In the following week, news in the newspapers about the hunt for the Dark Wizards gradually dwindled.
Instead, journalists excitedly documented the dramatic scenes of Ministry of Magic officials from various countries shirking responsibility, yelling insults, and even taking off their shoes to brawl in meeting rooms.
It was said that the British Ministry of Magic had been flooded with Howlers. Every day, countless people complained about the security at the Quidditch World Cup and demanded compensation.
Cornelius Fudge, who appeared in the Streaming mirror broadcasts, looked more haggard with each passing day.
Meanwhile, the long-silent Umbridge suddenly rose to prominence again. Thanks to her brave acts defending the Minister during several of these brawls, she once again won Fudge's trust and favor.
Compared to such headlines, the return of the "lost wands" was a minor matter. A journalist casually mentioned it in a short piece in The Daily Prophet, which drew little attention.
The Ministry was currently overwhelmed, and the entire wizarding world was abuzz with discussions. But regardless of the chaos, the start of the school term would proceed as usual.
Before term began, Lupin accompanied Wade to Diagon Alley for shopping and also ordered a set of custom-made dress robes, along with a pair of matching dragon-hide boots.
"The notice said you need dress robes... I suspect you'll need to find yourself a dance partner too. If I were you, I'd start thinking about who to invite now—otherwise it might get tricky when the time comes."
Lupin spoke in the vague, roundabout way typical of many British parents, with a mysterious smile playing at the corners of his lips.
Wade played along and perceptively asked, "When the time comes? When is that? I'm not planning to stay at school over Christmas."
"No, you'll all be staying at school then," Lupin replied. "I can't say much more—apparently the Ministry considers it top-secret information. They'll only announce it when the time is right."
Wade gave him a knowing look and thought to himself: No wonder!
No wonder all the parents were mysteriously tight-lipped—it wasn't just their quirky sense of fun. The image-conscious Ministry had clearly played a hand in it too.
Fudge was probably worried that if news of the event leaked early and the tournament couldn't proceed smoothly, it would be humiliating.
Even though the World Cup had already brought the British Ministry enough embarrassment to last a lifetime, if Hogwarts performed well in the upcoming Triwizard Tournament, it might help Fudge salvage some dignity.
The issue, however, was that outside of Britain, this "secret" wasn't really a secret at all. It seemed that only Hogwarts students and their parents were still dutifully following the Ministry's confidentiality rules.
"In any case, don't keep isolating yourself this term," Lupin reminded Wade again as he dropped him off at home, and added with a smile:
"Otherwise, when everyone else is spinning around with their partners, are you going to invite Moaning Myrtle? James had already been courting Lily for three years when he was your age!"
"What about you, Remus?" Wade blinked curiously. "With your personality, I bet you had loads of girls chasing after you at school. How many times have you been in love?"
Remus: "..."
His teasing smile froze, his eyes darted awkwardly from side to side, and he tried to appear calm as he replied:
"We were in the middle of a war back then—who had time to worry about that kind of nonsense… Now go pack your things. I'll take you to the station in a few days."
Wade sighed. "Can't I just Apparate straight to school?"
Lupin sighed too. "Did you forget? You haven't passed the Ministry's Apparition test yet—every time you Apparate right now, it's technically illegal…"
Wade said, "I can just go to school directly from Hogsmeade."
But Lupin didn't agree. "Taking the train to Hogwarts with your friends is a wonderful experience. You might not think much of it now, but in the future, you'll definitely look back on it fondly."
He patted Wade's shoulder and said, "Don't rush, Wade. You're in one of the best times of your life right now—slow down, take your time... enjoy it. Time passes a lot faster than you think."
….
The holidays did indeed end quickly. In the blink of an eye, it was time for school to start.
It had been raining constantly lately, and on the first day of school, it was pouring even harder. The sound of the rain had started early in the morning and didn't seem likely to stop any time soon.
Fiona hurriedly dug out a raincoat and pulled it over Wade.
The thing was a bit bulky, and sitting in the car with it would get everything wet. Wade preferred to take an umbrella instead.
"There's still a bit of a walk from the car to the station!" Fiona insisted. "In this kind of downpour, what good is a little umbrella? Just a few steps are enough to soak your clothes!"
Beside her, Fred silently pulled out two old raincoats—one for himself and one for Lupin.
Dobby rushed down from upstairs carrying the owl cage, shouting, "Master Wade forgot his owl! Eva is super mad!"
"No, don't bring it. Leave the suitcase at home too," said Fred. "Dobby, I remember you know the house-elves at Hogwarts?"
"Yes!" said Dobby.
"Then once the rain stops, could you help Wade send his things to the school?" Fred asked. "It's pouring outside—dragging a suitcase around in this is a pain."
"Of course! Dobby can help!" Dobby shouted cheerfully.
He loved the feeling of being needed.
So Wade just put a few Galleons in his pocket, and Fred drove him and Lupin to King's Cross Station.
This time, Fred didn't get out of the car. He stopped by the roadside, and watched his lightly packed son walk into the station alongside Lupin. Suddenly, his nose felt a little stuffy, and his eyes a little red.
"He's grown up…"
Fred murmured to himself, lighting a cigarette. Raindrops blurred the car window, and he could no longer see the people outside clearly.
After a few minutes, the man started the car and slowly merged into the stream of vehicles with taillights flickering all around.
…
Inside the station, the deep red train was already waiting at the platform, surrounded by a crowd of people saying goodbye.
Luckily, Wade arrived early. He quickly found an empty compartment and then leaned out of the window to say goodbye to Lupin.
Not far away, a first-year student was clinging to his mother, refusing to let go. When they were finally pulled apart, he burst into loud wails.
Wade and Lupin exchanged a glance.
Lupin hesitated and said, "Maybe... you'd like a hug too?"
"No need," Wade replied. "We will see each other again in Hogsmeade as early as next weekend."
"True enough," Lupin chuckled. Unlike other parents who were reluctant to part, he simply waved and said, "Take care of yourself. If anything unexpected happens, get in touch right away."
Wade tapped his ear and said, "Got it."
Soon after, Sirius also dropped Harry off at the station. Leaning against the car, he said wistfully, "This year is going to be so exciting. I really wish Hogwarts had been this thrilling when I was a student."
"What?" Harry looked completely confused as his godfather shoved him onto the train.
"Hey, what's going on exactly?" George shouted in frustration from nearby. "You all know something, and you're keeping it from us?"
The adults all exchanged knowing smiles. Wade kept a straight face, though he was mentally rolling his eyes.
Suddenly, he spotted Antoine standing by a pillar not far away. Dressed in a Muggle suit and trench coat, Antoine smiled and waved in his direction.
The train let out a long whistle, and the wheels clattered against the tracks as it carried the students toward Hogwarts.
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