Dueling Club (and How One Snake Ruined It)
December 17th 1992
Gilderoy Lockhart walked arrogantly onto the stage set up in the Great Hall for the Duelling Club in robes of deep plum and accompanied by none other than Professor Severus Snape, wearing his usual black on black ensemble.
Hadrian shared a moment of eye contact with his Head of House for a moment and couldn’t help smirking. Snape was going to obliterate Lockhart.
“Is it just me or is Professor Snape looking especially… aggressive today?” Justin asked as the group of eight friends gathered together. A few people gave them shocked looks because of their differing houses, but they ignored them.
“Oh yeah. That’s my father’s murder look. He’s going to destroy Lockhart.” Wilhelmina said with a gleeful smile. Everyone in third year and above hated the man with a passion; even some of the second years had started noticing his ineptitude. It would be very beneficial for everyone if Snape embarrassed the man to hell.
Lockhart waved his arm for silence as he took centre stage and called, “Gather round! Gather round! Can everyone see me? Can you all hear me? Excellent!
“Now, Professor Dumbledore has granted me permission to start this little duelling club, to train you all in case you ever need to defend yourselves as I myself have done on countless occasions — for full details, see my published works.
“Let me introduce my assistant, Professor Snape,” Lockhart continued, flashing a wide smile. “He tells me he knows a tiny little bit about duelling himself and has sportingly agreed to help me with a short demonstration before we begin. Now, I don’t want any of you youngsters to worry — you’ll still have your Potions master when I’m through with him, never fear!”
Snape’s upper lip was curling. Ah, the Slytherin was feeling insulted. Good, better chance for humiliation then. Hadrian wondered if the blond professor was especially brave or just outright dumb to face Severus Snape head on like that, especially with that expression on his face. The Slytherin was very well known for his ruthlessness and sheer power, especially in duelling. He had literally been a child prodigy in spell-crafting when he’d been a student.
Lockhart and Snape turned to face each other and bowed; well, Lockhart did, with much twirling of his hands, whereas Snape jerked his head irritably. Then they raised their wands like swords in front of them. It was basic protocol in formal duels like this one, and Hadrian was glad Lockhart at least knew this, or else he would’ve greatly insulted Snape, which is never a good idea.
“As you see, we are holding our wands in the accepted combative position,” Lockhart explained to the silent crowd. “On the count of three, we will cast our first spells. Neither of us will be aiming to kill, of course.”
“I wouldn’t bet on that,” Hadrian head Harry murmur beside him as everyone watched Snape show his teeth. Hadrian couldn’t help snickering quietly at the accurate thought.
“One — two — three —”
Both of them swung their wands above their heads and pointed them at their opponent; Snape cried “Expelliarmus”: a basic disarming charm that can be quite effective. There was a dazzling flash of scarlet light and Lockhart was blasted off his feet; he flew backwards off the stage, smashed into the wall, and slid down it to sprawl on the floor.
All of Slytherin and even some Ravenclaws, Hufflepuffs and Gryffindors cheered in happiness. People might hate Snape for his snarky attitude and humiliating words, but they hated Lockhart even more for the simple fact he isn’t helping them in any way, unlike Snape who was actually a good professor.
Lockhart was getting up unsteadily to his feet. His hat had fallen off and his wavy hair was standing on end.
“Well, there you have it!” He exclaimed, tottering back onto the platform. “That was a Disarming Charm — as you see, I’ve lost my wand — ah, thank you, Miss Brown — yes, an excellent idea to show them that, Professor Snape, but if you don’t mind my saying so, it was very obvious what you were about to do. If I had wanted to stop you it would have been only too easy — however, I felt it would be instructive to let them see….”
Snape looked quite murderous.
“Oh…. Dad’s mad.” Wilhelmina said, giggling in pure joy. Hadrian noticed Sebastian giving her a sappy smile and hit his friend lightly upside the head, snapping him out of his lovesick trance.
Possibly Lockhart had finally noticed the Head of Slytherin’s anger, because he continued his speech with a nervous laugh, “Enough demonstrating! I’m going to move amongst you now and put you all into pairs. Professor Snape, if you’d like to help me —”
They moved through the crowd, matching up partners. Lockhart teamed Neville with Justin Finch-Fletchley, but Snape reached Harry and Ron first. Hadrian watched the interaction from the corner of his eyes, knowing Snape wouldn’t be nice about it.
“Time to split up the dream team, I think,” he sneered. “Weasley, you can partner with Finnigan. Potter —”
Harry moved toward Hermione, but Hadrian knew that wouldn’t be happening.
“I don’t think so,” Snape said, smiling coldly. “Mr. Malfoy, come over here. Let’s see what you make of the famous Potter. And you, Miss Granger — you can partner with Miss Bulstrode.”
“Umm, Professor?” Draco started but let his brother finish his thought.
“Which Malfoy?” Valerian asked, smiling slightly at his Godfather. Snape blinked a bit as if remembering Valerian’s miraculously return before shaking his head and pointing to the blonde of the brothers.
Draco strutted over, smirking slightly. The two might have resolved their issues a bit, but they still maintained a slightly healthy rivalry. Hadrian didn’t see a point of stopping it when it just encouraged the two to be better without treating each other horribly like they’d done before. Behind Draco walked Heiress Millicent Bulstrode of The Dynamic and Ancient House of Bulstrode. She was a very cute girl, if on the broader side. She had wide chocolate brown eyes that was a similar colour to her shoulder length wavy hair; her face was round with chubby cheeks and freckles all over them. She did have broad shoulders that made her slightly intimidating, but she was actually a very sweet girl. Hermione seemed nervous but gave the girl a small smile which Millicent returned, easing the Gryffindor’s anxiety a bit.
Good, it would be nice if the two became friends from this.
Hadrian soon found himself paired off against Justin after Lockhart had tried pitting him against Seraphina, and what an awkward conversation that was. (To tell your incompetent professor that you physically couldn’t fire spells against each other because of a seemingly mysterious magical bond between you was just weird.)
“Face your partners!” Lockhart finally called after everyone had been paired off, back on the platform.
“And bow!”
Hadrian bowed his head to Justinian as the red-head returned the gesture, but the two were keeping an eye on the Harry/Draco duel that was happening behind them, knowing it could very easily turn from funny to bad. Hadrian noticed that Valerian was doing the same thing as he was standing in front of Yolanda, who was giving the boy a fond smile at the obvious display of his protectiveness over his brother.
“Wands at the ready!” Lockhart exclaimed loudly. “When I count to three, cast your charms to disarm your opponents — only to disarm them — we don’t want any accidents — one… two… three —”
Hadrian and Justin didn’t have time to even raise their wands before chaos ensued all around them from the first and second years, but mostly the second years; those from third year and above just continued staring at the mess, not moving an inch to genuinely duel their opponents. The second years were just too amusing a sight to miss.
“I said disarm only!” Lockhart shouted in alarm over the heads of the battling crowd, as Draco sank to his knees; Harry had hit him with a Tickling Charm, and he could barely move from laughing. Draco then pointed his wand at Harry’s knees, choked, “Tarantallegra!” and the next second Harry’s legs began to jerk around out of his control in a kind of quickstep.
“Stop! Stop!” Lockhart screamed desperately, but Snape took charge.
“Finite Incantatem!” He shouted: Harry’s feet stopped dancing, Malfoy stopped laughing, and they were both able to look up.
A haze of greenish smoke was hovering over the scene. Both Neville and Finch-Fletchley were lying on the floor, panting; Ron was holding up an ashen-faced Seamus, apologizing for whatever his broken wand had done, but Hermione and Millicent Bulstrode were still moving; Millicent had Hermione in a bind of ropes and Hermione was whimpering in pain from the rope burn.
“Dear, dear,” Lockhart squeaked out, skittering through the crowd, looking at the aftermath of the duels. “Up you go, Macmillan…. Careful there, Miss Fawcett…. Pinch it hard, it’ll stop bleeding in a second, Boot —
“I think I’d better teach you how to block unfriendly spells,” Lockhart announced, standing flustered in the midst of the hall. He glanced at Snape, whose dark eyes glinted, and looked quickly away. “Let’s have a volunteer pair — Longbottom and Finch-Fletchley, how about you —”
“A bad idea, Professor Lockhart,” Snape drawled, gliding over like a large and malevolent bat. Hadrian couldn’t help laughing softly at the mental image. Oh Merlin, Moony’s mischief was finally rubbing off on him after a decade of being in the man’s care. “Longbottom causes devastation with the simplest spells. We’ll be sending what’s left of Finch-Fletchley up to the hospital wing in a matchbox.”
Neville’s round, pink face went pinker. Hadrian resolved to talk to Snape about humiliating the boy so thoroughly and publicly. He was just shy and lacked a certain level of confidence, not incompetent or weak.
“How about Malfoy and Potter?” Snape continued with a twisted smile. Ah, there it was, the reason behind dismissing Neville.
“Excellent idea!” Lockhart exclaimed, gesturing Harry and Malfoy into the middle of the hall as the crowd backed away to give them room.
“Why is your father so evil?” Yolanda asked Wilhelmina, who just shrugged.
“I’m pretty sure he was born devious.” Valerian whispered to the group, who snickered at his words.
Snape stood behind Draco and whispered instructions in the boy’s ear, who was nodding attentively. Lockhart, on the other hand, had decided to demonstrate to Harry something that failed miserably, and Harry just looked on in exasperation. Hadrian grabbed the boy’s attention and gave him a comforting smile that he hoped would help, and Harry gulped before turning towards Hadrian’s smug cousin. The two exchanged insults that weren’t heard by the public before taking on their duelling stances as before. Lockhart said something to Harry that had him rolling his eyes and muttering before the professor turned to the crowd.
“Three — two — one — go!” Lockhart shouted, waving his hand in the air.
Malfoy raised his wand quickly and bellowed, “Serpensortia!”
“Bloody hell!” Seraphina exclaimed beside him as she grabbed his hand, and Hadrian felt the sentiment deep inside him. This would not end well.
The end of his wand exploded. Everyone watched, shocked, as a long black snake shot out of it, fell heavily onto the floor between them, and raised itself, ready to strike. There were screams as the crowd backed away swiftly, clearing the floor.
“Don’t move, Potter.” Snape said lazily, clearly enjoying the sight of Harry standing motionless, eye to eye with the angry snake. “I’ll get rid of it….”
“Allow me!” Lockhart shouted. He brandished his wand at the snake and there was a loud bang; the snake, instead of vanishing, flew ten feet into the air and fell back to the floor with a loud smack. Enraged and hissing furiously, it slithered straight toward Justin Finch-Fletchley and raised itself again, fangs exposed, poised to strike.
Harry stared at the snake for a moment before opening his mouth and a series of hisses came out of it that no one understood but made the crowd shiver. And miraculously, the snake slumped to the floor, docile as a thick, black garden hose, its eyes now on Harry.
“Merlin’s bloody underpants, Potter’s a Parselmouth.” Sebastian said with wide eyes, and Hadrian sighed heavily.
This is about to get very messy….
The younger boy looked up at Justin, grinning, probably expecting to see Justin looking relieved, or puzzled, or even grateful — but certainly not angry and scared, but that was exactly how the boy was.
“What do you think you’re playing at?!” Finch-Fletchley shouted, and before Harry could say anything, the boy had turned and stormed out of the hall.
Snape stepped forward, waved his wand, and the snake vanished in a small puff of black smoke. Snape, too, was looking at Harry in a shrewd and calculating look, and Harry clearly didn’t like it. There was an ominous aura all around the hall, and Hadrian knew his God-brother’s fate had already been sealed among the students of Hogwarts. Ron moved towards the boy and muttered something into his ear before steering him out of the hall, Hermione hurrying alongside them. As they went through the doors, the people on either side drew away as though they were frightened of catching something. Hadrian silently followed the trio, giving his friends a look that told them not to come along.
Hermione and Ron dragged Harry all the way up to the empty Gryffindor common room, not noticing as Hadrian slipped in behind them. He admired the very red room that almost blinded him as he watched Ron push Harry into an armchair and said, “You’re a Parselmouth! Why didn’t you tell us?”
“I’m a what?” Harry asked in a confused tone.
“A Parselmouth!” Ron exclaimed. “You can talk to snakes!”
“I know,” Harry said like it was obvious to everyone. “I mean, that’s only the second time I’ve ever done it. I accidentally set a boa constrictor on my cousin Dudley at the zoo once — long story — but it was telling me it had never seen Brazil and I sort of set it free without meaning to — that was before I knew I was a wizard —”
“A boa constrictor told you it had never seen Brazil?” Ron repeated faintly, and Hadrian couldn’t help snickering quietly at the reaction. It was pretty warranted though.
“So?” Harry asked again, this time in a confident tone. “I bet loads of people here can do it.”
“I believe I can shed some light onto this situation.” Hadrian said, finally interrupting the discussion. The three second-years jumped at the sudden voice.
“Hadrian!” Harry exclaimed in pure relief, which Hadrian still found strange. Did his father’s Godson really find him so comforting?
“W-what? How did you enter the Gryffindor common room?!” Ron shouted in horror. “You’re a Slytherin.”
“You three weren’t really focused on your surroundings. Besides, who’ll kick me out?” He asked with a raised brow, switching his tone into the one he used during meetings with members of his family, which Ron just coincidently happened to be. It made the three shiver; they knew no one would dare try and force Hadrian to leave.
“Now,” Hadrian said, “Parseltongue isn’t a common ability in the Wizarding World, Harry, at least not the British one. It is more common in places like India or South Africa, but not enough to warrant a normal reaction to it. In all, about one in ten million people have it in the world, or maybe even less than that. Here in the UK, it is considered a very dark ability that is mainly associated with Salazar Slytherin. That’s why people reacted so horribly to you using it.”
“But why?! I didn’t do anything bad, I was just telling the snake to not attack Justin.”
“Oh, that’s what you said to it?”
“What d’you mean? You were there — you heard me —”
“We heard you speaking Parseltongue.” Ron explained shakily. “Snake language. You could have been saying anything and we wouldn’t know. No wonder Justin panicked, you sounded like you were egging the snake on or something. It was really creepy, you know —”
Harry gaped at him.
“I spoke a different language? But — I didn’t realize — how can I speak a language without knowing I can speak it?”
“You were simply born with this ability. It’s like…. How should I put this? You know how I speak French and Greek?”
“Yes.”
“Well it’s like I walked into the great hall and suddenly started speaking Greek. No one would understand what I am saying. That is what happened today, except you spoke in hissing sounds instead of actual coherent words. Unfortunately for you, only a rare number of people speak this language, and here in the UK, the only two who were known to speak it were Salazar Slytherin himself, and the Dark Lord. And with the recent opening of the Chamber of Secrets….”
“Everyone will think I’m the Heir of Slytherin.” Harry completed for Hadrian, groaning in despair at the explanation. “But I’m not! You have to know that!”
“We do Harry, but everyone else won’t.” Hermione said softly, speaking for the first time since they’d reached the common room.
“Actually those purebloods who’ve studied magical lineages will know too.” That got Hadrian three confused looks. “It’s a well-known fact among these people that the Potters are related to the Peverells not the Slytherins, and that your Grandmother was from Greece, a country where Parseltongue is a lot more common than here in the UK. You could’ve easily gotten the ability from her bloodline.”
“Right! Because magical abilities can skip multiple generations before resurfacing.” Hermione exclaimed, and Hadrian nodded at her with an impressed expression.
“Yes. Very good observation Hermione.”
“Thank you.” The girl said with a blush. “I’ve been studying bloodlines since the Hogwarts Council meeting.”
“But don’t worry, Harry. While the whole school might turn on you in the morning, you’ll find a few allies by your side through this, even some from unlikely places.”
“Right….” Harry sighed out, eyes darkening in dread. Hadrian couldn’t help bringing him into his arms and whispering in his ear.
“Besides, you’ll always have me, Harry, no matter what.”
“I know. Thanks Hades.”
For now, Hadrian’s words would have to be enough.
We have a development.
Harry’s a Parselmouth. Could it be from that night?
Could a human be one of those things you’re so adamant on finding? If so, will he have to die for everything to end?
I don’t know what to do but hide this theory and protect him as much as I can.
Let me know what you think, because I’m really worried about this. Shockingly enough, I’ve become quite fond of the kid, and I’d do anything to keep him alive.
Hope to hear from you soon.
Love, HRCB.