Upon hearing Wentworth utter Quirrell's name, Harry and the others were left gaping in astonishment, their faces filled with disbelief.
At that moment, Wentworth continued, adding with a casual tone,
"Oh, and one more thing—he was the one who let the troll into Hogwarts on Halloween!"
As soon as Wentworth finished speaking, a heavy silence fell over the group. It was as if they needed time to process the shocking revelation.
Outside the Hogwarts castle, the wind howled louder and louder in the eerie quiet.
After a long pause, Harry finally spoke in a hoarse voice,
"So, what you're saying is… Professor Quirrell, like Snape, is actually a Death Eater?"
Wentworth nodded and replied,
"I don't know if Professor Snape is truly a Death Eater, but Quirrell certainly is!"
At that moment, Hermione suddenly interjected,
"Wait a second. Are you saying that tonight… we're going to confront Quirrell, our Defense Against the Dark Arts professor?"
Wentworth glanced at Hermione, a meaningful look in his eyes, and said,
"Not just that. Perhaps, we might gain an unexpected reward too!"
But Hermione pressed on,
"Then why aren't we telling Professor Dumbledore? This should be something for the teachers to handle!"
Wentworth was about to answer, but this time, Harry spoke before he could,
"No. If what Wentworth says is true, then I want to take revenge for my parents myself!"
Hearing Harry's words, Hermione froze. Though her face was filled with worry, she struggled to find the right words to dissuade him.
In the end, it was Ron who stepped forward and said,
"Harry, I'm not trying to discourage you, and I'm not saying you shouldn't avenge your parents. But let's be honest—if Quirrell really is a Death Eater, you're in serious danger."
Wentworth gave Ron a surprised look—he hadn't expected Ron to speak so tactfully.
Harry clearly understood Ron's meaning as well. He fell silent for a moment before turning his gaze back to Wentworth and asking slowly,
"Wentworth, you brought me here. I assume you're willing to help me, right? What do I need to do?"
Wentworth locked eyes with Harry, their gazes intertwining. After a moment, Wentworth spoke in a measured tone,
"Of course, I can help you. But I have one condition—you must trust me! Unconditionally!"
Hearing this, Harry nodded firmly and said,
"Of course. Wentworth, you're the one who brought me to Hogwarts. In my heart, you, Professor Dumbledore, and Hagrid are the people I trust the most!"
Wentworth patted Harry on the shoulder, smiling slightly as he said,
"Remember your words."
...
Meanwhile, deep within the Forbidden Forest, a hooded figure moved slowly through the dense trees. Floating beside him was another figure.
A girl clad in an emerald-green robe, her golden curls tumbling down her shoulders, was suspended in the air as though bound by an invisible force.
If anyone could see her eyes, they would notice that beneath her green irises burned a mixture of anger, urgency, and guilt—but not a hint of fear.
The hooded figure reached a clearing and scanned the surroundings, seemingly satisfied with the location. He then gestured with his hand, and the girl gently descended to the ground. With a snap of his fingers, the invisible restraints binding her were released.
The girl was none other than Cassandra. The moment she was freed, she did not attempt to flee. Instead, she calmly stretched her limbs, loosening her joints.
Seeing this, the hooded figure chuckled and remarked,
"No wonder the heir of the Grindelwald family favors you—you truly are a clever one!"
Cassandra rolled her eyes and retorted, "Professor Quirrell, it's just the two of us here. What's the point of wearing that hood?"
The figure hesitated for a moment before lifting his hood, revealing Quirrell's smiling face.
Cassandra studied his insincere expression and immediately felt a wave of regret.
Earlier that afternoon, after Defense Against the Dark Arts class, Quirrell had unexpectedly asked her to stay behind.
He had claimed that, given her recent outstanding performance, he wished to teach her a new spell as a reward.
Cassandra, excited and eager, had waited for Quirrell to demonstrate the spell—only to be caught off guard when he uttered, "Silencio."
Instantly, she felt her mouth seal shut.
Realizing something was terribly wrong, she instinctively reached for her wand and prepared to run. But the moment she drew her wand, she understood—without the ability to speak, she could cast almost no effective spells.
Thus, stripped of her advantage and unable to use magic, Cassandra was effortlessly captured and brought here.
At first, she had puzzled over why Quirrell would do such a thing. But after hearing his earlier words, she suddenly understood—Wentworth was his true target.
Sure enough, Quirrell continued,
"Cassandra, I've left a note for Wentworth, telling him that you're in my hands. If he wants to save you, he'll have to bring Harry in exchange. What do you think—will he come?"
Hearing this, Cassandra furrowed her brows slightly and said,
"Professor Quirrell, if you hadn't just exposed Wentworth's identity, I might have thought your target was Harry Potter. But now that I know you're aware of Wentworth's true nature, it's obvious—Harry is just a decoy. Your real target is Wentworth… and the Alliance behind him."
Quirrell was momentarily stunned—he hadn't expected Cassandra to unravel his plan so quickly.
Just then, within the depths of the Forbidden Forest, where only the two of them stood, a third voice suddenly rang out.
A chilling laughter echoed through the trees, making Cassandra's breath hitch in alarm.
She scanned the surroundings but found no trace of the speaker. Unable to contain her unease, she called out,
"Who's there?!"
The laughter ceased for a moment. Then, a voice, dripping with arrogance, replied,
"Ah, my name… I have almost forgotten it myself. Some call me the Dark Lord. Others refer to me as the Dark One. But the name I prefer most… is Voldemort!"
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