Although Harry and Wood were very sure not to speak, the news that Cassandra Wray was in the hospital spread. The Wray sisters were celebrities in Slytherin for their noble birth and beauty, and now that their younger sister had been attacked and was dying, the news spread throughout the school. Cassandra's sister said that anyone who solved the diary would earn the friendship of House Wray, and that anyone who kept the diary would have to confess or become an enemy of House Wray.
Since Cassandra had been attacked when she was alone, the first years now moved in groups, fearful of following in the Wray's footsteps.
Fred and George made a small fortune: charms and exorcism items suddenly became popular among the students, and Fred and his team took advantage of the market demand and launched several fashionable products. These included, among others, rotten onions and amethysts. Lizard tails ...
Little pureblood wizards are no exception: Cassandra was born a pureblood, and her attack shocked the group of little pureblood wizards: was it not agreed that only "dirty bloods" would be eliminated? How could it be...
Besides, they bought the amulet with the idea that they wouldn't lose out if they bought it. Malfoy, of course, couldn't buy a Weasley amulet. But every time the Fred brothers threw an amulet, Malfoy received a similar one the next day.
"This can't go on," Tom told Dumbledore, "The whole school is in a panic."
In the small Headmaster's office there were six teachers standing: headmaster Dumbledore, the four deans, and Tom, the Defense Against the Dark Arts teacher.
"I think we should hurry to find the source of the panic, bring him to justice, and send him to Azkaban." Snape stared at Tom with his hollow eyes.
"Do you have any ideas on how to do that?" Dumbledore looked at Lockhart, who was standing in front of his desk.
"We could have a dueling club, teach the students some dueling skills."
"Heh!" sneered Snape, looking rather contemptuous.
"I have no objection to teaching students the art of dueling, the skills may come in handy someday, but what does this have to do with the incident in the diary?" Dumbledore raised his eyes and looked at Tom.
"Giving the students something to do, making them think they are trying, will numb the fear in their minds." Tom forced himself not to look Snape and Dumbledore in the eye. "While the dueling club is running, the deans can take the opportunity to go through the students' personal belongings."
When people were idle, they thought about things, so why not make young wizards' lives more fulfilling, so they wouldn't have time to think about the Chamber of Secrets.
"What if that diary was taken by that boy?" Professor Sprout felt that the search for personal effects was excessive and noted the loopholes in this method. She and McGonagall had discussed the whereabouts of the black magic diary, and had come to the conclusion that she had most likely forced more than one student to hide it in the possession of another who had fallen under her spell after the operation had failed.
This suspicion worried the two teachers.
"We can think of a solution to this problem, as an excuse for the students to put on the mourning suits we have prepared and remove the remains." Tom replied nonchalantly, looking at the four pondering deans, "Do you have any ideas? Or do you have a better idea?"
If there was a better option, the professors really didn't have one, Hogwarts really needed an event to cheer people up right now. A dueling club would fit the bill.
But when everyone was done talking about the club and the quest,
But as everyone was about to leave Dumbledore's office, Lockhart volunteered to stay, he had something else to tell Dumbledore.
...
As December and Christmas approached, the Deans began to gather the names of those who would be staying for Christmas this year. Most of the young wizards had opted to go home for Christmas because of the furor in the Chamber of Secrets.
Harry was anxious about this, he was almost certain that Malfoy was behind it, but he had no proof. He, Ron and Neville were anxious as ants and couldn't think of anything to do.
Harry, Ron and Neville walked through the foyer and headed for the auditorium, Ron was going a little bored along the way. "Maybe we should catch Malfoy, torture him and find out what his family is up to."
Neville, off to the side, suddenly changed his face, contradicting Ron in an uncharacteristic move.
"Look, what seems to be going on over there?" Harry changed the subject, easing the group's discomfort. The two followed his gaze and saw a group of people gathered around a bulletin board, reading a notice that had just been posted. It took them a few questions to figure it out: the teachers were starting a dueling club! The first meeting was this afternoon, and Snape and Professor Lockhart would appear together to show the young wizards what it meant to duel as adults.
All three were interested, so at seven o'clock that evening they returned to the Great Dining Hall after dinner. By then the decor of the room had changed considerably, the four tables had disappeared and a circular golden stage had appeared in the center of the room, with hundreds of candles floating from the ceiling casting light onto the center of the stage, as if it were an opera house.
Students from all over the school eagerly flocked to the venue, squeezing as close to the front as possible to watch the teachers cast their spells in detail.
"Where's Hermione?" A girl right in front of them struggled to take a seat, looking around, having separated from her friends.
"I don't know..." a girl next to her with a twisted braid, who had thrown her shoulder gracefully over her shoulder, replied.
"Shee's reading in the common room, she has to write...," a voice from behind them to the right answered her question, but it also made the young wizards around them stare: a dueling club event, and you can still be engrossed in your studies?
A student no less.
As they chatted, a soft pop was heard, and through a haze of smoke, Professor Lockhart stepped out onto the stage. Tonight, Lockhart was resplendent in a sky blue robe. Only after glowing did Snape appear, expressionless, in his usual black robe.
Lockhart looked at everyone in silence, until the last wizard closed his mouth.