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Worry consumed many Muggle-Born's as the days pass since the attack on Collin. And certain Slytherins thrived on the newfound fear of students being afraid of them. Draco terrorized the first year's as he would stand tall in front of them and act like he was going to attack as he pointed his wand at them. Pansy, Millicent, and Daphne would hex the muggle-Borns, especially from Gryffindor, and install fear whenever they walked down the halls. Older Slytherins didn't even need to do anything as their presence alone caused students, of all ages, to walk the other way.
Although Amelia spends the majority of her time with her two Hufflepuff friends, many students have avoided her presence as well. Which the Slytherin found ironic considering Justin actively avoided being in the same room as Harry Potter and would hide behind either Amelia or Erine when he is near.
But when the trio walked by the entrance hall and noticed a cluster of students near a notice board, reading a piece of parchment that was pinned up.
" They're staring a dueling club." Justin read when they neared the notice board.
" Looks like the first meeting is tonight."
" Learning how to duel could help considering the circumstances," Justin mumbled as he looked at the parchment again.
" Hmm, we probably wouldn't need it if we had a teacher that could teach us how to defend against the dark arts," Amelia said as the three walked away from the notice board and toward the library.
" Too bad we don't have one." Ernie laughed.
The three studied in the library until eight o'clock. They then made their way into the great hall where they found all the long tables gone and replaced by a golden stage with hundreds of candles floating above it.
" Woah. I wonder who is going to teach us." Ernie asked. The three of them joined the crowd that gathered around the stage.
" I always assumed Professor McGonagall could duel," Amelia said.
" That would be cool. But I think it would be Professor Hooch. She seems like the type to handle a duel." Justin said.
But when Lockhart walked on the stage in his plum robes alongside Snape in his signature black robes, Amelia sighed.
" Defiantly did not expect Snape to be here," Amelia whispered.
" Gather around! Gather around! Can everyone see me? Can everyone hear me? Good." Lockhart said as he smiled at the group of students.
What a waste of my time Amelia thought. She would think that the headmaster would assign a more suitable professor to teach students how to defend themselves in light of the sudden attacks.
" Professor Dumbledore has granted me permission to start this dueling club, to train you all in case you ever need to defend yourselves as I have done on countless occasions."
" Let me introduce my assistant, Professor Snape," Lockhart said pointing at the stern professor, " he tells me he knows a tiny bit about dueling himself and has agreed to help me with a short demonstration. Now before we began, I don't want any of you, youngsters, to worry- you'll still have your potions master when I'm through with him!" Proudly claimed Lockhart.
" Between the two, I think snape will win," Amelia whispered loud enough for the two Hufflepuffs to hear her.
The students watched as the two professors turned to face each other and bowed, well Lockhart did, then raised their wands in front of themselves. As Lockhart counted to three, both of them cast their spells and pointed their wands at each other. A flash of scarlet light went off from Snape's wand and hit Lockhart, causing him to be blasted backward off the stage and hit a wall.
The Slytherins cheered, others clapped, while many of Lockhart's fangirls looked at him with many worries. But once he got up onto his feet, they sighed in relief.
" I did not expect Snape to do that."
" Nor did I." Justin gulped
"There we have it! That was a disarming charm. As you can see, I lost my wand-" Lockhart said. A student quickly handed him the wand he dropped, " Now, enough demonstrating! I'm going to come amongst you now and put you all into pairs. Professor Snape, if you'd like to help-"
The Professors walked around the room. Separating friends and putting them against students of different houses. Amelia watched as Lockhart walked towards her. He teamed Justin with Neville and told Ernie to stand next to Dean Thomas. He then looked around the room for someone to be Amelia's opponent when his eyes fell on a certain student.
" Hermione Granger, you and Amelia Weasley will be partners."
Both girls looked at each other, wearily. Ron leaned into Hermione, whispering something into her ear before he walked away toward his partner.
" Don't hurt Granger." Said Ernie quickly before walking away.
"Face your partners!" called Lockhart, back on the platform. "And bow!"
Amelia and Hermione looked at each other and bowed to each other.
"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 — one...
two... three —"
Amelia swung her wand high, her eyes staring down at her opponent, and shouted expelliarmus. Both the girls were in sync as Hermione cast her spell at the same time.
Thinking on her feet, Amelia blocked the spell, as did Hermione, and cast it once again. Although this time her opponent was left open. Unlike Lockhart, Hermione's wand blasted away from her hand and she looked at the Slytherin with surprise.
" I said disarm only!" Lockhart shouted. Amelia pointed her wand down and look around the room and noticed that Harry and Draco were fighting against each other.
"Stop! Stop!" shouted Lockhart, but Snape took charge. "Finite Incantatem!" he cast toward the two boys, stopping their fight.
Around the room both Justin and Neville were panting, Ernie was nonchalant as Dean looked defeated and Hermione was still looking around for her wand.
"I think I'd better teach you how to block unfriendly spells," said Lockhart, perplexed at the group of students in front of him.
"Let's have a volunteer pair — Longbottom and Finch-Fletchley,
how about you —"
Justin stiffed at the mention of his name as he looked at the professor with frightened eyes.
"A bad idea, Professor Lockhart," Snape commented as he walked back to the stage.
"Longbottom causes devastation with the simplest spells. We'll be sending what's left of
FinchFletchley up to the hospital wing in a matchbox. How about Malfoy and Potter?" said Snape.
" Why is he so adamant on those two duelings," Ernie whispered, dismissing Justin's loud sigh of relief.
"Who knows? He probably gets a power high from this." Amelia whispered.
"Excellent idea!" said Lockhart, gesturing Harry and Malfoy into the middle of the hall as
the crowd backed away to give them room.
Snape then glided toward Malfoy, whispering something into his ear before standing behind him.
"Three — two — one — go!" Lockhart shouted, beginning the battle.
" Serpensortia!" Draco shouted as he swung his wand at Harry.
Amelia gasped, as a long black snake shot from Draco's wand. The crowd jumped back, some shouting in fear as others ran towards the door.
" Don't move, Potter," Snape said as a glimpse shimmered in his eye watching Harry frozen in his spot.
"Allow me!" Lockhart proclaimed. He walked a little bit toward Harry and pointed his wand at the snake casting what was supposed to be a vanishing spell.
But instead, It jumped high in the air and fell hard with a smack. The snake then started hissing viciously and began to slither around making its way toward Justin, who stood motionless in his spot, ready to attack him.
Before Amelia could point her wand at the creature, Harry walked toward them and began speaking in a mysterious language that Amelia couldn't comprehend. Is he speaking Latin? What is he playing at?
Harry looked up at the Hufflepuff with a grin. Amelia pulled Justin behind, glaring at Harry whose smile fell and was replaced with a confused expression.
" What do you think you are playing at!" Justin shouted at the Gryffindor. Ernie and Amelia both pulled Justin away and toward the hall.
" You saw that right! What the bloody hell was that!" Justin exclaimed, fear laced in his voice.
" I don't know. " Ernie said honestly as the three walked the journey to the Hufflepuff common room.
" It almost looked like he was speaking directly toward the snake," Amelia mumbled. A shiver ran down her spine at the thought of Harry Potter instructing the snake to attack.
" Almost? Amelia! He spoke parseltongue!" Ernie said exasperated.
"What's that?" Justin asked with panic.
"It's a snake language... a language that Salazar Slytherin is famous for speaking. " Amelia stated. But how could Harry understand, let alone speak, Parseltongue? Unless... Amelia's mind trailed off. Her stomach dropped at the possibility of Harry being responsible for all the attacks.
" Do you believe us now? Potter is the heir of Slytherin. " Justin said with a shiver.
Amelia stayed silent. Unsure of what to even believe. Her mind only replays the events that happened.
Could Harry Potter be the heir of Slytherin?
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