Hogwarts: Dyroth Grindelwald

-----

-----

"A were—werewolf?!"

"That's insane!"

Cedric and Green both blurted it out almost in unison.

Their reaction wasn't surprising to Dumbledore. What did surprise him, though, was how Wentworth's eyes lit up. He didn't seem the least bit bothered by the werewolf detail.

Of course not—by now, Wentworth had already guessed who Dumbledore meant.

He nodded eagerly without hesitation, even sounding a little excited:

"Sure thing, Professor Dumbledore. I'm in!"

Cedric, clearly worried, tugged on Wentworth's sleeve and whispered:

"Wentworth, are you serious? That's a werewolf! Do you even realize how dangerous those things are?!"

Green chimed in too:

"Professor Dumbledore, are you really okay with this? Letting a werewolf teach dark arts defense? What's he gonna teach—how to defend against himself?"

Honestly, you couldn't blame Cedric and Green for freaking out. If there was ever a magical-world version of a social hierarchy, werewolves would be right at the very bottom.

Before Dumbledore could respond, Wentworth cut in:

"Relax, even if you don't trust the werewolf, you should at least trust Professor Dumbledore! I believe you wouldn't put me in harm's way, Professor. I'm okay with being taught by him!"

Dumbledore smiled gently at Wentworth's words, his voice warm and full of affection:

"You're right, Wentworth. Of course I wouldn't hurt you. After all... you are my student."

"In fact, that werewolf used to be my student, too. He graduated from Hogwarts and was an excellent wizard."

Hearing that, Cedric and Green looked stunned, though it was obvious they still had doubts.

After wrestling with his thoughts for a moment, Cedric finally said:

"Professor Dumbledore, if it's possible… I'd like to go with Wentworth. I want to be there every weekend for the lessons, too."

Cedric looked really conflicted as he said it. Wentworth knew exactly why—Cedric wasn't going because he was interested in the lessons. He was worried about Wentworth and wanted to keep an eye on him.

Dumbledore smiled, nodded, and replied:

"Of course you can. Actually, most of the time, you'll probably forget he's even a werewolf. Just make sure to avoid the full moon, and you'll be fine."

Green, looking a bit embarrassed, added:

"Sorry, Wentworth, Cedric… I have to study for the O.W.L.s, so I probably won't have time..."

Before he could finish, Wentworth pulled him into a hug and said cheerfully:

"No worries, Green! Honestly, I'm kinda glad you're not coming. You just wait—soon enough, I'll be strong enough to knock your teeth out!"

Green rolled his eyes and muttered:

"Keep dreaming."

Cedric also gave Green a hug and whispered in his ear:

"Don't worry. We'll be careful."

Watching the three boys hug, Dumbledore's smile grew even warmer. Then he said:

"Alright, Wentworth. I'll get in touch with him right away. But since he's not a Hogwarts professor or student anymore, he won't be allowed inside the castle."

"I'll arrange for him to stay in Hogsmeade, and every weekend, I'll take you two there for your lessons. His name is Lupin—Remus John Lupin."

Over the next few days, as Wentworth and Cedric waited for the weekend to come so they could head to Hogsmeade and begin their lessons with Lupin, chaos was brewing outside of Hogwarts.

The magical world beyond the castle walls was getting tense—some might even say on the verge of panic.

On the surface, it looked like the entire Auror force of the British Ministry of Magic had canceled their vacations. Led by their new department head, Rufus Scrimgeour, they scoured the country, searching for a group of illegal wizarding hunters who had snuck into Britain.

In no time, the whole magical community was buzzing with fear.

But despite the Aurors' elite training and power, they weren't exactly doing a great job finding their targets. After days of searching, they had little to show for it.

While hidden dark wizards around the country quietly mocked the Ministry's incompetence, a new group suddenly emerged—one so terrifying that it sent those same dark wizards fleeing in every direction.

In a rickety, old Muggle building that looked like nothing but abandoned wood from the outside, strange magical objects filled a long room that had clearly been enchanted with an Undetectable Extension Charm.

At the head of a long table sat Abernathy, calm and composed.

Lining both sides of the table were wizards of all ages. Some had snow-white hair, while others were still quite young, sitting stiffly with barely a breath between them.

Each wizard held a sheet of paper and was studying its contents intently, murmuring back and forth.

An elderly wizard looked at a young man seated beside him and smiled:

"What's your name? Which family are you from?"

The young man turned quickly and answered respectfully:

"My name is Austin Greengrass, from the pure-blood Greengrass family."

The old wizard nodded slowly and said:

"Ah, I know of your family. It's rare—one of the Sacred Twenty-Eight that hasn't forgotten its old vows or joined Voldemort's side."

Austin smiled and said:

"Back when Voldemort's followers came to recruit my father, I'll never forget that night—so many dark wizards stormed into our home demanding we serve him."

"My father turned them down, firmly and without fear. I was terrified. I thought they were going to kill us right then and there—but then, my father pulled this out."

As he spoke, Austin reached into his robe and pulled out a pendant—a triangle enclosing a circle with a vertical line through it: the symbol of the Deathly Hallows.

Looking down at the pendant with reverence, Austin continued:

"I could tell they were torn. They wanted to attack but seemed afraid of something. In the end, the leader of that group of Death Eaters just left us with one sentence: 'One day, you'll regret this. When we return, you'll see you've lost your only chance to survive.' Then they left."

"That was the night I found out… we pledged our loyalty to the great Gellert Grindelwald. We're part of the Wuzui Party. So when I heard the party was gathering again, I came immediately.

The Greengrass family has never forgotten our ancestors' vow—to fight for a greater cause!"

"....."