Platform 9 3/4

For a while after that, Wentworth studied Occlumency every day under Rosier and the others. By the time the start of term drew near, he had finally learned to hide his thoughts well, even when facing Abernathy directly.

Before long, September 1 arrived—the day Hogwarts started its new term.

Wentworth got up early that morning. With Abernathy leading the way, he Apparated straight to the entrance to Platform 9 3/4.

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

Wentworth stood in front of the platform and asked curiously.

He had thought Rosier would be the one to see him off today, but to his surprise, it was Abernathy who had knocked on his door that morning. Rosier had not shown up at all.

Abernathy smiled and replied:

"Dear Wentworth, as a young man, you need to understand that no matter how strong a woman seems, her heart is always soft! The thought of you leaving her to attend Hogwarts on your own has left Rosier so heartbroken she can barely contain herself."

"She said she just couldn't bear the pain of saying goodbye, so she decided not to come at all. Ha ha."

In truth, Rosier had agreed with the others not to tell Wentworth where she was really going. They were afraid he would worry about her safety and refuse to let her go to Hogwarts as the Defense Against the Dark Arts teacher.

As Wentworth listened to Abernathy's answer, he thought back on all the time they had spent together recently. These dark wizards were even more unhinged than the Death Eaters, but there was no denying that they truly cared about him.

The thought of parting ways left Wentworth feeling just as heartbroken.

"All right, Wentworth, hurry along! Remember to write to us once you get to Hogwarts! If you need any help, make sure to tell us in your letter! Most importantly, if you find yourself in danger, you know what to do!"

Abernathy leaned close to Wentworth's ear and gave him a quiet reminder.

"I understand. I haven't forgotten. Don't worry, Abernathy."

Wentworth fished a pendant out of his clothes. He had taken it from the Grindelwald Family vault at Gringotts. A circle was held within the triangular pendant, with a vertical line running through it.

Wentworth put it around his neck, but Abernathy solemnly tucked it inside his jacket.

"Remember, don't let anyone see this pendant. It's a symbol! But if you ever find yourself in danger, channel your magic into it. No matter where we are in the world, we'll reach you as quickly as we can."

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

Abernathy patted Wentworth on the shoulder and spoke with great solemnity.

Wentworth pushed his luggage trolley toward the legendary barrier, shut his eyes, and charged straight through.

Abernathy watched Wentworth disappear ahead of him and was just about to leave when he suddenly sensed danger. He hurriedly reached for his wand.

"Abernathy, who gave you permission to make yourself the star of the show?"

Abernathy let out a long breath. The voice behind him belonged to Rosier.

He turned around and saw a woman standing behind him. She wore a top hat and a long ponytail, along with a dark green trench coat.

"Oh, Rosier. Just as I thought—no matter what you look like, you carry yourself with such nobility, like a vivid rose blooming in barren land. I think you'll need to disguise yourself a little more. After all, you're going to meet Dumbledore!"

Rosier ignored Abernathy's flattery and looked him in the eyes.

"Who told you that no matter how strong a woman seems, her heart is always soft? You know a lot about women, Abernathy, don't you?"

Abernathy gave an awkward smile, unsure how to respond.

Rosier paid him no further attention and headed straight for Platform 9 3/4.

"But you were right about one thing. I really can't bear to part with him. That's why I'm going to make sure he walks out of that tower in broad daylight!"

With that, Rosier disappeared through the entrance to Platform 9 3/4, leaving Abernathy standing alone.

By then, Wentworth was already standing in front of the old-looking train. The slight sadness of their farewell had been completely replaced by his anticipation of starting a new life at Hogwarts.

"So this is the Hogwarts Express? It looks... pretty unimpressive..."

Wentworth looked at the shabby train. He had already reminded himself that this was Britain in 1990, and that he couldn't judge it by the standards of more than twenty years later.

But having spent his previous life riding the Harmony and Fuxing high-speed trains, Wentworth could find little to praise about this train beyond its cleanliness.

"Yes, the train really is old, but it's part of Hogwarts now, isn't it?"

A male voice sounded behind Wentworth. He turned around and saw a handsome, sunny-looking teenage boy standing there, with a middle-aged man carrying a backpack beside him.

"A new Hogwarts student? Hello, I'm Cedric, Cedric Diggory!"

Cedric flashed a smile that could charm a thousand girls and held out his hand to Wentworth.

The man behind Cedric immediately chimed in:

"Cedric, my son, was the top student among last year's Hogwarts first-years! He got O's in every subject!"

When Wentworth learned that the boy in front of him was Cedric, he froze for a moment. He hadn't expected to meet such an important character from the Harry Potter books so soon. Then he immediately put on a bright smile.

"Hello, senior! I'm a new Hogwarts student. You can call me Wentworth! It's nice to meet you, senior. Are all the older students at Hogwarts this handsome and accomplished? I'm feeling a lot of pressure!"

Cedric seemed taken aback by Wentworth's directness. He blushed a little, at a loss for words, but Amos, standing behind him, replied smugly:

"No, my boy. You're new, so you don't know yet. In fact, most Hogwarts students only just scrape by academically! So if you ever have any questions, just go ask Cedric! He'll help you with anything!"

"Father, I don't want you to talk about my classmates like that. Everyone just has different interests and strengths! Still, Wentworth, if you ever have any questions or run into trouble, you're welcome to come to me! It'd be even better if you got sorted into Hufflepuff!"

Aw, so this is what a senior from Badger House is like? I love him! Wentworth thought.