𝐈𝐍𝐕𝐈𝐒𝐈𝐁𝐋𝐄 𝐒𝐓𝐑𝐈𝐍𝐆, cedric diggory ²

𝐓𝐖𝐄𝐍𝐓𝐘 𝐒𝐈𝐗

"so why are you here with me again?" harlow asked.

"i had a free period, professor lockhart and professor snape needed assistance, and i needed to get back in their good graces." he explained.

"oh yeah, because of that freak out you had about me to professor snape." she laughed.

"i was defending your honor." he smiled.

"my savior." she joked.

"gather round!" yelled professor lockhart "gather round!"

they walked up to the rest of the students, harlow ending up between pansy and cedric.

professor lockhart walked up the steps and onto the table, he was pacing back and forth slowly, "can everyone see me? can you all hear me? excellent. in light of the dark events of recent weeks, professor dumbledore has granted me permission to start this little dueling club,"

harlow stood on her tippy-toes and brought her mouth to cedric's ear and whispered, "he makes it seem like we had a choice of being here."

cedric let out a small laugh as professor lockhart began speaking again, "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. let me introduce my assistant professor snape. he has sportingly agreed to help me with a short demonstration. now i don't want any of you youngsters to worry. you'll still have your potions master when i'm through with him, never fear!"

"hopefully not." muttered harlow.

cedric laughed, "shhh."

professor snape emerged from the crowd and stepped up onto the table, they both drew their wanda and pointed them at each other.

"as you can see, we are holding our wands in the accepted combative position. on the count of three, we will cast our first spells. neither of us will be aiming to
kill, of course." said professor lockhart.

"it would be so much more fun if they would though, two birds one stone." harlow partially joked.

"you're a horrible person." cedric joked back.

they both turned their backs to each other, "one, two, three," with each number they took a step apart, on three they both turned around.

"expelliarmus!" shouted professor snape, a flash of red light bursted out towards professor lockhart and blasted him off his feet and into the wall behind.

harlow and cedric couldn't contain their laughter, "that was a tragic turn of events." cedric laughed.

"you're just as bad as me, diggory." she smiled.

professor lockhart rose shakily, "well, there you have it. that was a disarming charm. as you see, i've lost my wand." hermione picked up his wand and handed it to him, "ah, thank you, miss granger. yes, an excellent idea to show them that, professor snape, but if you don't mind my saying so, it was very obvious what you were about to do. if i had wanted to stop you it would have been only too easy."

"bullshit, he's bluffing." cedric said.

"obviously."

professor snape spoke up, "perhaps it would be prudent to first teach the students to block unfriendly spells, professor."

"an excellent suggestion, professor." replied professor lockhart, "snape. let's have a volunteer pair. potter, weasley, how about you?"

professor snape shook his head, "weasley's wand causes devastation with the simplest spells. we'll be sending potter to the hospital wing in a matchbox. might i suggest someone from my own house. malfoy, perhaps."