"Septumscepra!" – Avery yelled at the top of his lungs and made a slashing movement with his wand at the poor animal. Fortunately for the black half-kneazle in a cage his efforts produced no harmful effect. However this fact didn't prevent it from hissing at offender with malice in its feline eyes. Furry animal was just damn too smart.
"I am telling you. It was – Sceptumspectra!" – Mulciber attempted the same feat but miserably failed in a similar fashion as his Slytherin buddy.
"Maybe it was Snapetumsempra?" – Another student carefully proposed, but didn't try to perform the spell himself, which only earned him multiple glares from a small crowd of senior students assembled in Slytherin common room.
"Seriously, Goyle... Snapetum...? – Avery replied with a mocking tone. – "How stupid can you possibly be?"
"Hey watch your tongue!" – Goyle threatened the offending fifth year. He was in the last year himself and wouldn't such behaviour from a junior student.
"Enough!" – Lucius Malfoy snapped in commanding voice effectively preventing a pointless argument and potential fight. It was getting tiresome. – "Are you sure it wasn't Sectumsempra instead?" – he directed his question at Carrow who was the only one of them on the site of incident and observed the spell. – "It is the only one which makes any sense in Latin." – Lucius explained. Contrary to anyone else in the room Lucius could actually write and even fluently speak in the dead language, thanks to his father and his idea of superior Malfoy education inflicted on him.
"Yes I am pretty sure it is" – Carrow confirmed, he had his doubts at first but hearing it again from Malfoy this time dissipated them. – "And then Snape slashed with his wand like this" – he demonstrated for everyone else's benefit again. – "You should have seen Potter's face. It was such a bloody mess" – he said with grudging respect in his voice. Several junior Slytherins who saw Potter, being levitated on his way to Hospital wing nodded with confirmation and causing senior Slytherins to exchange meaningful looks again and the rest to engage in intense whispering. If Potter didn't make it this new curse could have a BIG potential in the future years to come.
"Okay let me try it again." - Lucius demanded total silence and more space around him, effectively hushing all whispers and drawing everyone's attention to him. Everyone took a deep breath and only kneazle's furious hissing was still audible in the common room
"Sectumsempra!" – Lucious said in dramatic manner and made a vicious slash at the caged animal. Nothing happened and silence reigned in the common room for several pregnant moments even Kneazle stopped hissing.
"Damn it" – Avery cursed silently.
"Yeah" – Mulciber agreed – "It was so much easier to rip off Levicorpus" – he said for Lucius benefit trying to spare him some embarrassment.
"Lucius Malfoy, let the poor animal go!" – the demanding feminine voice announced to everyone that Slytherin princess made an entrance. Lucius turned around to face his pissed off fiancée and didn't fail to notice teary-eyed first year Slytherin girl hiding behind her for protection. – "When I told you last week to train on cats, I didn't mean it literally". – she informed him with stern face. Everyone exchanged confused looks and questioningly looked at Lucius who understood the jab and now openly scowled.
"Not funny, Narcissa" – he replied with indignation and blushed a little if that was even possible. He still couldn't believe that his future wife had such a twisted sense of humour. He still couldn't get over her reply after he proposed his fiancée to "consummate" their engagement before marriage.
"Let the poor animal go" – Narcissa demanded again only this time from Amycus Carrow, who turned to Lucius for instructions. Malfoy gave him a barely noticeable nod and Amycus opened the cage and set the kneazle in question free. The animal gave him one final hiss, which promised revenge and then not wasting a moment ran to his little sister, who happily picked him up and showed her brother a tongue.
And least one story finished with happy ending that dreadful day, since James Potter was still fighting for his life in hospital wing, while Severus Snape was trying to cheat expulsion in Headmaster's office.