The Wind and the Wings of Hogwarts

It would be even better if we could also embarrass other students outside of Slytherin.

Especially Porter.

……

Chapter 083 Let's begin, Duel Club

Before dinner that day, Scott and his roommates noticed a new parchment posted on the bulletin board in front of the auditorium.

"Duel Club?"

Eddie glanced at the notification and couldn't help but burst into gloating laughter.

"Well, Lockhart must be regretting it now!"

Roger laughed out loud, "Oh! I really want to see Professor Lockhart's expression."

Contrary to Lockhart's expectations, the notification revealed that Dumbledore had appointed Snape as the initiator of the Dueling Club.

Lockhart, presumably because of his pioneering role, only received an assistant position.

Although Lockhart's signature on that parchment was several times larger than Snape's, it didn't change the fact.

Scott said, "I'm really looking forward to the two professors giving us a demonstrative duel."

After he finished speaking, everyone burst out laughing.

After so long since the start of the school year, everyone has come to the conclusion that Lockhart is a complete idiot and he is no match for Snape.

Even Rimbaud, who was standing on Scott's shoulders, chuckled along.

At this moment, more and more students gathered around.

They seemed very interested in the dueling club's activities.

"If only Snape hadn't been the one to initiate it."

Scott heard this from more than one person.

Snape's usual behavior made him very unpopular.

He was consistently the most unpopular professor at Hogwarts among students in the three houses other than Slytherin.

Even the Ravenclaws felt that Professor Flitwick, a former tournament champion, was the best candidate.

The Slytherins present clearly supported their Headmaster.

They all wore proud expressions, while glaring fiercely at those who were skeptical.

"Oh! This is terrible!"

Scott heard Ron Weasley's voice.

He turned his head and saw the other person looking at the bulletin board with a terrified expression.

“This is terrible, Harry,” Ron Weasley said to Harry beside him, his eyes wide. “Snape plus Lockhart? This is a disaster! A nightmare!”

Harry looked on with a knowing expression.

“Don’t speak ill of a professor like that!” Hermione Granger glared angrily at the two boys.

Scott looked away and asked his three roommates, "So, are you guys planning to participate?"

“I’ll go!” Eddie said without hesitation. “My gut feeling tells me there’s going to be some excitement tonight.”

Roger and Milton nodded in agreement.

After dinner, they went their separate ways.

Scott arrives at the Owl Shack at Hogwarts and hires a public owl from the school to deliver his mail for a handful of nuts.

Of course, this owl cannot fly across the European continent and the Mediterranean to distant Egypt.

The school's public owl service only provides short-distance mail delivery.

Scott simply entrusted the owl to deliver the letter and the fee to the Owl Post Office in Hogsmeade, where there was a dedicated long-distance mail service.

Scott arrived at the auditorium precisely before 8 p.m.

The auditorium was already packed with people; it seemed that all the students in the school had arrived.

Scott stood on tiptoe and looked around.

The four long tables in the auditorium have disappeared, replaced by a gilded stage.

The hundreds of candles floating in the air were still burning, but the ceiling that usually displayed the sky was now completely black.

"Scott, over here!"

Roger raised his hand high and waved it in the crowd.

Scott walked through the crowd.

But when he got closer, he realized that Roger was standing with his girlfriend.

"Hello, Scott."

The girl standing next to Roger greeted him first.

“I am Caccini Strozzi, just call me Caccini.”

With her long black hair, Kachini is a girl who looks intellectual and generous.

"Hello, Kachini."

Scott smiled and nodded.

“Oh, Scott,” Eddie said with a smile, leaning closer. “Look at Lockhart’s expression.”

Scott looked up and saw Lockhart standing beside the stage, dressed in a bright purple robe, alongside Snape, who was dressed in a black robe.

Snape remained silent with his usual cold expression, not even glancing at Lockhart, while Lockhart wore an extremely awkward smile.

“How will they get started?” Eddie said. “I’m really looking forward to seeing you give us a demonstration, just like you said.”

At that moment, Snape glided onto the stage as if he were sliding on the ground.

The auditorium fell silent immediately.

Snape scanned the crowd with his dark, empty eyes, then said in his characteristic smooth tone, "The reason for holding the Duel Club is because Hogwarts has too many troll students who can't even foolishly wave their wands."

At this point, he curled his upper lip into a cold laugh, "Not to mention understanding the ancient and elegant tradition of wizard duels."

Yes! Yes!

Lockhart strode onto the stage, interrupting loudly as he did so.

"I will train you all thoroughly so that one day you will need to protect yourselves using the methods I have used countless times!"

He grinned broadly and winked at a group of girls watching him with adoration below the stage, eliciting a suppressed scream from them.

"For more details, please refer to my published works," he said playfully.

The girls screamed again.

“They’re really brave,” Milton said, trembling slightly.

Scott could see that Snape's face had visibly darkened several shades.

He suddenly let out a cold laugh that everyone could hear, and the screams of the "Lockhart Girls" immediately stopped.

They stared at Snape with wide eyes, like a flock of chicks suddenly being choked.

“Deliberately disturbing a public place and rudely interrupting the professor’s speech.” Snape’s cold gaze swept over the group of girls. “Gryffindor and Hufflepuff will each lose 30 points.”

Then he turned and looked at Lockhart with the same gaze.

Lockhart's smile had completely frozen.

"Thank you to my assistant, Professor Lockhart, for speaking."

Snape emphasized the word "assistant".

"According to him, he is also very good at dueling. Now, I would like to invite him to join me in giving a demonstration for everyone."

Eddie exclaimed excitedly, like a commentator, "Is it finally happening? Will Lockhart agree?"

"If I were him, I would definitely turn around and run away." Milton looked at Snape, who was radiating a low-pressure aura on the stage, from afar, and turned pale with fright.

Scott, however, said confidently, "I think he will agree."

On stage, Lockhart smiled as naturally as possible.

“Of course, I can accept your invitation, Severus.”

Then, he turned to the audience and shouted, "Don't be afraid, I will return your Potions Professor unharmed!"

“Oh! Lockhart really has guts, doesn’t he?” Eddie gloated. “Why isn’t he a Gryffindor?”

His words amused everyone around him.

“Very good.” Snape gave a cryptic smile. “Let’s get started.”

Lockhart and Snape turned to face each other and bowed.

Or rather, Lockhart bowed, his hands moving in a flamboyant manner.

Snape simply nodded perfunctorily.

Then they all held their wands to their chests.

"As you can see, we will hold the wand in a dueling stance."

Lockhart then addressed the students again.

"Now count to three, and we'll cast the first spell. Of course, neither of us will take the other's life."

Scott, however, felt that Snape must really want to take Lockhart's life at that moment.

"One, two..." Snape called out impatiently.

Lockhart immediately stopped talking and raised his wand over his shoulder.

"three!"

The two of them waved their wands almost simultaneously.