Several students glanced at Wade, then at Abigail, and obediently walked out.
Professor Abigail casually tossed a "Silencing Charm" toward the doorway, then asked, "Wade, what is it you wanted?"
She still wore a smile on her face, but there was a faint tension in her expression.
Wade sat down across from her and said, "It's actually nothing urgent. I just wanted to thank you—if you hadn't shown up when you did, I wouldn't have lasted much longer."
Abigail raised an eyebrow.
Maybe it was just her imagination, but she couldn't help feeling that Wade was emphasizing "when you did" more than "thank you."
—Is he suspicious of how I managed to appear at such a critical moment? When no other professors had made it here in time?
Maybe she was overthinking it... but Abigail still felt the need to explain herself.
"Actually, I was already on the train... remember? I mentioned I wouldn't be staying at school over the holiday."
The professor gave a playful wink and said:
"I never attended Hogwarts myself, but I've heard so much about it—including this one-of-a-kind magical train. Since I had the chance, of course I wanted to experience it for myself."
"It's just that I got a bit too excited last night. I fell asleep not long after getting on board, which is why I didn't show up right away."
"I see." Wade smiled in understanding. "Thanks to your curiosity, no one got hurt... Your Patronus is a Doberman, right?"
"Y-Yes…"
For some reason, that simple and ordinary question made Abigail's smile freeze a little. She awkwardly changed the subject:
"Yours is an eagle, right? Very majestic—it suits you. Who taught you?"
"Remus," Wade paused, then added, "Remus Lupin. He is my tutor."
Upon hearing the name Lupin, even though Abigail kept her expression under control, the brief glance she cast at Wade betrayed the thoughts running through her mind.
Wade could almost see what she was thinking: You have him as a tutor? Do you know he's a werewolf?
His heart sank slightly. He lowered his eyes and asked, "Professor, did you study at Ilvermorny? What kind of school is that?"
"Oh... Ilvermorny..."
Abigail unconsciously smoothed her hair and said, "Ilvermorny was modeled after Hogwarts. It also has four houses—Thunderbird, Wampus, Horned Serpent, and Pukwudgie. First-years also go through a sorting ceremony..."
"Which house were you in?" Wade asked.
"Me? I was in Wampus House. Actually, when I stood above the Gordian Knot—that's Ilvermorny's sorting ceremony—both the Wampus and Thunderbird statues responded to me, but in the end, I chose Wampus..."
As if recalling the joy of her school days, Abigail unconsciously smiled.
Wade chimed in here and there, all the while silently observing her.
In truth, he wasn't completely unfamiliar with Ilvermorny. Among the thousands of books in the Hogwarts library—travelogues and magical notes written by countless wizards—many mentioned magical schools around the world.
Hogwarts is widely recognized as the oldest and best wizarding school, but the others each had their own unique qualities. Ilvermorny, as its imitator, was the most frequently mentioned.
Some praised it as the most democratic and inclusive wizarding school, while others sneered at the fact that one of its founders was a Muggle. That Muggle—James Stewart—even became the headmaster.
By contrast, Ilvermorny's sorting ceremony was highly regarded. People generally considered its system of mutual selection superior to Hogwarts' old Sorting Hat.
Wade remembered that Wampus and Thunderbird both corresponded more or less to Gryffindor—Wampus symbolizing warriors, and Thunderbird representing a love for adventure.
Though a bit of an oversimplification, the house one chose often reflected their personal traits, and those traits would be continuously resonated, shaped, and reinforced through years of shared life and study.
Wampus... Courage...
Wade silently wondered: is Dumbledore's wait-and-see approach because he saw that Abigail was essentially a "Gryffindor" at heart?
Someone capable of casting a Patronus couldn't be all bad... Those like Umbridge—cheerfully evil—must be rare exceptions...
As these thoughts circled in his mind, Wade asked, "Ilvermorny doesn't have a train to the school? Then how do students get there?"
Abigail laughed. "Ilvermorny is built on a mountaintop, surrounded by dense forests. A train wouldn't be able to reach it."
"Students usually travel by Floo Powder to a nearby village, then fly up on brooms. In recent years, flying carpets have also become popular... As for students from Muggle families, the school arranges special magical carriages to pick them up..."
As Abigail went on, she completely lost track of time. It wasn't until the train's loudspeaker announced for students to prepare to disembark that she suddenly snapped back to reality.
"Oh, it's that late already... You'd better go pack your things," Abigail said.
"Alright, Professor. See you next term," Wade replied. "I'm really looking forward to the new version of Defense Against the Dark Arts."
Previously, since Dumbledore hadn't returned and the Chamber's renovations weren't complete, creatures like werewolves, vampires, and other magical constructs had never had the chance to appear before the students.
Next term, the class was sure to be a lot more exciting.
Hearing this, Professor Abigail was momentarily dazed, then smiled and said, "Happy holidays, Wade."
"And happy holidays to you too, Professor."
…
The train slowly pulled into King's Cross Station, which was already packed with people.
Even though the parents had already learned through their Book of Friends that the crisis on the train had been resolved, they still rushed to the station, anxiously waiting.
"Anthony, sweetheart, are you alright?"
"Miles... Miles... Has anyone seen Miles Bletchley?!"
"Ginny, my baby, let me take a look at you!"
Before the train had even come to a complete stop, the platform was filled with shouting parents, desperately trying to spot their children in the crowd.
As soon as the doors opened, students poured out and ran toward their parents. Some threw themselves into their mothers' arms and burst into tears.
Wade also spotted his father in the crowd. The man stood close to the tracks, craning his neck to look into the train and his eyes were scanning frantically.
Then suddenly, he saw Wade dragging his trunk toward him—and froze in place.
The man's lips trembled slightly, as if trying to call out his son's name, but no sound came. He took two steps forward and legs buckled as if he might fall.
Wade moved instinctively, and in a blink, was standing in front of his father. He opened his arms and hugged him tightly.
"Dad, don't worry. I'm okay."
Wade's voice was calm and steady.
He could feel his father trembling slightly, then squeezing him back with such strength it felt like he was afraid Wade might fly away if he didn't hold on tight enough.
A few steps behind, Harry, pulling his trunk, watched the father and son with a tinge of envy. Beside him, Michael narrowed his eyes.
—Was that… Apparition?
—When did this guy learn such an advanced spell?
Michael immediately glanced around nervously, hoping no one had seen it. After all, Apparating without a license was illegal.
Of course, the punishment wasn't severe—usually just a fine.
Luckily, everyone was too caught up in their own emotions—overwhelmed with joy and lingering fear. Crying students, angry and shouting parents—no one had noticed Wade's Apparition, not even the sharp pop that accompanied it drew attention.
Many parents were Apparating away from the station with their children, and some older students even used it to show off as a way of heading home.
"That's all that matters... Thank God you're safe... I didn't hear about the attack until I got to the station..."
Fred's voice was hoarse with emotion.
"Just a bunch of hungry Dementors," Wade said deliberately in a light tone. "They're under the Ministry's control, so they didn't dare do anything to us. At most, they just sucked away a bit of happiness."
Fred shook his head, still visibly shaken.
He wasn't one of those Muggle parents completely clueless about the wizarding world—he knew very well how dangerous and unpredictable Dementors could be.
Not far off, the Grangers had already been reassured by Hermione and were now smiling in relief.
"Haha, so that's what happened… Your mum and I thought something terrible had happened to you!" Mr. Granger laughed.
"Even Ministry employees shouldn't be stopping a student train just like that!" Mrs. Granger added indignantly. "It's such a barbaric thing to do!"
"Oh, come on, I told you I'm fine!" Hermione looped her arms through her parents' and started walking them out of the station. "Let's go—I'm starving!"
She walked a few steps ahead, then turned back and waved to her friends.
The cheerful voices from that direction left the Grey father and son in silence for a moment. Then Wade stepped aside and introduced the two people behind him to his father.
"Dad, these are my friends—Harry Potter and Michael Corner. Harry, Michael—this is my dad."
"Nice to meet you, boys," Fred finally smiled and extended his hand. "I'm Fred Grey."
"Hello, Mr. Grey!" Harry said politely and shook his hand. He immediately noticed how cold the man's fingers were—like ice.
He couldn't help but glance at Wade again, feeling a little envious of the kind of love and concern that came from being missed and worried about by one's parents.
Michael followed with a handshake and a cheerful grin. "Hi, Mr. Grey, thanks so much for the invitation. And by the way—this coat of yours looks amazing!"
"Thank you, Michael. And Harry—I've heard quite a lot about both of you from Wade," Fred said with a warm smile.
"Excuse me, everyone—would you mind if I did a quick interview?"
A voice suddenly burst in beside them, overly enthusiastic to the point of flamboyance. Wade turned his head and saw a reporter.
The man wore glasses, looked quite young, and had on a dark gray vest full of pockets, seemingly packed with various items. The letters "SMC" were emblazoned across the vest in large print.
Wade knew that SMC stood for Streaming Mirror Corporation, a media company founded by Marchionne. Marchionne had mentioned it several times in his letters, saying the company was growing rapidly.
Of course, since Wade had been studying full-time at the secluded Hogwarts, he hadn't experienced any of that firsthand.
At the moment, he noticed the reporter's outfit was hardly different from a typical Muggle journalist's—except for the dark circles under his eyes and the notable absence of a camera. Instead, a small blue bird was perched on his shoulder.
That bird was a Master mirror—Streaming Mirror's magical equivalent of a video camera, officially recognized by the Ministry.
When the reporter recognized Harry Potter, his eyes lit up, and he pushed forward eagerly. "Mr. Potter, right? Could you tell us about the train attack?"
"What?" Harry blinked in confusion, flustered. "I... I'm not really sure…"
Wade stepped in front of the reporter and said, "Sorry, we're not available for interviews. Also, I'd prefer if none of our names appeared on Steaming Mirror."
The reporter frowned and asked, "And you are…?"
"Wade Grey," Wade said.
"Ah… Mr. Grey…"
The reporter opened his mouth, clearly wanting to say something, but after seeing the calm look in Wade's eyes, he gave up.
He had interviewed enough people to tell from just a glance who was an easy mark—someone you could squeeze for information—and who had a firm will that wouldn't be swayed.
"Alright then, that's a pity…" The reporter tapped his notebook with the tip of his pen and said cheerfully, "Happy holidays to all of you! Hope you'll give me a chance next time."
With that, he turned decisively toward his next target.
"Hello, I'm a reporter with Streaming Mirror Media. Would you mind giving me a quick interview?"
This time, he happened to stop Percy Weasley.
The moment he heard "reporter," Percy's eyes lit up, and his face turned as red as his hair. He straightened his clothes, forced a smile, and said in a slightly trembling voice:
"Of course!"
Not far off, Mrs. Weasley was still hugging her youngest daughter, comforting her with concern, completely unaware that her third son was already being interviewed. Ron, standing nearby, grumbled that his mum didn't care about him as much.
The twins, however, immediately noticed what was going on. They exchanged exaggerated winks and silently mimicked Percy's serious expression and tone, clearly having fun at his expense.
"Let's go," Wade said.
The group pushed their luggage trolleys toward the magical barrier. There were only three or four people ahead of them in line.
Next to them stood a station attendant holding a pocket watch. He kept checking the time and allowed people through one by one, making sure the crowd didn't all rush out at once—otherwise, even the dullest Muggle would notice something was off.
Soon, everyone ahead of them had passed through.
"You're up. Stay discreet, don't—"
The attendant spoke in a monotone voice, and scanned the group to make sure they weren't doing anything suspicious. But when he saw Harry, he froze mid-sentence.
Everyone was already used to this kind of reaction. They lowered their heads and quickly pushed their trolleys through the wall, disappearing into the Muggle world beyond.
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⭐Harry Potter: Becoming a Study God (HP:BSG)- +235 Chapters
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