Upon hearing Dumbledore's words, Wentworth couldn't help but exclaim inwardly—he had come to the right place!
Although he had already sensed something suspicious about the letter he received, he had been unable to make up his mind. But after Dumbledore's explanation, everything suddenly became crystal clear.
At the same time, Wentworth couldn't help but admire Dumbledore. The man hadn't risen to his position simply due to his formidable magical prowess—if anything, even without magic, he would still be an extraordinarily intelligent Muggle with unparalleled wit.
Then, Wentworth pulled another letter from his pocket—the one he had received earlier—and handed it to Dumbledore, saying,
"Headmaster Dumbledore, please take a look at this. I received it some time ago."
Dumbledore's eyes fell upon the contents of the letter:
I've been discovered. Be careful!!!
His brows furrowed deeply, and he remained silent for a long while before finally speaking.
"Wentworth, it seems they have no intention of letting you go. What do you plan to do?"
Wentworth pondered for a long moment before suddenly asking,
"Headmaster Dumbledore, if I may be so bold… How many professors at Hogwarts are staying behind for Christmas rather than going home?"
Dumbledore looked at Wentworth with an amused expression and answered slowly,
"Enough."
That single word—enough—immediately put Wentworth's mind at ease. After all, this was Hogwarts!
Without hesitation, he put on a flattering smile and said,
"Well, Headmaster, I once heard a saying from the distant East: A thief may steal for a thousand days, but no one can guard against them for a thousand days!"
"So, I want to find out for myself—who exactly has been pursuing me so relentlessly!"
As he spoke, a cold glint flashed across Wentworth's eyes.
He was well aware that his current opponent was still an unknown entity, but they were certainly more cunning than Christine and her group.
Had it not been for someone within the enemy ranks—someone with a sense of justice (or perhaps, a traitor)—Wentworth might have continued believing that Christine was the mastermind behind everything. Little did he know, there was another faction that had been taking advantage of Christine's actions, using the chaos to manipulate both the Magical Congress of the United States and himself!
Thinking of this, Wentworth glanced at Dumbledore. Even though he possessed the advantage of foreknowledge as a time traveler, he understood that when it came to dealing with events not recorded in the original timeline, he could never handle them better than Dumbledore.
But then, when he noticed the amusement flickering in Dumbledore's eyes, his heart tightened. He knew that whatever he was thinking, Dumbledore had already seen through him.
So instead of hiding it, Wentworth simply said,
"Headmaster Dumbledore, I hope you and the professors can assist me!"
Dumbledore nodded slowly in response. Wentworth was overjoyed, about to express his gratitude with some well-placed flattery, when Dumbledore continued,
"But I propose… a trade."
Wentworth groaned internally—Again?!
Not long ago, he had said the very same thing to Snape. Now, the tables had turned, and he was on the receiving end.
Yet, his expression remained unchanged as he maintained his cheerful smile.
"Headmaster Dumbledore, you wound me! A 'trade' makes it sound so distant—whatever you need, just say the word! If there's trouble, I'll face it; and if there's none, I'll create some!"
Dumbledore's smile grew even brighter.
"Such enthusiasm pleases me," he said. "My request is simple—you only need to…"
Not long after, Wentworth exited the headmaster's office with a beaming smile, carefully closing the door behind him. But the moment he turned away, his smile vanished, and he muttered under his breath,
"That old fox!"
Little did he know, as he left, Dumbledore himself, seated at his desk, chuckled softly and murmured,
"That little fox."
Back in his dormitory, Wentworth sat deep in thought for a long time before finally picking up his quill.
The letters were addressed to Rosier and Abernathy.
Wentworth had never been one to place all his hopes in someone else's hands.
After finishing the letters, he hesitated for a moment before stepping out of his dormitory.
But barely a moment later, he returned, walked to his bedside, and picked up the scarf Cassandra had given him. Wrapping it around his neck, he stepped out once more.
Just as Cassandra emerged from the Slytherin common room, she caught sight of Wentworth adjusting the scarf around his neck.
A faint smile tugged at the corners of her lips. It vanished just as quickly, but a rare softness lingered on her face.
Wentworth grinned and greeted her, about to thank her for the scarf, when Cassandra interrupted,
"Alright, spare me the pleasantries. You wouldn't come looking for me unless you needed something. Spit it out—what do you want?"
Wentworth chuckled awkwardly.
"Now, now—can't I visit you just for the sake of it? Why don't we go and—"
Before he could finish, Cassandra turned as if to leave. Panicking, Wentworth reached out and grabbed her hand.
"Alright, alright! You got me—I do need your help."
Cassandra had been about to scoff, but the warmth of his hand made her freeze for a moment, her cheeks suddenly flushing.
Noticing this, Wentworth quickly let go and said,
"Cassandra, I need you to send a letter to your father."
Cassandra frowned in confusion.
"My father? What does he have to do with this?"
Wentworth explained,
"I need him to keep an eye on how many fireplaces in Hogsmeade are currently connected to the Floo Network."
"And if possible, it would be even better to find out who has been traveling to Hogsmeade via Floo."
Cassandra studied Wentworth for a moment before nodding.
"Alright. I'll talk to my father. Anything else?"
Wentworth shook his head.
Just as Cassandra turned to leave, Wentworth suddenly called out,
"Wait!"
She turned back, visibly annoyed.
Without a word, Wentworth stepped closer and carefully fastened a pendant around her neck.
"Merry Christmas, Cassandra."
-----------------------
Want to read ahead of schedule?
Join here for advance chapters: PATREON.COM / PRIMALDEMON