After a long silence, Wentworth finally heard Dumbledore speak with a hint of bitterness:
"That's right. Just like with Tom Riddle all those years ago. It is a mistake I have already made once before."
Hearing this, Wentworth found himself unsure of how to respond. Fortunately, Dumbledore continued:
"Consider this a personal favor, Wentworth. And you should know—a favor from the Headmaster of Hogwarts is a rare and valuable thing."
At this, Wentworth allowed himself a satisfied smile before responding nonchalantly:
"Headmaster Dumbledore, I don't think this is a mistake at all—rather, it's a good habit. You must keep it up. If one day I commit a crime so heinous that the average wizard would consider it unforgivable, you must maintain your excellent habit. Please don't suddenly decide that I, of all people, am where you must draw the line."
The moment the words left his mouth, even the well-traveled and wise Dumbledore was momentarily taken aback. Then, the two of them burst into laughter.
With Quirrell's affairs settled, Hogwarts entered its annual examination period. For many students, this was the most grueling week of the year. But for Wentworth and his companions, it was little more than a formality.
Except for History of Magic, which remained a formidable challenge for Wentworth, none of the other subjects posed any real difficulty for him. At times like these, he couldn't help but reflect on how invaluable talent truly was.
When the exam week ended, Hogwarts held its annual End-of-Year Feast. After this, the students would be free to return home for the summer.
At the feast, as per tradition, Headmaster Dumbledore announced the final standings for the House Cup. Due to yet another shift in the timeline, Harry, Ron, and Hermione had been unable to secure a last-minute points boost for Gryffindor, as they had in the original timeline. However, the points they had lost remained unchanged. As a result, Gryffindor ended up in last place—unsurprisingly.
Meanwhile, Hufflepuff secured another unchallenged victory, claiming the House Cup for the year.
In fact, Kirk discreetly informed Wentworth and Cedric that, thanks to his leadership as Hufflepuff Prefect for two consecutive House Cup victories, Professor Sprout had privately told him that he would be appointed President of the Hogwarts Student Council next term.
Upon hearing this, Wentworth and Cedric immediately offered their congratulations. But as Wentworth watched Kirk effortlessly navigate the student crowd, a different thought formed in his mind.
With the End-of-Year Feast concluded, the following day, Wentworth and the others boarded the Hogwarts Express bound for London.
As soon as the train arrived, Wentworth, carrying his suitcase, stepped onto the platform and saw Auston Greengrass striding toward him, with Rosier following closely behind.
Without hesitation, Wentworth casually handed his suitcase to Auston, the current patriarch of one of the Sacred Twenty-Eight families in Britain, before warmly embracing Rosier.
After all, it had been quite some time since they had last seen each other. Even during the Christmas holidays, Wentworth had not returned to London. Though Rosier had led members of the Alliance in a "cleanup operation" in Hogsmeade, the two had missed the opportunity to meet.
After the usual pleasantries, Wentworth glanced around but failed to spot Abernathy. In the past two school terms, Abernathy had always been present for both Wentworth's departures and arrivals.
Noticing this, Wentworth teased, "Grandma Rosier, where is Grandpa Abernathy? Don't tell me he's off preparing some kind of grand welcome surprise for me?"
Wentworth even chuckled at his own joke.
However, as he laughed, he gradually noticed something odd—while Rosier was smiling along with him, there was a trace of awkwardness in her expression.
Sensing this, Wentworth stopped laughing and turned to Auston Greengrass. The face of the Sacred Twenty-Eight patriarch was unreadable—grave, even.
It was then that Wentworth realized that several figures were subtly positioning themselves around him, as if forming a protective perimeter.
A sinking feeling settled in his chest. Frowning, he asked, "Grandma Rosier, what happened to Grandpa Abernathy? Are you hiding something from me?"
Before Rosier could respond, Auston Greengrass seemed ready to speak, but Rosier held up a hand to stop him. After glancing around cautiously, she said, "Wentworth, this isn't the place to discuss such matters. We will explain everything once we return. We never intended to keep this from you—in fact, you are the only one who can decide what happens next."
Hearing this, Wentworth knew that something serious had occurred. Without protest, he followed Rosier's lead.
To his surprise, however, Rosier did not take him back to his family estate in London. Instead, they traveled directly to the Greengrass Manor in the outskirts of the city.
Upon arrival, Wentworth immediately noticed that security around the estate had been significantly increased, nearly matching the level of protection present during last year's Alliance gathering.
His curiosity deepened. What had happened to make Rosier take such extreme precautions?
Though puzzled, Wentworth kept his composure and followed Rosier into the grand hall of the manor.
Before even stepping inside, he could hear shouting and heated arguments echoing from within. Based on the voices, Wentworth could tell that a sizable crowd had gathered—and the one shouting most vehemently was none other than Carrow.
Carrow's furious voice rang through the ornately carved wooden doors:
"What is the point of all this endless discussion? What are we? We are wizards! The wands in our hands are not just glorified fire pokers! If they refuse to agree, then so be it! We'll just wage another war against the Ministry of Magic!"
"Since when does the Alliance concern itself with evidence? Since when do we seek to persuade others with reason? Or is it that you lot are afraid? If you're afraid, then I will—"
Before Carrow could finish, the doors swung open as Rosier stepped inside.
She shot him a sharp glare and snapped, "You will what? Do tell me, what exactly do you plan to do? Since when did the Alliance answer to you?!"
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