In Hogwarts, news travels fast.
The news of the blood-written message had spread throughout the castle before the teachers could even decide on a course of action themselves.
The Chamber of Secrets had been a myth written about in many books and even among the students themselves for generations.
Throughout the halls, the rumors had spread and propagated, becoming more and more absurd with each day.
Barely a week later, and Dumbledore could hear students talking about how the secret Slytherin dragon was going to appear from the Chamber and crown the next King of England with Excalibur.
Thankfully, they had a plan.
A good plan even.
And it came from an unlikely place.
Dumbledore was surprised that Lockhart's stunt had actually turned to their favor. A dueling club was the perfect way to distract the students while they continued to stealthily look into things on their end.
"Did you hear me, Headmaster?"
Dumbledore noticed he seemed to have lost attention and quickly snapped back to focus. "Yes, I apologize, Headmistress. You said you would be coming next week? I thought you would have been over much sooner."
He was currently talking with the headmistress of their cousin school over in Japan.
He heard her let out a long sigh. "You know how it is, Headmaster. Trying to get a moment to breathe and juggle cross-continental Floo paperwork."
"Ah." Dumbledore nodded. "No need to say anything more, Headmistress. You're more than welcome to come at your leisure. We'd always been happy to host you."
"Thank you, Dumbledore."
The Floo connection disappeared as Dumbledore leaned back in his chair, stroking his beard.
His mind wasn't on the headmistress from Japan coming over, though that did concern his attention at a later point.
He didn't fault her for the delay either. The Cross-continental Floo Network was difficult at the best of times. Even he, as the Supreme Mugwump, would take days, if not weeks, to secure the proper paperwork to travel to another country through the Floo.
Unfortunately, there were more pressing matters.
The Chamber of Secrets.
It was something that hadn't been spoken about openly in decades. And it was most certainly something he would have been happy to remain buried. It was practically a calling to all the Pure Blood ideology that encroached into his school.
He didn't like it; he didn't like it one bit.
He was starting to feel the weariness of time hitting him harder recently.
Last year was…well, the words he wouldn't say in polite company. He analyzed it from the outside, looking at things objectively, and he felt like all of them, especially himself, were fools.
Things lined up too perfectly, escaped their notice when they shouldn't have, or diverted their attention when they should have been focused elsewhere.
It was as if the invisible hand of fate was moving things.
Dumbledore reached for his bowl of Lemon Drops, popping one in his mouth.
His mind wandered to the Prophecy.
Prophecy was a strange thing.
Is it something that will come to pass, or is it something that they as people architect for themselves?
He didn't believe there was actually a hand of fate that was guiding pieces around them. But just as well, for someone as learned in the magical arts as himself, he couldn't dismiss the unknowable forces of the world either.
The higher you climbed in the world, the vaster the view you could see. Dumbledore knew that it came with a realization. When you stand up high on the mountain peak, you simply see how small you really are, and the mountain that everyone looks up to is nothing more than a small hill.
"Headmaster." Minerva walked into his office. "Are you coming? It's going to start soon."
Dumbledore's eyes lit up. "I wouldn't miss it for the world!"
The deep and transient thoughts quickly were replaced with an admitted eagerness.
Professor Lockhart had decided to make the Dueling Club, and well, he placed himself as its leader.
And then he invited Flitwick, Severus, and even Medea to assist him.
Dumbledore could only anticipate the assistance he received.
[Line Break]
Normally, they would host a club in an empty classroom or clear out one of their many storage rooms to handle the influx of students.
But on this occasion, there were far too many wanting to participate, at least for the first club meeting.
Dumbledore walked into the Great Hall, greeting everyone with smiles as they looked his way.
He made a mental note to find a way to handle this many students better.
They couldn't commandeer the Great Hall for every gathering. The poor House Elves would be distraught with having to shift everything around so much. They did love cleaning up messes, but they loathed making messes themselves.
And how else was the Great Hall turned into a dueling hall other than the house-elves moving everything elsewhere in storage?
At the very least, he was happy it distracted everyone from the other matters that had been whispered in the hallways this past week.
There were quite a few observers as well, from what Dumbledore gleaned from a quick look around the room.
Several other teachers that weren't participating, but also many students who seemed content to just stand off to the side. Perhaps to weigh if the club would be worth their time?
Regardless, Dumbledore took a seat up top, normally where he sat for meals.
He gave a polite, if silent, wave to everyone, as he wasn't the protagonist here and wanted his involvement to be minimal.
"Good afternoon, everyone!" Professor Lockhart stepped into the Great Hall as flamboyantly as possible. He even had a short cape over his shoulder, wearing different clothing this time.
Gaudy with a few medals.
It looked more like he was going to a ceremony or social gathering than a dueling club.
No one answered him back, but he didn't seem to notice or care as he strolled inside. "I see we've gathered quite a few eager students for the club! I'm sure you'll all enjoy your time here under my tutelage."
Dumbledore forced a smile as several others looked to him.
"Now." Lockhart clapped his hands. "Let's settle everything. Headmaster, would you please arrange the hall?"
"Very well." Dumbledore nodded, waving his hands, and the hall shifted around, carrying the students with it as it made room for several dueling stages to be propped up in the center. "The floor is yours, Professor Lockhart." He turned attention back to the teacher.
Lockhart bowed in an exaggerated manner. "Welcome to the new Dueling Club, everyone! And I am, of course, the club leader, Gilderoy Lockhart!" There were a few polite claps that he relished in. "Now, I know all of you are eager to start throwing spells at each other, but let's talk about the basics first."
He hopped up onto one of the center dueling stages, taking out his wand and taking a stance with it.
He went through the motions of it; they were admittedly crisp and well practiced.
Wand in front, bow, foot back, turned body.
He almost looked professional.
"The art of dueling is an old and sacred tradition. It has settled wars and conflicts for thousands of years. There are many nuances and traditions that must be observed as proper witches and wizards."
Dumbledore raised an eyebrow because he was surprised in a good way.
"First, you bow." He said so while doing so to an imaginary opponent. "It's a show of respect. Then—he quickly flicked his wand and took a stance. "Wands at the ready! Now, in official duels, there will be a countdown. Three seconds, no more! And when the countdown ends, the duel begins. No physical contact is allowed! We are proper witches and wizards; we do not fight like muggles. And when one party is incapacitated, disarmed, or yields, the duel ends. However, in official dueling circles, disarmament is not a winning condition." He gave a wink. "But for the sake of practice, it shall be here."
The teachers shared looks and nodded along, slightly more enthusiastic than before.
His expression turned dark. "I shall state that dark spells and lethal spells are not allowed. If anyone of you casts a curse or dark spell at their opponent within this club, it will be a one-way trip to Azkaban."
Dumbledore was impressed.
Surprised, but impressed.
"I don't mean to interrupt, but to add to Professor Lockhart's wonderful introduction to dueling. While non-lethal spells are permissible, they will be heavily scrutinized. Please do not attempt to cast the Exploding Charm at your fellow students." Dumbledore gave her words on the matter too.
"Well said, Headmaster." Lockhart gave his charming smile to everyone. "But let us not dwell on those dreary topics. You're here to learn to duel, and it's a skill that can be applied in and out of the classroom. Of course, structured dueling is a profound and honorable art, but learning to be quick-footed can save your life if you ever run into a nefarious creature out in the world."
Lockhart walked to one end of the dueling platform and swept his gaze around the room, landing on one person in particular.
"Now, let's start with a demonstration, and we can go from there. Professor Snape, I've heard you're quite the dueling hobbyist and even participated in a few local tournaments." He chuckled lightly. "Would you like to join me up here for a demonstration?"
All eyes turned to Professor Snape, who had been silent in the back corner of the room.
"I suppose." He drawled, his expression hinting at annoyance, walking unhurriedly to the platform and stepping onto it.
"No need to be afraid, professor. And don't worry, children. I'll take it easy on my fellow professor here; we wouldn't want any of you to have to miss a potions class after all." He chuckled again. "As you all know from reading my books, I have extensive dueling experience compared to Professor Snape here, so I'll be sticking only to a Stun or Disarm."
Oddly, quite a few people in the room were looking very eager right about now.
"Now, are you ready, Professor Snape?" Lockhart held the wand in front of himself.
Snape mirrored him as etiquette dictated. "Proceed." His dry tone didn't change despite the atmosphere.
"First, bow." He iterated as both professors bowed to one another. "Then, Wands at the Read!" Both professors took a stance. "Headmaster, if you would please give a count."
Dumbledore's eyes lit up. "I would be delighted." He waved his hand in the air, and a big '3' appeared in front of them in glowing form.
It counted down.
2.
1.
Begin!
As soon as it was called, Professor Lockhart swished his wand towards Snape. "Expelliarmus!"
The light from his wand was discharged and sent down the arena, but Snape sidestepped it with practiced ease and flicked his wand back at Lockhart, discharging his own stunning spell.
It landed squarely on Lockhart's chest, sending him flying backwards and skidding across the arena.
Suffice to say, he lost.
Lockhart quickly climbed back up onto his feet and heard quite a bit of laughter around the hall.
And, perhaps, quite a few smiles among the staff of the school as well. Even the deputy headmistress could be seen trying to hide a growing smile behind her stern expression.
Professor Snape barely makes an expression, as if it were an obvious conclusion.
Professor Lockhart smoothed out his clothing and cleared his throat while fixing his flustered expression. "Ah yes, as everyone can see, Professor Snape here did the proper counter to my attack. Yes, just as one would expect. I hope you all were paying attention, as a proper example is the best learning tool." He laughed charmingly, regaining his confidence. "Thank you, Professor Snape; that will be all."
Professor Snape didn't say a word; a disdainful look was enough as the Potions Professor stepped off the platform and went back to the corner of the hall out of everyone's sight.
He quickly looked around the room, looking for someone, anyone, to establish his authority.
And gradually he found his new 'example,' a smile growing on his face.
"Now, as I said, dueling experience can extend to outside the dueling arena. The purpose of dueling here is to help you develop your wits, quick thinking, and movements." He flourished his cape. "But it's not just other wizards and witches you need to be careful around. Dark Creatures, of course, won't care about dueling etiquette. But you know what else won't care about dueling etiquette? Muggles." He looked around the room.
Most of them were confused by the direction he was going.
Dumbledore's smile slowly shifted into a frown.
"I know what you're all thinking. Muggles? Why should you care about muggles? My dear children, you should always be vigilant! What will you do if you step out into the muggle world and some muggle with a knife charges at you? Can you draw your wand and cast a stun quick enough before you get a sharp knife in your chest?"
Oddly, Dumbledore mused that his statement wasn't wrong. Perhaps it was a bit on the extreme end, but one should always exercise caution.
As the professor put it, a knife in the chest is just as dangerous to a Muggle as it is to a wizard.
"And of course, Muggles have their own Muggle wands. Very deadly if you're not prepared." He looked around the room as people started to look at him more seriously. "And considering how many Muggles there are in the world, well, you should know how to defend yourself against them."
While Dumbledore agreed on principle and from a conceptual point of view, he had a feeling he didn't like where this was going.
"Professor Kuzuki, why don't you come up here and join us? He can offer us a proper example of how Muggles would approach a wizard or witch, attempting to harm them." Lockhart gestured to the sitting professor.
He was, of course, sitting next to Miss Medea.
And if looks could kill, Medea would have already set Professor Lockhart ablaze.
"Now Professor Lockhart, I don't think—" Dumbledore was about to interrupt and reject it, but he noticed Professor Suzuki get up.
"It's alright, Headmaster. I shall demonstrate for the safety of the students. Their education is of paramount importance and should not be ignored." He had a stern look on his face as he said that. "As an educator, I will fulfill every role required of me."
Professor McGonagall placed a hand over her chest. "Professor Suzuki, you are a credit to the profession." She shot a glare at Lockhart because it was plainly obvious what he was doing to anyone with sense.
Frankly, the staff at Hogwarts found themselves respecting the man even more.
They knew him as being quiet and stern. He always took his job seriously, and they often saw him working late into the night.
They didn't have much to talk about, as there seemed to be an invisible divide between them as magicals and muggles.
But they seemed to have found a newfound respect for him, willingly allowing himself to be humiliated in front of so many people purely for the sake of teaching.
Even Snape found himself sympathizing with the man, if silently and from a distance.
Though Dumbledore shot Medea a look, wondering if she was going to interject and stop it, but strangely, she didn't say a word.
And, for some reason, that made Dumbledore even more nervous.
"Welcome, Professor. Everyone, let's give our Muggle Studies Professor a clap for joining us." He clapped but didn't join in. A lot of students, well, they didn't hold a particularly enthusiastic view about a Muggle teaching in school, even for Muggle Studies.
And it wasn't just the Slytherin House that held this thought either.
It was rather common, even for Muggleborns or Half-bloods, to develop a sense of superiority over their Muggle counterparts after becoming witches and wizards, even if they held no inherent malice towards them.
"Now, I know what you're all thinking. What's the point of me, the great Gilderoy Lockhart, dueling a Muggle?" He chuckled as if it were a funny joke. "I assure you, it has a purpose. I'm going to demonstrate the skills you will learn from dueling and how they apply to everyday situations, as I said before. After this duel, I will go over each technique and skill I display, and then we will split up for practice duels for you all to try it yourselves."
Professor Kuzuki took his spot on the opposite side of the dueling platform, standing tall and unflinching.
Lockhart frowned slightly, for some reason feeling that his figure was a bit imposing, but quickly pushed those thoughts to the side.
"And of course, this isn't a 'proper' duel, so no need for the bowing." Lockhart cleared his throat. "Professor Kuzuki, feel free to charge at me however you want. Use any means to try and attack me. You're welcome to try the ol' fisticuffs, if you can get close." He winked to the crowd.
"Very well," the Muggle Studies professor acknowledged.
"Now, watch carefully—" He barely had time to finish as Professor Kuzuki had sprinted across the dueling platform.
Lockhart's eyes widened, and perhaps from some ingrained memory and some manner of instinct, he blurted out a stunner in the other teacher's direction.
Kuzuki merely tilted his head to the side to avoid it and was already in front of Lockhart.
"Stup—glchk"
Professor Kuzuki jabbed him in the throat, much to everyone's surprise. The gagging sound filled an otherwise stunned and silent room.
However, he didn't stop there.
He then used both hands and slammed them against both sides of Lockhart's wand arm, snapping the bone. His wand fell from his limp hand with a pained and gargled cry.
Professor Kuzuki finished by sending an elbow with his full weight into Lockhart's sternum, sending him sliding across the ground and off the dueling platform.
Professor Kuzuki fixed his tie as it got undone during the scuffle.
The room was deathly silent.
All except the pained cries coming from Lockhart on the ground.
"I want a turn!" Many eyes turned to the Nine-Tailed Fox jumping up and down excitedly.
Dumbledore found himself in a dilemma.
On one hand, he shouldn't endorse such violence.
But on the other hand, he found the situation rather ironic and believed this is what they call karma.
[Line Break]
A/N
Lockhart: Loses face in front of the ground, decides to pick on the muggle to gain it back. Muggle proceeds to KO him with ease.
The duel class isn't over; next is the kid's turn.
If you noticed the consecutive chapters of Kunou and Spooder in recent times it's because normal chapters are catching up to the P-word from below from when I was recovering from surgery. Well, I'm still recovering, but doing a lot better. Until the next surgery in a few months.
If you want to read 10 chapters ahead or support me, visit my p.a.t.r.e.o.n.c.o.m / astoryforone
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