The castle hummed with evening energy as students poured toward the Great Hall after dinner, but Cassius wasn't among them.
Neither were Hermione or Daphne.
They followed a different current—one flowing downward toward the long stone corridor leading to the Dueling Hall beneath the Transfiguration wing.
Brass torches lit the walls with flickering gold.
The air smelled faintly of ozone and scorched dust.
Tonight was the first official meeting of the revived Hogwarts Dueling Club.
And word had spread.
Cassius Snape, youngest-ever National Under-16 Champion, would be attending.
Senior students—sixth and seventh years—had practically sprinted to sign up.
Cassius could hear the crowd before he saw it: excited voices, clashing egos, whispered bets.
Hermione checked the parchment pinned on the wall.
"Full attendance," she murmured in disbelief. "I count… eighty-three students?"
Daphne smiled. "Of course. Everyone wants to test themselves against the champion."
Cassius rolled his eyes. "They're welcome to try."
~
The dueling chamber was already bustling when the heptad entered.
Three professors stood at the raised edge of the room, a mock judges table if you will:
Sirius Black, arms crossed, grin sharp and cocky.
Remus Lupin, calm and measured, eyes warm but alert.
Severus Snape, robes billowing dramatically for absolutely no reason except spite.
Sirius spotted Cassius first and waved like he was greeting his favourite troublemaking nephew.
Snape's gaze flicked sharply to Cassius, then to Sirius, then back to Cassius.
He inclined his head a single millimeter in approval.
Lupin gave a small, proud smile.
Cassius approached the platform.
All three professors gave tiny nods—three very different versions of "good to see you."
Sirius stepped forward to address the club.
"Welcome back, duelists!" he called, amplifying his voice with a simple charm. "This year's club is bigger, more dangerous, and with significantly fewer incompetent frauds teaching Defense."
Hermione muttered, "He's talking about Lockhart."
Daphne replied, "Everyone is talking about Lockhart."
Sirius continued, "And so, to kick things off, we have a prestigious addition to our roster."
Lupin stepped up beside him.
Snape followed, his expression unreadable—except for the faint pride flickering in his eyes.
Lupin spoke warmly. "This summer, one of our own represented Hogwarts—and Britain—in the Under-16 National Wizarding Dueling Championship."
The room buzzed.
Sirius grinned and threw an arm dramatically in Cassius's direction.
"And he won."
A wave of excited gasps.
Whispers.
Cheers.
A Gryffindor seventh-year shouted "REALLY?!"
Snape raised a hand for silence.
"Cassius Snape," he said evenly, "is now the reigning champion in his division. You will treat him as you would any champion—with respect and seriousness. He is not your practice dummy. He is your standard."
Cassius resisted the urge to smirk.
Barely.
This was by far and away the greatest font of praise ever to spill forth from Senior Snapes mouth in like ever since Lily herself was a student at hogwarts.
~
Sirius clapped his hands.
"Right! Warm-ups. Volunteers?"
Half the seventh-years raised their hands.
Some Gryffindors looked eager.
Some Ravenclaws looked analytical.
Some Slytherins looked like they wanted revenge for being upstaged by a twelve-year-old.
Cassius stepped forward. "I'll take whoever wants a go."
A ripple of excitement tore through the room.
Hermione sighed.
Daphne smirked.
Cho sighed.
While the younger members simply cooed at his galant figure.
Professor Snape pinched the bridge of his nose, fighting back the urge to calm his own son a foolish dullard.
Sirius beamed. "Excellent! Snape versus… hmm… let's go with someone who thinks they can win."
A tall sixth-year Ravenclaw stepped forward—Elias Brookwater, clever, cautious, known for his precise spellcasting.
He bowed respectfully.
Cassius returned it.
"Begin!" Lupin called.
~
Elias struck first—clean, fast, controlled.
"Expelliarmus!"
Cassius sidestepped without effort and countered, "Glacius Linea."
A ribbon of frost raced along the floor.
Elias leapt—but Cassius was already there with a follow-up.
"Ventus!"
A slicing gust forced Elias off-balance.
He hit the ground, rolled, and fired off a stunning charm that clipped Cassius's shield just enough to spark the air.
The crowd gasped at how close it was.
Cassius grinned.
Good.
Someone with teeth.
He gestured sharply."Perstringere!"
Ropes of compressed light wrapped around Elias before he could raise his shield fully.
Lupin raised his hand. "Victor Cassius Snape."
Applause erupted.
Elias panted but bowed. "Well fought."
"You too," Cassius said sincerely.
~
Next up was Thalia Wood, sister to Oliver Wood.
She approached with the swagger of someone used to winning.
"You may be some prodigy," she said lightly, "but seventh-years aren't pushovers."
Cassius shrugged. "Then don't get pushed over."
Sirius nearly choked laughing.
Snape's eyes narrowed in warning toward Sirius.
Lupin's shoulders shook.
"Begin!"
Thalia opened with a blinding flash charm—clever—and followed with a barrage of body-bind attempts.
Cassius blocked, pivoted, countered.
Fifteen seconds.
Twenty.
She was good.
But Cassius was trained by Grindelwald and coached by Flitwick and Sirius.
And had fought Fleur Delacour overwhelmingly so.
The moment she slowed, Cassius pivoted and fired a downward lance of magic.
"Fulmen Minor."
A crack of blue light struck the floor at her feet, jolting her backward and knocking her wand spinning from her hand.
"Match over," Snape declared.
Thalia stared at him, breathless.
Then—she smiled.
"Well. You've earned the title."
The room erupted with applause.
Even the seventh-years looked impressed.
Even Harry, who'd snuck in to watch, stared wide-eyed.
Ron whispered loudly to Hermione, "Mate… he's only thirteen."
Harry could only nod in agreement, they were the same age yes.
Harry himself was even personally trained by Dumbledore and yet, his own dueling skills wouldnt even match some of the fourth years who were willing to give it a go against Cassius.
Why was he so much superior?
~
After several more matches—not all involving Cassius—Sirius raised his hands for silence.
"That's it for the evening! Next meeting, we begin structured training groups. For now—rest, hydrate, and try not to blow up any corridors on your way out!"
Snape added coolly, "If anyone disrupts the halls with careless spellwork, I will know. And I will deduct points."
Lupin smiled kindly. "Excellent work tonight. Truly."
Cassius felt Hermione squeeze his hand.
Daphne took his other arm.
Meanwhile the other girls surrounded him with praise as they left, heading for continued practice within their own common room.
The duel hall itself buzzed with excitement, whispers of:
"That's the champion—"
"Did you see that air burst spell—?"
"He won when he was only twelve—?"
"Snape's kid is beyond terrifying—"