Then, in the blink of an eye, the situation exploded. Quirrell stopped talking and snapped his wand up.
A torrent of non-verbal Stunning Spells erupted from it. Red bolts of Stupefy flew from the tip of the professor's wand with unbelievable speed, streaking towards the three boys, though some followed utterly unpredictable trajectories.
The sudden shift from words to action left all three boys frozen in shock, staring wide-eyed in terror at the torrent of red bolts.
Richie had already said his goodbyes to life. Raw terror was written all over his face. Harry's eyes bulged, and he seemed to forget how to breathe. Ron clenched the counterfeit Philosopher's Stone in a death grip and squeezed his eyes shut.
Quirrell continued hurling Stunning Spells for quite some time. He swayed on his feet, his hand trembling, while his wand traced erratic, unpredictable arcs through the air.
Most astonishingly of all, not a single red bolt struck its target. Despite there being only three targets, all of whom remained perfectly still in their shock-induced stupor.
At last, the Defence Against the Dark Arts professor—who had never looked particularly healthy to begin with—began breathing in harsh, rasping gasps and stopped casting. He doubled over, lowered his head, and braced his hands on his thighs as he struggled to catch his breath. The man was swaying as though caught in a storm at sea.
Harry, Ron, and Richie, entirely unharmed, exchanged glances. The boys took in one another's utterly bewildered expressions: bulging eyes, pale faces, and jaws hanging open. Then, as one, they reached for their wands.
Ron transferred the Philosopher's Stone to his left hand—or at least attempted to. Richard paid little attention, as he was busy doing much the same with his lightsabre. Almost simultaneously, all three boys raised their wands and fired spells at the DADA professor.
"Diffindo!"
A weak Cutting Charm shot from Weasley's wand. Among students, it had acquired the unofficial nickname of the Scissors Spell. The charm made it easy to cut or sever various objects, but it was relatively weak. Even when used carelessly, it was unlikely to inflict fatal injuries. That was why witches and wizards had no qualms about teaching it to children.
"Flipendo!"
Potter's wand emitted a thick orange beam.
He had used the Knockback Jinx, a spell he technically should not have known, since it was only taught in the second year. The jinx was capable of hurling a person or a fairly large animal backwards with considerable force. Smaller creatures could easily be knocked unconscious by it.
In practice, wizards mostly used the spell to smash fragile objects, though its intended purpose was self-defence against minor magical pests: imps, garden gnomes, pixies, and similar creatures. It was taught in Defence Against the Dark Arts.
Ironically, Quirrell himself had taught the spell to the second-years, and now it was being aimed directly at him.
Harry did not hold back. Normally, when cast by a student, the orange bolt was barely visible. This one, however, was as thick as a cat's paw.
To Richard, it felt as though he had suddenly forgotten how to perform magic. Or rather, that was not quite right. He knew more than two dozen charms and could cast many of them non-verbally. But under intense stress, he had become flustered and indecisive. Faced with the sheer variety of magic at his disposal, he could not immediately settle on a single spell.
Even so, Richie's mind was working remarkably quickly—perhaps because of the mortal danger he was in. While drawing his wand, he mentally ran through every charm he knew before finally settling on one.
"Immobulus!"
A bluish beam shot from the tip of Grosvenor's wand towards the professor.
Immobulus was a Freezing Charm. The spell was normally taught in the second year, but Richard had enjoyed a certain advantage in that regard. Madam Marchbanks had decided that her pupil absolutely had to master it. According to her, the charm possessed an enormous range of applications.
It could render a person, a dangerous animal, or even a magical plant completely immobile. It could also disable Muggle alarm systems or shut down other forms of technology. Cast on a car, for instance, it would stall the engine instantly
Like Harry, Richard did not hold back on magical power. His beam was only about half as thick as Potter's. It should be remembered, however, that a typical second-year's version of the spell would produce a beam no thicker than a matchstick, not a baby's little finger.
Three spells, cast at virtually the same moment, hurtled towards Quirrell.
Exhausted though Quirinus might have been, he remained a powerful and experienced wizard. The moment he heard the shouted incantations, he reacted by thrusting his wand out before him.
Ron's spell sliced straight through the turban, causing it to fall away in two halves and exposing the professor's bald head.
There, on the back of Quirrell's skull, was a strange, grotesque bulge. It looked almost as though a second face had been fused to the back of his head—a mutant visage with slit-like nostrils.
Richie and Harry were not so fortunate. Despite appearing simultaneous, their spells had in fact been cast a fraction of a second later. Literally an instant before the orange and blue bolts reached the professor, a translucent, yellow-tinged shield sprang into existence before him.
The Protego Shield Charm had been cast flawlessly and without a word.
The two spells shattered against the barrier in a shower of sparks. Orange and blue sparks collided and mingled, giving rise to flashes of green.
Richie was disappointed that he had missed, and even more alarmed by the furious expression on Quirrell's face.
Staring at the back of Quirrell's head in revulsion, Ron blurted out:
"Merlin! What in the world is that thing on your head?!"
"Blimey, life really hasn't been kind to you!" Richie remarked, eyeing Quirrell's exposed scalp with no less disgust.
"I am not a thing! I am Lord Voldemort!" the growth on the back of the professor's head hissed in a voice thick with rage. "Kill those wretched boys!" he commanded.
Richie responded with another non-verbal Stunning Spell. This time, the blue bolt was only half as thick as before.
Much to Grosvenor's frustration, the attempt failed. Once again, the spell was intercepted by Quirinus's protective charm.