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Wentworth glanced at Dumbledore, then at Ilona. He got the sense that the two of them had something they wanted to talk about in private.
"Go on, Wentworth," Ilona urged. "It's late. You should get some rest. You're still growing, and not getting enough sleep isn't good for your development."
Seeing the look in her eyes, Wentworth knew they clearly didn't want him to overhear their conversation—and if these two really wanted to talk in private, there was no way he could eavesdrop.
So, Wentworth didn't push it. He simply turned and walked back into Hogwarts.
Only after his figure disappeared into the castle did Dumbledore finally speak.
"Professor Ilona, when you said just now that your students' lives are very precious to you, were you talking specifically about Wentworth, or about all Hogwarts students?"
Ilona frowned, looking a little confused. "Headmaster Dumbledore, I don't understand what you mean?"
Dumbledore looked straight into her eyes. "Professor Ilona, as the Defense Against the Dark Arts teacher at Hogwarts, I hope you can treat every student here equally."
At that, Ilona let out a short, almost sarcastic laugh, and stared straight back at him. "Headmaster, aren't you the one not treating everyone equally? What's up with that unique spell on Wentworth? I don't think you're in a position to lecture me."
Dumbledore looked toward the direction where Wentworth had vanished and said slowly, almost like he was talking to himself:
"I just want every student at Hogwarts to be able to enjoy their time learning here without being distracted by other things. Students should do what students are meant to do."
Ilona clearly wasn't buying it.
"Headmaster Dumbledore," she said coolly, "some people are just born to shine—like fireworks in the night sky. You can't hide that, can you?"
Dumbledore didn't argue this time. He actually nodded. "You're right. But I hope that when people are drawn to him, it's because of his abilities or character—not because of something else. Like his last name."
Ilona didn't immediately reply to that, and a heavy silence settled between them. After a while, she finally asked:
"Headmaster, how long do you think your way of doing things can last?"
Dumbledore looked at her and replied, "As long as no one stirs up trouble, I think it can hold for a while. At least until he becomes the best among his peers. And right now, he's still far from that."
Ilona didn't comment on that. She simply gave Dumbledore a small wave and turned to leave.
But Dumbledore called after her.
"Professor Ilona, try not to wander around Hogwarts alone at night. Not long ago, Professor Snape was attacked by a stranger right in his office. Someone managed to sneak into Hogwarts with bad intentions. I don't want to see anything like that happen again."
Ilona paused in her tracks. After a moment, she said, "Maybe someone from outside slipped in during the night. I've heard there are several secret passages in Hogwarts that lead outside. Or... maybe Snape's lying. Wasn't he a Death Eater once?"
But Dumbledore replied firmly, "Snape was once a Hogwarts student. I trust him."
Ilona gave a cold, dismissive laugh. "A Hogwarts student? Half the inmates in Azkaban used to be Hogwarts students. A bunch of them were even top students! That place might as well be our alumni club!"
She added, almost as an afterthought, "By the way, I really hate this kind of trap—absolutely hate it. If I find out who left that Portkey on Wentworth's bed tonight, I'm not giving them the luxury of a trip to Azkaban!"
With that, Ilona strode off, leaving Dumbledore standing there alone, deep in thought.
While Dumbledore and Ilona were having their moonlit chat outside Hogwarts, Wentworth had finally made it back to the Hufflepuff common room.
As soon as he stepped inside, he spotted Cedric and Green fast asleep on one of the couches. They looked like they'd just passed out there waiting for him.
Touched, Wentworth paused for a second. These two had clearly stayed up the whole time, worried about him.
At that moment, the sound of the door closing must've woken Cedric. He slowly opened his eyes, still a little groggy, but the second he saw Wentworth standing there, a huge grin spread across his face.
"You're back! Thank Merlin! I was really starting to worry about you."
Seeing Cedric's sleepy yet relieved face, Wentworth couldn't help but sigh inwardly:
I came to Hogwarts planning to just enjoy the place and stay out of trouble. Even becoming friends with Cedric was just so I could copy homework off a top student. Who would've thought... we'd end up basically like soulmates?!
Now, there was no way he could just stand by during the Triwizard Tournament a few years from now. He couldn't just watch his best bro die, right?
But as he thought that, Wentworth also laughed at himself a little. Here I am worrying about someone else's safety, when I'm barely keeping myself alive. At this point, the enemy's practically at the gates of Hogwarts!
That just made him want power even more—not because of pressure from others anymore, but for survival. And for his friend.
Right then, Green woke up too, rubbing his eyes and yawning as he sat up.
"You're finally back, Wentworth," he mumbled sleepily. "Now I can finally relax. But really, with Professor Dumbledore by your side, there was no way anything bad was gonna happen. Still, y'know how it is—no matter how far a kid goes, a dad still worries."
Wentworth looked at Green, then did a quick mental calculation. Unfortunately, by the time the Triwizard Tournament rolled around, Green would already have graduated.
With a sigh, Wentworth gave up on the idea of Green becoming Hogwarts' champion in place of Cedric and competing alongside Harry Potter.
"....."