Hogwarts: Third Dark Lord

Lupin appeared unfazed by Dumbledore's sudden appearance, as if he had been expecting the headmaster all along.

"What do you think of him?"

Skipping pleasantries, Dumbledore went straight to the point with his question.

Lupin smiled faintly, his tone teasing as he replied, "Headmaster Dumbledore, if nothing else, I can say he's far more generous than you."

As he spoke, Lupin raised a bundle of Galleons in his hand, subtly indicating his point.

Dumbledore chuckled, his expression unperturbed. "I don't have the luxury of Grindelwald's wealth or the extensive resources of the Grindelwald family. Most of my funds come from the Hogwarts Board of Governors."

Lupin simply smiled at Dumbledore's response, but his attention soon shifted to the potion Dumbledore retrieved from his robes.

"Here, as promised," Dumbledore said, handing the potion to Lupin. A fleeting glimmer of sympathy passed through his gaze.

Without hesitation, Lupin took the potion, pausing for a moment before softly saying, "Thank you."

"There's no need to thank me," Dumbledore responded lightly. "This potion was brewed by my Potions Master. You should be quite familiar with them."

At this, Lupin sighed deeply, his voice tinged with emotion. "Of course. We're very familiar."

While Dumbledore and Lupin discussed recent events, Wentworth and Cedric had already returned to the Hufflepuff common room. After bidding Cedric goodnight, Wentworth retreated to his dormitory.

Upon entering, he found the room empty and immediately pulled out his quill and parchment. Despite the lively discussions he and Cedric had shared about the day's lessons, Wentworth's mind was preoccupied with a pressing concern: Were the deaths of the wizard hunters orchestrated by Rosier, Abernathy, and the others?

It wasn't that Wentworth disagreed with their actions—those hunters were hardly innocent—but he feared for Rosier and the others. The wizard hunters were formidable opponents, and Wentworth couldn't bear the thought of them risking their lives for his sake.

Just as he began to write, Wentworth noticed an envelope on his desk, weighted down by a note.

The note, written by Kirk, explained that a letter had arrived for Wentworth that morning via owl. Knowing that Wentworth and Cedric were training with Lupin all day, Kirk had set it aside for him.

Relieved to see Kirk's explanation, Wentworth opened the letter to find a message from Abernathy. In it, Abernathy recounted everything that had transpired, leaving no details hidden. At the end of the letter, he shared his cautious judgment and urged Wentworth to remain vigilant.

Wentworth slapped his forehead in frustration. "Wizard hunters," he muttered, "fine, you dealt with them. But why provoke the Ministry of Magic?"

His exasperation shifted to reflection as he recalled the night he first arrived in this world and Rosier's and Abernathy's unwavering loyalty. Their recent actions, he realized, were unsurprising given their past behavior.

After carefully rereading Abernathy's letter, Wentworth noticed something overlooked: one of the wizard hunters might have escaped.

Grabbing his quill, Wentworth quickly wrote a reply, warning Abernathy and Rosier of the potential danger and urging them to prioritize their safety. With the letter complete, Wentworth headed to the owlery to send it.

As he approached the owlery, Wentworth unexpectedly encountered a familiar figure descending the staircase.

"Cassandra? It's been a while. What brings you here?"

The once-proud young lady seemed dazed, her usual confidence replaced by an air of fragility. Wentworth, aware of her family troubles, found her state understandable.

Cassandra looked up at him, startled. A fleeting hint of panic crossed her face as she instinctively hid the object in her hand behind her back.

"Oh, I was just sending a letter home," Cassandra explained hastily.

Something in her tone struck Wentworth as odd.

"Hey, Cassandra, what's with that tone? You don't usually talk to me like this."

Cassandra straightened up, her familiar haughty demeanor returning. "What I do is none of your business! Move aside—I'm heading back to my dormitory!"

Wentworth exhaled a breath of relief. "There she is," he muttered with a smile.

As they passed each other, Wentworth caught a glimpse of the object Cassandra was hiding. It was an unopened letter, but it bore no sender's name.

A flicker of doubt crossed his mind. Cassandra had said she was sending a letter, so where had this one come from?

Setting his curiosity aside, Wentworth proceeded to the owlery to send his letter. Meanwhile, Cassandra returned to her dormitory. Ensuring she was alone, she quickly opened the mysterious letter and read its contents.

After finishing, she sighed in apparent relief, then drew her wand and pointed it at the letter.

"Reducio!"

The letter disintegrated into countless fragments.

That night, Abernathy read Wentworth's letter and slapped his forehead in frustration.

"What's wrong, Abernathy?" someone nearby asked.

"We made a mistake," Abernathy admitted, a trace of regret in his voice.

The others stopped their work, gathering around him. Holding Wentworth's letter, Abernathy explained, "The young master reminded me of something we overlooked—one of the wizard hunters escaped."

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