Chapter 61 The Reluctant Duel

By the next morning, the bone in Harry's arm had grown back. Madam Pomfrey came to check and found that she looked good, so she told Harry directly that she could leave.

Of course Harry couldn't wait.

He dressed as quickly as he could and hurried to Gryffindor Tower, wishing he could tell Ron and Hermione about Colin and Dobby, but they weren't there.

Harry went out looking again, wondering, where could they go? He felt a little aggrieved, they didn't care at all whether his bones grew well or not.

But when he searched and came to Myrtle's bathroom, he found that only Hermione was brewing medicine here.

Harry! she said, you startled me. Come in—how's your arm?

Fine, said Harry, squeezing into the cubicle.

There was a cauldron on top of the toilet bowl, and Harry heard a crackling sound from under the toilet bowl, so he knew they had built a fire underneath. Using magic to conjure a portable waterproof fire is Hermione's forte.

Where's Ron? Isn't he here? Harry asked curiously.

Yes, said Hermione, well, I mean, I haven't seen him since early this morning.

They were talking, but they saw Ron push the door and come in. His face was very ugly.

What's the matter, Ron? Where have you been? Harry asked in surprise.

Ron was silent for a while, then said, I'm going to find Maca.

To find Maca? Hermione stood up abruptly.

Well, I didn't find it...

Ron said something in a low voice, and left again, leaving only Harry and Hermione looking at each other.

Should we go ask what's going on? Harry glanced at Hermione.

I think it's better not to. Hermione shook her head, not knowing how to answer, but just evaded.

For a moment, Harry fell into doubt, but forgot what he originally wanted to say. It's just that none of them expected that Maca would suddenly appear in front of them at the most unexpected moment.

...

Word spread throughout the school Monday morning that Colin Creevey had been attacked and now lay dead in his hospital room.

In an instant, rumors were flying in the school, and everyone was suspicious.

First-year freshmen are always moving around in groups of three or four, as if they are afraid that they will be attacked if they act alone.

Ginny sat at the table with Colin Creevey in Charms and was very distraught.

Fred and George, trying to please her, took turns to tease her by jumping out from behind the stone statues in feathers or manges, which Harry felt was obviously doing a disservice.

They stopped messing around after Percy, incoherently angry, told them he was going to write to their mother, Mrs. Weasley, and tell her that Ginny had nightmares at night.

One day after that, Harry was walking through the hall.

Suddenly they saw a small crowd gathered around the bulletin board, reading from a piece of parchment that had just been stapled on.

Seamus Finnigan and Dean Thomas looked very excited and beckoned them over.

They're starting a dueling club! Seamus said. First meeting tonight. I have no objection to taking some dueling lessons, which may come in handy someday...

And at eight o'clock that night, the appearance of the Hogwarts hall changed.

The long dining table disappeared, and along one wall appeared a long gilded stage, lit by hundreds of candles floating overhead, and the ceiling became velvety black again.

Almost all the students from the school came. Fortunately, the hall was wide enough. Although it still seemed crowded, at least there was still some room to move around.

Each of them held their own wand and looked excited.

But not long after, Gilderoy Lockhart made his debut amidst everyone's disappointed expressions.

He was wearing a fuchsia robe, his hair was well combed, and he looked good. At first glance, he was indeed very radiant—as long as he didn't move around.

But it is obviously impossible for Professor Sao Baoxin to stay still and not speak.

Lockhart waved for silence, then yelled, Come around, come around! Can everyone see me? Can everyone hear me... that's great!

Well, Professor Dumbledore has allowed me to start this little dueling club, to train you well enough, in case you ever need to defend yourself, in the same way I have used countless times - for details on this, Please see my published work.

He said, waved his hand again, and made a please gesture.

Let me introduce my assistant—Professor Snape! He said to Snape at the bottom of the stage, He told me that he himself knew a thing or two about duels, and he generously agreed , assist me with a small demonstration before class.

I said, I don't want to worry you little guys--after I finish demonstrating with him, I will return your Potions teacher to you intact, don't be afraid--

I said, Snape interrupted suddenly, I do know a thing or two about dueling, but I'm not the one who's going to give you a demonstration today—

He took a step to the side, revealed the person behind him, and said with a sneer.

……It's him.

Everyone was taken aback this time, because it was none other than Maca standing behind Snape—Maca Maclean!

Oh—haha, Lockhart froze for a moment, then smiled, I think you must be joking, as a teacher, how can I fight a duel with students? How dangerous—

No, I think this is appropriate. Snape said with a faint smile, In this way, everyone can see more clearly the danger of the spell...

He paused for a moment, and said to Lockhart: I don't think it's a big deal for you, a 'duel expert', to control the danger given the huge disparity?

Sure enough, Lockhart immediately jumped into the pit.

Oh, of course! I think your idea is also good... yes. Lockhart showed a friendly smile, Then come up, Maca.

If Maca didn't want to get involved in this matter, but for some reason, Snape threw the matter to himself. He thought about it, and finally agreed.

Don't worry, kid—don't be afraid, you won't get hurt because of this, I'm very experienced as a dueling instructor. Lockhart maintained a charming smile, Maybe I can write a book on dueling, that's for sure It's going to be fun.

Maybe... Maca said casually while drawing out her wand.

In the audience, many students looked at Maca curiously.

Although many people have heard about some things at the end of last semester, the specific situation was blurred by Dumbledore. In fact, most of the students were looking forward to this sudden duel.

At this moment, the eyes of Harry, Ron and Hermione also focused on Maca, but their minds were obviously completely different. Among them, the one with the least psychological burden is probably Harry.

Come on, Maca! Harry shouted cheerfully.

What he meant, of course, was that he hoped that Maca could teach Lockhart a lesson so that he would stop being so annoying.

Lockhart and Maca faced each other at a distance on the stage and bowed to each other.

Compared with Maca's ordinary movements, Lockhart is obviously much more fancy. He flipped his hands in many tricks, skillfully made a very gentlemanly look, and even took the time to make an elegant gesture to Macca.

They then held their respective wands like arrows to their chests.

As you can see, we hold our wands in the normal dueling position. Maca has done a good job of this, obviously he has some knowledge of dueling, Lockhart said to the silent crowd. Three, we'll cast the first spell. Of course, I won't let Maca get hurt.

Immediately, the attention of all the students in the audience gathered.

one two Three!

Maca raised his hand and shook it lightly, and the tip of the staff quickly outlined the trajectory of the spell while shaking, the speed was astonishingly fast.

Disarm you!

A slender red light suddenly appeared from the tip of the wand, and went straight to Lockhart opposite. Although the lightning-fast red light didn't look very dazzling, the solidity of the beam of light made Snape's face flash with surprise.

Lockhart didn't even have time to react when he was hit by the red light and flew backwards off the stage, slammed into the wall hard, and slid down, curled up on the floor.

If Snape were to do it, it should be about this strength...

Although I don't know why Snape left this matter to him, but once Snape proposed it, Maca was really hard to shirk.

To put it bluntly, Maca needed Snape's help from time to time for his research on potions. Rarely, when the other party has a request, it is obviously not in the interest to lightly refuse. In desperation, Maca had no choice but to do so.

Even he knew in his heart that this minimal ridiculous imitation was probably nothing more than self-deception.

In any case, I need time...more time. Maca thought to himself, I am unable to make a reasonable judgment at all, which would be very bad.

Let's not mention the expressionless Maca and Lockhart who is getting up awkwardly. Just looking at the students watching in the hall, almost everyone was too surprised to speak.

After a while of silence, what followed was boiling.

Maca looked at the situation under the stands, and had already expected this in his heart. But in any case, this does not meet his immediate needs, even if it is certainly beneficial to his popularity at Hogwarts.

Professor Lockhart, I'm sorry. Maca said lightly, and jumped off the stage without waiting for Lockhart to say anything.

Offstage, Snape looked at Lockhart's slightly embarrassed expression, with a sneer on his face.