Unsurprisingly, Lockhart was all for the drama. His classes became devoted to the other monstrous creatures he had defeated that had the potential to do the same damage ("Definitely a Mongolian Death Worm! The other professors have been begging me to look into it since I told them!") and how he'd defeat it as soon as it showed itself. The Quidditch match between Ravenclaw and Hufflepuff was half won before the game even started. Rumours had circulated about Hufflepuff's especially strong team this year. They had a new starting Seeker in the form of Cedric Diggory — an all-around friendly bloke that was quite popular in his year— the returning Chaser trio composed of the Captain and two fellows that had been on the team for three years already, a quick-witted sixth-year girl by the name of Alabasandria Goodnight as Keeper, and a fifth-year boy named Mordechai Cohen as a Beater alongside Heri. Coupled with the fantastic tales of Heri's physical strength, they had the Ravenclaws already deciding how they'd be admitting defeat gracefully. Hufflepuff's past defeats were rarely because of lack of talent but because they just didn't have it in them to possibly do others harm during the game. Cohen was the perfect example of the typical Hufflepuff Beater: accurate, strong, but never aiming to knock anyone off their broom. More often than not, they tried to confuse the opposition but did so half-heartedly, not thrilled at deceiving. And then entered Heri. Heri had absolutely no qualms about blasting a bloke off his broom nor was she bashful in her disruption of the Ravenclaws' plays. Because of their opposing dispositions on the Pitch, Winslow had set Cohen to play defensive while Heri went on the offensive. While Cohen kept the Chasers and Diggory safe as he could manage from one Bludger, Heri took control of the other. Flying close enough to it that it chased after her, Heri shot the Bludger through Ravenclaw's manoeuvres and at their Keeper in hopes of sending them out of the game. At a muffled swear-word shot in her direction by their Seeker, Heri even sent it rocketing at Chang, resulting in a splintered indention in the stands just inches from the Asian girl's head. In the end, Diggory caught the Snitch while Heri knocked Chang clean off her Comet 260 with a Bludger to the gut. It almost ended in fatal injury when one of the Ravenclaw Beaters let loose a Bludger before realising Diggory had caught the Snitch, but Heri managed to intercept the loose ball by whacking another Bludger at it, causing the two to collide only a few feet from Diggory and careen off harmlessly again. The victory party afterwards was one to be remembered. The day after the Quidditch match, news was bursting forth from Gryffindor that Colin Creevey was in the Hospital Wing, petrified. Unsurprisingly, the general consensus was he had encountered the monster that had previously been locked away in the Chamber of Secrets. Any post-game cheer that remained from the night before was immediately evaporated. The entire school had been twitchy since the bloody writing on the wall. Malfoy's words indicating how muggleborns were the target along with Creevey being laid up in the Hospital Wing only stirred up greater unrest. While the teachers maintained that things were under control, the fear of the unknown was still there. As if answering their prayers, notices were posted announcing the creation of a Duelling Club. Upon thinking about it, Heri concluded that it was unlikely that whatever was prowling the school would be duelling anyone. Monsters weren't really the sort for structured wand-play. Still, the other students were heartened so at least morale was picked up. In the Great Hall that evening, the dining tables had vanished and a golden stage had appeared along one wall, lit by thousands of candles floating overhead. The ceiling was velvety black once more and most of the school seemed to be packed beneath it, all carrying their wands and looking excited. "I wonder who'll be teaching us?" said Ernie as they edged into the chattering crowd. "Someone told me Flitwick was a duelling champion when he was young — maybe it'll be him." "As long as it's not —" Wayne began, but he ended on a groan. Looking in the direction the boy was glaring, Heri could see why: Gilderoy Lockhart was walking onto the stage, resplendent in robes of deep plum and accompanied by none other than Snape, wearing his usual black. Lockhart waved an arm for silence 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." Really? Was now the time to promote merchandise? "Let me introduce my assistant, Professor Snape," said Lockhart, flashing a wide smile. "He tells me he knows a tiny little bit about duelling himself," (Oh, did the moron have a death wish?) "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!" "Wouldn't it be great if they finished each other off?" Heri heard Zacharias mutter. Hannah and Megan gave him a filthy look while Heri swallowed the laugh that threatened to escape her. Snape's upper lip was curling. Heri wondered why Lockhart was still smiling; if Snape had been looking at her like that she'd be getting ready to defend her life. The two professors turned to face each other and bowed; at least, 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. "As you see, we are holding our wands in the accepted combative position," Lockhart told the silent crowd. "On the count of three, we will cast our first spells. Neither of us will be aiming to kill, of course."
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