# Side Story — Cassandra 9
Cassandra was almost overcome with anger.
Malfoy was still fanning the flames beside her.
"Those two pretending to be Crabbe and Goyle just now were Harry Potter and Weasley. Honestly, they weren't fooling me for a second."
"They actually thought they could pass themselves off as Crabbe and Goyle. They have no idea that there's a special connection between us. We can sense each other!"
"You wouldn't understand. The moment I saw how they were moving, I immediately thought of Scarhead. I'd recognize that ugly mug even if he turned grey!"
Cassandra was a little stunned.
She almost wanted to ask him whether he had a thing for Harry Potter.
Huh?
No wonder Malfoy seemed so nice to the stupid guy. If he liked Harry Potter and treated Harry's brother well, then perhaps it made sense?
And Malfoy was always getting into trouble with Harry Potter, too.
Could it be? Surely not?
Did the heir of the Malfoy family really have that kind of proclivity?
"I don't!"
Malfoy ground out the words through clenched teeth.
"I pick fights with Scarhead because I can't stand him, and I'm nice to Little Potter because... Because... Hmph! What's it to you lot?"
That sounded even more suspicious.
If he had the guts, why didn't he explain why he was so inexplicably nice to the stupid guy?
Or perhaps he liked the stupid guy instead?
Cassandra regarded him warily.
"Hmph! I swear that if I have any unusual feelings for either of those brothers, I'll turn into a dog!"
After enduring everyone's teasing, Malfoy finally snapped and made the declaration through gritted teeth.
Then he turned to all the girls in the common room and said angrily, "Come on, you lot swear it too! Whoever likes Darren Potter will turn into a dog!"
"Hmph! How childish!"
"Exactly! Who would make such a ridiculous oath?"
"What makes you think Potter is someone we couldn't possibly like?"
"I should have invited Mr. Malfoy Senior to come and see this!"
The girls in the common room all walked away with exaggerated expressions of disdain.
Malfoy turned to Cassandra with a wounded look.
She merely shrugged.
"Come back and threaten me when you can beat me!"
Cassandra said haughtily.
Malfoy looked even more annoyed.
"Hmph! You're impossible! I was kind enough to tell you that Darren Potter was in trouble, and this is how you repay me... Still, this time wasn't a complete loss. I showed him the newspaper about Weasley's father being fined. The look on his face nearly made me die laughing!"
Really?
Cassandra hadn't paid attention to that.
She was still annoyed about something else.
Why had the stupid guy allowed someone else to use his identity to enter Slytherin?
And why had that know-it-all girl been able to open his dormitory door?
The more Cassandra thought about it, the angrier she became.
She marched over to Darren's dormitory and gave the door a hard push.
It opened.
How could that be?
She distinctly remembered the Head of House saying that only someone Darren approved of could enter.
Did that mean he approved of her?
Cassandra closed the stupid guy's dormitory door with a headache.
At this rate, the entire Slytherin House would probably be able to open his door.
And yet, the stupid guy had actually let someone else use his identity to enter Slytherin!
She decided to wait in the common room for him.
But then—
That afternoon, the stupid guy was taken to the Hospital Wing by that know-it-all girl.
Because he'd been drinking?
How could the stupid guy possibly drink alcohol?
Cassandra suddenly remembered the banquet, when the stupid guy had drunk the cup of liquid that the know-it-all girl had handed him.
Had that been alcohol?
That girl had gone too far!
No wonder she'd acted that way back then...
Cassandra had thought they were merely fooling around!
And all that time, they'd been putting the stupid guy through this just to see what would happen.
These people were unbelievable!
Hmph! She hoped the stupid guy would be more careful next time.
As for her, what else could she do?
She was just an ordinary female classmate. What could she possibly do to the famous Harry Potter and the two friends who were so close to the stupid guy?
Cassandra felt a bitter ache in her heart...