Platform 9 ¾

For a period following that, Wentworth spent every day learning Occlumency under the tutelage of Rosier and the others. By the time the start of the term approached, Wentworth was finally able to hide his thoughts perfectly, even when facing Abernathy directly.

Time quickly arrived at September 1st, the day Hogwarts opened its doors.

That morning, Wentworth rose early and, led by Abernathy, Apparated directly to the entrance of Platform Nine and Three-Quarters.

"Abernathy, why haven't I seen Grandmother Rosier today?"

Wentworth stood before the platform and asked curiously.

Originally, Wentworth had assumed that Rosier would be the one to see him off, but to his surprise, it was Abernathy who had knocked on his door that morning; Rosier had not appeared at all.

Abernathy replied with a smile:

"My dear Wentworth, as a man, you must understand that no matter how strong a woman appears, her heart is always soft! The moment Rosier thought about you leaving her to attend Hogwarts on your own, she was overcome with sadness."

"Rosier said she simply couldn't bear the feeling of parting, so she decided not to come at all. Haha."

In truth, this was a plan Rosier had discussed with them: do not tell Wentworth her true itinerary, lest he worry about her safety and object to her going to Hogwarts to serve as the Defense Against the Dark Arts professor.

After hearing Abernathy's explanation, Wentworth recalled the time they had spent together. Although these dark wizards were, in many ways, even crazier than Death Eaters, he had to admit that they were genuinely kind to him.

At the thought of parting, a wave of melancholy washed over Wentworth.

"Alright, Wentworth, hurry inside! Once you reach Hogwarts, remember to write to us! If you need any help, you must tell us in your letters! Most importantly, if you are ever in danger, you know what to do!"

Abernathy whispered these instructions into Wentworth's ear.

"I understand. I have always remembered that. Don't worry, Abernathy."

Wentworth retrieved a pendant from inside his clothes—an item taken from the Grindelwald family vault at Gringotts. Within the triangular pendant, a circle was enclosed, with a vertical line running through the center.

Wentworth went to put it around his neck, but Abernathy solemnly tucked it inside his shirt.

"Remember, never let others see this pendant casually; it is a symbol! But if you ever encounter danger, channel your magic into it, and no matter where we are in the world, we will rush to your side as fast as we can."

"Alright, Wentworth, it's getting late. Off you go!"

Abernathy patted Wentworth on the shoulder and said with great gravity.

Following this, Wentworth pushed his trunk toward the legendary pillar, closed his eyes, and charged straight through.

Abernathy watched Wentworth disappear ahead and was about to leave when he suddenly grew alert, his hand darting toward his wand.

"Abernathy, who gave you permission to ad-lib like that?"

Abernathy let out a long sigh of relief, for the voice coming from behind him belonged to Rosier.

Abernathy turned around to see a woman wearing a hat, her hair tied in a long ponytail, dressed in a dark green trench coat, standing behind him.

"Oh, Rosier. Truly, no matter what you change into, your aura remains as noble as ever—like a passionate rose in a barren land. I think you need to disguise yourself a bit more; you must remember, you are about to meet Dumbledore!"

Rosier ignored Abernathy's flattery, looked him in the eye, and said:

"Who told you that no matter how strong a woman appears, her heart is always soft? You're quite the expert on women, aren't you, Abernathy?"

Abernathy smiled awkwardly, not knowing how to respond.

Rosier paid him no further mind and walked straight toward Platform Nine and Three-Quarters.

"However, you were right about one thing: I truly cannot bear to part. That is why I must ensure he walks out of that high tower with his head held high!"

With that, Rosier's figure vanished from the platform, leaving Abernathy all alone.

By this time, Wentworth was already standing before the train, which looked somewhat aged. The slight sadness of parting had been completely replaced by the anticipation of the new life about to begin at Hogwarts.

"Is this the Hogwarts Express? It looks... really not that impressive..."

Wentworth looked at the dilapidated train. Although he had told himself that this was England in 1990 and he couldn't view it through the lens of twenty years later, for someone like Wentworth who was used to the high-speed trains of his past life, the only thing worth praising about this train was that it was relatively clean.

"Yes, this train is indeed old, but it is already a part of Hogwarts, isn't it?"

Just then, a male voice sounded behind Wentworth. He turned to see a handsome, sunny-looking boy standing behind him, accompanied by a middle-aged man carrying a backpack.

"A Hogwarts freshman? Hello, my name is Cedric, Cedric Diggory!"

Cedric flashed a smile that could charm thousands of girls and extended his hand toward Wentworth.

The man behind Cedric immediately chimed in:

"Cedric, my son—he had the best grades of all the Hogwarts freshmen last year! Every single mark was an 'O'!"

When Wentworth realized that the person before him was Cedric, he was stunned for a moment—he hadn't expected to meet such an important character from the Harry Potter novels so soon—but he quickly put on a bright smile.

"Nice to meet you, senior! I'm a Hogwarts freshman; you can call me Wentworth! It's a pleasure to meet you. Are all the seniors at Hogwarts this dashing and academically gifted? I'm feeling quite a bit of pressure!"

Cedric didn't seem to expect Wentworth to be so direct and blushed slightly, unsure of how to respond. However, Amos, standing behind Cedric, said triumphantly:

"No, child, you're a freshman, so you don't know yet. In reality, the vast majority of students at Hogwarts barely scrape by! So, if you have any questions in the future, just go ask Cedric! He will help you!"

"Father, I don't want you to say that about my classmates. Everyone just has different interests and strengths! But Wentworth, if you have any doubts or difficulties in the future, you are welcome to come to me! It would be even better if you were sorted into our Hufflepuff!"

Woo, is this what a Hufflepuff senior is like? I love it! Wentworth thought to himself.