3rd Person POV
A week later, Harry, Ron, (Y/n) and Hermione were walking across the entrance hall when they saw a small group of people gathered around the notice board, reading a piece of parchment that had just been pinned up. Seamus Finnigan and Dean Thomas beckoned them over, looking excited. "They're starting a Dueling Club!" Seamus exclaimed. "First meeting tonight! I wouldn't mind duelling lessons, they might come in handy one of these days..." "What, you reckon Slytherin's monster can duel?" said Ron, but he, too, read the sign with interest. "Could be useful," he said to Harry, (Y/n) and Hermione as they went to dinner. "Shall we go?"
(Y/n), Harry and Hermione were all for it, so at eight o'clock that evening they hurried back to the Great Hall. The long dining tables had vanished and a golden stage had appeared along one wall, lit by thousands of candles floating overhead. The ceiling was velvety black once more and most of the school seemed to be packed beneath it, all carrying their wands and looking excited. "I wonder who'll be teaching us?" said Hermione as they edged into the chattering crowd. "My dad told me Flitwick was a duelling champion when he was young — maybe it'll be him." (Y/n) added. "As long as it's not —" Harry began, but he ended on a groan. Gilderoy Lockhart was walking onto the stage, resplendent in robes of deep red velvet and accompanied by none other than Snape, wearing his usual gloomy black robes.
Lockhart waved an arm for silence and called "Gather round, gather round! Can everyone see me? Can you all hear me? Excellent! 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, flashing 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!"
"Wouldn't it be good if they finished each other off?" Ron muttered in (Y/n)'s ear, (Y/n) tried to suppress his laughter. Snape's upper lip was curling. Harry wondered why Lockhart was still smiling, if Snape had been looking at him like that he'd have been running as fast as he could in the opposite direction.
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 or maim, of course!" "I wouldn't bet on that," Hermoine murmured, watching Snape baring his teeth.
"One... Two... Three!" Lockhart exclaimed. Both of them 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 backward off the stage, smashed into the wall, and slid down it to sprawl on the floor. Malfoy and some of the other Slytherins cheered. Hermione was dancing on her tiptoes. "Do you think he's all right?" she squealed through her fingers. "Who cares?" said Ron.
Lockhart was getting unsteadily to his feet. 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 was looking 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..." They moved through the crowd, matching up partners. Lockhart teamed Neville with Justin Finch-Fletchley, but Snape reached Harry and Ron first. "Time to split up the dream team, I think," he sneered. "Weasley, you can partner Finnigan. Potter —" Harry moved automatically toward Hermione and (Y/n). "I don't think so," said Snape, smiling coldly. "Mr. Malfoy, come over here. Let's see what you make of the famous Potter. And you, Miss Granger — you can partner Miss Bulstrode. Phoenix, you can go with Miss Brown"
Malfoy strutted over, smirking. Behind him walked a Slytherin girl who reminded (Y/n) of a picture he'd seen in Holidays with Hags. She was large and square and her heavy jaw jutted aggressively. Hermione gave her a weak smile that she did not return. (Y/n) had a quick look around for Lavender but had no such luck. He jumped a little when someone tapped him on the shoulder, he didn't like being sneaked upon. He quickly turned around to find a smiling Lavender Brown waving at (Y/n) with glee. The pair moved around to find some room in the Great Hall. "Face your partners!" called Lockhart, back on the platform. "And bow!" (Y/n) noticed that Lavender wasn't paying much attention. In fact, she was giving her attention to Lockhart. "Wands at the ready!" shouted Lockhart. "When I count to three, cast your charms to disarm your opponents, only to disarm them we don't want any accidents." He added. (Y/n) turned to Lavender who was now fumbling for her wand and looked pretty nervous as she was muttering to herself.
"One...Two... Three!" Lockhart shouted.
(Y/n) swung his wand high above his head, he noticed that Lavender was still holding her wand in front of her not knowing what to do. Since he had the time (thanks to his somewhat bumbling duelling partner) (Y/n) took a deep breath and steeled himself before exclaiming "Expelliarmus!" as a beautiful bright scarlet light shot from his wand and hit Lavender square in the chest as her wand went flying and so did she only to land on the cold tiled floor. (Y/n) immediately rushed towards her. "I'm sorry if that hurt!" (Y/n) exclaimed as he helped her up. "No no!" Lavender replied with a wince. "I need the practice." she added.
"I said disarm only!" Lockhart shouted in alarm over the heads of the battling crowd, (Y/n) and Lavender immediately turned their heads to see both Harry and Draco on the floor. Obviously, the two had stronger intentions than just disarming each other, (Y/n) had his Galleons on Harry any day of the week. (Y/n) saw Malfoy pointing his wand at Harry's knees, choked, "Tarantallegra!" and the next second a bright blue bolt shot at Harry as his legs began to jerk around out of his control in a kind of quickstep. "Stop! Stop!" screamed Lockhart, but Snape took charge. "Finite Incantatem!" he shouted. Harry's feet stopped dancing and Malfoy stopped laughing.
(Y/n) then took the time to look around to see how everyone else went. A haze of greenish smoke was hovering over the scene. Both Neville and Justin were lying on the floor, panting. Ron was holding up an ashen-faced Seamus, apologizing for whatever his broken wand had done, but Hermione and Millicent Bulstrode were still moving. Millicent had Hermione in a headlock and Hermione was whimpering in pain; both their wands lay forgotten on the floor. (Y/n) leapt forward and pulled Millicent off. It was a little difficult. She was a lot bigger than he was.
"Dear, dear," said Lockhart, skittering through the crowd, looking at the aftermath of the duels. "Up you go, Macmillan..." "Careful there, Miss Fawcett... Pinch it hard, it'll stop bleeding in a second," "I think I'd better teach you how to block unfriendly spells," said Lockhart, standing flustered in the midst of the hall. He glanced at Snape, whose black eyes glinted, and looked quickly away. "Let's have a volunteer pair... Longbottom and Finch-Fletchley, how about you —" "A bad idea, Professor Lockhart," said Snape, gliding over like a large and malevolent bat.
"Longbottom causes devastation with the simplest spells. We'll be sending what's left of Finch Fletchley up to the hospital wing in a matchbox." Neville's round, pink face went pinker. "How about Malfoy and Potter?" said Snape with a twisted smile, (Y/n) muttered under his breath in annoyance, the hooked nosed teacher was always finding new methods to send Harry to the hospital ward (Y/n) thought. "Excellent idea!" said Lockhart, gesturing Harry and Malfoy into the middle of the hall as the crowd backed away to give them room. "Now, Harry," said Lockhart. "When Draco points his wand at you, you do this." He raised his own wand, attempted a complicated sort of wiggling action, and dropped it. Snape smirked as Lockhart quickly picked it up, saying, "Whoops! My wand is a little overexcited..." Snape moved closer to Malfoy, bent down, and whispered something in his ear. Malfoy smirked, too. (Y/n) frowned a little as Harry looked up nervously at Lockhart and said, "Professor, could you show me that blocking thing again?" "Scared?" Malfoy exclaimed. "You wish," said Harry out of the corner of his mouth. Lockhart cuffed Harry merrily on the shoulder. "Just do what I did, Harry!" "What, drop my wand?" Harry replied, but Lockhart wasn't listening. (Y/n) had to cover his laugh with a cough before receiving a glare from Hermione. "Three... Two... One... Go!" Lockhart shouted. Malfoy raised his wand quickly and bellowed, "Serpensortia!" The end of his wand exploded. (Y/n) watched, aghast, as a long black snake shot out of it, fell heavily onto the floor between them, and raised itself, ready to strike. There were screams as the crowd backed swiftly away, clearing the floor.
"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, (Y/n) groaned he wouldn't say it out loud but Harry seemed to be in somewhat safer hands with competent malicious Potions teacher rather than the bumbling idiotic DADA professor. Lockhart 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.
(Y/n) then noticed Harry slowly creeping towards the snake, (Y/n) was bemused to say the least. "Why in Merlin's name would Harry, a second year with no duelling experience move TOWARDS the danger?" (Y/n) thought. Suddenly Harry whispered something, (Y/n)'s body froze. He knew what Harry was doing. He was speaking Parcelmouth, he was speaking to the snake. The entire room was filled with fear as Harry's strange whispers to the snake echoed throughout the Great Hall. Miraculously however, whatever Harry said had worked. The snake slumped to the floor, docile as a thick, black garden hose, its eyes now on Harry. (Y/n) felt the tension drop a little, it seemed as the snake was no longer a threat to anyone. (Y/n) looked to see Harry smiling at Justin Flinch-Fletchley who looked the complete opposite to Harry, he was pale and sweating with fear. "What do you think you're playing at?" Justin shouted, and before Harry could say anything, Justin had turned and stormed out of the hall.
(Y/n) saw Snape step forward, waved his wand, and the snake vanished in a small puff of black smoke. (Y/n) noted that Snape, too, was looking at Harry in an unexpected way. It was a shrewd and calculating look, and (Y/n) didn't like it one bit. He was also dimly aware of an ominous muttering all around the walls. Ron came behind Harry, pulling him away from the table with no objections from Snape and Lockhart. (Y/n) and Hermione rushed over to Harrywho had a bewildered look on his face as his three friends steered him out of the hall.
As the Magical Quartet went through the doors, the people on either side drew away as though they were frightened of catching something. Harry looked even more confused, and neither Ron, (Y/n) or Hermione explained anything until they had dragged him all the way up to the empty Gryffindor common room. Ron pushed Harry into an armchair and said, "You're a Parselmouth. Why didn't you tell us?" "I'm a what?" said Harry. He didn't know? (Y/n) thought. "A Parselmouth!" Ron exclaimed. "You can talk to snakes!" "I know," said Harry. "I mean, that's only the second time I've ever done it. I accidentally set a boa constrictor on my cousin Dudley at the zoo once. It was telling me it had never seen Brazil and I sort of set it free without meaning to that was before I knew I was a wizard—" "A boa constrictor told you it had never seen Brazil?" Ron repeated faintly. "So?" said Harry. "I bet loads of people here can do it." "Oh, no they can't," Hermione added. "It's not a very common gift. Harry, this is bad." "What's bad?" said Harry, who started to feel quite annoyed. "What's wrong with everyone? Listen, if I hadn't told that snake not to attack Justin —" "Oh, that's what you said to it?" Ron replied. "What d'you mean? You were there — you all heard me —" "We heard you speaking Parseltongue," (Y/n) said. "Snake language. You could have been saying anything Harry, it freaked out the whole room. Even Snape and Lockhart were a little pale. (Y/n) added. Harry gaped at him. "I spoke a different language? But... I didn't realize... How can I speak a language without knowing I can speak it?"
Ron shook his head, Hermione gasped and (Y/n) covered his face with his hands.All of Harry's friends were looking as though someone had died. Harry couldn't see what was so terrible. "Do you want to tell me what's wrong with stopping a massive snake biting off Justin's head?" Harry said with a cry on anguish. "What does it matter how I did it as long as Justin doesn't have to join the Headless Hunt?" "It matters," said Hermione, speaking in a hushed shaky voice, "because being able to talk to snakes was what Salazar Slytherin was famous for. That's why the symbol of Slytherin House is a serpent." Harry's mouth fell open. "Exactly," said Ron. "And now the whole school's going to think you're his great-great great great-grandson or something" (Y/n) explained. "But I'm not," said Harry, with a panic he couldn't quite explain.
"You'll find that hard to prove," said Hermione. "He lived about a thousand years ago, for all we know, you could be."
A/N
Sorry the for the delay guys, I've been busy with other stuff, I hope to update the book again before the end of May.
-Sam.F