## Chapter 321: Shocking! Umbridge Actually...
"Wade." Dumbledore stopped and said, "I believe you'll use a clear mind to consider the pros and cons of a matter, to face problems soberly and solve them... So tell me, do you think you did anything wrong?"
Wade thought seriously for a moment, then shook his head.
"Then do as you think best."
Dumbledore was unexpectedly lenient. He said, "I am not as intelligent and wise as many people imagine. Just like when you asked me before — Is the Statute of Secrecy correct? Is the current Ministry of Magic correct? Is abolishing the death penalty correct?"
"Actually, many times I also wonder, what exactly is right and what is wrong? Perhaps time will ultimately give us the answer, but being in the thick of it, we can only see a small section of the road ahead."
"So... do what you won't regret, Wade. Everything comes at a cost, and I hope you're not like me... Don't regret your choices, even years later when you look back."
Wade stared at him blankly, his heart filled with unspoken awe.
Dumbledore's indulgence and trust in him were far greater and deeper than Wade had realized.
Perhaps all wise people are like this; past experiences had carved irreparable scars on his soul, but also endowed him with immense patience.
He wouldn't make rash decisions, nor would he arbitrarily interfere with or dictate others' futures. Even if it didn't align with his values, he wouldn't roughly say, "You're wrong! You must do as I say!"
At the same time, Wade suddenly understood why Dumbledore in the original story always seemed to concede, always appearing overly restrained, even weak, whether facing Fudge or Voldemort.
Because he was always waiting.
Everyone trusted Dumbledore, but Dumbledore himself didn't trust himself; he trusted himself less than anyone else.
Along the tree-lined path, streetlights lit up one by one, casting a soft glow through the tree canopies.
Dumbledore patted Wade's shoulder and said, "It's dinner time. You should head home."
"May I invite you to dinner, Professor?" Wade asked. "Actually, my mother wanted to ask when I left, but she was a bit hesitant."
The invitation was a bit sudden, but Dumbledore still smiled. "I'd be delighted to accept your invitation, Mr. Gray."
Dinner at Wade's house was as rich and delicious as ever.
Especially after Wade bought several cookbooks from the East at a bookstore, the Magic Golem Coco, which he had created by infusing his thoughts, could understand Chinese and was quite adventurous in trying new things.
After wasting some ingredients, food that suited Wade's taste finally began to appear on the dining table. Although Mr. and Mrs. Gray initially found it unfamiliar, they were very interested in trying it with their son and were quickly won over.
At this point, Fiona was proud of the meal her family had prepared, even for the Headmaster of Hogwarts.
After overcoming her initial awkwardness, she quickly and enthusiastically invited Dumbledore to try everything.
"This roast goose is fantastic! It's roasted after being brushed with sugar water, so fragrant and sweet, simply wonderful!"
Dumbledore's eyes lit up slightly at the mention of sugar water, and he happily forked a piece of golden-brown roast goose for himself.
"Have you ever had this honey-glazed char siu? I never knew pork could be prepared this way, other than roasted pork chops and suckling pig! The sauce uses honey, sugar, peanut oil..."
Dumbledore: Fork another piece, fork another piece!
Wade knew the Headmaster liked sweets, so the entire table was filled with sweet dishes, which even first-time tasters wouldn't find hard to accept.
Dumbledore ate with a smile, and also noticed that even with a Magic Golem doing the housework, the Gray Family still actively participated in small tasks like setting the table.
Mr. Gray wiped soup from the table that Mrs. Gray had spilled, and Wade voluntarily stood up to pour drinks for his parents and Dumbledore.
A smile played on his lips, and his blue eyes looked very kind.
The couple respected and understood each other, and there was a loving, harmonious relationship between parents and child.
So how could Wade, coming from such a family, be like Grindelwald or Voldemort?
He was born with something Dumbledore never believed he possessed—
And that was love.
...
Dumbledore left, taking with him a dessert gift prepared by Fiona, and some worries that had been weighing on Wade's mind.
He finally found time to transform into "Werner" and contact Claire, the Werewolf girl he had stood up for over a week.
Although the bearded Werewolf was already doing the same thing as Snape, Wade felt there was no harm in maintaining this line of communication; after all, all he had to pay was a small salary.
Moreover, if the problem of Lycanthropy could truly be solved, it would be of immense help to many people.
From Lupin, Wade knew that although Werewolves possessed great power after transforming, it was nothing but torment for them; only a very small number of naturally antisocial individuals would enjoy that state.
For their first contact, Wade didn't meet Claire in person, instead asking them to send some hair and blood samples from before and after transformation.
In the Wizarding World, many curses are cast through flesh or hair. Claire's Werewolf friends all recoiled when they heard his request, but the girl sent the samples without hesitation.
I'm not afraid to die.
She wrote on the parchment: If this can all end sooner, death would be a blessing.
When Wade received the material package, he felt a slight weight on his shoulders, as if burdened by the girl's expectations.
He kept a portion for magical research. Then he sent the other portion to a private laboratory, spending a large sum of money to commission a detailed analysis.
—Wizards hadn't solved the Werewolf problem for thousands of years, and Wade didn't think he was smarter than the great wizards.
But perhaps Muggle methods could be tried, analyzing the differences between Werewolves and ordinary people at a microscopic level.
The day before school started, Wade saw a sensational report in the Daily Prophet with the headline—
The Dark Side of a Ministry Official — Documenting the Dolores Umbridge You Don't Know.
Wade nearly choked on his breakfast. He quickly took a large swig of water, then opened the newspaper.
"Hmm? I remember this reporter, Rita Skeeter. Her articles are very inflammatory."
Ferdinand, who often read the newspaper, also looked down at it, saying, "Is this Umbridge about to be ousted? How could they allow her to publish this kind of report?"
Wade: …
He suddenly remembered what he had said in front of Fudge.
Uh… is Fudge really that decisive?
Wade flipped through the newspaper, curious to see what Skeeter had written.
(Still owe two chapters)
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