Harry Potter 02 - Harry Potter and the Chamber of Secrets

had fallen off and his wavy hair was standing on end.
    ‘Well, there you have it!’ he said, tottering back onto the platform. ‘That was a Disarming Charm – as you see, I’ve lost my wand – ah, thank you, Miss Brown. Yes, an excellent idea to show them that, Professor Snape, but if you don’t mind my saying so, it was very obvious what you were about to do. If I had wanted to stop you it would have been only too easy. However, I felt it would be instructive to let them see …’
    Snape was looking murderous. Possibly Lockhart had noticed, because he said, ‘Enough demonstrating! I’m going to come amongst you now and put you all into pairs. Professor Snape, if you’d like to help me …’
    They moved through the crowd, matching up partners. Lockhart teamed Neville with Justin Finch-Fletchley, but Snape reached Harry and Ron first.
    ‘Time to split up the dream team, I think,’ he sneered. ‘Weasley, you can partner Finnigan. Potter –’
    Harry moved automatically towards Hermione.
    ‘I don’t think so,’ said Snape, smiling coldly. ‘Mr Malfoy, come over here. Let’s see what you make of the famous Potter. And you, Miss Granger – you can partner Miss Bulstrode.’
    Malfoy strutted over, smirking. Behind him walked a Slytherin girl who reminded Harry of a picture he’d seen in Holidays with Hags. She was large and square and her heavy jaw jutted aggressively. Hermione gave her a weak smile which she did not return.
    ‘Face your partners!’ called Lockhart, back on the platform, ‘and bow!’
    Harry and Malfoy barely inclined their heads, not taking their eyes off each other.
    ‘Wands at the ready!’ shouted Lockhart. ‘When I count to three, cast your charms to disarm your opponent – only to disarm them – we don’t want any accidents. One … two … three …’
    Harry swung his wand over his shoulder, but Malfoy had already started on ‘two’: his spell hit Harry so hard he felt as though he’d been hit over the head with a saucepan. He stumbled, but everything still seemed to be working, and wasting no more time, Harry pointed his wand straight at Malfoy and shouted, ‘Rictusempra!’
    A jet of silver light hit Malfoy in the stomach and he doubled up, wheezing.
    ‘I said disarm only!’ Lockhart shouted in alarm over the heads of the battling crowd, as Malfoy sank to his knees; Harry had hit him with a Tickling Charm, and he could barely move for laughing. Harry hung back, with a vague feeling it would be unsporting to bewitch Malfoy while he was on the floor, but this was a mistake. Gasping for breath, Malfoy pointed his wand at Harry’s knees, choked, ‘Tarantallegra!’ and next second Harry’s legs had begun to jerk around out of his control in a kind of quickstep.
    ‘Stop! Stop!’ screamed Lockhart, but Snape took charge.
    ‘Finite Incantatem!’ he shouted; Harry’s feet stopped dancing, Malfoy stopped laughing and they were able to look up.
    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. Harry leapt forward and pulled Millicent off. It was difficult; she was a lot bigger than he was.
    ‘Dear, dear,’ said Lockhart, skittering through the crowd, looking at the aftermath of the duels. ‘Up you get, Macmillan … careful there, Miss Fawcett … pinch it hard, it’ll stop bleeding in a second, Boot …
    ‘I think I’d better teach you how to block unfriendly spells,’ said Lockhart, standing flustered in the midst of the hall. He glanced at Snape, whose black eyes glinted, and looked quickly away. ‘Let’s have a volunteer pair – Longbottom and Finch-Fletchley, how about you?’
    ‘A bad idea, Professor Lockhart,’ said Snape, gliding over like a large and malevolent bat. ‘Longbottom causes devastation with the simplest spells. We’ll be sending what’s left of Finch-Fletchley up to the hospital wing in a matchbox.’ Neville’s round pink face went pinker. ‘How about Malfoy and Potter?’ said Snape with a twisted smile.
    ‘Excellent idea!’ said Lockhart, gesturing Harry and Malfoy into the middle of the Hall as the crowd backed away to give them room.
    ‘Now, Harry,’ said Lockhart, ‘when Draco points his