A Professor of Magic at Hogwarts

Chapter 93: Dueling Class

"You're saying Lockhart took credit for others' achievements?" Hermione asked, her face filled with astonishment.

"Keep your voice down!" Ron said.

After dinner, the three of them huddled in a corner of the common room, discussing in hushed tones.

Ron rummaged through his bag and pulled out three pieces of parchment. "Take a look, Hermione."

The young witch immediately took them and began reading.

After a while, she looked up, stuttering, "How is that even possible! I mean, how did Lockhart manage to get others to sell their stories to him?"

Harry suddenly spoke up, "It might not be that they sold them willingly. He could have forcibly taken them."

Ron and Hermione stared at him blankly. This speculation held many hidden layers.

Time swiftly moved to Thursday.

The Great Hall was redecorated, and around the central square gilded stage, young wizards packed in tightly.

When Felix Harp and Snape appeared together, standing at the center of the stage, the young wizards had mixed feelings—surprise and regret intertwined.

"Professor Snape?" Onstage, Felix glanced at him.

Snape shook his head with an expressionless face. In response, Felix took a step forward, tapping his own wand, "Quiet, young wizards—"

"Our class is about to begin."

Felix spun in place, and wherever his gaze landed, the crowd hushed.

"Before we begin, there are a few things that need to be explained."

Felix's gaze remained steady, his voice resonating in the ears of each young wizard, "First, Professor Lockhart, who was originally responsible for the Dueling course, has graciously entrusted me with the course due to personal commitments, making me fully responsible;"

The young wizards exchanged whispers. "I don't think so." Dean Thomas turned to Neville beside him, "Honestly, I think Lockhart's been more scatterbrained this semester. He's even forgetting lines during his performances."

"I think it's just stress getting to him these days. Sometimes I get like that too—nervous and my mind goes blank," Neville whispered softly.

"Speaking of which, I was quite surprised that Malfoy didn't burst in and drag him away."

After a brief pause, Felix continued, "Second, Professor Snape will serve as a guest instructor, providing guidance and suggestions for our Dueling course throughout;"

The murmurs in the audience grew louder.

"—And thirdly, it concerns the Dueling course itself. After discussing with Professor Snape, we both agreed that the course's schedule and format should be fixed. So, from now on, our classes will take place every other week, on the second and fourth Thursdays of the month, at 8 o'clock in the evening."

As the young wizards absorbed this information, Felix waved his wand. The ceiling of the Great Hall dimmed, while simultaneously, a milky-white light descended like an inverted bowl, enveloping the stage and the silhouettes of the young wizards.

Some of the murmuring voices seemed to merge with the expanse of a wide wilderness, becoming faint and indistinct.

"Now, we shall begin in earnest."

Felix extended his hand, inviting Snape.

Amidst a solemn hush, Snape spoke with his characteristic monotone, "Wizard dueling is an ancient tradition that, over time, has been tamed into a refined art within the confines of certain rules that exclude much of the bloodshed and brutality. Dueling has become a means to showcase a wizard's charm."

Many young wizards noticed that in this environment, Professor Snape's voice strangely held an added allure.

Ron whispered, "I've always thought Snape had a talent for telling ghost stories."

"What did you say?" Hermione cocked her head. But she soon discovered, to her surprise, that her voice turned faint and subdued.

"It's the effect of magic," Harry said, but the other two could only see his lip movements.

"—But the foundation of dueling remains. Many spend their lives as clueless about dueling as a troll, clumsily waving their wands, competing in magical strength and the volume of their voices." At this point, Snape's gaze fell upon the young wizards of Gryffindor House, laden with sarcasm.

"But dueling itself is a refined skill. If you're willing to spend even a fraction of time, you'll realize that the World Wizarding Dueling Championship publishes related guidebooks every few years."

Snape, today, rare as it was, explained his perspective on dueling. While his words left the young wizards somewhat bewildered, they sensed Snape's reverence for dueling.

Halfway through, Snape couldn't resist his habit of subtly implying something about a certain professor. He said, "Though Hogwarts hasn't focused on dueling and combat magic traditions as Durmstrang has, much of the related content has been incorporated into one course."

Snape lightly raised his wand, his eyes fixed ahead, and from between his teeth emerged a few words, "Indeed, Defense Against the Dark Arts."

"But this course has never fulfilled its intended purpose over the years, which has led to some students lacking even the basic ability to assess danger."

Amidst a solemn, suppressed atmosphere, many young wizards felt as if they were back in a Potions class.

This professor always possessed the ability to single-handedly manipulate the surrounding atmosphere.

Next, Felix clapped his hands, drawing the young wizards' attention back to him.

"Today's lesson is the Disarming Charm. We witnessed its effectiveness in the first Dueling class—it's a highly useful spell."

Felix enumerated some of the advantages of the Disarming Charm, "Simple and easy to learn, with significant impact. It's low in danger, whether for daily practice or in formal dueling situations."

"Who has mastered this spell?"

Sparse arms went up, mostly from the older students. "Lower than I anticipated," Felix shook his head.

He summoned a seventh-year Gryffindor student.

"Professor Harp, my name is Albert Burke," the acne-ridden student said excitedly. "I'm preparing to become an Auror at the Ministry of Magic; I've been preparing for this for two years."

Felix understood in his heart.

With Felix's signal, Burke waved his wand, "Expelliarmus!" A red spell cut through the air, executing a standard Disarming Charm.

Next, Felix elaborated on the learning methods for the Disarming Charm, using Burke as a "subject," having him repeatedly attempt the incantation, and pointing out crucial aspects.

Under his demonstration, many young wizards gained a basic understanding of the spell.

"Next—"

Felix waved his wand, and from a corner, hundreds of pieces of parchment flew out of a suitcase, landing accurately in front of each young wizard.

Harry deftly picked one up, looking at the dense descriptions and casting techniques; his scalp felt like it might explode.

He looked up at the stage, where Professor Harp calmly said, "I don't believe you can master a spell within these mere two hours. In fact, if there are ten successful examples, I'd be surprised."

"The content on this parchment is for your practice and reference after class. I will explain its usage shortly."

"Now, let us proceed with formal practice."

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