Although Glenn stood just under 170 cm tall, Hermione was petite herself. Draped in a cloak while hanging onto Glenn, she blended in seamlessly. To others, they simply appeared as an odd, slightly chubby figure wearing a white mask.
With a neutral expression, Glenn carried Hermione through the curious gazes of the young wizards. Feeling the presence of others nearby, Hermione, usually restless, stayed still, burying her head into Glenn's shoulder.
In the Great Hall, the long tables of the four houses had been cleared away. Some young wizards had already gathered around the bulletin board at the entrance, stopping to read the newly posted announcement.
Further inside the hall, Glenn spotted something familiar—a leaderboard he had crafted himself—now hanging high on one side of the wall. However, it was currently blank.
To its lower right, a gilded stage stretched along another wall. Hundreds of floating candles provided light, while the ceiling had turned a velvety black.
This was the dueling stage.
However, next to the stage was an inexplicably gaudy setup. Colorful ribbons, large bouquets of flowers, and a nauseating mix of garish pink and pastel yellow overwhelmed Glenn's senses.
Raising an eyebrow, Glenn thought, This style definitely isn't Snape's or Professor Flitwick's. What's going on here?
"What's wrong?" Hermione, noticing the other young wizards' attention was focused on the bulletin board, cautiously peeked her head out from Glenn's shoulder and turned to see what he was looking at.
"…"
"Wow… Oh, wow." Hermione blinked in amazement. "I never knew Professor Snape had such a flair for decoration!"
"Are you serious?" Glenn asked after a moment of silence.
"Are you serious??" Hermione's expression turned blank. Her wide eyes stared at Glenn in disbelief.
"Why are you questioning me?" Glenn asked, puzzled.
Hermione sighed. "Of course not. You don't even need to imagine it to know it's impossible."
Indeed, teaching Glenn the art of subtlety would be a long journey.
Peeking out cautiously, Hermione surveyed the surroundings. After confirming that the young wizards were engrossed in the new announcement and no one was looking their way, she knew the time had come.
Yes, it was time to press the "detach device" button.
Hermione's small hand poked Glenn's waist. Leaning close to his ear, she whispered, "Quick, now that no one's looking, you can put me down."
Following her command, Glenn nodded. Adjusting his hold slightly, he signaled to Hermione.
Feeling the support beneath her lessen, Hermione slid down along Glenn, slipping out from under his cloak with nimble movements.
The young girl had successfully escaped!
Standing up with composure, Hermione carefully smoothed out the wrinkles in her clothes caused by her contact with Glenn. She waved at him. "I'll head over there now, alright?"
"Go ahead," Glenn replied with a nod. He then leaned against the wall in a corner, silently waiting for the moment when he would be needed.
---
By now, nearly the entire school had gathered in the Great Hall. The young wizards chattered excitedly, their curiosity about the new event quickly dispelling the fear left by Colin Creevey's petrification.
"I wonder who will be teaching us," Ron said to Harry, his excitement evident. No young wizard could resist the allure of dueling—it was simply too cool.
But…
Before they could even spare a moment to mourn Colin Creevey's petrification, the person who arrived at the scene was…
…Gilderoy Lockhart!
Harry and Ron's faces immediately fell. Although they had recently been trying to get closer to this most incompetent and brainless professor to gather evidence proving Malfoy was the Heir of Slytherin, it didn't mean they liked this fraud who had nothing but a good face and smooth talk.
"Oh, no, please, no!" Ron groaned, clutching his head in despair. "I remember today was supposed to be the day Lockhart was discharged from the hospital! How did he manage to latch onto this event so quickly?!"
It had to be admitted—when it came to riding the wave of popularity, Lockhart was unparalleled. He was a master of the art.
On the edge of the crowd, the young girl who had just arrived showed no emotional reaction. The moment she saw the exaggerated decorations on the dueling stage, she guessed that Lockhart likely had a hand in this event.
Freshly discharged from the hospital, Lockhart had already launched into an enthusiastic speech.
"Oh, long time no see, everyone! Gather around, gather around!" He waved his hand, signaling for the students to come closer and quiet down. "Can everyone see me? Can everyone hear me? Good."
"Your headmaster, Professor Dumbledore, has sincerely invited me to host this little event for you all—the Dueling Club. As the name suggests, this will be a long-term activity where you will receive ample training to gain the skills needed to defend yourselves in dangerous situations—oh yes, just as I have protected myself countless times before—details of which you can find in my books."
"Of course, while I alone could ensure the safety of you all during this event, your professors, Snape and Flitwick, have volunteered to assist me."
"They told me that they know a thing or two about dueling, and Professor Snape generously offered to help me with a small demonstration before the class begins."
Lockhart flashed an incredibly charming smile.
"Rest assured, I won't hurt him. After the demonstration, I will return your Potions professor to you safe and sound!"
"No need to worry!" he boasted, patting his chest confidently.
Yes, he was absolutely confident that he wouldn't hurt Snape.
"Is this the 'little trouble' Professor Snape mentioned?" Hermione's mouth twitched. She seemed to understand the expression Snape had shown earlier that afternoon when he spoke with Glenn.
"Well, at least Professor Snape doesn't seem to be here yet," Hermione said, standing on tiptoe and looking around in an attempt to locate the ever-so-kind Bat Professor. "If he heard this, Lockhart would probably end up in the hospital wing for another month."
Then the young girl spotted a certain bat-like figure lurking in the shadows not far away. His bloodshot eyes were fixed on Lockhart, and he wore a sinister smile.
"Alright, so he heard it."
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