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After joking around a bit with Cedric and Green, Wentworth let out a big yawn. Seeing that, the three of them said goodnight and headed to their dorms.
But once Wentworth got to his room, he didn't actually sleep. That yawn earlier? Totally fake—just to fool Cedric and Green.
He immediately took out a quill and parchment and began writing down everything that had happened that night, word for word. He planned to send the letter to Rozier and Abernathy first thing tomorrow.
In Wentworth's mind, Rozier and Abernathy were experts in the Dark Arts. If anyone could figure out who those dark wizards were tonight, it'd be them.
And while Wentworth was writing away in his room, somewhere else, another person had just placed a finished article on the Daily Prophet editor's desk.
The editor glanced at the article by Rita Skeeter, looking a bit unsure. But after some persuasion from Rita, he eventually agreed and called over one of the staff, handing them the article with instructions to make it tomorrow's front-page headline.
Along with the article, a magical photograph was also sent to the Daily Prophet's print room. In the photo, Wentworth was hiding behind Dumbledore, a surprised look on his face.
The next morning, Wentworth—letter in hand—headed to the Hogwarts Great Hall with Cedric for breakfast. He planned to send the letter via owl afterward.
Just as they were digging into breakfast, a flurry of owls burst in, delivering letters and newspapers. Among them, of course, was the day's issue of the Daily Prophet.
The Great Hall was buzzing with excitement, students chatting and laughing as they read their mail.
Suddenly, a loud curse rang out from somewhere, silencing the room.
Whispers erupted across the hall, growing louder by the second—along with the occasional angry shout.
Wentworth, still eating, frowned and looked up—just in time to see Green walking quickly toward him, newspaper in hand.
Before Green could speak, Wentworth beat him to it.
"Let me guess. I made the paper again?"
Green stopped mid-step, then gave a wry smile and nodded. "Yep. Congrats, Wentworth—you've made the Daily Prophet twice and you haven't even finished first year. This time, it's front page. Though... not exactly about you."
He handed over the paper. Wentworth's eyes immediately landed on the front-page photo.
Gotta admit, Rita Skeeter may have a shady rep, but the woman knew how to take a killer photo. This one was taken just as she'd suddenly appeared the night before—flash going off in the dark forest, startling everyone. It had captured Wentworth's shocked face as he instinctively ducked behind Dumbledore.
A normal, even protective moment. But paired with Rita's twisted article? It gave off a whole different vibe.
The headline screamed: "The Mystery Behind Dumbledore's Refusal to Become Minister of Magic"
Even Wentworth had to admit—the headline alone made you want to read on.
The article began by claiming that a senior Ministry official had revealed the Ministry had invited Dumbledore multiple times to become the Minister for Magic—offers he always refused.
Dumbledore's reason? He wanted to stay on as Hogwarts headmaster and didn't want to stretch himself too thin.
But Rita posed the question: Why would someone pass up the top job in the magical world just to stay a school principal?
She then rattled off several theories before dropping the bomb:
Last night, she claimed, Dumbledore was spotted deep in a forest in southern England—with a Hogwarts first-year student.
Why take a student out so late at night? When asked, Dumbledore allegedly told her it was "a secret that couldn't be shared."
And this wasn't the first time—Rita claimed he had even taken the same student to the Quidditch World Cup final during the school year.
She described the student—clearly Wentworth—as "handsome," "elegant," and "noble beyond his years."
Then she revealed that during that forest visit, a group of wizards had accidentally wandered in—sparking Dumbledore's fury and unleashing a mysterious spell, powerful enough to rival the Dark Arts.
The blast was so strong it drew out Rufus, head of the Auror Office, along with a squad of Aurors to contain the scene.
Only one of the wizards survived the encounter—memory wiped clean.
The article ended with a chilling line: "We can't help but wonder—what is being hidden from the public?"
Wentworth tossed the paper down on the table.
Even without reading the rest, he could already see exactly what Rita Skeeter was trying to do—drag Dumbledore's name through the mud.
He'd known she was trouble the moment she showed up last night. But he hadn't expected her to go this far.
She was actually trying to destroy Dumbledore's entire reputation.
"....."