Once again aboard the familiar Hogwarts Express, Wentworth sat comfortably in his seat, gazing out at the passing scenery. His eyes occasionally drifted to Cassandra, seated right next to him by the window, and a wave of contentment settled over him.
Across from them, Cedric and Kirk were deep in conversation, discussing what Kirk planned to do after graduating this final term at Hogwarts.
At that moment, the train's trolley witch pushed open the compartment door. Just like always, Wentworth bought a generous selection of snacks, along with the latest edition of The Daily Prophet.
Today's front page was dominated by a familiar sight: Lockhart's signature grin beaming out from a moving photograph.
In fact, nearly the entire edition seemed to revolve around an exclusive feature on Lockhart and the newly proposed Central Bank of the Wizarding World.
The lead article, written by none other than Rita Skeeter—now The Daily Prophet's chief gossip columnist—was provocatively titled "Lockhart and the Secrets Behind His Bank."
Rita's piece included detailed interviews with several prominent figures. Among them, members of the Sacred Twenty-Eight—namely the Malfoy and Greengrass families—had gone on record expressing support for Lockhart's initiative to establish the Central Bank of the Wizarding World.
Moreover, many other pure-blood families and upper-class figures in Britain's magical society had voiced keen interest in both Lockhart and the proposed bank.
This widespread backing would undoubtedly help Lockhart earn public trust in his new institution.
The rest of the articles, while less sensational than Rita Skeeter's, echoed a similar sentiment from various angles: the founding of the Central Bank of the Wizarding World was imminent.
Soon enough, Cassandra beside Wentworth, as well as Cedric and Kirk across from him, noticed the newspaper in his hands.
Kirk couldn't hold back his curiosity.
"Hey Wentworth, what do you think—should I try to land a job at the Central Bank of the Wizarding World after I graduate? Rumor has it Lockhart is offering eye-popping salaries—triple what Gringotts pays for the same positions! And you know Gringotts doesn't exactly pay poorly in our world!"
Wentworth glanced at Kirk and replied dryly, "What, are you that strapped for cash?"
Kirk answered without hesitation, "Of course I am! I'm not like you lot. You and Cassandra—well, that's a whole different story. And Cedric's got a dad working in the Ministry! Me? I'm a proper working-class wizard. Of course I need the money!"
At that, Wentworth looked up and smiled. "Don't worry—The Alliance isn't short on gold."
Kirk immediately held out a thumbs-up. "Legendary! That's why joining the Alliance was the smartest decision I've ever made!"
As they laughed and chatted, their compartment door suddenly swung open, startling them all.
Given their recent topic of conversation, none of them were particularly eager for outside ears.
Cassandra was the first to react—her hand shot toward the wand hidden in her robes, ready to cast a quick Stupefy and sort things out later.
But Wentworth reached out and gently stopped her.
Only then did they get a proper look: standing at the doorway was a young girl with long blonde hair and an odd, otherworldly air about her.
As confusion flickered among the group, Wentworth broke into a smile.
"Ah, it's Luna! Oh, right—this is your first year at Hogwarts, isn't it? I nearly forgot!"
Luna raised her hand in greeting and said, "Hi, Wentworth. I just happened to hear someone mention the Alliance—my ears are quite sharp, you know—so I opened the door to check. And what do you know, it's really you!"
Wentworth let out an awkward laugh and shot a sharp look at Kirk. Then, turning back to Luna with a gentle smile, he said, "Luna, once you're sorted into Ravenclaw—even though we won't be in the same house—if you ever need help, you can always come to me."
But as soon as the words left his mouth, he noticed Cedric and Kirk staring at him with strange expressions.
"What?" Wentworth asked, confused.
Cedric raised an eyebrow. "If she's a first-year, she hasn't gone through the Sorting Ceremony yet. How do you know she'll end up in Ravenclaw?"
Wentworth froze. Blast. Slip of the tongue. He scrambled to recover.
"Hey, you guys forget already? I'm a Seer, remember? Natural-born Diviner! Dream prophecy and all that!"
Cedric and Kirk exchanged looks and nodded in sudden realization.
Wentworth exhaled in relief. Just as he thought he'd smoothed things over, Cassandra spoke—quiet, but cutting.
"So… you saw this girl in your dreams?"
Her words hit him like a jolt of lightning. His mouth opened, then closed. He couldn't seem to find a reply.
In that moment, Wentworth felt more nervous than he had in any encounter with Voldemort.
On instinct, he looked to Cedric and Kirk for help.
But both boys were now suddenly fascinated by the scenery outside, remarking on how beautiful it was.
Wentworth stole a glance out the window—only to see pitch-black darkness. He cursed silently.
Just then, Luna piped up cheerfully, "Nice to meet you all! Looks like you're members of the Alliance, right? I'm Luna Lovegood. My father's the editor of The Quibbler, and my mother… well, she used to be a member too."
At that, Cedric and Kirk quickly introduced themselves. When it was Cassandra's turn, she paused and asked, "Your mother was in the Alliance?"
Luna nodded. "She passed away."
Cassandra's expression shifted as realization dawned. She lowered her voice, slightly apologetic. "I'm sorry—I didn't know."
Luna shook her head. "It's alright. Anyway, I should get going and find a seat."
Cassandra, who had been wary of Luna since her sudden arrival, quickly replied, "Alright, off you go. And if you run into trouble, don't bother Wentworth—come straight to me!"
Luna giggled sweetly, then plopped herself right down beside Wentworth. With a bright smile, she said, "You're really nice, you know that?"
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