Hogwarts: Third Dark Lord

As Wentworth and Rosier sat in the goblin's mine cart, arriving at the door to Vault 714 deep beneath Gringotts, a massive gate adorned with a carved Ouroboros appeared before Wentworth's eyes.

"Drip a drop of blood onto the serpent's eye," the goblin instructed, extending his finger and lightly tapping the serpent's eye with a long nail. He gestured to Wentworth to follow.

With Rosier's assistance, a drop of Wentworth's blood floated onto the eye of the Ouroboros. Suddenly, the serpent's eyes lit up with a fiery red glow, and the snake—until now biting its own tail—opened its jaws with a sharp click.

As the vault door, sealed for decades, swung open, a dazzling golden light illuminated half of Gringotts' underground space.

Wentworth stood dumbfounded, gazing at the mountain of Galleons before him. The gleaming pile extended as far as the eye could see, with not a single Sickle or Knut in sight. Beyond the coins, rare and precious artifacts were scattered casually on the floor, as if of little consequence.

"Is all of this the Grindelwald family fortune? It's unbelievable!" Wentworth exclaimed.

Though he had prepared himself for the wealth of pureblood families—knowing full well that the impoverished Weasleys were an outlier—the sheer scale of treasure left him breathless.

"This is but a portion of the Grindelwald family fortune," Rosier replied nonchalantly. "There are similar vaults in the Paris, Berlin, and New York branches of Gringotts."

Wentworth was stunned once more. "Our family... is outrageously wealthy!" he said, incredulous.

Rosier, however, grew wistful. "Many of us willingly donated vast fortunes to your grandfather for the cause. Naturally, all of it belongs to the Grindelwald family now."

"For what cause?" Wentworth asked, still marveling at the treasure.

"For the greater good," Rosier replied solemnly.

When Wentworth finally left Gringotts, his entire demeanor had changed. Where once his steps in Diagon Alley had been hesitant, he now walked with a newfound confidence, even a hint of swagger. Rosier noticed and gave a subtle nod of approval.

"Now," Rosier said, "it's time to get you your own wand."

As they continued forward, Rosier suddenly stopped. A commotion had erupted ahead of them.

Diagon Alley, always bustling, had grown even more lively. Shopkeepers had emerged from their stores, clutching items to display.

At the center of the disturbance, a striking girl with golden curls walked gracefully down the street. Her emerald-green eyes drew every gaze. Flanking her were two men in black trench coats and bowler hats, their sharp eyes scanning the surroundings as they kept her securely between them.

"They're Aurors," Rosier explained to Wentworth.

The shopkeepers, holding their finest wares, were eagerly vying for the girl's attention. Wentworth noticed that the items being offered were not ordinary goods but the most valuable products each shop could boast, typically reserved for only the wealthiest customers.

As the crowd closed in around the girl, a shopkeeper with gloved hands approached her, holding a delicately crafted paper crane.

"Miss Cassandra!" he said eagerly. "This is our store's latest creation. Though it looks like an ordinary paper crane, it allows for long-distance communication in dreams. Soon, it might even replace owls entirely!"

The shopkeeper extended the paper crane toward her, but Cassandra frowned, her expression haughty. "Do I look like the kind of girl who plays with dolls and paper cranes?" she snapped, tossing the crane aside without a second glance.

The paper crane fluttered on the wind and landed in Wentworth's hand. All eyes turned to him, and he froze under their collective gaze.

The shopkeeper's expression fell as he muttered, "Miss Cassandra, once the paper crane leaves your hands and lands in someone else's, it activates. From now on, whatever this young gentleman writes on the crane's surface, you'll see in your dreams."

Cassandra and Wentworth were both stunned. Her cheeks flushed red as she stammered, "Are you trying to trick me? You gave it to me, so now you're saying... we're connected?!"

The shopkeeper raised his gloved hands defensively. "Miss Cassandra, I was only—" He stopped abruptly as she glared at him, raising her chin imperiously.

"You scammer! And now you dare ask me for money? My father works at the Ministry of Magic. Do you want me to have you sent to Azkaban?"

The shopkeeper's shoulders slumped, and he turned to leave.

"Wait a moment!" a voice called.

Wentworth stepped forward, his tone calm and kind. "This paper crane is beautiful, and I like it very much. Let's do this—I'll buy it."

The shopkeeper brightened immediately, and after exchanging the paper crane for three Galleons, he hurried away. Behind him, Cassandra's voice rang out.

"Hey, are you a new Hogwarts student this year too? Why did you help him? That was clearly his fault!"

Wentworth turned and replied gently, "It's nothing. I just thought the crane was rather nice."

Cassandra scoffed, folding her arms. "I'm Cassandra—the future pride of Slytherin!" she declared.

"I'm Wentworth. But we haven't been sorted yet, have we?" he said with a smile.

"I'm destined for Slytherin!" she insisted, her tone resolute.

Wentworth merely shrugged. As they parted ways, he couldn't help but smirk slightly.

Perhaps Slytherin's paper cranes do have charm, after all.

When Wentworth pushed open the door to Ollivanders, Rosier lingered behind him, saying, "Have a look. If nothing suits you, just pick one for now. We can always visit Gregorovitch in Germany."

At that moment, Mr. Ollivander stepped out from behind a shelf. "Ah, my dear sir," he said with a smile. "While I won't deny Gregorovitch's skill, remember this: the wand chooses the wizard, as much as the wizard chooses the wand."

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