My partner at Hogwarts is Tom

Watching the young wizards excitedly discussing their departure, Lockhart's gaze was like a poisoned icicle, fixed on Victor's retreating figure.

Victor was patiently explaining something to Hagrid and several prefects, his expression focused and peaceful.

Surrounded by eagerly listening students, whose eyes shone with trust and reverence, the students should have been Gilderoy Lockhart!

His meticulously planned "dazzling debut," his anticipated adoration that drew massive crowds, and the image he painstakingly cultivated... were all ruined.

He was utterly destroyed by Snape, by this Victor, and by those damned and lengthy "safety rules".

Victor didn't even mention his name!

It was as if he were just an insignificant announcer, or even less important than an announcer!

"My...club...my idea...my stage..."

His fingernails dug deep into his palms, causing a sharp pain, but he couldn't suppress the surging jealousy and rage in his heart that threatened to devour him.

He could feel the muscles in his face twitching; the perfect, practiced smile mask had long since shattered, leaving only a naked distortion.

He had to exert all his strength just to barely maintain his standing posture.

Instead of rushing over immediately and pointing your wand at that damn man who always effortlessly steals the spotlight.

No, no.

Impulse is the devil.

Gilderoy Lockhart's greatest strengths are intelligence, charisma, and... waiting for the right moment.

Just like when you used to ambush those old wizards who lived in the forest, you need to be patient.

He took a deep breath and tried to put on a smile again, but found that his facial muscles were too stiff to obey him.

He could only lower his head slightly, letting his carefully styled curls fall down, obscuring part of his expression.

His fingers nervously stroked the smooth shaft of the wand.

Just then, he caught a glimpse of something unusual in the corner of his eye.

That damn, furry black creature—Victor's Niffler, what was its name again? Mike?

It was squatting in the corner of the auditorium, its two little paws holding a handful of shiny, probably dried magical insects, which it was chewing on with relish.

Its small, black bean-like eyes were staring at him without blinking.

It wasn't curiosity, nor was it wariness; rather, it was a kind of... almost bored observation.

It was as if Professor Lockhart's ferocious expression at that moment was nothing more than a trivial background noise during its meal.

Lockhart's heart sank, as if those black bean-like eyes had seen through all his embarrassment and wretchedness.

He straightened his back almost reflexively, forcing himself to put on a composed, fake smile, even though the smile was as stiff as a stone sculpture.

Mike tilted his head, seemingly finding his "change of expression" somewhat uninteresting.

It let out a small burp, filled with dried insect bits, and scratched its round belly with its hind paws.

Then it turned around, stuck out its rear end, and wiggled its way into the deeper shadows, leaving only the tip of its white-spotted tail swaying before disappearing.

As if the last remaining "audience" had left, Lockhart felt a chill of exhaustion.

Even a beast was mocking him! He gripped his wand tightly, his knuckles turning white.

We can't just let this go.

Victor Scamander...you wait.

A dueling club? Safety rules? Hmph, we'll see.

There will always be an opportunity... there will always be a way to let you, that bat in the gutter, and that little dwarf jumping around know who truly deserves to stand center stage and enjoy applause and adoration.

He glanced one last time at Victor, who was surrounded by enthusiastic students, his eyes filled with malice, then abruptly turned, his robes flashing in a sharp arc, like a bat disappearing into the shadows, and silently left the noisy auditorium.

…………

In October, Hogwarts Castle seemed to be wrapped in a huge, wet, gray blanket.

The incessant rain pounded against the castle windows, the Quidditch pitch turned into a muddy swamp, and the waters of the Black Lake overflowed the paths along its shore.

Apart from the Gryffindor team members who seemed tireless and continued training in the wind and rain.

The other three colleges wisely suspended outdoor activities.

Harley always came back looking like she'd been pulled out of a lake, making Hermione frown and say that Wood had no gentlemanly manners whatsoever and only cared about Quidditch.

Professor Sprout had to reluctantly suspend even the herbalism class, which usually required working in the greenhouse with the soil, due to the inclement weather.

Ask the seventh-grade wizards and professors to help repair the greenhouse and the disturbed magical plants.

With outdoor activities subsiding, the "energy" inside the castle has accumulated to an unprecedented level.

The library was packed, and Mrs. Pince's frequency of waving the feather duster increased significantly.

The common room was packed with students playing chess, playing jacks, or simply gathering together to complain about the weather.

And those sixth and seventh grade couples who usually like to date in the courtyard, by the lake, or even on the edge of the forbidden forest.

They then have to risk moving their rendezvous to an empty classroom, a secluded corner of a corridor, or the Room of Requirement.

This made Filch and his cat, Mrs. Lorris, even more suspicious, and their risk of being caught while out at night increased dramatically.

Against this backdrop, the newly established Duel Club was like a bolt of lightning cleaving through the gloomy rain, instantly igniting the passion of the Hogwarts students.

Those three dueling stands, which were enchanted with waterproof, slip-resistant, and temperature-regulating spells, making them dry and comfortable even on rainy days, became the most sought-after spots.

Over tea and after meals, the phrase "Shall we go to the ring for a 'heart-to-heart' chat?" has become a popular saying.

This "heart-to-heart talk" could mean friendly exchanges between friends, or it could be a "civilized" settlement between long-standing rivals.

Even if you don't want to play, watching others "talk" becomes a great pastime.

The funny things that happen in the ring every night, the classic duels, and even the mistakes and blunders, all become topics of conversation at the breakfast table the next day.

Who used a brilliant spell to turn the tide, whose teamwork was flawless, and whose nervousness caused them to mispronounce a spell... These stories spread rapidly through the hallways and classrooms.

After two weeks of this dueling frenzy among the students, the fervor finally began to slowly, but definitely, decline.

For most students, it gradually evolved into a recreational activity similar to Quidditch.

It's a spice to enjoy during the stress of studying, not the center of life.

Apart from a dozen or so "regulars" who come almost every night and are obsessed with improving their skills and points, most students only participate occasionally or watch from the sidelines.

Even so, Dumbledore and the other professors were quite satisfied.

After all, with the emergence of dueling clubs, some young wizards who were not originally interested in studying began to take the initiative to learn various spells and related skills.

Among these students who actively sought knowledge, the ones who were most frequently asked questions and surrounded by professors were naturally Victor and Frivi.

Viktor is always surrounded by curious students who ask him about the use of magical creatures in actual combat or the clever transformation of defensive spells.

Outside Professor Flitwick's office, small lines often form as students eagerly await precise spell guidance and advanced techniques from the former dueling champion.

As for Professor Snape, aside from a few young wizards from Slytherin, such as Malfoy, who would occasionally approach him with obvious smugness to "ask" him about potions or defense against the dark magic, he was rarely seen.

His cellar office remained as quiet and secluded as ever most of the time.

Among those dueling "regulars," the Weasley twins are undoubtedly the most dazzling and troublesome stars.

In the individual duel arena, although Hufflepuff's Cedric Diggory relies on his solid skills, calm mind, and handsome and gentle appearance.

This earned him a lot of support, especially from the Ravenclaw girls.

He ultimately earned the title of "most promising duelist," but the title of "strongest" remains controversial due to opposition from some young wizards, especially boys.

Furthermore, Diggory was not invincible, and many of his victories came from friendly matches, which may have less persuasive power for those who value winning more.

But in the duo arena, the crown of "best partners" has undoubtedly fallen on the heads of Fred and George, the Weasley duo.

The two of them were completely at home in the 2v2 arena, and even began to challenge the Slytherin seventh-grade group "out of their league".

Those seventh-graders might be able to overpower either of the twins in terms of personal ability or the power of their spells.

However, when it comes to teamwork, positioning, tactical deception, and mutual understanding, the Weasley brothers demonstrate an overwhelming advantage.

They seemed to share the same brain; a single glance or gesture was enough for them to understand each other's intentions.

They were masters of feint attacks, pincer attacks, cover fire, and diversionary tactics.

Slytherin Quidditch captain Marcus Flint and his batting partner were twice caught out by either being too reckless or being lured into traps.

They were "accidentally" knocked off the ring by the twins' combined spell, sprained their ankles or wrists, or were afflicted by a minor curse that was difficult to remove, forcing them to report to the school hospital.

The matter even alarmed Professor McGonagall and Snape, one of the professors in charge.

Under Snape's icy gaze, Professor McGonagall, Victor, and Flitwick, after deliberation, had no choice but to issue a temporary regulation.

"It is forbidden to engage in informal, high-intensity two-person duel practice with Fred and George Weasley during the period leading up to important Quidditch matches and during class time."

This rule was quickly jokingly referred to by the Gryffindors as the "Weasley Prohibition" or the "Weasley Clause".

The twins were not offended at all; on the contrary, they regarded it as a great honor and walked around the castle with even more swagger.

They were initially worried that their mother would hear about it from Percy and write to scold them for "causing trouble" and "not doing their job properly."

But unexpectedly, Mrs. Molly Weasley only mentioned it briefly in her reply.

"I heard you joined Professor Victor's club? Don't just focus on fighting and showing off. Remember to learn from your brother Charlie and learn something truly useful from the professor."

However, the Weasley twins are also the ones who have added the most rules to the Duel Club.

Their wildly imaginative "creativity," which skirts the gray areas of the rules, often gives the prefects and professors in charge of supervision a real headache.

This also prompted the rules and regulations of the dueling club to be "improved" at an astonishing speed.

The first thing explicitly prohibited was bringing undeclared magical items into the venue.

The incident began when Fred and George "accidentally" dropped a few "poop balls" on the edge of the ring during a match against Ravenclaw seniors.

Then, during the duel, he used a spell to blast the dung ball apart.

In the end, most of the arena was covered by the blasted dung balls.

Slytherin, who was dueling with them, was drenched in excrement and was knocked down by the two men while vomiting, ending up in a pile of dung.

After the duel, although the twins raised their hands and claimed that it was just "practice equipment that accidentally slipped out of their pockets," Professor McGonagall, after seeing the report, added this rule with a grim face.

Next, they used their own potions during the duel.

This stemmed from George "accidentally" spilling his scabies medicine, which he didn't know whether he did it intentionally or accidentally failed to brew, on his opponent—at least that's how he explained it to Mrs. Pomfrey.

When faced with the young wizard covered in fist-sized growths, Madam Pomfrey was furious, considering it tantamount to "dangerous drug abuse."

Therefore, Victor had to add to the safety guidelines.

Apart from the standard emergency White Essence and soothing agents provided by the school hospital at the ringside, the use of any private potions is prohibited, and violators will face penalties including suspension and community service.

What alarmed the professors the most and directly led to the new regulations was the strict definition of "off-court factors" and "interactions outside the ring area".

Before the twins' fierce battle against a pair of older Slytherin partners.

The opponent always inexplicably suffers various problems, such as falling and breaking a leg, or drinking the wrong potion and getting a stomachache, which prevents them from being present or causes them to underperform and lose.

The twins offered explanations such as this being karma.

However, in the lounge, the twins were busy proclaiming their theory that the outcome of dealing with unruly people wasn't solely determined on the dueling ring.

However, there is no direct evidence that the Weasley brothers were responsible.

But Professor Snape insisted that this was "a despicable, non-confrontational magical harassment using contact before or after the match."

At Snape's insistence, a strict rule was added.

It is strictly forbidden to cast curses or prank spells on recent opponents in any form during informal arena hours. Violators will face deductions from the academy, long-term bans, or even more severe disciplinary actions.

Of course, Fred and George always put on an innocent and aggrieved expression when this happened.

"We're simply pushing the rules forward, Professor!"

Fred winked slyly at Professor Flitwick.

"Look, isn't the club much more organized now than before? This is all for everyone's safety and... um... fairness."

Professor Flitwick would usually just chuckle shrilly, offering no comment.

Professor McGonagall would stare at them with a sharp gaze until the two of them awkwardly shut up.

Nevertheless, no one can deny that the existence of the Weasley twins greatly enlivened the atmosphere of the Duel Club and made the already detailed safety rules even more thorough in practice.

Whenever a new rule was posted, the students would look at Fred and George with knowing smiles, and the two would straighten their backs as if it were some kind of medal awarded to them.

"Look," George once said to the freshmen gathered around him, his voice filled with undisguised pride.

"Behind every seemingly dry rule, there may be a wonderful story of the Weasley brothers' 'selfless dedication' to the cause of magical dueling. Feel it, children, feel it."

The freshmen seemed to understand, but their eyes were filled with admiration.