As Dumbledore stood in silent contemplation, the goblin before him continued speaking:
"Although the item in question has already been taken and nothing was lost, the fact remains that Vault 714 was breached. As Gringotts is responsible for its security, we are willing to offer compensation should you require it."
Hearing this, Wentworth couldn't help but purse his lips slightly, thinking to himself:
"What a half-hearted apology."
Dumbledore, however, responded calmly:
"We can discuss compensation later. For now, Elder, we would like to inspect the vault."
"Of course. That is your right. Knocker, escort Professor Dumbledore and this young gentleman to the underground vaults."
The elderly goblin, leaning on his cane, instructed the younger goblin assisting him. Before they departed, he added to Dumbledore:
"If you require anything further, you may ask Knocker. Should he be unable to assist, you are welcome to come directly to me."
With that, Dumbledore and Wentworth followed Knocker out of the chamber.
As they walked, Wentworth glanced back at the elder goblin standing in place, then softly asked Dumbledore:
"Professor Dumbledore, that goblin…"
Before he could finish his sentence, Dumbledore subtly raised a finger to his lips, signaling him to remain silent.
At that moment, Wentworth was startled to see words materializing in mid-air before him:
Keep all questions to yourself.
Seeing Dumbledore's silent message appear out of nowhere, Wentworth felt an inexplicable sense of mystery surrounding the grand, gilded halls of Gringotts.
Before long, under Knocker's guidance, they arrived at Vault 714. It hadn't been long since Wentworth had last stood before this very vault—the last time, Hagrid had taken the Philosopher's Stone from within.
Dumbledore carefully examined the vault, saying nothing. Instead, he turned to Knocker and said:
"If you don't mind, we'd also like to visit Vault 714."
Knocker looked visibly puzzled. Seeing his expression, Dumbledore gestured toward Wentworth and explained:
"This young man is a descendant of the vault's owner. I'm merely accompanying him to retrieve something."
Knocker's eyes lit with understanding, and he immediately adopted a respectful tone:
"It would be my pleasure to assist you both."
Upon reaching Vault 714, Wentworth stepped forward and pressed a drop of his own blood to the vault door. The ancient mechanism responded, unlocking with a heavy, echoing click.
As the door creaked open, Wentworth's gaze instinctively darted toward the spot where he had left a note on his last visit. The moment he saw it, his heart clenched—someone had moved it.
His breath caught as he turned to Dumbledore, who, upon noticing his reaction, swiftly drew his wand. This sudden movement caused Knocker to exclaim in surprise:
"Sir, what are you—?"
Dumbledore, ever composed, responded politely:
"Oh, nothing of great concern. It's just that this vault holds a few secrets, and I'm afraid it's not for others to see."
As he spoke, he gently nudged Wentworth forward before stepping into the vault himself. With a wave of his hand, a cascade of shimmering light—like a waterfall of magic—descended from the ceiling, sealing the entrance and leaving Knocker standing outside.
Only after ensuring they were alone did both Dumbledore and Wentworth turn their attention to the note.
Wentworth took a step forward to retrieve it, but before he could touch it, Dumbledore seized his wrist.
Raising his wand with meticulous caution, Dumbledore muttered:
"Aparecium."
"Finite Incantatem."
Two spells in quick succession—and yet, the note remained unchanged. Only then did Dumbledore release Wentworth's arm, nodding to indicate it was safe.
Observing Dumbledore's careful approach, Wentworth felt a cold sweat break out. It was in that moment he fully grasped why Dumbledore had lived so long—his vigilance was unparalleled.
Recalling his own carelessness the last time he had opened the note without a second thought, Wentworth shuddered. Had there been a curse placed upon it, not even the most powerful wizards standing behind him would have been able to save him in time.
Chastising himself for his recklessness, he unfolded the note. Below the message he had originally written, a new set of letters had been scrawled—together, they formed a phrase he had long overlooked:
Prophecy Skull.
Wentworth's eyes widened in shock, and he murmured to himself:
"We were wrong… We were wrong from the very beginning."
As the realization struck, memories long buried surged back to the surface.
He recalled the night he first arrived in this world—the night unknown wizards had broken into his home, torturing his past self with the Cruciatus Curse. That attack had paved the way for Su Xinghe's soul to cross over and take possession of this body.
Back then, those wizards had been relentlessly demanding one thing—
The Prophecy Skull.
In the time since, Rosier and the others had never ceased their search for those responsible. But as the months passed, and assassination attempts were made on Wentworth's life at Hogwarts, he and everyone else had assumed that all these attacks were orchestrated by the same group.
Now, with this note before him, Wentworth finally realized the truth—
The wizards who had broken into his home that night… and the ones who later targeted him at Hogwarts… were not the same people at all.
A chill ran down his spine as the revelation settled in, soon replaced by a wave of mounting anger.
"What do they take me for? Some kind of prize? A piece of meat for anyone to sink their teeth into?!"
At that moment, Dumbledore's voice broke through his storm of thoughts:
"Wentworth, what are you thinking?"
Snapped back to reality, Wentworth turned to face Dumbledore. The warmth in the old wizard's eyes helped dispel some of the icy dread curling around his heart. Taking a deep breath, he reassured himself—at least, for now, he was safe.
Without hesitation, he handed the note to Dumbledore but chose not to reveal everything he had realized. Instead, he posed a simple question:
"Professor Dumbledore… what is the Prophecy Skull? I've never heard of it before. And there's nothing in this vault that looks remotely like a skull."
Dumbledore was silent for a long moment, lost in thought. Then, in a voice heavy with remembrance, he finally replied:
"The Prophecy Skull… was an artifact belonging to your grandfather. A most curious object—one with the power to reveal glimpses of the future."
He paused before adding in a quiet, almost wistful tone:
"I have my Pensieve, which allows me to peer into the past. Your grandfather had the Prophecy Skull—to see into the future."
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