Chapter 302: Go Home Immediately!
A red beam of light shot out, exploding with a roar, and fierce flames engulfed the entire room.
Wade controlled his magic, letting the fire burn in a circle along the walls.
The next moment, he heard the portraits screaming.
Although portraits in the magical world can move between other portraits, if their original portrait is destroyed, the person within it will wither and "die" quickly, like a tree trunk losing its roots.
The screaming lasted for a while, while the crackling of the burning lasted even longer.
Only when all sounds gradually faded did Wade walk in.
The portraits, curtains, and carpets had all been incinerated. The room was pitch black, with only the statues remaining.
Wade cast the Shield Charm and Bubble-Head Charm on himself, then waved his Wand.
*Boom boom boom boom boom boom boom…*
In a series of explosions, all the statues were blasted into Diffindo, and even the walls and floor were covered with huge cracks.
Gentle gusts of wind swirled, collecting the gold dust revealed after the statues exploded, then depositing it into a crystal vial Wade had prepared beforehand.
When the gold dust first sprayed out, it looked like a lot. But when gathered, it couldn't even fill an ordinary teacup.
Contained in the crystal vial, Wade felt as if he held a bottle of shimmering mercury—it flowed, gleamed with a metallic luster, and was as smooth as a mirror when still.
A gentle shake revealed fine, glittering gold dust inside, as if many stars were hidden within, making it extraordinarily brilliant.
Wade couldn't help but stare at it for a while before reluctantly putting it away.
He didn't know what it was, but he was certain—this was an extremely special Alchemy product, unlike anything ever seen on the market.
Wade had experienced it firsthand: this gold dust could only make people sluggish and drowsy. The Stunning Spell or Draught of Living Death could achieve similar effects.
The advantage of the gold dust was merely its ability to catch people off guard, which didn't quite match its remarkable appearance.
The person who refined it might not have been skilled… but they certainly used some extraordinary material…
Wade's heart burned with excitement. He wished Rita Skeeter would find the culprits' lair right then so he could get his hands on more raw materials.
—Perhaps this was also why those people were looking for Alchemist.
It wasn't just to produce Magic Golems for war and slaughter; it was also because they possessed a treasure trove but couldn't unleash its true power…
As he thought, he extensively vandalized the exhibition hall, not stopping until it was completely unrecognizable.
Afterward, Wade set another fire, igniting both upstairs and downstairs. He then slipped into the Secret Passage he had used to leave the building earlier, made some arrangements, and finally brought out all Alchemists except Gull.
The gold dust on them was also collected. Wade tossed his spare Wand into the Wardrobe Space, which then transformed into a pencil case and slipped into his pocket.
Next, he lay down on the ground, closed his eyes, and recited, "Aguamenti!"
Water poured out in a torrent, drenching everyone.
As Wade lay with his eyes closed, pretending to sleep, he heard someone cough.
"Cough, cough, cough… Oh, damn it! Where is this? I can't see! Why is it so dark?… Lumos! Where's my Wand? My Wand is gone!"
The first person to wake up was a young, impetuous man. He shouted and screamed, quickly waking everyone else.
The Wizard, who had mastered wandless magic, quickly illuminated the Secret Passage, providing light for everyone.
"What is this place? What happened?"
They knew the people beside them were just as confused, yet they kept asking questions.
Professor Murray, still muddled, wiped the water from his face, propped himself up on the floor, looked around, and anxiously called out, "Wade! Wade!"
"I'm here, Professor!"
Wade responded, squeezed past the people in front of him, and went to Professor Murray's side.
His hair was also soaking wet, and his body was covered in dirt, making him look as disheveled as the others.
Professor Murray sighed in relief: "It's good that you're okay… Are you hurt?"
"…No." Wade hesitated, then said, "My Wand is gone."
"Mine too." Professor Murray sighed, saying, "I don't know what Gull is up to… Anyway, let's figure out how to get out of here first."
"We can't Apparate… We're still within the anti-Apparition charm area," a Wizard said in a panic.
"We haven't been locked up, have we?" another person said fearfully.
Regardless, no one could just sit there waiting for the mastermind to appear.
One end of the passage was steaming and flickering with fire, so everyone naturally chose to proceed in the other direction. As they walked, the person at the front suddenly gasped and stopped.
"What's wrong?" someone from behind asked. "Why stop? Is there no exit ahead?"
"…No." The person slowly turned around, their expression strange, and looked at the group. "It seems Gull left us a message."
"What?!"
Everyone pushed forward, but due to limited space, they ultimately decided to have the person in front read it aloud.
In the quiet passage, only their quick breaths could be heard. After a few seconds, a slightly trembling voice began to speak—
"They want to imprison and exploit you.
I was controlled by the Imperius Curse and became an accomplice.
In my last moments, I regained consciousness… I don't know how long it will last.
If you wake up free,
Go home immediately! Go home immediately! Go home immediately!
Don't make a fuss, don't report to the Ministry of Magic!
Their people are everywhere!
I'm so sorry, my frien—"
Amidst the chilling cold, everyone remained speechless for a long time, emotions like fear, terror, sadness, and nostalgia swirling within them.
After a while, someone stammered, "We… we should leave quickly… What if those people come back? We don't even have our wands…"
Everyone seemed to snap out of a dream. "Yes, let's go! Let's go!"
"Where are our wands?"
"What do you mean, 'where'? Those scoundrels must have stolen them!"
In their haste, no one had the presence of mind to discuss or even consider the strangeness of the situation.
Perhaps if there were only one or two of them, they could think more calmly. But at that moment, swept up by herd mentality, everyone began to scurry away.
Yet, each person paused as they passed the message.
The letters carved into the mud wall were completely distorted, showing how panicked and tense Gull must have been when he hastily left the message. The last line wasn't even finished; the final stroke of the 'e' was dragged out very long.
No one knew if Gull had been re-controlled by the Imperius Curse or if he had encountered a dangerous situation and had to flee.
Imagining the scene, tears welled up in everyone's eyes.
They ran out of the passage, with no time for further discussion. They agreed to reconnect later on the Book of Friends, then swiftly Apparated, vanishing from the spot.
[Go home immediately!]
Gull's repeated warning was now etched into everyone's hearts.
"Come with me, Wade!"
Professor Murray, who was bringing up the rear, reached out and tightly grabbed Wade's arm, about to Apparate with him.
"Professor!" Wade held his hand. "I want to go home, Professor."
Professor Murray frowned. "You're alone…"
"Alastor Moody lives next door to me," Wade said.
"Alright," Professor Murray said, immediately relieved. After changing their destination, he Apparated again.
*Bang!*
The last two figures vanished from the spot.
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