The Hogwarts Dueling Club

The Dueling Club was a short-lived student organization at Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry during the 1992-1993 school year. It was initiated by the then Defence Against the Dark Arts professor, Gilderoy Lockhart, with the stated aim of teaching students how to properly defend themselves in a formal dueling setting. The club is most notable for its one and only meeting, during which Harry Potter's ability to speak Parseltongue was publicly revealed, drastically escalating the school-wide fear that he was the Heir of Slytherin.

The Dueling Club was formed in response to the growing panic at Hogwarts following the attacks on Mrs. Norris and Colin Creevey by the Basilisk from the newly-opened Chamber of Secrets. Gilderoy Lockhart, believing himself to be an expert duelist, announced the club's formation to provide students with the necessary skills for self-defence. The first and only meeting was held in the Great Hall, where the house tables had been vanished to make room for a large, golden stage. Professor Lockhart began the session with a typically boastful and unhelpful speech, bringing on Potions Master Severus Snape as his “assistant.” In a demonstration duel, Snape immediately disarmed Lockhart with a non-verbal `Expelliarmus`, sending him flying. Lockhart claimed he had intentionally allowed Snape to do this for demonstration purposes. After this brief demonstration, Lockhart instructed the students to pair up. The most significant of these pairings was Harry Potter against Draco Malfoy. After a perfunctory bow, Malfoy immediately cast the spell `Serpensortia`, conjuring a large black snake from his wand. Lockhart's attempt to vanish the creature backfired, merely enraging it and launching it into the crowd. As the snake advanced on Hufflepuff student Justin Finch-Fletchley, Harry instinctively spoke to it in Parseltongue, telling it to leave Justin alone. Although Harry was trying to de-escalate the situation, the other students, unfamiliar with the language, believed he was egging the snake on. The creature was ultimately vanished by a spell from Severus Snape. The event concluded in chaos and fear, with the student body now viewing Harry with suspicion and terror. No further meetings of the Dueling Club were ever mentioned, suggesting it was immediately disbanded after its disastrous debut.

• Instructors:
  • Gilderoy Lockhart (Founder and primary instructor)
  • Severus Snape (Assistant instructor)
• Known Student Participants:
  • Harry Potter
  • Draco Malfoy
  • Ron Weasley
  • Hermione Granger
  • Neville Longbottom
  • Seamus Finnigan
  • Justin Finch-Fletchley

Despite its brief existence, the Dueling Club was a pivotal event in Harry Potter and the Chamber of Secrets. Its primary narrative function was to publicly expose Harry Potter's rare ability to speak Parseltongue. This had several immediate consequences:

• It provided what many students considered to be definitive proof that Harry was the descendant and Heir of Slytherin, as Parseltongue was the signature ability of Salazar Slytherin.
• It severely damaged Harry's reputation and isolated him from his peers, particularly the Hufflepuffs, who believed he had deliberately set the snake on their housemate, Justin Finch-Fletchley.
• It provided a crucial piece of the puzzle for Harry, Ron, and Hermione, firmly linking the Heir of Slytherin to the language of snakes and, by extension, to Lord Voldemort.
• The event further served to highlight the incompetence of Gilderoy Lockhart and, in contrast, the formidable magical skill of Severus Snape.

• In the film adaptation of Harry Potter and the Chamber of Secrets, the duel between Harry and Draco is more elaborate than in the novel. Before Malfoy casts `Serpensortia`, he and Harry exchange several spells. Draco uses `Rictusempra` (Tickling Charm) on Harry, and Harry retaliates with `Tarantallegra` (Dancing Feet Jinx) before Snape intervenes. In the book, Malfoy's very first and only move in the duel is to conjure the snake. (film)