On the dueling field, a small yellow figure toppled straight backward.
Ron quickly raised his arm."Pikachu is unable to battle! Raichu wins! The victor is Hermione!"
In the end, Harry's Pikachu still couldn't defeat Raichu. Yet that last strike took Hermione completely by surprise. For a Pokémon as fragile as Pikachu, how could it possibly have endured so many of Raichu's attacks?
Not to mention—the following Iron Tail charged with electricity had actually dealt massive recoil damage to Raichu itself, nearly causing it to collapse.
So even though Hermione won the match, Harry and Pikachu's strength left her astonished.
So it's possible to grow this strong without evolving?Hermione couldn't make sense of it, but Charles could see the truth—Harry's Pikachu was beginning to evolve along the path of a Partner Pokémon.
In fact, Harry resembled Ash quite a bit. And from Charles's observation, there was a real possibility Harry might one day awaken the Power of Aura. In that case, Pikachu's change toward a Partner Pokémon made perfect sense.
But Hermione's thoughts didn't linger long; something else caught her attention when they returned to the common room—a new notice had been pinned to the board.
Gilderoy Lockhart intended to host a Dueling Club.
"Dueling Club?"
"I heard he wants to use it to teach us how to defend ourselves if we ever encounter that supposed Heir of Slytherin," Seamus said. "Oh, and apparently, no Pokémon battles allowed. Otherwise it'd just be the Pokémon Club again."
"But if I have Pokémon, how could I not use them?" Ron muttered, finding that rule absurd.
"I think Professor Lockhart just wants to make sure the students without Pokémon have some form of self-defense too—and don't forget, you're a wizard, Ron!" Hermione said, sounding a little annoyed.
Though this was Charles's second year back at Hogwarts, there were still only about a hundred students with Pokémon. More than seven hundred others didn't have any—and they were the most vulnerable.
At eight o'clock that evening, the hall filled with chattering students. Even Ron showed up promptly for once.
Lockhart had transformed the Great Hall into a dazzling spectacle. The enchanted ceiling no longer mirrored the sky—it now shimmered like deep velvet.
Upon the long, elevated platform, Lockhart strutted out proudly."Good evening, everyone—!"
Young Barty Crouch Jr., masquerading as Lockhart, mimicked the flamboyant showmanship he had learned from the real one—showing off was second nature to him. Yet after hearing tales of how Lockhart had once become a celebrated wizard years ago, Barty took his act seriously upon infiltrating Hogwarts.
So instead of finding Lockhart obnoxious, the students were actually impressed. Even Ron looked slightly starstruck.
Lockhart waved for silence and called out loudly, "Gather around, everyone! Can you all see me? Can you all hear me? Excellent!"
"I'm delighted you're all here! You see, Professor Dumbledore has granted me permission to form this little Dueling Club—to properly train you to defend yourselves, should you ever need to, using the very methods I've employed countless times myself—" He winked playfully. "Now, allow me to introduce my assistant—"
"Professor Remus Lupin?" someone guessed.
"Oh, heavens no!"
Lockhart waved his hands frantically. "Truth be told, I did ask Professor Lupin if he'd like to assist, but he recommended someone even better—your favorite, Professor Charles Gold!"
A chorus of shrieks erupted from the crowd—girls squealing in excitement.
"Are they serious? Can't they act a bit more dignified?" Ron grumbled, covering his ears from the fangirl screams. But when he turned, he saw Hermione nearly hyperventilating in excitement.
"Seriously?" he muttered, suddenly irritated.
"Of course! Professor Charles is teaching us dueling!" Hermione exclaimed. "Don't you remember? He's called the greatest wizard in the world! Even Voldemort lost to him! He was dueling upperclassmen back in his third year—imagine how much we could learn from him!"
"So you're not excited because he's handsome, then?"
"…Not just because of that…" Hermione mumbled, blushing furiously.
Ron wanted to retort, but Lockhart cut him off.
"Even better, your professor has graciously agreed to demonstrate a little exhibition match with me before our lesson begins! Don't worry, I'm sure he'll go easy on me and leave your substitute teacher in one piece!" Lockhart declared theatrically, extending his hand toward the curtain.
Charles stepped onto the platform under Lockhart's exaggerated gestures.
As a teacher, he was more than comfortable with a bit of stage flair.
"Everyone," Charles said with a calm smile, "at the invitation of your Defense Against the Dark Arts substitute, the two of us will demonstrate a real wizard's duel tonight—and teach you the spells used, so you'll have better means of self-defense."
He walked to one end of the platform, facing Lockhart.
Lockhart gleamed like a peacock in his bright robes, while Charles wore a neatly tailored, modified suit—something that looked both casual and easy to move in.The moment he appeared, he effortlessly became the true center of attention.
"Looks like I'll need to find another professor next time," Lockhart said dramatically. "See that, everyone? Professor Gold's stolen all my thunder!"He didn't sound upset—if anything, his humor earned laughter from the crowd.
"Professor Lockhart has quite the sense of humor," Charles said mildly, smiling as they bowed to each other.
"Wizard dueling," Charles began, turning to the students, "is an ancient sport—not merely standing and flinging spells at one another. Etiquette is equally important.Before the duel, bow to show respect for your opponent. Then, raise your wand vertically in front of you—this symbolizes fairness."
He lifted his Rainbow Wand upright as he spoke.
Lockhart mimicked the pose and added, "Raising your wand also declares to your opponent that you intend to fight honorably—not underhandedly or unfairly!"
His solemn tone made Charles almost wonder if the man was subtly accusing him of using Pokémon when he fought Voldemort.For Merlin's sake, Charles thought, I didn't even have my Pokémon attack him in the graveyard!
The naïve young wizards, however, were immediately impressed by Lockhart's words—believing dueling to be something sacred.
"Of course," Charles replied smoothly, "while etiquette is vital when facing an honorable opponent, it's unnecessary against a real enemy. I doubt the Heir of Slytherin will politely bow before trying to kill you. If every Auror fought like that, the Ministry would've perished long ago."
Harry laughed, nudging Ron. "If it were me, I'd never bow to Voldemort."
"Only an idiot would!" Ron snorted. "So who do you think'll win?"
"Do you even need to ask? Professor Charles!" Hermione interjected at once.
Beating the Dark Lord wasn't something Lockhart could fake. Even Dumbledore himself had struggled against Voldemort. Sure, Lockhart was leagues better than Quirrell, but compared to Charles—he didn't even come close.
"I think so too," Neville added shyly. Everyone knew exactly who he meant.
Silence fell again as the two duelists faced each other.
Their eyes locked—neither moved.
Charles could've easily made this look effortless. With his power, defeating young Barty would've been child's play—his opponent would die before realizing what happened.But this wasn't a real duel. Their purpose was to demonstrate technique and defense for the students. So keeping things balanced seemed best.
Besides, he knew this was a test.Now that the diary was in Lockhart's possession, Riddle must've been curious about the one who had defeated him. Through Barty, he'd be observing Charles closely.
So this was a good chance to mislead them—to make Riddle and Barty think Charles only triumphed over Voldemort with help from his Pokémon, and that his own power wasn't nearly as formidable. A useful deception.
Lockhart moved first.
He stepped forward sharply, his wand flashing a red beam—"Expelliarmus!"
He'd begun with a nonverbal spell, then remembered he was supposed to demonstrate for students and quickly voiced the incantation aloud.
"Protego!"
Charles drew a graceful arc with his wand. A transparent barrier shimmered before him, blocking the attack completely—and reflecting it back.
Lockhart didn't dodge; he coolly deflected his own rebounded spell.
"Beautiful Shield Charm! See that, everyone?" Lockhart announced. "A powerful Protego doesn't just block attacks—it can reflect them! That's how you gain the upper hand!"
To be fair, Lockhart—or rather, Barty—was a capable teacher. He took his role seriously, treating all students equally, without any of the usual pureblood arrogance.
He narrated while continuing his offensive—"Diffindo!""Depulso!""Bombarda!"
The powerful curses slammed into Charles's shield, erupting into violent explosions. The shockwave made nearby students duck in fear.
"My apologies—your Professor Gold's Protego is just too strong," Lockhart said with a self-deprecating grin. "I had to use something more forceful to try and break it—but alas, no luck!"
Even after unleashing several potent spells, he hadn't made a dent. That told him just how skilled his opponent truly was.
Charles, on the other hand, was quietly baffled.
He'd already "let loose an ocean"—holding back massively, not counterattacking, not even layering protective barriers beyond the basic one—yet Lockhart still couldn't so much as crack it.If the man ever managed to shatter it, only to find his attacks bouncing harmlessly off Charles himself… he'd probably despair, wouldn't he? Charles mused silently.
Barty, of course, didn't realize Charles was pulling his punches. He thought the lack of counterattack meant Charles was busy sustaining his defense.
"When your spells can't break through your opponent's defense," Lockhart lectured between spells, "don't panic. Forcing it will only drain your strength. Remember—when your foe is on defense, that means they can't attack either. Control the rhythm!"
He stood firm, alert and composed.
Truly, such a dedicated "professor" would be impossible to find in the original timeline.If Charles hadn't known his real identity, he might've suggested to Dumbledore that Hogwarts hire the man—he was talented and, well, single.
"Rhythm," Lockhart repeated intensely, "is everything! Lose the rhythm, and defeat will follow. It's much like a Pokémon battle—those of you in the Pokémon Club should understand perfectly!"
"I think that's enough for today, Professor Lockhart," Charles said lightly. "Time's limited, and if we keep dueling, who'll be left to teach the students?"
"Quite right!" Barty nodded quickly, still thinking over how to break Charles's defense but remembering he was supposed to act like a teacher. "All right, we'll call it here. Next time, Professor Gold and I will continue our unfinished duel!"
He turned back to the crowd with a regretful tone. "I'm sure you've already guessed our topic for today—two essential spells: Expelliarmus and Protego!"
"Their incantations," he said dramatically, "are Expelliarmus—the Disarming Charm—and Protego—the Shield Charm! Now, pair up! One side casts Expelliarmus, the other defends with Protego! Your goal—disarm your opponent or protect yourself! Ready—begin!"
Lockhart hopped off the stage to help organize pairs.
But Charles noticed something as he passed by Draco Malfoy—Lockhart subtly flicked his wand and whispered the Imperius Curse.
Poor Draco, Charles thought dryly. Used as someone's puppet again.
(End of Chapter)