Chapter 44: Dueling Club (Part 1)

A week later, there was an exciting announcement in the public lounges of the four colleges: the school was launching a duel club.

Rumors had prompted Dumbledore to believe that students should be trained in self-defense.

Draco had been waiting for this opportunity for a long time and had his own plans for the event.

At 8:00 p.m., almost all the students crowded into the auditorium, holding their magic wands and looking excited.

The long dining table disappeared and a gilded stage appeared along one wall, illuminated by hundreds of candles floating above.

The ceiling became dark like night sky again.

The students were excitedly discussing the event, and Hermione was guessing whether Professor Flitwick would be teaching them.

It was said that he used to be a dueling champion, but when Harry and Ron saw Lockhart wearing a fuchsia robe, they walked on stage with radiance.

Snape was right next to him.

"There are only a few mistakes ahead, and today we can see his true strength," Hermione said determinedly.

"Come on, he lost all of Harry's bones. I hope his mistakes can be used on Snape to make him lose two bones," Ron said sarcastically.

"Don't argue, let's take this seriously," the bitter master said, and Hermione and Ron stopped their dispute.

Lockhart waved to quiet the crowd and then shouted loudly, "Come here, come here! Can everyone see me? Can you hear me? Great!"

He explained that Dumbledore had allowed him to start the club to fully train students in self-defense and protect themselves in the ways he had used countless times - for more details, he suggested reading his published works.

"Let me introduce my assistant, Professor Snape," Lockhart said, grinning broadly.

"He told me he knows a little about dueling and was generous enough to assist me in making a small demonstration before class. Don't worry, I'll return your potions teacher to you intact after the demonstration," he reassured the students.

Then the two men bowed to each other and both produced a lot of tricks with their hands.

Snape simply shook his head impatiently. They then raised their wands to their chests, like arrows.

"As you can see, we hold the wand in a normal dueling posture," Lockhart said to the silent crowd.

"When you count to three, we'll cast the first spell. Of course, none of us can take the other's life."

"I can't bet on that," Harry whispered as Snape showed his teeth.

"One, two, three..." The two men simultaneously lifted their wands over their shoulders.

Snape shouted, "Expelliarmus!"

Suddenly, a bright red light flashed.

Draco turned his head, unable to bear watching any longer.

After a while, Lockhart was shot off the stage, flicked down the wall, and then slid to the ground.

He stood up forcibly, regained his composure with a pained expression, and then continued to endure the suspicion of the students.

He poured it on once or twice, but Draco was also surprised by his cheeky face.

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