Isabella Lestrange

Parseltongue

A few weeks later we were all gathered around a long stage for a club Lockhart had 'commanded' us all to attend. Lockhart had Snape assisting. I believed it was because he had no idea what he was doing.

"Gather round!" Lockhart called out standing on the stage.

"In light of the dark events of the recent week. Professor Dumbledore has granted me permission to start this little dueling club. To train you all up, in case you ever need to defend yourselves. As I myself have done on countless occasions. For full details see my published works." Lockhart smirked as he walked back and forth on the stage. He ripped off his cape and threw it into a crowd of girls who gasped as they fought over it.

"Let me introduce my assistant, Professor Snape." Lockhart pointed towards Snape who stepped on the stage looking grumpy as ever.

"He has sportingly agreed to help me with a short demonstration. I don't want any of you youngsters to worry. You will still have your potions master when I'm through with him. Never fear." Lockhart smirked. I chuckled as I watch Snape roll his eyes. The two walked towards each other and retracted their wands, preparing to attack. They placed their wands in the center of their face before slicing it through the air towards their sides. They bowed to each other and spun on their heels. They took five large steps away from each other and both spun around extraordinarily fast.

"One.... two....three....." Lockhart counted right before he casted his spell.

"Expellarums!" Snape casted towards Lockhart. A great light and power shot out of Snape's wand towards Lockhart. This sent Lockhart back nearly ten feet landing on the ground. Children everywhere began to laugh, as did I.

"An excellent idea to show them that, Professor Snape. But if you don't mind me saying, it was a bit obvious what you were about to do. If I had wanted to stop you, it would have been only too easy." Lockhart stated pulling himself up from the ground.

"Perhaps it would be prudent to first teach the students to block unfriendly spells, Professor." Snape asked with fake care. I knew Snape saw right though Lockhart's little act, as did I.

"An excellent suggestion, Professor Snape. Let's have a volunteer pair, Potter and Weasley. How about you?" Lockhart suggested pointing towards Harry and Ron.

"Weasleys wand causes devastation with the simplest of spells. We'll be sending Potter to the hospital wing in a matchbox. Might I suggest someone from my own house?" Snape suggested making a face and throwing his arms to the side innocently.

"Malfoy, perhaps?" Snape questioned smirking at Harry. I watched as Draco left my side and headed for the stage. Snape spun around and ushered Draco onto the stage as he stepped back to watch. Harry and Draco approached each other and pulled out their wands.

"Wands at the ready." Lockhart ordered. The boys did the same thing Snape and Lockhart had demonstrated. The boys turned around and made their large steps. 

"On the count of three cast your charms to disarm your opponent. Only disarm. We don't want any accidents here." Lockhart ordered. As the boys held up their wands.

"One... two..."

"Everte Statum!" Draco yelled out before Lockhart had gotten to three. Harry went flying through the air landing on his side. I could hear all the children, except Slytherin, calling him a cheat. Harry pulled himself up:

"Rictusempre!"

Draco flew through the air landing on his butt in front of me. My eyes widened as we made eye contact. He frowned then looked up to Snape to see the disapproving glare from our house leader. Snape bent down and pulled him up by the collar, harshly.

"I said disarm only!" Lockhart scolded, as if him yelling would do anything.

"Serpensortia!" Draco yelled out. Suddenly a snake appeared in front of Harry. The snake began to hiss at students as it approached Harry. Draco looked confident as Harry took a step back.

"Don't move, Potter. I'll get rid of it for you." Snape sighed with annoyance. As he began to walk forward towards Harry and the snake.

"Allow me, Professor Snape." Lockhart smirked with confidence.

"Alarte Ascendare!" Lockhart casted pointing his wand at the snake. This didn't do much, just throw the snake in the air and have it land back on the ground. Only this time he was mad. The snake turned around and began making his way towards a poor Hufflepuff boy. Harry began walking towards the snake and hissing at it. Almost like he was communicating with it? The snake seemed to move closer towards the boy as Harry hissed to it. The snake hissed at the Hufflepuff and moved closer towards him.

"Vipera Evanesca." Snape casted softly towards the snake. Smoke surrounded the serpent as it was destroyed.

"What are you playing at?" Hufflepuff boy asked Harry in anger. Everyone looked at Harry in shock or confusion. Could he really be a parselmouth? A parselmouth was a witch or wizard who could speak to snakes, it was an extremely rare gift. As rare as mine.

I returned to my dorm room to deal with Pansy fantasying over Draco again like every other night. She was either always doing that or torturing any poor child who didn't belong to Slytherin. This included a dear friend of mine, Hermione. I always attempted to avoid confrontation with the two opposing sides of the school.

"Did you see how Granger began to actually brush her hair? As if that would make her pretty." Pansy laughed from the other side of the room with her minions. I ignored them and continued to read through one of the five spell books I brought from my closest from the mansion. This one contained simple charms.

"Bella, I have no idea how you can attend classes all day and go straight to your dorm and study even more." Pansy laughed as she jumped on my bed.

"You must really have no life, if this is what you consider a good use of your time." Pansy laughed, while removing the book from my hands.

"What would you consider having a life?" I asked raising an eyebrow as she jumped on my bed. Almost landing on poor Phantom as he laid curled up in a ball near my feet.

"Anything but this, this school is terrible." She growled before landing on the bed.

"You sound like Draco." I laughed as she smiled.

"Really?" She fantasized. I rolled my eyes and told her goodnight.