It was a sunny day, with a few clouds dotting the blue sky. The perfect weather for an exciting game of Quidditch between the rival houses, Slytherin and Gryffindor. The energy was palpable in the air as students gathered in the stands to cheer for their teams.

Cassiopeia felt her heart pounding in her chest. It was her first Quidditch match representing Slytherin, and the butterflies in her stomach wouldn't stop fluttering. She was nervous, but also filled with determination to prove her worth as a Chaser.

By her side, Draco, as the Seeker, also showed signs of anxiety.

Nocturna, Cassiopeia's mother, unfortunately couldn't attend the game.

However, Aunt Minnie was present. Minerva was there to support not only her own house, Gryffindor, but also her goddaughter, Cassiopeia, representing Slytherin.

She found herself in an internal conflict. Secretly, she rooted for Cassi to shine in the game, even if it meant a defeat for her own house.

Slytherin was winning the game, and Cassi had just scored another goal, earning 10 more points for her house.

Slytherin was dominating the game with a lead on the scoreboard.

Cassi soared on her broom with agility, dodging opposing players and launching the Quaffle towards Gryffindor's hoops. She felt the speed and excitement of the game coursing through her veins, her mind focused solely on the objective of scoring points for her team.

Cassi had just made another score, earning 10 more.

The chaos erupted on the Quidditch field when Oliver Wood was struck directly by a rogue Bludger. The uncontrollable ball now targeted Harry, wreaking havoc and destroying part of the stands as it angrily pursued him.
Amidst the turmoil, Draco and Harry began a frantic chase for the Golden Snitch, quickly disappearing beneath the stands.

Cassi's heart raced as she witnessed the dangerous situation, and without hesitation, she accelerated towards them.

With dexterity, she flew at top speed, dangerously closing in on Draco, who was on the verge of falling off his broom. In a daring move, she leaned out on her own broom, reaching out her arm to grab Draco and prevent his imminent fall.

With Cassi's help, Draco regained control and climbed back onto his broom.

He returned Cassi's gesture with a look of gratitude. Driven by the urgency to defeat Harry and secure victory for Slytherin, Draco resumed his pursuit of the Golden Snitch.

Balancing skillfully on his broom, Draco displayed.

However, amidst the chaos and intensity of the moment, Harry was struck by the Bludger and plummeted forcefully to the ground.

"Draco Malfoy caught the Golden Snitch, SLYTHERIN WINS!" echoed throughout the stadium. Elation engulfed the students of the serpent house as they jumped, hugged, and reveled in the joy of their triumph.

As the euphoria spread, some people quickly made their way to Harry Potter, who appeared to have suffered an arm injury from the fall. Concerned for their fellow student's well-being, they gathered around him, offering comfort and assistance.

Cassi was worried about her friend, but she was still too upset to approach him. Besides, she didn't feel welcome among the group.
In this moment of celebration, Marcus Flint, the captain of the Slytherin team, approached Draco and Cassi to congratulate them.

"Congratulations, both of you. You played brilliantly," Marcus said, giving Draco an enthusiastic pat on the back. As the attention turned to them, Cassi felt that familiar tingling in her hands and chest.

As Cassi averted her gaze to the left, her eyes met those of a stunning woman.

It was Narcissa. Cassi smiled widely, a shiver running down her spine.

However, the young witch was quickly brought back to reality when Draco interrupted with a playful remark, pulling her out of her mesmerized state. She smiled, shaking her head to dispel the confusing thoughts that arose upon seeing Narcissa again.

She still didn't fully understand the intensity of these emotions and the inexplicable connection she felt with her friend's mother.

Before she could delve deeper into her thoughts, Pansy ran towards them. The friend embraced Cassi enthusiastically, brimming with joy and pride for her performance in the game.

The Dueling Club

The room where the Dueling Club would take place was filled with students, all eager and excited for the activity about to begin. The vibrant atmosphere was palpable, and the room was impressively decorated. A blue runway, with depictions of the phases of the moon along its length, extended through the center of the room, creating a focal point for the dueling contests.

The walls were adorned with torches that emitted a soft light, providing a cozy illumination to the room. Even with the presence of a beautiful stained glass window occupying one of the walls, the sunbeams piercing through the ceiling added a touch of mystery to the environment, casting dancing shadows that floated across the floor and walls.

The students took their seats around the runway, forming an enthusiastic audience, ready to watch the lesson. Murmurs of anticipation and lively conversations filled the air as everyone awaited the start of the magical skill demonstrations.

"Gather around," Lockhart shouted.
"Can everybody see me? Can you all hear me? Excellent!" With a haughty and confident posture, Lockhart displayed his vain smile, clearly relishing the attention and admiration from the students. His trousers, on the other hand, were ridiculously tight and overly snug, accentuating his legs in an exaggerated manner. The combination of the tight pants and his theatrical movements created a comedic effect that did not go unnoticed by the students.

"In light of the dark events of recent weeks, Professor Dumbledore has granted me permission to start this little dueling club, training all of you in case you ever need to defend yourselves, as I myself have done on countless occasions. For full details, see my published works." The professor dramatically removed his cloak and tossed it to a group of female students who eagerly tried to catch it.

Cassi rolled her eyes.

"Let me introduce my assistant, Professor Snape," Lockhart suddenly called out.

Snape did not appear the least bit enthusiastic about the situation.
"He has sportingly agreed to help me with a short demonstration." Not excited at all, Cassi thought. "Now, I don't want any of you youngsters to worry. You'll still have your Potions master when I'm through with him. Never fear," Lockhart confidently declared.

Both of them drew their wands, bowed as a sign of respect, and stepped a few meters apart.

"1, 2, 3," Lockhart counted.

"EXpelliarmus!" Snape quickly said, causing Lockhart to fly across the room.

Cassiopeia chuckled.

"Do you think he's alright?" Pansy asked, concerned.

"Who cares?" Cassi retorted.

"An excellent idea to demonstrate that, Professor Snape, but if you don't mind my saying, it was pretty obvious what you were about to do. If I had wanted to stop you, it would have been only too easy," Lockhart said, trying to disguise his embarrassment, which honestly didn't work.

"Perhaps it would be prudent to first teach the students how to block unfriendly spells, professor," Snape said monotonously, raising an eyebrow and further embarrassing Lockhart.

"Excellent suggestion, Professor Snape. Let's have a volunteer pair," Lockhart said.
"Potter, Weasley, how about you?"

"Weasley's wand causes devastation with the simplest spell, which sent Potter to the hospital wing in a matchbox," Snape taunted.

"May I suggest someone from my own house?" Lockhart asked.

"Malfoy? Perhaps?"

Draco flashed a smug smile in Cassiopeia's direction before stepping towards Harry Potter. The two faced each other, exchanging challenging glares.
"Wands at the ready," they both raised their wands firmly.

The atmosphere in the dueling room grew tense as all the students watched the imminent battle between the two rivals.
Draco, with his typical sarcasm, mocked Harry. "Scared, Potter?" he provoked.

"You wish," Harry growled.

Turning their backs to each other, they moved apart.

"On the count of three, cast your charms to disarm your opponents - only to disarm, we don't want any accidents here," Lockhart began to count.

"1, 2," Before the count reached its end, Draco firmly pointed his wand at Harry.

"Invertasvaty!" he shouted, causing Potter to be thrown through the air, flying across the dueling room.

Harry quickly recovered and retaliated, firmly pointing his wand. "Rictusempra!" he exclaimed, casting a spell that sent Draco flying away.

Snape raised him up and ordered him to continue the duel.
Lockhart, frustrated with the lack of control from the students, expressed his annoyance. "I said to disarm only!" the professor grumbled.

However, Draco, in a moment of arrogance, shouted, "Serpensortia!" and a snake emerged from the tip of his wand, quickly slithering across the dueling room table.

It was a Naja, and the poor creature was frightened, crawling around the room, causing a certain commotion among those present. Cassiopeia felt a pang of concern seeing the creature in distress.
"Don't move, Potter. I'll get rid of it for you," Snape requested.

"Oh no, he's going to hurt him!" Cassi panicked.

"Allow me, Professor Snape," Lockhart pointed at the serpent and shouted, "WOLATIOUSENDULY," which only injured the snake.

Cassiopeia had had enough. With a swift and determined movement, she climbed the dueling arena, ignoring the confused and surprised gazes that turned towards her.
Her heart raced as she positioned herself next to Draco. Pansy tried to hold Cassi's arm, wanting to stop her from advancing, but the young Slytherin's determination was unwavering. With a resolute look, she freed herself from Pansy's grasp and called out,

"SAYASAS!"

Instantly, the air seemed to grow more tense, as if everyone was holding their breath. The once restless and menacing snake abruptly stopped. Its eyes locked onto Cassiopeia's, recognizing an ancestral connection.

Harry, as if in a trance, continued to converse with the snake in a desperate attempt to calm it. But against all expectations, the reptilian creature ignored the boy's words and turned towards one of the Muggle-born wizards, ready to attack.

"Sayasas!" Harry repeated, and at this point, everyone was looking at him in shock.

Snape raised his wand, and Cassi shouted.

"No!! Don't hurt her," Cassiopeia pleaded.
Cassiopeia's heart raced as she witnessed the imminent threat. Her protective instincts kicked in. She called out again, silently begging the serpent to obey her command.

"Come to me," she whispered, using the ancestral language of snakes. And to everyone's surprise, the snake responded to the call, gliding smoothly across Cassi's arm and gracefully coiling around her neck.

Cassiopeia locked eyes with Snape, her gaze filled with a mixture of pleading and confidence. "She will pose no danger, Professor. Please allow me to take care of her," she implored, harnessing the irresistible strength of her eyes, capable of melting anyone's heart.

Silence dominated the room in a tense moment as Snape evaluated the situation. An indecipherable expression crossed his face before he finally nodded, giving Cassiopeia permission to take responsibility for the snake.

Relief flooded Cassi's heart as she received the professor's approval.

All eyes turned to Cassiopeia and Harry, filled with fear and curiosity. Justin, with wide eyes, questioned Harry apprehensively, "What are you playing at?"

While Cassi tried to calm the snake resting on her shoulders, some students cast disapproving glances in her direction. Fear and fascination mingled on the faces of the Slytherins, while the Gryffindors expressed their discontent with disdainful looks.

Later in the Slytherin common room, amidst a wave of excitement, Draco exclaimed, "You're a parselmouth!"

Pansy, confused, looked at Cassi as she carefully placed the new snake, Morgus, into an empty terrarium. "Of course she is! You've seen her talking to Seraphina," Pansy said, raising an eyebrow.

As the snake settled into its resting place in the terrarium, Draco scratched the back of his neck, somewhat embarrassed. "Actually, I guess I didn't pay much attention to that before."

Cassi chuckled softly, understanding Draco's enthusiasm. "Yes, it's a hereditary ability in my family," she explained. "It skipped two generations to reach me, and..." She hesitated for a moment, knowing that not everyone handled the information well.

"The Dark Lord," Draco finished, with a glimmer of excitement in his eyes.

Cassi let out a sigh filled with concern. She was fully aware of how the students already treated her differently for being a descendant of Salazar Slytherin, but now, with the revelation that she was also a Parselmouth, she knew she could face an even more intense reaction. Being a Parselmouth was a stigma in itself, associated with dark wizards, and with the opening of the Chamber of Secrets by a descendant of Salazar, things became even more complicated.

The weight of this revelation fell on Cassi's shoulders like an unwanted burden. By a cruel twist of fate, she was the only known descendant of Salazar Slytherin in the school, which only amplified the magnitude of expectations and suspicions cast upon her. It was as if all the historical burden and fears associated with her ancestral lineage were now placed directly on her shoulders.

The curious and distrustful gazes of the other students seemed to pierce her skin, fueled by the stories and rumors spreading about her lineage and her newfound revelation. But what hurt her the most was the distrust from the Gryffindor trio.

Cassi sat at the table with Minerva as the comforting aroma of tea filled the room. The older witch looked at her goddaughter with evident tenderness and concern in her eyes. She understood the anguish that Cassiopeia carried with her and was determined to offer her all the support possible.

As they exchanged words of consolation, Cassi felt an inner urge to do more than just lament the situation. She knew she could contribute in a meaningful way to help the petrified student. With a determined look, she proposed to Minerva the idea of assisting Professor Snape in preparing potions to reverse the petrification.

Minerva looked at Cassiopeia, surprised by her goddaughter's noble proposal. She knew the young witch possessed exceptional talent in potion-making, skills that had been passed down from her mother. Minerva felt a mixture of pride and admiration to see Cassi willing to use her knowledge to help others, even when facing so many challenges and attacks.

With an affectionate smile, Minerva agreed to Cassiopeia's proposal.

As Minerva and Cassi discussed the details of how the young witch could assist the professor with the potions, a shrill noise interrupted their planning. Argus Filch, the grumpy caretaker, burst through the door of the room, gasping for breath and with a look of terror on his wrinkled face.

"Professor Minerva! Something terrible has happened!" exclaimed Filch, trying to catch his breath. "Justin Finch-Fletchley has been attacked! And I caught Potter red-handed, I knew he was the culprit!"

Minerva and Cassi exchanged a look of bewilderment and fear. The situation was more serious than they had imagined. Without wasting any time, they hurriedly followed the caretaker through the dark corridors of Hogwarts, where suspense hung in the air.

Cassi's heart raced in her chest as she ran alongside Minerva. She couldn't help but let dark thoughts invade her mind. What could have caused the attack on Justin? And why was Harry present at the time?

When they arrived at the location indicated by Filch, the scene was horrifying. Harry, with a desperate look on his face, stood next to the Muggle-born Gryffindor boy who lay on the ground like a statue, motionless.

However, an even greater surprise awaited them. Nearly Headless Nick, the usually playful and ethereal ghost, was petrified, his transparent figure immobilized as if frozen in time.

A shiver ran down Cassiopeia's spine as the grim reality of the situation unfolded before her eyes. It wasn't just an isolated attack, but something much more sinister and dangerous was happening at Hogwarts.

"Professor, I swear I didn't," said Harry in panic, his eyes filled with anguish.

Minerva looked at the young wizard with a sorrowful expression. She understood Harry's distress, but she also