Lucius Malfoy clearly hadn't expected Wentworth to be so direct, and for a moment, he was taken aback.
After a brief silence, just as Lucius clenched his teeth, about to give an immediate answer, he heard Wentworth continue:
"Think carefully before you answer! If the Malfoy family truly pledges allegiance to our Pureblood Party, what will you do if Voldemort returns?"
At Wentworth's question, Lucius was stunned, muttering under his breath, "Impossible, impossible! The Dark Lord is dead!"
Wentworth, however, stepped closer to Lucius, locking eyes with him and whispering, "What if he isn't?"
Without waiting for a response, Wentworth strode past Lucius and Narcissa, heading towards the Hogwarts Express. He didn't spare a glance at the gift box in Lucius's hands.
Even as Wentworth boarded the train, Lucius remained frozen in place, unresponsive. This made Narcissa anxious as she urged, "Lucius, what are you doing? Since you've made your decision, stop hesitating! The Pureblood Party clearly knows about our past. This is a test, and yet you waver?"
Faced with Narcissa's reproach, Lucius looked as if he had just seen a ghost. He murmured, "He's back? Or… he's about to return?"
Frowning in confusion, Narcissa asked, "Who are you talking about? What do you mean?"
Lucius's lips trembled as he replied, "Voldemort… is coming back!"
Narcissa's eyes widened in shock, her voice laced with disbelief. "No, that's impossible, Lucius! You must be overthinking this. This is probably just another test from the Pureblood Party!"
But Lucius shook his head. "No, I saw the look in Wentworth's eyes. It was absolute certainty! He knows something we don't… Voldemort is truly coming back!"
Hearing this, Narcissa instinctively covered her mouth and even took a few steps back, her face filled with horror.
As soon as Wentworth boarded the Hogwarts Express, he heard someone calling his name. Turning around, he saw Kirk waving enthusiastically, with Cedric peeking out from a compartment.
"Wentworth! Over here!"
Smiling, Wentworth didn't hesitate to walk toward them.
As for Harry Potter and Draco Malfoy? What did they have to do with him? He had already completed Dumbledore's task!
They could carry on with their destined storyline—he was done playing along!
The moment they reunited, Kirk eagerly asked, "What were you up to during the holidays? We sent you letters, but even the owls couldn't find you sometimes!"
Wentworth shrugged lazily. "I only did two things over the break—raising magical creatures and babysitting."
Kirk and Cedric: ???
As they entered the compartment, Wentworth noticed that aside from Cedric, there was another figure inside, quietly reading a book—it was Cassandra.
Wentworth turned to Cedric with a questioning look, but Cedric merely spread his hands as if to say: She came in on her own. We couldn't exactly kick her out, could we?
Seeing this, Wentworth's face lit up with a cheerful smile. He waved at Cassandra. "Long time no see, Cassandra."
Hearing his voice, Cassandra slowly closed her book, smiled, and replied, "Long time no see, Lord Grindelwald."
Wentworth: …
As the Hogwarts Express departed, in another compartment, Draco Malfoy was animatedly sharing Hogwarts rumors with Harry Potter, leaving the latter both fascinated and bewildered.
"The Sorting Ceremony… is it really that terrifying?" Harry swallowed nervously, his voice tinged with doubt.
Draco nodded gravely, his expression filled with dread. "Absolutely! My father experienced it firsthand!"
At that moment, their compartment door slid open, and a red-haired boy peeked inside. "Excuse me, can I sit here? The other compartments are full."
Draco frowned, about to refuse, but before he could, Harry hurriedly cleared some space and said, "Of course! Have a seat!"
Draco scowled in displeasure. "If you want to sit here, you have to prove you're worthy of sitting with us!"
The red-haired boy hesitated, confused. "What do you mean?"
Draco smirked. "Either you have an impressive magical heritage that other wizards don't, or you have extraordinary talent beyond your peers."
As he spoke, Draco scrutinized the boy's worn robes and sneered. "But I highly doubt you meet either of those criteria."
Sensing tension, Harry quickly interjected, "Come on, Draco, we're all students here."
Extending his hand to the boy, Harry introduced himself, "Hi, I'm Harry Potter."
The red-haired boy's eyes widened in shock. He instinctively stepped into the compartment, shaking Harry's hand as he stammered, "Blimey! You're Harry Potter? I'm Ron—Ron Weasley!"
Draco, who had been about to stand and force Ron out, hesitated upon hearing his surname. With a dissatisfied huff, he sank back into his seat, muttering, "I should've known from your hair… The disgrace of pure-bloods—the Weasley family."
Despite his words, it was clear that the Weasleys' status as one of the Sacred Twenty-Eight pure-blood families barely met Draco's criteria, even if the Weasleys themselves never acknowledged that list.
Ron's face flushed with anger. Just as he was about to stand and argue, Harry pulled him back and quickly said, "Let me introduce you—this is Draco. Draco Malfoy."
Ron and Draco locked eyes, both scoffing simultaneously.
Seeing their expressions, Harry couldn't help but chuckle. After ten years of living in his aunt and uncle's stifling house, this new world felt oddly entertaining.
"Oh, Harry, can I see your scar?"
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