Memories of Two Rivals:

They say that attending Hogwarts for the first time is a magical experience… A taste of what is to come in your new life as a student. And yet… The only thing magical that Cassandra is experiencing right now is the patience of not lashing at her fellow peers. She was in the Diagon Alley to prepare for her long and hopefully not infuriating experience at Hogwarts by acquiring much needed supplies for her studies and her plants. And yet… All she ended up with are two clueless boys following her like some sort of lost puppies. Cassandra just sighs… Mother did tell her that she should show more compassion towards her own peers and hopefully these two can become an adequate asset in the future so might as well take these clueless boys under her capable wing.

As she embarks into the train towards Hogwarts, Cassandra was hoping that perhaps the twins she’s met might give her peace and quiet at least during the trip but alas, the twins are as sophisticated as a troll, gracious as an erumpent and quarreling between each other like a pair of aggressive matagots… Of course they have to sit next to her and not grace her with much needed meditation for the hardships to come. Could this day get any worse…
Of course, Merlin has a twisted sense of humour as yet ANOTHER freak has to ruin her day. And this one is probably the worst of them all… He looks as lost as a headless chicken, uncertain in his footsteps as he looks around for a spot to seat. Where did this guy even come from? The nineteenth century? His robes scream tacky and old fashioned! His robes, were an ugly shade of grey mixed with silver and green, seems that he’s already chosen which house he wishes to join as the Slytherin crest was engraved on the back of his robes… Beneath the robes she could spot an old fashioned shirt, perhaps meant to replicate the ones during the Victorian Era, a distastefully grey vest and, by Merlin, Horse riding boots all the way to his knees? This boy is in dire need of a fashion intervention! And lastly, he is holding broken artifacts, a helmet covered in scratches in dire need of polishing… And a metallic mask with golden engravings split into two. Perhaps he’s trying to sell them to afford a meal, the poor thing. Hopefully he is smart enough to leave her alone… As if Merlin would be kind to her… The boy is looking straight at her, no doubt preparing to ruin her day.

“Do pardon me, miss… May I sit here?” The boy asks with forced politeness. Cassandra just blinks. She’s not going to have ONE sane colleague, is she? And mother wants to bond with these… People. Regardless, he was polite, she’ll give him that so she will respond in kind.
“No… As a matter of not, I DO bother if you sit here. There are plenty of seats available elsewhere so off you go!”
The boy was surprised but he holds his tongue, giving her a polite bow and starts looking for a seat elsewhere. He was kind enough to leave her alone which she cannot say the same to the two nuisances next to her quarreling AGAIN!

The rest of the day has been rather uneventful. It seems that the Sorting Hat has deemed her worthy of joining the Slytherin house. At least one good thing has happened today for her… Oh… The twins have also joined the same house… It had to be a bittersweet scenario, had it? Oh, and the fashion criminal is also a Slytherin? Perhaps the house is not as prestigious as they claimed if such specimens are able to join… It is, what it is… A lady has to grin and bear, after all, as grandmother said.

Thankfully, not everything is too bad. Cassandra has hastily been observed by her teachers that she is a natural born talent at handling charms, a prodigy, no doubt she will be seen as a leading example to her peers. And what better place to show her expertise than by joining the Dueling Club. Her first opponent? The tacky dressed boy she’s met at the train… Flavius was his name, apparently. This should prove to be an easy win for the Slytherin prodigy, right? No. It did not end up to be a win at all, even. The boy has handled charms with shocking proficiency as he disarmed her with a well placed Expelliarmus and incapacitating her with a Levioso charm. How did that even happen?! How did this nobody best HER of all people? Cheating no doubt… There is no way a first year can cast so many spells almost effortlessly! Flavius Maxentius huh? A name she’ll no doubt remember. She will bring that boy to her heels if it’s the last thing she did! That day the Vole heiress has found her eternal rival…

As the days have gone by, it seems that her new rival has also found companions for himself. No doubt scoundrels befriending scoundrels… Three scoundrels by the names of Ivy Warrington, Daniel Page and Lottie Turner. And each and everyone of them is worse and worse the more you observe them. Perhaps the seemingly harmless girl is the least offensive but appearances can be deceptive… Not a single bad bone in her body? Always smiling and greeting everybody, the idea of holding grudges seems to be a foreign notion to her. At least that’s what she wants everybody to believe. There’s no way she is that innocent… She must have ulterior motives… he has to…
The next troublemaker is more concerning though… Daniel Page. Cassandra could see that he is up to no good with just a simple glance… And sure enough, somebody who checks his back to the point that his neck must be sore and his head heavy must have something to hide? Precisely so. Her family is one of criminals dubbed as “The Bloody Pages”. Hogwarts must be getting desperate if they are willing to recruit such people…

But the last is without a doubt the worst offender. She may look innocent, friendly and a complete ditz but sure enough, she has found incriminating evidence for her as well.. Ivy Warrington. What sort of person casts a vanishing spell on her own sister? A psychopath, that’s who. But the most worrying and vexing thing for Cassandra is that she has nothing on Flavius. No family, no history, nothing… It’s as if the boy has mysteriously materialized out of thin air… No… That won’t do… That won’t do at all… He can pose a serious threat if left unchecked… And as her great Nana always said: “Know thy enemy.” And so she shall…
As the days went by, it seems that Flavius and Cassandra share the same passion of dueling. Whenever she is not on the dueling stage, the Vole heiress is quietly watching Flavius, analyzing his moves, meticulously looking at his every step, trying to spot any weakness, a weak foot, a shaky hand, something that would give her the upper hand when facing him… And soon the girl’s patience would be rewarded. It was during a duel against a Hufflepuff student when Cassandra has noticed Flavius’ reluctance of committing a move against somebody who is adept at casting the Protego charm. He was so unsure of his moves that he would rather wait for the spell to wane or even go above and beyond to get them out of their magical shell. Risky moves, dare she say, stunts that would cost him the round had he not executed it adequately. Moves that a normal person would never prefer over just overwhelming the caster with a powerful spell. Whizbang would do just fine to overwhelm the target, a spell that Flavius excels at, might she begrudgingly add.
And so Cassandra figured out what spell to master next… In just a couple of days she would be ready for him… She would overcome him after losing against him a couple of times… She MUST…

And so that faithful day arrived a month later. Cassandra has tactically molded her spell arsenal to overwhelm her rival by having a response to all of the old fashioned boy’s tricks.
“Maxentius…” Cassandra haughtily addressed the boy as she approached him. No doubt eager to finally best him.
“Vole…” The boy responded dryly. “ You seem to be in high spirits today. Perhaps you’ve come to terms that I’m just better?”
The girl laughs. “As if I’d ever humour such a thought, Flavius… I’ve come to teach you a trick or two. Perhaps you’d even learn something…”
“That’s rich… Must I remind you of the score between us?” Flavius replied with a smug grin of his own. The girl is stubborn, he’ll give her that but Merlin she’s slow to accept defeat…
“A flukey streak, nothing more… Perhaps you won’t be so smug after I teach you that I am your superior…”
“You call seven in a row a fluke? I call it consistency… Just face it, Cassandra. I’m just better.”
The girl looked at him with an impish grin… Oh this will be so delicious… The sweet taste of revenge is palpable. “Perhaps you’d be up for a wager if you are so confident?”
That piqued the boy’s curiosity. “I’m listening…” Flavius replied with an eyebrow being visible behind the comically large glasses that he wore.

“It’s simple, Maxentius… If I win. You’re going to have to clean my cauldron for an entire month.”
This just humored the boy… This will be the easiest bet he’d ever won… “And if I win?”

Cassandra just shrugged her shoulders. “I’m treating you to a makeover. Merlin knows, you’d need it. Perhaps it’d be time for you to finally come to the times and dress like it’s not 1890?”

The boy rolls his eyes as he takes his place. Cassandra follows him on the dueling stage as she herself takes her spot. The two look each other in the eyes as they both have their wands at the ready and with a curt bow, the duel commences.

It did not even begin that Cassandra has enveloped herself with the Protego charm. She’s making sure that her odds are at her highest in such a high stakes duel as this one. And as Merlin is her witness, she will NOT give him the satisfaction this time. With a confident pose Cassandra waits for her opponent as she smiles smugly. No doubt he is frowning behind those foggy glasses of his…

Their duel was like a synchronized dance… Each combatant replied with equal intensity and force to their rival’s move. Is Flavius trying to force her out of her protective bubble? Side Along back to the protected space. Did he cast incarcerous on her? A simple portkey to bail her out of the sticky situation. Is he trying to disarm her again? Her dexterity will prove more than enough to dodge all of his attempts. On the other side… Flavius was not as fortunate as his opponent… Cassandra slowly but surely wears him down… Death by a thausand cuts as her zaps from her atmosphere charm are enough to put him in a precarious situation.

“Having trouble keeping up?” Cassandra asked smugly. “Perhaps you should have paid more attention during class when the lesson was about the protego charm~” Cassandra taunted with a singsong voice, she knows she has the upper hand… And Flavius is struggling to find a response yet… If things continue this way then the boy will surely get outmatched soon.

“It is not over yet, Miss Vole!” Flavius replied irritated… He is well aware that if things won’t change quickly then Cassandra will wear him down… It has all come to a Hail Mary Whizbang… He needs to think outside the box and he knows just how

“Whizbang!” He casts his last powerful spell, seemingly missing its mark. Cassandra can’t help but laugh at his seemingly clumsy attempt at hitting her.
“Having trouble seeing straight, my myopic friend? Perhaps I’ve overestimated you~” Cassandra taunted once again, lowering her guard as she thinks that her victory is imminent
That’s his last gambit… With a last Expulso, Flavius pushes Cassandra towards his powerful spell… Once again the boy seemingly outsmarting the Vole heiress… But alas, the girl came prepared this time as she portkeys away from harm’s way.

And to this, Flavius’ response is to just fall to his knees, exhausted and overwhelmed by Cassandra’s Fabian tactics. It is done. Cassandra is the victor. Her heels echoed throughout the chamber as she smugly approached her vanquished foe. Flavius expected the girl to gloat… To rub it in his face, to never hear the end of it but instead he feels her hands as she gently tries to get him up his feet, a satisfied and uncharacteristically friendly smile on her face.

“Why the long face, Maxentius? It was a good duel… And fun. Well played.” Cassandra replied.
“I suppose so… Congratulations….” Flavius replied curtly, surprised by how magnanimous Cassandra is in her victory.
“Why thank you! I haven’t had somebody to keep me on edge like you do, Maxentius… But it seems that I am the victor this time. You know what that means, do you?” Ah. There it is… Her trademark snooty personality is back in full force.
“Yes, yes… A deal is a deal… Where’s the bloody thing…?” Flavius asked, annoyed. His pride has been wounded as his streak is finally broken… And that’s not even the bad news. He figured that it was inevitable that somebody would figure his weakness by now but of all the people to figure it him out it had to be her… She was gifted, true, but she comes with a tactical mind to boot. No doubt that Miss Vole will become a force to be reckoned with… And his previous experience will be for naught soon as the witch will overcome him eventually… He never expected his obsession with overcoming goblins to backfire like this…
“My, my… Where are your manners, Flavius? Didn’t your mommy teach you how to properly speak to a lady? The cauldron is in the potions classroom. It’s the one with my initials engraved on it. Golden engravings. Can’t miss it. Oh, and Maxentius? I expect to see my reflection on it once you’re done” She said once again with a singsong voice as her high heels echo throughout the room.
The Slytherin prodigy leaves Maxentius on his own in the dueling room… The boy none too pleased about his current situation. It seems that his rival has the upper hand for once and he is certain that Cassandra will hold to her advantage by any means necessary… Two can play this game… But for now he needs to uphold his end of the bargain and begin cleaning her cauldron…