"Professor?" Wade asked, a little surprised.
"Some people's dangers aren't visible on the surface," Professor Morrie said, lacing his fingers together and looking at Wade. "How much do you know about curses and contracts?"
Wade thought for a moment. "I've read about the Unbreakable Vow and the Fidelius Charm. I also studied the magical contract you drew up for Mr. Marchioni and me, but I haven't systematically learned about this area yet."
He hadn't been studying magic for very long, and there was simply too much for him to learn. Knowing that each year ahead would be more chaotic and dangerous, Wade had focused his studies on improving his survival rate.
He no longer placed his hope for safety in anyone else, only urgently wishing he could possess the ability to handle any crisis.
Professor Morrie nodded, not showing any disappointment.
—Or rather, finding out there were things Wade didn't know gave him a certain sense of accomplishment as a professor.
Professor Morrie said, "The Unbreakable Vow is an extremely powerful oath; those who break it are certain to die, so it's only used in extreme circumstances. Like a blood pact, it's an oath most people wouldn't make, even if they intended to keep their promise. But let's not dwell on that."
—A blood pact?
Wade's heart subtly stirred.
"The Fidelius Charm is extremely complex and powerful, a magical spell used for secrecy. But choosing the Secret-Keeper is key—if the Secret-Keeper betrays, the charm is useless; if the Secret-Keeper dies, everyone who knows the secret becomes a new Secret-Keeper. Therefore, this charm places all hope on one person—"
Professor Morrie paused, then said, "Harry Potter's parents died because of the wrong Secret-Keeper."
Wade knew about this, but he still asked, "That person was—"
"Sirius Black."
Professor Morrie slowly pronounced the name with a tone of distaste, then continued, "He, James Potter, Remus Lupin, and Peter Pettigrew were once the best of friends, but he betrayed them, leading to the death of the other two, and he himself was sent to Azkaban. The only one still at large is Remus Lupin, though I haven't heard from him in many years..."
Wade nodded slowly. "Are you worried he's a hidden Dark wizard who might harm me?"
"Not only that, he's also..."
—A werewolf.
Professor Morrie hesitated, then swallowed the word.
It was perfectly normal for a few Death Eaters to emerge from the student body, after all, nearly every wizard in Britain had attended Hogwarts, and all sorts of people passed through. But if it became known that Dumbledore had admitted a werewolf into the school, and that he had lived alongside other children for seven years, even witches and wizards who supported Dumbledore would likely think he had gone mad.
However, if Wade was unaware of this, he might also be in danger.
Professor Morrie considered his words carefully, then said in a way that was meant to conceal but actually revealed, "He's also someone you can't be near on the full moon—you're a smart child, you should understand what I mean."
Wade nodded, saying directly, "In our Defense Against the Dark Arts class two days ago, Professor Quirrell discussed various treatments for werewolf bites; I've learned a bit about them."
"Knowing that, do you still want him to be your agent?" Professor Morrie said. "You know, that means he always poses an uncontrolled risk—if you need, I can introduce you to some reliable and safe people."
Wade was genuinely tempted for a moment, knowing that since Professor Morrie said so, it meant he would use his own methods to ensure the introduced people were reliable.
But after a moment of hesitation, Wade still said, "I'm very grateful, Professor. But I've already promised him this opportunity... It's a commitment to me... Unless his character is truly deplorable, I don't want to break my word easily."
Professor Morrie was vaguely worried but not surprised.
"In that case," he said, raising his hand to summon a few books, "we'll pause our Alchemy lesson today and talk about magical contracts—that's the most common way for unfamiliar wizards to build trust."
Time flowed like a gentle, silent stream, and in the blink of an eye, it was Saturday.
This wasn't a Hogsmeade weekend, so most students were sleeping in their dorms. Early in the morning, Wade dressed, wrapped a blue-green scarf around his neck, and went down to the Great Hall on the first floor.
Quite unusually, Professor Morrie also appeared at the teachers' table in the Great Hall for breakfast, which greatly surprised Professor McGonagall. She looked at him several times before cautiously greeting him, as if confirming that this Professor Morrie wasn't someone else in disguise.
"Don't be so strange, Minerva."
Professor Morrie nodded with a smile at Wade, then said to Professor McGonagall, "Occasionally, I too wish to feel the vibrant atmosphere brought by the children."
Wade bowed slightly to Professor Morrie, then sat at the long table and saw that his plate had been filled with his favorite foods, with a few familiar candies beside them.
He picked up a candy first and tasted it. It was sweet and refreshing, not cloying at all, exactly like the ones his mother sent.
It seemed the house-elves' culinary research must have been very successful.
After breakfast, Wade first went outside the castle gate. After a short wait, Professor Morrie also emerged, smiling. "The dishes in the Hogwarts kitchens are getting richer and richer, and the taste is good too. I haven't been here in a long time; it seems I've missed many interesting changes."
Wade also smiled, casually remarking, "Surely some house-elves aren't just completing tasks, but are genuinely dedicated to culinary research?"
"An interesting thought—very interesting—" Professor Morrie looked at Wade. "Most people would assume that some wizard gave them better recipes, rather than thinking house-elves would proactively research cooking on their own."
"Why not?" Wade asked, puzzled. "They have intelligence and rich emotions; isn't it normal for them to have a personal hobby, put effort into it, and make breakthroughs?"
Professor Morrie was startled by his words, then burst into laughter. "Wade, Wade... Although you know a lot, you grew up in the Muggle world after all... Some things that are common knowledge to others, you know nothing about—that's very normal, perfectly normal—"
He affectionately ruffled Wade's hair, looking at him as if he were watching a toddler learning to speak.
"House-elves have no self, Wade," Professor Morrie said with a smile. "Or rather—house-elves with a self are... quite dangerous for wizards. You should remember that, child."