Hogwarts: I'm Harry's older cousin

Chapter 136, Section 134: Mr. Longbottom, please come up here and give me a demonstration.

Lockhart, dressed like a peacock, walked in through the other side of the auditorium, his flamboyant crimson robes swaying in.

Behind him followed two figures, one tall and one short, Professor Snape and Professor Flitwick, who were dressed in black robes as always.

"Come closer! Come closer! Can everyone see me? Can everyone hear me? That's great!"

Lockhart shouted at the top of his lungs, even though he, as a wizard, could actually use amplification magic like "loud voice".

"I think everyone should learn how to duel in case you need to defend yourself someday. Of course, I have used countless different methods to protect myself, and you can learn from them. If you want to know the details clearly, please read my published works."

Then came a long, detailed introduction to his work.

Perhaps because he was so badly suppressed by Dragonlance Chronicles, Lockhart now spares no effort in promoting his novel whenever he has the chance.

It has to be said that this tactic does have some effect.

While it's important to ensure the book itself is of high quality, effective marketing and recommendations are equally crucial.

When Professor Snape was getting a little impatient, Lockhart finally spoke up: "Then today's first lesson will be me teaching you how to duel."

At that moment, Ron looked like he was constipated.

He was right.

"Look at my mouth, I can't learn a thing from this."

"Ahem, let me introduce my assistants—Professor Snape and Professor Flitwick," Lockhart said, grinning widely to reveal his gleaming teeth. "Professor Snape told me he knows a thing or two about dueling, and he generously agreed to give me a little demonstration before class. I said, I don't want you little devils to worry—after I'm done demonstrating, I'll return your Potions teacher to you unharmed, so don't be afraid!"

"And of course, there's our Professor Flitwick. He's in charge of guiding us during our duels, explaining the important points of the duels. Actually, I could do it myself, but I think you guys need an explanation to make sure you don't miss a single detail. Hey guys, don't let his small size fool you; this little guy has a lot of energy inside. He was a dueling champion in his youth, although he's still a little bit inferior to me. If you want to know how good I am, then please take a good look at my work."

After a series of words that combined praise, criticism, and a sales pitch, the two professors' faces turned as black as the bottom of a pot.

Dudley clearly saw Snape slightly raise his wand several times and then forcefully put it down, and his gaze toward Lockhart was also very unfriendly. Even Professor Flitwick, the good-natured and honest man, gripped his wand tightly, but the peacock seemed not to see it.

Offending two powerful wizards in one fell swoop, I really don't know if it was an accident or intentional, or if it was intentional but accidental.

Lockhart and Snape walked onto the gilded stage, turned to face each other, and bowed.

These are the basic etiquette rules before a wizard duel begins. Professor Flitwick also gave a brief explanation of these rules, outlining important points to note regarding basic dueling etiquette.

However, Lockhart was not one to stay still. He used his hands to perform many tricks, attracting the attention of many young wizards.

Moreover, the action combined with his image was quite handsome. Dudley could hear many little witches whispering infatuated voices, saying things like "So handsome" and "Charming".

Is he really handsome?

Dudley looked Lockhart up and down. With a physique that probably didn't have much muscle in his entire body, he really didn't understand what was so cool about him.

Only his face can barely be considered handsome.

Or perhaps it's because these little witches are quite ignorant and haven't seen many handsome men.

To be fair, if Snape dressed up properly, especially by washing his hair and striking a pose, combined with his natural charisma, he would definitely be more handsome than this peacock.

It's a pity.

They held their wands up to their chests like arrows.

Just as Professor Flitwick was about to continue his explanation, Lockhart's voice interrupted him.

"As you can see, this is the typical wand grip for a duel."

Lockhart then proceeded to demonstrate several more poses, saying, "Actually, there's this, this, and this. These are all poses you can adopt during a duel. I learned these while traveling around. Oh, maybe I'll publish a book someday about me and my dueling history. Everyone is welcome to buy it and study it then."

It's clear he put some effort into this duel club event, or perhaps it was to promote his new book.

"When I count to three, Professor Snape and I will cast the first spell. Of course, neither of us will take the other's life."

"I think counting to three is what I should do, Professor Lockhart," Professor Flitwick interrupted abruptly.

Why did you call me over when you could have done it yourself, Lockhart?

"Oh, look at my memory." Lockhart made an apologetic gesture.

"one"

"two"

"three"

As Professor Flitwick shouted "three," the two of them simultaneously raised their wands high above their shoulders.

"Abolish your weapon!" Snape's cold voice echoed through the Great Hall.

A dazzling red light flashed, and Lockhart's wand slipped from his hand. He then flew off the stage, crashed heavily into the wall, and slowly slid down, curling up on the floor like a boiled shrimp.

The plot was predictable, and the battles were predictable.

I just didn't expect it to happen so quickly; it couldn't even withstand one spell.

The young wizards stared wide-eyed, especially those who still supported Lockhart, who wore expressions of disbelief. Although Professor Snape was indeed very strong, this was too fast!

"He's supposed to be a professor, but his level is just too low." Ron didn't know how to complain.

At least exchange a move or two, what's the point of learning if you can instantly kill them?

Learn how to get instantly killed? Or learn which position on the ground is more comfortable?

"Poor thing, Professor Snape doesn't hold back," Neville said, unusually. "It must have hurt a lot."

It hurt terribly, Lockhart felt like his body was falling apart. He was only saved by using the "Expelliarmus" weapon instead of being torn to pieces, otherwise...

Lockhart leaned against the wall and staggered to his feet, covered in dust and his wavy curls standing on end.

"Everyone saw it, right!" Lockhart reacted very quickly. He immediately thought of how to explain, and despite the pain in his body, he pretended to be relaxed and said, "This is the power of the Disarming Charm. I was 'defeated' by Professor Snape."

"Actually, Professor Snape's intention was very clear. If I wanted to stop him, there were at least a hundred ways that would be effortless."

I pretended that I had deliberately fallen for the trap.

In a sense, being able to be so thick-skinned is indeed a skill.

Such a far-fetched explanation... and anyone still believes Lockhart? They're probably just hopelessly in love.

Seeing that Snape's face was turning noticeably darker, Lockhart quickly said, "The demonstration between professors ends here! Let's continue from a different angle."

"So."

Lockhart frantically searched his mind for names, his gaze first falling on Dudley before immediately shifting away.

"A student who's somewhat famous but not that good, preferably one who's leveraging someone else's fame."

Thinking this, Lockhart's gaze fell on a young wizard.

"Mr. Longbottom, please come up here and give me a demonstration."

(End of this chapter)