Hearing Adisa's words, Wentworth couldn't help but recall the original books, specifically the moment when Ron clumsily used that broken wand to cast a spell on Draco, with disastrous results. He nodded in wholehearted agreement.
Before long, the welcome feast drew to a close. To be honest, Wentworth hadn't found the food particularly appetizing that evening, perhaps because his mind was preoccupied. He barely touched his plate.
It was then that Dumbledore suddenly stood and spoke.
"Miss Adisa, I'll be entrusting my student to your care for the next few days. Please look after him."
Lakayla Adisa agreed without hesitation. Wentworth, on the other hand, looked quite bewildered.
"Headmaster Dumbledore," he asked, "are you leaving Uagadou?"
Dumbledore nodded, smiling kindly.
"Indeed, Wentworth. Have you forgotten? Tomorrow marks the beginning of a new term at Hogwarts. As headmaster, it's my duty to attend the start-of-term feast and oversee the Sorting Ceremony."
"As for you, stay here at Uagadou for a few days. Don't worry. Once I've wrapped up my obligations at Hogwarts, I'll return shortly."
Though Wentworth was a hundred times unwilling, after all, nothing about this assignment sounded remotely like a good deal, he knew better than to try to change Dumbledore's mind. He furrowed his brow and gave a reluctant nod.
After the feast, Dumbledore pulled Wentworth aside, laying a firm hand on his shoulder.
"Wentworth," he said gravely, "while I'm gone, there's only one thing I need you to keep in mind: your safety. Do you understand?"
Wentworth sighed, responding irritably, "Alright, Headmaster Dumbledore. Say one more word and I swear, I'll run straight back to Hogwarts!"
"This whole mission… it feels like a trap laid out just for me! Just answer me this, if I get into trouble, will you really be able to protect me?"
Dumbledore looked at Wentworth long and hard. After a moment of silence, he said quietly:
"So long as you remain a student of Hogwarts, and I remain its headmaster, it is my duty to protect you."
At that, Wentworth finally smiled in relief.
"With those words, Headmaster Dumbledore, I feel reassured."
After Dumbledore's departure, Babajide Akingbade arranged a room for Wentworth to rest. It was clear Uagadou was taking his role as "Special Independent Investigator" quite seriously—they'd provided him with a private two-story cottage surrounded by flowerbeds.
Of course, the generous accommodations might also have something to do with the sheer size of Uagadou's grounds. The entire Mountains of the Moon was essentially the school's backyard.
Given the mysterious nature of his mission, Wentworth remained cautious. He cast alert spells around the house, ensuring he'd be warned immediately if anything unusual occurred.
To his mild surprise, however, nothing happened all night. No shadowy figures, no sudden attacks, nothing. Strangely, he found himself slightly disappointed.
The next morning, Wentworth headed to Uagadou's dining area for breakfast.
Unlike Hogwarts' formal Great Hall meals, Uagadou served breakfast buffet-style. On a vast stretch of green lawn, numerous food carts were arranged neatly, allowing students to pick and choose freely.
Clad in his Hogwarts uniform, Wentworth stuck out like a sore thumb among the Uagadou students. The moment he stepped onto the grass, every eye turned toward him—curious, surprised, even wary.
Any ordinary young wizard might have been paralyzed under the weight of hundreds of stares. But for Wentworth, this was nothing. He'd once given a speech in front of an entire assembly of Dark wizards, after all.
Calmly and confidently, Wentworth approached the carts and began selecting the food that interested him.
Though the Uagadou students continued to watch him closely, no one stepped forward to challenge or provoke him—a welcome change from the typical dramatics of inter-school encounters.
Once he'd filled his plate, Wentworth noticed that the Uagadou students were sitting in small groups on the grass. Alone, he felt a twinge of isolation.
Just then, a group of students approached him from across the lawn. The one in front wore several extravagant necklaces around his neck and glittering gold bangles on both wrists. He swaggered toward Wentworth with an easy confidence.
Wentworth instinctively braced himself, ready for a confrontation.
But to his surprise, the boy burst into laughter before he even reached him. Still chuckling, he extended his hand and said warmly:
"You must be the student from Hogwarts, right? Welcome! My name's Juma Kalembo. Glad to have you at Uagadou!"
They say one should never strike a smiling face, and Wentworth responded in kind with a grin of his own.
"Pleasure to meet you. I'm Wentworth, Wentworth Dumbledore."
Juma Kalembo froze for a beat, especially at the mention of Wentworth's surname. Then his eyes lit up.
"No way! You mean to say the Hogwarts student we've been waiting for is actually from Albus Dumbledore's family? My mum always says Albus Dumbledore was the greatest white wizard who ever lived!"
Wentworth gave a modest, almost bashful smile and replied, "Albus Dumbledore was my grandfather's elder brother."
Hearing that, Joseph Kony launched into an enthusiastic account of how much he admired Albus Dumbledore. In a burst of excitement, he even removed one of his bracelets and, without giving Wentworth a chance to refuse, pressed it into his hands.
After a bit of back-and-forth, Wentworth finally accepted the gift and thanked him profusely.
Noticing Wentworth's choice of food, Joseph quickly instructed one of his companions to fetch him the exact same dishes. The two boys then sat side by side on the grass, enjoying their breakfast beneath the rising sun.
Eventually, Juma Kalembo excused himself, citing class. As he left, he told Wentworth he planned to throw a welcome party for him that evening, and made him promise to attend.
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TN: This fanfic has been fully translated and is available on my Patreon —— patreon(.)com/PrimalDemon [remove the parentheses ( )]