A Different Story

Chapter 27

17th Of November, 1992

Rumours about the heir of Slytherin spread around the school. Everyone could hear Malfoy boasting about how all the muggleborns were going to be dealt with. The muggleborn students had begun going places in groups, never leaving each other alone.

One thing that Harry, Arcturus, and Daphne were looking forward to was the dueling club that had just been formed. Damian and Hermione accompanied them, but it was clear that they weren't anywhere near as enthusiastic as the three.

They entered the dueling room. In the centre was a big stage for the duels to take place. The Gryffindors were on one side with the Hufflepuffs, while the Slytherins stood on the other side with the Ravenclaws

"Gather around" A voice called

"Oh." Harry groaned and whispered to Daphne, "Of all the people, why him?"

"Can everyone see me? Can everyone hear me?" Lockhart asked as he walked on stage. That's good. After recent events, Dumbledore has permitted me to start this dueling club. With me today is my assistant, Professor Snape." Everyone watched as Snape seemed to rise from the other end of the stage. The two made their way towards each other.

"Snape looks pissed" Harry noticed

"He always looked pissed." Daphne reminded him

"Do not fear" Lockhart said with a smile, "You'll have your potions master when I'm through with him."

They stopped in the middle. They brought their wands up in front of their faces. They nodded to each other before returning their arms to their sides. They turned around and walked away from each other.

Suddenly, they stopped, both turned and took their duelling stances. Lockhart had a smile on his face while Snape looked at him with an emotionless face.

"One" Lockhart began counting down, "two... three"

"Expelliarmus!" A blast fired from Snape's wand, hitting Lockhart in the chest.

Many laughed as Lockhart flew back as his wand flew out of his hand. Many laughed as the 'legendary Lockhart' landed on his back. The fan girls didn't, but the rest did. Snape himself had barley hidden a smirk.

"Well done, Professor Snape." Lockhart got to his feet, and made his way over to Snape. "An excellent idea to show them that, though it was pretty obvious what you were going to do and if I wanted to, then I could've easily stopped you."

"Perhaps," Snape said with barley-supressed rage, "it would be prudent to teach them how to block unfriendly spells."

"Ah yes," Lockhart looked surprised but quickly composed himself, "How about a volunteer pair? "Uh, Harry Potter and Weasley"

"With Weasley's wand causing havoc with even the most basic spells," Snape interjected, "we'd be sending what's left of Potter to the hospital wing in a matchbox."Perhaps someone from my house?" Malfoy pulled his collar and smirked. He pulled his wand out and was getting ready to step up on the stage.

"Malfoy, perhaps," Snape suggested. Harry sighed and got on to the stage. He made his way to the centre and stood in front of Malfoy.

"Scared Potter?" Malfoy taunted

"Yes" Harry replied, "I don't really know what diseases you have and I don't know if they're contagious."

"I don't have any diseases!" Malfoy growled

"You mean you're not sick?" Harry asked

"Of course not!"

"So your face looks like that naturally?" Harry asked with a raised eyebrow, "you poor soul"

Malfoy growled as many people began laughing and snickering. The two pulled their arms down and turned around. They walked and stopped, just like Snape and Lockhart did. They turned and took their duelling stances. Malfoy looked confident.

Harry was also confident but knew better than to underestimate Malfoy. He had never seen him in a duel, so he could be a great duellist as far as Harry was concerned.

"On the count of three," Lockhart said, "and I want you to disarm only. One, two, three"

Malfoy had aimed his wand at Harry, and the spell was halfway out of his mouth when a beam shot from Harry's wand.

Malfoy's wand flew out of his hand and he flipped backwards in the air. He landed a few meters back as Harry caught his wand in his hand. Malfoy got to his feet, glaring at Harry.

Harry, with a bored expression on his face, tossed Malfoy his wand. Malfoy caught it and got to his feet. He aimed at Harry.

"Expelliarmus!" He roared, and the beam flew at Harry, who casually side stepped. "Expelliarmus!" Harry ducked the beam this time.

"Protego" Harry blocked the third Expelliarmus that Malfoy fired.

"I'll get you this time! Expelliarmus!" Malfoy screamed, and the beam flew at Harry. Malfoy was positive that it was going to hit this time.

Harry blocked Malfoy's spell and shouted "Rictusempra!" A jet of silver light hit Malfoy in the stomach, and he doubled up, wheezing.

"I said disarm only," Lockhart's voice interrupted

Malfoy got up from the floor and raised his wand quickly and bellowed, "Serpensortia!" The end of his wand exploded. Harry watched, aghast, as a long black snake shot out of it, fell heavily onto the floor between them, and raised itself, ready to strike. There were screams as the crowd backed swiftly away, clearing the floor. "Don’t move, Potter," said Snape lazily, clearly enjoying the sight of Harry standing motionless, eye to-eye with the angry snake. "I’ll get rid of it."

"Allow me!" shouted Lockhart. He brandished his wand at the snake, and there was a loud bang; the snake, instead of vanishing, flew ten feet into the air and fell back to the floor with a loud smack. Enraged, hissing furiously, it slithered straight toward Justin Finch-Fletchley and raised itself again, fangs exposed, poised to strike.

Harry wasn’t sure what made him do it. He wasn’t even aware of deciding to do it. All he knew was that his legs were carrying him forward as though he was on casters and that he had shouted stupidly at the snake, "Leave him alone!" And miraculously, inexplicably, the snake slumped to the floor, docile as a thick, black garden hose, its eyes now on Harry. Harry felt the fear drain out of him. He knew the snake wouldn’t attack anyone now, though how he knew it, he couldn’t explain. He looked up at Justin, grinning, expecting to see Justin looking relieved, or puzzled, or even grateful, but certainly not angry and scared.

"What do you think you’re playing at?" he shouted, and before Harry could say anything, Justin had turned and stormed out of the hall. Snape stepped forward, waved his wand, and the snake vanished in a small puff of black smoke. Snape, too, was looking at Harry in an unexpected way. It was a shrewd and calculating look, and Harry didn’t like it. He was also dimly aware of an ominous muttering all around him. Then he felt a tug on the back of his robes.

People appeared terrified. Harry himself was shocked. People started screaming at him. The rest of his friends came quickly to his rescue and led him out of the room. "How could I be a Parselmouth? I'm not the heir of Slytherin," Harry said with wide eyes.

"Perhaps it's a new thing? Something newly developed?" Daphne tried weakly.

"Being able to speak parseltongue is a born trait; you can't learn it." Damian answered her question.

Arcturus thought this was a good time to speak up. "I'm also a Parselmouth as well." It was so quiet that they almost didn't hear it.

They all snapped their heads in his direction, wide-eyed.

"Really?" Damian asked, shocked and a little bit jealous because his brother and cousin can speak Parseltongue but he can't.

"Yes," answered Arcturus To prove his point, he started to speak in Parseltounge, with Harry, "Hello Harry."

Harry could understand him perfectly. The others, though, looked on with awe, not really scared of their friends like others.