chapter 12:Dueling At Hogwarts

The sunlight shone brightly onto the dueling stage set up in front of Hogwarts, a lightness somehow enhanced by the cool, gentle breeze that played over the Great Lake, the surface of which was occasionally breached by a curious merman. At intervals around the roped-off area surrounding the duelling stage stood armed and armored Centaurs, most of whom scowled at having to participate in a human event, although a couple of them looked round with interest.

"Well, this should be interesting." Lucius commented as he took his place on the stand beside Minister Fudge. "My son has told me that young Lord Potter has been training quite a bit under the gaze of Professor Flitwick and that no-one has seen him between last Friday and breakfast this morning. He has obviously been training."

"But he's going up against Gilderoy Lockhart!" Fudge countered, only to pause as Lucius laughed cynically. "Lucius… why are you laughing?"

"Lockhart's already lost." Lucius smirked. "It doesn't matter if he wins or loses, his career is over."

Fudge frowned in incomprehension and Lucius bit down a sigh, but before he could explain, another voice did.

"Should Lockhart win, his victory will be tainted since Lord Potter is only twelve." Severus Snape supplied from just behind them. "Conversely, in the far more likely event that Potter will defeat that idiotic poser, Lockhart's reputation will be shattered and he will be exposed as a fraud. After all, how could he have done all that he claimed if a mere child could defeat him? It is, despite the Gryffindor-ish appearance, a very Slytherin move."

"You think Potter can defeat an adult wizard?" Lucius asked curiously and Severus gave a wry smile.

"He has read his parents journal and studied hard over the summer. And I have suspicions that it was him who…"

Severus trailed off and Lucius looked at him, his desire for more information warring with the need to appear fully-informed while in public. From how Snape's lips twitched in what may have been a smirk, he knew the quandary Lucius was in.

Damn the man.

"There he is!" Fudge hissed and Lucius raised an eyebrow in appreciative astonishment as Lockhart almost flounced out through the main doors and down the stairs. His progress clashed oddly with the clothing he was wearing. Rather than the normal intricately-worked outfits he favored, Lockhart wore Dueling Robes of dragonhide and an over-mantle of the same but with protective runes embossed into it in silver and inbuilt pauldrons which protected his shoulders. The robes were sleeveless, a style which helped duelists avoid becoming entangled in their outfits should they try certain spell-combinations, but Lockhart wore elbow-length finger-less gauntlets of leather and silver. His boots were also dragonhide with silver fastenings and he wore a leather helmet which covered most of his face, but left his hair free to flutter in the breeze.

"I may have been mistaken about his dueling skills." Severus admitted almost unwillingly. "That outfit is one introduced several decades ago by professional duelists and which proved far superior to the previous heavy hooded robes."

"The robes, mantle and boots are all from different dragons." Lucius noted as the sunlight briefly rippled off the scales. "He did not buy that as a full set."

Looking far more capable than he had before, Lockhart made his way to the Dueling Stage, then turned round as a sudden commotion announced his opponent's emergence.

Harry stepped into the light and paused as everyone stared at him. On his feet were red boots into which blue trousers were tucked. A yellow belt held it in place and he wore a blue top underneath an open sleeveless red coat that was cut close to his body down to the waist where it flared out like a cape.

"Interesting style choice." Severus murmured.

"Looks muggle to me." Fudge sneered as Harry made his way towards the other end of the stage from where Lockhart was posing for his fans.

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Dumbledore watched as Hogwart's most notable student made his way to the stage. Hiding a sigh, he moved to the front of the Dias in order to perform his role as Master of Ceremony. Casting a Sonorus on himself, he started speaking, causing the watching crowd to go silent.

"We are here today to witness the resolution of the disagreement between Professor Gilderoy Joseph Lockhart and Lord Harry James Potter by means of a Duel. As the challenged party, Professor Lockhart has selected the Croyne Protocol, meaning that magic-enhanced clothing is allowed, but offensively, the only item allowed is a single wand which must be holstered until the duel begins. Victory is achieved by forcing the opponent off the stage, rendering the opponent unable to fight or by verbal acknowledgement. Professor Lockhart, do you accept these conditions."

"I do." Lockhart nodded, waving a ringed hand at the cheering crowd.

"Lord Potter, do you accept these conditions."

"I do." Harry said with a nod that verged on being a formal bow.

"Then take your positions."

Lockhart strode up the stairs and took a classic quick-draw pose, his hand hovering over the belt-holster holding his wand. Harry stood at the other end, then pushed one foot forwards, extending one hand forwards and extending the other back and up.

.

"What the heck is he doing?" Hermione worried. "This is a Magical Duel, not a Karate fight!"

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Dumbledore looked between the two Duelists, then raised his hand, holding a small square of fabric between his thumb and forefinger.

"You may begin when this handkerchief touches the ground." He stated, then he released the square of material in question. The handkerchief fluttered down and the instant it hit the ground, Lockhart moved, his wand almost leaping into his hand as he fired a silent stunner at Harry. The spell flashed across the gap between them and dissipated against a glowing symbol that he'd never seen before.

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"What the heck is that?" Fudge gasped and beside him, Malfoy tried to retain his composure as Lord Potter casually broke the laws of Magic by creating a shield without resorting to a wand.

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'He can't do that!' Lockhart thought indignantly. 'He's not even using a wand! '

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"What the…?" Flitwick gasped as almost two-dozen magical symbols manifested around Harry, then two of them moved to place themselves in front of him. Harry leaned forwards slightly to touch the innermost one and a massive gust of wind blasted Lockhart almost off the stage.

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Gilderoy's arms windmilled briefly as he regained his balance, then he growled.

'Time to use my favorite spell… with as much power as I can! Let's see him fight when he forgets he's even a person!'

"Obliviate!"

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"Interesting tactic." Filius mused.

.

Harry saw the Symbol he was using as a shield glow as it absorbed the attack, then he caused a different Symbol combination to form up and reached out to trigger it. The flow of magic forced him to squint slightly, but he aimed carefully so that the attack impacted at Lockhart's feet..

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"Impossible!" Gilderoy gasped as his best-practiced spell had no effect. An instant later, the floor vanished beneath him and he fell into a cold body of water. Forcing himself to his feet, Lockhart found himself standing waist-deep in the Great Lake as the crowd watching the duel turned to stare at him.

Horrified realization dawned and he raised his wand for a moment before forcing himself to return it to his holster as he tried to put a gracious smile on his face.

"Winner, Lord Potter!" Dumbledore's announcement echoed across Hogwarts grounds and Lockhart gritted his teeth in rage at the confirmation that his comfortable career as a teacher was over almost as soon as it had begun, meaning that he would have to leave Hogwarts and figure out a way to regain the popularity that he had lost.

At least he had all those forgotten items to sort and sell to ensure his life of luxury could continue.

And someday, he would find a way to get revenge on the so-called Boy-Who-Lived.

May he be forever damned!

.

"How did he do that?" Fudge gasped as the portal through which Lockhart had fallen (and which had dumped him into the lake behind them) dissipated, as did the odd symbols that had surrounded Harry.

"I don't know." Lucius admitted slowly. "It's certainly no type of magic that I've ever seen before… If I had to face him, I'm not sure how I'd counter it."

"Dark magic?" Fudge gasped and Lucius was about to encourage him when Severus spoke out from behind them.

"Dark Magic? From The-Boy-Who-Lived? Please."

"Lord Potter, what was that magic you used?" Dumbledore asked and Harry turned to face him, finally pulling out his wand and using it to apply a Sonorus of his own.

"It is Family Magic. My mother had magical ancestors who developed it to counter the weaknesses of relying on external foci such as staffs or wands."

"His mother wasn't a Muggleborn?" Fudge queried and Dumbledore was obviously having similar thoughts.

"Lord Potter, forgive me for asking, but I was under the impression that your mother was a Muggleborn?"

Harry snorted. "Hah! Most magical families expel their Squibs into the Muggle world and have done for generations. What do you think happens to them? They marry and have children, kids with the potential for magic."

"That… that can't be!" Fudge protested, but Harry was still speaking.

"I'd recommend that all the Muggleborns go to Gringotts and take Bloodline Tests to see if they are in line to claim any of the Inactive Vaults left from Pureblood Families who have died out. It would be amusing for a Pureblood Family to be resurrected via a Muggleborn, wouldn't it?"

Lucius blanched at the prospect. If something like that happened, it wasn't beyond the bounds of possibility that a Mudblood could demand (and be granted) a place on the Wizengamot and if that happened, his battle to ensure rightful Pureblood superiority would go from difficult to almost impossible!

He had to try something, but if he went against the rules that Harry had just referred to, he would be closing the doors on his allies planned ascensions to the Wizengamot.

Damn the boy!

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Albus stroked his beard thoughtfully as he remembered the prophecy he had heard over a decade prior.

'Is the magic that he used The Power He Knows Not?'

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Boy-Who-Lived Is Boy-Who-Won!

By Rita Skeeter.

Yesterday, the first Duel to be fought at Hogwarts in over a decade occurred

between Lord Harry James Potter and the Defence Against The Dark Arts teacher,

Bestselling Author and Professor Gilderoy Lockhart. The Duel took place in front

of Hogwarts with virtually the entire student body, all the teachers and as many

adults as could get there in time in attendance.

Professor Lockhart was clad in stylish traditional Dragonhide Dueling Robes while

Lord Potter chose to wear non-traditional clothing for the Duel. With Headmaster

Albus Dumbledore in the role of Master of Ceremonies, the two faced off against

each other under the Croyne Protocol.

When the Duel began, Professor Gilderoy commenced with a silent stunner, thus

demonstrating his ability to perform wordless magic. Lord Potter, however, went

further by using Wandless magic to counter Lockhart's spells and deliver several

highly powerful attacks which concluded with a previously unknown variant of

Apparition which removed Lockhart from the stage and dumped him in the lake,

thus granting the Boy-who-lived victory and removing Gilderoy from his position

as a teacher at Hogwarts.

After the Duel, Lord Potter explained that he had utilized Family Magic, but not

Potter Family Magic. Instead, he had used a skill which had been passed down

through his mother's side of the family and which dated back to an ancestor who

was actually a Witch or Wizard. This raises considerable doubt about the status

of Muggleborn Witches and Wizards, if one traces their family back far enough,

could they have magical ancestry too?

By the evening, Professor Lockhart had vacated his quarters, taking with him

several trunks of his clothes and other stuff. Replacing him as Defense Against

The Dark Arts Teacher is Narcissa Malfoy (nee Black) whose sister Andromeda

Tonks (nee Black) is due to take the position of Assistant Potions Instructor next

month.

We at the Prophet wish to congratulate Mrs Malfoy for the sacrifice of her time

and effort in ensuring that our children are capable of protecting themselves

against those beings that may wish to harm them…