The clock struck ten at night on the fourth floor of Hogwarts. The dimly lit corridor was silent except for the faint flickering of torchlight against the crystal display cabinets. Inside, the trophies, shields, and medals gleamed under the moonlight, reflecting gold and silver hues across the polished floor.
In the shadows stood a girl with waist-length golden hair, arms crossed, waiting.
"You're finally here."
Cassandra stepped forward, her piercing gaze meeting Ethan's.
"This is not a good place," david said, glancing at their surroundings.
The trophy room wasn't ideal for a duel. He remembered that Draco and Harry had fought here in the original story, causing enough commotion to be noticed. He wasn't about to make the same mistake.
"Come with me." Without waiting for her response, Ethan turned and led the way.
Cassandra followed, curious. "Where are we going?"
"The eighth floor."
She raised an eyebrow but didn't argue. Soon, they reached the Room of Requirement, a place that david had already mastered accessing. After pacing three times before the blank wall, a door materialized. Pushing it open, david stepped inside, revealing a dueling arena—far different from the practice space he usually used.
Cassandra's eyes gleamed. "How does this room work?"
"It provides whatever the user needs," david explained. "For now, it's a dueling stage—no interruptions, no teachers, just us."
Penelope had wanted to come watch, intrigued by the idea of david dueling a Slytherin girl, but he had convinced her to stay behind.
Cassandra walked to the opposite side of the arena, putting about ten meters between them. With a flick of her wrist, she withdrew her wand.
David did the same.
The two bowed slightly—formalities observed.
Cassandra struck first. "Fractura!"
David raised his wand, conjuring a flock of birds that intercepted the spell midair, their beaks gleaming like daggers as they swooped toward Cassandra.
Cassandra remained unfazed. "Lapidibus!"
Stones erupted from the ground, pelting the birds and breaking through david defense, sending a barrage of pebbles in his direction.
Ethan dodged with ease.
"Ignis Maxima!"
A wave of orange-red flames surged toward Ethan. The heat licked the air, closing in fast. But just before it reached him, an icy chill spread from beneath his feet. The flames flickered, then extinguished completely.
Cassandra gritted her teeth.
"Atmospheric Charm!"
A dark thundercloud swirled into existence above them, lightning crackling wildly. It was unstable, discharging bolts randomly, some striking the arena floor and others dangerously close to Cassandra herself.
David acted fast. A sharp flick of his wand sent a bolt of red light into the storm. The cloud dissipated instantly.
Cassandra cursed under her breath. That had been her trump card. But she had barely practiced it, and Ethan had destroyed it effortlessly.
Was the gap between them truly this vast?
Refusing to back down, she aimed her wand. "Petrificus Totalus!"
A blue light shot forward, but david deflected it with a simple counter. His response came swiftly—a bright white light flashed from his wand, striking Cassandra before she could react.
The world spun around her. She tried to cast a spell in retaliation, but her body refused to obey.
She wobbled. Then, as the magic settled, she felt a strange sensation—her legs locked together, rendering her completely immobile.
Davids eyes widened. "Oh. That actually worked."
He hadn't intended anything, just instinctively cast a spell for restraint. But now that he was looking—
"Cat!"
The words escaped before he could stop himself.
Cassandra's eyes flared with rage as she realized the effect of the spell. It was Snape's infamous Dangling Jinx—a hex that left its target helplessly suspended upside down.
Her skirt fluttered dangerously as she struggled, and when she noticed david staring, her face burned with embarrassment.
"Shameless!" she shrieked.
Realizing his mistake, david caught her wand midair as she threw it at him in frustration. "Hey, I wasn't—"
"Put me down!"
David sighed, waving his wand. The spell lifted, and Cassandra tumbled back onto her feet. She yanked her wand from his hand, eyes burning with indignation.
"Pervert!"
David rolled his eyes. "Oh, come on. What was I supposed to do? Cover my eyes and pretend I was disgusted?"
"You—!"
Cassandra's face reddened even more. No wonder david spent time around the Ravenclaw seniors and Hermione—he was completely shameless!
"And for the record," david added, "this spell was invented by your Head of House."
"I don't care who invented it! You used it on me!"
"Next time, I'll use it on someone else."
Her fists clenched. "There won't be a next time!"
David merely smirked.
Cassandra huffed, adjusting her skirt before turning away. "I want access to this room."
David raised an eyebrow.
"I need a place to practice my spells," she admitted. "And clearly, staying in the dormitory isn't helping me catch up to you."
"Sure. But there's a fee."
"Fine." Cassandra shrugged. "I have plenty of pocket money."
David grinned. "Deal."
The two spent the next hour practicing. Cassandra focused on refining her Atmospheric Charm, while Ethan examined the notebook Quirrell had given him.
It contained a list of powerful spells, but two in particular caught david's eye:
Fear Spell: Evokes a target's worst fears.
Draining Spell: Absorbs an opponent's magic power to replenish one's own.
Both required a live target to practice. David glanced around—only Cassandra, the winged demon, and a bat were present. None were suitable test subjects.
"I need a rat," he muttered.
His mind immediately went to Ron's pet, Scabbers.
The last time david borrowed him, he had erased Ron's memory of it using winged demon venom. He doubted Ron even realized Scabbers had been used for experiments before.
Would the venom still work if he borrowed the rat again?
Setting the notebook aside, david turned to the Room of Requirement and requested a live target for spell practice. Blue light flashed, and three massive figures appeared—giant trolls with iron-blue skin, dull eyes, and massive steel clubs.
Cassandra, who had been practicing nearby, nearly dropped her wand.
"What the—where did those come from?!"
David smirked. "Training dummies. They're enchanted, but they move and fight like real creatures."
With a flick of his wand, dark shadows coiled beneath his feet.
"Lupus Noctis!"
From the writhing shadows, three monstrous wolves emerged—each over three meters tall, eyes glowing red. They leaped toward the trolls, engaging them in a brutal struggle.
Cassandra watched in shock as the creatures tore into each other, the wolves latching onto the trolls' throats while the trolls swung their clubs wildly.
"What kind of magic is that?!" she demanded.
David grinned. "My own creation."
Cassandra hesitated. "Can you teach me?"
"Depends. What do you have to trade?"
Cassandra knew magical knowledge was valuable. Pure-blood families guarded their secrets fiercely. Even the Ollivanders had remained dominant for centuries simply by controlling wand-making knowledge.
After a moment, she said, "I can offer rare Fire Magic spells."
David s smirk widened. "Now we're talking."
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