Hogwarts: Third Dark Lord

Dumbledore did not stop the cheering of the Hufflepuffs. Instead, he turned around and said to Ilona:

"Professor Ilona, my apologies for interrupting your welcome feast. Shall we resume? I am particularly intrigued by your earlier mention of wizarding customs in India."

Ilona smiled warmly. "No problem at all, Headmaster Dumbledore. In fact, I've already fallen in love with this magnificent school!"

As Dumbledore and the other professors departed, the Hufflepuff students grew even more uninhibited. The hotpot party continued well into the evening.

So much so that when students from the other three houses sat down for dinner in the Great Hall, they were baffled to find the Hufflepuff table completely empty—a sight that left them exchanging puzzled glances, feeling distinctly out of sorts.

Later that night, as Wentworth returned to his dormitory intending to rest, he heard a knock at the door. It was Cedric.

"Wentworth, tomorrow evening you'll be going to Professor Snape's class. You've never had a Potions lesson before, have you? Tonight, let me give you a crash course. We won't cover much in one night, but at least you'll have some idea of what to expect," Cedric said, entering with a book in hand.

Though Wentworth was exhausted—after all, he had spent the day preparing dozens of different seasonings, leaving his arms sore—he couldn't bring himself to decline Cedric's kind offer.

To Wentworth's surprise, it wasn't long before Kirk, the Hufflepuff prefect, also arrived. Kirk was carrying several books, which he handed to Wentworth.

"Wentworth, these are the notes I've taken over the years in Professor Snape's classes. They're all yours now. I hope they'll be helpful."

"You're Hufflepuff's lucky star. If you ever need anything, don't hesitate to come to me!"

At first, Wentworth had chosen Hufflepuff as a way to avoid the potential trouble that might come with being in Gryffindor or Slytherin.

But after everything that happened today, Wentworth found himself truly falling in love with Hufflepuff. This house—often overlooked in the Harry Potter books for its loyalty and kindness—was now occupying a special place in his heart.

And so, Wentworth spent the evening in Cedric's impromptu Potions crash course.

Luckily, the next morning was Monday, and Wentworth's first class at Hogwarts was History of Magic. As the only ghost teacher at the school, Professor Binns displayed what the students considered an exemplary quality: he never disturbed anyone who was asleep.

Wentworth used the entire morning to catch up on sleep, knowing that in the afternoon, Hufflepuff's first-year students would be facing their first Potions class with Snape.

That afternoon, Wentworth, now the de facto leader of Hufflepuff's first-years, led his housemates to the Potions classroom.

In the corridor, they happened to run into the Slytherin first-years. According to the timetable, Hufflepuff and Slytherin would be sharing Potions classes this term.

Much like the Hufflepuff students who flocked around Wentworth, the Slytherin students had their own star: Cassandra.

Cassandra walked gracefully at the head of the Slytherin group, her emerald-green robes swaying elegantly with each step. Her golden curls framed her face as she approached Wentworth.

"You're in my way," Cassandra said, frowning at Wentworth.

Looking at the wide corridor, Wentworth scratched his head. If it had just been him, he might have stepped aside and let her pass, chalking it up to being a gentleman.

But with so many Hufflepuffs behind him, moving aside would feel like conceding the hallway to Slytherin—a thought Wentworth, who now truly saw himself as a Hufflepuff, couldn't accept.

"Cassandra, the corridor's wide enough. Let's share it," Wentworth replied calmly.

Cassandra sneered. "How presumptuous of you!"

As the two groups reached a standoff, the sound of hurried footsteps echoed from the end of the corridor. Both Wentworth and Cassandra turned to look, and Cassandra's expression darkened.

"Kirk, Prefect, what are you doing here?" Wentworth asked, surprised to see Kirk leading a group of upper-year Hufflepuff students toward them.

Kirk enveloped Wentworth in a brief hug before stepping forward to subtly block Cassandra and her entourage. "We're here to cheer you on, of course!"

"Cheer me on?" Wentworth asked, puzzled.

"That's right. Don't forget, Snape is also our Potions teacher. After five years of his classes, I know his style well," Kirk said. "I just wanted to remind you: no matter how much he mocks you, just ignore it. Don't take it to heart. And if he deducts points from Hufflepuff, don't let it get to you—we're used to it. No pressure, okay?"

Listening to Kirk's advice, Wentworth felt a warm wave of gratitude.

Surrounded by upper-year Hufflepuffs and escorted by his housemates, Wentworth was the first to enter Snape's Potions classroom.

As he stepped into the classroom, Wentworth glanced back at Kirk and the others, all of whom were watching him intently. For a moment, he felt as if he were walking to his doom.

Once Wentworth and his classmates were seated, the upper-year students left, and the Slytherin first-years, led by Cassandra, entered.

Cassandra, her face grim, strode to a seat directly opposite Wentworth.

"Wentworth, it seems I underestimated you," she said coldly. "To have so many upper-years backing you up! But I'll show you who the best first-year really is—right here, right now!"

Before Wentworth could explain that he hadn't summoned Kirk and the others, a low voice echoed from the doorway.

"Well, at least you're better than those Gryffindor idiots this morning. None of you got lost finding the classroom."

"Let's hope your intelligence doesn't disappoint me as much as your presence does. Don't waste my potions ingredients."

Wentworth turned to see Snape standing in the doorway, his gaze fixed directly on him.

-----------------

Join my patreon to access advance chapters: patreon.com / primaldemon