Kill the Owl?

Wentworth read it over and over, growing happier with every look, until the owl fluttered over unsteadily and gently tapped his sleeve.

It was still waiting for Wentworth's reply, but the surroundings here were so unpleasant that it didn't want to stay a minute longer.

Seeing this, Wentworth hurriedly said:

"Oh, sorry, little one. I'll write back right away! I'll even pack you some tasty snacks so you won't be lonely on the way!"

But Rosier stopped him. She took out her wand again and pointed it at the owl beside them.

"No need to trouble yourself, Wentworth. I'll send this owl on its way right now! If we kill it, I'm sure Dumbledore will understand what we mean!"

The sudden turn of events gave Wentworth quite a fright. The owl was even more startled, its feathers puffing up. Fortunately, Wentworth instinctively grabbed Rosier's arm, just barely stopping her from casting the spell.

"Grandma Rosier, what are you doing? Haven't you all been hoping I'd receive my Hogwarts letter too?"

Holding Rosier's arm with both hands, Wentworth asked her in utter confusion.

"That's right. We were hoping you'd receive a Hogwarts letter because it's the most accurate way in the entire Wizarding World to determine whether you have magical talent! But now that we know you do, we have no need for them anymore!"

"Wentworth, I can tell you're very interested in magic. Even if you don't go to Hogwarts, we can teach you any spell you want, from the Imperius Curse to Avada Kedavra. There isn't a spell we don't know!"

Now that she knew Wentworth had magical talent, Rosier's old ambitions flared up again. She explained this to him with renewed enthusiasm.

Wentworth stared at Rosier in shock as she excitedly talked about the Unforgivable Curses, unsure what expression to make.

If going to Hogwarts meant worrying about which house he'd be sorted into, following these people would certainly spare him that trouble. Azkaban was bound to become his home.

"Ahem, Grandma Rosier, I don't think you need to trouble everyone, do you? Hogwarts is pretty good..."

But before Wentworth could finish, Rosier interrupted him.

"No. Hogwarts is too dangerous!"

In Rosier's mind, Hogwarts headmaster Dumbledore was the most shameless man in the entire Wizarding World. The second worst was some animal-loving caretaker!

After all, to the headmaster of Hogwarts, every student's background was an open book. Rosier couldn't even imagine how the child of the Grindelwald Family would be treated at the school run by their sworn enemy, Dumbledore!

Hearing Rosier's words, Wentworth was just as bewildered. Hogwarts was dangerous? To him, Hogwarts was countless times safer than the outside world, especially with Voldemort due to return next year!

As long as he kept his distance from Hogwarts' three infamous house-point takers, it was the safest place in the whole Wizarding World.

With that in mind, Wentworth stopped hesitating and told Rosier firmly:

"Grandma Rosier, I've decided. I'm going to Hogwarts! Because Dumbledore is there!"

As far as Wentworth was concerned, just mentioning Dumbledore was enough to settle the matter. Was there anywhere safer than being beside the greatest white wizard in the world?

Unfortunately, he'd arrived in this world a little too early. Fantastic Beasts hadn't come out yet, so Wentworth didn't know that his grandfather was widely regarded as the most terrifying dark wizard in the world—and that Dumbledore was the Grindelwald Family's lifelong enemy!

So when Rosier and the others heard Wentworth say this, they took it very differently.

Rosier first looked startled. Then tears welled in her eyes. After a long moment, she finally spoke:

"Wentworth, I understand how you feel. But you're still too young to challenge Dumbledore!"

Wentworth was baffled again. What made her think he wanted to challenge Dumbledore? He couldn't even beat a single hair on the man's head!

But by now, Wentworth had realized just how highly these old-timers regarded his surname. He couldn't say or do anything that might disgrace the family's honor. After all, these were dark wizards who could cast the Unforgivable Curses with ease!

So Wentworth could only force himself to say:

"That's all right, Grandma Rosier. The only way to surpass the strongest is to learn at their side!"

"The only way to surpass the strongest is to learn at their side?"

Rosier mulled over Wentworth's words and nodded involuntarily. But when she looked down at his still-childish face, tears welled in her eyes.

"Wentworth, you've had to bear so much. Even though Dumbledore is the headmaster and won't openly do anything to you, since he's such a hypocrite, I'm afraid your life there won't be easy!"

"You're carrying a burden no one your age should have to bear! It's all because we failed back then!"

Hearing that Rosier had finally stopped opposing his going to Hogwarts, Wentworth had no time to think through what she meant. Once he got to Hogwarts, he'd be free as a bird! He hurriedly urged her:

"Grandma Rosier, this is my destiny! Let's hurry and write back to Hogwarts!"

After watching the owl carry Wentworth's reply back to Hogwarts, Rosier turned to him and said gently:

"Wentworth, get a good night's rest. First thing tomorrow morning, I'll take you to Diagon Alley to buy everything you need for school!"

Wentworth watched as the gray-haired elders prepared to carry a corpse out, one of them holding it by the arm. After a moment's silence, he spoke:

"Grandma Rosier, I want to give Libby a proper burial. It took such good care of me all these years."

Rosier thought that was what a House-elf was supposed to do. In her view, Libby had even failed to protect Wentworth and deserved punishment. But since Wentworth had made the request so earnestly, she agreed.

"Reparo!"

Rosier then restored everything in Wentworth's room before saying goodbye and telling him to get to bed early.

Just as Rosier was about to leave, she suddenly turned back and asked:

"Wentworth, should we find a way to secretly arrange for you to meet Master? He may have been imprisoned there against his will, but if we wanted to break in, we might still be able to manage it!"