When Wentworth, Rosier, and the others returned to the Greengrass estate, Auston was still fuming over the way the Weasley family had treated them earlier that day.
It wasn't until they stepped into the study and saw Wentworth take a seat that Auston finally fell silent. He knew Wentworth had something important to say.
After a moment of contemplation, Wentworth issued his command:
"Keep a close watch on the Weasleys—especially Bill Weasley."
At these words, Auston's eyes lit up. He nodded eagerly and responded at once, "Don't worry, young master. I'll have them followed. If any of them dares to say too much, I'll make sure they—"
Before Auston could finish his sentence, he made a sharp motion across his throat.
Wentworth did not react immediately. He merely fixed Auston with a steady, unreadable gaze.
Auston hesitated, slowly lowering his hand. After a moment's silence, he tentatively asked, "Young master, what exactly do you mean?"
Wentworth stared into Auston's eyes for a long time. Only when he saw a bead of sweat roll down Auston's forehead did he finally speak.
"I mean that the people watching the Weasleys must ensure nothing happens to them. Especially Bill Weasley. If they are working for our Alliance and we cannot guarantee their safety, then tell me—who would ever dare work for us in the future?"
Auston quickly nodded in understanding. Just as he was about to leave and make the necessary arrangements, Wentworth called him back.
"Auston," Wentworth said, his voice measured. "You are a clever man. And I have seen the contributions your Greengrass family has made to the Alliance. Do not let the other pure-blood families intimidate you. The Greengrasses will always have a place in our cause—but only if you learn to see beyond the immediate horizon."
Wentworth stood up, stepping closer to Auston.
"Britain is too small," he continued in a low voice. "The world is much, much larger. Don't confine yourself to this tiny corner of it."
Hearing this, Auston instinctively moved to kneel, but Wentworth caught his arm and pulled him upright. His expression softened into a smile.
"No need for that," Wentworth said lightly. "As long as you walk the right path, the Alliance will always have room for the Greengrass family."
Auston bowed deeply in gratitude before finally leaving the study. Once outside, he let out a long breath and hurried off to carry out Wentworth's orders.
After Auston had gone, Rosier—who had been silently observing from the sidelines—finally stood and spoke.
"A well-executed warning," she remarked. "But aren't you worried the Greengrass family might retaliate?"
Wentworth chuckled softly.
"That's precisely why I chose to confront him now, while we have so many of our people gathered here," he replied. "Retaliate? He wouldn't dare. Not unless he wants to bury the entire Greengrass family with him. And we both know—Auston isn't that kind of fool."
Rosier smirked. "And in the future?"
Wentworth waved a hand dismissively.
"Once a habit is formed, it's awfully hard to break."
A shame, really. Had Bill Weasley heard this, he would have readily agreed.
For the Weasley family, the stack of Galleons Wentworth had left behind was beyond anything they could have imagined. To put it simply—their family vault at Gringotts hadn't held a single Galleon in years.
So when Bill, following Wentworth's instructions, arranged a small gathering under the pretense of a casual get-together with a few Gringotts Curse-Breakers, he found himself in an unusual predicament.
With over a dozen Galleons in his pocket, Bill realized—he had no idea where to go for dinner.
In the past, colleagues had invited him out on occasion, but Bill had always declined, unwilling to accept a meal he couldn't afford to return in kind.
Spending money, however, was much easier than earning it. Since he had no preference, he simply picked the grandest, most extravagant restaurant he could find.
Though Gringotts employees were well-paid, true wealth remained out of reach for most of them. So when Bill began ordering without a second thought, the others were more than happy to indulge in a rare luxury.
Before long, the drinks flowed freely. And as Bill had anticipated, a few of the Curse-Breakers were soon pleasantly drunk.
Having discreetly taken a Sobering Potion beforehand, Bill maintained a casual air as he leaned back and asked, "So, tell me—anything interesting been happening at Gringotts lately? Give me some good stories to take back to Egypt and impress the locals."
At this, the group perked up, launching into lively conversation.
Unfortunately, the topics ranged from workplace gossip to baseless rumors—nothing of use to Bill.
Feigning interest, he smoothly steered the conversation.
"By the way, I've been away for a while. Any new hires at Gringotts?"
A red-nosed wizard let out a hiccup, then chuckled.
"Of course there are! Bill, have you been gone so long you've forgotten? Every year, Gringotts weeds out the underperformers and replaces them. There's never a shortage of wizards wanting to work at Gringotts!"
Bill nodded as if this was new information. Just as he was about to probe further, the red-nosed wizard suddenly leaned in, lowering his voice conspiratorially.
"Speaking of new hires—you lot remember Alterta, don't you?"
Bill's expression barely changed, but internally, his pulse quickened.
That name—this was exactly the person Wentworth had asked him to find.
Calmly, he lifted his goblet and took a slow sip, straining to catch every word.
The moment another wizard heard the name, he scoffed in irritation.
"Of course I remember him! He hadn't even been here long before rumors started flying that he was being promoted to another branch. Who does he think he is? Everyone here has more seniority than him!"
At this, another wizard interjected, attempting to defuse the tension.
"Come on now, his skillset is solid. I'll admit—even I can't match his spellwork. Best not to grumble too much. Who knows? One day, he might come back as our superior."
But the red-nosed wizard merely snorted, shaking his head.
"Come back?" he sneered. "He's never coming back."
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