Hogwarts: Third Dark Lord

A few minutes earlier, Wentworth watched as the owl carrying his letter circled Hogwarts' skies for a while before screeching and flying off.

"That owl seems to be heading in the wrong direction, doesn't it? Could it be lost? I've always thought that relying on owls to deliver letters was a bit unreliable," he muttered to himself.

Despite his doubts, Wentworth had no better way to contact Rosier and Abernathy. All he could do was hope that the Hogwarts owl would successfully deliver his letter into their hands.

Unbeknownst to Wentworth, Rosier and Abernathy were currently not far away in Hogsmeade Village.

As the owl descended from the sky, Rosier and Abernathy exchanged a surprised glance. Rosier reached out and retrieved the letter it carried. Upon opening it, they realized it was from Wentworth. Their faces lit up with delight.

"Looks like Wentworth has already figured out what we're thinking. First thing this morning, he's sent us the answer we've been waiting for," Abernathy remarked with a grin.

Rosier, however, wore a look of calm confidence as she responded, "Of course. After all, he is destined to inherit the leadership of the Pureblood Party. Besides, I should've trusted him more. I almost forgot that Wentworth has inherited our master's gift of prophecy. He must have planned for this well in advance."

The two quickly began reading Wentworth's letter. When they saw his account of the ambush by a group of American wizard hunters at the Portkey site the previous night, their expressions turned grim.

"Those wretched vermin again!" Rosier growled. "We've had dealings with them before. Back then, they claimed to value their so-called freedom more than fighting for a greater cause. If it weren't for more pressing matters at the time, there might not even be any wizard hunters left today!"

Her voice grew darker as he continued, "And now, they dare to strike at the leader of the Pureblood Party? It's time to remind them that rats should know their place!"

When they read further and learned that Aurors from the British Ministry of Magic had arrived later to investigate and were now likely pursuing the wizard hunters, Abernathy voiced his concern.

"Damn it! What if those hunters are captured by the Aurors? They must fall by our hands! I won't let those Dementors in Azkaban take the credit for them!"

Rosier, however, smirked dismissively. "Don't worry. Those wizard hunters aren't so easily caught by Aurors. If they were, they wouldn't have survived this long."

She added with a steely tone, "Cats have their paths, and rats have theirs. Dark wizards have their own ways too. Abernathy, when you return, organize a team immediately. We must find those wretched hunters before the Ministry does!"

"What the Aurors can't find, we will. What the Aurors can't kill, we will. And we won't just kill them—we'll leave their bodies as a message to the world. This is the Pureblood Party!"

Abernathy nodded solemnly in agreement.

"Wait, there's another letter?" Rosier suddenly exclaimed, noticing an additional piece of parchment. It seemed Wentworth had added it after finishing his initial letter.

Opening it, Rosier and Abernathy found Wentworth's remarks about today's headline article in The Daily Prophet by Rita Skeeter. Wentworth revealed that Rita was an unregistered Animagus who could transform into a beetle.

Wentworth instructed them to use this secret to coerce Rita into writing a new article for The Daily Prophet to counteract the impact of today's story. Considering the undeniable evidence of Dumbledore and Wentworth's late-night presence in the forest—complete with photographic proof—Wentworth suggested that they could frame the narrative as entirely his decision, emphasizing that it was his insistence to venture into the forest.

Abernathy frowned in confusion. "Rosier, what's Wentworth's intention here? It almost seems like he's trying to exonerate Dumbledore. Wouldn't it be better if Dumbledore's reputation were tarnished?"

Rosier also furrowed her brow, deep in thought. Suddenly, she clapped her hands, startling Abernathy.

"Rosier, what is it? What's going on?" Abernathy asked.

Rosier's expression was a mix of excitement and frustration as she exclaimed, "I understand now! Wentworth is building his own reputation!"

"Building his reputation?" Abernathy echoed, still puzzled.

"Exactly! Didn't you see what he wrote? He wants Rita to write another article framing him as the one in control. It's clear—he's positioning himself as the leader, not Dumbledore. A first-year student who can command Dumbledore's actions or warrant his personal protection would undoubtedly be seen as a prodigy at Hogwarts!"

Rosier's eyes gleamed as she continued, "Wentworth is already crafting an image of strength and leadership for himself. With articles like these appearing periodically, by the time he graduates from Hogwarts, his name will echo across Europe!"

Hearing this, Abernathy finally understood, nodding in agreement.

Rosier sighed regretfully, "In our time, we let our enemies slander us in the press. We believed that sheer power could solve everything. But we failed to see that public opinion is a form of power too."

"If only we'd realized this earlier, perhaps our struggle wouldn't have been so arduous. Perhaps we could have found more allies who shared our vision."

Abernathy fell silent for a moment before placing a hand on Rosier's shoulder. "It doesn't matter. Now we have Wentworth."

"Yes, we have Wentworth now. He will make the Pureblood Party stronger than ever," Rosier affirmed.

-----------------------

Want to read ahead of schedule?

Join here for advance chapters: PATREON.COM / PRIMALDEMON