Chapter 166. Duncan, Our Champion!
On the afternoon of the next day, the dense clouds scattered, and the long-awaited sun appeared, spilling warm light.
By the Black Lake, on a slightly raised little mound, Duncan spread a mat on the damp grass and used magic to keep out the snowmelt.
Hermione took the two bamboo baskets beside her, lifted out the pastries and snacks, and piled them high in the middle of the mat.
Fred plopped down on the mat in a huff, grabbed a biscuit, and took a vicious bite as if venting his anger.
He hadn't chewed more than a few times before groaning, "Ow, ow," because his face, just like Harry's that day, was swollen like a pig's head.
"Snape is taking revenge on purpose! What bloody duelling technique!" Fred roared in anger.
"He just wanted an excuse to wallop us!"
"You two were both picked as in-class sparring dummies?" Duncan eyed Fred and George's pig-heads, teasing.
George snorted in annoyance.
"Not long after class started he went mad praising us as the best students in our year, laying it on thick."
"Then he said the best effect would be for us to demonstrate on stage, and he yanked us up and gave us a proper thrashing!" Fred added furiously.
"Fred!" "George!"
With tears in their eyes, Fred and George stared at each other and gripped hands tightly.
"We have to resist, we have to fight! We can't just let Snape bully us.
We must think of a way and let him know we're not easy to push around!"
"I agree!" Harry nodded hard.
He, too, was one of Snape's punching bags, and from the start of term until now he had suffered under Snape.
Watching the riled-up twins, Hermione muttered to herself in a low voice, "Annoying as Snape is, what he teaches is actually useful.
At least he's far better than Professor Quirrell, who only knows how to read from a book."
Fred and George swivelled their gazes to Hermione and yelped theatrically, "Hermione, you're our dearest friend!
How can you say that? Are you going to betray our Anti-Black-Bat Alliance?"
Startled for a few seconds by their reaction, Hermione then laughed.
"Wasn't it the Anti-Black-Bat Group? How did it become an Alliance?"
"Snape's power is growing stronger and stronger.
If we don't improve and don't unite more strength, it'll be hard to oppose him!"
Life is hard—Fred shook his head and sighed.
"All right, Duncan, stop laughing.
When is your Defence Against the Dark Arts class?" George said.
"From what I know of Snape, he'll definitely pick you as a sparring partner too!"
Neville swallowed the cake in his mouth, tilted his head to think, then widened his eyes.
"Seems like it's the last period this afternoon!"
"Merlin's beard..."
Duncan's smile froze.
He didn't want to roam the castle with a pig's head like Fred and the others and be laughed at.
"Haha!"
In stark contrast to Duncan's expression, a wild grin spread across Fred's face.
"Duncan, we'll come pick you up after class this afternoon!"
"No, thanks!" Duncan refused decisively.
"You'd better get those faces healed first.
If you come looking for me with how you look now, I'd be mortified!"
"Don't worry, we'll all look the same by then," George said, patting Duncan's shoulder with a grin.
"Right, what about that potion you gave Harry last time?
Give us a few bottles, or who knows when these injuries will heal," Fred said.
"Duncan, do you still have any?
There are lots in my dorm," Harry said.
"Shall I go fetch a bottle for them?"
"No need." George patted Harry's shoulder and said earnestly, "I believe those are more important to you."
Harry blinked, understanding the hidden meaning in George's words.
He puckered his lips, didn't want to talk anymore, and started wolfing down snacks with Ron.
Fred and George took the potion from Duncan and slathered it on each other any which way.
Then they lay on the mat and looked up at the blue sky.
"Fred, look at that white cloud over there.
Doesn't it look like Snape?"
"Exactly the same.
If it's not him, it's his brother!"
"Oi, Snape's luck is awful.
Look, a fire dragon has appeared beside him!"
"Tut-tut, what a miserable sight.
Half of Snape's body's been bitten off!"
Listening to the twins' nonsense, Hermione covered her mouth and giggled, lowering her head to tease Pro the Niffler sprawled adorably before her.
Lying beside Fred, Duncan basked in the warm sunlight, closed his eyes in comfort, and sighed, "Weather like this is truly pleasant..."
After a few casual words with the people next to him, Duncan soon drifted into a sweet sleep, and when he woke again, it was nearly time for class.
Duncan and the others packed up, parted from Hermione and the rest at the castle, then he and Neville headed for Defence Against the Dark Arts.
Fred and George were still shouting that they would pick him up after class.
Duncan raised an "international friendly gesture" and replied with one word, "Get lost!"
Entering the classroom, Hannah stood up, waved hard, and pointed to the empty seats behind her, motioning for Duncan and Neville to come over.
"Have you heard?
The Defence Against the Dark Arts professor has been changed to Snape!" Hannah said gloomily the moment Duncan sat down.
"I've heard." Duncan sighed.
When he first learned this, he had gloated over Harry as the focus of attention.
But he hadn't expected the situation to change so quickly, and the disaster brought by Snape would likely spread to him as well.
"From what they're saying, Professor Snape's classes are rather scary.
I kind of miss Professor Quirrell..." Ellie said in a small voice.
Her words immediately drew everyone's agreement.
Boring as Quirrell's classes were, at least they didn't have to worry for their lives.
After a few words of small talk, the bell rang.
Everyone sat up straight at once, and the classroom was so quiet that even a pin dropping could be heard.
Snape banged the door open, his black robes billowing, strode into the classroom, and turned on the platform like a machine.
Facing all the students, he suppressed the delight on his face, kept a stiff expression, and said coldly, "Put away the textbooks on your desks!"
"You won't need anything in them right now.
Even if I taught you those spells, with your brains you wouldn't know how to use them!"
No one voiced any objection.
At once the room filled with the clatter of books, and in the blink of an eye everyone had cleared their desktops.
Duncan met Neville's eyes silently.
It had begun—exactly the scene Fred and George had described, even the tone the same!
Snape nodded in satisfaction, briefly explained the importance of duelling techniques, then let his gaze sweep the room slowly.
Every student who met his eyes looked down of their own accord, not daring to meet his gaze, praying they wouldn't be chosen.
"Duncan Scamander, come up and demonstrate with me for everyone," Snape's voice sounded again, and the room exhaled in unison.
They all cast sympathetic looks at Duncan, like watching a hero go bravely to his execution, and saw him off with their eyes all the way to the platform.
Enjoyed the story? Support me and get access to early chapters by joining my Patreon!
Find me at: Patr*eon*.com/Resium
Free members can read 10+ Chapters Ahead of Release
Paid member can read 150+ Chapters Ahead of Release
Stories Available
Honkai? No, This Is Daily Life
Hogwarts Pet Master
Pokémon: Who Let Him Leave Pallet Town!
Scrolling Yu-Gi-Oh! Shorts