Harry Potter: Red Weasley The Strange Red Wizard

I was currently receiving personalized tutoring from Professor Sprout alongside Hannah and Neville, but my mind was elsewhere: the Acromantulas. Or rather, whatever was inside those eggs, because they were about to hatch. One of my clones, who was keeping watch over the eggs, had noticed that the estimated time might be shorter than expected.

The spider eggs, though few, were now much larger and had distinct shapes: some were smooth, others slimy, and some even had protrusions. Additionally, their colors varied between green, ash-white, red, and even gold. There was so much diversity that I didn't know what to expect from them.

"Red… RED… RED!" Hannah's voice snapped me out of my thoughts, calling for my attention.

"Huh? What?" I asked, somewhat disoriented.

"The professor said we're done," she explained, pointing at the plants on the table.

The professor had been teaching us how to care for certain plants. Each of us had three pots to work on, but without realizing it, I had ended up tending to several other nearby plants. That gave the professor a bit of a headache, as those plants were meant for the next day's class. Now, she wouldn't be able to use them.

I immediately apologized, though the professor didn't seem truly upset. In fact, my work had been flawless, but she would still need to find other plants for the next lesson.

After saying goodbye, Neville headed to his room to study, as he had been doing a lot lately. He was preparing for the trip. Although he struggled with low self-esteem, he was determined to improve enough not to consider himself a failure outside of Hogwarts. I felt a bit sorry that he wasn't in Hufflepuff—he had the heart of one.

I walked Hannah back to the hideout while she spoke excitedly. Though my mind was still distracted, thinking about the upcoming birth of my arachnid offspring, I made an effort to listen.

"…They also told me that many classes are held outdoors, especially Care of Magical Creatures and Herbology. They only use greenhouses for plants that need a specific environment. The rest grow directly in nature, though with some protection…" she explained enthusiastically. She had been asking Castelobruxo students about it, and despite the language barrier, she had gathered quite a bit of information, especially from a professor who spoke some English.

"That sounds interesting," I replied with a smile. "So, are you ready to go?"

"I don't know… I'm really nervous. This is the first time I'll be away from my parents for so long, and everything will be completely new," she admitted nervously. She calmed down a little when I placed a hand on her shoulder.

"We'll be fine, Hannah. Remember, you have me. I won't let anything bad happen to us," I reassured her gently.

At that moment, someone suddenly appeared in front of us.

"Red! Hannah! I found you!" Susan exclaimed with unusual energy. Though she was generally reserved, she became livelier when she was with us.

Susan quickly latched onto Hannah's arm, eager to hear how our day had gone. The two of them started chatting freely, exchanging comments and laughter while I added a few remarks here and there. It was funny how the three of us fit together so well—almost like a different version of the original Golden Trio. Susan seemed to trust us deeply, showing her more vibrant side, as if we were her closest friends in our circle.

"Oh! And they're starting a Dueling Club. They announced it on the notice board," Susan said excitedly.

"A Dueling Club?" Hannah asked, intrigued. She had heard about it before. There had been one a long time ago, though the only similar thing nowadays was a room in the dungeons where some students practiced informally. "What do you think, Red? Should we check it out? Will it be like your classes?"

"I don't know, but we can find out. Why don't you go tell the other girls? It could be a great opportunity for them to see how much they've improved compared to their classmates," I suggested with a smile.

I knew perfectly well how this "Dueling Club" would turn out, but I was serious about showing the girls their progress. I had been training them since our first year, and I had seen how much they had grown. However, some of them still weren't fully aware of how important our training had been for their development. If I wanted to keep helping them, I needed to motivate them, and this was the perfect chance.

Susan and Hannah ran off excitedly to inform the others. I stayed behind, smiling. Sure, I could have used [Message] to inform everyone at once, but I preferred to let them run around a bit. After all, it was more fun that way.

...

Night had fallen, and the Great Hall was completely full. The students, excited, held their wands eagerly. The tables had disappeared, replaced by a golden stage that shimmered under the dim candlelight, as the enchantment displaying the starry sky on the ceiling had also been deactivated.

My group was gathered in a relatively close space, though divided into small subgroups. Despite this, we maintained a certain unity amidst the sea of students. Ginny and Luna were at my sides, one on each, calmly conversing with little excitement about the event. They had only come because I was attending, but both fully trusted their abilities and saw little point in this club.

Discussions about the club's purpose and who had organized it filled the air. However, the atmosphere shifted when Lockhart appeared, wearing a plum-colored robe and an excessively wide smile, accompanied by the ever-serious Snape. The looks of disgust among my companions and the rest of the students were immediate. It was almost amusing to see how my group instantly understood how unprofessional this Dueling Club would be just by looking at Lockhart. If any of them still had doubts about him, they were surely reconsidering their stance now.

"Come here, come closer! Can everyone see me? Can everyone hear me? Excellent!" Lockhart exclaimed with a smile that rivaled the stage's shine. "Professor Dumbledore has granted me permission to open this modest Dueling Club, with the intention of preparing all of you in case you ever need to defend yourselves, just as I have done countless times. For more details, consult my books." He paused theatrically before pointing to his companion. "Allow me to introduce my assistant, Professor Snape. He claims to know a little about dueling and has selflessly agreed to help me with a small demonstration. But fear not, young ones: you won't be left without a Potions professor after this. Do not fear!"

Snape remained motionless beside him, his expression as stoic as it was mortified. It was hard not to laugh at the thought of what was going through his mind. His self-control was admirable, though I was sure that if he weren't in front of a group of students, he would have already cast some unpleasant spell on Lockhart. Meanwhile, I struggled with intrusive thoughts… Damn it, stupid sexy female Snape, get out of my head.

Finally, after an unnecessarily long introduction, the demonstration began… and ended almost as quickly as it had started. Everyone watched as Lockhart flew in a perfect arc toward the wall after a flawless Expelliarmus cast by Snape.

Lockhart, showcasing his talent for acting, got up pretending everything was under control. If there was anything to respect about him, it was his ability to keep up appearances, though his lack of awareness was obvious. Provoking Snape was a mistake that anyone with common sense would avoid. The Defense Against the Dark Arts professor's words were becoming increasingly irritating, and Snape's expression darkened even more. Sensing danger, Lockhart quickly changed the subject to avoid a second humiliation.

"Enough demonstration! Let's pair you up. Professor Snape, if you would be so kind as to help me..." he announced with a forced smile, clearly looking for a way out of the tension.

Thus, the groups for the duels began to form, but before my girls could pair up, I gathered them to give some instructions.

"You can fight each other or observe how the others battle, but don't face younger students," I told them, aware that they were far above their peers in terms of skill. However, before I could suggest they look for upper-year opponents, a sarcastic voice interrupted my words.

"It seems that Mr. Weasley doesn't want his little girl friends to get hurt. But this is a Dueling Club, not a tea party," Snape said, shooting me a sharp look as he started pairing the girls with other students.

Besides Potter, I was the second person he always kept an eye on. Though it could have been worse if I had activated the synchronizations from past campaigns. I had refrained from that, just as I had refrained from summoning characters from those stories after the first time. I just sighed, hoping things wouldn't go too badly. I knew my girls weren't humanoid monsters, but their skill level could cause problems if they didn't hold back.

As for me, I was paired with a fifth-year student, as Snape was well aware of my abilities… or perhaps just to bother me. I didn't pay too much attention, keeping my focus on the girls and their battles.

"Wands at the ready!" Lockhart shouted with theatrical enthusiasm. "When I count to three, cast your disarming spells. Only to disarm—no accidents, please! One, two, and… three!"

The fight began sooner than expected, especially among the younger students, who lacked patience. Many cast spells prematurely, creating initial chaos. However, my girls reacted instinctively, dodging attacks and counterattacking immediately. The intensive "Surprise Attack!" training I had given them seemed to have paid off… though not in the way the professors had expected.

Accustomed to much more intense combat, the girls didn't limit themselves to casting a single spell. After the first, they followed up with a second and a third in quick succession, defeating their opponents mercilessly. The spell combinations left everyone stunned: "Repel, lift, drop," "Disarm, immobilize, repel," and "Silence, blind, bind, repel" were some of the tactics in action. Even Ginny and Luna stood out, securing crushing victories with ease.

Silence filled the Great Hall. Most of the affected students were unable to speak due to the effects of the spells, and the rest watched the girls in shock. The girls, equally surprised, exchanged nervous glances between their wands, the victims, and the rest of the students.

The professors intervened quickly, and by professors, I mean Snape. He undid what spells he could and ordered the older students to take the injured to the infirmary. Before returning to the stage, he shot me a look full of anger, as if I were responsible for what had happened. I could only shrug. While his pairing method had been questionable, my plan wouldn't have been much different. Perhaps facing my girls against older students would have had similar results, as their reaction speed far exceeded that of many of them. This was evident in Penelope's fight, who overwhelmed her opponent despite not being particularly outstanding in combat.

Lockhart, determined not to lose his chance to shine and salvage his reputation, decided to continue the club, though now the fights would be individual and supervised. This led to the duel between Malfoy and Potter, which culminated in the unexpected revelation of Parseltongue. This event left many fearful, but my girls were more amazed than scared. As soon as they had the chance, they organized a meeting in the hideout, intrigued by the new clues this offered.

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