Chapter 171: Ivan vs Snape

"Come on, Black, I can't wait to see the Dementors sucking your soul out!" The tip of Snape's wand glowed even brighter, but before he could release his magic, Harry stepped forward blocking his wand with his own body.

"Step aside, Potter, you're in enough trouble as it is," Snape growled. "If I hadn't been here to save your skin..."

"No, Sirius is innocent; he didn't kill anyone, and he's not likely to hurt me. "Harry gasped," I believe him, we all believe him. It was all done by Ron's rat, Scabbers, he's..."

"Walk away, Potter, I don't have time to listen to your nonsense here." Snape said sharply, "Black has hexed you both, I can see it clearly! Judging by your current behavior, it should be some sort of dark magic, making you believe Black is innocent."

"My mind and Hermione's are not disturbed by black magic. It's Ron, he's the one controlled by Peter Pettigrew with the Imperius Curse. It was all a Pettigrew conspiracy, he planned all this," Harry said.

"Peter Pettigrew died twelve years ago and was killed by Black. Witnesses from a whole street can confirm it." Snape said sullenly, "I'll say it for the last time: get out of the way, Potter!"

"YOU'RE PATHETIC!" Harry shouted. "JUST BECAUSE YOU WERE MADE TO LOOK LIKE A FOOL AT SCHOOL, YOU DON'T EVEN LISTEN, YOU DON'T EVEN CONSIDER THAT THERE IS TRUTH IN WHAT SIRIUS SAID...."

"SILENCE! YOU WILL NOT SPEAK TO ME LIKE THAT!" Snape shrieked, angrier than ever. "Like father, like son, Potter! I just saved your skin; you should be thanking me on bended knee! You would have been well served if I had killed you! You would have died like your father, too arrogant to believe you're wrong about Black, Now get out of the way, or I'll make you!"

Harry didn't move, he made up his mind in a split second and raised his wand.

"Expelliarmus!", Harry shouted... except his wasn't the only voice shouting. There was an explosion in the Gryffindor common room that shook the entire tower....

A red light flashed, but Snape was still standing in place, safe and intact.

Before Harry could show his magic, someone was faster than him. His wand flew high into the air and fell to the ground in front of Ron, rolling forward and making a crunching sound.

Ron was holding his wand, lifeless and looking at Harry expressionlessly.

"Ron!" Harry fell to the ground and looked up at Ron with wide eyes and a face full of anger.

Hermione rushed to help Harry up, groaned and looked at Snape and Ron in fear.

"Disappointing, Potter! You're even worse than Weasley, whose head is empty. I'm really worried about your grade in Charms class!" Snape looked at Harry sympathetically, his wand pointed at Black again.

"Quejicus..." Black looked at Snape with loathing. He clenched his fists tightly and was ready to pounce.

"Say goodbye to the world, Black!" In the blink of an eye, the tip of Snape's wand emitted a green light.

Black scrambled to dodge to the left, but did not retreat and ran at Snape.

But Snape was faster and followed up with another spell, and Black had to step back and dodge.

Creak... Creak!

Just as Black dodged the spell, the three couches that had been in the corner suddenly turned and flew at him. Black was hit hard and went flying. He got up and crashed into the wall, then slid to the floor, gasping and lying there, looking at Snape angrily.

"Your reaction rate is way down, I expected you to hold out for a few more seconds!" Snape narrowed his eyes and looked at Sirius Black.

"Don't be so proud, I...," Black said.

"You won't stand a chance, you'll pay for your past deeds," Snape said casually.

The tip of his wand emitted the flickering light of another spell.

Just as his magic was about to strike Black, a child's voice, a little tender but firm, rang through the common room.

"Protego!"

A red light came first, and there seemed to be an invisible wall in front of Black. Snape's magic bounced off to the side. Everyone turned around in surprise and saw Ivan gasping from the portrait entrance. The spell he just used saved Sirius Black.

"Ivan!" Harry and Hermione shouted in joy.

Ivan nodded to them both and finally caught up.

He looked at the situation in the common room, Harry and Hermione had fallen to the floor, both of them had Ron's wand pointed at them. Sirius Black was by the wall. Ivan's eyes flicked to Snape, whose grim face was looking at him in disgust.

"Professor Snape, you shouldn't hurt Sirius Black. What is happening tonight is a conspiracy. Sirius is innocent, all...," Ivan said.

"Stop it, Mason!" Snape shouted explosively, "Before you came, Potter and Granger have told me countless times. Don't tell me Peter Pettigrew is still alive. Black has brainwashed all three of you and you don't know what you're doing."

Ivan looked at Snape with surprise and realized that he was in bad shape. Snape looked different than usual. Never in his life did he imagine that he would see such a distorted expression of loss of control on Snape's grim face. Hatred had blinded his eyes.

He looked mad, desperate to catch and kill Sirius Black.

"Professor...," Ivan said.

"Shut up, Mason!" shouted Snape. "You and Potter are too arrogant. For too long, you have done too many rebellious things. Dumbledore's indulgence allowed you to enjoy too many privileges, see what you've done since you entered the school, create a ridiculous newspaper, think you can catch the Basilisk without help, break the rules and go to Hogsmeade, fight a dangerous werewolf, lead a friend to be in danger, and now believe in a dangerous murderer! Enough is enough! I will advise the headmaster to temporarily suspend you..."

"I don't care about any punishment!" Ivan interrupted. "We don't have time; Peter Pettigrew may run away at any moment!"

"Where is he, where is that vile coward?" Black roared.

"He's in Professor Lupin's office, but he's about to run away, he wants to go to the Forbidden Forest! We must stop him. If he manages to get outside the school's borders, he can hide and disappear." Ivan said anxiously. "Hurry up, Sirius!"

Hearing Ivan, Black turned into a black dog. He ran out of the common room and jumped to the side avoiding Snape's Spell.

"You can't go anywhere, Black!" Snape snapped, and his wand began to cast spells towards Sirius.

"Impedimenta!" shouted Ivan, as he stopped Snape.

The two fought in the common room. After freezing for a moment, Black turned and ran out of the place.

Crookshanks jumped over Black's body. Harry and Hermione grabbed their wands and the Marauder's Map from the floor and hurried after them.

Ron hesitated for a while and then left.

Now, only Ivan and Snape were left in the common room. They were fighting and sending their spells.

The atmosphere grew increasingly tense. Looking at Snape's angry eyes, Ivan could only clench the wand in his hand.