After learning Lockhart's true identity, Morris completely lost interest in the Defense Against the Dark Arts Professor.
Who would have thought that such a glamorous writer was engaged in such despicable deeds?
He thought the other person was pretending to be a pig, but it turned out they were a real pig.
However, despite the explosive news, it seems to have had little effect.
The identity of the Heir of Slytherin remains shrouded in mystery.
A few days later, the situation took a new turn.
On Monday morning, news spread throughout Hogwarts.
Colin Creevey, a first-year student at Gryffindor, was attacked and is currently in a hospital room.
Morris went to the Hospital Wing to take a look, and the other person's condition was exactly the same as the previous Guantou; limbs were stiff, as if dead.
There was no doubt that they had encountered Basilisk.
The students were immediately thrown into a panic, constantly exchanging and buying various amulets and similar items.
The Weasley Twins made a fortune because they somehow acquired a huge pile of stones that were claimed to ward off evil spirits and started selling them everywhere.
Believe it or not, it's actually selling very well.
Morris, however, didn't seem too flustered. He continued attending classes and going to the Forbidden Forest Forbidden Forest usual.
There's no use in being anxious.
Thanks to his efforts, the excavation of the fire dragon skeleton proceeded in an orderly manner.
At this rate, he should be able to assemble almost the entire skeleton by Christmas.
A peaceful month passed quickly.
One day in mid-December, a notice was posted on the bulletin board announcing the start of Duelling Club.
Want to stop trembling when danger strikes?
Do you want to protect yourself and your friends during a crisis?
Want to prove you're the brightest star at Hogwarts?
The highly anticipated Duelling Club opens tonight with a bang!
The Great Hall, 8:00 PM sharp—your legend begins here!
After reading it, Morris raised an eyebrow.
This thing... could Lockhart have posted it?
However, the students clearly bought into it, especially in the current atmosphere where everyone is on edge.
Morris could clearly feel the crowd around him starting to stir.
"Hey, Morris!" a familiar voice rang out.
Morris turned around and found that Fred and George had somehow gotten close to him.
The two of them also looked eager to try.
"You'll go, won't you?" Fred nudged his shoulder. "I remember your dueling skills were pretty good."
"Your legend begins here!" George read out the last sentence of the announcement with exaggerated flair.
Morris smiled obligingly. "To be honest, I'm not very interested, and I probably won't participate."
"Why?"
There are probably very few young wizards who aren't interested in duels.
Morris honestly said, "I don't want to bully others."
With his current strength, he is no match for anyone, not even his peers or many graduates.
Fred and George exchanged a glance, speechless for a moment.
Indeed, Morris is very strong, that's for sure. He was already able to fight them to a standstill last Christmas.
After a brief silence, Fred suddenly grinned.
"No, Morris, you must participate." He said seriously, "I lost to you last Christmas, and I want to have a rematch."
Morris paused for a moment, "That works too, as long as we find a quiet classroom..."
"That's different!" Fred immediately shook his head, feigning seriousness. "We're going to embarrass you in front of everyone!"
He laughed first after he finished speaking.
"Okay, seriously," George leaned closer and lowered his voice, "We have a rumor that Snape will be attending the Duelling Club tonight."
Fred added, "I really hope to see someone beat him to a pulp."
Morris believed their expectations would most likely be dashed.
Snape was, after all, a former Death Eaters, so his fighting ability was definitely not weak.
"Come join in the fun," Fred said. "It'll be a lot of fun."
At 8 p. m. that evening, Morris arrived on time.
Inside the Great Hall, all the tables and chairs had been cleared out, replaced by a gilded stage along the wall.
Upon seeing this stage, Morris was certain that the organizer must be Lockhart— the professors at this school were all very modest, and only Lockhart would appreciate such an extravagant style.
Morris found a spot with a good view to the side and quickly scanned the entire field with his eyes.
Almost the entire student body was present, each holding a magic wand, eager to try their hand at magic.
In fact, most students at Hogwarts haven't learned much about combat spells.
The reasons are multifaceted.
First, Hogwarts ' curriculum is inherently more theoretical than designed to train specialized combat personnel.
Secondly, and perhaps most importantly, the Defence Against the Dark Arts course, which was supposed to provide some practical instruction, has failed to play its role in the past few years.
Quirrell's performance last year was remarkable, but Lockhart's performance this year is even worse.
That's why the students were so excited when the Duelling Club was announced.
A moment later, two professors walked onto the stage.
One of them was Snape, whom Fred had previously mentioned, and the other, unsurprisingly, was Lockhart.
Lockhart, dressed in a magnificent purple-gold robe, looked quite dashing with his handsome appearance.
Snape, as always, wore a black robe, his face expressionless, lost in thought.
Morris now knows Lockhart inside and out.
Who gave someone who couldn't even use the Shield Charm properly the courage to duel Snape?
Morris was very curious.
Lockhart cleared his throat and began to speak, "Can you see me? Come closer, a little closer!"
Oh, okay, welcome to this exciting night, a night of courage, skill, and glory!
He opened his arms as if to embrace everyone.
The students below enthusiastically applauded.
"I know that some unsettling things have been happening in the castle lately," Lockhart said loudly. "Therefore, Professor Dumbledore has allowed me to start this little Duelling Club to teach you some of the most basic..."
Yet, these are crucial self-defense techniques.
He stepped aside, then introduced with feigned elegance, "This is my assistant, Professor Snape. He kindly agreed to help me a little during my demonstration. Of course, we won't go all out; it's just a little practice. After all, I don't want to embarrass your Potions Class professor in front of so many people."
Lockhart's words were persuasive, and coupled with his confident smile, they certainly managed to intimidate many students.
Morris kept his eyes on Snape, who stood beside him with a gloomy face.
Yeah, I'm angry.