Seeing Kirk so decisively admit that he was no match for Waylin, Wentworth was momentarily at a loss for words.
Kirk himself seemed a little embarrassed but still softly explained:
"Wentworth, while I also can't stand those Slytherin types, I have to admit something—most of them come from pureblood wizarding families, which does give them certain advantages. Some even possess exclusive family magic. I'm simply no match for Waylin."
Hearing Kirk's explanation and seeing the increasingly smug Waylin preparing to leave with Cassandra, Wentworth stepped forward.
"Stop right there! Are you planning to just walk away like that?"
Waylin, whose attention had been entirely on Kirk, was startled by Wentworth's sudden interruption. But upon realizing it was a first-year student, barely a few days into Hogwarts, who had spoken, Waylin smirked disdainfully.
"You, little one—what do you want?"
Wentworth strode confidently to the forefront of the Hufflepuff crowd, addressing Waylin with calm but firm resolve:
"That's a question I should be asking you, Senior Waylin. You brought your group here to block my way. What are you trying to do—humiliate me? If you humiliate me, you're also humiliating Hufflepuff. And by doing so, you tarnish the thousand-year legacy of Hufflepuff itself!"
Seeing a first-year have the audacity to challenge him, and losing face in front of Cassandra, Waylin roared furiously:
"So what if I do humiliate you Hufflepuffs? What can you do about it? You're just a bunch of—mixedbloods. I am a proud pureblood wizard!"
Waylin's voice echoed through the corridor outside the Great Hall. Although he stopped short of uttering the slur "Mudblood," his words were enough to ignite Wentworth's resolve. The heavy breathing behind him signaled the brewing anger of the Hufflepuffs.
Wentworth raised a single finger and wagged it at Weylin, saying:
"Senior Waylin, I think you've misunderstood something. No matter what kind of family we come from outside these walls, once we enter Hogwarts and pick up a wand, we're all wizards. A Slytherin spell and a Hufflepuff spell hurt just the same when cast on someone!"
His voice suddenly grew louder:
"We are the friendly Hufflepuff house, but we are also the resilient and unyielding Hufflepuff house. If we let you walk away like this, we'd never be able to face the statue of Helga Hufflepuff again!"
At Wentworth's words, cheers erupted from behind him as the Hufflepuffs grew increasingly rowdy.
But Waylin remained unimpressed.
"You think you can stop me? You, a first-year who probably hasn't even mastered a single spell?"
Wentworth spread his arms wide in a gesture of mock helplessness and replied:
"You're right, Senior Waylin. I can't stop you. But as I said before, by humiliating me, you've humiliated all of Hufflepuff."
Just then, Waylin felt a tug on his sleeve from someone behind him.
"What?" Waylin snapped irritably.
But when he followed their pointing hand, he realized that, somehow, his group was now surrounded by a sea of Hufflepuff students.
On the other side, Wentworth leaned closer to Kirk and Cedric, whispering:
"If we can't win one-on-one, we can always rely on numbers. Don't forget, Hufflepuff has the most students! Sometimes, quantity beats quality."
Cedric seemed uncomfortable and hesitated as if he wanted to say something, but Kirk was listening intently, even jotting down notes.
At this moment, Cassandra stepped forward, clearly unhappy with how things were escalating. She said,
"Wentworth, are you declaring war on Slytherin on behalf of Hufflepuff?"
Cassandra was far smarter than Waylin. With a single sentence, she shifted the blame for the conflict onto Wentworth. If he agreed, any future repercussions would fall on Hufflepuff for starting trouble with Slytherin. But if he denied it, all of Wentworth's efforts so far would be in vain.
However, Wentworth sidestepped her question entirely, feigning surprise.
"Cassandra, how could you say that? How is this a war between Hufflepuff and Slytherin? Earlier, Waylin called all Gryffindors idiots, and they haven't declared war on you!"
The crowd fell silent as Gryffindors, who had been enjoying the spectacle from the sidelines, suddenly realized the insult had been directed at them.
"I didn't say that!" Waylin quickly denied it, realizing he couldn't afford to provoke Gryffindor on top of Hufflepuff.
"Oh? You didn't? Then swear it—on Merlin's name or even Slytherin's. Remember, you're not just representing yourself; you're representing Slytherin's honor!"
Wentworth's tone was leisurely, but his words struck a nerve.
Waylin faltered, unwilling to swear, and the Gryffindors' anger boiled over. Led by the Weasley twins, a group of Gryffindors surged forward. The Hufflepuffs, ever accommodating, stepped aside to give them a clear path.
Although no magic was used, the pushing and shoving between the two groups left Waylin and his companions feeling cornered.
For Waylin, who had never faced such humiliation, the final straw came when he spotted Wentworth standing on the outskirts of the chaos, watching with a smug smile. Enraged, Waylin shoved aside the students in his way and charged toward Wentworth, wand in hand.
By the time Wentworth realized what was happening, Waylin was already upon him. Neither Cedric nor Kirk reacted in time to intervene.
Just then, a voice boomed from nearby:
"Stop! Expelliarmus!"
A spell shot through the air, striking Waylin's wand and sending it flying. But momentum carried Waylin forward, and he collided with Wentworth, the two ending up in an awkward embrace.
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