A Letter from the Ministry of Magic

Wentworth walked back and forth three times in front of the wall, muttering to himself:

"I need a place to practice magic. I need a place to practice magic. I need a place to practice magic!"

Suddenly, a wooden door appeared on the previously bare wall. Wentworth smiled, turned the handle, and stepped inside.

After today's duel, a sense of urgency had taken hold of Wentworth. Watching the people around him cast all kinds of spells with such ease made him feel like he was back in his previous life, when everyone had agreed not to study, only for the exam to begin and all his classmates to hand in their papers half an hour early, leaving him as the only one still sitting there.

At the time, Wentworth had thought that, as a transmigrator, ending up in such a state was downright embarrassing!

But compared to the classmates around him, who had grown up in the Wizarding World, his only advantages were perhaps his knowledge of the future and his familiarity with certain special objects and places.

For example, the Half-Blood Prince's notebook he had obtained earlier, and the Room of Requirement before him.

That was why Wentworth had come to the Room of Requirement tonight: to gain extra time and opportunities to practice spells. He had even brought the Half-Blood Prince's notebook. After all, compared with everyone else, his body had a full ten-year gap in its memories.

Wentworth thought he had taken every precaution, but he had overlooked one thing: the Headmaster's Office and the Room of Requirement were both on the eighth floor of Hogwarts Castle.

A moment after Wentworth entered the Room of Requirement, two figures slowly appeared outside its door.

"The Room of Requirement? Headmaster Dumbledore, Wentworth even knows about such a well-hidden room? Many students don't even know Hogwarts has such a remarkable room, even after they graduate."

Professor McGonagall gazed toward the Room of Requirement, astonished.

But Dumbledore didn't seem concerned in the slightest. "It's nothing. Perhaps someone in the Acolytes once studied at Hogwarts and told him where this room was. Or perhaps he stumbled across it after arriving at the school. It's even possible this comes from a bloodline talent inherited from Grindelwald."

Seeing Professor McGonagall look puzzled, Dumbledore continued to explain:

"Gellert Grindelwald was a famous Seer in the Wizarding World. That came from his bloodline talent, which you could see in his unusual eyes."

"Wentworth hasn't shown any talent in that area before, but that doesn't mean he doesn't have it. Perhaps a sudden flash of inspiration was a glimpse of the future."

After hearing Dumbledore's explanation, Professor McGonagall drew a deep breath and exclaimed, "What a frightening family. What a frightening opponent!"

Dumbledore quickly corrected her. "No, no, Minerva. Wentworth and we aren't opponents. At least, not for now! Come on, let's head back. What was it you just told me? You received a letter from the Ministry of Magic?"

Dumbledore and Professor McGonagall walked toward the Headmaster's Office as they spoke.

"Yes, Headmaster Dumbledore. The Ministry just sent a letter saying they're coming to Hogwarts to see whether the students' safety is being neglected while they're at school! The nerve of them! It's a blatant show of suspicion and distrust! Where do they think they are? This is Hogwarts!"

By then, Dumbledore had returned to the Headmaster's Office. With a gentle wave of his hand, several little cakes appeared on the desk and began dancing merrily.

Dumbledore picked one up and popped it into his mouth, then gestured for Professor McGonagall to try one.

"Try one of the cakes I got from Filius. I must say, our Professor Flitwick's talent for appreciating desserts is slightly inferior to his skill with spells, but at least his taste is unusual, isn't it? Go on, try one."

Professor McGonagall saw that Dumbledore seemed unmoved by what she had just said. Her expression darkened, and she spoke in a low voice:

"Headmaster Dumbledore, I don't think you understand what this letter means! Someone is questioning Hogwarts, which is really a way of questioning you! The Ministry has never given up its plan to extend its influence over Hogwarts!"

Dumbledore merely waved away Professor McGonagall's concerns and said, "All right, Professor McGonagall. There's no need to be so tense. Let me guess who sent the letter. If I'm not mistaken, it was Thomas Levo, head of the Auror Office, wasn't it? Let's see... yes, he graduated from Slytherin."

Professor McGonagall was taken aback by Dumbledore's guess and blurted out, "How did you know, Dumbledore?"

Dumbledore smiled confidently. "Not only can I guess that Thomas is coming, I can also guess that this is Thomas's personal decision. The Ministry doesn't know about it."

Seeing Professor McGonagall about to ask a question, Dumbledore continued before she could speak:

"Because Fudge has only just taken office. He still needs my support to secure his position as Minister for Magic. What he'll do once he's settled in, I don't know. But for now, he wouldn't dare come to Hogwarts and provoke me!"

Dumbledore said it calmly, but with an air of command. His meaning was clear: without his approval, Fudge wouldn't have become Minister for Magic.

"Then how do you explain the letter that arrived tonight?"

Professor McGonagall pulled a letter from her robes. An owl had delivered it not long ago. She had been on her way to see Dumbledore with the letter when she came across the suspiciously sneaky Wentworth, which was why she had alerted Dumbledore.

Dumbledore glanced at it and said dismissively, "Minerva, I think you're overcomplicating things. You seem to have forgotten that Thomas Levo is Cassandra Levo's father! This is nothing more than a father who heard his beloved daughter had suffered a minor injury at school and wants to visit her, using his position to put a little pressure on the school while he's at it. That's all!"

"Did he say when he plans to come?" Dumbledore asked.

"The letter says he'll finish his work tomorrow morning and come over in the afternoon," Professor McGonagall replied.

Dumbledore smiled. "He hasn't been back in so many years. Surely he won't show up empty-handed to visit his old teachers?"

At Dumbledore's words, Professor McGonagall finally smiled as well.