Hogwarts: Third Dark Lord

Cassandra's eyes widened in shock as she watched a wooden door materialize on an otherwise blank wall.

Wentworth, standing beside her, began to explain:

"This is the Room of Requirement. All you need to do is concentrate on the type of space you need, silently wish for it in your heart, and walk back and forth three times along the corridor. Then, it will appear."

With that, Wentworth pushed the door open and stepped into the Room of Requirement. Cassandra hesitated for a moment but ultimately followed him inside.

The room was vast and spacious. At its center stood a standard dueling platform, an impressive sight that left Cassandra marveling at the magic, her curiosity compelling her to explore further.

Not long after Wentworth and Cassandra entered the Room of Requirement, two figures appeared in the corridor outside—the headmaster, Dumbledore, and the Potions Master, Professor Snape.

"How did you know Cassandra would challenge Wentworth to a duel tonight, Severus?" Dumbledore asked, his gaze fixed on the now-blank wall where the door had vanished.

Snape's expression remained impassive as he replied, "Given what Cassandra has been through, I was concerned she might act impulsively, so I had some students keep an eye on her. The duel with Wentworth, however, was an unexpected development."

"Although Wentworth has been deliberately holding back in duels between Hufflepuff and Slytherin, Cassandra's abilities are evident. By observing the outcome of their duel, we should be able to roughly gauge Wentworth's current level of spellwork."

Dumbledore nodded slowly, digesting Snape's reasoning.

Suddenly, the wooden door reappeared on the wall. Dumbledore quickly remarked, "It seems the duel concluded much faster than we anticipated. They'll be coming out any moment now."

As his words trailed off, both Dumbledore and Snape vanished from view.

Moments later, the door swung open. Cassandra stormed out of the room, her face flushed and furious, not sparing a glance behind her.

Trailing behind her, a disheveled Wentworth emerged, clutching his eye and calling her name softly, seemingly trying to explain something. Cassandra, however, kept walking without acknowledging him.

As their figures disappeared down the eighth-floor corridor, Dumbledore and Snape reappeared.

"So… who won?" Snape asked with a conflicted expression.

Dumbledore shook his head, his lips curling into a faint smile as he turned toward his office. "Why don't you tell me about what you discovered during your investigation today?"

Snape promptly followed the headmaster, and the two began their walk to the headmaster's office.

"As I suspected, the scene showed extensive traces of Dark Magic, in agreement with the Aurors' assessment. However, I don't believe it's the work of Death Eaters…"

Their conversation faded into the distance as they entered the office.

When Wentworth returned to the Hufflepuff common room, it was nearly bedtime. Yet Cedric and Kirk were still awake, waiting for him in the cozy common room.

The moment Wentworth walked in, Cedric hurried over, exclaiming, "What happened to you, Wentworth? Merlin's beard—what's with your eye?"

Kirk, on the other hand, couldn't hold back his laughter. "It's obvious—Cassandra punched him!"

Grinning mischievously, Kirk leaned closer to Wentworth and sniffed theatrically.

"How do you know it was a punch and not some strange spell?" Cedric asked curiously.

Kirk smirked knowingly. "Trust me, Cedric, I'd never mistake it. My mum gives my dad the exact same look before she decks him!"

"But seriously, Wentworth," Kirk continued, his grin widening, "what on earth did you do to make Cassandra punch you like that? Did you—"

Before Kirk could finish, Wentworth waved a hand dismissively. "Yawn… I'm exhausted. I'm off to bed."

Pushing past the two, Wentworth headed for his dormitory. Cedric looked puzzled, while Kirk's grin only grew more mischievous.

The next morning, as Wentworth and Cedric sat at the Hufflepuff table for breakfast, the entire house already seemed to know about the incident with Cassandra. Students whispered and laughed, recounting the tale of how Wentworth had returned with a black eye.

Glaring at Kirk, who animatedly recounted the story across the room, Wentworth muttered, "I'll find a way to get back at him someday."

Just then, a flock of owls swept into the Great Hall, causing the usual chaos as they delivered packages and letters. Amid the flurry of wings and falling items, the latest edition of The Daily Prophet landed on tables across the hall.

Although Wentworth usually ignored the Daily Prophet—a habit stemming from his disdain for a certain unethical reporter—he couldn't help but notice the commotion it caused that morning. Students huddled around copies of the newspaper, whispering and glancing toward the Slytherin table.

Curious but wary, Wentworth watched as Kirk approached, his expression unusually serious.

"What's going on, Kirk?" Wentworth asked.

Without a word, Green slid a copy of the Daily Prophet onto the table. The headline read:

"Head of the Auror Office Attacked: Fate Unknown!"

Wentworth's heart sank as he realized what this meant. At last, he understood what had driven Cassandra to act so rashly the previous night. After all, she had mentioned more than once that her father was the head of the Auror Office.

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