Ch. 13: The Duelling Club

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On December 17th, Professor Lockhart decided to host a duelling club. Harry, Hermione, Ron, and I had already decided we were all staying over Christmas to work on the Polyjuice Potion. My parents were a bit upset at the news, but nonetheless they didn't try to convince me otherwise. A bunch of students were in the Great Hall, huddled around a stage with Lockhart on it.

"Gather round! Gather round! Can everyone see me? Can you all hear me? Excellent. In light of the dark events of recent weeks, Professor Dumbledore has granted me permission to start this little Dueling Club to train you all up in cause you ever need to defend yourselves as I myself have done on countless occasions. For full details, see my published works," Lockhart said as most of the students, other than most of the girls, excluding Hermione, who seemed to have taken on a new attitude toward Lockhart after the incident with Harry, rolled their eyes.

Just then, someone beside Harry started talking to him.

"That Lockhart's something, isn't he? Awfully brave chap," he said as he offered Harry his hand. "Justin Finch-Fletchley. Hufflepuff."

Harry shook his hand.

"Nice to meet you, I'm-" Harry started.

"I know who you are. We all do. Even us Muggle-borns," Justin said with a grin as his attention turned back to the stage, where Professor Snape had joined Lockhart.

"Let me introduce my assistant, Professor Snape. He has sportingly agreed to help me with a short demonstration," Lockhart said. "Now, I don't want any of you youngsters to worry. You'll still have your Potions Master when I'm through with him, never fear!"

"It's not him I'm fearing for," I said quietly, only Harry, Ron, and Hermione hearing me.

"What's the fun in that?" Ron complained.

Lockhart and Snape then faced each other and bowed. They then turned, took ten steps, then spun around, wands at the ready.

"As you can see, we are holding our wands in the accepted combative position. On the count of three, we will cast our first spells," Lockhart said. "Neither of us will be aiming to kill, of course."

I saw Harry look at Snape.

"I wouldn't bet on that," Harry said.

"One. Two. Three," Lockhart said.

"Expelliarmus," Snape said, waving his wand as Lockhart was knocked off his feet and hit the wall behind him.

"Do you think he's alright?" Someone asked.

"Who cares?" Ron and Harry whispered.

Lockhart, in a daze, stood.

"Well, there you have it. That was a Disarming Charm. As you see, I've lost my wand," Lockhart said as one of the girls hands him his wand.

"Ah. Thank you," Lockhart said before turning to Snape. "Yes, an excellent idea to show them that, Professor Snape, but if you don't mind my saying so, it was very obvious what you were about to do. If I had wanted to stop you, it would have been only too easy."

"Perhaps it would be prudent to first teach the students to block unfriendly spells, Professor," Snape said.

"An excellent suggestion, Professor Snape. Let's have a volunteer pair. Potter, Weasley, how about you?" Lockhart said.

"Weasley's wand causes devastation with the simplest spells. We'll be sending Potter to the hospital wing in a matchbox. Might I suggest someone from my own house," Snape said. "Malfoy, perhaps?"

At this, Snape signaled for Malfoy to take the stage as Harry made his way on as well. They both looked at each other with disgusted looks on their faces. They, with clear disdain, bowed to one another.

"Scared, Potter?" I heard Malfoy say.

"You wish," Harry responded.

They turned and took ten steps before spinning around to face each other.

"Wands at the ready! When I count to three, cast your charms to disarm your opponent. Only to disarm. We don't want any accidents. One. Two-" before Lockhart could finish his count, Malfoy fired off a spell, knocking Harry off his feet.

Harry quickly stood.

"Rictumsempra," Harry said as a jet of silver light hit Malfoy dead in the stomach, causing him to wheeze.

"I said disarm only!" Lockhart said, trying to defuse the situation.

"Serpensortia," Malfoy said as a long, black snake shot out of the end of the wand, landing in the middle of the stage.

I saw Snape smirk slightly at this.

"Don't move, Potter. I'll get rid of it for you," Snape said as he made his way toward the snake.

"Allow me!" Lockhart said, stopping Snape dead in his tracks as he fired off a spell, sending the snake soaring high into the air before it landed back down on the stage with a thud.

This seemed to anger the snake more than anything, as it hissed and slithered toward Justin Finch-Fletchley, poised to strike. Some students started to scream at this, and I drew my wand, ready to destroy the snake. All of a sudden, I heard a strange noise and looked around for the source.

Harry, oddly calm, was speaking an odd language. One I immediately recognized as I turned to Hermione, as we gave each other a knowing look. This wasn't good. The snake seemed to calm down before being eviscerated by Snape. Harry walked toward Justin and extended a hand to him.

"What are you playing at?" Justin said as he backed away from Harry with a terrified look, much to Harry's confusion.

Harry then looked around, just now noticing all eyes were on him, each with a terrified expression on their face, other than Hermione, Ron, and I. We had clear worry on our faces.

Later, in the Common Room, we all four were sat down on the couches.

"You're a Parselmouth! Why didn't you tell us?" Ron asked.

"I'm a what?" Harry asked, still clearly confused.

"You can talk to snakes," Hermione said.

"I know. I mean, I accidentally set a python on my cousin Dudley at the zoo once. But so what? I bet loads of people here can do it," Harry said.

"No, they can't," I said.

"It's not a very common gift, Harry. This is bad," Hermione said.

"What's bad? If I hadn't told that snake not to attack Justin-" Harry began.

"Oh, that's what you said to it," Ron said.

"You were there! You heard me!" Harry said.

"Harry, we heard you speaking Parseltongue," I said as Harry gave a confused expression yet again.

"Snake language," Ron said.

"I spoke a different language? But I didn't realize. How can I speak a language without knowing I can?" Harry asked.

"I don't know, Harry. But it sounded like you were egging the snake on or something. It was... creepy," Hermione said.

Suddenly, some Gryffindors made their way into the room, eyeing Harry wearily. Even Seamus, Neville, and Dean Thomas walk by without even looking at him. As the room emptied again, Hermione turned back to Harry.

"Harry, listen to me. There's a reason the symbol of Slytherin house is a serpent. Salazar Slytherin was a Parselmouth. He could talk to snakes, too," she said.

"Exactly. And now the whole school's going to think you're his great-great-great grandson or something," Ron said.

"But I'm not. I... can't be," Harry said.

"Harry, he lived a thousand years ago," I said.

"For all we know... you could be," Hermione said, finishing my thought.

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