Chapter 242 "Cassandras Kidnapping"

Harry erupted as Cassandra completed her statement, declaring, "Then he is also an accomplice!"

Noticing Harry's escalating emotions, Draco approached, giving a gentle pat on Harry's shoulder to offer comfort. "Hang in there, Harry. I am pretty sure Wentworth will help us eventually."

He then elucidated for Wentworth and Cassandra, "Because, Professor Snape used to be a Death Eater."

Upon hearing this, Cassandra had a sudden realization. At the same time, Wentworth silently thought to himself, "In a way, it wasn't entirely inaccurate to label Professor Snape as the murderer of Harry's parents. After all, if he hadn't divulged the prophecy to Voldemort, there might have been a chance that Harry's parents wouldn't have met their demise."

Yet, Wentworth couldn't bring himself to disclose this to Harry.

Observing that Harry's temper had somewhat subsided, Wentworth stated, "Harry, regardless, I won't assist you if you plan to steal from Snape's office. Your parents didn't perish at the hands of Professor Snape. If you seek revenge, the target should be Voldemort and Tom Riddle, not our Potions professor!"

Having conveyed his perspective, Wentworth took Cassandra's hand and departed.

Certainly, Wentworth wouldn't jeopardize his relationship with Professor Snape, which he had worked hard to build just to ruin it in the process by assisting Harry, especially considering that Professor Snape was not a true Death Eater.

Wentworth acknowledged Professor Snape's importance, given that even his teacher, Lupin, relied on Snape to create Wolfsbane Potion.

In a broader sense, while Harry might be considered the lucky protagonist in this world, Wentworth did not incline to fawn over him.

Everyone is the protagonist in their own life; Wentworth has no importance to throw his life to meddle with the business of the original protagonist from the novel.

Having the thought that Dumbledore would eventually help him, Wentworth just put Harry's problem aside and tried to focus on the more important matter.

As Wentworth strode away decisively, Cassandra, who was trailing behind him, occasionally cast glances back at Harry and the others. She couldn't shake the feeling of how sorry she was when looking at them.

Once Wentworth had departed, Harry found himself sitting dejectedly on the ground, drawing the sympathetic presence of Draco, Ron, and Hermione who came over to offer solace.

"Don't give up, Harry. I am pretty sure we can find other ways to deal with your current problem!" Draco tries his best to console Harry.

Ron walked forward, "As much as I don't want to agree with Malfoy, but the young master is correct. There are four of us; we can think of many ways to approach this."

"But perhaps we should listen to Wentworth's advice? I mean, what good is confronting Professor Snape going to do for us? We are all freshmen!" Hermione argued.

While they wanted to deny her argument and scold her, deep down, they knew what Hermione had just said was correct...

What Wentworth advised from earlier was probably a great choice, but the current mood is far from keeping them making rational choices...

Unnoticed by all, in a window of Hogwarts Castle not far away, Quirrell stood silently, observing the scene unfolding beneath the castle.

Meanwhile, in a secluded office, Quirrell, alone, spoke with a tone of reverence as if conversing with himself, "Yes, master! I understand! I will unquestionably carry out your orders! This plan is flawless!"

When Wentworth and Cassandra left Harry and the others, they had just entered Hogwarts Castle when Cassandra asked, "How long are you going to hold on to my hand?"

Hearing Cassandra's inquiry, Wentworth responded awkwardly, "Oh, haha, I didn't realize it, I was careless!"

With that admission, Wentworth reluctantly released Cassandra's hand.

She shot him an exasperated glance and strode purposefully toward the Slytherin common room. As they passed each other, Cassandra asked softly, "Enjoying yourself too much?"

Once Cassandra had left, Wentworth gradually wiped the smile from his face, metaphorically cleared non-existent saliva from the corner of his mouth, and retrieved the shipping order that Cassandra had given him, studying it intently.

Certainly, some Hogwarts courses rely more on talent than hard work. Take History of Magic, for example.

Hogwarts maintained an outward calm in the following days, but an undercurrent of tension permeated the atmosphere as the impending exams approached. Even the so-called geniuses like Wentworth and Cedric found themselves immersed in rigorous review.

On a typical day, after finishing his classes, Wentworth headed straight to the Hogwarts library.

Noticing that neither Cedric nor Green had arrived yet, he paid little attention.

After placing his textbook on the table, Wentworth went to the bookshelves to gather the materials he needed.

Upon returning to his seat with a book in hand, Wentworth discovered a note neatly placed on the table. He looked around but found nothing suspicious, which only deepened his frown.

He pondered the situation. The absence of any apparent culprits made everyone a potential suspect.

In the span of just two or three minutes, from when he left to when he returned, a note had appeared on his desk seemingly out of thin air.

This indicated that someone had been observing him without his knowledge.

With this realization, Wentworth instinctively reached for his wand.

"Finite Incantatem!"

Upon noticing no immediate reactions to the note on the table, Wentworth decided to pick it up despite the curious glances around him. However, as soon as he read its contents, a surge of anger shot through him.

The note spelled out a chilling message:

"Cassandra is in my hands now. If you want to save her, bring me Harry Potter! I'll be waiting for you at midnight in the Forbidden Forest."

There was no need for Wentworth to ponder; he knew exactly who left this ominous message. In the entirety of Hogwarts at this moment, there was only one individual capable of such a sinister act—Quirrell!

And behind Quirrell's actions loomed the shadowy figure, the one who was neither human nor ghost, pulling the strings from the shadows.

In that moment, Wentworth sensed a subtle approach from behind.

He instinctively pointed his wand in that direction, ready to confront the potential threat.

However, the tension was quickly diffused when Green, with hands raised in a placating gesture, spoke up, "Hey, Wentworth, relax. It was just a joke. Don't be impulsive!"

Green stood behind Wentworth, looking slightly embarrassed, while Cedric, with a good-natured smile, chimed in, "I've told you before, no more such jokes. Don't count on me to save you if you get hit by Wentworth's spell. I'll always stand by Wentworth's side!"

However, the amusement on their faces faded when they realized Wentworth wasn't amused.

Instead, he appeared remarkably calm and unsettling.

Observing Wentworth's demeanor, Green's heartbeat accelerated, and he turned to Wentworth with concern, asking, "Are you genuinely upset?"

Wentworth took a deep breath, managing to suppress the anger within.

He then handed the note to Green and Cedric. As the two friends read the brief message, shock painted their expressions.

Cedric quickly inquired, "When did you receive this note?"

Wentworth responded with a cold tone, "Just five minutes ago."

Meanwhile, Green flagged down a passing student named Jace. Familiar with him, Green questioned, "Jace, which class did your Slytherin sophomore have this afternoon?"

Although confused, Jace still answered, "It's Defense Against the Dark Arts, Prefect Green."