Just as Harry was about to turn and leave, Hermione suddenly grabbed him from behind.
Harry turned around, looking at her with some confusion, only to hear Hermione say:
"Harry, actually, if you just want to get your mother's origami crane back, you don't necessarily have to confront Snape directly."
Harry was momentarily stunned by her words, and before he could fully process what she meant, Hermione continued:
"In fact, we can find a way to sneak into Snape's office and steal your mother's origami crane back."
Hearing this, Harry's eyes lit up, and Ron also had a sudden realization. Only Draco stood to the side, glancing at each of them in turn before shaking his head with a wry smile.
"I always feel like I don't quite fit in with you lot simply because I'm not crazy enough."
Ron, hearing Draco's remark, immediately retorted:
"Exactly! So why does a Slytherin like you keep getting mixed up with us Gryffindors?"
Draco fired back without hesitation:
"Because I want to! Got a problem with that?!"
Harry and Hermione, however, ignored their bickering. After a moment of contemplation, Harry slowly nodded and said:
"Hermione's plan isn't bad. If all we need to do is take back my mother's origami crane from Snape—not steal, retrieve—then it's much easier! I wouldn't even need to ask Wentworth for help. The few of us might be able to pull it off."
But to his surprise, Hermione immediately shook her head decisively.
"No, Harry, I think you should still invite Wentworth to join us."
Seeing Harry's confusion, Hermione explained:
"If everything goes smoothly, then that's great. But what if it doesn't? What if we get caught by Snape?"
"If Snape really was a Death Eater in the past, his office must contain countless secrets. I have no desire to be silenced by him! If Wentworth is with us, at least we could hold out a bit longer, make enough noise to attract others, and force Snape to hesitate—he wouldn't dare go too far!"
Hearing this, both Ron and Draco involuntarily shivered before nodding in agreement.
After a brief moment of consideration, Harry also acknowledged Hermione's reasoning and said:
"You're right, Hermione. No time to waste—I'll go find Wentworth right now!"
As Harry roamed the Hogwarts grounds in search of Wentworth, the latter was leisurely lying on the grass not far from the Quidditch pitch. A blade of grass in his mouth, he gazed idly at the sky.
A shadow soon appeared, blocking his view.
Without even looking, Wentworth casually patted the grass beside him and said:
"Sit."
Cassandra glanced at the spot he had indicated, scoffed lightly, but still sat down obediently.
From a distance, the scene was picturesque. Beneath the blue sky, upon the lush green grass, a blond-haired boy lounged lazily while beside him, a curly-haired girl quietly combed her hair.
After a long silence, Wentworth finally spoke.
"Cassandra, you didn't bring me here just to have me eat your hair, did you?"
As he spoke, he plucked a stray golden curl from his mouth, then pushed himself up in a smooth motion.
"Ah! You pulled my hair!"
At the same time, Cassandra huffed in slight annoyance.
Unbeknownst to Wentworth, as he had propped himself up, he had accidentally pinned down a lock of Cassandra's hair.
Realizing this, Wentworth immediately abandoned his nonchalant demeanor, quickly bending down in apology.
Cassandra, however, rolled her eyes and muttered:
"Wentworth, don't be like this. Don't forget who you are."
Hearing this, Wentworth paused, then smiled carelessly.
"Who am I? Here, at Hogwarts, I'm just a regular student."
Cassandra's expression immediately grew serious. The sudden shift caught Wentworth off guard.
With a solemn tone, Cassandra said:
"Wentworth, maybe life at Hogwarts has been too peaceful, but you must never forget—you are not just any Hogwarts student. You are the heir of the Grindelwald family, the leader of the Alliance."
She sighed, then added:
"To be honest, my father was initially against me getting too close to you. You were too young, and the future of the Alliance was far too uncertain."
Wentworth chuckled and said:
"Let me guess—you've convinced him now, haven't you? Mr. Thomas Vole?"
Cassandra nodded but then asked:
"Do you know how I convinced my father?"
Wentworth shook his head.
Cassandra, unfazed, continued:
"I told him that while we can't always guarantee perfect timing, we can at least ensure we act early enough."
As she spoke, she fixed Wentworth with a meaningful gaze, then added with a teasing smile:
"Wentworth, I've placed my future in your hands—don't let me down."
Wentworth scratched his head and muttered:
"That sounds… weird. Almost like you're entrusting your entire life to me."
Cassandra froze for a moment, then her face flushed red. But this time, she didn't dodge the implication. Instead, she smiled slyly, cast him a sidelong glance, and said in a soft yet firm voice:
"That's exactly what I'm doing. I trust my judgment."
The Hogwarts grounds were bathed in golden sunlight, with a gentle breeze drifting through the air. That single glance from Cassandra lingered in Wentworth's mind for a long time.
After a moment, Wentworth straightened up, his expression confident and assured.
"You've got good taste."
He gave Cassandra a thumbs-up as he spoke.
She rolled her eyes again, though the smile at the corner of her lips refused to fade. Then, reaching into her robes, she pulled out a piece of parchment and handed it to Wentworth.
"This is a shipment order from the Floo-Puff Company. My father obtained it during a routine inspection at the Ministry of Magic. While no one was looking, he duplicated it using the Geminio Charm."
Taking the parchment, Wentworth read it over and murmured:
"Floo-Puff Company? The only licensed Floo Powder manufacturer in Britain?"
Cassandra nodded.
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