At 8 PM, Karl OLaughlin, Nina, Cho, Cedric, and others arrived at the Great Hall.
The Great Hall had transformed; the long tables and chairs used for dining were gone, replaced by a boxing ring.
The black ring was simple and unassuming, yet it was surrounded by a dense crowd of young Wizards.
Hundreds of magical candles floated in the air, illuminating the scene below where people stood shoulder to shoulder.
Everyone held their wands, chatting and discussing, making the entire Great Hall noisy and bustling.
"It seems everyone is very enthusiastic; almost everyone is here."
Karl OLaughlin scanned the Great Hall a few times, seeing many familiar faces.
Pfft! This gathering was lively and unprecedented! He felt almost ninety percent of the credit belonged to him!
Ah~ I have contributed too much to Hogwarts! "Of course! This time, Professor Gott Green is here to teach us. He's not like Lockhart, who only tells stories; he has real ability!"
Cedric, usually good-tempered, made no secret of his dislike for Lockhart. After all, for a top student like him, the current uninformative Defense Against the Dark Arts Class was simply torture.
Of course, Cho being there was also a reason.
When the young Wizards of Ravenclaw learned that Lockhart was a Ravenclaw, they were dumbfounded on the spot, feeling as if the sky was falling.
Impossible! Absolutely impossible! Fake! It's all fake! How could I, Ravenclaw, be so blessed as to have such a talent?
From then on, the young Wizards of Ravenclaw were not very friendly towards Lockhart.
Damn Lockhart! Incompetent! He tarnished the glorious image of Ravenclaw House!
"Of course, Professor Gott Green is the greatest vegetable patch manager in the entire Wizarding world, past and present!"
Just as Karl OLaughlin was talking about Grindelwald behind his back, he appeared at the entrance of the Great Hall.
He was followed by Snape and Lockhart, looking like his left and right guardians, or the Hum and Ha Generals—one smiling broadly, the other with a gloomy expression.
Grindelwald walked onto the ring, clapped his hands, and then looked down at the young Wizards below.
"Now, remain silent. If anyone cannot do this, I will personally invite him out."
As soon as he finished speaking, the Great Hall immediately fell silent, everyone looking at him expectantly.
"Principal Dumbledore entrusted me with organizing this dueling club to train and teach you, so that when danger strikes one day, you won't be like useless worms, only able to cry and beg helplessly."
Lockhart:
The smile on his face instantly froze, and his expression became somewhat awkward.
Because he remembered that when he was attacked by a monster, he cried and begged for mercy, and then… what happened then? It seemed he fainted from fright.
Fortunately, no one knew about this, or it would have been a huge embarrassment.
However, when he was being treated for his injuries, he screamed a bit too loudly because it hurt so much, so he had to smooth that over.
"Before I train and teach you, I believe it's necessary to show you a real duel between Wizards."
Grindelwald leisurely paced on the ring, raising his hand to point at Snape and Lockhart.
"Originally, I wanted to ask Professor Flitwick to demonstrate for everyone, as he was a dueling champion in his youth. However, since Professor Lockhart and Professor Snape volunteered and strongly requested it, I'll let them do it."
Grindelwald walked to the edge of the ring and gestured to Lockhart and Snape to come forward.
"Gentlemen, begin."
Lockhart, invigorated, immediately stepped forward, grinning to reveal his gleaming white teeth.
"That's right! As Professor Green said! I am very willing to give a small dueling demonstration with Professor Snape for everyone, even though my injuries haven't fully healed!"
"After all, the monster I encountered that night was truly ferocious. I fought a fierce battle with it before finally defeating and driving it away."
"Although it only looks like a simple external injury, the pain I felt was actually to the soul. It's only because of my strong will; if it were an ordinary Wizard, they probably wouldn't have been able to endure it at all."
Karl OLaughlin: (—_—) Alright, alright! Eating barbed wire and pulling fences, you're truly a master fabricator!
Grindelwald: (—_—)
Battle? Fierce? Defeated? Driven away? You're truly a master braggart!
The old and young Wizards exchanged glances, deciding to make things difficult for this shameless fellow.
At this moment, Lockhart was still babbling on the ring, completely unaware that he had been set up.
"Alright! Now Professor Snape and I are about to begin! Remember to pay close attention!"
"Don't worry, I won't hurt your Potion Class Professor, so don't be afraid."
In that instant, the young Wizards of Hufflepuff, Ravenclaw, and Gryffindor all wished they could both be injured.
If Defense Against the Dark Arts Class and Potion Class could both be suspended, it would definitely be a double blessing.
Snape raised his wand expressionlessly, his gaze towards Lockhart filled with icy coldness.
This pretentious and nauseating fellow has become the Defense Against the Dark Arts Class Professor. I can't beat Gott Green, but can't I beat you?
"Everyone remember, bow first, then hold your wand, and then count one, two, three—"
"Expelliarmus!"
Snape's wand shot out a thick, dazzling red light, directly hitting Lockhart and sending him flying off the ring, where he slid down to the ground after hitting the wall.
Karl OLaughlin immediately led all the young Wizards in applause and cheers. So satisfying! What a relief!
Amidst the enthusiastic applause, Lockhart scrambled to his feet, limping back onto the ring, his grimacing expression clearly showing he was in pain.
"Cough, cough, cough… That was an Expelliarmus. If my injuries weren't still unhealed, I could have easily stopped Professor Snape… The demonstration is now over. You can form pairs—"
Grindelwald appeared behind him like a ghost, "Excuse me, Professor Lockhart, the dueling club is my responsibility."
"Ah? Of course! That's unquestionable!"
Lockhart forced a smile, "Then please, Professor Green, begin. I have some other matters, so I'll just go first—"
"No rush!"
Grindelwald placed a hand on Lockhart's shoulder, "That was just a duel between adult Wizards. Next, we need to show the children a duel between an adult Wizard and a young Wizard. I'll have to trouble you again."
After speaking, he waved to the crowd below, "Karl OLaughlin, you come and have a dueling demonstration with Professor Lockhart."
"Coming!"
Karl OLaughlin stepped forward quickly, jumping directly onto the ring.
Amidst the cheers of the young Wizards, he gave Lockhart a benevolent smile.
Lockhart: Huh? Me? Duel him?
Recalling his right hand, which Karl OLaughlin had once crushed into a comminuted fracture, cold sweat immediately trickled down.
Snape, standing nearby, almost couldn't hold back his laughter, and immediately moved aside with anticipation.
Grindelwald's smile was exceptionally bright as he forcefully pushed Lockhart in front of Karl OLaughlin.
"Professor Lockhart, you don't need to be afraid of hurting Orolin; his strength is quite good."
Karl OLaughlin patted his chest vigorously, "That's right! We can go all out! No need to worry!"
Lockhart, who had been looking at Grindelwald with tears in his eyes, felt his blood run cold upon hearing this.
"No! Don't go all out!"
"Traditional duels emphasize stopping at the right moment! Don't just hit wildly! We should prioritize harmony!"
Grindelwald acted as if he hadn't heard, "Are you both ready? This time, I'll count you down! Come on! One, two, three!"
"Boom!"
Karl OLaughlin shattered the ring with one foot, turning into an afterimage as he rushed in front of Lockhart.
"Expelliarmus!"
While his left hand snatched Lockhart's wand, Karl OLaughlin raised his clenched right hand, then brought it down in Lockhart's terrified gaze.
"Full Power Repel!"
Accompanied by a dull thud, Lockhart was once again sent flying off the ring, this time even sticking to the wall for a few seconds before sliding to the ground.
The Great Hall was silent, and under the wide-eyed stares of all the young Wizards, Karl OLaughlin nodded in satisfaction.
Expelliarmus and Repelling Charm.
But the physical version.
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