Hogwarts: I am Snape

Chapter 60 Duel Club (4K)

After the lesson on protecting magical creatures, Snape and his two companions followed the crowd toward the Great Hall.

As they passed through the foyer, they saw a small group of people gathered noisily around the bulletin board, discussing a piece of parchment that had just been nailed up.

Abbott squeezed in for a quick look and immediately called Snape over excitedly.

“The Duel Club,” he said, “is having its first gathering tonight. It’s been so many years since we last had one, and I don’t know why we’re suddenly doing this.”

“It would be strange if we didn’t have this,” Snape squeezed in and stared at the words on the parchment. “When we run into dark wizards, they won’t be polite to us.”

It's hard to understand, really, that the Duel Club, such a great way to train students' combat skills, hasn't been held at Hogwarts for decades.

According to the course of history, it might take more than a decade before Gilderoy Lockhart makes a brief appearance during Harry's second year, due to his attention-seeking nature.

Since then, Hogwarts students have had to rely on Dumbledore's Army, an illegal student organization, for their practical training. This inevitably raises suspicions that there are bad people within the organization.

“I don’t think I’ll participate,” Pandora said, looking at the two of them. “Wizard duels have always been limited to wands, which is really not very interesting.”

"What else would you like to use?" Abbott couldn't help but raise an eyebrow.

“Lots of things,” Pandora patted her pocket and answered briefly.

“For everyone’s safety, it’s better if you don’t participate,” Snape said.

Although Snape wasn't particularly interested in dueling his classmates, it also meant he would have the opportunity to legally use magic on them, so why wouldn't he participate?

Snape and Abbott were both prepared to give it a try, and Pandora didn't mind watching from the sidelines.

In the evening, after a leisurely stroll along the Black Lake, the three hurried back to the auditorium before eight o'clock.

The four long tables that used to stand neatly in the auditorium have disappeared, replaced by a spacious stage.

Hundreds of bright candles floated above the stage, making the twinkling stars on the magical ceiling appear dim.

Almost all the students in the school came, making a lot of noise. Everyone was clutching their magic wands tightly, their faces filled with excitement and anticipation.

"Quiet—make way—"

A somewhat familiar voice suddenly came from the crowd, but the students looked around and couldn't see who was speaking, so they ignored the voice.

Then, amidst gasps of surprise, the crowd suddenly parted in two, as if gently pushed aside by an invisible hand.

Snape then noticed that Professor Flitwick was walking with short legs from the doorway toward the stage, with Professor Slughorn following slowly behind, his round belly protruding.

As Professor Flitwick walked, he pointed his wand at his throat and said, "Loud voice!"

Then, his words, like thunder, drowned out all the noise in the auditorium and clearly penetrated into everyone's ears.

"Students, from today onwards, I—" Professor Flitwick hopped onto the stage, "Felius Flitwick—the champion of the 11th All England Wizarding Duel Tournament—will serve as your dueling instructor and referee."

“You should feel lucky. The principal managed to persuade the board of directors to allow us to reopen the dueling club. This was no easy feat.”

“Let me explain the arrangements,” Professor Flitwick said, raising his wand high. “For the first few days, all grades except seventh grade will hold a competition, and the winner will earn fifty credits for your house.”

"Furthermore, in order to enable you to rationally assess your own strength, and also to serve as a warning to the senior students, the champion of the junior grade will have the right to challenge the champion of the grade above him, and the senior students cannot refuse."

"The winner of the challenge against someone of a higher level—" a dazzling firework shot from the tip of his wand, "will win the opponent's points. Of course, if you're from the same academy, it depends on whether you're willing to give your senior a chance."

"Then, let Professor Slughorn and I give you a demonstration first."

“Thank you for your help, Horace.” Professor Flitwick waved to Slughorn, gesturing for him to come up on stage as well.

Slughorn smiled as he walked through the crowd, slowly onto the stage, and stood at opposite ends of the stage with Professor Flitwick.

The two turned around, faced each other, bowed to one another, and then held their wands up to their chests like arrows.

“As you can see, we hold our wands in the usual dueling stance,” Professor Flitwick explained to the now quiet students. “On the count of three, Professor Slughorn will cast a spell, and I will defend.”

"one two Three--"

Almost simultaneously, the two of them jerked their wands over their shoulders. Slughorn shouted, "Bind them up quickly!"

In the blink of an eye, a rope appeared in the air and rushed towards Professor Flitwick like a serpent.

But Professor Flitwick reacted immediately, unleashing the Armor Charm—"Protect Me!"

The rope slammed against an invisible, solid wall with a "bang," then fell limply to the ground and disappeared with a soft "plop."

The auditorium erupted in enthusiastic applause, and the students all stood on tiptoe, craning their necks, eager to jump onto the stage and see what was happening.

Everyone clapped and stood on tiptoe, trying to get onto the stage.

“Thank you, Horace,” Professor Flitwick said cheerfully.

“It’s my pleasure.” Slughorn, with one hand on his stomach and the other behind his back, walked off the stage and to the side of the auditorium.

“Oh, right, the principal asked me to emphasize the rules—” Professor Flitwick conjured a high stool by the side of the stage, climbed up with difficulty, and shouted to everyone, “First, no harmful curses are allowed;
"Second, only wands may be used; the use of any magical animals or magical plants is strictly prohibited. Third, you must not break other people's wands. Fourth, you must not intentionally use language to insult your opponent!"

"Now, please have the first-grade students come up first."

The first-grade students immediately erupted into chaos, surging forward in a disorderly manner.

Professor Flitwick had to jump off the high stool again and rearrange them into groups one by one before the game could continue.

“I feel like these rules are coming at me,” Snape whispered to Pandora. “But you know what, those cabbages are really useful. Could you make some more…”

The fun of the competition for first and second graders far outweighs its danger.

The first-grade champion was a blonde girl who used the tickling spell quickly and accurately. In every duel, her opponents, despite losing, would laugh so hard they were practically paralyzed with laughter, it was hard to tell they weren't happy.

However, because most of the young contestants preferred to laugh until they were exhausted rather than give up the competition, only the first and second graders' duels were completed that day.

The third-year dueling tournament finally began the following evening. Snape had expected it to be as uneventful as the previous day's matches, but everything changed the moment Gilderoy Lockhart stepped onto the stage.

Lockhart wore a beautiful lilac robe, her golden curls swaying in delicate waves, dazzling in the candlelight.

Unlike other competitors who bowed to their opponents, he gracefully turned around, faced the students watching, and gave them a charming smile.

Several younger girls even cheered.

“Something’s not right…” Snape instinctively sensed something was wrong, narrowing his eyes warily as he scanned his surroundings. “This kid is no pushover…”

Sure enough, puffs of purple smoke suddenly appeared all around, and then a portrait of Gilderoy Lockhart with a beautiful smile was hung on the wall of the auditorium.

Lockhart completely ignored the boos from the crowd and flashed the same charming smile as in the portrait.

"Hello everyone, please allow me to—"

But before Lockhart could finish speaking, his opponent, his face flushed red, angrily cast a spell on him: "Petrify them all!"

A blinding white light flashed, Lockhart's smile froze on his face, his arms snapped to attention, and under everyone's gaze, he wobbled and fell off the stage.

"Ah—" A scream came from the crowd.

Professor Flitwick struggled to climb off the chair again, rushed to Lockhart's side, and carefully examined his condition.

“Gryffindor wins, but no points!” Professor Flitwick said to Lockhart’s opponent. “Please observe sportsmanship!”

"That's not fair, Professor!" the Gryffindor student shouted, his face full of indignation. "It's his fault!"

“Yes, it’s his fault,” Professor Flitwick said, waving his wand to remove the binding charms from Lockhart’s body. “But remember, he’s your classmate!”

The winner walked off the stage with a look of resentment.

Even though the spell had been broken, Lockhart remained lying on the ground, maintaining that stiff smile.

If his face hadn't changed from red to white and then back to red, Professor Flitwick would have thought his spell hadn't worked.

“Get up, Lockhart.” Professor Flitwick poked Lockhart with his wand. “Please, don’t lie there. We have to continue.”

After this minor incident, the efficiency of the subsequent matches improved significantly. The matches between the fourth and fifth grades concluded in less than an hour, ending the intense competition.

The fourth-year winner was Barty Crouch Jr. His mastery of various spells was exceptional; few opponents could last more than ten rounds against him.

The fifth-year champion was Dirk Clysway, a Hufflepuff student fluent in goblin language. With his powerful defensive and disarming charms, he repeatedly forced his opponents to surrender.

Finally, the sixth-grade competition began.

Snape was the seventh player to compete, and his first opponent happened to be Remus Lupin.

The two walked onto the stage, bowed to each other, and held their wands protectively in front of them.

Snape and Lupin stood about ten meters apart, their eyes locked, and they raised their wands almost simultaneously.

Lupin launched the first attack, sending a Stunning Charm flying towards Snape. Snape waved his wand, easily deflecting the red light.

“Moonface,” Snape said slowly, “long time no see. Don’t be in such a hurry.”

“Severus,” Lupin said calmly, moving slowly within a small area, “bind him quickly—”

Once again, Snape almost lazily and gently broke Lupin's spell.

"Why don't you fight back?" Lupin asked, raising his wand. "Don't you want to win?"

"Have you always thought you were innocent?" Snape sneered. "You've always been on the sidelines watching, or rather, covering your ears and eyes, never getting involved in anything bad."

"Did you know that a few years ago, a comic book was published in the Far Eastern island nation where the only magic school in Asia, 'Magic Village,' is located?"

"Obstacles are everywhere!" Lupin launched another attack.

Snape sidestepped the incoming spell.

"In the comic, there's a character with the strongest physique who always bullies another, weaker character. But many people choose to stand by and watch, choosing to remain so-called neutral, just like you choosing to lower your head and pretend you're engrossed in reading a book..."

“Professor, he’s using verbal attacks—” James’s voice rang out from the crowd.

“He didn’t insult his opponent, Mr. Potter. It’s within the rules.” Professor Flitwick shook his head, not stopping Snape from speaking.

Lupin continued his attacking motions, relentlessly unleashing spells.

“Blocked again, blocked again, Remus.” Snape flicked his wand, breaking the spell again and again, his tone laced with undisguised sarcasm. “I can break your spells, but can you break the fear of your friends leaving you?”

These words seemed to strike a nerve with Lupin, who almost let out a wail. His wand swung wildly through the air, and the candles above the stage transformed into rockets that flew menacingly toward Snape.

Looking at the sea of ​​fire before him, Snape drew a large circle with his wand, and the rockets instantly transformed into silver-white spheres that turned and rushed towards Lupin.

A look of horror crossed Lu Ping's face. He staggered back several steps and fell off the stage.

“Remus, the headmaster didn’t make you a prefect so you could just stand on the sidelines and watch the show,” Snape said coldly, standing on the stage.

"Get out of the way! Get out of the way!"

James and Sirius squeezed through the crowd, walked over to Lupin, and helped him up, with Wormtail following timidly behind them.

“Professor,” James said through gritted teeth to Professor Flitwick, “Next, may I go up and duel him?”

Upon hearing this, Wormtail shifted slightly from behind Sirius to the side, so he could see the stage more clearly. His face showed an expression of eager anticipation, as if he were about to witness the expected event.

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(End of this chapter)