Chapter 137: Ethan vs. Lockhart
The Slytherin students applauded and cheered for their Head of House's performance. Even those who disliked Lockhart smiled happily.
However, some girls began to worry about this 'powerful' and charming professor.
"Is Professor Lockhart all right?" they cried out, pushing forward to crowd around Lockhart and check on him.
Just as the girls surged forward, Lockhart stood up, looking the worse for wear.
The hat, which had been perched so perfectly on his head, had fallen off. His curly hair now stood on end, making him look like a hedgehog.
He wore a slightly pained expression. He stood still for a moment to recover, then walked back onto the stage unsteadily.
He tried his trademark smile to show he was fine, though the effect was ruined by the twitching at the corners of his mouth.
"This is a Disarming Charm. As you saw, my wand was knocked away," he said, doing his best to conceal his pain.
"Thank you, Miss Brown," he said as a girl in the front row handed him back his wand.
Lockhart bent slightly, his eyebrows twitching uncontrollably. It was obvious that his collision with the wall had injured his lower back.
Lockhart, determined to save face, continued his charade. "Yes, Professor Snape. It was a good idea to show them this spell. However, your intentions were obvious. If I had wanted to stop it, it would have been child's play."
"I thought, to broaden their knowledge, I might as well let them see the power of this spell."
Though most remained skeptical, some students in the crowd still bought into his act, looking up at Lockhart and murmuring thanks and praise.
Snape's hand twitched, as if he were about to cast another spell.
Lockhart had clearly noticed this as well. He spoke hastily, "Ha! Well, the demonstration between Professor Snape and myself ends here.
"Next..."
He paused abruptly, looking toward Ethan.
His eyes darted around the room. "I think bringing a student up to demonstrate would be more instructive."
"Mr. Jones, step forward." He wavered briefly between Harry and Ethan, finally settling on Ethan.
He had originally intended to choose Harry. After all, the boy's reputation as the Savior carried far more weight.
However, upon further reflection, if the boy truly was the one rumored to have defeated the Dark Lord, might he have some hidden trump card? It was hard to say, and there was a definite risk of failure. But Ethan was different.
Although Ethan was handsome and popular with the girls, a minor celebrity in his own right, he had no real achievements. Lockhart should be able to beat him. Besides, Ethan was a Slytherin. If he couldn't defeat the elder, surely he could defeat the younger.
"Me?" Ethan pointed at himself, thinking Lockhart must be confused. The man could have chosen anyone. Why him?
"Yes, come on up! Don't be shy. Help me demonstrate for the class," Lockhart said enthusiastically.
Hermione looked worried that Ethan might get hurt. Harry looked ready to enjoy the spectacle. He didn't think Lockhart could actually do anything to Ethan, given the man's track record.
All eyes were on Ethan, making him slightly uncomfortable.
He had tried to find ways to avoid participating in Defense Against the Dark Arts, yet he hadn't anticipated being forced into another kind of spectacle for a larger audience.
"You asked for this." Ethan intended to make a complete fool of Lockhart, ensuring the man would never try to drag him on stage again.
Ethan stepped onto the stage where a small path had been cleared through the crowd.
"Right, we start by facing each other," Lockhart commanded. "Then we turn back to back, take ten paces, and turn to face each other once more."
As Ethan turned and walked away, he noticed Snape standing off to the side with a cold smile.
"Wands up. Yes, just like that. Very standard form." Observing Ethan's stance, Lockhart felt a sudden chill. He worried he had picked the wrong person. The student standing opposite him looked like he had actually practiced.
"Let's use the same spell Professor Snape demonstrated earlier: the Disarming Charm. It's a very common spell in wizard duels." Lockhart changed his mind on the spot and added a restriction.
"Huh?" Ethan felt a twinge of disappointment. If they were restricted to just this spell, he wouldn't be able to thoroughly humiliate the man. At best, it would be a repeat of what happened with Snape.
"Stick to that spell, Mr. Jones. After all, as a powerful wizard, I wouldn't want to hurt you."
Ethan rolled his eyes.
"When I count to three, we both cast our spells," Lockhart said, raising his wand as he began to count.
"Three!" Ethan shouted from across the stage the moment Lockhart finished. "Expelliarmus!"
The red light was nearly as powerful as Snape's. Lockhart was blasted backward, slamming into the wall once more.
As Lockhart slid down to the floor, his wand clattered onto the stage and rolled right to Ethan's feet.
"Are you okay, Professor?" his admirers shrieked, rushing toward him from below the stage.
Clearly, Lockhart couldn't get up right away after taking a second hit so quickly.
Ethan turned to look at Snape. The professor nodded at him with an approving smile.
Ethan suppressed a smile, then picked up the wand with a serious expression and called out, "Are you okay, Professor Lockhart? I didn't expect you to go down so easily."
"No, no problem at all." Several people helped Lockhart up. Facing Ethan's concern, he forced a smile.
Ethan asked, feigning concern, "Then do you want to head to the Hospital Wing? You don't look so good."
"No need, no need. I just need to rest a bit. Let Professor Snape pair you up first." He walked slowly to a corner of the stage and leaned against the wall, still standing.
Snape moved through the Great Hall alone, organizing the students into pairs.
Harry had originally wanted to partner with Hermione, but obviously Snape wasn't going to allow it. He paired the rivals Malfoy and Potter together.
The professor looked at Hermione, who was clearly nervous. "You're with Ethan."
"Thank heavens." Hermione breathed a sigh of relief, feeling her anxiety finally ease.
"Good luck, Harry." Watching Draco strut toward them, Hermione hoped the two wouldn't cause any trouble.
Under the jealous glares of several girls, Ethan pressed Lockhart's wand back into Lockhart's hand and walked over to Hermione.
Hermione explained Snape's pairings to Ethan.
Joining her group was no problem.
"Have you practiced dueling?" Hermione asked in a low voice. "I noticed your form was pretty standard."
"Yeah, I learned some from my grandfather over the summer. Actually, the basics are pretty simple. It mostly comes down to a person's reflexes and how they cast spells." Ethan nodded.
Wizard duels had existed since ancient times. Early duels, however, were essentially battles to the death.
As a result, wizard duels were commonly known as death matches, where the line wasn't drawn between victory and defeat, but between life and death.
As society progressed, the wizarding community began to place greater value on civility and order. The death match format was deemed too barbaric, so it gradually evolved into modern dueling competitions focused on victory and defeat, though fatalities still occurred on occasion.
These competitions were established at different times across different countries, depending on local circumstances.
In the British wizarding world, a Dueling Competition was held every two years, but with so few participants, it never became a major spectator event.
The global wizarding community also hosted the World Wizard Dueling Championship every five years, open to wizards of all ages. Whenever it took place, large numbers of dueling enthusiasts would flock to the host country to sign up.
"Come to think of it, the next Championship is scheduled for the summer holidays the year after next. The location this time seems to be America, doesn't it?"
Ethan wasn't particularly interested in the Championship itself; he had simply heard Cyril Shafiq mention it. He thought about it now because he realized that if he and the Weasley twins managed their Wizarding Cards well, they might secure naming rights or another promotional opportunity.
After all, surely no wizard would pass up an exciting, intense game of Wizard Cards after a duel, right? They could even hold a worldwide tournament to promote the business.
While Ethan was lost in thought, Snape had already finished assigning everyone.
Lockhart, who had been leaning against the wall, had recovered by now. He straightened up, adjusted his clothes, smoothed his hat, and regained his usual vigor.
"Professor Snape, have you finished pairing them up?"
Seeing Snape give a cold nod, Lockhart cleared his throat. "Everyone, find a partner. Now, spread out a bit and give yourselves enough room to practice."
The students spread out slightly, but since a duel requires a fair amount of room, some pairs inevitably didn't have enough space. Hermione and Ethan found themselves in this situation, with only four or five paces between them.
Lockhart noticed the issue as well. Unable to come up with a solution, he simply pressed on. "Excellent. Face your partners and bow."
Hermione and Ethan bowed to one another.
"Did I do that correctly?" Hermione asked Ethan nervously.
"There's no standard. You just bow slightly. Didn't you notice Professor Snape's movements when the two professors demonstrated earlier?"
"Modern dueling competitions are about more than just victory or defeat; they emphasize presentation. They're mostly about elegant posture and quick movements. There's no set standard." Ethan shrugged.
"I see." Hermione considered it. It was true. Lockhart hadn't corrected any mistakes. She relaxed.
"Raise your wands, get ready!"
"On the count of three, cast your spells. Use only the Disarming Charm. I demonstrated it twice already, so I assume everyone has the hang of it, right?"
"Remember, we only want to disarm. Do not cast any other spells. We don't want any accidents or anyone sent to the Hospital Wing."
Lockhart shouted, "One, two, three!"
Hermione looked at Ethan with concern.
"Don't worry, I won't cast any spells." He knew what she was worried about.
"Expelliarmus!" Incantations rang out in rapid succession. Bursts of red light streaked in every direction, sending wands flying from the hands of young wizards.
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1. Harry Potter: Satan? Nah, Just My Family Crest = CHAPTER 298
2.Marvel: Cosmic Forger of Infinity = CHAPTER 208
3.Harry Potter: Beyond Good and Evil in the Wizarding World = CHAPTER 300
4.Harry Potter: Reborn as Draco Black = CHAPTER 135
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