Koty was left gaping at the sight before him. Gone were the tables and benches, and a massive platform took the place of the staff table.
Lockhart was there, smiling widely at the students who had already been admitted.
There were only a few dozen so far, leading Koty to wonder how many students would be turned away for not handing in their assignments.
Half an hour later, just three minutes to eight, he got his answer. Every single Slytherin and all but a few of the Ravenclaws were seated. Well over half of Hufflepuff was there, but only about a quarter of Gryffindor was in attendance.
Severus approached the centre of the platform and raised his hand in a call for silence. "After a brief explanation of the rules, the duel will commence."
Cheers rang out, and Lockhart strutted around the platform like a peacock.
"First and foremost," Sev began, pleased at the decorum being displayed by all of the houses. "This is an honour duel. As such, an agreement must be made before the first spell is cast, lest the offending party immediately be disqualified. Gentlemen, please state your terms. The challenger will make his request first. Lockhart, if you would."
Grinning as if posing for invisible cameras, Lockhart strutted front and centre, every movement an exaggerated flourish. "Should I be victorious," he paused to chuckle, as if it were the most ridiculous thing to assume he would not be the victor. "My opponent shall recuse himself from his current placement and take the age-appropriate defence class with the second years."
That spurned more than a hundred simultaneous conversations at once, including some of the professors.
"Mr. Malfoy," Severus said flatly, though Koty could see the barest hint of a smile flash across his face. "Do you accept these terms?"
Koty hesitated. While his spells were good, he had never actually duelled anyone before! But what could he do about it at this point? He cleared his throat. "I accept the challenger's terms."
"And your own?" Sev asked, smirking openly.
At that, he thought for a moment. He'd come up with several options, but he knew which to offer. "If I am victorious, you will refund every student the cost of the ridiculous books you forced them to purchase to bolster your own book sales."
"How dare you?!" Lockhart bellowed, becoming red in the face.
"Do you accept the terms?" Severus prompted.
Looking around the room, Lockhart seemed to remember that he was surrounded by adoring fans. "Of course," he eventually said, flashing another grin at the crowd.
"The terms have been agreed upon!" Sev proclaimed. "Next will be the rules. As always, there will be no Unforgivables. No permanent damage to your opponent. Beyond this, any rules put forth must be agreed upon by both parties."
"No spells above the neck," was Lockhart's immediate response.
Rolling his eyes at the sheer level of vanity, he gestured to Koty to speak.
"I will agree, but with an amendment," Koty nodded, thinking how easy of a target his leg was. "No legs either."
"Agreed," Lockhart said. A flash of magic cemented the rule. "No creature abilities. Wand magic only."
"Agreed. No outside involvement." Another flash.
"Agreed. I have no further requirements." One final flash.
"I have no further requirements." Koty parroted, almost surprised that Lockhart followed the guidelines of propriety of an honour duel, despite appearing to have little to no knowledge of the subject in class earlier that day.
As Sev directed them, Koty and Lockhart stood back to back, then proceeded to take the official seven paces, face and bow to one another.
"The winner will be the first to five points, or one is unwilling to continue." Severus stepped off the platform. "Begin!"
"Stupefy!" Lockhart cried, waving his wand too much.
Koty didn't even have a chance to shout the shield spell before it erupted from his wand, encasing him in a shimmery partial dome. The instant the failed spell faded, Koty dropped the shield and cast the disarming spell.
Lockhart's wand soared into the air, and he made a mad dash to catch it.
"Petrificus Totalus!" Koty called.
As Lockhart fell to the platform, stiff as a board, the crowd was torn between cheering and booing.
Koty immediately held his wand downward, waiting patiently for Madam Pomfrey to cancel the spell.
"Point, Malfoy!" Severus called smugly as the downed man climbed to his feet.
Angrily flipping his powder blue robes, Lockhart faced Koty with fury.
"Proceed!" Severus called, allowing Koty a moment to ready his wand.
"Oculus Medusae!" Lockhart screamed, slashing his wand at a startlingly imprecise angle. (A/N: it means Eye of Medusa, so you get the gist.)
Koty ducked under the spell, shocked that the man had attempted to turn him to stone. The spell flew over his head, splashing the glowing silver all over the House Point hourglasses. For a half second, nothing happened. "Stupefy!" When Lockhart fell, he heard the sound of shifting stones and turned around.
Jaws dropped, and several students screamed as the gargoyles that sat atop each hourglass began to move. As one, they launched themselves onto the platform and snarled at the crowd, who were now scrambling away.
He certainly wasn't going to lower his wand now! "Stop!" Koty shouted, before the professors had a chance to step in.
The gargoyles froze, turning their glares to him. The glares quickly turned to surprise, and their hostility bled away, though their claws were making a mess of the platform.
"You understand me?" Koty asked them, ignoring Madam Pomfrey waking his 'opponent' once more. The crowd quieted down without his notice.
They gave sharp nods.
"Sev?" Koty gasped. "What do I do? They're sentient! I can't re-stone them now! It would be too cruel!"
"I can do nothing," Sev replied, hands splayed in apology. "It is against the rules. You would forfeit, granting Lockhart the victory."
He couldn't let them have a glimpse of life, only to take it away. At least... not without their consent.
"I will give you two choices, gargoyles," Koty said firmly to keep the tremor from his voice. "First choice: remain awake and aware, but to do so, you will be kind and courteous to all students and staff. Do this, and you will be given leave to roam about the castle and grounds as you see fit. Your second option: go back to sleep, and remain as you always were."
The gargoyles paused, the deep gouges from their claws were no longer growing.
Koty huffed, worried that it was taking so long. There could not be more than five minutes between rounds, otherwise the duel would be cancelled, leaving no winner. "Make your choices!"
They tensed at the command. Three eventually stepped forward.
"You have chosen together?" Koty asked them, not finding it difficult to maintain the commanding tone. "My left hand indicates the desire to keep your sentience. My right indicates the desire to return to your sleeping state. Choose."
The trio that had stepped forward each carefully placed a single claw in his left hand, the fourth did not move, but pointed at his right.
"Very well," Koty said with a nod. "Go back to your hourglass and get comfortable." That statement was directed at the lone gargoyle. If it had to be put back to sleep, it might as well be comfortable.
As soon as the gargoyle posed appropriately, Koty cast the counter spell, and it was an ordinary statue once more.
The trio who decided to keep consciousness waited patiently for the next command.
"Please leave the platform, and I will speak to you about the rules when I have finished this duel." There, that should work for now.
"Malfoy, two points. Lockhart, zero. Proceed!" Severus called out once more.
"Alarte Ascendare!" Lockhart shouted, entirely red in the face by then.
Koty yelped as he was flung straight into the air, and pointed his wand at the platform. "Spongify!" Then at himself. "Aresto Momentum!"
"Point Lockhart," Severus sighed. No one could win them all.
Even with the spells, Koty landed on his feet, but not exactly gently. Winded, he aimed at the preening professor. "Everte Statum!"
Lockhart was blasted backwards, but did nothing to save himself from the harsh landing. He lay there, gasping for breath.
"Why isn't he doing anything?" Someone from the crowd asked loudly. "He's just lying there!"
As Madam Pomfrey rushed over once more, the crowd started back up, muttering, talking and shouting. Whatever was being said could not be understood by anyone on the platform.
Then they all went silent.
"Point Malfoy!" Severus called out happily, terrifying a few of the younger years. "Three Malfoy, one Lockhart!" He was examining a silver pocket watch, occasionally glancing at the downed professor.
Madam Pomfrey snorted at Lockhart. "Oh, get up. You're fine." She flashed a grin and a thumbs up at Koty.
"Would you rather concede?" Sev taunted the man. "Spare yourself any further embarrassment?"
"I will not yield!" Lockhart screamed, spittle flying freely.
Shrugging, Severus ignored him. "Proceed!"
"Engorgio!" Koty called out, then watched in fascination as his wand arm tripled in size.
Lockhart's wand fell from his grip and he began yelling some more.
"Point Malfoy!"
Upon regaining his wand, though in his left hand, Lockhart began throwing a barrage of spells.
Shocked at the reaction, Koty put up his shield quickly, narrowly missing a jet of yellow spellfire. Many of the spells went wide, as he was now using his nondominant hand, but a few came close. After a few moments, Koty found his opening when Lockhart was forced to pause for a breath. "Ferula!"
Bandages appeared out of thin air and began wrapping Lockhart's entire torso tightly, ending in a large, gauzy bow.
"Malfoy wins!" Severus shouted, rushing over to hug Koty.
The crowd was going nuts, whether in support of the outcome or in the crushing blow of defeat, it was hard to say. During the commotion, Madam Pomfrey had to aid the loser again.
"Bombarda!"
As everyone looked for the caster, the resulting explosion wiped out the platform in front of Koty's feet, and the surrounding area.
The second he saw Penny and Amelia flying backward, miraculously caught by the crowd, something in Koty snapped. He struggled out of Severus' grip and charged at Lockhart. Before he could even process what he was doing, he'd already punched the berk twice on the nose. "Furnunculus!" He screamed, forgetting that his wand was lying somewhere on the ground.
Amidst the commotion, Lockhart had been bound, the crowd fell silent, and Koty was being lifted off the blond bastard by strong, yet gentle hands.
As one, nearly every single person in the Great Hall screamed, then quieted when ferocious barking overpowered the cacophony.
The noise startled Koty, so he stopped struggling against Sev. "What are you three doing here?" He asked, shockingly calm for someone who was thrashing about like a nutter, just seconds previous.
Callista, Calliope and Clio stalked through quickly fleeing students and approached the platform. "We felt the fear from you both, and so we have come to destroy the threat." For the first time, they had spoken in unison, and had perfectly matching snarls on their faces. Teeth bared, low growls and dangerous glares took in the spectacle of terrified children and professors running all around the Hall.
"Silence!" Severus called, having spelled himself with a sonorus. "The cerberus poses no threat to anyone. They were alerted to potential danger, via familiar bond."
Koty looked at Lockhart, pleased to see painfully red sores covering almost the entirety of the bastard's face and neck, as well as multiple ropes binding him within an inch of his life, including the remnants of the bandaging spell.
Clio leaned into Koty's side and nuzzled him. "Is this the threat? Can we eat him? I like eating blonds!"
"Hang on," Koty replied, moving toward Lockhart with calm, calculated steps. "Gilderoy Lockhart! For attacking students unprovoked, I give you two choices! Resign immediately-"
"I will not!"
"Shut up!" Koty shouted. "Resign immediately, where you will be removed and arrested. Your second choice is simple. I let my friends eat you. Make your choice!"
His girls changed their focus from Koty to Lockhart, snapping playfully at his bound legs.
The high-pitched screams coming from the man infuriated the cerberus and they placed a paw on his chest, though it covered his entire torso.
"I quit!" He shrieked. "I quit, I quit, I quit!"
Half an hour later, the fraud was being escorted out of the castle by all four Heads of House and a cerberus who was moping, as they did not get to eat him.
Penny and Olive were already taken to St. Mungo's by a team of Healers who informed them that no one was allowed to visit until at least tomorrow afternoon.
As soon as he was put in handcuffs by the aurors, they all traipsed back into the Great Hall, still a distance away from the few remaining students near the partially obliterated platform.
"Merlin's beard," Professor McGonagall huffed. "Where is Albus?"
"He was called in for questioning this evening," Severus said easily. "In regards to stealing the cerberus, then locking them in a small room last year, among other things." Plenty of other things.
"Can I press charges on that blond git?" Koty asked, lacing his fingers with Severus'. "He kept going after the duel was over, so isn't that illegal? Plus, he fired a potentially deadly spell at a bunch of kids! I'm sure Penny and Olive's parents are going to sue or press charges, but I can too, right? Is he gonna be able to pay back everyone for the books, even though he's going to be in jail? And if-"
"Koty," Severus said firmly, kneeling in front of the rambling boy. "Breathe. You are babbling. Yes, you will be able to press charges. Yes, firing after you won was illegal. Yes, he will be forced to refund all Hogwarts students, even in jail. Satisfied?"
Nodding, Koty leaned into his side. "I'm tired, Sev. Do the girls have to leave? I don't want them to go."
Professor Sprout gasped at the nickname, but didn't speak.
"I will speak with the Headmaster," Severus said, ignoring the Hufflepuff Head. "But I cannot make promises. They may not be allowed to stay."
"Please don't take offence," Koty began tiredly, flopping down on the edge of the platform, as Luna, Amelia and the twins were waiting to congratulate him. "But I need to ask if you are male or female."
They all began doing something with their hands, two making the same movement, the third doing something else entirely.
"How do they know sign language?!" Amelia asked in surprise as she hurried over.
Eyes wide, Koty regarded his friend. "How do you know it?"
"My neighbour, Agatha, is deaf. We have tea a few times a week during hols," she explained, then pointed at the pair making the same hand gesture. "These two are male, and the third is a female."
"Any chance you three have names?" Koty asked doubtfully. When they shook their heads, he continued. "Would you mind if I gave you names?"
Again they shook their heads.
"Alright, how about... Victor?" He asked the first, who had yellow gems for eyes. The Hufflepuff gargoyle. Upon seeing the smile, he moved onto the next. "Hm... Hugo?" The second male grinned, causing his ruby eyes to squint.
The female raised her carved brow.
"Cynthia?" Koty laughed at the look on her face. Why couldn't he think of any female names? "Guys, help me out," he called out to his friends.
Victor and Hugo were laughing in silence, but the female smacked their heads together with a smug look.
"She's just like my great auntie, Laverne!" Luna cackled.
Her emerald eyes widened, and she pointed at Luna excitedly. Her stone claws moved in another gesture, which Olive was happy to translate.
"She said she is Auntie Laverne," Amelia grinned.
"Okay, so you all understand English, and you speak with sign language," Koty recapped simply. "Now I wonder if there is a way to let you actually speak. I should look into that."
The gargoyles nodded excitedly.
"Alright," he said, covering a long yawn. "While I do not know if you sleep, us humans do, so... I suppose we'll see you tomorrow?" Plus, if he wanted to see his friends in hospital, he couldn't be falling asleep in class.
"Sev?" Koty asked, rubbing his eyes as they descended toward the dungeons. "Can we have some cocoa before curfew?"
"Of course," the older man replied easily. "I am very proud of you. You performed admirably."
Koty yawned again as Severus guided him to the common room and called for an elf to bring them the requested beverages.
When Poppin brought two steaming mugs of hot cocoa, Severus thanked him and they sat in comfortable silence. The other students slowly trickled out of the room, heading for their dorms, many pausing to either nod or congratulate the prodigy on their way.
Just as Severus opened his mouth to speak, he looked at Koty and chuckled softly.
Koty had fallen asleep with his half finished drink propped on his leg, and a chocolate moustache on his lip.