Hearing Cedric's words, Kirk hesitated for a moment before speaking.
"I don't think we should involve Wentworth in this. Didn't we agree? We must keep him separate from the Secret Order."
But Cassandra had a different opinion. She stared at the deck of cards on the table, deep in thought, before finally speaking.
"I believe Cedric is right. Wentworth should have an identity card as well. That way, whenever we need to mention him, we can use the card as a substitute. It will help conceal his true identity."
Kirk suddenly realized the logic behind it. He playfully smacked Cedric on the back and said with a grin,
"Well played, Cedric! You're getting into character faster than I expected—I didn't even think of that."
Cedric chuckled. "I owe it all to Cassandra's explanation."
Kirk reached for the deck on the table, saying as he did so,
"In that case, we can't expect Wentworth to draw one himself, can we? I'll do it for him."
Just as Kirk's hand was about to touch the cards, Cedric swatted it away. Kirk looked at him in confusion, but Cedric smirked and said,
"No need to draw—I already know the next card is the King of Diamonds. At least shuffle properly, will you?"
Kirk blinked in realization before picking up the deck, shuffling it thoroughly, and then holding it out toward Cassandra.
"You do it."
Cassandra took the top card and flipped it over—Joker.
The three of them exchanged glances, falling into a momentary silence before Cedric hesitantly suggested,
"Should we... pick another one?"
Cassandra, equally unimpressed with the draw, nodded quickly and reached for the next card. However, when she turned it over, it revealed yet another Joker—the Big Joker this time.
Cedric immediately reached out, aiming to smack Kirk on the head.
"Could you shuffle properly? You left the two Jokers together!"
Kirk instinctively blocked Cedric's hand, exclaiming,
"I've got it!"
Both Cassandra and Cedric turned to look at him. Kirk pointed at the Joker in Cassandra's hand and declared,
"We don't need a regular card to represent Wentworth. This one—this card is already called 'Joker.' From now on, within the Secret Order, that will be his name."
Cassandra's eyes gleamed with understanding as she murmured,
"Joker... a trickster in plain sight, someone who walks freely among others yet hides his true face. That's... oddly fitting for Wentworth."
Cedric nodded in agreement.
"In playing cards, the two Jokers symbolize the Sun and the Moon, the beginning and the end—everything starts and concludes with them. That fits Wentworth perfectly."
Had Wentworth been present, he might have been shocked by how well they understood him. To the world, he was a mystery.
Some believed him to be the Joker of the Secret Order.
Some knew him as the leader of the Pureblood Party.
Most called him Wentworth Grindelwald.
But in truth—he was Su Xinghe.
His true identity remained unknown to all. Yet, at this very moment, in this very place, Cassandra, Kirk, and Cedric were all in rare agreement: Joker was the perfect codename for Wentworth.
Seeing that no one objected, Cassandra finally spoke.
"Alright then. In public, we'll still call him Wentworth, but within the Secret Order, he'll be Joker."
"These two Joker cards will be removed from the deck. Whenever we recruit new members, they'll learn one thing—the true leader of the Secret Order, the one above all identities, is Joker. He is our past, our present, and our future."
Cedric and Kirk nodded in unison. Kirk even sighed,
"You know... this really is starting to feel like a proper secret organization."
Years later, when Xenophilius Lovegood's book Still Grindelwald was published, it would write:
"No one knows when or where the Secret Order was truly founded. Even today, we do not know the full extent of its members. But one thing is certain—the Secret Order's existence proves that Wentworth Grindelwald was not satisfied with the legacy Gellert Grindelwald left behind. He was ready to forge his own path, building a force entirely his own."
"More importantly, Wentworth Grindelwald himself likely did not realize at the time that he was about to monopolize an entire generation of Hogwarts' elite wizards."
But for now, Wentworth had no idea. Satisfied with how his night had gone, he returned to the Hufflepuff common room and drifted off into a peaceful sleep—completely unaware that, at that very moment, a future legendary organization had been born in a prefects' bathroom on the sixth floor of Hogwarts.
He, its leader and founder, had no clue.
With their meeting finally concluded, Cedric and Kirk stole wary glances at Cassandra. Thankfully, though she still looked eager to continue, she relented and said,
"There's still much to discuss, but it's too late for tonight. Let's end it here."
Hearing this, Cedric and Kirk wasted no time standing up to leave—only to be stopped in their tracks as Cassandra spoke again.
"What about Harry Potter?"
Both boys froze. In all the excitement, they had nearly forgotten.
The three of them had made a promise to Snape—to ensure Harry Potter's safety. More importantly, Snape had given them a piece of shocking news:
Voldemort was coming back.
Kirk quickly recovered and shrugged.
"That's easy! Let's just invite him into the Secret Order. As Harry Potter, he's more than worthy of a spot in our ranks."
Cedric, however, frowned.
"But how do we explain the Secret Order to him?"
Cassandra answered before he could finish.
"We don't. I have a way to bring him in—but I still need to observe him first." She then shot Kirk a sharp look. "And I don't agree with you. What do you mean by 'as Harry Potter, he's worthy of a spot?' The Secret Order only takes the best. If his fame outweighs his skill, then even Harry Potter will be nothing more than an outsider."
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