Everyone could clearly see that Lockhart's chest had completely caved in.
Moreover, during the previous demonstration, they had heard the distinct, sickening sound of bones breaking.
"Quick, someone go find a professor!" a student shouted, and immediately another student ran out of the classroom in panic.
"No... no need..." Lockhart wanted to stop them, but it was already too late.
He really didn't want people to see him in such a pathetic state.
On the other side, Dudley looked at Lockhart, who had been sent flying by his punch, and pressed his lips together with concern.
He hadn't even used much force! He had actually held back considerable strength at the last moment.
Because he had originally assumed Lockhart's Shield Charm could absorb his attack, but he hadn't expected that when his fist connected, that thin magical barrier would shatter like glass.
He had tried to quickly restrain part of his strength, otherwise Lockhart at this moment probably wouldn't even be able to speak. He should have already lost consciousness or even be on the verge of death.
"Professor Lockhart..." Dudley approached with obvious concern.
"Don't... don't come any closer!" Seeing Dudley approach, Lockhart shouted in genuine terror.
Now when he looked at Dudley, it was like seeing a dangerous predator.
How could a second-year student possess such devastating strength, even more terrifying than an actual werewolf?
He now extremely regretted choosing Dudley for the demonstration. He should have picked a girl, or even Harry.
Why did he have to choose this particular Dudley?
Lockhart felt like crying without tears.
He had thought Harry's previous claims about Dudley fighting dragons had been exaggerated boasting, but now it seemed it was completely true.
This student was genuinely terrifying.
"Oh! My goodness, what happened here?" Professor McGonagall quickly entered under the guidance of a student, immediately spotting Lockhart collapsed on the ground.
Moreover, blood was flowing from the corner of Lockhart's mouth at this moment, indicating he had suffered serious internal trauma.
"Nothing... nothing wrong... Professor McGonagall," Lockhart said weakly.
He didn't want Professor McGonagall to know he had been sent flying by a second-year student with a single punch.
"Professor Lockhart was demonstrating a fight with a werewolf using Dudley as the werewolf, then got punched and sent flying by Dudley playing the part," a helpful student stood up and explained loudly.
Professor McGonagall looked at Dudley with complete disbelief, then at the injured Lockhart.
"Professor, this really was just a classroom demonstration," Dudley said helplessly.
Professor McGonagall glared at Dudley, then said to Lockhart with obvious concern, "Professor Lockhart, your injuries are quite serious. We need to get you to the hospital wing immediately."
His chest had completely caved in. His ribs were definitely broken. They just didn't know if internal organs had been damaged as well.
"I... I'm perfectly fine; I can... treat myself!" Lockhart said desperately.
He drew his wand with trembling hands, opened his chest robes, pointed at his broken ribs, and chanted a healing spell.
With a flash of light, Lockhart's chest completely collapsed inward, and you could clearly see the shape of his beating heart and the outline of his lungs through his skin.
"Professor Lockhart, you've completely removed your own ribs! Well, you did cure the fracture... because there are no bones left," Dudley observed, watching this scene with horrified fascination.
"Oh! No!" Lockhart let out a cry of absolute despair, then completely lost consciousness.
Whether from pain or from being too ashamed to face a room full of students was unclear.
Professor McGonagall took a deep breath and quickly cast levitation magic to make Lockhart float gently upward.
"I'm taking Professor Lockhart to the hospital wing. You all stay in the classroom and don't move!" Professor McGonagall commanded everyone present.
"Especially Dursley, Potter, and Weasley, you three!" Professor McGonagall couldn't help adding before departing.
The three boys' expressions immediately changed with dread.
Professor McGonagall hadn't used their first names, but their surnames. This was definitely not a good sign.
"Why me? I didn't do anything wrong!" Ron said with obvious hurt.
"Me neither," Harry looked helplessly at Dudley for support.
Dudley tilted his head thoughtfully. "Maybe Professor McGonagall thinks when the three of us are together, we always manage to cause significant trouble for her."
Hermione looked at the three helplessly, not knowing what to say for a moment.
After about ten minutes, Professor McGonagall returned with a thoroughly dark expression.
"Professor McGonagall, how is Professor Lockhart?" Hermione quickly asked with concern.
"His ribs need to completely regrow, and his internal organs were also injured. He'll probably need to stay in the hospital wing for quite some time," Professor McGonagall said, pressing her lips together grimly.
Several students covered their mouths in fright, not expecting Lockhart's injuries to be so severe.
"Mr. Dursley, I originally thought you wouldn't cause trouble for me this semester. At least you didn't give me shocking news right from the start like Potter and Weasley," Professor McGonagall said, glaring meaningfully at Ron and Harry.
The two quickly lowered their heads in shame.
They were still serving punishment for driving the flying car to school and didn't dare provoke Professor McGonagall further.
"But I never expected that on just the first day of classes, you'd severely injure the Defence Against the Dark Arts teacher, putting him in the hospital wing for at least half a month!" Professor McGonagall said with obvious anger.
"Professor, you can't blame me entirely. He removed his own ribs with magic, and he specifically asked me to play the werewolf. I really just acted like a werewolf would," Dudley defended himself reasonably.
Lockhart clearly wasn't skilled enough. Not only was his Shield Charm pathetically weak, but his healing spells were dangerously incompetent.
If he hadn't claimed to be a combat expert, how would he have ended up in this condition?
If Dudley had known Lockhart was so utterly incompetent, he definitely wouldn't have used even that much force in his demonstration.
"Dudley, do you think Professor Lockhart's bones are harder than a mountain troll's?" Professor McGonagall asked with pointed sarcasm.
Last year, Dudley had beaten a troll to death with his bare fists. What ordinary wizard could possibly handle such devastating combat power?
"Professor, you really can't blame Dudley. Professor Lockhart cast a Shield Charm at the time. Who would have thought his defensive spell was so weak that it shattered immediately on contact," Harry couldn't help defending his cousin.
Hermione also stepped forward at the right moment. "Professor McGonagall, it was indeed Professor Lockhart who insisted on demonstrating werewolf combat. Dudley had expressed some doubts about what Professor Lockhart claimed in his books. I think from what we can observe now, Dudley's doubts were completely justified."
Other students also immediately joined in, helping Dudley and the others restore the accurate truth of the matter.
After hearing everyone's detailed descriptions, Professor McGonagall's frown deepened considerably.
"That's still no excuse for you to assault a professor!" Professor McGonagall finally concluded.
"Starting today, Dudley, you'll serve detention with Harry and Ron."
Hearing Professor McGonagall use their first names, all three breathed a sigh of relief. At least it meant this matter should be resolved and they wouldn't face more serious punishment.
"Yes, Professor," the three responded in unison.
"Then... Professor McGonagall, what about our Defence Against the Dark Arts classes?" Hermione asked with obvious concern.
Lockhart would be hospitalised for more than half a month. That was quite a long time. Would they not have Defence Against the Dark Arts classes for this entire period?
Moreover, Lockhart didn't just teach their second year but the entire school's Defence Against the Dark Arts curriculum. This would have a significant impact on everyone's education.
"You've put the professor in the hospital wing. Who would dare teach you now?" Professor McGonagall adjusted her glasses and said with obvious irritation.
"Dudley, since you're the one who injured Professor Lockhart, for the next half month, you'll substitute for Professor Lockhart."
"Aren't you quite capable? Even the Defence Against the Dark Arts professor is no match for you."
"Since you're so talented, why not be a professor for a few days?"
Professor McGonagall patted Dudley's shoulder with meaningful emphasis.
"What?" Dudley looked at Professor McGonagall in complete surprise.
The other students in the classroom were equally stunned by this unexpected development.
"That's decided then," Professor McGonagall announced with finality.
After delivering this shocking decree, she left the classroom immediately.
Everyone looked at each other in bewilderment, and finally all turned to stare at Dudley with a mixture of amazement and anticipation.