Chapter 336 "Laila Lopez"

Fortunately, a wizard soon regained his senses and took action, "Finite Incantatem!"

As the sandstorm abated and everyone sought Wentworth once more, they were astonished to find him standing behind Essien, wand in hand, poised above Essien's head.

"He still had his wand? What should we do?!" another wizard asked in confusion, as fear slowly washed over his face.

Observing this unexpected turn of events, those who had been prepared to intervene halted in their tracks, exchanging bewildered glances.

Struggling against his bonds, Essien managed to speak through the difficulty. "How do you still possess a wand?!"

Wentworth smirked in response. "Did you truly expect me to relinquish it so easily? Especially when you have no good intention in the first place."

"It's not that we don't have good intentions; it's just the standard protocol for us to be wary against an outsider like you!" One of the Uagadou's wizards tried to reason with Wentworth.

Simultaneously, another wizard accompanying Essien pointed at his palm in astonishment. "Look at Essien's hand!"

Only then did the others notice that, at some point, the wand Essien had been clutching had transformed into a golden Galleon.

Seizing the opportunity, Wentworth retrieved the golden Galleon from Essien's grasp and tossed it to Jimon, remarking, "Our agreement remains valid until we officially enter Uagadou. Consider this payment for the current minute!"

With evident delight, Jimon eagerly caught the Galleon tossed by Wentworth, casually stowing it away despite the watchful gazes of those present.

"What? The problem you are currently facing is not my concern anymore. I have tried to stop you from doing it. I even told you specifically that my friend Wentworth here does not come with the intention of no harm," Jimon tried to reason under the scrutinizing gaze of the other wizards of Uagadou.

A witch accompanying Essien spoke up loudly, her tone stern. "Release Essien immediately, or you'll regret it!"

Wentworth chuckled at her threat. "So, you were being polite earlier? I'm intrigued to see how you plan to exhibit your manners now!"

The witch fell silent at Wentworth's retort, her bravado deflated, "It... it's just... Ah!" She was lost for words.

Ignoring the others, Wentworth focused on Essien, bound as he was, and spoke with intent. "Essien, correct? You seem to recognize the school crest on my robes."

Essien, now little more than a human pole due to his bound clothing, feigned ignorance. "School crest? I know nothing of any school crest!"

Unmoved by Essien's denial, Wentworth's wand traced lightly across Essien's neck. With a flick of his wand, Essien let out a pained cry.

Witnessing Essien's suffering, many of his companions showed signs of apprehension.

"Let him go!"

Maintaining his composure, Wentworth continued impassively, "In our homeland, there's a tradition where liars must face the consequences. A liar must swallow a thousand needles."

Essien, now regaining his strength, pleaded earnestly, "I... I didn't lie. I truly don't recognize your school badge..."

Observing Essien's distress, Wentworth shook his head, "Wrong answer, Essien..." retrieving an unknown potion from his robes. Essien recoiled in horror at the sight.

"What are you planning? This is Uagadou!" Essien exclaimed, his voice tinged with fear.

Wentworth placed a reassuring hand on Essien's shoulder, urging him to calm down. "Shh, don't fret. It's not poison—it's merely a vial of Veritaserum. I'll administer a drop. If you genuinely don't recognize the school crest on my robes, all will be well. But if you do, well... you'll experience that discomfort you felt earlier, intensified nine hundred and ninety-ninefold."

Essien's face drained of color at Wentworth's words, but he retorted incredulously, "Stop jesting. I refuse to believe you carry such a precious vial of Veritaserum with you!"

Unfazed, Wentworth calmly unscrewed the vial's cap. "Nothing is impossible. Have you heard of the Wizarding School Potions Championship? As a contestant, I obtained this Veritaserum. Is it so implausible?"

As Wentworth moved to administer the Veritaserum, Essien panicked, his resistance crumbling. "I'll talk! I'll talk! I recognize the badge—it's from Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry, the House of Hufflepuff!"

Upon hearing Essien's confession, Wentworth calmly stowed away the vial in his hand, oblivious to the peculiar expression in Jimon's eyes.

With his focus solely on Essien, Wentworth's wand delicately brushed against Essien's skin, causing him to tremble uncontrollably under its touch.

In a composed tone, Wentworth inquired, "Explain to me, knowing I hail from Hogwarts, why would you still resort to such actions? Do you believe a Hogwarts student would purposefully come to Uagadou to cause harm?"

Essien swallowed hard, a moment of silence passing over him. Sensing Wentworth's growing impatience, Essien hastily spoke up.

"All of Uagadou's students received news earlier. The International Confederation of Wizards dispatched a Hogwarts student to investigate the allegations raised against Uagadou during the recent Animagus seminar."

"I merely intended to disarm you earlier, so you would be apprehensive of causing trouble within Uagadou."

Essien's explanation left Wentworth momentarily stunned, a foreboding feeling creeping over him.

"What? You dare to take action that far?! There is something wrong here!" Wentworth said in disbelief as he looked at the other wizards of Uagadou, who were still wary of him.

At that moment, a voice called out Wentworth's name from behind. Turning around, Wentworth saw his affable headmaster, Dumbledore, accompanied by Akimbad and a middle-aged witch.

Approaching Wentworth and Essien, Dumbledore observed Essien, who was bound by Wentworth's magic. With a flick of his finger, Dumbledore released Essien from the spell.

"Seems like you are already getting yourself close with some of the students here. I expect no less from you my child," Dumbledore said with a smile.

Once freed, Essien hurriedly moved behind the middle-aged witch and began to explain, "Headmistress Lopez, this individual—"

But before Essien could finish, the middle-aged witch intervened, producing a small ball of powder from her robes. "Let us see for ourselves," she declared.

With a gentle puff, the powder dispersed into the air, enveloping the surroundings. Instantly, the recent events unfolded before Dumbledore and the others like a vivid dream.

Having witnessed the entire sequence of events, Dumbledore chuckled heartily, refraining from further comment.

Instead, he gestured towards Wentworth and addressed the middle-aged witch, "Laila, as I mentioned, this is the student who will represent us at Hogwarts in the Wizarding School Potions Championship—my protege, Wentworth Dumbledore."

Following this, Dumbledore gestured towards the witch beside him, introducing Wentworth, "And this is the current headmistress of Uagadou, Ms. Laila Lopez."

Lopez offered a warm smile to Wentworth before turning her attention to Essien, her expression shifting. "Misunderstanding, perhaps? You even went as far as letting me lose face here..." she questioned Essien.