Hogwarts: Third Dark Lord

Hearing Lupin's words, Wentworth froze in place, his face a mask of shock. Even Cedric, who had been preoccupied with worrying about his father, stood with his mouth agape in astonishment.

Cedric turned to Wentworth, his expression growing increasingly peculiar.

"Why are you looking at me like that? Do you think I had something to do with this? If I were capable of such a thing, do you think I'd still be standing here today?"

Seeing the odd look Cedric was giving him, Wentworth quickly defended himself.

Cedric shook his head vigorously and replied, "Of course, I know it couldn't be you. But... could it have been your family? Come to think of it, you've never mentioned anything about them before."

Faced with Cedric's probing, Wentworth let out a long sigh and spoke with a deliberately somber tone:

"I don't have a family. I'm an orphan. My parents have been gone for years. I was raised by my family's house-elf, but even they passed away just before I came to Hogwarts."

Though Wentworth's words carried a tinge of sorrow, inwardly, he had already formed a bold theory—this might very well have been the work of his family!

Thinking back to that night with Rosier, Abernathy, and the others, Wentworth couldn't help but feel that their actions matched their character perfectly.

However, Cedric, upon hearing Wentworth's account, felt a pang of guilt. He quickly said, "I'm sorry, Wentworth. I didn't mean to bring up something so upsetting."

Wentworth waved it off with a dismissive gesture, signaling that it was no big deal.

Nearby, Lupin watched the exchange quietly, his thoughts unreadable.

After a quick lunch, the three of them resumed their afternoon spell practice.

As the sun began to dip below the horizon, Lupin clapped his hands, signaling the end of the session. "Alright, boys, that's enough for today! Get some good rest tonight. I'll see you back here tomorrow morning."

Wentworth and Cedric exchanged a glance before simultaneously expressing their gratitude to Lupin.

As Cedric packed away his wand and prepared to head back to Hogwarts through the secret passage, Wentworth walked over to Lupin and took out a stack of Galleons.

"Professor Lupin, thank you for today's lesson. Here is the tuition fee for Cedric and me."

Lupin looked at the gold coins in surprise, then extended his hand. However, instead of accepting the payment, he gently pushed Wentworth's hand away and smiled.

"That won't be necessary, Wentworth. Headmaster Dumbledore has already covered your tuition."

Wentworth blinked in surprise before asking curiously, "Professor Lupin, how much does Headmaster Dumbledore pay you weekly for these lessons?"

Lupin looked a bit embarrassed but shrugged before answering, "Actually, Dumbledore doesn't pay me in Galleons. He compensates me with a special potion."

Hearing this, Wentworth seemed to understand. He asked tentatively, "The Wolfsbane Potion?"

Lupin appeared momentarily startled by Wentworth's precise guess but nodded in acknowledgment.

"Yes, that's correct—the Wolfsbane Potion. To me, it's far more valuable than Galleons. With it, I can attempt to maintain a stable job. Of course, it would need to be a job that doesn't require me to work weekends, as I still intend to teach you both spells during that time."

Lupin's attempt to smile seemed tinged with bitterness to Wentworth.

But instead of backing down, Wentworth firmly took Lupin's hand, pressed the stack of Galleons into it, and spoke before Lupin could refuse again.

"Professor Lupin, Headmaster Dumbledore provides you with the Wolfsbane Potion not as tuition but as a means to ensure the safety of Hogwarts students. I cannot, in good conscience, rely on Dumbledore's generosity to pay for my lessons."

Lupin froze, his expression conflicted. As a trusted member of the Order of the Phoenix, Dumbledore had disclosed Wentworth's identity to him—the heir of the Grindelwald family. Lupin interpreted Wentworth's words through that lens, mistakenly believing that Wentworth meant he could not use money from the family's enemy.

Caught between past grievances and present obligations, Lupin hesitated.

Seeing his indecision, Wentworth pressed further, "Professor Lupin, I'm here to genuinely learn magic. I want to improve as quickly as possible. I believe you should focus all your time and energy on teaching us."

"For instance, you could prepare lessons in advance or plan our future curriculum. I don't want to see a repeat of this morning, where we spent so much time debating what to practice. My tuition fee is to ensure you dedicate your full attention to teaching us, not to worry about finding other work!"

Lupin paused for a moment before finally agreeing, smiling as he said, "Alright, Wentworth, I'll accept it. But I must warn you, your weekly tuition isn't cheap!"

Wentworth feigned surprise. "Professor, what are you talking about? This is today's tuition for Cedric and me!"

When Lupin opened his mouth to respond, Wentworth quickly interrupted, "And just so you know, Professor Lupin, I don't have a habit of paying tuition in advance. My policy is to settle accounts daily."

After a brief pause, Wentworth added, "Oh, and Professor Lupin, if Dumbledore continues to provide you with the Wolfsbane Potion, please accept it. I think I know who's brewing it, and I'll make sure they're fairly compensated."

Lupin opened his mouth again to protest, but before he could get a word out, Wentworth cut him off once more.

"That's not part of the tuition—it's for my own safety!"

After being interrupted twice, Lupin finally fell silent. After a moment, he simply said, "Thank you."

Satisfied, Wentworth smiled and left the Shrieking Shack with Cedric.

Moments after they departed, a figure appeared in the abandoned house—it was Albus Dumbledore.

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

Want to read ahead of schedule?

Join here for advance chapters: PATREON.COM / PRIMALDEMON