As the Sorting Ceremony at Hogwarts was in full swing, Cassandra's father, the former head of the British Ministry of Magic's Auror Office—Thomas Vole—was stepping out of the Minister for Magic's office. The dimly lit corridor cast shifting shadows across his unreadable expression.
Inside the office, Cornelius Fudge sat behind his desk, while Dolores Umbridge stood before him, speaking in her usual ingratiating tone.
"Minister Fudge, you never liked Rufus Scrimgeour, did you? Why not take this opportunity to reinstate Thomas Vole as head of the Auror Office?"
Fudge shot her a cold glance. He remained silent until Umbridge, sensing the tension, lowered her gaze. Only then did he reply slowly,
"No matter how poorly Rufus Scrimgeour performs, he is still my chosen man. Thomas Vole is not."
"I understand, Minister."
Umbridge responded with excessive deference.
Descending the stairways of the Ministry, Thomas Vole reached Level Six, eventually stopping before a battered door. A worn-out plaque read:
Department of Magical Transportation – Floo Network Authority
He sighed deeply before pushing open the door. The office was in complete disarray, with parchment and ink bottles scattered about. Two elderly wizards with graying hair sat idly at a nearby table, engaged in a game of wizard's chess.
At the sound of the door creaking open, both men glanced up. Recognizing Thomas Vole, they lazily greeted him,
"Welcome, new department head."
Their words carried no enthusiasm; neither of them even bothered to stand.
Indeed, after returning to the British Ministry of Magic, Thomas Vole had fabricated a plausible explanation for his absence and passed the Ministry's perfunctory review, securing a position once more. However, Fudge, using the excuse that the Auror Office had stabilized under Rufus Scrimgeour's leadership, reassigned Vole to the Floo Network Authority as its new director.
On paper, it was merely a lateral transfer from the Auror Office (a subdivision of the Department of Magical Law Enforcement) to the Floo Network Authority (under the Department of Magical Transportation). But every wizard in the Ministry knew the truth: Thomas Vole's political career had ended at the hands of Cornelius Fudge.
Ignoring the blatant disrespect, Vole walked steadily to his desk, sat down, and stared expressionlessly ahead. The two old wizards continued their chess game, showing no interest in their new superior.
Time passed unnoticed. When the elderly wizards reset the board for another match, Thomas Vole suddenly broke into a slow smirk, which gradually widened until he erupted into laughter.
"Hahaha!"
His laughter echoed through the room, startling the two wizards. They exchanged puzzled looks, unsure what to make of his reaction.
Then, with a composed demeanor, Vole stood up and began tidying the chaotic office. The two wizards exchanged another glance, their expressions tinged with disdain, before resuming their game.
Neither of them noticed that behind them, Thomas Vole's eyes had turned cold and sharp, as though he had reached a decisive conclusion.
Meanwhile, at Hogwarts, after the Sorting Ceremony had concluded and Wentworth and Cedric had enjoyed the lavish Start-of-Term Feast, Dumbledore instructed the prefects to escort students back to their dormitories, signaling the end of the evening.
As Kirk and the other prefects rose to gather the first-years, reminding them not to stray, Wentworth exchanged a nod with Kirk before heading straight toward the professors' table, stopping before Dumbledore.
Wentworth greeted the familiar professors warmly. Aside from Snape, who maintained his usual icy demeanor, the other professors responded with smiles, inquiring about his well-being. As always, teachers favored students who were both diligent and well-behaved.
Without hesitation, Wentworth turned to Dumbledore and said,
"Headmaster Dumbledore, I have something I'd like to ask you. Would you have a moment?"
Dumbledore's twinkling eyes met Wentworth's as he answered with a kind smile,
"Of course, Wentworth. Come with me."
He led Wentworth to the Headmaster's Office, where, with a casual flick of his wand, he conjured a plate of vanilla pudding for the student before settling into his chair, watching as Wentworth took a bite.
Between mouthfuls of pudding, Wentworth spoke,
"Headmaster Dumbledore, my mission is complete. Harry Potter has arrived at Hogwarts safely."
Dumbledore nodded with a smile and replied,
"Thank you, Wentworth. You know, Harry did not have a pleasant childhood. I believe that allowing him to meet his peers early will help him integrate more easily into Hogwarts."
Wentworth gave a nonchalant nod, continuing to eat. Then, without lifting his head, he remarked,
"You really do care for Harry, don't you, Headmaster?"
Dumbledore's smile faded slightly. With a long sigh, he said,
"Yes. Harry's parents gave their lives fighting against him, leaving Harry alone in the world. But their sacrifice was not in vain. In the end, justice prevailed."
At this, Wentworth chuckled. A moment later, he lifted his gaze, locking eyes with Dumbledore as he slowly said,
"Justice prevailed? Of course it did. The victors always define justice."
A heavy silence fell between them. On the walls of the Headmaster's Office, the portraits of past Hogwarts headmasters began whispering among themselves.
Wentworth merely observed Dumbledore in silence. Ever since he had seen Quirrell still present at Hogwarts, his courage seemed to have grown.
He was certain that Dumbledore had noticed Quirrell's abnormality. In the original timeline, Snape's memories even showed Dumbledore warning him to keep an eye on Quirrell.
Yet, Dumbledore seemed unwilling to continue this conversation. After a brief pause, he looked back at Wentworth and asked,
"I assume you didn't come here just to talk about Harry?"
Wentworth nodded. Then, he inquired,
"I'd like to know—other than a bloodline ritual, is there any other way to open a Gringotts vault?"
-----------------------
Want to read ahead of schedule?
Join here for advance chapters: PATREON.COM / PRIMALDEMON