Chapter 131 "Unrequited Love"

Finally, as Cassandra had anticipated, another weekend arrived at Hogwarts.

During Saturday morning's breakfast in the Hogwarts Great Hall, Cassandra couldn't help but notice the absence of Wentworth and Cedric, which brought a sense of satisfaction to her.

"Very good. It seems like those two haven't shown up yet. This time, I won't be defeated!"

Cassandra muttered to herself with a hint of triumph.

However, Cassandra remained oblivious to the fact that Wentworth and Cedric had already made their way to the Shrieking Shack through the secret passage beneath the Whomping Willow.

"Thud!"

Wentworth collided forcefully with the wall of the Shrieking Shack, taking some time to regain his composure.

He clutched his chest with a hint of annoyance and remarked, "Cedric, I finally understand why you didn't let me have breakfast! Are you afraid that I'll vomit all over you? Can't you control your magic?"

Cedric responded nonchalantly, "Wentworth, you wanted to test the effectiveness of your amulet. It would be pointless if I didn't give it my all."

Then, Cedric changed his tone meaningfully, "Furthermore, Wentworth, your future adversaries won't be weaker in magical power than me. The key is, you won't know when they'll strike."

Upon hearing Cedric's words, Lupin, who had been observing their training, applauded and added, "Cedric is right, Wentworth. Your opponents won't show mercy just because you're young. If you're exhausted, we can take a break."

However, Wentworth brushed off the dirt from his clothes, retrieved his fallen wand from the ground, and looked at Cedric. "One more round."

Meanwhile, Cassandra spent the entire day waiting in Hufflepuff's common room, transitioning from eager anticipation to impatience and, ultimately, to a bitter realization.

"The leader of this Alliance, the successor of the Grindelwald family, the descendant of the first generation Dark Lord... Has he really been forsaken by Hogwarts?"

Observing the sun setting, Cassandra could no longer endure the torment. She walked resolutely towards the Hufflepuff common room.

At that moment, Green had just returned from the library.

"Cassandra? What's going on?" Green inquired, taken aback by Cassandra's determined demeanor.

Cassandra raised her head upon spotting Green and said, "Senior Green, please inform Wentworth that I wish to speak with him."

Amusement danced in Green's eyes as he scrutinized Cassandra.

He asked, "Miss Cassandra, has Wentworth wronged you in some way? Rest assured, as the Hufflepuff prefect, I won't show favoritism to any student."

Cassandra responded with a disdainful smile, sneering, "Wronged him? Would he even dare?"

"Then why are you here?" Green inquired, puzzled by Cassandra's motives.

Taking a deep breath, Cassandra gathered her composure. After a moment, she adopted a polite smile and addressed Green, "It's just like this, Senior Green. I noticed that the weather is pleasant today and thought it might be nice to invite Wentworth for a walk."

Glancing up at the setting sun, Green remarked skeptically, "A walk? Before dinner?"

Cassandra replied, "It's none of your concern."

With a chuckle, Green offered an explanation, "Cassandra, this morning, Wentworth left with Cedric. I'm sorry, but I don't know their current whereabouts."

Cassandra realized that her day of waiting might have been in vain. Gritting her teeth, she said, "Thank you, Senior Green. I'll take my leave."

As Cassandra departed, Green called out to her, "Cassandra, do you have a message for Wentworth? Would you like me to pass it along?"

After some contemplation, Cassandra ultimately shook her head and continued on her way out of the Hufflepuff common room.

Though Green could have informed Wentworth that Cassandra had been waiting for him in the Room of Requirement that night, for some inexplicable reason, Cassandra had chosen not to.

Despite waiting for Wentworth all day, she strangely felt a sense of relief.

Not long after Cassandra's departure, Wentworth and Cedric returned to the Hufflepuff common room, only to encounter Green heading for dinner.

"What a coincidence! Let's go together!" Green invited them.

As the three of them made their way to the Great Hall, Wentworth casually asked, "Did anything unusual happen today?"

After pondering for a moment, Green smiled and replied, "Nothing out of the ordinary."

Though Green maintained a calm exterior, internally, he was inwardly exclaiming, "Wentworth, don't blame me! I've embarked on your journey into the world of magic! Women will only hinder the speed of your spell-casting. As my leader, you must grow stronger as soon as possible. Don't make me regret this! I'm doing it for your own good!"

Weeks passed, and Wentworth and Cedric continued their weekly visits to the Shrieking Shack to learn spells from Lupin.

Meanwhile, Cassandra faithfully returned to the entrance of the Hufflepuff common room every week, only to be met with disappointment each time.

Sometimes, Cassandra couldn't help but wonder if her situation resembled something from a Muggle novel she had read in the past—a girl who secretly harbored feelings for a boy but was too afraid to confess.

She would spend her evenings secretly observing the boy on his way home from school.

Whenever Cassandra entertained such thoughts, she would shake her head vigorously and remind herself that the hope of saving her father still rested with Wentworth.

Observing these events from the sidelines was Green, who couldn't help but muse, "Does Cassandra truly have feelings for Wentworth? But I've never heard of anything between them. Is it unrequited love?"

After another week passed with Cassandra still waiting in vain, Christine from Hogsmeade Village could no longer contain her curiosity.

When Cassandra clandestinely ventured to Hogsmeade Village again and knocked on the door, a large hand grabbed her hair and forcibly dragged her inside!