Hogwarts: Harry Returns from Water Margin

Chapter 76 Lion-Snake Duel: Arms Race

Chapter 77 Lion-Snake Duel: Arms Race

Upon hearing Lockhart's words, the students all lowered their heads, completely losing interest.

It should be noted that Lockhart has been lecturing for two or three months, and his food, clothing, and lodging are all on campus. Even if Zhuge Liang were possessed by his spirit or Sherlock Holmes were reincarnated, such concealment would have already revealed some clues.

The students could see clearly that this fellow was utterly useless, unable to lift a finger, sparse in magic, and mediocre in skill. He usually relied solely on his silver tongue to deceive; when had they ever seen him use his true abilities or reveal his real skills?

Such undeserving individuals, even if awarded medals made of pure gold or cast in silver, would only feel ashamed to receive them.

Harry turned his face away and whispered to Ron and Hermione, reminiscing about the time they spent honing their skills.

Draco also turned his neck and bit Goyle and Crabbe's ears, demanding that the two of them come with him to get the muscle-building potion that night.

Seeing that the students weren't interested, Lockhart's eyes lit up, and he added, "Oh, there's one more thing."

"To avoid everyone holding back because their opponent is a friend of our house, I have decided that Gryffindor will face Slytherin, and Ravenclaw will face Hufflepuff."

"What do you think about having the Gryffindor and Slytherin wizards come to class next week?"

Lockhart was always good at stirring things up; with just a few words, he ignited the competitive spirit of the students, making the classroom quite noisy.

Seeing hundreds of sparks suddenly rise, Lockhart was secretly pleased, and wanting the fire to grow even bigger, he added, "And I've also invited Professor Snape to be my assistant, so he can give you young wizards some guidance."

These words were like adding fuel to the fire, stirring up the flames to a raging inferno.

Upon hearing this, Seamus jumped up and exclaimed, "What about Professor McGonagall—is Snape also our Gryffindor house advisor?"

"No, no, no, my dear." Lockhart smiled, his eyes crinkling with laughter. "I will personally be Gryffindor's tutor!"

Readers, please note: Lockhart, though a good-for-nothing and a drunkard, is not the kind of reckless fool who lacks strategy. His taking on the task of instructing Gryffindor is not merely a formality; his true intention lies in winning Harry's heart.

You should know that he started this ridiculous dueling club just to gain a catchy nickname. But as a professor, he couldn't very well mingle with his students. If he won, he'd be branded as a bully, and if he lost, he'd be ridiculed by the world.

This fellow hatched a plan: he would become the instructor, standing on the stage and shouting to watch the snipe and the clam fight.

He had already heard from Colin that Harry was incredibly skilled, and he also knew that Flitwick and Snape were secretly tutoring Harry, making him virtually unmatched in the second year.

Once Harry wins the prize, they can reap the benefits and add a line to their new book: "The man behind the savior."

Lockhart's scheming plan elicited sighs of discontent from the Gryffindor students, as if cold water had been poured over scorching coals.

Nassimus wished he could immediately unleash an explosive spell to send Lockhart crashing into the hospital, so that the hospital director could take over.

What can Lockhart teach? Every day in class, he would find students to act out stage plays with him, recreating the content of his books.

Although he didn't like Snape either, he had to admit that Lockhart couldn't compare to a single drop of Snape's hair oil.

As Seamus was grumbling to himself, he suddenly heard Harry, Ron, and Hermione talking about strengthening their bodies and training.

His heart was burning with anticipation, and suddenly a thought struck him. He leaned forward and whispered to Harry, "Harry, can I come with you?"

Ron and Hermione were both taken aback when they heard this. Since the start of the school year, they had been practicing with Harry every morning, and apart from the Gryffindor Quidditch team, they hadn't seen anyone else.

Seemingly sensing their doubts, Seamus explained, "Isn't there a duel in Defense Against the Dark Arts class next week? I don't want to lose face in front of those Slytherin guys."

Ron puffed out his sleeves. "Are you sure you can handle this? Our training is quite intense."

"I once sat in front of the computer for eight hours straight without moving an inch," Simon said in a deep voice. "Don't underestimate my willpower."

Although Ron didn't know what a computer was, he was secretly impressed when he heard that the computer hadn't moved an inch for four hours.

Harry nodded and said, "Brother Seamus, how can I not go with you? Just don't abandon us halfway."

Seamus thumped his chest loudly. "Don't worry, Harry, I'll definitely stick with it."

From then on, Seamus began to train with Harry and the others. However, his muscles and bones were not yet fully developed, and in less than a day, he felt as if his legs were filled with vinegar, his feet were walking on cotton, and every joint in his body was sore and numb.

He was tempted to give up, but being a sensitive person, he had no choice but to grit his teeth and persevere. The extra students at Gryffindor, seeing this, were also surprised and greatly alarmed.

It should be understood that younger students should not learn powerful spells or incantations; fighting should rely more on brute force.

Draco and his gang eat those damn muscle-building potions every day, while the others just play around and joke around. When the duel day comes and the real test begins, won't they be waiting to be slaughtered?

Once they grasped the key points, the number of people practicing every morning immediately increased to thirty or fifty. Even though they were panting and out of breath, not one of them missed a session.

Draco was alarmed by the daily training of the Gryffindors and wrote a letter home overnight to Malfoy Manor, requesting that the dosage of the muscle-building potion be doubled.

The members of the Lion House trained day and night, their sweat pouring down like oil, their backs crevices gushing with sweat, leaving not a single patch of dry skin on their bodies.

The people of the Slytherin were not quiet either. They ate the muscle-building potion like food, ran to the outhouse three or five times a day, and kept a chamber pot by their bedside when they went to sleep.

It was truly a case of "the devil is always one step ahead," with each student taking the stage after the other's performance. The second-year students from the Lion and Snake Colleges were engaged in what seemed like an arms race, each striving harder than the last.

By the time the Defense Against the Dark Arts class came next week, they were all burly and strong, their wizard robes bulging.

"Long time no see, young wizards." As everyone gathered, Lockhart said cheerfully, "Let me introduce you to my assistant, Professor Snape!"

"Excuse me," Snape said coldly, arms crossed, "I was just here to help out. When did I become your assistant?"

"Ah, that's right, he's my helper."

Lockhart smoothed things over by waving his wand to summon the roll and reading, "Harry Potter, Draco Malfoy, please come up."

"Don't worry, children, I will teach you the etiquette of dueling..."

As he was speaking, suddenly there was a "poof" sound, and a house-elf appeared, bowed to Harry, and said respectfully, "Mr. Harry Potter, Professor Dumbledore is looking for you."

(End of this chapter)