When Wentworth posed his question, Dumbledore responded with a warm smile:
"Patience, my dear boy. Let me explain it to you slowly."
"After such an incident occurred, the International Confederation of Wizards could no longer remain idle. They resolved to send investigators to Uagadou. However, even the matter of who to send sparked heated debate."
"Some proposed that the local Ministry of Magic should conduct the investigation, but that idea was strongly opposed by many."
At this, Wentworth shrugged indifferently and said:
"People really have too much time on their hands. I think it makes perfect sense to have the local Ministry look into it. Surely, they know the situation better than we do."
Dumbledore, unhurried as ever, replied:
"I was among those who opposed it."
Wentworth: "...Go on. I'll shut up now."
Dumbledore chuckled lightly and continued:
"The reason is quite simple: politics must not enter the school grounds. That is a shared principle among all wizarding schools worldwide."
Wentworth nodded in understanding. Dumbledore went on:
"Next, someone suggested that professors from various schools be sent to Uagadou to conduct the investigation. But that proposal was firmly rejected by Lakayla Adisa. She believed it would gravely damage Uagadou's reputation and create the impression that Uagadou was inferior to other magical schools."
"In the end, after several days of discussion, a compromise was reached. The investigation would be split into two parts. The first would be led by a representative from the International Confederation of Wizards, to determine whether Uagadou had been encouraging students to use magic irresponsibly, in violation of the International Statute of Secrecy."
"The second part would involve selecting an underage wizard to serve as a special independent investigator, one who would assess whether Uagadou's Animagus curriculum posed a threat to other underage wizards."
At this point, realization dawned on Wentworth. He said:
"I see now, Headmaster. You're the Confederation's official representative, and I'm the underage wizard chosen to represent that perspective?"
Dumbledore gave a slow, affirming nod.
Seeing this, Wentworth gave him a thumbs-up and said with admiration:
"Headmaster Dumbledore, you're something else! No one would question your credentials to represent the Confederation. But you even managed to have a Hogwarts student chosen as the underage representative? Wasn't Lakayla Adisa concerned that you might use your influence to favor Hogwarts and undermine Uagadou?"
Dumbledore burst into hearty laughter. When his laughter subsided, he explained:
"Indeed, at first, Lakayla Adisa did question the decision to allow a Hogwarts student to fill that role, until I made her a promise: that we would choose the student from Hufflepuff House. Only then did she agree."
Wentworth looked completely puzzled.
"How does that make a difference?" he asked.
Dumbledore gave him a knowing wink.
"You'll have one particular person to thank for that," he said.
"Who?" Wentworth asked, unable to contain his curiosity.
"Newt Scamander."
...
Later that evening, during the welcome feast hosted by Uagadou for Dumbledore and Wentworth, Lakayla Adisa personally placed a piece of roasted sausage, of unknown origin, onto Wentworth's plate and said:
"Yes, the reason I agreed to let you come to Uagadou is because you're from Hufflepuff. The same House as Newt."
Wentworth quickly expressed his gratitude, though his face was full of confusion.
"May I ask why, Headmistress Adisa? I mean… just because I'm in Hufflepuff?"
Adisa nodded and offered an open explanation:
"When the decision could no longer be reversed, and an underage wizard had to be sent as a special independent investigator, naturally, I wanted the best option available. It wasn't you I chose, not exactly. I chose Hufflepuff."
"I've known Newt for many years. He visits Africa from time to time, and he has many friends here, though most of them are... unusual creatures."
At this, Wentworth couldn't help but interject:
"There are no unusual creatures. Only people who are too narrow-minded to understand them."
Adisa was momentarily taken aback, but then she smiled and said:
"That's exactly what he says too."
"I once asked him whether all Hogwarts students share his character. He shook his head and told me: 'Not all, but Hufflepuffs do. They are kind, honest, brave, and sincere.'"
Watching Adisa eat her roasted sausage with practiced grace, Wentworth gave a wry smile and muttered:
"Headmistress Adisa, what you've said just now… has put me under tremendous pressure."
Adisa waved it off without concern.
"Don't feel pressured. Because I've always believed, Uagadou has done nothing wrong."
She then shifted the conversation with genuine curiosity:
"So, after spending the day with us, seeing Uagadou and our students, what are your impressions?"
Wentworth took a moment to reflect on the journey and replied sincerely:
"What struck me most about Uagadou is how proficient the students are in spellwork. Almost everyone I've seen can cast spells without a wand. Though the spells themselves were basic, their mastery still surprised me."
Adisa paused in the middle of eating, clearly caught off guard, and then gave a faint, somewhat wry smile.
Before Wentworth could puzzle out her reaction, Babajide Akingbade, who had been seated beside them all along, chuckled and offered an explanation:
"Wentworth, I think you may have misunderstood something. This is Africa, after all, and wands are a European invention. They didn't become widespread here until the last century."
"Unlike in Europe or America, where magical communities are divided by national borders, African wizards are usually organized into tribal groups. These tribes don't often interact, which has slowed the spread of wand use."
"As a result, even now, many magical communities across Africa still rely on wandless magic, not because they're more powerful, but because they never adapted to using wands in the first place."
Adisa added thoughtfully:
"And beyond that, there's another important reason, most skilled wandmakers are based in Europe or North America. A high-quality wand can cost more than many African wizards can afford."
"Although there are wandmakers here in Africa, their wands are often inexpensive and, at times, more of a burden than a benefit."
——————————
TN: This fanfic has been fully translated and is available on my Patreon —— patreon(.)com/PrimalDemon [remove the parentheses ( )]