The Forgotten Potter- Draco Malfoy

Chapter 11 (Year 2)

River's POV

"Gather round! Gather round! Can everyone see me? Can you all hear me? Excellent. In light of the dark events of recent weeks, Professor Dumbledore has granted me permission to start this little Dueling Club, to train you all up in case you ever need to defend yourselves as I myself have done on countless occasions — for full details, see my published works." Lockhart said, strutting around on a long table in the middle of the room. Snape stood on the other side of the room, glaring at Lockhart who didn't seem to notice. He looked at me and rolled his eyes, I pursed my lips not to laugh. There had been an attack last night, Colin Creevey, had been petrified, and now they had started the dueling club. 

"Let me introduce my assistant, Professor Snape. He has sportingly agreed to help me with a short demonstration. Now I don't want any of you youngsters to worry. You'll still have your Potions Master when I'm through with him, never fear!"

Pansy, Daphne, and I start giggling, Lockhart grinned at us. The boys all roll their eyes.

"Ew," Blaise said, Snape and Lockhart bowed at each other before walking ten paces and quickly pointing their wands at each other.

"As you can see, we are holding our wands in the accepted combative position. On the count of three, we will cast our first spells. Neither of us will be aiming to kill, of course." Lockhart notes,

"I don't think Snape knows that," I whispered to Daphne.

"One, two, three,"

"Expelliarmus!" Lockhart flies back getting slammed against the wall, I glare at Snape who shrugs innocently at me, smirking. I roll my eyes shaking my head at him.

"Well, there you have it. That was a Disarming Charm. As you see, I've lost my wand." Lockhart says, standing up, and dusting himself off. Granger returned his wand going a bright shade of red as he took the wand from her, I could see Weasley glaring at both of them.

"Perhaps it would be prudent to first teach the students to block unfriendly spells, Professor." Snape suggested, Lockhart smiles.

"An excellent suggestion, Professor Snape. Let's have a volunteer pair. Potter, Weasley, how about you?"

"Weasley's wand causes devastation with the simplest spells. We'll be sending Potter to the hospital wing in a matchbox. Might I suggest someone from my own house. Malfoy, or River, perhaps." Snape smirked at both of us. I looked at Draco who looked at me pleadingly,

"You go," I said. He smiled,

"Thanks," He said, before running up to the table.

"Scared Potter?" Draco mused, Potter glared at him as they bow to each other, wands at the ready.

"You wish," They turn and started walking ten paces.

"Wands at the ready! When I count to three, cast your charms to disarm your opponent — only to disarm. We don't want any accidents. One, two- "But before Lockhart could finish, Draco fires at Potter, sending him flying and landing on his back.

"Rictusempra!" Potter yells, a sliver light flies from Potter's wand and hits Draco straight on the chest, Draco starts wheezing, and coughing hard.

"I said disarm only!" Lockhart yells, my blood boils as I glare at Potter. Before I knew it, I had raised my wand and pointed it straight at Potter before Draco could fire, and yelled,

"Serpensortia!" A long black snake slides off the end of my wand and slides to Potter. Snape smiles at me, being the one who taught me the spell.

"Hey! This isn't your duel, Ms. Potter," Lockhart says, sternly.

"Sorry, Professor,"

"Don't worry Potter, I'll get it for you," Snape says walking up to the snake.

"Allow me," Lockhart says eagerly. He flicked his wand, and the snake starts to hover in the air in pain, hissing. The snake fell to the ground and starts gliding to a Hufflepuff boy. Potter starts to whisper. The snake, still in front of the Hufflepuff who I now realized was Justin-Finch-Fletchley, turned to him. Potter gets louder, making us realize he was speaking parseltounge. The snake stares at Potter for one more second before its head falls to the ground.

"What are you playing at?" Fletchley yells backing away from the table. Snape flicks his wand, and the snake disappears. All eyes landed on Potter, who looked at everyone confused as he got off the table.

---

"Did you know Potter could talk to snakes?" Daphne asked me as we sat in our room.

"I didn't," I said, sitting down on my bed.

"Can you speak to snakes?" Pansy asks, as she braids Daphne's hair.

"No, I don't think so, I didn't understand anything that snake or Potter was saying," I answered. They shrugged as I kept working on my homework.

"Did you see Potter's face when you summoned the snake?" Pansy asked, smiling. I nodded laughing.

"He could have peed his pants just standing there," I said, smiling. She laughed as she finished Daphne's hair.

"We should get going, dinners about to start," Daphne said, standing up, and looking at herself in the mirror. We nodded and stood up, following her out of the room.

The boys were waiting for us, downstairs. Draco looked at a little pissed as I can walking downstairs.

"I've been meaning to talk to you," He said, tapping his foot on the ground.

"About?" I asked. He turned to look at the others and they nodded and started to leave to dinner. Once the wall closed, Draco turned to me.

"Why would you summon that, Snake? I could have done that," he said, I stared at him surprised,

"You're mad that I did?" I said, trying to keep my voice even.

"Yes, I am, I wanted to do that! I wanted to scare Potter!" He said,

"Your mad that I helped you!" I said, my voice rising.

"I didn't need any help! It was my duel!"

"I just wanted to help you! You were coughing and wheezing, so I just did it without thinking."

"Of course, you didn't think, if you did you would have known it was my duel and not yours,"

"And I should remind you that I let you go and dual Potter, so you better shut your mouth! I let you!"

"Just like you let yourself get involved in my duel!" He yelled, I glared at him, with my hand starting to twitch angrily, wanting to punch that stupid face of his.

"It should have been mine! And I guess it was since I finished it!" I yelled, turning away from him.

"Don't you turn your back on me!"

"I can do whatever the hell I want!" I yelled, going up the stairs, knowing he can't follow me.