Chapter 14: The Dueling Club
The next few weeks went by very fast for Gohan. It only seemed like a short while since he and his friends were in the girl’s bathroom, but it had just turned into the second week of December. He wrote to his mother and Piccolo, telling them he’d be coming home by Instant Transmission for the holidays coming up. But he wrote in Piccolo’s letter after he stayed for a while, he’d be returning to Hogwarts for 3 hours at the most to find out a lead on the Heir. Piccolo wrote back saying he’d tell his mom he took him for some training at Kami’s Lookout.
As he read that line, Gohan chuckled, “I just hope that no one will get hurt while she’s panicking what’ll happen to me.”
He read on, Piccolo informed him that he should be careful, none of the other Z Fighters have experienced magic before, and so they can’t help him if he gets into trouble.
Gohan frowned, “I guess he forgot who saved the earth twice in less then a year.”
Ron and Harry entered the room, hoping to spot Gohan in here. He quickly put the letter in his dresser, and then walked towards them.
Gohan asked, “What’s up guys?”
Harry looked around uncomfortably, and Ron said, “Why don’t we discuss this over breakfast?”
Gohan’s drowsy eyes lit up with child-like happiness, “ALRIGHT!”
He quickly raced out of the Common Room, hoping to fill his empty stomach with food.
As Harry walked out of the room with Ron towards the Great Hall, Harry asked, “When do you think we should tell him?”
Ron answered, “Definitely while he’s eating.”
Minutes later Hermione, Ron, and Harry were at the Great Hall with Gohan, sitting with him as he shoved food into his mouth.
Harry asked, “So, anyway, here’s what we wanted to do Gohan. You know we’re only half finished with the potion right?”
Gohan nodded as he ate, though you could barely tell he responded at all.
Ron added, “Well, we figured out where to get the rest of the ingredients. The only place is Snape’s private store.”
Gohan said through mouthfuls, “So wut’s da pwobum?”
Hermione answered slowly, “Well… the only way we can get it is if… someone went in while he was distracted. And… well… none of us would have a certain chance of getting them… unless we were really... fast.”
Gohan choked on the food he was eating, coughing repeatedly as though he heard a rather revolting joke.
He slowly turned to her, glaring, “What are you saying?”
Harry smiled, “Well, you are the only person who could pull it off successfully, and by that I mean without the chance of getting caught.”
Gohan yelled, though no one could hear him through the noise everyone was making, “ARE YOU CRAZY?! I just got into the school, I don’t wanna leave until I graduate!”
Ron said impatiently, “Come on Gohan, you know you could do it.”
Gohan explained, “Yes I know, but you are forgetting one thing, SNAPE! If it were anyone else I would totally agree to do it. But Snape hates me, and you guys, and every other person who isn’t in Slytherin. I’d have a better chance getting Hagrid to shave than getting out of Snape’s classroom alive if he caught me.”
Hermione begged, “Please Gohan? If we don’t get those ingredients all the muggle-borns will be attacked, and then they may have to close Hogwarts. We really need those potion ingredients, and you are the only person who can get them.”
Gohan knew this was going against his better judgment, but he did the right thing his father would have done, “Alright, but you guys have got to distract him for at the most a minute.”
Harry grinned evilly, “I think I can handle something like that.”
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That afternoon, Harry and the others waited in Snape’s dungeons until Harry’s distraction took affect. Harry looked towards Gohan, whose eyes told him to wait just a little longer. Then, as Snape turned his back to insult Neville’s poor potion making skills, Gohan nodded to Harry, telling him the time was right.
Then, BOOM! Gohan didn’t want to waste time observing the scene Harry created, so he dashed towards the private store at top speed. He knew everyone would be looking the other way, so he ran as fast as possible to the store. He stopped, looked over the items on the shelves, and recognized the ones he needed. He grabbed the ones that were reachable and jumped for the higher ones. He only had about 20 seconds left before he was sure he’d be caught, so he stuffed his robes with the ingredients needed, used Instant Transmission (because if he ran, he might have dropped some things) back to his desk, and observed the scenery in the classroom. People were being deflated (at the same time he saw people who looked like they had been stung by too many bees) off by Snape, and Gohan saw Goyle’s cauldron on the floor, dripping the Swelling Potion that everyone was making on the floor. Gohan chuckled, admiring the work Harry did, but then laughed his head off as Malfoy came forward to Snape with a nose the size of a fist.
Harry looked towards the dungeons, to see if Gohan was almost finished. He got worried, thinking Gohan had been caught, but then he turned to Gohan’s work station, and saw him grinning with his robes bulging. Harry stared in amazement, wondering how Gohan had gotten there so quick, it looked like he had never even left his potion, yet it was obvious to him that he got the ingredients they needed.
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At the end of class, they all headed to Moaning Myrtle’s bathroom.
Ron exclaimed, “You are amazing! I doubt anyone saw you leaving or coming back to your desk.”
Harry grinned, adding on the praise, “Snape didn’t even look at you evilly… well, less evil than usual.”
Hermione nodded, her facial expression showing signs of glee and impressments, “Now we can complete the Polyjuice Potion.”
Gohan added, with more then a hint of satisfaction, “And once we do, we’ll find out everything we need to know about the monster and the Chamber of Secrets from Malfoy.”
Hermione disagreed, “We don’t know if it’s Malfoy for sure, that’s the whole point we’re using the potion.”
Harry, whose face showed worry, said grimly, “Snape knew it was me that set off the fireworks. Even though he didn’t have solid proof he knew I did it.”
Ron persuaded him, “Don’t worry about it mate, he can’t prove it.”
As Hermione stirred the potion, which had the new ingredients poured into it, she replied, “Only two weeks until it’s finished.”
Gohan, whose voice contained both amusement and seriousness, stated, “Well then, all we have to is wait.”
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A week later, Gohan, Ron, Harry, and Hermione noticed people flocking around the notice board while going to the Great Hall.
Ron asked, looking at all the people, “What do you think they’re looking at?”
Gohan shrugged, “Beats me, but I know that we’ll be going over there now to see what’s up.”
They walked towards the board, asking people what was going on.
Seamus replied excitedly, “They’re starting a Duel Club! The first meeting’s tonight in the Great Hall. It’ll be wicked!”
Ron read the sign, showing interest in his face, “Sounds like fun. I say we go for it.”
Harry turned to the others, “Do you think we should go?”
Gohan and Hermione nodded. Later on that night, they headed to the Great Hall.
Gohan muttered, “The place looks even bigger than usual with all the tables moved out of the way.”
Harry asked, “Who do you thinks teaching this anyway?”
Hermione answered, “Maybe Professor Flitwick. I heard he was a dueling champion when he was younger.”
Harry started, “Well, anyone would be fine as long as it’s not”-
Gohan groaned, “Come on! Of all the teachers Dumbledore chose THEM?!”
Everyone turned, and the boys in the room groaned as they saw Lockhart walking down the hall. And everyone grimaced as Snape followed behind, with his usual frown.
Lockhart yelled out, waving his arm, “Gather round everyone. Can you all see and hear me? Good, now the Headmaster thought with all the attacks you students ought to be taught to defend yourselves as I have done many times. See my published works for details if you want. Anyway, so I and my assistant Professor Snape, who has generously volunteered to join me, will demonstrate some spells you can use to help yourselves. But don’t worry; you’ll still have your Potions teacher at the end of the lesson.”