CANDY CRUSH {Fred Weasley}

6

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The Duelling Club

The news of Colin Creevey being petrified spread around like wildfire, everyone was talking about him, they were suspicious and scared, the first years could be seen walking around in small knit groups. Protective devices such as talisman, amulets, etc were sweeping through the school, everybody bought them scared that they would be the next to petrified and this became a perfect opportunity for Gilderoy Lockhart to show off his "talents".

"Gather round, gather round! Can everyone see me? Can you all hear me? Excellent!" 

Charlie and Ainsley along with each and every other student in Hogwarts gathered around the golden stage on which Gilderoy Lockhart along with Severus Snape stood while one wore a deep plum coloured robe, the other was dressed in black.

"Now, Professor Dumbledore has granted me permission to start this little duelling club, to train you all 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." said Lockhart as he flashed a wide smile. 

"He tells me he knows a tiny little bit about duelling himself and has sportingly agreed to help me with a short demonstration before we begin. 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!"

Ainsley and Charlie made their way through the crowd to get to the front and in the process, they stomped nearly everyone's feet on their way. As they reached the front they were surrounded by the Gryffindors and a couple of Hufflepuffs. 

"Hello." Someone whispered in Charlie's ear causing her to jump slightly.

"Merlin, Fred, you scared me."

"I am George." Charlie frowned at that.

"No, you're not."

"How did you know?"

"I am smart."

"No, seriously, even our mum has trouble recognising us, but you instantly recognised me. How?"

"You give an air of cockiness. Now stop talking, I want to watch them both finishing each other off." Fred chuckled making the girl smile.

Lockhart and Snape turned to face each other and bowed; at least, Lockhart did, with much twirling of his hands, whereas Snape jerked his head irritably. Then they raised their wands like swords in front of them. 

"As you see, we are holding our wands in the accepted combative position," Lockhart told the silent crowd. "On the count of three, we will cast our first spells. Neither of us will be aiming to kill, of course."   

"I hope they do," Charlie said to Fred who was still behind her, Ainsley looked appalled at the idea.

Snape and Lockhart swung their wands above their heads and pointed them at their opponent; Snape cried: "Expelliarmus!" There was a dazzling flash of scarlet light and Lockhart was blasted off his feet: He flew backwards off the stage, smashed into the wall, and slid down it to sprawl on the floor. 

"Oo, that must have hurt."

"Professor Lockhart, are you alright?" Ainsley called out, standing on his tiptoes to check whether the golden-haired.

Lockhart got up to his feet unsteadily. His hat had fallen off and his wavy hair was standing on end. 

"Well, there you have it!" he said, tottering back onto the platform. "That was a Disarming Charm — as you see, I've lost my wand — ah, thank you, Miss Brown — 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 — however, I felt it would be instructive to let them see . . ."

 Snape looked murderous. 

Possibly Lockhart had noticed, because he said, "Enough demonstrating! I'm going to come amongst you now and put you all into pairs. Professor Snape, if you'd like to help me —"

Lockhart and Snape moved through the crowd making pairs, he spilt Ron, Hermione and Harry pairing each one of them with different people, while Ron was partnered with Seamus Finnigan, Hermione and Harry weren't lucky, Hermione got paired with Millicent Bulstrode while Harry got paired with Draco Malfoy.

"Face your partners!" called Lockhart, back on the platform. "And bow!" 

The duel didn't exactly go according to Snape and Lockhart's wishes as both Malfoy and Harry started throwing spells at each other, Ron's wand had done something to Seamus who was now lying on the floor beside Charlie and Fred and Hermione and Millicent had gotten into a physical fight. 

"Serpensortia!" Charlie watched as a black snake shot out of Malfoy's wand and fell onto the stage and raised itself, ready to strike. The crowd gasped as they moved backwards.

"Don't move, Potter," said Snape lazily, clearly enjoying the sight of Harry standing motionless, eye to eye with the angry snake. "I'll get rid of it. . . ."

"Allow me!" shouted Lockhart. He brandished his wand at the snake and there was a loud bang; the snake, instead of vanishing, flew ten feet into the air and fell back to the floor with a loud smack. Enraged, hissing furiously, it slithered straight toward Justin Finch-Fletchley and raised itself again, fangs exposed, poised to strike. 

Fred pulled Charlie towards himself as the snake made its way towards the crowd but Charlie didn't seem to notice it as her eyes were concentrated on the snake, the anger it in its eyes was clearly visible.

After that everything happened in a daze as Harry Potter shouted something at the snake who turned its attention on Harry and slumped on the floor, docile as a thick, a black garden hose. 

"What do you think you're playing at?" he shouted, and before Harry could say anything, Justin had turned and stormed out of the hall. Snape stepped forward, waved his wand, and the snake vanished in a small puff of black smoke. 

"That was something."