As night fell, Wentworth stepped out of his dormitory and into the Hufflepuff common room, only to find Cedric and Kirk exactly where he expected them—playing cards at a table, along with another Hufflepuff student.
When they saw Wentworth, the two greeted him briefly before quickly returning their attention to their game, engrossed in their match.
It was the other Hufflepuff student who spoke up upon noticing Wentworth's arrival.
"Are you heading out, Wentworth? It's nearly curfew!"
Wentworth chuckled and replied, "Don't worry, I'm just heading to the kitchens next door. I'm experimenting with a new dish—once I perfect it, I'll make some for everyone to try!"
Hearing this, the student's eyes lit up with excitement.
"Go on, then! Hurry! Curfew? Who cares? Even if Filch catches you, it doesn't matter! Since when have we Hufflepuffs ever worried about that?"
Kirk, however, rolled his eyes, knocking on the table as he reminded the student, "Your turn. Draw a card already!"
As a prefect and the one who had just led Hufflepuff to win the House Cup last term, Kirk's authority carried weight. The student quickly lowered his head and drew a card without further complaint.
Wentworth glanced at Kirk and Cedric, signaling with his eyes: Are you sure you don't want to come watch something interesting?
But Kirk and Cedric both shook their heads, with Kirk motioning to his hand of cards, indicating that their game was far more engaging.
Seeing this, Wentworth didn't push further. He exchanged a brief farewell with the other Hufflepuff before stepping out of the common room.
As soon as Wentworth left, Kirk and Cedric let out a sigh of relief and exchanged glances.
At that moment, the other Hufflepuff chimed in, "Your turn to play, Prefect Kirk!"
Kirk glanced at his hand, then casually tossed down his cards.
"Boom!"
"Boom!"
"Joker's Boom!"
"Single Card!"
The other Hufflepuff let out a groan, dropped the snacks he had been holding, and dramatically covered his face as he walked away in defeat.
Kirk simply gathered up the cards, stuffed them into his pocket, and, without another word, turned to leave the common room with Cedric.
By the time Cedric and Kirk slipped out, Wentworth had already reached the entrance to the Room of Requirement.
He didn't have to wait long before spotting three sneaky figures—and one walking with complete disregard for subtlety.
"Hurry up, you three! What's taking you so long?"
Draco Malfoy's voice echoed down the corridor.
A moment later, Hermione's hushed, anxious voice followed, "I must be out of my mind! It's already past curfew, and yet here I am, sneaking through Hogwarts' corridors with you lot—looking for some all-powerful, hidden room?!"
Draco huffed, "It's called the Room of Requirement! And I've told you already, there's nothing to worry about. My father is a school governor! Even if we do get caught, the worst that'll happen is a few points deducted—it's not like they'll expel us!"
Hermione let out a quiet but sharp squeak.
"A few points deducted?! That's the entire House's points at stake! I refuse to spend my first year at Hogwarts as Gryffindor's public enemy number one! Oh no—someone's ahead! We've been caught!"
Her voice wavered slightly with fear, but then, from the shadows, Wentworth stepped forward and spoke calmly.
"You four, could you hurry it up? Right now, we're in a safe window. In about ten minutes, Filch will finish feeding his cat, and then he'll start patrolling Hogwarts."
Recognizing him, the four visibly relaxed. Hermione, however, frowned in curiosity.
"Wentworth, how do you know Filch's schedule so precisely?"
Wentworth replied nonchalantly, "Because last year, I barely ever made it back to my dorm before curfew."
The group exchanged looks. Ron, unable to contain himself, blurted out, "Then what were you doing all night?"
Before Wentworth could answer, something remarkable happened.
With each step he took, the stone wall beside them began shifting—until, with a quiet but deliberate movement, a door appeared where there had been none.
Wentworth turned to Harry, Ron, and Hermione—whose mouths had fallen open in shock—and smirked.
"Practicing spells, of course. What, did you think I pulled all this magic out of thin air?"
Draco stood off to the side, arms crossed, watching their reactions with an air of superiority, as if amused by their lack of exposure to the real Hogwarts.
That smug expression lasted only a second before Wentworth smacked him lightly on the forehead.
"Go on, then! Open the door! What, were you expecting me to do it for you?"
Draco hastily rubbed his head and scurried forward to push open the door to the Room of Requirement.
The moment Wentworth led Harry, Ron, and Hermione inside, they were greeted with a vast, expansive space—far larger than they could have imagined. The three Gryffindors could only gape in awe, unable to close their mouths.
Meanwhile, on the sixth floor of Hogwarts, Cedric and Kirk moved cautiously through the dimly lit corridor.
The hall was completely silent, void of any sign of life. Cedric hesitated before calling out softly, "Cassandra? Cassandra, are you here?"
The quiet was suddenly broken by a voice from the darkness.
"You two look like you're sneaking around way too much."
The unexpected sound made both Cedric and Kirk jump. They turned quickly to see Cassandra stepping out from the Prefects' Bathroom ahead of them.
Kirk immediately whispered, "Shh! Keep your voice down, Cassandra! You'll alert Filch!"
Cassandra gave Kirk an odd look before asking matter-of-factly, "And what if I do?"
Kirk and Cedric froze, completely thrown off by her response.
Then Cassandra rolled her eyes and stated, as if it were the most obvious thing in the world, "Don't tell me—the great Prefect Kirk, who scored ten O.W.L.s, doesn't know a simple Memory Charm?"
Kirk: "???"
Without waiting for them to recover, Cassandra turned on her heel and walked back into the Prefects' Bathroom.
Kirk and Cedric exchanged a look.
After a long pause, Kirk muttered, "I think I regret getting involved in this… Honestly, I've seen a lot of things, but even Wentworth—leader of the Pureblood Party and heir to the first Dark Lord—doesn't make me feel this much pressure."
Cedric could only give him a helpless, wry smile.
"Are you two coming or not?"
Cassandra's impatient voice rang out from inside the bathroom.
Immediately, Kirk's demeanor changed, his lips curling into a wide grin.
"Coming, Cassandra! Right away!"
As he strolled toward the bathroom, he added cheerfully, "I heard from Cedric that you're very interested in the Prefects' Bathroom. Shall I give you a grand tour? No need to rush—by the time you reach fifth year, the Slytherin prefect badge is practically yours already!"
Cedric: "…"
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