The space inside the wardrobe was still far from the small world Wade envisioned; it was only slightly larger than the Boathouse, empty and undecorated.
Professor Morrie, of course, wasn't "looking" at these superficial things.
He didn't have eyes like Wade's, but he had his own method to examine the runic circuits within:
Layers of inlaid ancient runes formed a structure as intricate as a honeycomb and perfectly balanced.
The chain-like interconnected Undetectable Extension Charms were complex yet orderly, simple yet precise.
Hundreds of spells, like vortices, ensured the structural stability while leaving ample room for expansion.
This was merely a prototype.
But it had taken root and sprouted in the most perfect form, growing tender leaves. Professor Morrie examined its脉络 (veins/structure), almost seeing the moment it would grow into a towering tree.
After stepping out, Professor Morrie looked at Wade, smiling with emotion. "There's nothing more I can teach you about the Undetectable Extension Charm, Wade."
Wade didn't hide his joy, a happy smile gracing his face.
This made him look more his age than usual.
"Do you have any plans for the summer?" Professor Morrie asked.
"Reading and studying, nothing else," Wade replied.
Professor Morrie pondered for a moment, frowning. "Students aren't allowed to use magic during the summer, which is very inconvenient for your studies. And you live in a Muggle neighborhood; if you cast a spell, the Ministry of Magic will immediately detect it..."
"Actually—" Wade explained, "I plan to stay home for a few days, then rent a room at the Leaky Cauldron. That way, I can bypass the Ministry's Trace."
Professor Morrie nodded slightly. "It's a solution... but not a good one. Old Tom is decent enough, but that place often has unidentified individuals lurking about. It's not safe for a child like you to live in a pub, and the environment isn't good either."
"Mr. Lupin can accompany me; he's also teaching me Defense Against the Dark Arts!" Wade said.
"Lupin?" Professor Morrie snorted. "That's exactly what I'm worried about!"
His prejudice against werewolves was deeply ingrained; he would never truly trust them.
"How about this: you go home first—" Professor Morrie thought for a moment. "I'll go talk to Mr. Scamander. Perhaps he'd be willing to let you visit him."
"Mr. Newt Scamander?" Wade's eyes lit up. "Are you saying—"
"Yes, I suppose you'd certainly like to see his amazing suitcase," Professor Morrie chuckled. "No one is more skilled than him in the application of spatial and weather charms."
Under Wade's excited gaze, Professor Morrie added, "Conveniently, he's very fond of Steven, and Steven has mentioned you to him—yes, he's brought you up several times—Mr. Scamander has a very good impression of you."
When he left Professor Morrie's office, Wade still felt his heart beating rapidly, his eyes bright, and his steps unusually light.
Newt Scamander.
To Wade, this man had once merely been the protagonist of the Fantastic Beasts film series: kind, gentle, and awkward, almost never looking anyone directly in the eye. He loved magical creatures, was loyal to Dumbledore, and would go through fire and water for the old headmaster.
Having come to the wizarding world, Wade discovered that Newt had also left a prominent mark on modern magical history: his magical suitcase, his outstanding performance in both wizarding wars, and his lifelong dedication to protecting magical creatures—all recorded in history books.
It even included—his capture of Gellert Grindelwald.
This was a man filled with legendary tales, though he himself might not have desired such fame.
Stepping out of the Astronomy Tower, Wade finally opened his Book of Friends.
The earlier messages had disappeared—which was to be expected, as he had been in Professor Morrie's class for nearly two hours.
The most recent message was from Padma.
[Padma: They went to the Restricted Section on the fourth floor.]
[Wade: Padma? Where are you?]
[Padma: Merlin! You finally saw the message!]
[Padma: I'm outside the fourth-floor corridor.]
[Padma: It's almost curfew, and Filch's cat keeps staring at me, and I think I just saw Peeves... What do I do? Dumbledore isn't here... no one has come back...]
Just from the disordered text, one could feel the girl's fear and worry.
[Wade: Wait for me.]
Wade quickly walked to the main tower. As he passed through the Entrance Hall, he detoured into the Great Hall to pack some bread and roasted meat. Filch was standing at the entrance to the Entrance Hall, unhappily watching the students who were still eating dinner.
Wade nodded to him and said, "Good afternoon, Mr. Filch."
Filch was slightly surprised. He eyed Wade suspiciously, seemingly trying to figure out what trouble he was planning.
But Wade had already walked past him quickly.
He went all the way to the fourth-floor corridor, where Padma was pacing back and forth outside the restricted area, occasionally peeking in, as if afraid that too much movement would draw attention.
Around the corner not far away, the scrawny Mrs. Norris was crouched on the ground, staring eerily at her. Hearing Wade's footsteps, she turned her head to look in his direction.
Wade tossed Mrs. Norris two small dried fish and went over to Padma.
"Wade!" Padma looked almost on the verge of tears, her clothes wrinkled from her own nervous clutching.
"Don't worry." Wade handed her a sandwich. "Have something to eat... Did you notify the professors?"
"Michael found Professor Flitwick, and he said the Stone was safe and we shouldn't worry, just enjoy the days without exams."
Padma's tone couldn't help but carry a hint of resentment towards the professors.
"Professor McGonagall said the same thing to Harry. She also warned us not to be silly, or she'd deduct a ton of points. Professor Sprout is teaching a fifth-year class, so we didn't get a chance to talk to her."
Padma quickly finished speaking, holding the sandwich but unable to eat.
"What about Professor Dumbledore?"
"He received an urgent message from the Ministry of Magic and went to London."
Padma said tearfully, "We don't have his Book of Friends, so we could only send an owl. I don't know when he'll receive it... maybe by the time he comes back, it'll all be too late."
"Don't worry, remember what we said before—Dumbledore knows everything that goes on at Hogwarts."
Wade reassured her.
After retrieving his past memories through the Pensieve, Wade was even more certain that Dumbledore had full control over the school during Harry's first year. Quirrell's perceived opportunity was merely a deliberate flaw left by Dumbledore.
—The "obstacle course" in the dungeons was Dumbledore's true "final exam" for Harry and his friends.