Malfoy's group fled in a hurry, and when they returned to the empty Potions Classroom, a few people were somewhat dejected.
"Draco, we've already set up the traps—what happened?" Two girls cautiously carrying several glass bottles walked in from outside, puzzled by everyone's appearance.
"Let's disperse, Pansy." Noat frowned, shoulders slumped, and said weakly, "Gray definitely won't come... Professor Sprout has noticed, she kept Vid Gray behind."
"You guys couldn't hold your ground—now it's all ruined!"
Malfoy angrily kicked over a chair and then sat at the table in a huff. Crabbe and Goyle glared at everyone else as if it was all their fault.
"Wait for next time." Zabini shook his head, sat down, and sighed, "As long as you want—there will be a chance to corner him."
Although they said this, their morale, except for Malfoy, remained low among the Slytherins.
The blonde girl who followed Pansy hesitantly said, "What should we do with these potions? Throw them away?"
The bottles contained failed Scabies Potion. Malfoy's potion skills were quite good, but during the first Potions class, Neville's failed potion caused quite a bit of chaos, leaving a deep impression on Malfoy.
In his view, that potion was far more useful than any Scabies Treatment.
This time, to deal with Vid Gray, Malfoy specially brewed a batch of Scabies Potion in secret. He added Porcupine Quills before taking the cauldron off the fire, successfully obtaining a large bottle of green poison that could melt a cauldron.
Unfortunately, this potion constantly evaporated and soon it would turn from a highly corrosive acidic solution into an ordinary liquid, only causing a bad smell without harming anyone.
Malfoy waved his hand and said, "Throw it away... Wait, give it to me, Daphne."
He suddenly came up with a bad idea, took the glass bottle from Daphne, and carefully placed them into the corner cabinet—Malfoy had heard Vid often sat there.
"I have more here, Draco!" Pansy squeezed Daphne aside and eagerly handed over her potion as well.
Daphne hesitated, "What if it injures someone?"
"Who cares!" Malfoy dismissed, "It would be their bad luck! Maybe the professor would even give Gray a detention! - Vid Gray, why did you put such dangerous things in the cabinet? Intentional harm to fellow students, Ravenclaw loses fifty points!"
Malfoy imitated Professor Snape scolding Harry Potter, making everyone laugh uproariously. Noat made a strange face and cried shrilly, "I didn't, Professor—I don't know what's going on—"
"Hahaha—" Everyone laughed, pounding the table, nearly unable to breathe.
"He's coming! He's coming!" A boy ran in quickly and shouted excitedly, "Draco, he's coming this way!"
"Who?" Malfoy was momentarily confused.
"Who else?" Millicent Burst said anxiously, jumping up and down, "—Vid Gray!"
"How is it possible—" Zabini said doubtfully.
"He must think that since the professor warned us, we wouldn't dare to act!" Malfoy jumped off the chair, took potion bottles from the cabinet and handed them to others, urging, "Quick, quick, quick, do as we planned before!"
Everyone moved swiftly; the two girls kept some distance, but Pansy couldn't help but crowd next to Malfoy as if fighting alongside him. A few boys pulled out their magic wands to lock the classroom windows, then prepared to cast spells, Crabbe and Goyle held the Scabies Potion ready to throw like grenades, and Noat pulled out two hidden Dungbombs from under the cabinet.
Daphne peered out from beside the window, avoiding detection, carefully observing.
"It's indeed Vid Gray." The blonde girl whispered, "He's coming alone."
"Didn't bring anyone?" Zabini frowned.
"No."
"Strange..." Zabini couldn't figure it out, no caution at all?
"Hmph, typical Ravenclaw bookworm!" Malfoy said disdainfully, giving his last instructions: "Remember what we planned earlier—throw the Dungbombs first, then the Scabies Potion, and I'll use the Leg-Locker Curse. Crabbe, Goyle, you two go grab him, Noat remember to snatch the magic wand!"
Crabbe and Goyle replied in unison, Noat looked at the Dungbomb in his hand, face suddenly turning pale.
—During the wand snatch, he might not get this stuff on him?
Looking at the narrow space at the door, Noat was uncertain.
He began considering putting the Dungbomb back... or swapping with Goyle? His physique, twice the size of others, could certainly block most of it...
While Noat was hesitating, he suddenly heard someone whisper, "Expulso!(Rock-Blasting!)"
"What?"
An invisible wind suddenly swept through the classroom, swirling fiercely with sand and rocks. Noat was about to speak but got a mouthful of sand. Everyone screamed in unison and began rubbing their eyes.
"He's at the door!" Malfoy used his sleeve to cover his mouth and shouted strongly, "Throw the Dungbomb! Quickly throw the Dungbomb!"
Sound came from the door, Noat didn't have time to discern it, and he forcefully threw the Dungbomb.
"Bang!"
The Dungbomb hit an ugly head, exploded, and foul-smelling material sprayed throughout the classroom.
A giant cockroach crawled in from the doorway.
Faced with that face of madness, Noat suddenly recalled—the voice he heard just now seemed to say, "Engorgio (Engorgement)."
The terrified boy had no power to resist and was pinned down by the giant cockroach.
Then, behind the cockroach, one, two, three... up to five or six similar spiders enlarged to the size of hunting dogs crawled in.
"Ahhhhh—"
Students inside the Potions Classroom screamed wildly, escaping in a panic. Malfoy quickly jumped onto a table to grab the window, only to find the window locked by spells.
—It was still their own doing.
"Alohom—" His Unlocking Charm wasn't finished when a claw hooked his clothes from behind, dragging him backward.
"No—no—let me go—"
"Mom—"
"Help—"
The classroom was filled with students' terrified cries. Confundus-charmed insects didn't harm them, but the mere close contact frightened them to the brink of wetting themselves.
"Petrificus Totalus!"