Amidst the fervent excitement of the young witches waving enthusiastically at Lockhart, Hermione's actions went largely unnoticed. After receiving a nod from Glenn in response, she refrained from continuing their silent exchange.
On the dueling platform, Snape and Lockhart bowed to each other before turning and walking to opposite ends of the platform. They raised their wands to their chests like swords—a signal that the duel was about to begin.
Professor Flitwick, acting as referee, walked onto the platform with little enthusiasm and stepped to the side.
"When I count to one and say 'start,' the duel officially begins," he announced.
"Three..."
"Two..."
"One."
Hermione saw Professor Snape's face twist into a delighted sneer.
"Duel begins."
"Expelliarmus!" As soon as the words left their mouths, both raised their wands over their shoulders. However, Snape's dueling skills were clearly superior. The red light, symbolizing the Disarming Charm, instantly gathered at the tip of his wand, transforming into a dazzling beam that shot out.
It hit Lockhart squarely in the chest.
The Disarming Charm causes any object in the target's hand—such as a wand—to fly high into the air. If the target is hit by multiple Disarming Charms or a particularly powerful one, they may be thrown back or even lose consciousness.
Clearly, the charm Snape cast was of the powerful variety. Lockhart didn't even have time to register his shock and fear before the bright red light struck him forcefully. With a thud and a groan, he was sent flying into the wall on one side of the hall, sliding down heavily and curling up like a shrimp.
His wand spun high into the air, only to be summoned back into Snape's hand with a Summoning Charm.
The "demonstration" ended so quickly that the young witches and wizards hadn't even had time to process what had happened before Lockhart was sent flying.
The hall fell silent, save for Professor Flitwick's calm commentary:
"A splendid Disarming Charm. Its power, precision, and casting speed are all impeccable. This is a charm frequently seen in dueling arenas, and its effect is certainly impressive. Take note, everyone."
"Now, let us give a round of applause to thank our two professors for their wonderful demonstration—"
Draco was the first to clap, followed by the other young wizards in Slytherin, and then the boys from the other three houses.
At that moment, the boys stood united, forgetting house divisions entirely.
How satisfying, utterly satisfying!
Seeing the stunned expressions on the young witches clustered around the dueling platform, the boys felt a wave of relief and even found Snape's usually unpleasant demeanor more tolerable.
Perhaps now the girls would see through Lockhart's true nature?
The boys hoped so.
They couldn't help it—the girls' frantic behavior this semester had been driving them crazy. They desperately wanted to expose Lockhart's reality.
Well, even if their "reality" was just their own judgment, they still felt that way.
"Oh no, is Professor Lockhart alright?" Lavender finally snapped out of her shock, covering her mouth and crying out.
Her reaction was echoed by the other girls, and soon the hall was filled with the sound of their clear, bell-like voices.
Of course, the content of their concerns didn't sit well with the boys.
Lockhart, curled up on the ground, struggled to his feet. His face pale, he leaned against the wall for support, his body swaying unsteadily. He looked utterly disheveled.
He had lost his hat, his clothes were wrinkled, and his once-neat wavy locks had exploded into a wild mess, each strand standing on end.
After putting his hat back on and tidying his clothes, he forced himself to remain upright and eventually returned to the platform. Under Snape's expressionless gaze, he retrieved his wand.
"Yes, I believe everyone saw that," Lockhart said, bowing slightly to the audience below. "Thank you, Professor Flitwick, for your excellent commentary."
"The Disarming Charm, as the name suggests, is a spell that disarms opponents. You've all heard the incantation just now—of course, I must thank Professor Snape for demonstrating a fairly decent Disarming Charm—where was I? Oh yes, 'Expelliarmus' is the incantation."
Hermione pursed her lips and muttered under her breath, "Isn't he just copying Professor Flitwick's explanation word for word?"
She glanced at her friends on either side but saw that they seemed oblivious to her remark and didn't find Lockhart's words problematic at all. She sighed and rubbed her forehead.
Despite his discomfort, Lockhart maintained a gentlemanly smile and turned to Snape.
"I must admit, Professor Snape, showcasing one of the most commonly used moves in a duel was quite effective." He even smiled at Snape as he spoke.
"But, forgive me for being a bit blunt—please don't take offense—I must say, your intentions were quite obvious. If I wanted to dodge or counter your move, it would have been effortless."
"However, since this is a demonstration, I felt it was necessary to show some effect, so I deliberately allowed myself to be hit to give the students a clear view of the results."
"After all, a person who gets hit is the most direct teaching material for the corresponding spell, isn't it?"
Visible killing intent flickered in Snape's eyes. Though it was directed at Lockhart, Hermione, who was close by, still felt the chilling menace like needles on her skin.
The young witch shivered and quickly cast a Whispering Charm on herself while her friends were still focused on Lockhart.
"Professor, hold back. Hurting Lockhart wouldn't be good for your reputation. It's not worth it!"
"Impulse is the enemy of reason!"
Snape's ears were graced with Hermione's worried voice. He glanced at the young witch out of the corner of his eye, sneering without replying. However, he did lower his wand, which had been raised halfway.
Unaware that he had narrowly escaped mortal peril, Lockhart continued interacting with his fans. Nearby, Snape's icy voice rang out.
"In that case, Professor Lockhart, I assume you still have the strength to continue our demonstration?"
"...No, the demonstration is over. I believe the students are eager to experience dueling for themselves."
"After all, this stage was prepared mainly for them. A suggestion like yours, Professor Snape, could be seen as stealing the spotlight."
Damn you, #HogwartsProfanity#!!!
Snape's face turned completely dark, and his wand began to emit unstable flashes of light.