Chapter 807: Side Story — Cassandra 3

After Halloween, Hogwarts held a Quidditch match.

Cassandra was bored.

The reason was simple: the stupid guy was jumping up and down right in front of her.

One moment, he was standing on the high platform; the next, he was jumping down to look for Harry Potter.

What was there to look for? Couldn't he just watch the match and see whether Harry caught the Golden Snitch?

But then something happened.

Someone had actually cursed Harry Potter's broomstick.

Cassandra frowned.

Could a Death Eater have sneaked into the school?

She glanced at the worried expression on the stupid guy's face beside her and suddenly wished he would leave Hogwarts.

The school didn't seem very safe anymore.

He might as well return to his orphanage. Perhaps that way, he could at least save his own life.

How could a Death Eater possibly let Harry Potter's brother go?

Fortunately, Harry Potter was fine and managed to catch the Golden Snitch.

The stupid guy cheered beside her before jumping straight off the platform.

Cassandra scoffed.

What an idiot.

Christmas was approaching.

During Potions class, Malfoy mocked Harry Potter, calling him an unwanted child whom nobody wanted.

Cassandra instinctively looked at the stupid guy.

His eyes were a little red, but he still tried his best to keep himself composed.

Thinking about his former life in the orphanage, Cassandra, for the first time, refrained from staring at him so carelessly.

After class, she heard many Slytherins criticizing Malfoy.

"How could you say something like that?"

"Exactly! He must have been heartbroken when he lost his parents."

"I saw him crying!"

The stupid guy had cried?

Cassandra thought about it, then shook her head.

Stupid guys were much stronger than people gave him credit for.

He was merely a little sad. He wouldn't cry.

Because he had probably already understood that no matter how many tears he shed, no matter how much he cried, it wouldn't change anything about the orphanage where he had lived.

Realizing this, Cassandra pursed her lips.

Then she irritably returned to her dormitory.

What was wrong with her?

Potter had suffered in an orphanage. What did that have to do with her?

Because of Potter's past, Cassandra specially bought a large bag of sweets and cookies.

She remembered those Gryffindors giving the stupid guy such terrible cookies. She figured he must have treasured them.

She couldn't finish all these sweets herself anyway, so she might as well give them to him.

He had been eating less lately, probably because of what Malfoy had said.

After Christmas.

One day, she heard Malfoy say that Harry Potter had a dragon.

He also said he was going to report Harry Potter to a professor.

She heard Pansy ask worriedly, "What if Darren Potter is there, too? Then he'll get caught again!"

Cassandra rolled her eyes.

Ever since Pansy had seen the stupid guy get back up after being hit by the Cruciatus Curse, she had suddenly become much more enthusiastic about him.

Apparently, the Parkinson family thought the stupid guy might make a suitable marriage partner.

Pansy was now trying to court him.

The problem was that she only ever tried to show him affection behind his back. She was hopelessly stupid about it.

If she had any sense, she would follow the stupid guy around every day, just like that know-it-all girl.

What was the point of spending all day in the common room? Did she expect the stupid guy to somehow hear her thoughts?

Cassandra found it irritating.

She was irritated by Pansy's stupidity and Malfoy's nastiness.

However, Malfoy still managed to say something that made a little sense.

"It won't involve Darren. Hmph! I saw in that Weasley's letter that they were planning to deliver the dragon themselves and have Darren stand guard outside."

"I'll go to Professor McGonagall. She likes Darren Potter best, so he definitely won't be punished!"

Was he trying to put on another performance with that know-it-all girl?

Cassandra remained expressionless.

What did it matter whether the stupid guy was punished or not?

However...

The next day, she discovered that the stupid guy had received two detentions.

Was this what Malfoy had meant when he said he wouldn't be punished?

"How was I supposed to know he'd actually give himself detention? Professor McGonagall didn't punish him at all! He volunteered for it!"

"And we were unlucky enough to run into Professor Snape, too..."

"Honestly, I wish I hadn't reported them. I thought I could catch them delivering the dragon red-handed, get Professor McGonagall to confiscate it, and have a look at it myself."

"But now look at us! We got nothing out of it, and I've ended up with detention!"

Malfoy complained angrily.

A burst of laughter erupted in the Slytherin common room.

But the laughter died away when the stupid guy walked in, because guilt was still written all over his face.

No way!

Was he really so pitiful that he felt guilty just because other people had been implicated?

Cassandra had never imagined that the stupid guy's detention would take place in the Forbidden Forest.

Was Dumbledore crazy?

He had actually sent students into the Forbidden Forest!

Several Slytherin girls were discussing whether Dumbledore had lost his mind.

Going into the Forbidden Forest so late at night? Was he trying to get them killed?

Cassandra didn't think so.

Dumbledore might not care about the stupid guy's life, but surely he couldn't be indifferent to Harry Potter's safety?

However...

The stupid guy ended up in the Hospital Wing again.

Apparently, he had saved a unicorn.

Was he crazy?

Why on earth did even unicorns need this stupid guy to save them?

Fortunately, he didn't seem to have been injured this time, and he reappeared the following day.

He obediently sat beside her and ate his meal.

Then he spotted Harry Potter and happily ran off.

Cassandra wanted to mock him for being so stupid, but as she watched his retreating figure, she couldn't help wondering what any of it had to do with her.

Finally, the end of the school year arrived.

During the examination, Cassandra sat directly behind the stupid guy.

While they were practicing Transfiguration, she saw him turn a mouse into an exquisite Chinese snuff bottle.

Chinese?

This guy seemed to be particularly fond of that place.

She had heard that his wand core was made from an Eastern Azure Dragon's Reverse Scale.

His tastes seemed to lean toward China, too.

Following his example, Cassandra also transformed a mouse into an exquisite Chinese snuff bottle.

Then she noticed Professor McGonagall looking at her with a clear, knowing gaze.

What was that look supposed to mean?

She hadn't copied the stupid guy. She had merely imitated him!

Yes, imitated him!

"It's difficult, isn't it?" Professor McGonagall asked softly.

"Always chasing after someone from behind must be exhausting."

"I don't understand what you're talking about!"

Cassandra walked out of the classroom.

Her expression was haughty.

She, Cassandra Voray, didn't need anyone's sympathy!

And she had absolutely nothing to do with that stupid guy!

She just didn't know why her heart felt faintly sour.

She had met him first, so why did that stupid guy never seem to notice her?

What was so great about that know-it-all girl?

She was always causing him trouble, and she had nearly gotten him hurt last time. So why did he insist on staying beside Granger?

Couldn't he see that Cassandra was always sitting beside him, no matter when or where?