2. Why was this the only time there was a dueling club?

And yes, I don’t think Dumbledore has had anything to do with this dueling charade. Like what the others said, he doesn’t seem like the type to openly expose Harry’s connection with Voldemort like that. And yes, I agree with what Casey said: that Dumbledore simply told Snape to “look into it” and Snape decided to find out using Serpensortia. It’s actually killing two birds with one stone: by being in the duel, he could help protect Harry if anything goes wrong (like what John said) and he could find an answer to his question.

This is just my assumption, though. I think it sort of fits the personality of the characters involved and the underlying plot of the book.

“I know,” said Harry. “I mean, that’s only the second time I’ve ever done it. I accidentally set a boa constrictor on my cousin Dudley at the zoo once – long story – but it was telling me it had never seen Brazil and I sort of set it free without meaning to. That was before I knew I was a wizard…” “A boa constrictor told you it had never seen Brazil?” Ron repeated faintly.

I just love reading it out loud to myself. I can just picture how he says it. Quite quickly but like it’s no big deal and with a half roll of his eyes at “long story”. I love picturing what Ron and Hermione’s faces are like as he’s talking. It’s one of the few parts that I read to myself in the manner of the characters.

@grrreg You seem to forget one of the other traits of a Hufflepuff: being just. These Hufflepuffs aren’t exactly being fair in their portrayal of Harry. Of course, they are 12 – 13 year old children, who don’t completely think things through. But still, I think that if one of their qualities is being fair and just, they should have thought things through a little better. Like the fact that one of Harry’s best friends is a Muggle-born and is in fact a half-blood himself (Ernie was quite indignant about his own blood “purity”), that Harry was laying in a hospital bed when Colin was attacked, as well as the way events unfolded in the Dueling Club. When you read over exactly how they did unfold, it’s quite obvious to anyone paying attention that the snake became docile after Harry talked to it. However, I do believe this is a good time to point out that when the “houses” work together, they are stronger than they could ever be alone (if a person can be courageous, intelligent, cunning, and have a fair and loyal mindset, then they would certainly be a very powerful adversary or ally). I believe this is part of why Harry is so powerful (“plenty of courage, I see, not a bad mind either, and there’s talent, oh yes, and a thirst to prove yourself”), and then you think of adding in Hermione with her brains and Ron’s courage (albeit only when it’s really needed) and Harry’s infinite fairness and loyalty to his friends, you have a very powerful combination.

And I do hope the whole Serpensortia episode wasn’t just a clumsy plot device, because it is too much of a coincidence. I’d rather believe that either (a) Snape expected to find a Parselmouth and wanted to expose him/her or that (b) Snape already had a good reason to believe the Parselmouth was Harry. (Dumbledore would not have exposed Harry like that, of course. But I doubt Snape waited around for Dumbledore’s permission!)

Unfortunately, this theory is full of holes too. Yes, Dumbledore should have worked out by now that a Basilisk was on the shortlist of possible monsters. But if he suspected that… and if he knew where Myrtle had died… and if he even spoke a few words of Parseltongue himself… Then why didn’t he call in the Dangerous Creature Disposal people and send them looking for the monster? For a man who had almost solved the mystery, he was pathetically inactive. And that is not like Dumbledore.