Dueling Club

On Monday morning, news that Colin had been attacked and now lay on the verge of death in the Hospital Wing spread throughout the school.

The air suddenly grew heavy with rumors and suspicion. First-year students now moved through the castle in groups, apparently to prevent them from being attacked while alone. No younger students could be seen walking the corridors by themselves anymore. They always crowded together in groups of three or five, their eyes darting everywhere as though something might crawl out of the walls at any moment.

At the same time, unbeknownst to the teachers, a brisk trade in amulets, lucky charms, and other protective items was underway throughout the school. Neville bought a large, strange-smelling green onion, a purple convex crystal, and the rotting tail of a water lizard. Before this, the Gryffindor boys had all said he would not be in danger, since Neville was pure-blooded and therefore unlikely to be attacked.

"They'll go after Filch first," Neville said, his round face full of terror. "Everyone knows he's a Squib!"

In the second week of December, Professor McGonagall collected the usual list of students staying at school for Christmas. Harry, Hermione, and Ron all signed their names, and when they heard Malfoy was staying too, they became even more suspicious that he was Slytherin's heir. Of course, unlike Harry and Ron, Hermione was worried Malfoy would take Su Yu's top position.

"If Malfoy dares touch Su Yu's position," Hermione said to Harry and Ron in the library, keeping her voice low, "I'll show him what regret means."

Harry and Ron exchanged a glance, neither daring to say anything.

Professor Snape's Potions class on Thursday afternoon was the same as usual. Twenty cauldrons stood in a row on the wooden tables, with brass scales and jars of ingredients beside them.

Professor Snape paced through the smoke, cruelly mocking the Gryffindor students, while the Slytherins waited nearby to enjoy the spectacle as Gryffindor brewed their potions. Malfoy—Professor Snape's favorite student—kept winking at Ron and Harry. He knew that if they dared bare their teeth, Professor Snape would punish them before they even had time to cry "Unfair!"

Su Yu, meanwhile, lay sprawled over the table, boredly watching Professor Snape humiliate Neville over his terrible potion.

Suddenly, Su Yu saw Hermione give Harry a meaningful look. Harry immediately nodded.

Harry quickly ducked behind his cauldron, pulled one of Fred's firecrackers from his pocket, and lit it with his wand. The firecracker began hissing and crackling.

Harry knew he had only one second. He stood up, aimed at his target, and threw it. It landed right in Malfoy's cauldron.

Malfoy's potion exploded, splattering the entire classroom. People screamed as though the Swelling Solution had hit them, but the cauldron had not exploded in front of Malfoy. The moment Malfoy sensed something wrong, he flicked the cauldron toward Harry with his wand. Su Yu hurriedly used sand to block the flying liquid so it would not splash Daphne.

Malfoy's face had turned green, but Harry's nose began swelling like a balloon. Ron staggered around wildly, covering his eyes with his hands. Just as Professor Snape struggled to restore order and see what had happened, Harry rammed headfirst into a shelf. Amid the chaos, Harry saw Hermione sneak out the door.

That counted as a success, right?

"Silence! Silence!" Professor Snape roared, his voice echoing through the dungeon and making the glass bottles on the walls tremble faintly. "Anyone who was splashed, come here for treatment. If I find out who pulled this stunt..."

When Malfoy saw Harry rushing forward with his head lowered and a nose swollen as large as a melon, he laughed so hard he nearly doubled over. More than half the class crowded around Professor Snape's desk. Some had arms swollen like clubs that they could not lift; others had lips so swollen they could barely speak. Then Harry saw Hermione slip back in.

After everyone had drunk antidote and taken swelling-reducing medicine, Professor Snape walked over to Malfoy's cauldron and picked up a blackened lump left behind by the exploded firecracker.

Suddenly, the room fell silent.

"If I learn who threw this," Professor Snape said in a low voice, "I will expel that person."

And so Professor Snape stared at Harry for a full ten minutes, until the bell rang.

"What are they trying to do?" Daphne asked Su Yu as they left class.

"They're making Polyjuice Potion, baby," Su Yu said, holding Daphne's little hand. "Don't you go learning bad things from them. I don't want to come back one day and see two Sister Fas. I'd really collapse."

Daphne smiled and squeezed Su Yu's fingers.

A week later, as Su Yu led the little Slytherin snakes through the entrance hall, they saw a crowd gathered around the notice board, staring at a freshly posted announcement. The trio were looking at it too.

"The Dueling Club is starting!" Harry's roommate Thomas said excitedly. "The first meeting is tonight! I wouldn't mind dueling lessons. They could always..."

"What? You think those Slytherin monsters know how to duel?" Ron said, studying the notice with interest.

"Of course we don't know how to duel, Weasley family idiot," Malfoy suddenly said darkly beside Ron's ear. "We Slytherins only know how to kill..."

Ron nearly jumped out of his skin, springing sideways and almost crashing into Harry beside him.

Ron's ugly reaction sent the Slytherins into another fit of laughter.

At eight that evening, when the little Slytherin snakes hurried back to the Great Hall,

the long dining tables were gone. In their place stood a glittering golden stage against the wall, lit by thousands of candles. The ceiling above was deep purple, as though the entire training class had been wrapped beneath it. Everyone stood there with their wands, their faces full of excitement.

"I wonder who's teaching us?" Hermione said as they approached the chattering crowd. "Someone told me Professor Flitwick was a dueling champion when he was young. Maybe it's him."

"Don't guess..." Harry suddenly cried out in agony.

He saw Professor Lockhart step onto the stage in his finest robes, with an unfamiliar old man standing beside him.

The old man wore a dark charcoal suit, sharply tailored almost to the point of severity. The fabric draped smoothly and crisply, without a single unnecessary crease. Only a small patch of immaculate white shirt showed at his collar, and his bow tie was neatly and restrainedly tied. It was not ostentatious, yet it carried the refinement and arrogance of someone long accustomed to power. His shoulders were straight, his posture tall. Though he wore modern and proper clothes, he still carried the cold aura of a Dark wizard.

When he slightly turned his head, several strands of silver hair fell over his forehead, accentuating the clear, hard lines of his profile. He did not flamboyantly wave a wand, nor did robes billow around him. He simply stood there quietly, hands casually tucked into his trouser pockets, radiating the oppressive air of someone in complete control—as if the whole world were nothing more than a button beneath his suit collar, one he could turn at will.

Many of the young wizards were intimidated by the mysterious man's aura and kept pointing at him, whispering among themselves.

Lockhart waved for everyone to quiet down and called, "Gather round, gather round! Can every one of you see me? Can you all hear me? Excellent!"

"Now, Headmaster Dumbledore has agreed to let me establish a Dueling Club to train you, in case you ever need to defend yourselves, just as I have done countless times—details of which can be found in my books."

"Allow me to introduce my assistant, Professor Adrian Graves," Lockhart said with a broad smile. "He will be your Defense Against the Dark Arts professor in your upper years. However, he has told me that he does not know much about dueling himself,"

"but he has still agreed to provide some temporary assistance before we begin. Now, I don't want you young people to worry—your future upper-year Defense Against the Dark Arts professor—when I pierce through him—don't be afraid!"

Professor Snape had also arrived below the stage by then. Even while boasting, Lockhart did not forget to bring Professor Snape into it. He said that, by comparison, he would rather duel Professor Snape, because he was afraid of hurting Professor Graves, and that would not be good for an old man. At the very least, Professor Snape could withstand a few moves.

"Wouldn't it be better if they finished each other off?" Ron muttered to Harry, his voice low but his face full of anticipation.

Professor Snape's upper lip was pressed into a thin line. He looked furious already.

Harry really wanted to know how Lockhart could still smile. If Professor Snape looked at him like that, he would have run for his life long ago.

Professor Graves said nothing. He merely exchanged bows with Lockhart.

The students below all felt that Professor Graves's movements were elegant and composed.

Then they raised their wands before them like swords. "As you can see, we hold our wands in this fighting stance," Lockhart told the silent crowd. "On the count of three, we shall begin with our first spell. Of course, our goal is not to kill one another."

"I don't really believe that," Harry muttered.

The two men swung their wands over their shoulders at the same time. Professor Graves said softly, "Pestist Incendium."

In an instant, blue Fiendfyre filled the entire platform.

The young wizards were startled by the sight. Professor Snape stared fixedly at Professor Graves from the side, gripping his wand so tightly that his knuckles turned white.

Su Yu's eyes suddenly widened as well. His grip on both Sister Fa and Daphne's little hands unconsciously loosened, and the Nine-Tailed Fox had already returned to Su Yu's body. Sister Fa glanced at Su Yu in surprise. Though the move was indeed spectacular, Su Yu should not have reacted like this, should he?

The blue Fiendfyre transformed into a small phoenix. Its wings spread wide, its entire body burning with icy blue flames, and it struck Lockhart with one sweep of its wing.

Lockhart screamed and flew out of the dueling area, crashing headfirst into the wall. A large section of the wall collapsed, stones and dust raining down with a clatter. Lockhart slid down from the wall and crumpled onto the floor.

Apart from the Slytherin students cheering, everyone else stood there in stunned silence.

The Slytherin students felt that this was what a real duel should be. They loved this kind of dazzling violence, and Malfoy was the first to start clapping.

Professor Snape lowered his wand as well. His fingers loosened around it, and the tension in his expression eased.

But Su Yu continued staring intently at Professor Graves.

Professor Graves turned toward Su Yu then, giving him a meaningful smile as he studied him.

That made the Nine-Tailed Fox inside him bristle. She sensed deep malice, but it was not directed at Su Yu.

Lockhart unsteadily climbed to his feet. His hat had been burned away, and his curls had shriveled up and smoked.

"Oh, you won!" he said, swaying as he walked to the front of the stage. "That was—ah—Professor Graves—you should have used—Expelliarmus—as you can see, I lost my wand—ah, thank you, yes, a demonstration is a good idea, Professor Graves, but if you don't mind, I would like to say that I actually knew exactly what you intended to do. If I had wanted to stop you, it would have been child's play. But I thought letting them see it would be very instructive..."

Lockhart seemed to notice Professor Graves's displeased expression as well, and hurriedly said, "All right! I'll divide you into pairs now. Professor Snape, if you would be willing to help me—"

Lockhart did not dare trouble Professor Graves anymore.

As they moved through the crowd, they assigned pairs. Lockhart placed Neville with Theodore.

Professor Snape went first to Harry and Ron.

"It is time to separate this dream team, I think," he said mockingly. "Weasley, you will partner Zabini-Theodore. Potter—"

Harry automatically started moving toward Hermione.

"I do not approve," Professor Snape said with a cold smile. "Mr. Malfoy, come here. Let us see what you and the famous Potter can make of each other. You, Miss Granger—you will pair with Miss Daphne Greengrass."

Malfoy strode over arrogantly, grinning with satisfaction.