Dueling Club (1990s)

## Duelling Club

"*Now, Professor Dumbledore has granted me permission to start this little duelling 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.*"
— Gilderoy Lockhart stating the purpose of the club

This **Duelling Club** was a club at Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry, founded in 1992 by the then Defence Against the Dark Arts Professor Gilderoy Lockhart with the intention of teaching the students of Hogwarts how to defend themselves in response to the revelation that the Chamber of Secrets had been opened for the second time. Though the initial club was very unsuccessful, it was recreated in 1996 in response to a darker social climate. It was still active during the 2000s.

## History

### First meeting

"*A haze of greenish smoke was hovering over the scene. Both Neville and Justin were lying on the floor, panting; Ron was holding up an ashen-faced Seamus, apologising for whatever his broken wand had done; but Hermione and Millicent Bulstrode were still moving; Millicent had Hermione in a headlock and Hermione was whimpering in pain; both their wands lay forgotten on the floor.*"
— A description of the chaos following the first attempt to have the students practise duelling

The first meeting of the club was held on 17 December at eight o'clock in the evening in the Great Hall. It was led by Gilderoy Lockhart and Severus Prince-Slytherin. Lockhart and Severus opened the club with a demonstration of formal duelling, including the accepted combative position, though Severus was rather crude with his greeting. Severus easily overpowered Lockhart, hitting him with a Disarming Charm so powerful that it knocked Lockhart against the nearby wall. Presumably deciding that Severus was far too skilful for him, Lockhart barely covered his own ineptitude by lying that he let Severus do it (which angered Severus so much that even the ever ignorant Lockhart saw it) and decided to let the students practise duelling on their own. The students were split into pairs (with Severus making sure neither Harry Potter, Ronald Weasley, nor Hermione Granger were partnered with each other) and commanded to practise disarming.

This, however, turned out to be a mistake, as the room quickly dissolved into chaos, and had to be broken up by the use of *Finite Incantatem* by Severus. Some results of the frenzied duelling included Nathara and Draco Malfoy using far more malicious spells than the Disarming Charm, Ron's broken wand leaving Seamus Finnigan ashen-faced, and Hermione and Millicent Bulstrode reduced to physical combat.

   At this, Severus suggested teaching the students to block unfriendly spells would be prudent. Lockhart agreed, but, having no idea how to do it himself, failed to instruct Nathara as to the proper way to do this. Nevertheless, Nara was paired with Draco once again. At her mother's instruction, Draco used the Snake Summons Spell and conjured a large, black snake. Having created the desired effect of scaring everyone, Snape moved to get rid of the snake, but Lockhart moved first, hitting the snake with *Alarte Ascendare*. However, this spell only lifted the snake a few feet into the air, enraging it further and causing it to make its way towards Justin Finch-Fletchley. Nathara, unaware of what she was doing, calmed the snake down in Parseltongue, sending it into a magical slumber. Severus, becoming horrified at this new discovery, vanished the snake and ended the meeting, escorting his shellshocked daughter out of the room.

### Further meetings

Presumably, the club was disbanded when Lockhart lost his memory and was removed as the Defence Against the Dark Arts professor.

In 1996, the Club was reinstated by Headmaster Albus Dumbledore as a precaution when Lord Voldemort had been officially announced at large once again. Each house, Ravenclaw, Hufflepuff, Slytherin and Gryffindor had their own personal duelling club and their own head member who acted as a leader and would arrange practise duels. Each house also had their own personal duelling area from which students of all houses could go to duel: Gryffindors gathered in the Great Hall, Ravenclaws in the Middle Courtyard, Slytherins in The Quad, and Hufflepuffs in the Training Grounds.

The club was still active in the 2000s. In 2008, Rubeus Hagrid introduced a Muggle-born student to the club, where they would often engage in one-on-one and two-on-two duels.

### Legacy

Following the first meeting of the club, the student body (as well as Harry himself) became aware of Harry's status as a Parselmouth. This alienated the student body, causing a large portion of them to believe that Harry was the Heir of Slytherin and was setting the monster in the Chamber of Secrets on Muggle-borns. This opinion only changed when Hermione Granger (known to be a good friend of Harry's) was attacked as well. Harry's knowledge of Parseltongue would later serve him in combating the true heir of Slytherin and, much later, opening Salazar Slytherin's Locket.

Both the Disarming Charm and the knowledge of formal duelling helped Harry to survive against Lord Voldemort in a duel the two would have over two years later, and those same skills would help him face Voldemort again, for the final time during Voldemort's last stand.

## Known members

### Gryffindor

* Alicia Spinnet (1992–1993 school year)
* Angelina Johnson (1992–1993 school year)
* Angus Matlock (1996–1997 school year)
* Edward (1992–1993 school year)
* Emily (1992–1993 school year)
* Fred Weasley (1992–1993 school year)
* George Weasley (1992–1993 school year)
* Katherine Bell (1992–1993 school year)
* Lee Jordan (1992–1993 school year)
* Neil Randall (1996–1997 school year)
* Neville Longbottom (1992–1993 school year)
* Oliver Wood (1992–1993 school year)
* Romilda Vane (1996–1997 school year)
* Seamus Finnigan (1992–1993 school year)
* Stewart (1992–1993 school year)

### Hufflepuff

* Anthony Otterburn (1996–1997 school year)
* Ernie Macmillan (1992–1993 school year)
* Hannah Abbott (1992–1993 school year)
* Heather (1992–1993 school year)
* Hufflepuff Duelling Club Captain (1996–1997 school year)
* Justin Finch-Fletchley (1992–1993 school year)
* Karl Limpley (1996–1997 school year)
* Kouta Ohnishi (1996–1997 school year)
* Rhonda Fladbury (1996–1997 school year)
* Susan Bones (1992–1993 school year)

### Ravenclaw

* Alannis (1996–1997 school year)
* Andrew (1992–1993 school year)
* Hermione Granger (1992–1993 school year; 1996–1997 school year)
* Helen Dawlish (1996–1997 school year)
* Rebecca (1992–1993 school year)
* Shoma Ichikawa (1996–1997 school year)
* Terry Boot (1992–1993 school year)
* Trevor Birch (1996–1997 school year)

### Slytherin

* Bridget (1992–1993 school year)
* Draco Malfoy (1992–1993 school year; 1996–1997 school year)
* Fergus Cowley (1996–1997 school year)
* Harry Potter (1992–1993 school year; 1996–1997 school year)
* Irfan Mustaq (1996–1997 school year)
* Maynard Hatton (1996–1997 school year)
* Millicent Bulstrode (1992–1993 school year)
* Nathara Prince-Slytherin (1992-1993 school year; 1996-1997 school year
* Peter (1992–1993 school year)
* Rachel (1992–1993 school year)
* Ronald Weasley (1992–1993 school year; 1996–1997 school year)
* Roy (1992–1993 school year)
* Slytherin Duelling Club Captain (1996–1997 school year)

### Unknown house

* Unidentified Muggle-born Hogwarts student
* Daniel Page
* Ivy Warrington