Parseltongue at the Dueling Club (Part Three)

Low laughter rippled through the classroom. Some came from the Slytherins, but a few Gryffindors laughed too, though they quickly covered their mouths. Harry's face darkened, and his grip tightened on his wand.

Ron shouted from the back, "Don't get smug, Malfoy! You cheated last time!" Draco didn't even look at him. He kept his eyes on Lockhart.

Lockhart stood beside the platform, his smile unchanged. He rubbed his chin as though pondering a difficult question. Then his eyes lit up.

"If Mr. Malfoy finds a one-on-one duel dull, let's try something else." He raised his voice so everyone could hear. "Cooperation between wizards matters just as much. Sometimes a dependable partner is more useful than any powerful spell. So—"

He turned to Harry and Draco. "You may each choose an assistant. Two against two. Mr. Potter, you choose first."

Harry barely hesitated. "Ron." Ron sprang from his chair and strode to Harry's side, his face alight with a mix of excitement and nerves.

The hand holding his wand trembled slightly, but he stood straight.

Lockhart turned to Draco. "Mr. Malfoy, who's your partner?"

Draco didn't answer immediately. He glanced at Crabbe and Goyle. The two hulking boys sat in the back, looking around without a care. His gaze passed over them and swept farther along the row. Then it stopped.

In the corner of the last row sat an unfamiliar boy. He wore Slytherin robes, but they were older than everyone else's, the cuffs worn pale. His dark brown hair hung long enough to cover half his face, leaving only deep-set eyes and full lips visible. He was leafing through a thick book, utterly uninterested in what was happening around him.

Draco spoke a name. "Cass Palaiologos."

The classroom fell silent for a moment. Most had never heard the