Chapter 135 "Christmas Gifts"

When Wentworth disembarked from the Hogwarts Express, he spotted Abernathy waiting for him not far away.

He rushed over and hugged Abernathy.

However, his eyes darted behind Abernathy, revealing a hint of doubt.

"Abernathy, where's Grandma Rosier?"

"Are you looking for me, Wentworth?"

Rosier's voice came from behind Wentworth, and when he turned, he saw her standing there, wearing a kindly expression.

"Welcome back, Wentworth. Let's go home."

The sight of Rosier made Wentworth feel an overwhelming sense of belonging.

"This isn't a foreign land, and I'm not a stranger," he thought.

When they arrived at the door of Wentworth's house, the soft lights emanating from inside filled him with a deep sense of home.

"This is? What's going on? Did you rob Gringotts in London?" Wentworth exclaimed, his eyes wide as he gazed upon the dazzling array of precious magical items in his room.

Looking somewhat incredulous, Abernathy replied, "These are all Christmas gifts from well-wishers around the world who got word of your return. I've gathered them here for you to look through. Keep what you like, and the rest I'll have stored in your Gringotts vault."

Wentworth was left speechless as he wandered amidst the neatly organized gifts piled in the room.

Rosier, who had followed them inside, expressed some discontent. "Wentworth, control your emotion."

Upon hearing this, Wentworth wiped away a stray bit of jelly from the corner of his mouth, forcing himself to regain his composure.

Rosier then asked, "What do you think when you see these gifts?"

Wentworth, standing amidst a dozen broomsticks, replied thoughtfully, "I finally understand why my grandfather needed four Gringotts vaults."

Rosier sighed and said, "Wentworth, seeing this, you should understand that many people were waiting for your return to the wizarding world. You represent Grindelwald and pure-blooded wizards."

Before Wentworth could respond, Rosier continued, "Take a couple of days to rest. There will be an important event on Christmas Day, and you will be the central figure."

With that, Rosier left the room, and as Abernathy was about to follow suit, Wentworth stopped him and said, "Grandpa Abernathy, please choose two of the best broomsticks from these gifts for me. I want to give them away."

Later that evening, Abernathy left Wentworth's residence and headed to Rosier's home, where many members of the Pure Party had gathered.

Seeing Abernathy's arrival, Rosier expressed some annoyance. "Why did it take you so long to get here?"

Abernathy explained, "The young master asked me to select two broomsticks and send them out with owls as Christmas gifts to Cedric and Green."

Upon hearing this, Rosier nodded thoughtfully and smiled. "One is a talented wizard recognized by Hogwarts, and the other is a Hufflepuff prefect. At the age of eleven, the young master has already learned how to win over exceptional wizards. This is something even the master couldn't achieve. The master is doing what a leader should do, and we must do our part."

Rosier continued, "The Christmas dinner doesn't need to be extravagant, and foreign wizards won't be attending. Those who are eligible to attend must have participated in the British Ministry of Magic during the First Wizarding War. This is their reward. The location is..."

Meanwhile, Wentworth lay on his long-unseen bed, struggling with a rare bout of insomnia.

After tossing and turning, he finally sat up and retrieved Cassandra's Christmas dinner invitation from beside his bed.

Although it was labeled a Christmas dinner invitation, the event was scheduled for the night following Christmas.

Wentworth couldn't shake the nagging doubt in his mind.

Cassandra's father should have made headlines upon his rescue.

Unless he hadn't yet reported back to the Ministry.

It struck Wentworth odd that a high-ranking Ministry official would prioritize a dinner party over reporting.

With these thoughts, Wentworth decided to observe the situation for a few more days, thinking that perhaps the newspapers hadn't caught up with the news yet.

Over the next two days, Wentworth found himself with rare leisure moments.

He had contemplated visiting Diagon Alley, but citing safety concerns, Rosier had discouraged him.

Finally, Christmas had arrived.

Early that morning, after being fussed over by Rosier for hours, Wentworth was left looking slightly disheveled.

"Grandma Rosier, can't we just go as we are? Everything looks perfect! It's almost done! It's just a blind date after all!"

Rosier, still meticulously choosing a brooch for Wentworth's suit, smiled and replied, "Wentworth, are you in such a hurry? Did Abernathy already inform you that many old acquaintances are bringing their granddaughters to tonight's event?"

"Huh? I didn't say anything! I wanted to surprise Wentworth!" Abernathy quickly interjected.

Now examining himself in the mirror, Wentworth responded, "Grandma Rosier, you've misunderstood me. I don't have any ulterior motives. I'm just eager to meet the older generation."

He added, "By the way, do you think I should have my eyebrow raised? I feel like I'm missing a bit of a heroic touch."