When they saw Cedric, a second-year Hufflepuff, knock Vane's wand away so easily, everyone looked on in astonishment.
"Whoa, when did you get so good? When you dueled Slytherin before, you and Cassandra were evenly matched, but you weren't casting this fast!"
Wentworth looked at his friend in disbelief and asked curiously.
Cedric merely smiled and explained, "My spellwork has always been this good. When I dueled Cassandra, though, I took into account that she was a first-year, so I deliberately adjusted my casting speed and the amount of magic I released to what they'd been when I was in my first year."
Hearing Cedric's explanation, Wentworth silently gave him a thumbs-up.
Meanwhile, after Vane's wand had been knocked away, he heard Cedric's explanation and turned red, then pale. His face twisted with resentment as he said, "Green, do you think we Slytherins are afraid of you just because you have more people? We Slytherins—"
But before Vane could finish, Green interrupted him with a whistle.
"Vane, you're not Slytherin's Prefect anymore! You don't speak for Slytherin! Don't believe me? Take a look behind you!"
At Green's words, Vane turned around. Sure enough, the Slytherins who had been gathered around him had all quietly edged away after Cedric knocked his wand out of his hand, afraid of getting caught up in the trouble.
Vane now stood all alone in front of the Slytherin table, without a single supporter left.
"If I were you, Vane, I'd apologize to Cassandra right now and then hide in my dormitory. After all, you used to be Slytherin's Prefect. How embarrassing would it be to get beaten in front of everyone?"
Green fanned the flames from the side.
Hearing him, Vane swallowed and tried to keep his composure. "Green, Cassandra and I are Slytherins. This