Duelling is a wizarding sport and a form of combat in the Harry Potter book series. In formal duelling, there are rules and other niceties. In combat, duelling skills determine life or death.
About[]
Duelling is a no-contact combat sport fought using a wand. In formal duelling, the two combatants have to choose a second person to take over in their place if they are incapacitated. In a proper wizards' duel, if the combatants have completed an education and have experience, they are skilled enough with a wider knowledge of spells to be able to kill each other[1] even though they can't use Unforgivable Curses.[2]
History[]
In September 1991, Draco challenged Harry Potter to a duel at midnight in the trophy room of Hogwarts. Ronald Weasley was to be Harry's second. However, it was a set-up to get Harry and Ron into trouble for sneaking out past their curfew. Draco had Argus Filch waiting for them instead.[1]
In December 1992, Professor Lockhart founded a Duelling Club. He duelled Professor Snape, who sent him flying across the room with a Disarming Charm. They then put the student into pairings to have a go at it with the same spell. Harry and Draco duelled each other but everyone used different, unfriendlier spells instead. Harry and Draco duelled a second time in front of the whole club, with Draco using the spell "Serpensortia" to produce a snake. Harry spoke Parseltongue to the snake, for only the second time in his life, and shocked everyone at the Club.[3]
In June 1993, Harry, Ron, Hermione, Ginny, Fred and George practiced duelling on the train.[4]
Notable duels[]
| Duellers | Date | Event |
|---|---|---|
(Duelling Club) |
||
Notes and sources[]
- ↑ 1.0 1.1 Harry Potter and the Philosopher's Stone, Chapter 9
- ↑ The Tales of Beedle the Bard: Babbitty Rabbitty and her Cackling Stump
- ↑ 3.0 3.1 Harry Potter and the Chamber of Secrets, Chapter 11
- ↑ Harry Potter and the Chamber of Secrets, Chapter 18