𝐞𝐱𝐢𝐥𝐞 | h. granger

xxix | dueling club

Second Floor Bathroom

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"𝐀𝐆𝐀𝐈𝐍? 𝐘𝐎𝐔 𝐌𝐄𝐀𝐍, 𝐓𝐇𝐄 𝐂𝐇𝐀𝐌𝐁𝐄𝐑 𝐎𝐅 𝐒𝐄𝐂𝐑𝐄𝐓𝐒 has been opened before?" Hermione asked when Harry was done telling her, Ron, Dakota, and Aliyah what he had overheard in the hospital wing when the professors brought in a petrified Colin Creevey.

They were gathered in the second-floor bathroom. They had everything they needed for the Polyjuice Potion, which Hermione and Aliyah were busy brewing.

"Of course," Ron said, coming to a realization. "Don't you see? Lucius Malfoy must have opened it when he was at school here, and now he's taught Draco how to do it."

"Maybe." Aliyah shrugged. "We'll have to wait for the Polyjuice Potion to know for sure."

"Enlighten me. Why are we brewing this potion in broad daylight. . .in the middle of a girls' lavatory? Don't you think we'll get caught."

Dakota snickered. "No one ever comes in here, Ronald. That's why it's the perfect spot."

"Why?" Ron asked.

"Moaning Myrtle."

"Who?"

"Moaning Myrtle," Dakota repeated, offering the ghost girl a small wave when she poked her head out of a stall.

"Who's Moaning Myrtle?"

"I'm Moaning Myrtle!" the ghost snapped, getting really close to the redheaded boy and causing him to jump. She floated up high over the sink. "I wouldn't expect you to know me. Who would ever talk about ugly, miserable, moping Moaning Myrtle?" She let out a wail as she flew across the bathroom and dove into a toilet, splashing water everywhere.

Hermione shook her head. "She's a little sensitive."

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Later that evening, a meeting was held in the Great Hall for students interested in learning about dueling. Dakota didn't want to go seeing as it was being hosted by Professor Lockhart of all people, but gave in after lots of pleading from Hermione. Who knows? Maybe it could be fun.

"Have any of you seen Lyra?" Aliyah asked as they walked through the crowd of students.

"No, not since the Quidditch game," Dakota replied.

"It's weird. She's being weird." Aliyah sighed and shook her head. She didn't know what was going on with the Hufflepuff girl. She'd become distant from everyone this year. "Lia!" she called out to Ophelia as they went to stand with her.

"Hey, Ali, Kody!" Ophelia smiled at them.

"Do you know where Lyra is? I thought for sure she'd come to this."

"She's been in her dorm room all day," the 4th year said with a small frown. "Something's wrong, I just know it. What it is, though, I'm not quite sure."

Aliyah and Dakota exchanged a worried look. They were joined by the Gryffindor trio, who were excitedly talking about the dueling club.

"Gather round!" Lockhart called as he walked down the platform that was set up in the middle. It was blue and had the moon phases on it. "Gather round! Can everybody see me? Call you all hear me? Excellent. In the 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."