Re: Snakes and rats and smoke, oh my!
Frankly, Lavender usually was all for blasting her way through things. It was why she made a much better Hit Wizard than she would an Auror. But this was a stealth exercise and blasting might not be called for. Unfortunately.
Quickly wreathing herself in a hasty Disillusionment Charm, Lavender took up a protective stance at the bottom of the stairs with the aim of trying to take out anyone who thought they'd have a shot at Hyperion. She looked up over her shoulder to see him stopped halfway up. Lavender sighed. How much of the staircase was an illusion, she wondered? "Stairs gone or just invisible?" she hissed.
One of the snakes curled up around Hyperion's ankle, then the whole mass seemed to shudder. For a second, they became smoke again, but they quickly solidified. Lavender's eyes widened as she took in the sight of piles of brightly coloured frogs.