The Duelling Club: First Year
Elizabeth had been walking across the entrance hall when they saw a small knot of people gathered around the notice board, reading a piece of parchment that had just been pinned up. She recognized Luna from the crowd and walked to her.
"What does the notice say?" asked Elizabeth. She had learned to be very exact with her questions.
"One of the professors is starting a duelling club," said Luna dreamingly. Elizabeth was also, slowly, learning that Luna's 'dreamy' tone was her regular tone.
"Are you going to go to the duelling club meeting tonight?" asked Elizabeth.
Luna shook her head. "Oh, no, I heard about a nargles infestation in the third corridor. The best time to get rid of nargles is at eight, you know."
Elizabeth nodded. "Sorry that I won't be able to join you. I do want to go to the duelling club. Well, at least as long it is not Lockhart teaching it."
At eight o'clock, Elizabeth realized that she should have knocked on wood. Damn Murphy's Law.
Lockhart was walking onto the stage at exactly eight, resplendent in robes of deep plum and accompanied by none other than Professor Snape, wearing his usual black.
Lockhart waved an arm for silence and called "Gather round, gather round! Can everyone see me? Can you all hear me? Excellent!
"Now, Professor Dumbledore has granted me permission to start this little duelling club, to train you all in case you ever need to defend yourselves as I myself have done on countless occasions — for full details, see my published works."
Elizabeth rolled her eyes.
"Let me introduce my assistant, Professor Snape," said Lockhart, flashing a wide smile. "He tells me he knows a tiny little bit about duelling himself and has sportingly agreed to help me with a short demonstration before we begin. Now, I don't want any of you youngsters to worry — you'll still have your Potions master when I'm through with him, never fear!"
Elizabeth really hoped that Professor Snape would show that idiot who was the best. Most of the Slytherins were good duellers; they would have to be if they kept on antagonizing three-fourths of the school. Elizabeth knew it would be a good show anyways; Professor Snape's lip was curling. He looked very dangerous.
Lockhart and Professor Snape turned to face each other and bowed; at least, Lockhart did, with much twirling of his hands, whereas Professor Snape jerked his head irritably. Then they raised their wands like swords in front of them.
"As you see, we are holding our wands in the accepted combative position," Lockhart told the silent crowd. "On the count of three, we will cast our first spells. Neither of us will be aiming to kill, of course."
Professor Snape was baring his teeth. Elizabeth was going to enjoy the show greatly.
"One — two — three —"
Both of them swung their wands above their heads and pointed them at their opponent; Professor Snape cried: "Expelliarmus!" There was a dazzling flash of scarlet light and Lockhart was blasted off his feet: He flew backward off the stage, smashed into the wall, and slid down it to sprawl on the floor. Elizabeth, along with a few of the other Slytherins, cheered. Lockhart was getting unsteadily to his feet. His hat had fallen off and his wavy hair was standing on end.
"Well, there you have it!" he said, tottering back onto the platform. "That was a Disarming Charm — as you see, I've lost my wand — ah, thank you, Miss Brown — yes, an excellent idea to show them that, Professor Snape, but if you don't mind my saying so, it was very obvious what you were about to do. If I had wanted to stop you it would have been only too easy— however, I felt it would be instructive to let them see…"
Professor Snape was looking murderous. Elizabeth smirked, her eyes sparkling with glee. She really hoped that Lockhart wouldn't have sense to not continue.
However, it seemed that Elizabeth's hopes were crushed as Lockhart looked a bit nervous. "Enough demonstrating! I'm going to come amongst you now and put you all into pairs. Professor Snape, if you'd like to help me —"
They moved through the crowd, matching up partners. Elizabeth was put with another first year that she didn't know. She looked to be a Hufflepuff, though.
After everyone was paired up, Lockhart called, back on the platform, "Face your partners! And bow!"
Elizabeth and her partner bowed politely.
"Wands at the ready!" shouted Lockhart. "When I count to three, cast your charms to disarm your opponents — only to disarm them — we don't want any accidents — one… two… three —"
"Expelliarmus!" exclaimed Elizabeth. The Hufflepuff's wand flew right out of her hand. She looked rather disappointed.
Elizabeth smiled. "It's alright. I've practiced magic for a while—" lies "—so, it's perfectly okay."
Although the Hufflepuff didn't look happy, per say, but she did look to be less upset.
"I said disarm only!" Lockhart shouted in alarm over the heads of the battling crowd. Obviously, some kids were going way to far…Elizabeth tried to see who it was and wasn't surprised. It was Potter and Malfoy. Malfoy, while doubled over, managed to choke out, "Tarantallegra" that caused Potter to jerk around.
"Stop! Stop!" screamed Lockhart, but Professor Snape took charge. "Finite Incantatum!" he shouted; Potter's feet stopped dancing, Malfoy stopped laughing, and they were able to look up.
Elizabeth looked around. It seemed to be utter chaos. A haze of greenish smoke was hovering over the scene. A few people were still duelling; the upperclassmen using some unusual hexes that Elizabeth made sure to keep a note of.
"Dear, dear," said Lockhart, skittering through the crowd, looking at the aftermath of the duels. "Up you go, Macmillan…
"Careful there, Miss Fawcett… Pinch it hard, it'll stop bleeding in a second,"
"I think I'd better teach you how to block unfriendly spells," said Lockhart, standing flustered in the midst of the hall. No, you think? He glanced at Professor Snape, whose black eyes glinted, and looked quickly away. "Let's have a volunteer pair — Longbottom and Finch-Fletchley, how about you —"
"A bad idea, Professor Lockhart," said Professor Snape. "Longbottom causes devastation with the simplest spells. We'll be sending what's left of Finch-Fletchley up to the hospital wing in a matchbox." Longbottom's round, pink face went pinker. Seriously, what was with Professor Snape's animosity with both Longbottom and Potter? If there was one thing Elizabeth didn't get about her head of house, it was that. In fact, it made Professor Snape's next choice obvious.
"How about Malfoy and Potter?" said Professor Snape with a twisted smile.
Elizabeth knew she should be rooting for the person in her house, but couldn't help but cheer Potter a little inwardly in her head. Anyone that could bring Malfoy down a peg was alright in her books.
"Excellent idea!" said Lockhart, showing that he absolutely didn't know what he was talking about. He gestured Potter and Malfoy into the middle of the hall as the crowd backed away to give them room.
"Now, Harry," said Lockhart. "When Draco points his wand at you, you do this."
He raised his own wand, attempted a complicated sort of wiggling action, and dropped it.
What an idiot. Perhaps Potter wouldn't be able to bring Malfoy down a peg after all.
Professor Snape smirked as Lockhart quickly picked it up, saying, "Whoops— my wand is a little overexcited—"
Professor Snape moved closer to Malfoy, bent down, and whispered something in his ear. Malfoy smirked, too.
Elizabeth nearly groaned. Yup, Potter was screwed.
Potter looked up nervously at Lockhart and said, "Professor, could you show me that blocking thing again?"
Lockhart cuffed Potter merrily on the shoulder. "Just do what I did, Harry!"
"What, drop my wand?"
Elizabeth stifled a chuckle.
Lockhart wasn't listening. "Three — two — one — go!" he shouted.
Malfoy raised his wand quickly and bellowed, "Serpensortia!"
The end of his wand exploded. Elizabeth rolled her eyes when a long, black snake shot out of it, falling heavily onto the floor between them, and raised itself, ready to strike. Of course Malfoy would summon a snake. Of course Professor Snape would tell Malfoy that spell.
There were screams as the crowd backed swiftly away, clearing the floor. Elizabeth hung back enough that she wouldn't be in range of the snake, but made sure that she was close enough that she could still hear everyone.
"Don't move, Potter," said Professor Snape lazily, clearly enjoying the sight of Potter standing motionless, eye to eye with the angry snake. "I'll get rid of it…"
Seriously, what does Professor Snape have against Potter anyways? He seemed to hate Potter enough to get civilians bitten, at least.
"Allow me!" shouted Lockhart. This is not going to go well…He brandished his wand at the snake and there was a loud bang; the snake, instead of vanishing, flew ten feet into the air and fell back to the floor with a loud smack. Way to go, idiot.
Enraged, hissing furiously, it slithered straight toward a Hufflepuff student and raised itself again, fangs exposed, poised to strike. Then, Potter ran forward and…hissed. Immediately, the snake slumped to the floor, docile. Potter looked at the Hufflepuff student, grinning, but like everyone else, the Hufflepuff student was shocked.
"What do you think you're playing at?" he shouted, and had turned and stormed out of the hall.
Professor Snape stepped forward, waved his wand, and the snake vanished in a small puff of black smoke. Professor Snape, too, was looking at Potter in an unexpected way: it was a shrewd and calculating look, almost like the one Elizabeth was having. After a few silent moments, Potter was guided out of the hallway by Weasley and Granger.
While the hall burst into whispers, Lockhart trying and failing to get anyone under control, Elizabeth thought. Elizabeth had heard about the snake speak, Parseltongue, from hearing about her house's founder, Salazar Slytherin. Yet, why would a Gryffindor have such a skill? Better yet, why would Harry Potter, the Boy-Who-Lived, be a snake speaker? After all, the last known Parselmouth was Voldemort. Plus, they said that only the heirs of Slytherin would be able to get the gift. Then again, a lot of the wizarding families were related in some way. Elizabeth was sure that, perhaps, every pureblood and halfblood was related to Slytherin in some way. Still, it couldn't be more than a drop of blood. Could that one drop give someone that gift? Or is there something else that Elizabeth was not seeing, not getting because she didn't have enough information? Whatever it was, Elizabeth would just have to let whatever happen, happen.
Unlike the other people, who were currently whispering about how Potter was the Heir of Slytherin and the one petrifying people, Elizabeth knew that Potter couldn't be the Heir of Slytherin in that way. Sure, he was a snake speaker, but Potter did have a muggleborn mother and Granger as a best friend. It would be strange and completely out-of-character for him to attack muggleborns.
Still, it was very interesting. Elizabeth guessed she just had to wait and see.
A/N: And that's done. Thanks for reading. :)