"So, the leader not only wants Wade Grey but also wants him to willingly join us?" Abigail concluded.
"That's right."
Baird nodded.
"And we can't use the usual brainwashing methods on him like we do with those kids—you know that, right?
Whether it's the Confundus Charm or the Memory Charm, they both dull the mind and make a person sluggish. His mind is far too valuable—we can't take that risk."
Abigail nodded in agreement. "So that's why you sent that child."
"Honestly, the best option would have been to find Wade Grey's parents… but unfortunately, we have no idea where they're hiding, and the operatives assigned to that mission have all gone missing."
Baird sighed regretfully. "Dumbledore is protecting this student like never before. I suspect the Grey couple may be hiding in a house protected by the Fidelius Charm."
"So the leader wants you and Caryll, as his professor and friend, to gradually make Wade Grey align with our ideology and develop a sense of belonging to the organization."
"Of course, we've also arranged for a few beautiful girls—young men like him are easily blinded by love. But for now, they can't get into the school, so it's all up to you two."
"This is a long-term mission—there's no need to rush. Even if it takes ten years, it'll be worth it… but you should start guiding him toward an interest in the Philosopher's Stone right away…"
Baird gave Abigail meticulous instructions, even suggesting that she find an opportunity to let Wade know that the organization could fund his experiments.
After all, whether successful or not, every attempt at creating a Philosopher's Stone consumed alchemical materials of astronomical value—enough to financially ruin an ordinary middle-class family.
In Baird's view, the biggest obstacle preventing an alchemist from pursuing the Philosopher's Stone—is money!
Abigail did not object. After agreeing to the plan, she and Baird exchanged recent intelligence updates before finally standing up to leave.
"I need to head back—no professor should be absent from the Halloween Feast."
As Abigail pulled on her cloak and lifted her hood, she asked, "By the way, what's Caryll's real name?"
"It's just Caryll," the slightly plump woman replied. "Caryll Johnson."
"…I see."
Abigail muttered softly and then stepped out the door.
By now, night had fallen, and candlelight illuminated the shops lining both sides of the street.
Some late-returning students were hurrying toward the waiting carriages, laughing and playfully shoving each other as they ran.
Many of them rushed past Abigail, their movements were like fleeting silhouettes in time.
Only Abigail walked slowly, step by step, unhurried and composed.
Because at this moment, her mind was completely filled with a memory from the past.
It was a day not long after she had joined the Joint Investigation Unit. While everyone else was busy with their own tasks, Abigail had secretly sought out Landon Johnson, who was staying at a Muggle hotel.
It was her first mission in this country—to clean up after her careless American colleagues.
Those incompetent fools had been assigned to cast Obliviate on the Johnson couple but had delayed the task because they were drinking.
By the time they located their targets at the hotel, they had mistaken a telephone repairman in the guest room for Landon Johnson. They hit him with two Obliviate spells and then confidently reported the mission as "completed," and went off to amuse themselves.
Mrs. Johnson forgot that she ever had a son—but the real Mr. Johnson did not. By the time the organization realized this mistake, Landon Johnson had already fled back to Britain.
——The organization's influence in Britain is the weakest among all European countries.
They had relied on certain Muggle connections to track down Landon Johnson's movements but were ultimately unable to locate him.
By then, the situation had already drawn Hogwarts' attention—Dumbledore had secretly arranged a safe hiding place for Mr. Johnson.
Not long after, Abigail—who had originally been active in another region—was assigned to the investigation team.
She remembered that man—
Landon Johnson.
A man so thin that he was practically skin and bones, his hairs were nearly all gone, and he was kneeling on the ground like some grotesque creature.
He had been tricked into stepping out of his hiding place, and when a wand was pointed at his chest, he didn't even seem surprised or afraid.
Instead, the man knelt there and sobbed uncontrollably.
"I know you're with them... Just kill me if you're going to kill me. I won't run, I won't fight back... but I beg you, since I'm about to die anyway, please tell me—"
"Caryll... my child... is he still alive?"
"Caryll?" Abigail had responded indifferently. "Who's that? Never heard of him."
She quickly erased all traces of her presence and turned to leave.
On this island country, disposing of a body was far easier than in the U.S.
To Abigail, this event was nothing more than a minor footnote in her career.
She had soon forgotten all about it, as she had far more pressing concerns—like how to navigate relationships with wizards from different countries.
But now, it all came flooding back.
That wretched, pitiful face flashed repeatedly in her mind.
And in her ears, she could still hear the desperate voice of a father's final plea—
"Caryll... my child... is he still alive?"
Abigail took her seat at the faculty table and glanced toward the Gryffindor table.
A flock of fluttering bats happened to sweep across the ceiling, while numerous orange streamers spewed gold and red flames. The jack-o'-lanterns lit up the Great Hall even more brightly than usual.
Caryll was actually quite easy to spot.
Among the crowd of students wolfing down their food, there was one Gryffindor boy eating at a slow, deliberate pace, casually cutting into a steak that was barely cooked. His expression looked like a mix of boredom and restraint.
She had to admit—his demeanor stood out.
Several girls nearby were throwing him flirtatious glances, but Caryll seemed completely unaware, showing no reaction at all.
"—Hmm, still alive."
Abigail answered the question in her heart, then shook her head with a self-mocking smile.
But as she smiled, her expression suddenly froze.
Caryll is, after all, a child raised by the organization.
Because of his stubborn nature and extraordinary willpower, they had no choice but to fabricate a false reality for him—implanting the illusion that his parents were still alive and by his side. Only under this belief would he remain obedient.
——But what about me?
Abigail thought about her own orphaned childhood, and for a fleeting moment, she no longer knew what in this world was real and what was false.
Yet, after just a few seconds, another thought slowly overpowered that doubt.
Falsehoods are just falsehoods.
Baird is not Landon Johnson. That so-called "husband and wife" relationship is full of inconsistencies—if Caryll had spent every day with them, he would have eventually noticed the cracks in the illusion.
But I am different.
There are no obvious contradictions in my memories. Everything is coherent, logical, and seamlessly connected.
She let out a sigh—whether in regret or relief, she couldn't quite tell.
Suddenly, the delicious feast before her lost all appeal.
--------------------------------
🙏🙏Please consider supporting this translation project by becoming a P@treon member!!!
Your support is greatly appreciated!
Available on my P@treon page for just $4!!
Early access to the following translations:-
⭐Harry Potter: Becoming a Study God (HP:BSG)- +235 Chapters
⭐MCU: Druid's Adventures (MCUDA)(⭐COMPLETE⭐) - Total Chapter 460
⭐Famous Police Detective in Detective World (FPDDW)- +165 advance chapters
⭐Marvel: Little Genius (MLG) (⭐COMPLETE⭐) - Total Chapter 450
[email protected]/Lightreaper457
--------------------------------