Hearing Dumbledore's explanation, Cedric finally nodded in understanding, but then shook his head again. With a puzzled expression, he asked:
"Headmaster, why are you doing this? If you're worried that Wentworth's surname will bring trouble to Hogwarts, why did you let him into the school in the first place?"
Faced with Cedric's question, Dumbledore did not answer directly. Instead, he responded with another question:
"Cedric, what kind of person do you think Wentworth is?"
Cedric was silent for a moment before letting out a bitter smile and shaking his head. "I don't know, Headmaster. If you had asked me before today, I would have said Wentworth is an outstanding Hufflepuff—kind, honest, and sincere. But now, I'm not sure if all of that was just a facade."
Dumbledore blinked at Cedric's response and then said, "You see, Cedric, that's exactly why I'm doing this."
Seeing Cedric still looking confused, Dumbledore continued to explain:
"Cedric, you and Wentworth are very close friends, and yet even you have doubts about him now. What do you think that means for everyone else?"
Cedric suddenly realized the implication, but Dumbledore wasn't finished yet.
"As students of Hogwarts, my hope is that all of you will one day grow into remarkable witches and wizards, no matter the path you choose. But this growth should never rely solely on something as trivial as a surname."
Meanwhile, in Hogsmeade, Cassandra was asking her father the same question but received a different answer.
"Headmaster Dumbledore, why is he doing this?"
After a moment of contemplation, Thomas Vole spoke in a somber tone:
"Cassandra, you didn't live through that era, so you can't fully grasp what the name Grindelwald represents to the wizarding world. Dumbledore placed him by his side to keep a closer watch. After all, the Headmaster could never bring himself to harm an innocent young wizard."
"However, if the other Hogwarts students, or the families behind them, were to learn that the heir to the Grindelwald family was here, it's hard to guarantee that none of them would act on darker impulses."
After Thomas Vole finished, silence returned to the room. It was only after a long pause that Cassandra spoke bitterly:
"Father, they want me to lure Wentworth out of Hogwarts. If I bring him to them, they'll release you. What should I do?"
Thomas Vole sighed and then said, "I suspected as much the moment we arrived in Hogsmeade. Their plan is well-thought-out, but they've underestimated me! Your father is no fool. After all, I'm the Head of the Auror Office in the British Ministry of Magic."
"If Wentworth dies here, the next ones to fall will undoubtedly be us. They won't let us leave alive!"
Cassandra's face grew tense at his words. She nervously asked, "Father, then what should we do?"
Thomas Vole chuckled, though the dim light in the room masked the sharpness in his smile.
"Naturally, we'll agree to their demands!"
Seeing Cassandra's shocked expression, Thomas Vole explained further:
"Agree to bring Wentworth here. But before you arrive, ensure that everything happening here is reported to the British Ministry of Magic. With so many Dark Wizards gathered here, along with the young master of the Pureblood Party, the credit for taking them down would be more than enough to advance your father's career within the Ministry!"
Despite her father's confident eyes, Cassandra couldn't help but feel a pang of guilt and averted her gaze.
At dawn, Cedric lay in his dormitory bed, replaying everything that had happened that day. It all felt surreal, to the point where he wondered if it had merely been a dream.
But when he reached for his chest, his fingers brushed against the pendant of the Deathly Hallows, still resting quietly there.
Cedric had no idea when Ilona had returned the pendant to his pocket. He only discovered it upon returning to his dormitory to change his clothes. Despite Ilona borrowing it earlier, it had mysteriously reappeared.
As Cedric held the pendant, his thoughts swirled. After a moment, however, a smile crept onto his face.
"Wentworth, something this valuable, and you just handed it to me? You've really got guts."
Meanwhile, in the Slytherin common room, Cassandra was also lying awake in bed, unable to sleep. The words of a witch named Christine echoed in her mind as if on repeat.
"No matter what it takes, Cassandra, you must get Wentworth to appear in Hogsmeade!" Christine had said with a frosty expression.
"But Hogwarts students are only allowed in Hogsmeade if they're third-years or older," Cassandra had protested helplessly. "And they need signed permission from their parents!"
Christine had waved her hand impatiently. "If you can make it to Hogsmeade, then so can Wentworth."
"But I know about a secret passage from Hogwarts," Cassandra quickly explained. "How am I supposed to convince Wentworth to break school rules and take the secret passage with me to Hogsmeade?"
Christine paused, scrutinizing Cassandra from head to toe. A sly smile played on her lips as she slowly said, "Miss Cassandra, you're quite beautiful. I doubt any young wizard could resist the chance to spend a magical evening with you."
Cassandra's eyes widened in disbelief. "Are you asking me to seduce Wentworth? No! That's impossible! I would never do such a thing! I'd rather die!"
Christine remained unfazed. "He's just a boy of eleven or twelve. It's not as though he can actually do anything. Besides, you'd rather die? What if the one who dies isn't you?"
As she spoke, Christine glanced toward the room behind Cassandra, where her father was still bound to a chair.
Faced with Christine's blatant threat, Cassandra fell silent.
"Achoo!"
Wentworth sneezed again in his sleep and groggily opened his eyes. "What's going on tonight? Am I catching a cold? Forget it, I'll go grab some potion from the old bat later."
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