Hogwarts, renowned as the finest wizarding school in all of Britain, owes much of its prestige to its distinguished faculty and rich heritage. The castle itself exudes an aura of antiquity and depth, yet it seldom boasts extravagant opulence.
However, that does not mean such places do not exist. At the very least, when Cedric first stepped into the Prefects' Bathroom on the sixth floor of Hogwarts Castle, he was taken aback by the sheer grandeur of its decor.
Above him hung an elaborate crystal chandelier, casting a warm glow over the chamber. Everything within the room was fashioned from pristine white marble. At its center lay a vast, sunken bath—resembling more of a rectangular swimming pool than a simple tub.
What astonished him further were the golden taps encircling the bath—almost a hundred in total—each adorned with a gemstone of a different hue.
Taking in the sight before him, Cedric couldn't help but exclaim in astonishment:
"I'm beginning to understand why Cassandra insisted on coming here. I never imagined a place like this existed within Hogwarts!"
Just then, Kirk's voice rang in Cedric's ear:
"Amazing, isn't it? Hogwarts never holds back on the good stuff—so long as you're exceptional enough, or, well… if you manage to win the professors' favor."
Shortly after, Cedric and Kirk made their way over to Cassandra, the three of them settling on opposite sides of a long marble table, their seats also crafted from the same white marble.
As they got comfortable, Cassandra looked at Cedric and Kirk across from her, a smirk forming at the corners of her lips.
"Well, Cedric, do you still think I'm overthinking things?"
Cedric sighed and shook his head with a wry smile before replying:
"Alright, Cassandra, I admit it—you were right. I just never expected that I'd understand Wentworth less than you do."
At Cedric's words, Cassandra's smile deepened as she responded swiftly:
"No, Cedric, I believe in the sincerity of your friendship with Wentworth. But you must understand something—now that you both know Wentworth's true identity and have chosen to align yourselves with the Pureblood Party, you are no longer like the ordinary students of Hogwarts."
Kirk interjected with a smirk:
"What, does that mean we're Dark Wizards now?"
Cassandra cast him a serious look and replied:
"I've never heard of someone so eager to label themselves a Dark Wizard."
Kirk: "…"
Then, Cassandra began to explain:
"The term 'Dark Wizard'—even the title of the 'First Dark Lord'—these are merely labels assigned by various Ministries of Magic to the Pureblood Party and Gellert Grindelwald. The primary reason? Because the Pureblood Party was on the losing side of the First Wizarding War. That's all."
"I have something here," she continued, retrieving a thick folder from seemingly nowhere and placing it in front of Cedric and Kirk. "I managed to get this through my father—it's a copy of records from the British Ministry of Magic. Take a look."
The two of them exchanged a glance before flipping through the documents, which were clearly marked as classified. They contained detailed records regarding the Pureblood Party and Gellert Grindelwald.
As they scanned the contents, Cassandra spoke again:
"Many Ministries of Magic paint the Pureblood Party and Grindelwald as Muggle-hating extremists who slaughtered half-blood wizards and sought to overturn the world. But in truth, that's not the case. Look here."
She pointed to a specific passage in the documents before them, then read aloud:
"This is a transcript of a speech Grindelwald gave in Paris. He said: 'Many claim that I despise Muggles. No, I do not hate them—far from it! I do not consider them inferior, but rather of a different value. They are not useless; rather, they serve a different purpose.'"
"If Grindelwald didn't even hate Muggles," Cassandra continued, "then why would he hate half-blood wizards? That wouldn't make any sense!"
At this, Cedric cast a glance at Kirk, only to find him engrossed in the files, studying them intently. Cedric then asked:
"Then why did Gellert Grindelwald start a war among wizards?"
"For ideological differences," Kirk answered before Cassandra could. She nodded in agreement.
Cedric turned to Kirk, who was pointing at another passage in the documents:
"Here's your answer: 'I do not fight out of hatred. Magical talent manifests in only a select few, granted to those who seek a higher understanding of life. If the world were placed under our governance, all of humanity would prosper—for we act in the name of freedom and truth.'"
Kirk then looked up at Cassandra and asked pointedly:
"So, this is why the Pureblood Party wanted to abolish the Statute of Secrecy?"
Cassandra nodded without hesitation.
"Precisely."
Cedric, however, still seemed uncertain.
"But I still don't understand—why would abolishing the Statute of Secrecy necessitate a war in the wizarding world?"
Kirk clapped a hand on Cedric's shoulder, explaining:
"If you want to dismantle the current order, who do you think would resist the most? Naturally, those who benefit from it the most. And who are the biggest beneficiaries of the current system? The Ministries of Magic."
Cassandra nodded in agreement and elaborated further:
"It's not that the Pureblood Party chose war to overthrow the system—it's that the only way to dismantle the current system is through war. The Ministries of Magic would never allow anyone to disrupt their control. After all, they are the ones with the most to lose."
Cedric mulled over their words before nodding thoughtfully.
Seeing that Cedric finally grasped their point, Kirk turned back to Cassandra, an inquisitive look in his eyes.
"So, you want to form a new secret organization at Hogwarts—to carry on Grindelwald's legacy?"
At his question, Cassandra merely smiled, shaking her head with an enigmatic expression.
"Gellert Grindelwald's legacy? What does that have to do with me?"
Kirk and Cedric: ???
While the three of them continued their discussion in the Prefects' Bathroom, elsewhere in the castle, Wentworth had led a visibly shocked trio—Harry, Ron, and Hermione—into the Room of Requirement.
Ignoring Draco, who stood off to the side looking smug as if he owned the place, Wentworth casually dragged a chair over and sat down. Then, pointing to the open space before them, he announced:
"Well? You lot wanted a duel, didn't you? Let's not waste time. I'll be the referee. Any objections?"
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