The Great Hall had been pletely transformed by the time the evening arrived. Instead of the long dining tables, a rge dueling ptform had bee up in the ter of the room. Bright dles hovered above, casting an ominous glow on the polished floor. The anticipation in the air alpable, despite the m’s drowsiness.

  Harry, Luna, and Daphood he front of the crowd, watg as students trickled in, most of them curious about the night’s event. Even some of the Slytherins looked intrigued, their usual disdain tempered by the y of it all.

  "At least this should be amusing," Harry whispered to Luna, who nodded in agreement, though her expression showed mild i.

  Daphifled a ugh. "If nothing else, it'll be fun to watch Lockhart get embarrassed."

  A sudden hush fell over the room as Professor Lockhart strode onto the ptform, beaming with his usual self-fidence. His robes, a garish shade of purple tonight, billowed behind him in what was clearly an exaggerated fir. He raised his hands, calling for silence.

  "Wele, wele!" Lockhart's voice echoed through the hall, and some students winced. "To the first meeting of the Hogwarts Dueling Club! Tonight, I will be teag you the fi of dueling, ensuring that you all bee as profit as—well, as myself, naturally."

  “Isnt Flitwick the iional dueling champion?” Luna asks rather loudly.

  Luna's voice carried through the hall, and the murmur of students immediately turned into a few scattered chuckles. Even Harry smirked at her boldness, while Daphne covered her mouth to hide a grin. Lockhart, however, appeared oblivious to the jab, his bright smile never faltering.

  "Ah, yes, Professor Flitwick is indeed skilled," Lockhart replied with a dismissive wave of his hand, as if brushing aside the idea that anyone could pare to him. "But tonight, you'll be learning from me!" He spread his arms wide, basking iention.

  Harry leaned closer to Luna. "I 't tell if he's that clueless or if he just doesn't care."

  "Maybe both," Luna whispered back with a small smirk.

  The two looked over to see that said half goblin professor was absolutly fuming at the slight against him.

  Lockhart tinued, his enthusiasm unchecked. "Now, before we begin, I will demonstrate the proper dueling form with the assistance of our esteemed Potions Master, Professor Snape!" He gestured toward the far end of the ptform, where Sood like a dark shadow, his expression as stern as ever.

  The crowd of students fell silent again as Sepped forward, his bck robes sweeping behind him. His sharp gaze sed the room before settling on Lockhart with clear disdain.

  "Shall we?" Lockhart said, looking far too pleased with himself as he took his position opposite Snape.

  Snape gave a curt nod, his lips curling ever so slightly as if relishing what was about to happen.

  As Snape and Lockhart took their positions on the dueling ptform, Harry exged a knowing gh Luna. They both knew, without a doubt, that Lockhart was a plete fraud. His fshy antid over-the-top bravado might fool the youudents, but anyone paying attention could see the cracks in his facade. Luna raised an eyebrow, her expression a mix of amusement and mild pity.

  Harry leaoward her, his voice low. “You think Snape’s going to destroy him?”

  Luna nodded, smirking. “Absolutely. Lockhart’s about to get a lesson he’ll never fet.”

  Beside them, Daphne rolled her eyes, clearly unimpressed. “He’s su idiot,” she muttered, shaking her head. "I don't know how anyone believes a word he says."

  Harry snickered. “They won't for long."

  “Right the article is almost done I t wait for daddy to print it.” Luna states with a smirk, having her father right abut the fmboyant fraud was sure to get quite a few readers.

  “Wands at the ready!” Lockhart called, striking a ridiculous dueling pose that seemed more suited to a stage py than an actual duel.“We must follow tradition, Lockhart,” Snape drawled, his voice dripping with sarcasm. “A duel begins with a bow.”

  Lockhart, still fshing that ridiculous grin, gave a theatrical, overly exaggerated bow, his robe fring out dramatically as if he erf on a stage. Snape, oher hand, ined his head barely an inch, his eyes never leaving Lockhart’s.

  Harry leaned closer to Luna and Daphne, whispering, “He’s toast.”

  Luna stifled a ugh behind her hand, nodding in agreement. Daphne rolled her eyes, muttering, “I ’t believe we’re watg this.”

  As soon as the bow was plete, Snape wasted no time. His wand snapped up with lightning speed, and he hissed, “Expelliarmus!”

  A bst of red light erupted from Snape’s wand, streaking across the ptform with deadly precision. Lockhart, who had barely raised his wand, was caught pletely off-guard. The disarming spell smmed into him with the force of a Bludger, sending his wand flying from his hand and him crashing backwards onto the polished floor of the Great Hall.

  There was a moment of stunned silence as Lockhart stood there hay staring at snape.

  Lockhart, his face red with embarrassment but still trying to maintain his trademark smile. “Ah, well, that was just… a little demonstration! You see, Severus here is a very talented duelist. I, of course, let him win… just to show you how powerful disarming be!” He rambled, straightening his robes as the hall erupted inthter.

  “THAT IS IT! You two!” Lockhart suddenly barked, pointing dramatically at Luna Lovegood and Theodore Nott. “Up here now! Show us how you students duel!”

  Luna and Theodore exged gnces, both looking mildly surprised. Theodore’s brows furrowed as he relutly stepped forward, his wand held stiffly at his side. Luna, oher hand, sauntered up to the ptform with ease a smile on her face, her wand casually tucked into her robes. Instead, she summoned forth...a sword.

  Luly grabbed it before holding it to her side. The bde was dark, its polished surface gleamed ominously in the faint light, a metallic sheen that caught the dim dlelight of the castle, casting fleeting refles along the long bde that nearly touched the ground.The hilt, ed in dark leather, was worn smooth perfectly fitting Luna’s grip. It was rather clear she had alot of experieh said bde.

  "Wait, what? You— you 't—!" Theodore stammerd feeling utterly terrified of the bde.

  “Actually, acc to The pendium of Traditional Dueling Practices, se 3, paragraph 7,” Luna began in her usual dreamy tone, “any on magically imbued and wielded through magical means is sidered a legitimate dueling tool, provided it does not ily exceed the power of a grand stave.”

  The room went silent for a moment as people processed her words. Theodore, still flustered, blinked rapidly. “That— that’s a rule?”Luna nodded sagely. “It is. Not many use it, of course. Most duels these days are a bit b, all spells and no fir.”

  Harry and Daphne exged amused gnces.

  "Well, I guess no one argue with that, it is the rules after all, although you don’t see many on the dueling circuit using a sword," came a voice from the entrance.

  All eyes turoward the doorway, where Professor Flitwick, the half-goblin dueling master, stood leaning casually against the frame, watg the club with an amused glint in his eyes.

  The students stared, many looking awed and nervous in the presence of a former iional dueling champion. Theodore looked even more embarrassed under Flitwick's gaze, while Luna simply smiled, as though the entire exge was as ordinary as breathing.

  "Professor Flitwick!" Lockhart excimed, his voice more high-pitched than usual as he waved dramatically. "So gd to see you! Perhaps you’d like to offer some of your... expert advice!"

  Flitwick gave a small chuckle and walked into the hall, nodding to Luna as he passed. "Luna's quite right, you know. There’s a long history of using ented bdes in magical duels. Not only dohese days, but entirely within the rules."Flitwick gave Luna a small, approving nod before turning his attention back to the increasingly flustered Theodore. "Carry on, Mr. Nott. Let's see how well you adapt."

  “How is a swoing to stop a spell?” Theodore asked, trying to mask his uainty with a hint of defiance.

  Luna, her expression as serene as ever, simply shrugged. “I’ll just win.”

  Theodore frowned, clearly not expeg such a direswer. “How?”

  Luna spoke matter-of-factly, as if the whole thing were already decided. “I’ll parry your spell, run up to you, sweep your feet out from under you, then hold my bde to your neck, f you to cede.”

  The room fell into stunned silence for a moment. Theodore looked like he couldn’t decide whether to ugh or worry. The students who overheard Luna’s calm decration were divided between amusement and intrigue.

  Flitwick, still leaning against the doorframe, smiled faintly. "Sounds like a solid strategy, Miss Lovegood. Mr. Nott, I suggest you take her seriously."

  Theodore shook his head, trying to shake off his fusion. “You’re serious, aren’t you?”

  Luna simply gave a serene smile. “Sirius, isn’t that Harry’s godfather?”

  The joke went over most of the students' heads, though a few professors seemed taken aback by it. Theodore, however, still couldn't quite his mind around her approach. “So, you’re really going to try to parry my spells?”

  “Yes,” Luna responded, her tone as light as ever.

  Before Theodore could argue any further, Lockhart, eager to get the duel underway, interrupted, “Right, that’s enough chit-chat! BEGIN!”

  “PARRY THIS! fringo!” Theodore shouted, casting the Bsting Curse.

  The curse shot forward with speed, a fiery bst heading straight for Luna.

  With a twist of her bde, Luna deflected the curse with ease, redireg its force. The spell ricocheted off her sword in a surprising dispy of precision, striking a far-off pilr and causing a loud explosion that sent dust flying through the Great Hall.

  The students gasped, their eyes wide with astonishment. Theodore’s jaw dropped as he stood there, utterly dumbfounded only to have time to scream in terror as the blonde rushed him.

  With in a sed his vision was looking straight up at the roof as he felt a dull ring when the back of his skull smacked the ground and the now steel red bde was held against his throat.

  “I surrender!” Nott Shouted only to befily get out, “i think i have a cussion.” before struggling to stand.

  As Luna stepped back, a triumphant smile still on her face, Professor Flitwick cpped his hands together, his eyes sparkling with approval. “Well done, Miss Lovegood! That was an impressive dispy of skill.”

  “Yes, yes! A splendid demonstration of… uh, unventional dueling teiques!” Lockheart stated waving his hands dramatically

  In stark trast, Severus Sood off to the side, his expression dark and disapproving. His arms were crossed tightly over his chest, and his lips were pressed into a thin line as he watched Luna walk towards Harry Potter and… Daphne Greengrass, it appears he would o have a talk with one of his snakes.

  onnerfer