Finally, another weekend arrived at Hogwarts, much to Cassandra's anticipation.
On Saturday morning, as Cassandra had breakfast in the Great Hall, she deliberately glanced around and noted the absence of both Wentworth and Cedric. This observation left her very satisfied.
"Perfect. It seems neither of them is awake yet. This time, I won't believe I'll miss you both again!"
Cassandra thought to herself, determination flashing in her eyes.
However, what Cassandra didn't know was that at this very moment, Wentworth and Cedric had already passed through the secret tunnel beneath the Whomping Willow and arrived at the Shrieking Shack.
"Bang!"
Wentworth's body crashed hard against the wall of the Shrieking Shack. It took him a moment to struggle to his feet, clutching his chest with a pained expression.
"Cedric, now I understand why you didn't let me eat breakfast! Were you afraid I'd throw up all over you? Can't you tone down your magic just a little?" he grumbled.
But Cedric, unfazed, replied matter-of-factly, "Wentworth, you're the one who wanted to test the strength of your Shield Charm. If I didn't go all out, it would be meaningless!"
Then, with a knowing look, Cedric added, "Besides, Wentworth, the enemies you'll face in the future won't hold back either. Most importantly, you won't know when they might strike!"
Hearing Cedric's words, Lupin, who had been watching the sparring session from the sidelines, clapped encouragingly.
"Cedric is absolutely right, Wentworth. Your opponents won't go easy on you just because of your age! If you're feeling tired, we can take a break."
But Wentworth merely dusted off the dirt from his robes, picked up his wand from the floor, and looked Cedric squarely in the eyes.
"Let's go again!"
Meanwhile, back at Hogwarts, Cassandra, having finished her breakfast, returned to her usual spot outside the Hufflepuff common room. She waited there the entire day.
From initial hope and anticipation to growing impatience, and finally to utter dejection, Cassandra's thoughts boiled down to a single question:
"Is this Grindelwald heir—the leader of the Pureblood Party, the descendant of the First Dark Lord—truly being coddled into uselessness by Hogwarts?!"
As the sun dipped lower in the sky, Cassandra could no longer bear the wait. With determined strides, she marched toward the entrance of the Hufflepuff common room.
Just then, Kirk, returning from the library, crossed her path.
"Cassandra? What are you doing here?" Kirk asked instinctively, noticing the stormy expression on her face.
Seeing Kirk, Cassandra lifted her chin and declared, "Senior Kirk, could you please summon Wentworth for me?"
Kirk raised an eyebrow, a hint of amusement in his smile. He glanced at Cassandra from head to toe before replying, "Miss Cassandra, has Wentworth done something to offend you? If so, rest assured, as Hufflepuff's prefect, I would never turn a blind eye, even to a member of my own House!"
Cassandra let out a scoff, her lips curling into a disdainful smile.
"Him? Does he even dare?"
"Then what is this about?" Kirk asked, visibly puzzled.
Taking a deep breath to calm herself, Cassandra forced a polite smile and explained, "It's nothing, really. The weather is quite nice today, and I simply wanted to ask Wentworth if he'd like to take a walk with me."
Kirk looked up at the nearly setting sun, his tone skeptical.
"A walk? Just before dinner?"
Cassandra: "...Mind your own business!"
Kirk chuckled softly and offered an explanation.
"Cassandra, Wentworth and Cedric left early this morning. As for where they went, I'm afraid no one knows."
Hearing this, Cassandra clenched her teeth in frustration but managed to say, "Thank you, Senior Kirk. I'll be leaving now."
As Cassandra turned to go, Kirk called out after her, "Do you have a message for Wentworth? I could pass it along."
Cassandra hesitated but ultimately shook her head and walked away from the Hufflepuff common room.
In truth, asking Kirk to tell Wentworth to meet her in the Room of Requirement later that evening wouldn't have been difficult. Yet, for some reason, Cassandra couldn't bring herself to say it.
Even though she had waited an entire day for Wentworth, anger boiling inside her, there was an inexplicable sense of relief mixed in with her frustration.
Shortly after Cassandra left, Wentworth and Cedric returned to the Hufflepuff common room and ran into Kirk, who was on his way to dinner.
"What a coincidence. Let's go together!" Kirk suggested.
As the trio headed toward the Great Hall, Wentworth casually asked, "Anything interesting happen today?"
Kirk thought for a moment before replying with a light smile, "Nothing at all."
Outwardly calm, Kirk's mind, however, was in turmoil:
Wentworth! Don't blame me! I'm already on this Pureblood Party ship of yours! Women are nothing but a distraction from casting spells faster! As my leader, you must grow stronger quickly! Don't make me regret this! I'm doing this for your own good!
For the next several weekends, Wentworth and Cedric continued their routine of practicing spells with Lupin at the Shrieking Shack.
Meanwhile, Cassandra would show up outside the Hufflepuff common room each week, always leaving disappointed.
At times, Cassandra felt like a character from a Muggle novel she once read. In the story, a girl secretly admired a boy at school but never dared to confess, content to watch him from afar after class each day.
Whenever this thought crossed her mind, Cassandra would shake her head vigorously, reminding herself that her father's salvation still depended on Wentworth.
Unbeknownst to Cassandra, Kirk had been observing her behavior with increasing curiosity.
"Could it be that Cassandra actually likes Wentworth? But I haven't heard of anything between them. Is this... unrequited love?"
When Kirk saw Cassandra loitering near the common room again, he couldn't help but mutter under his breath.
Finally, after another weekend of fruitless waiting, Cassandra visited Hogsmeade and knocked on a door.
As it opened, a large hand grabbed her hair and yanked her inside.
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