Quirrell was left stunned by Wentworth’s fierce declaration.
At Hogwarts, Wentworth had always exuded a sophisticated demeanor, excelling in academics, never causing trouble, and skillfully navigating within the bounds of school rules.
This was the first time Quirrell witnessed such strength from Wentworth.
He had expected surprise when he revealed Wentworth’s last name, but it seemed that Wentworth wasn’t taking the revelation seriously.
Wentworth’s next words, however, hinted that the situation might not unfold as smoothly as Quirrell had anticipated, “Quirrell, turn around and let Tom Riddle speak to me; you’re not worthy enough to be spared a second of my time!”
Even though Quirrell harbored the curiosity to ask how Wentworth knew about Voldemort behind his head, Voldemort’s voice resonated, “As expected of the leader of the Alliance. It seems I underestimated you, Wentworth Grindelwald.”
Following Voldemort’s command, Quirrell turned slowly, revealing Voldemort’s unsettling face to Wentworth and the others.
At that moment, a sharp pain seared through Harry’s forehead once again.
As Harry let out a cry of anguish, Hermione rushed to his side, providing support to steady him as he wavered. “Harry, are you fine?!”
Voldemort’s attention shifted from Harry to Wentworth.
This was Harry’s first encounter with Voldemort. Despite Harry’s numerous dreams of facing Voldemort and seeking revenge for his parents, the actual sight of the dark wizard instilled a deep sense of fear in him.
In a hoarse voice, Voldemort addressed Wentworth, revealing his true identity: “I am Tom Riddle, but I prefer to be called Voldemort! Wentworth Grindelwald, bringing Harry Potter to meet me was a wise decision on your part.”
Hearing Voldemort’s words, Hermione, who had been supporting Harry, was taken aback.
Swiftly freeing one hand, she drew her wand, but in the midst of the tension, Hermione found herself uncertain about the target of her spell.
Wentworth, however, responded with a smile: “Second-generation Dark Lord? I’m delighted you extended an invitation to arrange a meeting for me, but I must say the way you invited me and the way you treated your guests is truly unpleasant!”
Upon hearing Wentworth’s retort, Voldemort sneered in response and declared, “Wentworth, you seem to misunderstand your current predicament! I’ll present you with two options. First, kill Harry Potter, and I will grant you freedom. Second, let Quirrell eliminate all of you!”
Horrified by Voldemort’s words, Hermione looked to Wentworth, hoping for a reprieve. However, visible in her line of sight, Wentworth slowly shook his head, providing a glimmer of relief.
Wentworth gazed at Voldemort with a hint of amusement and countered, “If I were to kill Harry in front of you, wouldn’t I be under your perpetual threat for the rest of my life?”
Momentarily taken aback, Voldemort hadn’t anticipated Wentworth exposing the essence of his plan so effortlessly.
Unfazed, Voldemort continued without a hint of embarrassment, “Dispose of Harry Potter as a gesture of goodwill, then pledge your allegiance to me and join the Death Eaters! Upon my return, I shall grant you everything you desire!”
Upon hearing Voldemort’s ultimatum, Wentworth couldn’t contain his laughter, starting with a soft chuckle that gradually escalated into boisterous laughter, resonating through the entire Forbidden Forest.
In response to Wentworth’s laughter, Voldemort snapped angrily, demanding, “Wentworth Grindelwald! What is the meaning of your laughter?!”
With a dismissive wave of his hand, Wentworth quelled his laughter, fixing Voldemort with a sardonic smile. “Are you trying to amuse me with this joke? Well, I appreciate the effort, but you need to try harder than that!”
Suddenly, Wentworth’s demeanor shifted. His laughter subsided, and he adopted a cold gaze, addressing Voldemort sternly, “Tom Riddle, whether you’re the second-generation Dark Lord or Voldemort, I have no taste for your jest. Nor do I appreciate dark magic!”
With these words, Wentworth retrieved his wand from his robes.
Without hesitation, Cedric and Green, standing on either side of Wentworth, raised their wands, pointing them unwaveringly at Voldemort.
Witnessing this display of solidarity, Hermione breathed a sigh of relief, solidifying her belief that despite not understanding Wentworth’s motives for bringing Harry as instructed by Voldemort, Wentworth had shown no signs of betrayal towards Harry.
At that moment, Hermione observed Harry Potter, who had managed to stand upright with her support, now taking out his wand.
To her surprise, Harry walked confidently forward and positioned himself behind Wentworth. Witnessing this, Hermione clenched her teeth, brandished her wand, and pointed it in Voldemort’s direction.
Meanwhile, Voldemort sneered and addressed Quirrell, “Let these young wizards witness real magic; prove your worth, Quirell!”
Responding to Voldemort’s command, Quirrell turned around, fixing his gaze on Wentworth and the others. With a sinister grin, he taunted, “Come on, let me see how well you’ve been paying attention in the classes I’ve taught!”
As Quirrell snapped his fingers, a ring of fire materialized, enveloping Quirrell, Wentworth, and the rest. Defiantly, Quirrell added, “Wentworth, the last time you were in the Forbidden Forest, you used a similar spell. It took me a mere second to dispel it!”
“Today, I’ll pose a challenge as your Professor! You better give it your all, Wentworth! If you can’t dispel the Professor’s spell, all five of you will meet your end in the Forbidden Forest today!”
Wentworth’s indifferent gaze swept the surroundings, and he responded coolly, “Professor Quirrel, the temperature inside the Forbidden Forest might be a little bit cold due to the rainy night! But shouldn’t the flames be closer to you if you’re looking to start a fire to warm yourself?”
“Pestis Incendium!” As Wentworth uttered those words, a fiery serpent shot forth from his wand, hurtling straight towards Quirrell.
The fiery snake grew rapidly on its trajectory, lunging menacingly at Quirrell.
Not one to be outdone, Quirrell swiftly pointed his wand, summoning a water snake that emerged from the tip and entwined itself with Wentworth’s fiery serpent in mid-air.
“Kugh! What a sly one. I still wonder till this point at what base the Sorting Hat enrolled you to Hufflepuff instead of Slytherin.” Quirell retorted while readying himself to cast another spell.
“Cedric, I believe we are here not just to watch Wentworth fight against him.” Green exclaimed.
“What makes you think of that, Senior?” Cedric replied with a joke as he brandished his wand.
Seeing Cedric pulling a joke on him with a relaxed expression, Green put on a smile as he tightened his grip on the wand. “I must say, hanging out with Wentworth has badly influenced you, Cedric!”
They have seen how cruel the Alliance could be, they have seen the true power of Alliance, right now they don’t even spare Voldemort and Quirell a bit of their respect.
Simultaneously, Cedric and Green joined the fray with their hands!
“Expelliarmus!”
“Stupefy!”
The battlefield suddenly erupted into a fierce clash of magic.