"They thought they'd kidnapped someone," Wade said.
"And—did they, actually?" Skeeter pressed.
Wade smiled. "If the car door opens, remember to stay far away."
His smile was still gentle, but somehow, Skeeter's heart sank, and a shiver ran down her spine.
She rubbed her arms, averted her gaze, and deliberately asked in a questioning tone, "Why haven't I noticed anything special about these guys? They just look like ordinary people… You're not trying to fool me, are you?"
"If I'm fooling you, then just make up rumors about me in your newspaper."
Wade said with a smile, "And you can also report me to the Ministry of Magic, tell them I'm an unregistered Animagus."
On the way there, he had Skeeter transform into an insect, and he himself transformed into a Peregrine Falcon, which was why they were able to get back to the ship before it sailed.
Skeeter snorted. "I'm an unregistered Animagus myself. Won't I end up in Azkaban too?"
"Exactly. So we both have leverage over each other, isn't that the best alliance?" Wade said. "You can't betray me, so I won't play tricks on you either."
"Alright then." Skeeter took a deep breath, a mischievous smile playing on her lips.
"If I really get a big scoop, the expressions on those Ministry of Magic officials' faces will be hilarious, definitely worth another article! But…"
She twirled the gem ring on her finger, glanced at Wade, and said, "If things get dangerous, I'll be the first one to run for my life."
"Of course, your personal safety is paramount."
Wade rummaged in his pocket and then pulled out a piece of parchment.
"This is a Book of Friends linked to me, and it has a tracking function. You can use it to contact me anytime."
"Okay." Skeeter took it, then asked, "If I'm in danger, can you bring Dumbledore?"
"Depends on the situation."
Wade pulled out another paper bag. After tearing it open, a shimmering silver object was revealed.
Skeeter gasped. "The Invisibility Cloak!"
"Take it." Wade handed it over. "Hide it well. I think you might need it."
While an insect form offered concealment, Skeeter still needed to eat, drink, use the Book of Friends to communicate, and, if necessary, revert to human form to hide or use magic. The Invisibility Cloak would make her much safer.
This Invisibility Cloak was not the Deathly Hallow that Harry's father had left him, but one Wade had bought from a second-hand junk shop during his holiday last year.
When he bought it, the Invisibility Cloak no longer possessed its cloaking magic, but most of its material was intact. While learning Alchemy, Wade spent some time repairing the Invisibility Cloak, and now it came in handy.
Skeeter took it, utterly flattered, and asked in surprise, "Are you really giving it to me? This item is incredibly rare and valuable."
"You're overthinking it. I'm just lending it to you for now," Wade said. "But if you can help me find these people's hideout, this Invisibility Cloak can be your reward."
"It's a deal!"
Rita Skeeter's eyes immediately lit up with determination. Her thick fingers gripped the Invisibility Cloak tightly, clearly not wanting to return it.
Wade watched Rita Skeeter put away the Invisibility Cloak and the Book of Friends, transform into a tiny beetle, and fly to land on top of the truck.
He cast a Disillusionment Charm on himself and observed for a while.
The beetle stayed on the truck roof for a moment. Seeing the two people inside the truck sound asleep, it finally couldn't resist its strong curiosity and crawled towards the back of the carriage.
The spot where Wade had previously torn through had already been repaired, but the carriage wasn't completely sealed. The beetle crawled around and finally found a narrow crack.
To a human, it was just a gap too small to even fit a finger, but for the tiny beetle, it was large enough.
It squeezed half its body inside, took just one look, and then bounced out in a panic, crashing head-first into a bump at the back of the truck's cab with a soft "thud."
The drowsy man with the small mustache in the cab was startled awake by the small sound. He groggily opened his eyes, and while still bewildered, he suddenly sniffed.
"What's that smell… Damn it! Did you actually wet your pants in the car?!"
He was utterly shocked and kicked the sleeping freckled driver awake.
A loud "bang" echoed from the car door.
The freckled driver, having been inexplicably attacked, threw a punch back without even opening his eyes.
The man with the mustache wasn't to be outdone. He snarled and lunged forward!
The two exchanged blows and kicks in the confined space, causing the large cab to sway and creak.
During a ship's voyage, other secured vehicles would also experience slight movements, so the truck, placed among them, wasn't particularly conspicuous.
Wade listened for a good while. Neither of them questioned their unconsciousness or the missing memories. The argument initially centered on wetting pants, but quickly devolved into a pure brawl.
Skeeter was perched in the corner of the truck window, watching with great relish. If she had a pen, she probably would have already started writing furiously.
Wade quietly left.
...
By the time he returned to London, dawn was just breaking.
A pale blue mist enveloped the buildings, tall and short, and a flock of pigeons gathered, soaring over St. Paul's Cathedral.
Wade found the small museum. Its glass door was now locked, and the somewhat shy girl was no longer behind the counter.
Wade gripped the doorknob and thought to himself, Alohomora!
The lock clicked open, and he pushed the door inward, seeing the elevator display screen was still black.
The elevator was locked, requiring a key or password to reactivate, neither of which Wade possessed. He pulled out his spare Wand and whipped it like a lash!
The iron door groaned, twisting and splitting open to reveal a huge gap.
He descended the elevator shaft, seeing that the elevator cables had been violently severed. The entire elevator lay at the bottom, forming a blockade against the Wizards.
Although most of Alchemist's practical skills were somewhat lacking, given enough time, they would naturally find a way to break through such a blockade and escape.
It was just that by then, everyone was covered in gold dust, their minds foggy, and their reactions significantly slowed. In their desire to leave, they stubbornly struggled against the iron door.
But in reality, when this building was constructed, it wasn't intended to be a prison, nor was it like Hogwarts' thousand-year-old Chamber of Secrets, hidden miles underground.
There was naturally a staircase connecting the ground floor to the other levels. However, when the incident occurred, this staircase was also hidden.
Wade took some time to find the staircase, which had been concealed by an illusion. He went down to the ground floor and saw another locked iron door.
Opening the lock, Wade didn't go inside. He simply pointed his Wand inward and softly said, "Incendio!"
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