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About a month later, it's December and I walk through the entrance hall with Angelina to find a small knot of people gathered around the notice board, reading a piece of parchment that had just been pinned up. "They're starting a Dueling Club!" I hear Seamus Finnigan, a second-year, exclaim. "First meeting tonight! I wouldn't mind duelling lessons; they might come in handy one of these days..." I hear him say but my attention is moved to Ron, who is now reading the sign with interest. "What, you reckon Slytherin's monster can duel?" he asks.
"Could be useful." Ron tells Harry and Hermione as they turn and walk into the Great Hall for dinner whilst I turn my attention to Ange. "What are they doing creating a duelling club, I mean, it's not gonna be any use to the first or second years. I mean, who's running this club anyway?" I ask, before walking over to the board and looking down at it. I run my finger down the parchment, skim reading it before coming to a stop at the bottom and reading. Duelling club will take place this evening in the Great Hall and will be lead by Professor Gilderoy Lockhart.
I sigh, rolling my eyes before backing up to Ange. "So, who is it?" Ange asks me as we begin making our way into the Great Hall for dinner. "Lockhart." I grumble.
"Lockhart? Seriously?" she asks me, making me nod my head as we sit down at the Gryffindor table, saving some spots for the twins and Lee. "I mean, what are they doing putting him in charge of the duelling club? Everything in his books isn't even things that he has done and I can bet your ass that he isn't that good of a dueller." I tell Ange, complaining.
"I know. I mean, why can't they put Flitwick in charge of the club, I mean, he was a duelling champion when he was young." Angelina points out, making me nod my head at her.
"I know, I mean, at least we could rely on him to know that we would be able to know what we're doing and we're going to be doing it properly." I tell her but before Ange can say anything to me, someone butts in saying, "Doing what properly?"
I turn my head to see Fred and Lee sat to the right of me and I shake my head. "Lockhart's hosting a duelling club tonight at eight for anyone interested and Ange and I were talking about it being ridiculous that Lockhart's hosting it when Flitwicks the duelling champion." I tell the boys before I gasp making Ange look at me confused.
"What?" she asks me.
"Oh, I would seriously love to see Lockhart and Flitwick get into a duel." I tell her, smiling, making her laugh and shake her head. "That would be hilarious. Flitwick would obliterate him."
"I know." I tell her but before anything else could be said, dinner appears on the tables and we being to dig in.
At around eight o'clock, Fred, George, Lee, Angelina and I walk back down to the Great Hall. The long dining tables have by now vanished and a golden stage has appeared along one wall, lit by thousands of candles floating overhead. The ceiling is velvety black once more and most of the school seem to be packed beneath it, all carrying their wands and looking excited. We walk towards the stage, pushing through the crowd slightly so that we can get a better view of the stage but as soon as we get to the front, I wish that we hadn't because at that moment, Gilderoy Lockhart walks onto the stage, resplendent in robes of deep plum and accompanied by other than Snape, wearing his usual black robes. "Gather round, gather round! Can everyone see me? Can you all hear me? Excellent!" he calls, making me roll my head. "Now, Professor Dumbledore had granted me permission to start this little duelling club, to train you all in case you ever need to defend yourselves as I have done in m countless occasions – for full details, see my published works." he says, making me shake my head and turn my head to look at Angelina and mouth to her, "Yeah, things that you've stolen off other people."
