Cassandra VS Cedric

Looking at the stubborn and arrogant girl before her, Ilona found her younger self suddenly flashing before her eyes for some unknown reason.

Just as Ilona was lost in her memories, Cedric took the initiative to step out from among the Hufflepuff students and spoke as well:

"That's right, the duel isn't over yet."

Seeing this, Ilona no longer hesitated and announced:

"The fifth match between Hufflepuff and Slytherin, representing Slytherin—Cassandra!"

"Representing Hufflepuff—Cedric!"

"Both sides, prepare yourselves!"

Cassandra and Cedric bowed to each other before turning and walking away. As Ilona signaled the start of the duel, they both spun around simultaneously, though one pointed their wand at their opponent while the other pointed theirs at themselves.

"Expelliarmus!"

"Protego!"

Immediately, the two sides traded blows, spells constantly erupting in the center of the dueling arena, and for a moment, they were locked in an inseparable struggle.

Perhaps because they were so evenly matched, this duel between a Hufflepuff second-year and a Slytherin first-year turned out to be even more spectacular than the previous matches.

Amidst the dazzling array of spells, the atmosphere at the scene grew heated once again. The Hufflepuffs, already secure in their victory, cheered wantonly for Cedric, while the Slytherins, though defeated, felt that Cassandra had regained some face for their house by holding her own against a second-year as a first-year.

As Wentworth watched the duel reach a fever pitch, the Expelliarmus charms from Cassandra and Cedric became entangled! The two spells twisted tightly together in mid-air, neither able to advance a single inch.

Wentworth, meanwhile, was thinking:

What kind of god-tier classmates are these?! Cedric is one thing; he is a true Champion who will represent Hogwarts in the Triwizard Cup in a few years, the number one at Hogwarts in some respects. But how is this little girl, whom I never even heard of in the original story, so powerful?

Looking at these spells on the field, my goodness, I don't think I could block a single one of them!

And these two are just students around my own age? The wizarding world is even more dangerous than I imagined!

If Wentworth had come to Hogwarts with a sense of curiosity, at this very moment, seeing what was before him, a sense of urgency and crisis inexplicably rose in his heart.

Just as Wentworth was lost in his own thoughts, a gasp from the crowd jolted him back to reality.

When Wentworth turned his gaze back to the center of the arena, he saw Cedric's Expelliarmus inching closer and closer to Cassandra's wand. Cassandra's naturally fair face was now pale, and sweat poured down like rain, smearing her delicate makeup.

"Cassandra can't hold on much longer. Compared to Cedric, her magic power is nearly exhausted. If it were any other second-year from Hufflepuff, Cassandra might have actually managed to defeat a superior, but unfortunately, she ran into Cedric."

Coke explained to Wentworth from the side.

Although he saw that Cedric was about to win, Coke did not look particularly happy; instead, his tone was filled with regret.

On the dueling stage, Cedric spoke up:

"Cassandra, give up. Your magic must be nearly bottomed out!"

But Cassandra, facing Cedric, gritted her teeth and said nothing, still desperately pushing her spell.

At this moment, scattered applause broke out, then grew louder and louder, gradually sweeping through the entire Hogwarts Defense Against the Dark Arts classroom.

Amidst the applause, Cassandra finally could not hold on any longer. Her body went limp, her spell cut off abruptly, and she appeared to be on the verge of collapsing to the ground.

At the critical moment, two figures blocked the space in front of Cassandra almost simultaneously.

Hogwarts Defense Against the Dark Arts professor Ilona flicked her fingers lightly, dispelling Cedric's spell without even using her wand.

The other person was the Head of Slytherin, Professor Snape.

Snape stood in front of Cassandra and reached out, supporting her shoulder with one hand to keep her from falling.

Seeing her Head of House, Cassandra could not hide her disappointment as she said:

"Professor Snape, I am sorry. I lost. I have brought shame to Slytherin..."

As she spoke, Cassandra's eyes seemed to glisten.

Just then, Cedric's voice rang out from nearby:

"Cassandra, I didn't win this duel, and you didn't lose..."

It turned out that Cedric had been coming over to see if Cassandra was injured and happened to hear what she said, so he quickly spoke up.

But Cassandra did not wait for Cedric to finish; she interrupted him and replied:

"You don't need to comfort me. A loss is a loss. Do you think this lady can't afford to lose? I lost this time, but I will win it back next time! Just you wait, it won't be long before I challenge you to another duel!"

Seeing this, the previously anxious Cedric suddenly smiled and said:

"Cassandra, if you insist on feeling like you lost, then you only lost to yourself. I, for one, will not admit that I won!"

"Besides, don't come looking for me if you want to win it back! I'm a year ahead of you; there's nothing to brag about if I win, and I'd be too ashamed to show my face if I lost. Go find that kid over there; the whole idea today was his!"

Cedric pointed at Wentworth, who was standing not far away.

Wentworth: ???

But this time, Wentworth suddenly did not want to refuse. Possessing an adult soul, Wentworth knew very well that there were many things in this world one could not avoid unless one never stepped out of Hogwarts for the rest of their life.

Thus, Wentworth did not refuse this time; instead, he took the initiative to walk over. Seeing Wentworth approaching, Cassandra forced herself to stand straight. Seeing this, Snape let go and stepped aside.

Wentworth came to Cassandra's side and whispered into her ear:

"Aren't you just upset that I blocked you last time and got ahead of you? Once you've rested, I accept your duel! I might not be your match, but I will give it my all! The worst that happens is I get bullied by you for a bit!"

Hearing Wentworth say this, Cassandra was about to break into a smile, but in the moment her spirit relaxed, she suddenly closed her eyes and fainted.

Fortunately, Wentworth was quick-witted and caught Cassandra in his arms. However, before Wentworth could even catch his breath, he heard an icy, sinister voice:

"What did you say to my student?!"