Chapter 811: Side Story — Cassandra 7

"Miss Betsy Greengrass went to see the scene. She said it was absolutely horrific. Potter was practically lying in a pool of blood, with Flint and the others lying around him like corpses!"

Exaggerated, wasn't it? Lying in a pool of blood?

Cassandra had only ever seen such things described in books.

And Flint?

Were they already dead, lying there like corpses? Had Potter done it?

Had he killed someone?

No, he couldn't have. Only someone whose soul had been completely corrupted could cast the Killing Curse.

Potter wouldn't dare kill anyone.

"Professor McGonagall sent Potter to St Mungo's, and I just contacted my aunt."

Apparently, Potter had been in a terrible state. If they had delayed any longer, he would have died.

That had to be an exaggeration, right?

How could things have turned out so coincidentally?

What did they mean, he would have died if they'd been any later?

Potter was so strong. What kind of injuries could he possibly suffer? At most, he'd have a few minor wounds.

Cassandra thought about it absentmindedly.

Then she suddenly heard someone sobbing.

She thought she was the one crying, but when she touched her eyes, she found them dry.

It wasn't her.

She had already spent so long crying in the dormitory that she couldn't squeeze out any more tears for a while.

"Didn't you say you were going to pretend?"

She looked at Pansy.

Pansy hid beside her, secretly shedding tears as she spoke.

Cassandra found it amusing.

What was there to cry about? The stupid guy wasn't dead.

"I am pretending! Everyone else is crying, so I shed a couple of tears, too. That's what you call fitting in!" Pansy said, trying to make light of the situation.

She nearly made Cassandra laugh.

The stupid guy stayed at St Mungo's for two days.

After that, he was to be taken directly to trial.

Cassandra contacted her father through a two-way mirror.

The stupid guy would be fine, wouldn't he?

Her father told her that this was a game between Dumbledore and Fudge. The stupid guy might suffer a little, but he would definitely be all right.

After all, he was also a recipient of the Order of Merlin, First Class.

Did Fudge really think he could send someone like that to Azkaban?

Cassandra finally relaxed.

However, at noon, flocks of owls suddenly flew in from outside.

They brought copies of the *Daily Prophet* and enchanted photographic balls.

Cassandra opened the *Daily Prophet* without much interest.

Hmph! What could possibly be in there?

Wasn't it just going to report that the stupid guy had come through the trial unscathed?

Fine.

The stupid guy had refused to cooperate with the trial and had taken all the blame upon himself.

Was he insane?

Cassandra clenched her fists angrily.

Did he actually want to go to Azkaban?

She almost cursed aloud.

But then she remembered how many people were around her. If she really did start cursing, tomorrow's headlines would be about Miss Voray's dislike of Darren Potter, and the news would spread throughout high society.

She swallowed her anger.

Then she turned to the photographic ball.

Her father had sent it to her, telling her that if she couldn't bear to watch, she shouldn't force herself.

Cassandra snorted.

What was there that she couldn't bear to see?

She opened the photographic ball.

And then she understood why her father had warned her.

It showed what the stupid guy had gone through.

To protect those people, he had knelt before the Death Eaters in agony, pleading with them and shielding others from their curses.

Every death had left him utterly devastated.

As she watched the stupid guy in the photographic ball, Cassandra suddenly understood why he had behaved that way during the trial.

He was simply too exhausted.

Why him?

Looking at the stupid guy in the photographic ball, Cassandra suddenly asked herself that question from the bottom of her heart.

Why did he have to be Harry Potter's brother?

Why, when those people wanted to hurt Harry Potter, had they chosen him instead?

Cassandra found it impossible to understand.

Then she saw the stupid guy push open the door and walk in.

What was she supposed to say?

How could she help him return to normal and live a good life?

Cassandra racked her brains, trying to think of something comforting to say.

But she came to a painful realization: every comforting remark she could think of sounded sarcastic. If the stupid guy heard any of them in his current state, he would probably feel even worse.

Besides, the stupid guy didn't seem to want to talk to any of them.

There was embarrassment and sadness in his eyes.

Every word they said would probably feel like a knife stabbing into his heart.

Fortunately, before they had to attempt to comfort him, Harry Potter arrived with that know-it-all girl and Weasley.

The stupid guy hid in his dormitory and refused to come out. Only when the Head of House rushed in and called for him did he reluctantly emerge.

Harry Potter threatened the stupid guy by putting his own life on the line, and the stupid guy finally seemed to regain a little of his vitality.

Cassandra stood at a distance and suddenly felt relieved.

Actually, just seeing him alive made her very happy...

It was just that she still hated Harry Potter.

If it weren't for Harry Potter, the stupid guy wouldn't have been hurt at all.

Hmph!

Let them coax him all they wanted. She wasn't going to stand around watching!

Cassandra turned and left.

She thought the matter had finally been settled.

But what happened next?

The following day, she heard that someone had given the stupid guy a truth Potion.

A truth Potion...

Was the stupid guy surrounded by lunatics?

Of course, along with the *Daily Prophet*, another part of the photographic ball had arrived.

Cassandra opened it with trembling hands.

She watched as his fellow Slytherins tried to kill the stupid guy. They even discussed how they would cover up the murder while he was standing right in front of them.

She watched the stupid guy beg them.

She watched the Death Eaters laugh hysterically.

And she saw the moment when the stupid guy finally collapsed with a bitter smile on his face.

How could people go so far?

Those students weren't Death Eaters, yet they had turned out to be even more terrifying than Death Eaters.

When she thought about how those people had placed all the blame on the stupid guy during the trial, Cassandra couldn't imagine what he must have been feeling as he confessed to those charges.

Perhaps it was that stupid kindness of his again?

Fortunately, the matter had finally come to an end.

Even the fact that the stupid guy had sent Fudge to prison didn't surprise her too much.

Still, her father's letter expressed some doubts.

He suspected that Dumbledore might have had a hand in the affair.

After all, Fudge's arrest did seem to benefit Dumbledore.

Dumbledore had even temporarily assumed the position of Acting Minister of Magic.

Of course, her father also reminded Cassandra to be careful.

Fudge wouldn't remain locked up for long. Many people didn't want Dumbledore to become Minister of Magic, and they were worried that his reputation had grown too great.

For the greater good, Fudge would eventually return to the ministerial office.

Her father had ended his letter with a warning: she needed to be careful of retaliation.

Cassandra thought the warning was unnecessary. Did that stupid guy even care about such things?

Nevertheless, she went over and told him about it.

But the stupid guy hadn't given the matter a second thought. He felt Cassandra was worrying too much.

After all, if a minister could be released after an investigation, that had to prove the minister was an upright person.

And if he was upright, then there was no reason for him to retaliate.

Sure enough, trying to warn that stupid guy was completely pointless!