Chapter 312 "The Hat and The Diadem"

After Wentworth's words trailed off, a heavy silence enveloped the room. Sensing the tension, Wentworth sighed heavily, realizing there was no time to waste.

"Alright, I'll take care of that basilisk right away, and tonight, we'll have basilisk soup!" Wentworth declared, his tone resolute. Then, he turned to the group and asked, "Does anyone want to join me?"

Without hesitation, Cedric and Green positioned themselves behind Wentworth, ready for action.

"Ready when you are!" Green stated with a serious look on his face.

"I'll follow you even till the end of the Earth, Wentworth!" Cedric confidently declared.

"How about us? We could help too!" Harry and the others also volunteered, raising their hands in solidarity.

After a brief pause, Wentworth deliberated and made a decision. "Harry, come with me. Draco, Hermione, stay here and wait for Professor Dumbledore's return. Inform him of our whereabouts," he instructed.

"We can help as well! Don't count us out on this one, Wentworth!" Draco and Hermione immediately protested, insisting on their capability to assist.

"I understand how much you wanted to help, but I'm afraid neither of you is strong enough for the current task! I don't want to risk any unnecessary danger while fighting the Basilisk!" However, Wentworth dismissed their pleas, deeming their strength insufficient for the task at hand.

"Then, what about Harry? What's so different between me and him?!" Frustrated, Hermione questioned why Harry was allowed to go while she wasn't. She argued her abilities were on par with Harry's.

Caught off guard by Hermione's challenge, Wentworth struggled to justify his decision.

He couldn't reveal his true motive for choosing Harry without causing further conflict. Wentworth thought it would be good to be grazed with Harry's protagonist protection for once in his life.

Fortunately, Draco intervened at that moment, standing up and gently pulling Hermione aside.

"Alright, Hermione, don't forget, Harry's an old hand at this. That's probably why Wentworth chose him," Draco whispered, subtly diffusing the tension.

Impressed by Draco's quick thinking, Wentworth nodded approvingly. "Exactly, that's the reason," he affirmed, trying to pacify Hermione.

However, Hermione couldn't suppress her frustration. She refused to accept the explanation, especially when comparing herself to the others, except for Harry. Cedric and Green's imposing figures only served to emphasize her own perceived inadequacy.

Just as the group was about to depart, Wentworth abruptly halted, retracing his steps back into Dumbledore's office. Bewildered, the others exchanged puzzled glances, wondering what could have prompted his sudden change of course.

Moments later, Wentworth reappeared, clutching a worn and tattered hat – the Sorting Hat.

Despite its dilapidated appearance, the Sorting Hat continued to voice its displeasure, "Let me go now! You darned, imbecile student! I never seen a student in the entire history of Hogwarts to be this rude!"

Annoyed by the hat's incessant chatter, Wentworth snapped, "That's because I arrived too late. If I had been here earlier, you would've seen it all! Now, quiet down, or I'll sew your mouth shut with a needle! Stand to attention!"

As Wentworth issued his stern warning, the Sorting Hat, previously chatty, obediently fell silent. Yet, it couldn't resist muttering under its breath after a brief pause, "You should've been assigned to Azkaban back then!"

Ignoring the hat's grumbles, Wentworth tossed it to Harry, who caught it with a puzzled expression.

"Wentworth, why are you giving me this?" Harry began, but before he could finish, Wentworth, already on the move, cut him off nonchalantly.

"Take it. If you're in danger – like if the basilisk charges at you – throw this hat on its head!" With that, Wentworth left hastily, paying no heed to the Sorting Hat's continued protests.

"Basilisk?! Are you planning to let me become the Basilisk's feed? Don't joke with me!" After voicing his complaint toward Wentworth, the Sorting Hat talked to Harry, "Whatever you do, don't listen to what that idiotic boy just said!"

"I don't know anything about it, but I have to trust him." Though Harry was unsure of the hat's purpose, he held onto it as he bid Draco and Hermione farewell, "Hermione, Draco, I'll see you guys later. Stay safe! Trust Wentworth on this one. I'm sure he has the solution for it." Then Harry hurried after Wentworth.

As they departed, Hermione couldn't shake off her sense of helplessness, pondering the enigmatic nature of the secret mission.

"Did they join Secret Hallows because they were strong, or did they become strong because they joined Secret Hallows?" Hermione mused quietly, her thoughts swirling with uncertainty.

As Wentworth led Harry and the others to a familiar place – the Hogwarts Room of Requirement – everyone except him was perplexed. Cedric voiced their confusion, asking, "Wentworth, isn't the basilisk hiding in the Room of Requirement?"

Wentworth shook his head, pushing open the wooden door and stating firmly, "Of course not. But I'm here to find something."

Upon entering, the sight inside left Green astonished. "Merlin's beard, Wentworth! What kind of room did you need? A junkyard?" he exclaimed, surveying the chaotic array of objects.

Unfazed, Wentworth gestured to the piles of debris and declared, "Let's start searching. What we're looking for is in here!"

Green's sigh was echoed by Cedric, who couldn't help but jest, "Wentworth, I hope whatever you want us to find is conspicuous. By the way, what exactly are we searching for in this mess?"

As Wentworth searched through the clutter, he revealed, "It's a golden crown."

His words left Cedric and the others stunned, prompting Green to inquire eagerly, "A golden crown? What kind?"

Standing up, Wentworth fixed his gaze on them and declared, "You must have heard the legend—it's the fabled crown of Ravenclaw."

The room fell silent at the revelation, followed by a collective gasp. Green, unable to contain his excitement, exclaimed, "The true Ravenclaw's crown? The one said to bestow infinite wisdom upon its wearer, hidden here in the Room of Requirement?"

Wentworth affirmed with certainty, nodding in response, "Yes, senior. That crown. If we could get our hands on it, then fighting this Basilisk would be an easy task."

With newfound interest, Cedric and the others exchanged glances. Green, eager to begin the search, pressed on, "Wentworth, have you known for some time that Ravenclaw's diadem is concealed here? And does it truly enhance wisdom?"

Reflecting on the fate of its past possessors, Helena and Tom Riddle, Wentworth grimaced, "I can't say if it enhances wisdom, but history suggests its owners often meet unfortunate ends."

Green and Cedric looked at each other for a moment before gulping.

"I guess being wise has a price to pay," Cedric remarked.

"You have an absolute sense of timing for jokes like this, Cedric!" Green slapped Cedric on the shoulder.