At the mention of Mabel, Rita Skeeter fell silent for a moment.
When they had parted ways in the dungeon, she never imagined that it would be the last time she saw her.
Back when she was trapped on the island, Rita spent every waking moment thinking about how to escape. But now that she was back in a peaceful environment, she found herself longing for that place in the quiet hours of the night.
It wasn't that she had any special attachment to prisons… It was just that back then, she was surrounded by pure and kind-hearted souls. Despite their tragic fates, the children had helped each other selflessly, even risking their lives to protect a stranger like her.
That feeling was truly special.
It was completely different from the world she was in now, filled with arrogance, jealousy, greed, and hypocrisy.
After a brief silence, Rita sighed and said, "No. There's been nothing."
"The Ministry of Magic… Ugh, they don't care about any follow-up at all. Fudge is only focused on the Quidditch World Cup right now.
They've sent nearly 500 people to build that stadium, and they don't have the manpower to deal with anything else. Even the staff who were originally stationed on the island have all been reassigned."
Lowering her voice, Rita continued, "Dumbledore is furious, and Fudge is too scared to offend him, so he sent a few Aurors to handle the matter half-heartedly."
"But he won't let Dumbledore investigate on his own either, so he came up with a ridiculous idea—he's having the Wizengamot reopen a bunch of cases from over a decade ago just to keep Dumbledore busy."
"You know, after what happened with Sirius Black, Fudge's excuse is actually quite reasonable this time, so even Dumbledore can't outright refuse."
"Rita—"
From the other end of the communication bean, voices rang out—someone was shouting irritably, and others were loudly complaining about the newspaper layout.
"Coming!" Rita shouted back. Then, speaking quickly, she added:
"I have to go, Wade. But there's one more thing you should know—"
"I've heard that in order to capture the Obscurus, the Ministry is deploying a special task force. Fudge has given them direct orders to kill the Obscurus and its host on sight—no interrogation, no reporting. If anyone tries to interfere, they'll be treated as criminals."
"In short, you need to be extremely careful. If—just if—you manage to get in contact with Mabel, tell her to leave Britain as soon as possible."
Before Wade could respond, Rita abruptly ended the call.
She stuffed the communication bean into her small handbag, ran her fingers through her hair, waved her wand to clean the dust off her clothes and remove the cobwebs from her hair, then lifted her chin and strode out of the janitor's closet.
"Rita—my dear—"
A fat, bald editor immediately rushed over, wearing a relieved expression as he said, "Come take a look at this article—"
…
Wade put away the communication bean and sighed.
For some reason, Rita seemed to think that Mabel might come looking for him. But in reality, he had only spent a very brief time with that girl.
Although Wade sympathized deeply with those children, and although he had a favorable impression of them after hearing about Rita's experiences on the island, he objectively didn't believe that Mabel would trust him that much.
Her life and fate were almost completely beyond his influence. All he could do was wait for the moment when fate would deliver its verdict.
The other students, however, couldn't relate to the heaviness in Wade's heart.
They happily discussed their holiday plans and eagerly anticipated the upcoming Christmas break. As a result, the classroom atmosphere inevitably became restless and unfocused.
On the third day before the holiday, Wade finally received a summons message from Dumbledore. He forced himself to sit through his afternoon classes, then rewound time by three hours and headed to the Headmaster's office.
…
An owl flapped its wings and flew out of the window. Dumbledore watched as his trusted messenger carried away a letter addressed to someone, then returned to his desk and penned a message for Wade in his Book of Friends.
Two seconds later, he heard a knock at his office door.
The heavy oak door, which hadn't been locked, swung open and revealed none other than Wade Grey standing outside.
"You're so fast, I'm almost surprised, Wade," Dumbledore chuckled. "Though of course, with your current abilities, it would be impossible for you to be late."
Wade glanced at the stacks of files and miscellaneous items piled on Dumbledore's desk, realizing he had been a bit impatient.
"It seems I arrived too early, Professor," Wade said considerately. "Please, go ahead with your work. I don't mind waiting."
"Very well… I do have two more documents to go through. Perhaps you could read something while you wait?" Dumbledore suggested.
"Of course, Professor."
With a wave of his wand, Dumbledore summoned a cushioned armchair that hopped over, and a small table appeared, complete with steaming tea and pastries.
—Magic can't create food from nothing, but it can certainly transport food from the kitchen to the Headmaster's office.
From the bookshelf, seven or eight books floated out of their orderly rows and landed in front of Wade. He picked one up at random, flipped it open, and paused slightly in surprise.
It was "The Tales of Beedle the Bard."
As he idly turned a few pages, he happened to land on "The Tale of the Three Brothers."
—Or perhaps it wasn't just by chance. The owner of this office had likely flipped through this story many times before, leaving behind countless subtle traces, like invisible bookmarks hidden between the pages, guiding Wade directly to it.
Even though he had read this book before, he still took the time to carefully reread the passage—
Three wizard brothers encountered a treacherous river while traveling. They conjured a bridge to cross it, but Death, having been denied his usual victims, appeared before them. Pretending to be gracious, he offered each brother a reward—
The eldest received the Elder Wand, the most powerful wand in existence.
The second was granted the Resurrection Stone, which could bring back the dead.
The youngest was given the Invisibility Cloak, allowing him to evade Death's grasp.
But the Elder Wand is a fickle and treacherous artifact. The moment its owner is defeated, it will immediately choose a new master…
The Resurrection Stone can only summon unfortunate souls; it can not truly bring them back to life. Instead, it causes endless torment for both the user and the resurrected spirit. It is not a gift—it is a curse.
As for the so-called 'perfect' Invisibility Cloak, its function is actually quite limited. While it claimed to allow one to evade Death, even Moody's magical eye could see through it. Its advantages are that it never wore out, is unaffected by spells, and can provide invisibility for an extended period.
The first time Wade read this story, he had a strong suspicion that the miserly "Death" was actually an incredibly skilled alchemist, and that the Deathly Hallows were simply his creations.
However, after studying magic for so long, Wade had come to realize that things weren't that simple—creating an Invisibility Cloak is easy, but making it last forever is incredibly difficult.
Moreover, unlike ordinary alchemical works, Wade couldn't decipher the alchemical magic in Harry's Invisibility Cloak at all.
Unconsciously, Wade rubbed his fingers over the pages of the book, lost in thought—if it were me, how would I go about creating similar alchemical artifacts?
Countless magical runes and spells swirled through his mind. He was so absorbed in his thoughts that he only noticed when he came back to reality—Dumbledore had already finished his work and was now quietly waiting for him.
The headmaster's silver-white beard shimmered under the lamplight. His long fingers were pressed together, his chin was resting just above them, as he gazed thoughtfully out the window.
Wade tilted his head slightly and glanced outside. The sky had turned a dazzling, opalescent white—clear and bright blue. In the distance, the Forbidden Forest and the school grounds were coated in a delicate layer of frost.
"Professor?" Wade called.
"Hmm." Dumbledore shifted his gaze toward him and asked, "Are you interested in the story of the Three Brothers and Death?"
"I was just thinking," Wade replied, "if the wand, the Resurrection Stone, and the cloak are all alchemical creations, how would one go about making them?"
At these words, Dumbledore smiled and said, "Do not place too much faith in legends, Wade. Stories of the past are not worth chasing. Believe in your own power."
"I understand, Professor," Wade answered.
"Come," Dumbledore said as he stood up, extending a hand toward Wade. "Let's go somewhere else and practice Apparition."
Wade stepped forward and grasped Dumbledore's arm. Fawkes the phoenix swooped down and landed gracefully on the headmaster's shoulder.
The next moment, with a clear, resonant cry, a flash of fire engulfed the office, and both of them vanished at once.
…
Bang!
Wade and Dumbledore reappeared in the middle of a dense forest. Towering trees formed a natural arching canopy above them, enclosing the entire area in shadow.
To Wade's surprise, he realized he was familiar with this place—this was the same clearing where Sirius Black and Lupin had previously helped him prepare for his Animagus transformation.
"This place is perfect," Dumbledore remarked. "There's no Anti-Apparition Charm interference, and no wizards or Muggles to disturb us. We can practice freely."
With a wave of his wand, Dumbledore caused the bare tree branches to extend and intertwine, sealing any remaining gaps to make the enclosure even more secluded.
The fallen leaves on the ground swirled into small piles before igniting with a soft whoosh, sending waves of warmth through the chilly air.
Seeing this, Wade also raised his wand—several blue fireballs drifted down around them, burning quietly and pushing back the cold of winter.
Now, it was as if the two of them stood within a circle of fire.
Even with a simple Fire-Making Spell, Wade's solid grasp of spellwork was evident. Seeing this, Dumbledore's eyes showed a hint of approval.
"Apparition is a highly advanced spell," Dumbledore said. "Normally, you wouldn't be allowed to learn it until your sixth year."
He continued, "However, I've noticed that you seem to have been reading about it for quite some time. I assume you already have a considerable understanding of Apparition?"
"Yes." Wade pulled a roll of parchment from his bag. "I recently finished writing an essay on Apparition."
Dumbledore raised his eyebrows in mild surprise, took the parchment, and skimmed through it quickly before rolling it up and tucking it away.
"I must say, this paper is already at a publishable level for Today's Spells magazine."
He chuckled with a sigh, "I'm not sure what more I can teach you… but let's start from the beginning. Watch me demonstrate."
Dumbledore barely seemed to move—his body simply vanished, reappearing a few meters away with a sharp "pop!"
"Did you see that?" he asked. "Apparition doesn't require complex incantations or elaborate movements. The most important thing is the clarity of your intent—how strongly you desire to reach your destination."
"Wade, tell me—what are the three most important Ds of Apparition?"
Wade wasn't caught off guard by the question. He immediately responded, "Destination, Determination, Deliberation."
"Very good."
Dumbledore flicked his wand, sending out a spark of light that landed on the ground, forming a black circle.
"Focus your attention on that circle. Desire to reach it with all your being. Do not be afraid, and do not let tension cloud your mind. Surrender yourself to the magic… and then—turn."
Wade hesitated for no more than a second. He took a careful look at the circle, committed its image to memory, raised his arm, and turned on the spot—
BANG!
A sound like a firecracker echoed in the clearing.
For a moment, Wade thought he had succeeded. But when he opened his eyes, he realized he was still standing in the same place—only a corner of his robe had managed to teleport three meters away.
"Take your time," Dumbledore said reassuringly. "It is always difficult in the beginning."
BANG!
Wade tried again. This time, he finally managed to move a little over a meter—but his left foot had failed to come along.
"Splinching," Dumbledore remarked calmly. "Your focus wasn't sharp enough. Your destination must completely occupy your mind."
With a flick of his wand, a loud crack echoed through the air as a burst of purple smoke surrounded them—Wade's left foot reappeared, seamlessly reattached, as if nothing had happened.
Wade took a deep breath. A faint golden light flickered in his eyes.
He glanced at the target circle once more and then… turned.
POP!
Another splinching, though this time he only lost a few strands of hair—not enough to bother retrieving them.
POP!
He lost focus at the last moment. Instead of Apparating, he tripped over his own feet and fell flat on the ground.
POP!
Wade finally managed to Apparate to a farther location… but too far—he landed with one foot directly in the fire.
Fortunately, extinguishing flames was basic wizarding knowledge.
POP!
This time, Wade landed on the very edge of the marked circle. '
He looked around for a moment, confused—until realization dawned. Looking down, he saw that his feet were standing precisely on the target spot.
His face showed a trace of astonishment as he glanced back at the place he had originally been standing. He could hardly believe that he had succeeded this quickly—after all, in the original story, Harry had taken months to learn this spell.
Still unsure, Wade hesitated, then turned to Dumbledore. Seeing no objections, he stepped out of the circle, returned to his starting point, and tried again!
POP!
This time, he landed dead center in the circle.
POP, POP, POP, POP…
A series of slow, rhythmic claps rang through the clearing. Wade looked up to see Dumbledore smiling and nodding in approval.
"That's right—you've truly mastered it, Wade," the Headmaster said, looking genuinely pleased. "I had expected you to need at least two or three lessons. You've completely exceeded my expectations."
Wade gave a sheepish smile and said, "I'll keep practicing a little longer, Professor."
The young wizard's silhouette began flickering rapidly around the clearing again.
Because Wade wanted his Apparition to become faster—as fast as instinct—he didn't always wait until he was fully prepared before attempting each jump.
Splinching still happened occasionally, so Dumbledore taught him how to quickly reassemble his body when necessary.
As the Headmaster watched, Wade's Apparition became faster and smoother, while splinching grew less and less frequent.
By the Ministry of Magic's official standards, Wade had already mastered Apparition—he could easily pass the exam and obtain his license.
Yet, Wade himself wasn't satisfied.
He continued to train with determined intensity, repeating the spell over and over.
Watching the boy's form flicker through the clearing, Dumbledore felt both pride and a tinge of regret.
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⭐Harry Potter: Becoming a Study God (HP:BSG)- +235 Chapters
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