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In the world of Harry Potter, George, while passing through the castle hall in the morning, noticed a group of young wizards gathered around the bulletin board, eagerly discussing something.
As he got closer, he saw a new piece of parchment pinned to the board.
The parchment announced that at 8:00 p.m. tonight, the school would restart the Dueling Club in the Great Hall, teaching the young wizards how to better fight using magic.
The Dueling Club used to be very popular at Hogwarts. It was said that Ravenclaw's Head of House, Professor Flitwick, was once the undefeated champion of the club during his school days.
In one-on-one duels, even senior students couldn't defeat him.
However, due to the frequent injuries sustained during duels, the hospital wing became overwhelmed, forcing the club's eventual cancellation.
Now, with the Chamber of Secrets open and students being attacked, some of the teachers had likely proposed reopening the Dueling Club to help the students improve their combat skills, giving them a better chance of defending themselves when faced with danger.
"This could be a great opportunity to observe and learn," George thought.
He had a positive attitude towards the club's revival. Most of his magical skills were self-taught, and in many areas, they lacked formal training.
When it came to combat, he mostly relied on his superpowers, with magic serving as a secondary tool.
However, in the future, he would need to focus more on magical combat, so it was important for him to observe and learn as many magical combat techniques as possible.
At 8:00 p.m., when George arrived at the Great Hall with the first-year Slytherins, the hall had been completely transformed.
The four long dining tables had been pushed together, forming a grand golden stage, illuminated by hundreds of floating candles.
The ceiling of the Great Hall was now a deep, velvet black. Nearly all the students had gathered, packed tightly together, each holding their wands, faces full of excitement.
As the students speculated on which professor would be teaching them the art of magical dueling, two figures emerged: the flamboyantly dressed Gilderoy Lockhart, wearing his flashy purple robes, and the stern, all-in-black Professor Snape, whose expression was colder than ever.
Lockhart immediately began boasting about his magical dueling skills, showing off to the students. He even introduced Snape as his assistant, using this as a way to elevate himself, which only darkened Snape's already icy demeanor.
George guessed that if there was a list of teachers at Hogwarts who despised Lockhart, Snape would definitely be at the top.
If it weren't for the fact that they were in school, and if Snape hadn't turned over a new leaf, George figured Snape wouldn't hesitate to use all three Unforgivable Curses on Lockhart.
The worst part was that Lockhart, utterly oblivious, had the audacity to challenge Snape to a demonstration duel in front of the students.
Lockhart and Snape stood opposite each other on the stage. After a three-count to begin, both raised their wands above their shoulders.
"Expelliarmus!"
Before Lockhart could even finish the incantation or complete his wand movement, Snape's Disarming Charm had already been cast.
A red streak of magic shot from Snape's wand, hitting Lockhart squarely, sending his wand flying from his hand and hurling him backward. Lockhart slammed into the wall behind the stage before sliding down in a heap.
"So fast!"
Watching from below, George couldn't help but marvel at the speed of Snape's spell.
The Disarming Charm is a second-year spell and a fairly challenging one. It's one of the most commonly used spells in wizard duels, not only forcing the opponent to relinquish their weapon but also capable of blasting them backward.
George had been self-teaching this spell recently and had only just managed to cast it properly in the past few days.
However, his Disarming Charm paled in comparison to the one Snape had just cast.
It wasn't just about the power. What stood out most was that Snape's wand movement was more than twice as efficient, and his incantation was incredibly fast, completing the entire process in what felt like less than a second.
This was why, while both were casting the same spell, Lockhart had barely started when he was sent flying.
George also noticed that as Snape finished the Disarming Charm, he didn't stop. His wand moved ever so slightly, clearly preparing for a second spell.
However, Lockhart was so weak that he couldn't block even the first spell, so there was no need for Snape to cast the second.
"This is a Disarming Charm, as you can see, and I've lost my wand. But Professor Snape, don't take offense when I say this—it was a rather obvious move on your part. If I had wanted to stop you, it wouldn't have been difficult. But I thought it best to let them see the effects of a Disarming Charm firsthand," Lockhart said, shamelessly explaining as he struggled to his feet, hurriedly adjusting his robes and returning to the stage.
Snape, hearing Lockhart's pitiful excuse, raised his wand again, clearly tempted to cast the Killing Curse.
Sensing Snape's murderous intent, Lockhart quickly changed the subject.
"Well then, pair up in twos and come to the stage to practice. Professor Snape and I will correct your mistakes as you duel."
Most of the young wizards, including George, didn't question Lockhart's words and eagerly stepped onto the stage, wands at the ready.
George, of course, didn't believe a word of Lockhart's nonsense and didn't expect him to teach anything useful. He was more interested in sparring with senior students, hoping Snape would offer guidance on improving his magical combat skills.
Lockhart and Snape walked among the young wizards, pairing them up for practice.
George was paired with a rather short first-year Ravenclaw student.
"George, my name is Matthew Flitwick. I really admire your academic skills and Quidditch abilities, but I don't think I measure up. That said, I should probably apologize in advance for what's about to happen in this duel," Matthew said confidently. Even though he was facing the star of Slytherin, he didn't think he would lose.
As a member of the Flitwick family, Matthew had inherited their natural talent for combat. He had frequently sought advice from his great-uncle on dueling techniques. While other first-years were still practicing the Levitation Charm, he had already mastered the Full Body-Bind Curse for battle.
"Good luck to you," George replied with a casual smile.
He wasn't worried. Even without magic, his exceptional physical abilities and cat-like reflexes allowed him to dodge most magical attacks with ease.
Coupled with the variety of spells he had learned and practiced, he wasn't concerned about dueling a first-year student. In fact, he could probably hold his own against a seventh-year about to graduate.
This duel was just for refinement; it wasn't because his magical combat skills were lacking.
(End of Chapter)