Hogwarts: Third Dark Lord

Wentworth stared blankly, prompting Cedric and Kirk to exchange a glance. Kirk then sat beside him, throwing an arm over Wentworth's shoulders and saying warmly:

"Don't worry, Wentworth. I don't think anyone at Hogwarts would believe what's written in that article!"

But Wentworth countered with a question:

"What about people outside Hogwarts? I don't want Headmaster Dumbledore to face criticism because of this. After all, regardless of everything, Headmaster Dumbledore accompanied me to activate that Portkey last night for my safety."

Cedric quickly chimed in from the side:

"Wentworth, the professors warned us last night—this incident must remain confidential to avoid causing panic among the students. Whatever you do, don't talk about what happened yesterday!"

Hearing Cedric's words, Wentworth nodded and said:

"Of course. I know what I should and shouldn't say. I think I can find another way to persuade Rita Skeeter to write a new article and correct the errors in that report!"

With that, Wentworth pulled out his quill and parchment and began writing a letter on the spot.

Curious, Cedric asked:

"Wentworth, what are you doing? Writing to Rita Skeeter? I'd advise against that. My father's mentioned this reporter before—she thrives on writing sensational articles and won't care about your explanations!"

Without looking up, Wentworth replied:

"I'm not planning to write directly to someone like her. I'm writing to my family, asking my elders to have a good talk with Rita Skeeter."

Meanwhile, in Hogsmeade, not far from Hogwarts, a veiled Rosier, disguised as Ilona, entered the Hog's Head pub.

Rosier frowned, surveying the dingy bar. Her gaze swept across the room and landed on a cloaked figure seated in a secluded corner.

She strode toward the corner table and sat down beside the figure.

"Abernathy, why did you choose such a rundown and filthy pub? I can hardly bear to stay here a moment longer!"

Indeed, the figure was Abernathy in disguise. He took out a goblet of his own, approached the bar to order a butterbeer, and returned to hand it to Rosier, saying:

"Secrecy, of course! In this bar, it's quite common for patrons to keep their faces covered, so our attire won't draw much attention."

Rosier sighed deeply, sipped her butterbeer, and then Abernathy eagerly asked:

"We received your letter last night. How's Wentworth?"

Rosier glanced around to ensure no one was paying attention before responding:

"Last night, Dumbledore and Wentworth activated that Portkey together. They returned late into the night. Aside from being a bit fatigued, Wentworth seems unharmed."

Hearing this, Abernathy let out a long breath and nodded slowly:

"Good, good. But have you found out who placed the Portkey in Wentworth's bed? And where did Wentworth and Dumbledore go last night? What happened?"

Rosier remained silent for a moment before slowly shaking her head.

"You—" Abernathy started to say something but stopped, clenching his teeth instead. Finally, he muttered:

"This matter cannot be taken lightly! Targeting Wentworth is tantamount to declaring war on the Pureblood Party! Have they grown so complacent that they think we can no longer wield our wands?"

As Abernathy ranted, he noticed Rosier's attention wasn't on him but on something behind him.

Curious, he turned to look. A patron behind him was holding up the latest issue of The Daily Prophet, and the headline featured a large photograph of Dumbledore and Wentworth.

Abernathy stood abruptly, marched over, and snatched the newspaper from the patron's hands. The startled patron slammed a hand on the table, but as his palm descended, it suddenly flipped upward, and a gleaming Galleon landed in his hand.

Delighted, the man pocketed the coin without a word and left the bar. Abernathy returned to his seat with the newspaper.

Rosier and Abernathy leaned in to scrutinize the article, penned by Rita Skeeter. Their focus diverged—Abernathy fixated on the photograph, while Rosier scrutinized the text.

Pointing to the image, Abernathy whispered to Rosier:

"Look at this photo. Behind Dumbledore and Winterworth, the forest is completely scorched. Clearly, Dumbledore fought someone. Although he won, the opponent wasn't ordinary. Otherwise, with Dumbledore's power, it wouldn't have caused such devastation."

Rosier, on the other hand, tapped the last paragraph of the article, fuming:

"While I appreciate this article's criticism of Dumbledore, she shouldn't have dragged Wentworth into it! Wentworth is destined to lead the Pureblood Party one day. I don't want anyone to associate him with Dumbledore in any way!"

The two debated for a long time, with Abernathy even suggesting infiltrating the British Ministry of Magic to interrogate a surviving wizard about the mastermind behind the incident. Rosier, however, dissuaded him:

"I'll find a way to get information from Wentworth myself. If necessary, I'll reveal my identity to him and demand to know what happened last night."

Finally, Rosier made the decision. She instructed Abernathy to inform their comrades to prepare—no one could provoke the Pureblood Party without consequences.

As the two exited the Hog's Head and prepared to part ways, a sudden owl descended from the sky, delivering a letter to them.

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