Chapter 155. The Club Begins
"Noticeboard?"
Hearing Luna's reminder, Harry looked at the two of them. "Let's go have a look. Maybe something's happened."
He suddenly thought of the strange voice he'd heard that morning.
Could it be… that something has happened?
The last time he'd heard that voice, a Petrification had followed.
Harry's expression grew solemn at once.
When Harry squeezed through the noisy crowd in the Entrance Hall to the noticeboard, the tension in his shoulders finally eased.
It wasn't as bad as he'd imagined; nothing unusual had happened the previous night.
On the contrary, there was good news—the founding of the Hogwarts Dueling Club.
"Sounds good, doesn't it—duelling," Harry's dorm-mate Seamus was also standing before the noticeboard and said to them, "The first meeting is tonight, in the Great Hall. I reckon we can learn some more damaging spells there."
In truth, Harry felt that Seamus's spells were already quite damaging; whatever magic he used had a high chance of ending in an explosion.
As he'd once said, Seamus had an extraordinary talent for making things explode.
Harry believed that talent would prove very useful in a duel.
"Shall we go?" Ron said beside him, looking rather eager.
After all, duelling had a strong allure for children their age.
"Why not?" Harry gave a small smile, a touch of anticipation in his eyes. "We can learn a lot there."
In fact, Harry could hardly wait.
Not long ago, he'd already become proficient with many combat-use spells, such as Protego and Expelliarmus; however, he had never undergone any real, proper combat training.
His previous "combat" opponents had only been Professor Wesson, Devil's Snare, and Remus Lupin when he happened to be free.
To be honest, training against them gave Harry no sense at all of his true level in a fight.
Because every time he trained, Professor Wesson suppressed him into a thoroughly sorry state.
At eight o'clock in the evening, Harry, Ron, and Hermione went to the Great Hall on time to attend the Dueling Club.
All the way there, Hermione hugged a thick book, looking a little nervous.
Harry saw the title on the cover: The Proper Law of Wizard Duelling.
It was a book about duelling.
However, Harry didn't think it would be of much use; actual combat was the best training.
At last, they arrived at their destination.
The Great Hall had been made over anew. Hundreds of candles floated in mid-air, the ceiling had gone pitch-black, and there was a gorgeous, gilded stage.
A large group of students crowded the centre of the hall, each holding a wand.
The instant he saw the stage, Harry's heart gave a jolt; he had a bad feeling.
As far as he knew, there was only one professor who would use such flashy trappings.
That was Lockhart!
Could it be that the Dueling Club was being run by Lockhart?
If so, coming here today might have been a mistake.
Sure enough, Harry's bad feeling came true.
The next second, a fellow dressed in a blaze of gaudy colours appeared.
Gilderoy Lockhart, in a magenta robe, head held high and chest out, strode to the very centre of the stage.
Immediately after, a voice both familiar and headache-inducing rang through the entire hall.
"Dear students—welcome to the first, and most spectacular, Dueling Club in Hogwarts history."
"Headmaster Dumbledore has permitted me to run this little Dueling Club," he said, twirling his wand with a flourish, "so that when you face danger, you can protect yourselves with greater confidence."
"And I, Gilderoy Lockhart—Order of Merlin, Third Class; the leading light of Defence Against the Dark Arts—will personally instruct you in defeating your foes in a peril-strewn magical world with elegance and decisiveness!"
There was a smattering of not-too-loud, not-too-soft applause below.
It seemed that the students' trust in Lockhart had not yet been entirely exhausted.
"Is it still in time to leave?" Harry muttered to Ron and Hermione beside him, frowning.
"Let's see how it goes." Ron jerked his chin; the crowd was blocking every exit like a wall.
Meanwhile, at the side of the stage—
Professor Wesson was standing with Snape.
"Er…" Professor Wesson said casually to the Potions Master beside him, "didn't expect you to come."
Yes, although Lockhart had sent invitations to many professors, in the end only Wesson and Snape had come.
At Wesson's words, the corner of Snape's mouth twitched slightly. He swept a cold glance at Lockhart, who was declaiming at centre stage, and said with disdain, "I came to prevent him from teaching the students to be as foolish as he is."
"I agree."
On this point, Wesson and Snape could see eye to eye.
Onstage, Lockhart took the trouble to circle the edge of the platform so the students could take in his impeccable attire.
Then he lifted his chin, made a gesture he imagined was dashing, and proclaimed in a ringing voice, "Now, I shall give you a demonstration. Of course, I cannot do it alone; I need an assistant—another professor of equally exceptional skill—to help me demonstrate a marvellous duel."
Lockhart's gaze flicked back and forth between Wesson and Snape, as if pondering whom to call up.
The students followed Lockhart's eyes and looked toward Wesson and Snape as well.
Wesson raised his brows. He didn't mind being named, but he didn't volunteer either.
Given his temperament, if Lockhart called him up, he would at least give Lockhart a somewhat respectable ending.
Snape, for his part, was wearing a frosty face at the moment, as though he could chill the air around him.
Of course, that was his usual expression.
"Let us welcome—" Lockhart paused deliberately for suspense, then whirled and pointed beside Wesson. "—Professor Snape!"
Wesson glanced at Snape's expression
—and found it even darker.
Excellent!
He hoped Lockhart was prepared.
Wesson shook his head inwardly.
The students erupted in a buzz; someone immediately began to clap. A contest between two professors was just the sort of thing they loved to see.
Especially Professor Snape—though they knew he was terrifying, they had seldom seen him actually make a move.
At this, Harry let out a small breath of relief.
Fortunately, Lockhart wasn't the only professor in this club.
With Wesson and Snape here, the club ought to proceed smoothly no matter what.
Still…
That Lockhart dared choose Snape as his opponent—Harry had to admire Lockhart's courage.
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