Disclaimer: I do not own Harry Potter nor am I attempting to make any personal gain from this story.
Harry Slithers-in; Chamber of Secrets: Chapter 8: Dueling Before Christmas
When Tracey returned the potions book to the classroom she noticed other textbooks meant for use in more advanced classes. She decided to ask for the more advanced potions books before they would actually be needed. Harry checked with Robert and found out his old book was quite tatty and would not be suitable for passing onto another owner so he decided that since her birthday was coming up he would buy her the next level's potions book as a present.
Tracey's birthday was much the same as last years' had been. She, along with a few friends including Harry, shared a cake her mother had sent her while she opened her presents. Harry had made sure to give her the book when there was nobody else around and he had added a brand new eagle feather quill and colour changing ink. Tracey was delighted with the present and said Harry could borrow the book once she had finished adding the extra notes to it.
Of more interest, however, was a notice that appeared on the Common Room notice board a few days later. Hogwarts would be starting a dueling club and everybody decided they would like to join.
"I wonder who will be running it," Daphne asked as the Slytherin second years headed to the Great Hall for their first dueling lesson.
"I heard Professor Flitwick used to be a dueling master," Theo said.
""Let's hope it's him then," Harry said. "I'll be happy with anyone as long as it's not Lockhart."
When they entered the hall Harry, along with most of his housemates, groaned. Standing in the middle of the room, dressed in hideous plum coloured robes, was Professor Lockhart. Standing next to him stood Professor Snape, dressed in his usual black.
"Gather round," Lockhart called. "Can everyone see me? Can you all hear me? Excellent."
"Unfortunately, yes," Harry muttered, just loud enough for Blaise and Tracey to hear but no one else.
"Professor Dumbledore has given me permission to start this dueling club, so that if any of you ever find yourselves in a situation where you need to defend yourselves, as I have on numerous occasions, you will have at least some idea of what to do. For full details see my published works." Harry couldn't believe Lockhart was trying to promote his books even in a situation like this.
"Let me introduce my assistant, Professor Snape," Lockhart continued. "He tells me knows a tiny little bit about duelling himself and has sportingly agreed to help me with a little demonstration before we begin. There is no need to worry; you will still have your Potions master when I'm through with him."
"Hopefully Snape will curse Lockhart's face off, that would be amusing," Draco muttered quietly.
Lockhart and Snape turned to face each other and bowed. Snapes bow was a curt nod while Lockhart performed some ridiculously complicated procedure which involved a lot of twirling hands and bobbing of the head. It looked so silly Harry struggled to not burst out laughing.
"As you see," Lockhart continued after his performance, "we are holding our wands in the accepted fashion for the commencement of our duel. On the count of three, we cast our spells. Neither of us will be aiming to kill, of course."
Harry heard someone muttering nearby, "Don't count on it. Snape looks like he might be."
"One, two, three," Lockhart counted out loud.
Immediately Snape cast "Expelliarmus," a flash of light and Lockhart was thrown against the wall behind him, his wand went flying across the room where it was caught by a Gryffindor girl who looked ecstatic.
"I hope he's alright," Hermione Granger was clearly heard to say. Most other people looked happy to see Lockhart get flattened, however.
Lockhart looked somewhat worse for wear as he stood up. "There you have it," Lockhart said as he staggered back to the stage. "That was a disarming spell and, as you can see, I've lost my wand. Thank you, Miss Brown. An excellent idea to show them that, Professor Snape, although I must say it was pretty obvious what you intended doing and, if I'd wanted to, I could have blocked it with ease."
Lockhart must have spotted the furious look on Snape's face because he suddenly said, "Enough demonstrating! I think it best if you all pair up and practice disarming on each other. Professor Snape, if you would like to help me divide everyone up."
Harry turned to Tracey but, before he could say anything Lockhart was there. "Harry," Lockhart began, "perhaps you could partner with Miss Granger; Miss Davis against Miss Bulstrode."
Harry looked at Tracey who shrugged. Before Harry turned to face Hermione he saw that Snape had placed Draco up against Ron Weasley. Then Lockhart was speaking, "Is everybody ready? Right then for your first lesson you are to try and disarm your opponent. Only disarm. No attack spells; we don't want any accidents. Right, then bow to your opponent." Harry gave Hermione a curt nod which she returned. "On three," Lockhart continued. "One, two, three."
Harry and Hermione both shouted "Expelliarmus." Their spells collided and ricocheted off at an angle that saw them both hit other people. In an instant there was chaos, with rebounding spells and wands flying in all directions. In the chaos that followed several people collided with each other. Millicent and Hermione got tangled together and struggled to free themselves, very nearly coming to blows in the process.
"Enough, stop, everybody stop," Lockhart shouted into the chaos with almost no effect.
"Finite," Snape yelled and, in a few seconds, order was restored. Several students had suffered minor injuries and it took several minutes for the teachers to regain control and tend to the injured. Eventually Snape said, "I think it may perhaps be a good idea to teach them how to block unfriendly spells before we continue."
"An excellent suggestion," Lockhart said. "If we could have a couple to demonstrate, Harry, Hermione, here please."
"Might I suggest a different duo," Snape said. "Malfoy and Weasley, perhaps?"
"Why not," Lockhart said, sounding flustered. "Come along, then."
As Ron and Draco walked up to the stage Harry saw Snape say something to Draco and saw Draco grin in return.
"The correct defence is thus," Lockhart said. He performed a silly looking flourish and twirl then dropped his wand. Most of the students laughed. "Whoops, my wand got a little overexcited," Lockhart said as picked up his fallen wand.
"Lockhart is an imbecile," Harry said.
"No he isn't," Hermione replied, looking scandalised. "He's a genius."
"On three, then," said Lockhart. "One, two, three."
Draco shouted "Serpensortia." A long, black snake appeared and slithered toward Ron who seemed petrified by the sight of it.
"Stand still Weasley," Snape said as he approached the snake but Lockhart cut in front. Lockhart's spell caused the snake to fly into the air and when it landed it angrily hissed at a third year boy Harry didn't know.
The boy jumped back as Harry stepped forward. "Stop," Harry said to the snake. It turned to him. "Stay there, no one will hurt you," Harry continued.
"Vipera evanesca," Snape said and the snake disappeared in a puff of smoke. Harry suddenly realised nearly everybody in the hall was looking at him. He turned to Hermione and was surprised when she stepped away from him looking terrified. Harry returned to his Slytherin housemates, must if whom were grinning at him.
"I think we should leave it there for today," Lockhart said in a strange voice totally unlike his usual voice.
The Slytherins left in a group. Once clear of the hall Draco said, "Smart move, Potter. Talking to that snake would have scared the daylights out of those mud-bloods back there."
"I only told the snake not to attack and that no-one would harm it," Harry said.
"Maybe," Draco said, "but they don't know that, do they?"
Harry realised he was right. Only people who could talk to snakes would have understood him. "Did anyone notice if someone seemed to understand me back there? I wonder if whoever is opening the Chamber of Secrets was present."
Nobody had but then again most people were interested in how the boy the snake had faced had reacted at the time.
The next day was the last day of classes for the term. Some of the teachers decided to emulate Snape by arranging a surprise test to see how much students had remembered from their first term. Harry didn't mind but many other students did.
"That's so unfair," growled Draco Malfoy as they left Transfigurations that day. "What gives McGonagall the right to drop a test on us like that? Isn't there some rule saying we need advanced notice of any tests?"
"No, there isn't, Malfoy," Nott replied. "Besides, I like idea of surprise assessments like that. It keeps you on your toes. You agree with me don't you, Harry?"
Harry never got a chance to reply, however. Just ahead of them they heard a thud then a scream. The boys darted around the corner and stopped dead in their tracks. Pansy Parkinson was laying on the floor having tripped over a boy who lay there as stiff as a board. The boy was the same one Harry had saved from the snake during the dueling club the day before.
"What is going on here?" Professor McGonagall demanded. They she saw what had happened. "Merlin's beard."
Pansy's scream had attracted many other people, both staff and students. Quickly, Professor McGonagall moved the students, other than Pansy, on while arranging for the boy to be moved to the hospital wing. A number of the other Slytherins tried explaining what had happened but McGonagall moved them off, allowing only Millicent Bulstrode to remain.
When Pansy and Millicent returned to the Common Room they explained what had happened to them. "McGonagall took us to Dumbledore's office and then summoned Snape before asking me to tell them exactly what happened," Pansy began. "I told them I was walking from class towards the Great Hall for lunch talking to Millie when I tripped over something. I only realised I had tripped over a person who had been petrified when I went to stand up afterwards."
"Do they have any idea who is responsible for these attacks?" Draco asked.
Pansy shook her head. "I don't think so, but I think they are now considering closing the school if they don't stop."
"They wouldn't close the school, would they?" Harry asked. The last thing he wanted to do was return to the Dursley's, especially several months earlier than necessary.
"Apparently they are considering it," Pansy said.
Harry, along with most of the students, was now worried about his immediate future. Draco Malfoy, however, seemed quite happy with events.
"Smart move Potter, attacking that muggleborn Ravenclaw during class time like that," he said in a gloating voice. "Now they can't suspect you."
"But I didn't," Harry protested. "These attacks will have to stop or I could end up back at the Dursley's. That's the last thing I want to happen."
"Harry's right," Theo said. "Whoever is behind these attacks, and I'm certain it's not Harry, has to be stopped. Our futures depend on it."
Malfoy realised he was in a very small minority and decided to keep his opinions to himself after that but it was clear he resented the attitudes of his housemates.
Over the next couple of days most students packed up to return home for Christmas. Whereas last year there had been about 50 students staying at Hogwarts over the holidays this year there were only about 30, nearly half of those being Slytherins. Unusually Draco had decided to stay for Christmas so naturally Crabbe and Goyle were also staying. Tracey was the only 2nd year girl staying behind and she admitted she was disappointed she wouldn't be able to sleep in Harry's dormitory this year. She said it was a pity boys couldn't get into the girls dormitory; if they could she would have invited Harry to join her but Harry pointed out even that wouldn't work since Malfoy, Crabbe and Goyle were bound to notice his absence from the dormitory and would surely ask where he was. Tracey realised he was right and dropped the idea, heading off instead to her own dormitory.