward despite his bound legs.
"Tell me, Mr. Baggins," Snape sneered, "is it truly possible that in your fifth year you cannot even lift a simple Leg-Locker Curse? If so, I suggest you spare both Hogwarts and yourself any further embarrassment by going home now."
Without giving Ryan a chance to explain, Snape waved his wand. But to his shock, Ryan's legs remained firmly stuck together. Snape's eyes narrowed, first assuming Ryan was putting on a show, but after yanking the boy's legs himself, he realized that Ryan's binding was genuine.
"What nonsense is this?" Snape's expression grew even darker as he tried again, casting a stronger counter-curse. This time, an orange light shot from the tip of his wand, and Ryan's legs finally separated.
"Ten points from Hufflepuff," Snape said icily. "If I catch you pulling this foolishness again, it'll be fifty."
"Sorry, Professor, but it wasn't my choice," Ryan said. "Professor Moody used the curse in class to test our Shield Charms..."
"Alastor Moody?" Snape's face froze momentarily, his dislike for the Defense Against the Dark Arts professor evident. "Why didn't you say that sooner?"
"You didn't give me a chance to," Ryan muttered. "But thanks for releasing me, Professor Snape. Otherwise, I'd have been hopping around like this all day."