Wentworth, naturally, had no idea what was happening outside. At this moment, he had already brought Dumbledore into the headmaster's office of Uagadou.
Inside, Lakayla Adisa sat slumped in her chair, visibly weakened, still scribbling something. Beside her stood Nala Nwadike, her eyes brimming with tears.
When Adisa saw Wentworth enter with Dumbledore, she only cast a fleeting glance at the headmaster of Hogwarts before turning her attention back to Wentworth with a faint smile and said:
"Give me a moment, Wentworth. I'm nearly finished with the announcement. Soon, I'll officially declare to the school that Uagadou will be forming a Board of Governors. As for the members, feel free to list a few of your own people."
Wentworth offered an awkward smile and cast a guilty glance at Dumbledore.
Dumbledore, meanwhile, furrowed his brow upon hearing Adisa's words. Her tone, her demeanor toward him, it was baffling.
Noticing the bloodstains on Adisa's robes, Dumbledore sighed softly and said slowly:
"Lakayla, I've heard rumors about what's happening at Uagadou, but… how did it come to this?"
At that, Adisa let out a cold laugh and said in a measured tone:
"What? Too deep into the role, are we? Since when was Uagadou any of your concern? These are matters between Wentworth and me."
Dumbledore: "...???"
Hearing this, Wentworth broke into a cold sweat. He realized that Adisa had taken his earlier lies to heart, she truly believed that Dumbledore was nothing more than a puppet of the Alliance!
Sensing Adisa was about to say more, Wentworth hurried to interject:
"Headmistress Adisa, I trust your judgment completely. My people will stay behind to assist you. They're trustworthy."
His tone then shifted to a more serious one, every word deliberate:
"Uagadou's sudden changes will undoubtedly stir dissent, but this is all for its better future. And when reason fails, well, sometimes a firm hand speaks best."
Adisa nodded in silence, a bitter smile playing at her lips.
"Don't worry. I understand. I won't show mercy when it's not the time for it."
Only then did Wentworth breathe a sigh of relief. He quickly added:
"Now that Headmaster Dumbledore is here, and considering your injuries and the fact that Uagadou still needs you to stabilize things, it's best if you remain here for now."
"Let Headmaster Dumbledore take me and Nala Nwadike to Japan instead."
Adisa considered for a moment, then nodded in agreement.
"That works. There are still a few days before the Wizarding Schools Potions Championship begins, but it's good to acclimate early."
"I'll do my best to wrap things up here quickly. If I can, I'll rejoin you before the tournament begins."
Wentworth nodded and moved to leave with Dumbledore, eager to escape before Adisa said anything else that might worsen the situation.
But, as fate would have it, Adisa turned to Nala, gently instructing her not to feel pressured and to consult with Wentworth often. Then, looking at Dumbledore, she added:
"Since you're in that position, I assume you have some skill. Wentworth's importance, I'm sure you understand better than I. I shouldn't meddle, but Wentworth now holds Uagadou's future in his hands. So let me be clear: his safety must be your top priority."
Dumbledore: "...???"
At this point, sweat the size of raindrops threatened to roll down Wentworth's forehead. Grabbing Dumbledore's arm, he all but dragged him outside, Nala silently following behind.
Once they exited the headmaster's office, Wentworth exhaled heavily. But before he could even calm his pounding heart, Dumbledore spoke in a low voice:
"Wentworth, did you… tell Adisa something behind my back?"
Wentworth froze, spine straightening. He laughed nervously, about to reply, but Dumbledore raised a hand to stop him.
Shaking his head, Dumbledore said calmly:
"Don't bother. You'd only lie to me. Instead, why don't you think about how you're going to explain Uagadou's situation to the International Confederation of Wizards?"
Wentworth relaxed slightly, seeing that Dumbledore didn't intend to press further. At the mention of the Confederation, he smirked and said dismissively:
"Headmaster, do you really think anyone actually cares about what happens at Uagadou?"
Dumbledore, however, shook his head and said:
"Wentworth, I've heard enough to know that Uagadou likely won't object to our findings. But the Kalembo Tribe, and especially their partners in Europe, have long had their eyes on this place."
Wentworth waved it off.
"Headmaster, you came back because of my letter, right? Truth is, I wrote three letters that night, one to you, one to Rosier and the others, and one more. Care to guess who I sent that one to?"
Dumbledore studied him for a moment, eyes unreadable. Then he nodded slowly and said:
"So you've already made your preparations. Very well. In that case, let's get ready to leave for Japan."
Then, gesturing toward Rosier and the others nearby, Dumbledore asked:
"Do you want to say goodbye?"
Wentworth shook his head with a meaningful look.
"No need. They have more experience than I do with what's left to handle."
...
Meanwhile, in Britain, a new issue of The Quibbler had just been released. The front page screamed with the headline:
Scandal Explodes! Senior Officials in Multiple European Ministries of Magic Implicated in Smuggling and Monopoly Rings!
Inside the Lovegood household, Rita Skeeter was scribbling furiously. Beside her, next issue's draft lay waiting, its title just visible:
Is Justice Still Justice When It Comes Too Late? Who Will Punish This Corrupt Wizarding Tribe?
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TN: This fanfic has been fully translated and is available on my Patreon —— patreon(.)com/PrimalDemon [remove the parentheses ( )]