Hearing Dumbledore's response, Wentworth couldn't shake the feeling that Dumbledore and his grandfather were destined adversaries, bound by fate. Yet, there was something more—an unspoken, elusive undertone lingering beneath the surface.
However, there was no time to dwell on these thoughts. Wentworth knew that the most pressing matter was to relay this information to Rosier and the others as quickly as possible.
Glancing at the slip of parchment in Dumbledore's hand, Wentworth hesitated before asking:
"Headmaster Dumbledore, can you use the message on the note to find this person?"
Dumbledore let out a wry chuckle and returned the parchment to Wentworth, shaking his head as he replied:
"Wentworth, I am a wizard, not a god. I'm afraid I cannot."
Looking once more at the note in his hand, Wentworth sighed, then reached into his robes and retrieved a quill. He wrote:
I, Wentworth Grindelwald, heir to the Grindelwald family and leader of the Pureblood Party, welcome you to our cause in pursuit of a greater purpose.
If you are willing, I hope to meet with you. You may write to me—I will be at Hogwarts, awaiting your reply.
Having finished writing, Wentworth placed the parchment back where he had found it before turning to Dumbledore and saying:
"Headmaster Dumbledore, we can leave now."
Wentworth had made no attempt to conceal his writing from Dumbledore. After all, he knew that his identity was no secret to the venerable headmaster.
Dumbledore, for his part, merely observed in silence as Wentworth penned his message, offering no comment. A mutual understanding passed between them, a quiet truce of sorts.
Yet, as Wentworth made to leave, Dumbledore suddenly spoke:
"Wentworth, I suggest you take more Galleons with you. In the future, if I am not with you, it would be unwise for you to visit Gringotts alone."
Wentworth was taken aback by Dumbledore's words, but he heeded the advice nonetheless. After stowing a generous amount of Galleons into his magically expanded pocket, he and Dumbledore left Vault 714 together.
Outside the vault, the goblin Knocker was still waiting for them.
Under Knocker's guidance, Wentworth and Dumbledore made their way out of Gringotts' underground tunnels. They declined Knocker's offer to share a meal and departed without delay.
Upon returning to Hogwarts, Wentworth wasted no time in writing letters. He meticulously detailed everything that had transpired that day, including Dumbledore's words, and sent warnings to Rosier and other wizards aware of his identity, instructing them to remain hidden behind figures like Kirk and the others.
Meanwhile, Cassandra was also busy writing a letter to her father. Without any formal pleasantries, she got straight to the point:
Father, I need you to investigate these young wizards, particularly their family backgrounds: Draco Malfoy, Ron Weasley, Neville Longbottom…
Before long, news of the Gringotts heist spread across the entire wizarding world. Newspapers rushed to cover the incident.
Yet, amidst the reports, another story caught the attention of keen-eyed observers.
The earliest coverage came from The Daily Prophet. In one of the published photographs, Dumbledore could be seen leading Wentworth into Gringotts under the escort of goblins, while a group of Aurors was left standing outside the bank's entrance.
The Prophet raised questions about Dumbledore's frequent appearances in public with Wentworth, suggesting that the headmaster of Hogwarts was dedicating an inordinate amount of time to a single student. Was this fair to the rest of the Hogwarts students?
However, The Quibbler quickly countered with a rebuttal: As headmaster, Dumbledore has far better judgment on how to educate students than those who merely write about it in newspapers!
Dumbledore's actions, the article argued, only proved one thing—Wentworth had surpassed the capabilities of other Hogwarts professors, necessitating Dumbledore's personal guidance.
For the wizarding world, this was a good thing. Dumbledore was aging, and the magical community needed a leader who could continue to stand against dark wizards when he was gone.
Thus, for the second consecutive year, The Daily Prophet and The Quibbler found themselves locked in a heated debate across their respective publications.
Unbeknownst to the public, however, both articles had been penned by none other than Rita Skeeter.
As the rivalry between the two newspapers intensified, drawing more and more attention from wizards across Britain, both The Daily Prophet and The Quibbler saw a surge in sales.
And Wentworth's name was once again on the lips of many, his reputation growing ever larger.
Rufus Scrimgeour furrowed his brow as he stared at Wentworth's image in the newspaper, lost in thought.
Behind him, a whiteboard bore a series of notes:
Dumbledore and Wentworth ambushed—Pureblood Party neutralizes assailants.
Pureblood Party attacks the Ministry—Cedric appears unexpectedly (Hufflepuff, same House as Wentworth).
Meanwhile, in another office within the Ministry, Thomas Vole smirked as he scanned the headlines. Setting the newspaper aside, he continued sifting through a stack of documents.
The topmost file bore a stark label: British Wizarding Families (Confidential).
Yet, for all the turmoil in the outside world, Wentworth remained largely unaffected. He had been in the papers before. After the events of the previous school term, most Hogwarts students were unfazed by his latest appearance in the headlines—except for the first-years.
Some of the new students were initially awestruck at seeing a classmate featured in The Daily Prophet, but they were swiftly educated by their peers: For Wentworth, this is just another day.
This was quickly followed by a thorough recounting of Wentworth's past exploits—his first-day speech that won over Hufflepuff, his culinary skills that had the entire House in his pocket by the second day, leading Hufflepuff to victory in a duel against Slytherin, competing in the Quidditch World Cup final as the youngest Seeker in Hogwarts history, and more.
It was only at this point that Harry Potter fully grasped just how remarkable the older student who had once saved him truly was.
However, while the Hogwarts students were distracted by the ongoing debate in the press, they failed to notice one crucial detail:
Their headmaster had been absent for several days.
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