After the Feast

After the opening feast, all the new students followed the four House Prefects to their respective common rooms.

Dumbledore also returned to his office. Hogwarts' Deputy Headmistress, Professor McGonagall, came with him.

"Dumbledore, I'd like to borrow your Pensieve!"

The moment she stepped into the Headmaster's Office, Professor McGonagall said impatiently.

Then she walked over to Dumbledore's Pensieve, took out her wand, and gently touched it to her temple.

A silvery thread seemed to be drawn out by some invisible force. It drifted from Professor McGonagall's temple, and she placed it in the Pensieve.

"Dumbledore, I think you'd better see for yourself."

Dumbledore didn't refuse Professor McGonagall's request. He walked over, and in the Pensieve he saw Wentworth introducing the Four Houses in front of the Hogwarts Great Hall.

"That was a very interesting introduction, Professor McGonagall. I think you're reading too much into it. I know what you're worried about, but Wentworth's speech wasn't like Gellert's—not nearly as inflammatory or... aggressive."

Dumbledore said this after watching the contents of the Pensieve.

Professor McGonagall, however, spoke with some urgency.

"Dumbledore, I refuse to believe you didn't hear something in those words! Clearly, the child from the Grindelwald family knows Hogwarts extremely well. That's the only way he could describe the Four Houses so accurately."

"A child who's never even been to Hogwarts, yet knows it so well—what does that tell you? It tells you that those people have been watching Hogwarts all these years. Watching you!"

"I truly don't understand why you agreed to let his child study at Hogwarts! We're responsible for every student here! Do you know where the Sorting Hat thought he belonged? Azkaban!"

Faced with Professor McGonagall's unusually stern accusation, Dumbledore didn't get angry in the slightest. Instead, he replied patiently:

"Professor McGonagall, you know the Sorting Hat sometimes makes harmless jokes, don't you?"

Dumbledore turned his gaze toward the Sorting Hat resting nearby.

But this time, the Sorting Hat didn't do Dumbledore the favor. Instead, it said without mercy:

"Dumbledore, I think Azkaban might really suit that boy. It's not as if no one's ever made the journey from Hogwarts to Azkaban before."

This time, Professor McGonagall was the first to speak.

"That's because they went astray after graduation. While they were at school, most of them were good students!"

Clearly, Professor McGonagall loved her students every bit as much as Dumbledore did, and she retorted to the Sorting Hat without a moment's hesitation.

Dumbledore continued:

"You're right, Professor McGonagall. Most of them were good students while they were at school. So why can't you first look at Wentworth as an ordinary student?"

"Professor McGonagall, you know we can't leave a magical child out in the world without guidance. The threat of an Obscurus is always there."

But Professor McGonagall clearly couldn't accept Dumbledore's explanation.

"Dumbledore, you can't fool me. He could go to Durmstrang; that shouldn't be difficult for him. I want to know what you really think!"

At that, Dumbledore turned around and gazed deeply at Professor McGonagall before speaking slowly.

"Professor McGonagall, if I remember correctly, next year is when the Potter family's child comes to study at Hogwarts, isn't it?"

At Dumbledore's question, Professor McGonagall didn't understand why the subject had suddenly shifted from the child of the Grindelwald family to the child of the Potter family. Still, she answered:

"If you mean the Boy Who Lived, Harry Potter, then yes, he's due to arrive at Hogwarts next year."

Dumbledore nodded, his voice heavy.

"According to the Prophecy, He-Who-Must-Not-Be-Named will be returning soon, too!"

At this, Professor McGonagall seemed to understand all at once. Her mouth fell open.

"You mean... Dear heavens!"

Professor McGonagall stared at Dumbledore in disbelief, as though she hardly recognized the colleague and friend she had known for decades.

But Dumbledore's expression didn't change at all under her startled gaze. Instead, he said earnestly:

"Wentworth and Harry Potter will become good friends. I'm certain of it."

"We're getting old, Professor McGonagall. We need younger strength! Rather than turn them away, I'd rather see them grow under our guidance!"

Wentworth, of course, had no idea what was happening in the Headmaster's Office. Led by their Prefect, the Hufflepuff first-years entered their common room for the first time.

Compared with the other three Houses, Hufflepuff's advantage was now clear.

They left the Great Hall after the opening feast, went downstairs, turned a corner—and arrived!

The entrance to the Hufflepuff Common Room was through a still-life painting near the kitchen. Inside, the common room was hung with yellow drapes and furnished with soft armchairs.

A male Prefect stepped forward and said:

"This is the Hufflepuff Common Room. The names for your dormitories have already been written up, so you can find yours yourselves."

"You're in luck. Tomorrow's the weekend, so there are no classes. You can take the time to get familiar with the school grounds. But remember, there are a few places you must never go! The Forbidden Forest, for example!"

"If anyone's still hungry, turn left when you leave and you'll find the Hogwarts Kitchen. The house-elves there will be delighted to serve you!"

"All right, boys, come with me. Girls, this way. I hope you all have sweet dreams!"

Wentworth followed the Prefect and waved goodbye to Cedric, arranging to have breakfast together the next day.

When he reached his dormitory and met his roommates, Wentworth greeted them warmly and took out the snacks he'd bought aboard the Hogwarts Express to share with everyone.

Hufflepuff students really were friendly. After Wentworth handed out heaps of snacks, the other three had already elected him their leader.

While his roommates were busy devouring the snacks, Wentworth left their dormitory, crossed the common room, and made his way to Hogwarts' basement.

He didn't have to search far. Just outside the Hufflepuff Common Room, Wentworth spotted a painting of a fruit bowl hanging on the wall and smiled.