After a few hours of stress releasing wandering around the streets of paris, getting pranked by Sirius, while delivering back fourfold in return.
The greatest of course was when Sirius went to the loo, Cassius enacted a masterplan.
Seeing how the laws of France were a bit more open than around the rest of the world he was able to spot a number of 'ladies of the night' as they were and paying them not to bed down his godfather but instead to simply swarm him, but not just swarm him.
Once he was covered in the lovely ladies, they would place certain objects on his person as best they could before breaking out into giggle fits at finding the various lumps in his clothing, only for the old man to be befuddled and then shocked seeing the girls diving into his pocket only to pull out Marital aids one after another, before ending the little skit declaring they were sorry to distrub the silver fox, not knowing his 'playing for the other team'.
All the while Cassius was off to the side, recording the goings on with a camcorder, trying his utmost to steady his hand even as a fit of laughter threatened to burst forth from his mouth encompassing his entire body as Sirius was first befuddled before and then beyond perplexed in the next second.
It was only once left alone holding a quite literal armload of phalices that the ladies had pulled out of his pockets before depositing into his arms, did he notice Cassius off to the side having fallen over with laughter, to notice he'd fallen into the young pups trap and being embarressed on an international scale, though his shame quickly faded as he himself began to cackle before his eyes turned dark.
"Just you wait pup, this isnt over yet."
~
ROUND OF 32 — FIRST TO TWO
Cassius stepped into Ring 2.
The arena felt quieter than before—anticipatory, tense.
Hideo Takamura bowed deeply.
Cassius returned it.
The referee raised her wand.
"Begin!"
ROUND ONE
Hideo moved like a dancer—sharp, fluid, precise.
"Kaze no tachi!"
A slicing wind blade cut toward Cassius—
He countered with a stone rise, deflecting the arc upward.
Hideo followed immediately.
"Aqua lance!"
Water spears erupted from the air—
Cassius froze them midflight with a flash-freeze charm before snapping them apart.
The crowd murmured.
Then Hideo blurred—literally.
"Shunpo."
A movement spell unfamiliar to most Europeans—sudden relocation.
Cassius caught the shift by instinct, stepping aside just as a stunning bolt sliced the space where he had stood.
Cassius flicked upward.
"Confringo!"
Hideo dodged—and countered fast.
"Kasai bari!"
A volley of needle-like fire struck Cassius's shield, cracking it with sharp impacts.
Cassius reinforced it instantly.
Good.
Very good.
He rotated sharply.
"Arduum."
The battlefield rose—spikes of stone erupting upward.
Hideo pivoted atop the shifting terrain like he had trained for it his entire life.
Then he slipped.
Not physically.
Magically.
Just a fraction.
Cassius caught it.
"Pressura."
A sudden atmospheric compression crushed downward—Hideo's balance buckled—
Cassius struck clean:
"Stupefy."
Red light hit and Hideo went tumbling.
The referee declared:
"Round One—Victor Cassius Snape!"
This was the longest match Cassius had had the entire contest thus far, the joyous moment of being in a duel and yet not knowing what they were about to use next was intriguing.
Most europeans used the same series of spells just in different languages, however for other regions entirely, their very use of magic was different down to its core.
More than most the Asian magical community deeply abhored dark magic, and was more inately intune with Elemental forces.
~
ROUND TWO
Hideo rose slower this time—but with a faint smile.
Like he appreciated the challenge.
Cassius respected him for it.
When the referee signaled the start, Hideo unleashed a far more aggressive chain:
"Kasoku! Kaze—Kaminari—!"
Acceleration.
Wind.
Lightning.
A triple-element combo beyond most adults.
Cassius braced, wand cutting and weaving:
"Protego. Divisio. Flux—"
The spells crashed, collided, tore at the space between them.
Electricity danced across the ward dome, the crowd gasping as the platform shook.
Hideo darted low, firing upward—
Cassius dropped from the blast radius, wand pointed down.
"Alae!"
Featherlight footwork carried him in a swift aerial pivot.
He landed behind Hideo—
The Japanese duelist spun, wand ready—
Their spells collided point-blank.
"INCENDIO!"
"GLACIUS!"
Fire and ice exploded outward.
Both duelists were thrown back.
Cassius rolled, wincing at the scorch on his sleeve.
Hideo staggered, breathing hard.
They locked eyes.
Mutual respect.
Then they moved at once.
"Fulmen!"
"Kaminari!"
Twin lightning bolts crashed into each other—sparks scattering like gold dust.
Cassius slashed his wand downward.
"Retrahere!"
The sudden gravitational pull yanked Hideo off-balance—
Cassius capitalized instantly.
"STUPEFY!"
A direct hit.
Hideo fell, consciousness flickering.
The referee snapped her wand up.
"Round Two—Victor Cassius Snape! Winner of the match—Cassius Snape!"
The cheers were louder now—sharper, more energized.
Cassius felt the shift.
He wasn't just a curiosity anymore.
He was a threat.
A real one.
Flitwick was practically vibrating with excitement as Cassius returned to the sidelines.
Sirius ruffled his hair. "You're making enemies and fans at the same time, kid, better watch out before one of the girlies decides to snatch you up."
His tease was more in reference to the earlier dalliance targeted at him.
Cassius didn't reply—but he glanced once across the arena, they were down to 32 already and by tommorow there would be only 16, and of that number there was only a single girl among them.
Fleur Delacour stood in Ring 7, finishing her own match in under ten seconds.
Her opponent was on his knees, dazed with a glassy, enchanted stare.
Her eyes flicked his way again.
Sensing his own eyes on her, but in both their stares it was not attraction or lust, instead it was interest, intriuge and curiosity of the other.
Seeing the pair locking eyes, Sirius to Cassius's side gave the boy a shoulder jostle before wrapping his arm over Cassius laying into the young man about having fallen for love at first sight to the pretty french girl.
Cassius's cheeks burned crimson as Sirius intentionally spoke louder than usual such that the whole hall could hear his claim.
Most didnt care, afterall every boy was enthralled by Fleur.