Waylin, leading a large group of Slytherin students, made a conspicuous show of their procession through the castle, naturally drawing the attention of many. As expected, some students wasted no time running to the professors' offices to report the incident.
By the time Waylin and his group arrived outside the Hufflepuff common room, a considerable crowd of Gryffindor and Ravenclaw students had gathered to watch. After all, enjoying a spectacle is a universal trait.
Standing guard outside the common room was Kirk, who, having already been informed, had assembled the Hufflepuff students to face the Slytherins.
"Waylin, what are you planning? Are you declaring war on Hufflepuff on behalf of Slytherin?" Kirk questioned sharply, borrowing Cassandra's dramatic tone from the morning to pin the blame squarely on Waylin.
"You're absolutely correct—I am declaring war on Hufflepuff on behalf of Slytherin!" Waylin's unexpected and bold admission left Kirk momentarily stunned.
"War? Very well. Hufflepuff students, follow my lead! Raise your wands and prepare for the first volley of... what was it called again?" Kirk turned toward Wentworth, asking for clarification.
"Carpet bombing, Senior Kirk!" Wentworth replied with a calm yet intense gaze fixed on the Slytherins. "Given how many of us there are, it's better to focus on increasing the spell's effective range by ten meters rather than fussing over precision. Today, we'll show Slytherin what it means to fear insufficient firepower!"
This plan, pre-discussed with Kirk, ensured Hufflepuff wouldn't hold back if Slytherin intended to cause trouble. If they couldn't win in single combat, overwhelming the Slytherins with sheer numbers would suffice.
However, as Hufflepuff students raised their wands en masse, their sheer number created a terrifying sight that unnerved even Waylin. Hurriedly, he called out:
"Kirk! This is our challenge! Are you Hufflepuffs too afraid to even accept a formal duel invitation?"
Kirk looked at Waylin holding a piece of parchment and scoffed, "Next time, try waving a blank sheet instead!"
Despite his disdain, Kirk gestured for Cedric to retrieve the parchment. Upon inspection, the contents read:
In the spirit of a thousand years of friendship between Slytherin and Hufflepuff, and to promote unity at Hogwarts while enriching students' extracurricular activities... Blah, blah, blah...
Slytherin House formally invites Hufflepuff House to a friendly duel in the Defense Against the Dark Arts classroom tonight at six.
Each house will send one representative per year, from fifth to first. Five matches will be held, with a best-of-three format to determine the winner.
Participants are prohibited from using harmful curses, including hexes, and may only use defensive or disarming spells such as Expelliarmus or Protego.
... Blah, blah, blah...
Slytherin House eagerly awaits Hufflepuff's arrival tonight!
Reading this, Wentworth and Cedric exchanged glances, while Kirk's expression turned grim.
At that moment, Professor McGonagall and Headmaster Dumbledore arrived, alarmed by the impending large-scale confrontation. Seeing the wands raised, McGonagall's voice boomed:
"Everyone, stand down! What do you think you're doing? Hufflepuff, lower your wands immediately!"
Waylin, with a sly grin, chimed in, "Professor McGonagall, just look at Hufflepuff! They're pointing their wands at their fellow students! Shocking, isn't it?"
McGonagall shot Waylin a frosty glare. "Then why don't you explain why so many Slytherins are gathered outside the Hufflepuff common room?"
For once, Waylin was speechless.
At this point, other professors, including Hufflepuff's Head of House, Professor Pomona Sprout, arrived. After examining the parchment, Sprout handed it over to Dumbledore and McGonagall for review.
Meanwhile, Wentworth sidled up to Kirk and whispered, "Senior Kirk, you seem rather distressed."
"Of course I am!" Kirk retorted bitterly. "If we follow Waylin's rules, there's no way we can win! Maybe Cedric could win the second-year duel, but the rest of us are doomed!"
Wentworth, however, remained unbothered. With a sly smile, he asked, "Senior Kirk, do you want revenge? A chance to humiliate Waylin?"
Suspicious, Kirk turned to Wentworth, who leaned closer and said, "If you want to retaliate against Waylin, this duel is a golden opportunity. Since they proposed it, it's only fair to add a little wager, right? For example, the losing side's prefect must resign voluntarily."
Kirk rolled his eyes. "Are you mad? I already told you we'd lose if we follow Waylin's rules. You're just pushing me into a trap!"
Mid-sentence, Kirk paused, staring at Wentworth in realization. Wentworth returned the gaze with a knowing smile.
"You've got a plan, don't you? A way to make Hufflepuff win?" Kirk whispered excitedly.
Wentworth nodded confidently. "I do. Though it's not exactly... honorable."
"I don't care! I'll take all the blame! Just tell me what to do!" Kirk exclaimed, grabbing Wentworth's arm. "If we beat Slytherin and oust Waylin as prefect, I'll be your devoted follower! I'll even—"
Wentworth interrupted, bemused, "Even if I have foot fungus?"
"Then I'll cure it for you!" Kirk declared without hesitation.
After a brief silence, Wentworth muttered, "Impressive."
Leaning in, he began to outline his plan in Green's ear.
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