Not the least bit embarrassed that Wentworth had seen through his little ploy, Jabari simply chuckled and said,
"Oh? Really? Well, that's just something I heard from the older students. I wasn't even at Uagadou yet back then. So it's not true? Hah, I'll have to settle the score with them later!"
Wentworth simply shook his head and said nothing more. The two of them continued walking toward the school together.
When the sweeping cluster of buildings finally came into view, just as Wentworth was about to marvel at the sight, Jabari's voice broke in again.
"Wentworth, we've arrived! Time: sixty-eight minutes. Per our agreement, sixty-eight Galleons, please!"
The sound of his voice instantly dispelled Wentworth's mood. Without a word, he pulled a thick stack of Galleons from his robes and tossed them to Jabari without bothering to count.
Jabari fumbled to catch the gold, then quickly counted the coins with care. Satisfied, he pocketed them and then, with a knowing smile, declared,
"Welcome to Uagadou, the oldest and most prestigious wizarding school in Africa!"
As he spoke, Jabari dramatically raised both arms as though ceremoniously welcoming Wentworth. Then, with a snap of his fingers, a massive firework exploded overhead, blooming brightly above them.
Wentworth looked at Jabari with a bemused smile, his gaze sending a chill down Jabari's spine.
The firework had barely faded when five or six broomsticks shot up from the distance, soaring swiftly toward them. In the blink of an eye, the riders descended and halted before the pair.
The lead flier brought his broom to a stop and glanced briefly at Jabari before turning his eyes to Wentworth.
When his gaze landed on the crest on Wentworth's chest, he froze for the briefest second, surprise flickering in his eyes, though he quickly masked it.
At that moment, Jabari jumped in with an ingratiating grin and quickly explained,
"Senior Kwame, I spotted this man halfway up the mountain, sneaking about suspiciously. I feared he might mean harm to Uagadou, so I brought him here. Could you and the others take him to the Headmaster?"
Kwame finally turned his attention to Jabari, his brow furrowing deeply as he barked,
"Jabari Nwadike! Who gave you permission to bring a stranger into Uagadou? Do you realize this is a serious violation of school rules?!"
Jabari was momentarily stunned, but quickly tried to explain,
"But Senior Kwame, he said he's from Hogwarts in Brita—"
Before he could finish, Kwame cut him off sharply. His gaze returned to Wentworth as he said sternly,
"You, unknown wizard. Since you've found your way here, I assume you know where you are."
Wentworth gave a slight nod and replied,
"Of course. This is the finest wizarding school in all of Africa."
Kwame nodded back, but continued,
"Correct. And for the safety of many young witches and wizards here, I don't care who you are or why you've come. You will surrender your wand. It will be returned when you leave Uagadou."
Jabari's face changed at those words, and he was about to protest, but one sharp glare from Kwame shut him up immediately.
Jabari's expression darkened, but he forced the words back down his throat.
Wentworth stood quietly to the side, watching it all unfold with thoughtful silence.
Kwame stepped forward, hand outstretched, and said more mildly,
"Apologies. Please hand over your wand. This is purely for the safety of Uagadou's students. I hope you understand."
Wentworth responded with a cheerful smile,
"Understand? Absolutely!"
As he spoke, he reached inside his robes and withdrew a wand, handing it over to Kwame.
Kwame took the wand, a cold smirk playing at his lips. Then, without warning, he raised his arm and barked,
"This man has trespassed into Uagadou, subdue him! Let's find out what he's really after!"
The others began to move toward Wentworth, but before they could act, Jabari jumped in front of him, arms outstretched to shield him.
"Wait! Seniors, Senior Kwame... shouldn't this matter be handled by the Headmaster and the professors?!"
Kwame shoved Jabari aside with an irritated grunt.
"Don't think that just because you have a well-connected sister, you can do whatever you like here at Uagadou! Bringing someone in without permission is a serious offense. We'll deal with you later. You don't run Uagadou, step aside!"
Without waiting for a response, Kwame waved his arm to signal the others to move in.
Just then, applause rang out.
Everyone turned in shock to see that it was Wentworth clapping, a leisurely smile on his face.
He clapped slowly, mockingly, as he said,
"So this… this is how guests are treated at Uagadou? Remarkably warm welcome, I must say."
Kwame ignored Jabari now, his eyes locked on Wentworth. He pointed a finger at him and snapped,
"You'll get a proper taste of Uagadou's hospitality soon enough!"
Wentworth's expression didn't change. Calmly, he said,
"Kwame, is it? You know, there's one thing I absolutely loathe, people pointing fingers at me when they talk. It really puts me in a foul mood."
And then, in a low voice, he said:
"Incarcerous!"
Instantly, Kwame's robes seemed to come alive, twisting and coiling like a great serpent, binding him tightly.
To the onlookers, it was as though his clothes had shrunk, wrapping him into a stiff, helpless bundle.
Someone shouted,
"Watch out, he can cast spells without a wand!"
At that moment, Wentworth stamped his right foot on the ground and called out:
"Ventus Terra!"
A mini whirlwind burst forth around him, whipping sand and dust into the air. Within seconds, the area was engulfed in a storm of grit and wind, visibility vanished into chaos.
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TN: This fanfic has been fully translated and is available on my Patreon —— patreon(.)com/PrimalDemon [remove the parentheses ( )]