Chapter 281: This Is Magic
Wade opened his eyes as the first rays of sunlight pierced through the thick clouds in the morning.
For a long time during the previous school year, he had maintained the habit of waking up at sunrise, forming a stable biological clock that still had him rising early.
Wade lay in bed for two minutes, resting his eyes, then got up, washed, and went downstairs.
At this hour, Mr. and Mrs. Gray were still asleep, but the aroma of frying buttered bread already wafted from the kitchen.
As he passed the staircase, the mirror beside it swayed slightly and spoke:
"Good morning, Young Master Gray. Your attire today is as casually elegant as ever…"
"Thanks, I'm wearing pajamas," Wade replied.
"They are the printed silk pajamas Mrs. Gray carefully selected for you, showcasing your noble temperament. Every time I see them, they make my mirror-self's eyes light up…"
"Really? But you don't have eyes," Wade said.
"That's just an expression, Young Master. The sun is perfect today, very suitable for a light-colored shirt! Paired with dark casual trousers, it looks clean and sharp, perfect for a walk or meeting friends."
The mirror chattered animatedly. Even after Wade had walked past, its voice could still be heard from behind—
"Even for visiting elders, it would be very appropriate…"
Wade shook his head.
This talkative item was a gift he had bought for his mother, Fiona. Ferdinand later told him that Fiona sometimes spent two hours discussing clothes and makeup with the mirror.
To some extent, this freed him and his father from fixed phrases like "anything works" and "it looks good," but Ferdinand seemed a little lost. He would occasionally sneak over, trying to interject into the mirror's conversations with his wife.
However, that realm was too foreign to him.
Then, he started secretly studying fashion magazines.
Wade: "..."
He really wanted to tell his father that to join their world, he might first need to be able to distinguish between different shades of lipstick.
Leaving the mirror behind, Wade arrived on the first floor. The living room was already spotless, and several small Magic Golems were making breakfast in the kitchen.
Before Wade started attending Hogwarts, cleaning staff used to come regularly to clean and cook, leaving Fiona only needing to prepare breakfast.
Later, as more and more magic-related books and items accumulated in their home, Fiona took over most of the housework to avoid revealing their secrets.
Although Ferdinand would help, he had a lot of work, and the trivial, complex housework still took up a significant amount of Fiona's time.
Wade felt somewhat guilty about this and had always considered hiring a House-elf for the family, but he worried about Mr. and Mrs. Gray's safety.
Even though most House-elves were fiercely loyal to their Wizard masters, there were also rebellious ones, and a common trait among magical creatures was looking down on anyone who couldn't use Magic.
For example, Kreacher from the Black Family, or Mikey from Hogwarts, were willing to obey Wade's commands. But if they came to House Gray, would they obey Ferdinand or Fiona in the same way?
Wade couldn't be sure.
Even if they were willing to serve his parents because of Wade, if they harbored contempt or dissatisfaction, House-elves would express those feelings very directly.
And if they hired some stray House-elves who had been cast out by their masters… unless they knew their backgrounds thoroughly, having such powerful magical creatures in the house would also be a threat to Mr. and Mrs. Gray.
Wade initially thought Dobby would be a good choice, but then he invented the Magic Golems himself, and all problems were resolved.
Now, three small Magic Golems handled the vast majority of chores. Fiona only carefully prepared a loving feast when she felt like it, or sometimes knitted sweaters or gloves for her family to pass the time.
The Magic Golems had now grown accustomed to the family's routines. As soon as Wade sat at the dining table, a steaming cup of coffee was brought over. Soon after, a bountiful breakfast was also laid out.
The small Magic Golem, Coco, holding a water pitcher taller than itself, steadily poured a cup of hot water.
Wade cut a piece of bread and simultaneously asked, "Have you noticed any strange people lurking around recently?"
Coco said, "The strangest person was Alastor Moody. He used a Diffindo spell to damage a bicycle on the road last night."
Wade, who was about to eat his bread, paused. He put down his fork and asked, "Did anyone from the Ministry of Magic come to handle it?"
"No," Coco said. "He didn't attract Muggle attention. The bicycle owner thought it was an accident."
"Hmm."
Wade thought for a moment. The Ministry of Magic was probably used to Moody frequently causing such incidents, so unless there was a risk of violating the Statute of Secrecy, they couldn't be bothered to show up.
If an accidental situation needed handling… the person responsible would most likely be Arthur Weasley.
After he finished breakfast, another Magic Golem, Lucy, had already placed the day's newspaper on the table.
Because she was so short, when she ran over carrying a stack of newspapers, it looked as if the newspapers were moving on their own.
Wade couldn't help but smile and asked, "Do you want me to make you bigger? That might be more convenient."
Lucy shook her head and said, "No need, we're used to it. And this way, we can go out with our master."
Wade nodded and said no more.
Because a mind had been instilled into the Magic Golems, they often felt no different from real people. They could converse, understand vague commands, and perform various intricate and complex tasks.
Except for reproduction and metabolism, they could essentially do anything humans could.
In contrast, the current AI technology of Muggles seemed clumsy and mechanical.
After breakfast, Wade saw that it was almost time. He greeted Ferdinand, who had just woken up, and prepared to leave.
"When are you coming back?" Ferdinand asked.
"Probably tonight," Wade said. "If I have to stay over, I'll text you."
"Okay." Ferdinand nodded steadily, looking as if he wanted to say something, but then swallowed it back, finally only managing, "Don't forget to eat."
Wade naturally agreed, then went upstairs to change.
Ferdinand stood by the window, lighting a cigarette, when he suddenly heard a flapping sound.
He looked up to see a Peregrine Falcon flying into the distance.
"How can someone over a hundred pounds turn into a bird weighing just over a pound?" He looked down at the Magic Golem beside him. "Does that make sense? Shouldn't matter be conserved?"
Coco seemed to zone out for a moment before saying, "That's Magic, Master."
"Right..."
Ferdinand sighed deeply. "That's... Magic."
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