Chapter 169: Chapter 169: "Staff Meeting"
The scene opens in Dumbledore's office, where all the professors have gathered for an emergency meeting. The atmosphere is tense, with worried faces all around.
Dumbledore stands at the head of the room, his usual twinkle dimmed by concern. "Thank you all for coming on such short notice. As you know, we have a grave situation on our hands. The Chamber of Secrets has been opened and a student has been attacked. It is fortunate he is just petrified and not worse."
He turns to Professor Sprout. "Pomona, what's the status of our mandrakes?"
Professor Sprout shakes her head, her usually cheerful face creased with worry. "I'm afraid they're not mature yet, Albus. It will be several months before we can harvest them for the restorative draught."
Dumbledore nods gravely. "I see. Unfortunately, we don't have the budget to purchase mature mandrakes from outside sources at the moment. I will have to appeal to the Board of Governors for emergency funds. In the meantime, we must focus on preventing any further attacks."
He then turns to Professor Flitwick. "Filius, I believe you have some information to share with us?"
Flitwick clears his throat nervously. "Yes, Headmaster. But first, I must clarify that this analysis isn't mine. It comes from my apprentice, Harry Potter."
Murmurs ripple through the room at the mention of Harry's name.
Flitwick continues, "Mr. Potter has suggested that the monster in the Chamber of Secrets might be... a basilisk."
Gasps echo around the room. Professor Sprout clutches her chest, while Professor Sinistra's eyes widen in shock.
Flitwick then explains Harry's reasoning, detailing the connection between Slytherin and snakes, and the peculiar nature of the attacks with no direct contact.
Snape, his face impassive, speaks up. "It... makes a certain amount of sense. The petrification, the lack of direct contact. Potter may be onto something."
He turns to Dumbledore. "Headmaster, what steps should we take if this theory proves correct?"
Lily Potter interjects, her voice filled with concern. "We must close the school immediately! We should invite special hunters to track down and kill this basilisk before it harms any more students!"
As a Muggle-born herself, Lily had a keen understanding of the fear and vulnerability that Muggle-born students were experiencing in this situation. She knew they were at greater risk than their pure-blood peers, and the thought of them living in constant fear weighed heavily on her. Moreover, with both her sons, Harry and Charles, currently at Hogwarts, her maternal instincts were in overdrive. The desire to protect not just her children, but all the students, fueled her urgent plea.
Dumbledore raises a hand to calm the rising tension. "While I appreciate the gravity of the situation, we must not act hastily. We have no concrete proof that a basilisk is indeed the culprit. It could be something else entirely."
He strokes his beard thoughtfully. "Closing the school based on suspicion alone would be unwise. Besides, I am not very convinced of this reasoning. An ancient basilisk would be enormous and should be easily seen. None of the portraits have reported seeing such a large serpent slithering about the castle, leaving me with doubts about this theory."
Professor McGonagall frowns. "Then what should we do, Albus? This is the best probable reasoning we have come across and I am a little convinced. Is there no way to confirm whether a basilisk is truly lurking within Hogwarts?"
Dumbledore shakes his head. "Unfortunately, no. For now, our best course of action is to implement stricter guidelines. Students should be discouraged from wandering the corridors during their free time. And I'm afraid we must cancel Quidditch for the time being."
McGonagall's lips thin in disapproval, but she nods. "The students won't like it, but their safety must come first."
Lockhart, who had been uncharacteristically quiet, suddenly perks up. "Not to worry, everyone! I've handled basilisks before in my travels. Should I spot the beast, I'll dispatch it forthwith!"
He beams around the room, seemingly oblivious to the skeptical looks he receives. "And I have an idea to placate the students about the Quidditch cancellation. Why not start a dueling club?"
Dumbledore raises an eyebrow. "Go on, Gilderoy."
"It would excite the students, take their minds off Quidditch, and prepare them to defend themselves. After all, if it's not a basilisk, it could be a student using some cursed artifact. Best to be prepared!"
Dumbledore nods slowly. "That's... not a bad idea, actually. Very well, we'll implement a dueling club. I assume you're volunteering to run it?"
Lockhart puffs out his chest. "But of course! Who better?"
"Excellent. And Flitwick, would you like to assist Gilderoy?"
Flitwick shakes his head and says, "I am sorry, Professor, but I would have to decline. Teaching dueling to a group of students is not my forte. I prefer teaching one-on-one, which is not suitable here. Also, I don't have the time, being occupied with teaching my apprentice."
What he left unsaid was that he did not want to become an assistant to Lockhart. It would not look good for him teaching dueling with Lockhart to a group of students.
Dumbledore nods, "Unfortunate. The students would have preferred the teaching from a former dueling champion. Severus, perhaps you could assist?"
Snape's face contorts as if he's just bitten into a lemon, but a pointed look from Dumbledore silences any protest.
Dumbledore addresses the room once more. "Then it's settled. We'll increase security measures, cancel Quidditch, and start a dueling club. Let's hope these steps will be enough to keep our students safe until we can solve this mystery once and for all."
As the meeting adjourns, the professors file out, their faces a mix of worry and determination.
The next morning, the Great Hall buzzes with anticipation as students gather for breakfast. Professor Dumbledore stands at the head table, his face grave as he addresses the school.
"Students, in light of recent events, we must implement stricter security measures. Effective immediately, there will be a more stringent curfew. All students must return to their common rooms by 7 PM."
A wave of groans and protests sweeps through the hall.
"Additionally," Dumbledore continues, raising his voice slightly, "I regret to inform you that all Quidditch matches and practices are cancelled until further notice."
This announcement is met with outright outrage. Oliver Wood looks as if he might faint, while the Weasley twins shout, "You can't do that!"
Before the situation can escalate, Professor Lockhart stands up, his dazzling smile in place. "Now, now, students! While I understand your disappointment, I have some exciting news that might cheer you up!"
The students are not appeased though. They are still protesting, but some of them are curious about what Lockhart wants to announce.
Lockhart continues, "In a few days' time, I will be starting a dueling club! You'll have the opportunity to learn from my vast experience in magical combat. It's sure to be both educational and thrilling!"
The announcement has an immediate effect. Excited chatter breaks out across the hall. Many of Lockhart's admirers squeal in delight, while others look intrigued by the prospect of learning practical defense skills.
"Oh, isn't it wonderful?" Lavender Brown gushes to Parvati Patil. "Professor Lockhart teaching us to duel!"
Not everyone shares their enthusiasm. At the Ravenclaw table, Reggy rolls his eyes. "Great, more chances for Lockhart to show off and not teach us anything. I bet the whole thing would be a waste of time."
Roger adds, "Yes. It would have been better if Professor Flitwick had started the club."
Harry, listening to the conversations around him, feels a mix of emotions. He is disappointed that his plan to close the school hasn't worked. The clues he'd provided through Flitwick, it seems, weren't enough to convince Dumbledore of the immediate danger.
Harry frowns. While he is glad to see some changes happening, like the early announcement of the dueling club, it isn't enough. The school full of children is still at risk from the basilisk.
As he mulls over the situation, Harry realizes he needs to reassess his plans. With the school still open and security tightened, he can't risk confronting the basilisk. The danger of something unexpected happening and it escaping into the crowded castle during a fight is too great. This is because Harry feels the battle with the snake would be close and not one-sided where he could control all the outcomes. In this battle, there is a high chance something unexpected could happen.
"This isn't like the books," Harry thinks to himself. "In the real world, a cornered basilisk and a desperate piece of Riddle's soul could cause unimaginable damage to the school full of students."
He glances around the Great Hall, watching his fellow students excitedly discuss the upcoming dueling club. Their enthusiasm only heightens his sense of responsibility.
"I need a new plan," Harry decides. "Something that will protect everyone without risking a full-scale disaster."
As breakfast ends and students begin to file out for their classes, Harry hangs back, lost in thought.
"Harry, you coming?" Cedric calls from the doorway.
"Yeah, just a second," Harry replies, gathering his things. As he joins his friends, he can't shake the feeling that time is running out. He needs to act soon, before the heir of Slytherin strikes again.
CREATORS' THOUGHTS 
TalesByJaz
TalesByJaz Sorry for the lack of chapters these past few days. Was down with a fever and couldn’t get any writing done.
Good news, though—I'm back at it and feeling much better! I will make up for the missed releases in these two days. Thanks for your patience and support!
Chapter 170: Chapter 170: "Duelling Club"
The day of the first Dueling Club meeting soon arrived, and the Great Hall buzzed with excitement. The long dining tables had been removed, replaced by a golden stage along one wall. Candles floated overhead, casting a warm glow over the eager faces of the gathered students.
Harry stood with his friends, observing the scene with a detached air. Since the attack on Colin, there had been no further incidents, and Harry had been incredibly busy.
Unable to have the school suspended to battle the Basilisk and the heir without worrying about potential collateral damage, he had decided on a new course of action. Harry was now focused on strengthening himself to have the power and confidence to take on the Basilisk while maintaining total control of the situation. To achieve this, he was dedicating all his free time to his Knight training.
Harry's goal was to advance from an apprentice knight to a full-fledged knight as quickly as possible. He believed that with the boost in strength that came with becoming a knight, he could defeat the basilisk easily. To aid in this endeavor, he had enlisted the help of the centaurs. Their cooperation during the previous years had been great, and upon hearing that he needed training to defeat a threat to the school, the centaurs had agreed to assist.
So every night, when not occupied with his apprenticeship under Flitwick, Harry was honing his sword fighting skills and taking on groups of centaurs using only his knight strength and skills, without magic.
The training was progressing well, and Harry expected to achieve knighthood in a couple of months. He hoped that, like in the books, there would be a significant gap before the next attack, allowing him to gain the strength needed to deal with the basilisk before another incident occurred.
As for the Dueling Club, Harry attended this meeting primarily to witness Lockhart making a fool of himself and possibly see Charles reveal himself as a Parselmouth. Harry was curious to see if Charles, having been raised in the wizarding world and knowing the stigma associated with the ability, would use his power to talk to snakes.
Unlike Harry from the books, who discovered his ability during the zoo incident, Harry didn't know if Charles was even aware of his Parseltongue gift. So Harry was doubtful whether Charles would even attempt to communicate with the snake. This was the main reason for his attendance; he had no plans to participate in future meetings.
As the hall filled with students, Lockhart strode onto the stage, resplendent in robes of deep plum. He was followed by a scowling Snape, dressed in his usual black.
"Gather round, gather round!" Lockhart called, waving his arms for silence. "Can everyone see me? Can you all hear me? Excellent!"
He flashed his trademark smile. "Now, Professor Dumbledore has granted me permission to start this little dueling 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."
Harry heard Roger snort beside him. "I'd rather face the heir of Slytherin than read those books again," he muttered.
Lockhart continued, "Let me introduce my assistant, Professor Snape. He tells me he knows a tiny little bit about dueling himself and has sportingly agreed to help me with a short demonstration before we begin."
The demonstration proceeded much as Harry remembered from the books, with Snape easily disarming Lockhart. The crowd of Slytherins cheered, while Lockhart quickly tried to save face.
"Well, there you have it!" Lockhart said, getting to his feet. "That was a Disarming Charm – as you see, I've lost my wand – ah, thank you, Miss Brown. Yes, an excellent idea to show them that, Professor Snape, but if you don't mind my saying so, it was very obvious what you were about to do. If I had wanted to stop you it would have been only too easy..."
Snape looked murderous, and Lockhart seemed to notice. "Enough demonstrating! I'm going to come amongst you now and put you all into pairs. Professor Snape, if you'd like to help me..."
They moved through the crowd, matching up partners. Lockhart teamed Neville with Justin Finch-Fletchley, but Snape reached Charles first.
'Time to split up the dream team, I think,' he sneered. 'Weasley, you can partner Finnigan. Potter –'
Charles moved automatically towards Hermione. 'I don't think so,' said Snape, smiling coldly. 'Mr Malfoy, come over here. Let's see what you make of the famous Potter. And you, Miss Granger – you can partner Miss Bulstrode.'
Malfoy strutted over to the podium, smirking. Charles also approached with confidence. Seeing this pairing, most students stopped and surrounded the ring to watch the battle. Their well-known rivalry and the house competition made this duel particularly exciting.
Harry observed all this as a spectator, intrigued to see how Charles and Malfoy would fare. Given Charles' early training, Harry expected him to display better skills than the Harry from the books.
"Face your partners!" called Lockhart, back on the platform. "And bow!"
Charles and Malfoy barely inclined their heads, not taking their eyes off each other.
"Wands at the ready!" shouted Lockhart. "When I count to three, cast your charms to disarm your opponents — only to disarm them — we don't want any accidents — one... two... three —"
Charles swung his wand over his shoulder, but Malfoy had already started on 'two': his spell hit Charles so hard he felt as though he'd been hit over the head with a saucepan. Enraged, Charles got up and cast spell after spell at Malfoy. The spells hit Malfoy head-on. Fortunately for Malfoy, the spells Charles knew were mostly harmless and prank-oriented, so he wasn't badly hurt. He just experienced a tickling sensation all over, and his face turned pink while his hair became red. The crowd laughed at the sight.
Charles was laughing so hard at Malfoy's new look that he missed his angry opponent getting up and casting 'Tarantallegra!', forcing Charles to dance uncontrollably. This continued for some time, with Lockhart screaming for the duel to stop as it spiraled out of control, but no one listened.
A senior student, taking pity on Charles, cast Finite Incantatem, ending the dance spell. By now, everyone else had stopped their duels, and the entire school was watching these two battle it out.
The two boys were locked in a fierce duel, neither seeming to care about the 'disarm only' instruction that Lockhart was still shouting. Suddenly, Draco shouted, "Serpensortia!"
A long black snake shot out of his wand, landing heavily on the floor between them. It raised itself, ready to strike. Screams filled the hall as students backed swiftly away, clearing the floor.
Charles taunted, "What's up with the snake, Malfoy? It's so far away. Can you even command it to attack me? Stupid!"
Malfoy ordered the snake, "Go attack Potter!" But the snake didn't listen. It just looked around the hall at the other students, appearing somewhat scared.
Harry watched the snake with interest, curious to see what would happen next and if this would reveal Charles' Parselmouth ability. He chuckled at Draco's failed attempts to control the snake.
Charles laughed, "It doesn't listen to you. That's hilarious!" He then added, "Maybe it will listen to me. I'll send it to attack you. That'll be funny. Snake, go and attack Malfoy."
Unbeknownst to Charles, that last line had been in Parseltongue. He felt he had spoken normally in English, but the entire audience heard hissing noises from Charles. They were confused, but to their surprise, the snake obeyed Charles and moved to attack Malfoy. Harry watched all this unfold with great interest.
A stunned silence fell over the hall. Harry could see the shock and fear on the faces of those nearest to Charles. Charles himself looked confused. The snake, however, was not confused at all and was close to attacking the stunned Malfoy.
Snape, seeing Malfoy in danger, snapped out of his shock and stepped forward, waving his wand. The snake vanished in a small puff of black smoke. He looked at Charles with a shrewd and calculating expression.
Murmurs broke out across the hall. "He's a Parselmouth..." "Did you hear that?" "Charles Potter can talk to snakes!"
Ron grabbed Charles by the robes and began to steer him out of the hall, Hermione following close behind. As they passed, Harry could hear Ron muttering, "Come on... move... come on..."
As the Golden Trio disappeared through the doors, the whispering grew louder. Some people asked Harry if he knew Charles had this ability; he said no. They knew Harry wasn't close to Charles, so they soon left him alone.
Lockhart, looking flustered, attempted to regain control of the situation. "Well, that's enough excitement for one night, I think! Same time next week, everyone!"
As the students began to file out, still buzzing with excitement and fear, Harry pondered what would happen next. How would Charles handle being called the Heir of Slytherin? How would his parents react? How would Charles having Lily Potter inside the school as a teacher change the next events of suspicion and potential bullying? Harry was eager to see how these new developments would unfold, knowing that they might significantly alter the course of events he remembered from the books.
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