Wade opened the book and once again saw the illustration of the killer forest.
Black trees with claw-like branches blocked out the sky, and the dark wizard casting curses was just a tiny figure in the image.
Now that I think about it… Was my first dream really just an association triggered by this illustration?
He closed his eyes and recalled—the sound of rain, the splash of water droplets, the smile on the wizard's face, and the rotten, damp smell of the forest—so vivid, real, and detailed.
The second dream… There were corpses everywhere. One body was hanging upside down from a banyan tree, with bright red blood dripping steadily down.
As for the third time, there was a desolate scene with broken pine trees scattered about.
All three ominous dreams shared one common element—this couldn't be a coincidence.
Wade also remembered what Sirius had said:
"The Ministry of Magic seals off all related records, to prevent any foolish copycats."
Copycats…
Even if I am overthinking it… what if my guess turns out to be true?
After thinking it over and over, Wade finally picked up the book and walked outside.
…
"Bang!"
A vendor with a pushcart suddenly appeared, the cart was filled with all sorts of strange and marvelous merchandise: badges that shouted out players' names, flags that played national anthems, miniature figurines of Quidditch stars that could walk around on their own, and various models of omnioculars (magical binoculars).
"Look! Krum!" Harry grabbed one of the figurines excitedly and turned to his friends. "He's amazing in the air—best Seeker in the world."
Ron had already seen the semi-final replay through the streaming mirror and was a fan of Krum too. Without hesitation, he pulled out his pocket money to buy one, then stood there drooling over the omnioculars.
"Here you go!" Harry bought a pair and gave them to him. "You'll miss all the cool moments without these."
"I can't." Ron's face turned bright red. "They're way too expensive."
"Call it an early Christmas present!" Harry said with a grin.
Only then did Ron accept them with relief.
…
"Squelch."
Wade stepped right into a patch of soft and sticky mud. His expression froze as he yanked his foot—and shoe—out of the muck.
"Careful," Antoine reached out to pull him up and said, "Some places in the forest look normal on the surface, but they might hide pits several meters deep underneath. One wrong step and you could fall right in."
Delaine, watching Wade struggle to move forward, frowned and said, "I remember the book Mr. Grindelwald gave you mentioned a kind of wandless flying magic. You should take time to learn it."
"—Wandless Dark magic," Wade emphasized. "In "The Rise and Fall of Dark Magic", this silent flight spell is considered one of Voldemort's trademarks. Even if I could use it, I wouldn't dare do it casually."
"There's only a few of us here, and you've taken Polyjuice Potion—what are you afraid of?" said Antoine.
"I've got a simpler way."
Wade reached into his pocket and pulled out a deep black cloak. With a flick, he draped it over his shoulders—and it gently lifted him off the ground.
His feet hadn't completely left the ground—but the pressure on the ground was as light as a paper. With a light push off the ground, he could float a long distance forward.
The cloak could lift Wade into the air entirely, but he always felt that doing so would reduce his mobility. It was more convenient to travel like this.
In an instant, he widened the gap between himself and others by over ten meters. Then he turned back and waved, signaling them to follow.
Antoine watched Wade's swift speed, ghostlike figure, and gliding movement—and was struck by how eerie it looked. Paired with that waving gesture, it instantly reminded him of countless ghost stories he had heard.
He turned to Delaine. "And this guy dares to complain that wandless flight is a dark wizard's trademark?"
Delaine couldn't help but chuckle as well.
…
Cheers and applause erupted wave after wave. The entire stadium—holding nearly a hundred thousand spectators—was almost completely filled.
Because the view from the top-tier boxes was better, the SSC group, along with Ron and Ginny from the Weasley family, followed Harry to Sirius Black's private box.
"Merlin, just a few of you in a box this big?" Fred immediately threw himself into a seat, swinging his head back and forth. "If I'd known, I would've come days ago."
"Didn't Mr. Weasley get tickets for a top-tier box too?" Hermione asked curiously.
"Ugh, don't mention it," George said, sitting on Fred's other side. "That box was full of Ministry officials—there was even the Bulgarian Minister of Magic. The entire Malfoy family was there too."
"Percy loved it," Ron grumbled. "I swear, he could live there forever."
Everyone burst into laughter.
Ryan opened his bag. "I brought drinks and snacks—anyone want some?"
"Me!" Michael asked, "Do you have Chocolate Frogs?"
"Of course."
"By the way…" Theo looked around and asked Harry, "When's Wade getting here? And what about Mr. Black and Mr. Lupin?"
"Sirius said he had something to do tonight. Lupin ran into an old friend earlier and said he'd come later," Harry explained. "Wade messaged me about half an hour ago—he said he didn't feel like watching the match anymore."
"What?" Padma said in surprise. "This is the World Cup Final!"
"Last time, when Bulgaria played Egypt in the semi-final, Wade also went back to the tent to read," Harry said, unfazed. "Although the view really wasn't great… Still, I think for him, reading is far more interesting than Quidditch."
"Well, that's just so Wade," Michael said. "He usually didn't go to matches back at school either."
"Just don't let my gran hear you say that," Neville muttered, shrinking back. "She'd never stop lecturing me."
Laughter echoed through the box. Everyone snacked and chatted while waiting for the match to begin. The atmosphere was relaxed and cheerful.
…
In the forest, massive spruce trees stood quietly. Antoine lowered his wand and said calmly, "All clear. No signs of anything unusual. Wade, looks like you really were overthinking it."
"I didn't find any trees cursed either," Delaine added, approaching from another direction. "Maybe your precognitive dream wasn't about this forest… or maybe it's a vision of something that may come true one day in the future.."
"Or… maybe a dream is just a dream." Antoine looked back toward the stadium, which loomed unusually large in the night. "The match probably just started. We can still make it if we head back now."
Wade didn't answer. He simply looked up at the spruce tree in front of him and his pupils faintly glowed with golden patterns and light.
Dense magical runes clung to the tree like a spiderweb, tightly wrapped around it.
How could this be called 'nothing unusual'?
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