When Wentworth entered the banquet hall arm in arm with Juma Kalembo, they immediately drew the attention of everyone present.
Along the way, Juma introduced Wentworth to each of the guests attending that evening's banquet.
Though it was merely a student-hosted gathering, even the well-traveled Wentworth had to admit that the event was flawlessly organized. It was clear that this was far from Juma's first time hosting such an affair.
Through Juma's introductions, Wentworth soon realized that although the guest list wasn't long, each individual present seemed to represent a major tribe from the magical communities across Africa.
Originally, Juma had intended to invite Wentworth to say a few words to the crowd, but Wentworth declined with a polite smile.
Soon after, the music began, marking the official start of the banquet.
There were quite a few young witches in attendance, but it seemed that, by some unspoken agreement, they had all yielded the opportunity for the first dance to Malika Kalembo.
From the moment Wentworth stepped into the hall, he'd noticed many admiring glances cast his way, yet not a single girl stepped forward to challenge Malika for the opening dance, a fact that left Wentworth slightly disappointed.
Naturally, he partnered with Malika Kalembo and, guided by the music, began the first dance.
Rosier, ever the strict mentor, had made sure Wentworth received thorough training in this area.
Soon enough, amidst Malika's compliments and playful flattery, the first dance came to a graceful end.
But no sooner had the music stopped than Wentworth found himself immediately surrounded by a circle of girls, all vying for the chance to dance with him. The sudden flurry of invitations left many of the other boys exchanging bewildered looks.
Just as Wentworth was preparing a polite refusal, Juma chose that moment to step in, grinning as he said:
"Apologies, ladies! I know you only wish to show Wentworth the warmth of African hospitality, but do be careful, let's not scare our guest off!"
With that, he threw an arm around Wentworth's shoulder and steered him toward a quieter corner of the lawn.
There, two chairs and a small round table had been set up in advance. At the center stood a bottle of red wine and a pair of crystal glasses.
Juma invited Wentworth to sit down with casual ease, pouring a glass himself before saying:
"This bottle was a gift to my father from the French Ministry of Magic. Supposedly, it's brewed from forty-eight ingredients, including the legendary Devil's Burgundy Grape. Give it a taste, tell me what you think."
Intrigued, Wentworth raised an eyebrow. At Hogwarts, drinking was out of the question for students due to school rules, but during holidays spent with the Alliance, such formalities were less strictly observed.
Rosier, being a true Frenchman, held exceptionally high standards for wine. Thanks to his mentorship, Wentworth had grown accustomed to sampling vintages from every magical vineyard across France.
However, upon taking his first sip, Wentworth instinctively furrowed his brows. Compared to the wines he'd tasted under Rosier's guidance, this one was... underwhelming. Frankly, he thought even a mug of Butterbeer might have been more agreeable.
As Wentworth considered how best to phrase his thoughts, Juma, seemingly reading his mind, cut in with a grin:
"Terrible, isn't it?"
Wentworth blinked, then chuckled awkwardly.
Juma didn't seem to mind. Taking another slow sip of his wine, he shrugged and said:
"Don't hold back, I think it's awful, too. I've been tempted to chuck the whole lot. But when I think about what it cost... well, I just can't bring myself to waste it."
Now Wentworth's interest was piqued. From what he could tell, the Kalembo clan wasn't short on resources. For someone like Juma, a single bottle, no, even an entire vineyard, would hardly be worth fussing over.
Juma didn't keep him guessing. He continued, voice casual:
"Wentworth, you must've noticed, Africa is behind Europe in almost every magical aspect. But still, there are things we have that your continent needs."
Wentworth paused, then responded thoughtfully:
"Magical creatures?"
Juma smiled and nodded.
"Not just that. There are also dozens of rare magical ingredients native only to Africa."
"I heard you attended Professor Amari's class today, and used the horn of a Nile Tricorn to brew a stimulant potion, right there in the room?"
Wentworth raised an eyebrow, offering a wry smile.
"Juma Kalembo, it seems you've taken quite an interest in me."
Juma chuckled and waved his hands in protest.
"I didn't have anyone following you, I promise. It just so happens one of my friends was in that class. He told me afterward. What can I say, he was thoroughly impressed. You really are a shining example of Hogwarts excellence. The legacy of the Dumbledore family speaks for itself."
Wentworth offered a polite smile but didn't respond further. Seeing this, Juma pressed on:
"Years ago, our clan made a deal to secure the rights to distribute African magical creatures and potions in France. In return, we made a sizable donation to the French Ministry of Magic, items like the Nile Tricorn you saw today were among them. The entire list of donated goods was over a foot long."
"And what did we get in return? A crate of this wine."
Glancing down at the red liquid in his glass, Wentworth took another cautious sip, then gave a slow nod.
"Still terrible…"
Juma blinked, then burst out laughing, so loudly, in fact, that it turned the heads of several guests at the banquet. But he didn't seem to care in the slightest.
When the laughter finally subsided, Juma's face turned serious. He nodded emphatically, his voice firm:
"Of course it's terrible. That's because the entire crate was a batch of failed experimental brews."
"Sure, the ingredients might have been costly, but no matter how high the expense, a failure is still a failure. And yet, the French Ministry had the gall to dress it up as a generous gift, to my father, no less!"
He leaned forward, gaze sharp.
"Tell me, what do you think they meant by that?"
Wentworth could only offer another awkward smile, unsure of how to answer.
Juma sneered slightly, answering his own question:
"You don't want to say it, do you? That's fine. I'll say it for you. They thought they could palm off a batch of rubbish on us poor, ignorant savages."
——————————
TN: This fanfic has been fully translated and is available on my Patreon —— patreon(.)com/PrimalDemon [remove the parentheses ( )]