As soon as Vernon Dursley eagerly handed Harry Potter over to Wentworth and saw them off, he cheerfully locked away the check Wentworth had given him into his safe.
Outside, Wentworth turned to Hagrid and said, "Hold on a moment, we're still missing one companion."
While the three stood aside waiting, Hagrid asked curiously, "Wentworth, that check you gave to those Muggles... it wasn't real, was it?"
Wentworth, looking completely natural and at ease, replied, "Of course it was real. Do you think I'd hand over a fake check? I'd never stoop that low!"
Hearing Wentworth's response, Hagrid seemed to want to say something but held back. Instead, he simply sighed and muttered, "They got off easy."
Wentworth waved a hand dismissively. "Consider it a down payment on their new house."
"A new house?" Hagrid repeated blankly, confusion written all over his face.
Just then, Wentworth's Bowtruckle scurried out from who-knows-where, climbed up his trousers, and perched itself in his palm.
"Merlin's beard! What's that?" Harry Potter asked, his eyes wide with astonishment.
Stroking the tiny green creature, Wentworth grinned. "Like it?"
Harry nodded enthusiastically.
Seeing this, Wentworth raised his palm closer to Harry's face and teased, "Well, take a good look then!"
Harry Potter: ...
Wentworth then turned to Hagrid and added, "Besides the check, Greenbud left them something else—a few Amazonian fire ant eggs! I reckon by the time Harry finishes his first term and returns, the Dursleys will have no choice but to move out."
As Wentworth spoke, he gently tucked the Bowtruckle back into his pocket and winked at Harry. "Harry, I have a feeling that next year, you won't have to sleep in that wretched cupboard under the stairs!"
Hearing this, Harry hesitated before responding shyly, "Thank you, Wentworth... It's just, I probably won't be able to repay you anytime soon..."
But Hagrid interjected, "Don't worry about that, Harry. You'll have money soon enough!"
With that, Wentworth and Harry followed Hagrid through the Leaky Cauldron and into Diagon Alley. As they passed through the pub, Wentworth took a deliberate glance around, but he didn't see Professor Quirrell, who, according to the original timeline, was supposed to make his first appearance here.
Thinking it over carefully, Wentworth realized that in the original story, Hagrid found Harry in the evening, meaning they should have arrived at the Leaky Cauldron tomorrow. The timeline had shifted once again.
The three of them made their way straight to Gringotts, where Hagrid pulled out the key to the Potter family vault. Inside, they found towering stacks of Galleons. Only Harry, the vault's owner, stood at the entrance, gazing in awe, while Wentworth and Hagrid remained largely uninterested.
Afterward, they proceeded to Vault 713. Hagrid retrieved a small package from inside, and Wentworth knew at once—this contained the pinnacle of wizarding alchemy: the Philosopher's Stone.
At that moment, an audacious idea crossed Wentworth's mind. However, now was not the time to act on it, so he remained silent.
Just as Hagrid was about to lead Harry away, Wentworth spoke up, "Wait a moment."
Turning to the goblin escorting them, he said, "I'd like to visit Vault 714 as well. Expenses have been high lately—I need to withdraw some Galleons."
Moments later, they arrived at Vault 714. Wentworth pricked his finger, and with a drop of his own blood, the vault's doors swung open.
Seeing the heaps of gold inside, Harry exclaimed in shock, "Are all wizards this rich?!"
While Hagrid was busy explaining, Wentworth strode into the vault and, with a wave of his arm, swept a large pile of Galleons into his magically expanded pocket.
But then, something caught his eye. At the very center of his vault, there was a letter—one that hadn't been there the last time he visited.
"That wasn't here before... Or did I just miss it?" Wentworth muttered in surprise. Approaching the letter, he noted that it had no sender's name.
Curious, he tore open the envelope and began to read. His expression quickly turned grim.
Outside the vault, Hagrid noticed that Wentworth had been standing motionless for a long time. Concerned, he called out, "Something wrong, Wentworth?"
Wentworth snapped back to reality and responded, "Nothing—just give me a moment."
Refocusing on the letter, he read its contents carefully once more:
Dear Wentworth Grindelwald,
Please forgive my intrusion into your vault. I left this letter here to tell you something important.
Your parents did not die in a car accident. I was there that day—a powerful organization orchestrated their murder.
They sought to obtain something from your parents, but they failed.
However, they have never given up. If they get the chance, they will return.
You must be wondering—who am I? I was once one of them.
I leave this letter because I, too, am a follower of Gellert Grindelwald. But I know that the great Grindelwald would never accept me. The Pureblood Party would never accept me.
Be cautious. I truly hope that under your leadership, the Pureblood Party will rise again to its former glory.
Do not ask me why I am doing this. For the greater good.
Wentworth folded the letter, lost in thought for a moment, then turned to Hagrid. "Hagrid, do you have parchment and a quill?"
Taking the parchment and feathered quill from Hagrid, Wentworth started to write but quickly stopped. Instead, he ripped the half-written letter into tiny shreds.
Finally, he penned just one question:
What is it that you want?
Placing the note face-down inside his vault, he took one last sweeping glance around Vault 714 before turning to leave.
On the way back to the surface, Hagrid looked like he wanted to say something multiple times, but seeing Wentworth's silent expression, he decided against it.
Once they emerged from Gringotts and stepped into Diagon Alley, they were about to head towards Ollivanders when a familiar voice called from behind:
"Wentworth?! It really is you!"
Turning around, Wentworth saw Draco Malfoy running toward him, excitement written all over his face.
Wentworth cast a quick glance at Harry standing beside him.
Today just got interesting.
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