As the Aurors of the Ministry of Magic busied themselves with escorting the fallen Dark wizards back to the Ministry, Wentworth followed in Dumbledore's footsteps, returning to Hogwarts.
On the way, Professor McGonagall and Professor Snape bid farewell to Dumbledore and departed, leaving Wentworth to accompany the Headmaster back to his office.
"Are you disappointed, Wentworth?" Dumbledore suddenly asked, catching Wentworth off guard.
Wentworth was momentarily stunned but then slowly shook his head and replied, "Not at all, Headmaster Dumbledore. I've seen firsthand how cunning they are. I never expected to defeat them in one fell swoop. But as long as they keep their eyes on me, I will always have the opportunity to bring them down!"
There was something Wentworth chose to keep to himself:
Even a bird in flight leaves a trace—how much more so does a wizard?
Dumbledore seemed satisfied with his response, smiling as he gestured for Wentworth to sit before speaking again.
"Wentworth, have you considered that if you hadn't drawn the Alliance and us to Hogsmeade today, you might have uncovered all the secrets by now?"
Without hesitation, Wentworth rejected the notion outright. "That would have been far too dangerous. Even if I could do it over again, I wouldn't make a different choice."
Dumbledore chuckled helplessly. "In that regard, you are nothing like your grandfather."
Curious, Wentworth immediately asked, "Headmaster, from the way you speak, it sounds like you knew my grandfather well. What kind of man was he?"
Dumbledore gazed at Wentworth for a long moment before finally saying, "Well, it's getting late. You should go rest."
Then, as if suddenly recalling something, Dumbledore added, "Oh, and although I did not intervene today, you must still keep your promise to me."
Wentworth grimaced. "Headmaster, that's not fair!"
But Dumbledore only smirked playfully. "I ensured your safety today. That your opponent didn't appear is not my concern. Don't you agree, Wentworth?"
Seeing no way out, Wentworth could only force a smile and nod. However, the moment he stepped out of the Headmaster's office, his expression shifted from a helpless grin to one of deep thought as he made his way toward the Hufflepuff common room.
To his surprise, Cassandra was waiting at the entrance.
It was clear she had been there for some time.
As Wentworth approached, Cassandra immediately stepped forward. At the same time, her mind replayed the events from half an hour earlier.
While resting in her dormitory, Cassandra had suddenly felt warmth emanating from within her robes. She quickly pulled out her Stars Card—Queen of Hearts and saw a message inscribed on the back, left by Draco.
Jack of Clubs: News from the Ministry—A group of mysterious wizards attacked Hogsmeade today. The Aurors have all been dispatched. Do any of you know what's going on?
The message sent a jolt through Cassandra. Remembering Wentworth's instructions, she couldn't help but worry for him. Without hesitation, she rushed to the Hufflepuff common room to check on his safety.
As expected, Wentworth was not in his dormitory.
With no other choice, Cassandra waited outside the common room, silently praying for his safety.
Just as she was contemplating sneaking off to Hogsmeade, Wentworth finally returned.
"Cassandra, what are you doing here?" Wentworth asked, surprised to see her waiting for him.
Cassandra gave him a once-over before exhaling in relief. "Are you alright?"
Wentworth was momentarily stunned by her concern before breaking into a gentle smile. "What's the matter, Cassandra? What could possibly happen to me?"
Gritting her teeth, Cassandra demanded, "What happened in Hogsmeade? Was it the Alliance?"
Her sharp intuition took Wentworth by surprise. "The news spread that fast? How did you know?"
Instead of answering, Cassandra simply stared into his eyes. Under her unwavering gaze, Wentworth awkwardly chuckled before conceding, "Alright, yes—it was them. The reason is simple: someone in Hogsmeade wanted to harm me. My plan was to use myself as bait to lure them out. Unfortunately, they didn't take the bait. So, I had to let the Alliance comb through every individual in the village."
Cassandra frowned. "Are you an idiot? Using yourself as bait? What if something had gone wrong? Why didn't you just use Polyjuice Potion to have someone else impersonate you? Did you really need to take the risk yourself?"
Wentworth froze, his mind roaring in frustration.
Damn it! That's right! Why didn't I think of that? This is the wizarding world—there are plenty of ways to make someone look like me!
Though he inwardly berated himself, he maintained his composure and righteously declared, "They were after me. How could I let someone else take that risk on my behalf?"
Cassandra scrutinized him before remarking, "You just didn't think of it, did you?"
"...That's absurd!" Wentworth protested. "I just believed this was the best opportunity to catch them! If we used Polyjuice Potion and they saw through the disguise, they would have simply escaped."
Cassandra rolled her eyes. "And did they show up?"
"...No…"
She sighed in exasperation. "Alright, I get the picture. I'll speak to my father again, see if any fireplaces in Hogsmeade have been illegally connected to the Floo Network or if any suspicious individuals have traveled through it recently."
Before Wentworth could express his gratitude, Cassandra turned on her heel to leave. But after a few steps, she stopped, looked back, and said, "Next time, if you have another plan like this—consult me first."
Without waiting for his reply, she disappeared into the corridor.
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