As Abernathy finished speaking, he turned to leave, but Wentworth stopped him.
"Grandpa Abernathy, please be careful. Thomas Vole was once the Head of the Auror Office at the British Ministry of Magic—his manor surely won't be easy to infiltrate."
Wentworth spoke with evident concern.
Rosier, standing nearby, chuckled reassuringly.
"Don't worry, you're underestimating Abernathy! He's a professional when it comes to these things! Back in the day, under the watchful eyes of countless Aurors at the Magical Congress of the United States, he and our master pulled off a flawless sleight of hand!"
Abernathy also smiled nonchalantly and said, "Relax, it's only the Head of the Auror Office. If I wanted to, I could have been President of MACUSA by now."
Though he spoke with confidence, at Wentworth's insistence, Abernathy agreed to bring along a few more Pureblood Party wizards as backup.
After Abernathy's departure, the Pureblood Party's Christmas banquet continued late into the night. Gradually, the guests departed in groups.
Of course, some wizards who had traveled long distances chose to stay overnight at the Greengrass Manor.
Given that Abernathy had yet to return, and following Rosier's suggestion, Wentworth also decided to stay the night at the Greengrass estate.
Unable to sleep due to his concern for Abernathy, Wentworth sat up reading a notebook filled with various spell theories—one that had somehow ended up at his bedside earlier that day.
Suddenly, a knock on the door startled him. Thinking it might be Abernathy, he quickly got up to answer. However, when he opened the door, he found a young girl in a Lolita-style dress standing there, holding a tray.
"It's quite late, Astoria. What brings you here?"
Indeed, the visitor was none other than Astoria Greengrass, the youngest member of the Greengrass family.
Astoria, looking somewhat nervous, raised the tray and said softly, "My brother asked me to bring you some sherry fruit soda."
Wentworth instinctively furrowed his brow. He knew exactly what Auston Greengrass was up to.
Not that Auston intended to push his own sister into any real danger—after all, Wentworth was not even twelve years old yet. However, Auston was certainly trying to use Astoria to gain favor with him.
Despite recognizing this, Wentworth knew better than to reprimand him outright. He understood that being a leader wasn't just about power—it was also about handling relationships with subordinates tactfully.
With a warm smile, Wentworth accepted the tray with both hands. He did not invite Astoria into his room but instead said cheerfully, "Thank you, Astoria. Please pass on my gratitude to Auston. The banquet tonight was well-prepared—I am very pleased. Under his leadership, the Greengrass family is sure to have a bright future."
Hearing Wentworth's words, Astoria visibly relaxed. She curtsied gracefully before quickly scurrying away.
As Wentworth watched Astoria disappear down the hallway and was about to close his door, another door nearby suddenly opened, revealing Rosier's amused expression.
"Grandma Rosier, you're still awake? Would you care for some sherry fruit soda?" Wentworth asked awkwardly, gesturing toward the tray.
Rosier waved him off and said meaningfully, "No need. That's something prepared specially for you. Auston Greengrass has certainly invested a lot in impressing you—not only did he single-handedly cover the costs of tonight's banquet, but he even had his own sister deliver a midnight drink to you."
Wentworth felt his face flush. Just as he was about to explain, Rosier's expression turned serious, and she said in a firm voice, "But remember this, Wentworth—never let anyone else's voice overshadow your own. In the Pureblood Party, only one person speaks for us, and that person bears the name Grindelwald."
Hearing Rosier's words, Wentworth understood that she was teaching him how to become a true leader. He nodded repeatedly, signaling his understanding.
At that moment, footsteps echoed from the far end of the hallway. Rosier frowned instinctively at the late-hour disturbance, but a moment later, Abernathy's figure appeared at the corner.
"Grandpa Abernathy!" Wentworth called out instinctively, stepping forward, only for Rosier to stop him midway.
"Wentworth, how can you be so sure that this is Abernathy?"
Hearing this, Abernathy sighed in exasperation, raised his hands in surrender, and said, "Oh, hurry up, Rosier! I need to report tonight's findings to Wentworth!"
After a careful inspection, Rosier finally let Abernathy pass.
"Come in, Grandpa Abernathy. You too, Grandma Rosier."
The three of them entered Wentworth's room together.
As soon as they were inside, Abernathy, without hesitation, picked up the sherry fruit soda Wentworth had just placed on the table and took several hearty gulps.
Only then did he leisurely begin his report.
"I've been to Cassandra's estate. It's located on the other side of London—a grand manor, well-protected with various defensive and alerting enchantments. Fortunately, none of them were particularly complex or difficult."
"Once inside, I cast a Confundus Charm on one of the manor's attendants, making him wander aimlessly. Then, using the Disguise Spell our master taught me, I took on his appearance and walked freely into the estate's inner grounds."
"I must say, Cassandra's estate has a rather idyllic charm—immaculately maintained, and every servant and attendant I passed bore a bright, contented smile."
"Everyone seemed to be in a hurry, carrying all sorts of items, busy decorating the estate. From the looks of it, they were preparing for a grand banquet."
Hearing this, Wentworth's tension eased, and he said, "So they really are preparing for a banquet? That means there's nothing to worry about."
Abernathy took another sip of sherry fruit soda before continuing with a smirk.
"That was the normal part. Now, let's talk about what wasn't normal…"
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