Hogwarts: Third Dark Lord

At that moment, in Professor Dumbledore's eyes, Wentworth was a young wizard destined to strengthen the Pureblood Party. However, in reality, Wentworth stood nervously at the center of the Defense Against the Dark Arts classroom. Opposite him stood Cassandra.

Earlier, Professor Ilona had demonstrated the Disarming Charm and instructed the first-year students of Hufflepuff and Slytherin to practice in separate groups. But as the lesson was about to conclude, she suddenly called everyone together.

"Now that you're familiar with the purpose and casting of the Disarming Charm, who would like to volunteer to demonstrate it for the class?"

Before Ilona could even finish her sentence, Cassandra raised her hand eagerly. As she stepped into the center of the classroom, her gaze swept sharply toward the Hufflepuff crowd.

"Wentworth, where do you think you're going?"

Wentworth had been inching toward the middle of the Hufflepuff group, hoping to blend in and avoid attention. But Cassandra's call froze him in his tracks, her voice pinpointing him before he could escape.

"Perhaps someone from Hufflepuff would like to come forward for a friendly duel?" Cassandra's words were framed as a question, but her eyes stayed locked on Wentworth.

The Hufflepuff students, knowing Wentworth's growing reputation, instinctively turned their gazes toward him. With no way out, Wentworth took a deep breath, steadied himself, and strode forward, wand in hand.

As Professor Ilona signaled the start of the duel, both raised their wands.

"Expelliarmus!"

A jet of light shot from Cassandra's wand. Wentworth, however, made no effort to cast a counter-spell. Without so much as a flick of his wand, he allowed himself to be disarmed. His wand flew through the air, landing several feet away.

Cassandra smirked in triumph, but before she could say a word, Wentworth spoke up.

"Did everyone see that? This is the power of the Disarming Charm. Once hit, your wand will fly from your hand, leaving you defenseless. For most wizards, losing their wand means losing the ability to fight."

As Wentworth explained with a calm demeanor, he strolled over, picked up his wand, and turned to Cassandra with a kind smile.

"Cassandra, you're a girl, after all. While the Disarming Charm isn't particularly dangerous, taking a spell head-on still stings. As a gentleman and a Hufflepuff, how could I allow you to endure that kind of pain?"

"If someone had to take the hit, I would rather it be me. I won't let a lady face such risks. After all, isn't this what being a Hufflepuff is all about?"

As his words hung in the air, a brief silence fell over the classroom. Then, the room erupted in applause.

The first-year Hufflepuffs looked at Wentworth with admiration, many of the girls' eyes glinting with a newfound fondness. Even some of the Slytherins couldn't resist clapping, though they quickly stopped under Cassandra's sharp glare.

Cassandra scowled as she watched Wentworth bask in the Hufflepuffs' cheers. Her original intent had been to embarrass him, but her plan had backfired spectacularly.

At that moment, Professor Ilona clapped lightly and spoke.

"Remarkable. Truly remarkable! Cassandra, you displayed excellent spellwork with a flawless execution of the Disarming Charm. Ten points to Slytherin!"

"But Wentworth demonstrated the core values of Hufflepuff: integrity and kindness. He took the risk of injury upon himself, showcasing his gallantry and chivalry. Twenty points to Hufflepuff!"

As she looked at Wentworth standing amidst the jubilant Hufflepuffs, Ilona mused silently to herself:

Winning hearts, is he? Perhaps not. Maybe Wentworth genuinely shares master's philosophy—treating his allies with unyielding sincerity. That sincerity has earned him such loyalty from talented wizards. In fact, he's already surpassed master in some ways. After all, back in those days, master didn't have this level of admiration at this age.

With Professor Ilona's announcement, another wave of cheers erupted from the Hufflepuffs. Even Wentworth himself was stunned.

That worked? Really? he thought.

Truthfully, Wentworth knew his own limitations. He could barely manage a Disarming Charm, let alone one that might rival Cassandra's in precision. His strategy had simply been to avoid public humiliation by giving himself a dignified way out.

But to his surprise, no one doubted his actions. Hogwarts students are so pure-hearted, Wentworth marveled internally.

With a gracious bow to Cassandra and another to Professor Ilona, Wentworth returned to the Hufflepuff crowd, who greeted him with thunderous applause.

Seeing the class in high spirits, Professor Ilona announced, "No homework for today!"

Even the Slytherins joined in the cheers this time.

After class, Wentworth was surrounded by his Hufflepuff peers as they returned to their common room. The moment they stepped inside, colorful streamers rained down on him.

Looking around in surprise, Wentworth saw Cedric and Kirk waiting for him with beaming faces.

As Wentworth entered, the group broke into applause once more. Kirk rushed forward, throwing his arms around Wentworth in an exuberant hug.

"Wentworth! Thank you! On behalf of Hufflepuff, thank you! I've been fed up with Slytherin for five years now. Do you know what it's like, always being overshadowed and bullied by them? And worse, every time there's a conflict, it's us who lose the points!"

Kirk's voice cracked with emotion as he continued, "I've waited five years to become a prefect—not to prove my worth, but to reclaim what we've lost!"

"What did you lose?" Wentworth asked, puzzled.

"A lot of things," Kirk replied bitterly. "But above all, our dignity."

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