Chapter 95: A disturbing finding

Chapter 95: A disturbing finding

Disclaimer:

Harry Potter and all of its characters belong to J.K Rowling.

I own nothing but the original characters I make.

"Dialogue"

'Thoughts'

-Author notes-

Chapter 95: A disturbing finding

"Look at this! so many students want to learn the art of dueling from me." Lockhart got on top of one of the platforms they prepared for the duels.

"Don't you agree, Professor Snape?" he asked his colleague.

Snape glanced at him with furrowed brows. If it wasn't for the Headmaster's personal request, he would never have agreed to this.

"Anyways!. I was thinking that we should have a quick demonstration of what a real duel entails. I know that among the audience, there is a little wizard with almost as much potential as myself."

He looked towards Harry's group.

"Oh no...please no... " Neville begged.

"Neville Longbottom!, please come here to my side," Lockhart explained out loud while pointing at him.

Everyone in the room turned to look in Neville's direction and started murmuring.

"You go, Nev!. Get up there and kick some ass mate." Ron tried to sound encouraging at least.

Seeing no other choice, Neville lowered his head and climbed the platform.

"Excellent!" Said Lockhart.

"Now we just need an oponent for you...what about one of your friends....maybe the head-on one?" He did not remember his name at all.

"That won't do!" Snape interviewed.

"That would just be a practice between two friends and not a duel. Allow me to choose a proper opponent..."

"I suppose that would be alright." Admitted Lockhart.

"Malfoy, get up there!" Snape shouted.

Draco gave Neville an angry look but didn't throw any of the regular taunts.

Harry thought that Draco looked very different than usual. But a change should be expected considering he lost his father.

And he was not willing to waste time thinking about Draco's struggles anyway.

"Very well. The two contenders should go to their positions. "Lockhart pointed at the two circles drawn on each extreme of the platform.

"S-stay away from me!" Neville cried.

But the snake kept approaching.

'No...that was not parseltongue.' Harry got closer to the platform. He needed to be sure.

Unfortunately, Draco's instructions during its summoning were sloppy and the snake quickly lost interest in Neville and turned to some other boy from Ravenclaw.

"What!, stay away from me!" The boy took a steep back.

Harry had no choice but to intervene. He got in time to cast a silent mild compulsion charm from amidst the crowd. This was enough to turn the snake back to Neville.

'Sorry Nev, but I need to be sure...' Harry felt bad for doing this but this was too important and he only incited the snake to move, not to bite.

Neville was petrified in fear. He stared at the approaching snake.

"Noo!, please. I don't like snakes!" he screamed and recoiled backward until he tripped and fell on his butt.

"Don't you worry, I'll take care of this" Lockhart pulled out his wand and waved it at the snake.

"Serpento evanesci!"

Lockhart threw his misspelled charm at the snake and this one flew in the air for a few seconds before landing painfully on the platform again. Still alive, but a lot angrier now.

The mild compulsion was now gone, so the snake turned to its closest target...who just so happened to be Harry.

Snape was about to banish the snake. After realizing that Draco had summoned a highly venomous species. But when he saw the snake turn to Harry, he hesitated for a moment.

Harry was not paying attention to any of this now. His mind was in turmoil.

'How can this be? He is not a parselmouth. But he has the scar...he must have the connection too...then why?...'

He had the feeling he was missing something very important. A key difference between the past him and the current Neville.

"Harry!" He heard someone call his name.

Then he noticed a snake head on his right hand. He had crushed its skull without thinking.

"Oh..."

"Vipera evanesca!" Snape hurried to remove the now-dead snake.

Harry felt the stares of everyone around him. Stares of shock and fear.

He was familiar with those.

"Excuse me..." Harry turned around and forced his way through the crowd.

"Potter, wait!" He heard Snape call for him but ignored him.

He also ignored his sister, Hermione, and the others.

He needed some time alone...some time to think.