"Actually, I was just thinking—" Wade sighed. "How to explain it to you. One of the conditions for my return was not to disrupt the Alliance's propaganda plans."
"I figured," Marchioni said. "Actually, it's a good thing for me too. If all the voices heard throughout the Wizarding World came from FMC, I'd be worried my life would be cut short."
"Then why are you still holding back and not letting the various Ministries of Magic broadcast their own programs?" Sirius asked, annoyed. "I hear a lot of people have tried to negotiate with you, but the talks have been very difficult. Do you know how many people bombard Remus with messages every day, asking him to lobby on their behalf?"
"Look at you!" Marchioni said, straightening his face. "How can you miss out on a chance to make a fortune for the sake of a small safety issue?"
Sirius: "…"
He rolled his eyes, no longer bothering with the man who would risk his life for money.
Lupin, who had been harassed by all the messages himself, understood Marchioni's actions better. He said, "If you give in too easily, they'll definitely take a mile. But don't be too rigid…"
Lupin turned, his gaze falling on Marchioni, and advised, "At least leave a loophole for them to fight over… Otherwise, I'm genuinely worried I'll see news of you dead in the street one day."
"Don't worry, I know what I'm doing," Marchioni said, setting down his glass and putting on his fedora. As he passed Wade, he stopped and instructed, "Stay at Hogwarts for now. Don't leave the school."
"I understand," Wade said softly.
Marchioni nodded to everyone and left in a hurry, as if his sole purpose in coming was to see Wade and confirm he was safe.
"This guy…" Sirius leaned crookedly on the sofa, frowning. "He's already incredibly rich, why is he still so greedy? Can Galleons be taken to the grave?"
"For him, money is the greatest pursuit, and making money is supreme happiness, right?" Wade said. "Just like me, no matter how much Magic I've learned, I never feel like I've learned enough."
Sirius squinted at him, a hint of teasing in his tone. "How old are you? When you're fifty, I doubt you'll still be just foolishly studying."
Wade simply smiled, not arguing.
"I'm going to see Mabel," he said. "My mom made some snacks and asked me to bring them to her."
Even though Fiona had read about the Obscurus in the newspaper, to her, anyone who would travel thousands of miles to save Wade could not possibly be a bad person.
Wade went upstairs and knocked on the door. Mabel's voice from inside said, "Come in."
Pushing the door open, Wade saw Mabel standing in the center of the room. She didn't turn around, focused intently on practicing a Spell.
On the table in front of her were five or six candles. The girl held her Wand, pointing it at each candle in turn, softly incanting, "Incendio!"
No roaring flames appeared.
A thin stream of fire spurted out from the Wand with a puff, lighting one of the candles.
Then the second, the third… until all the candles were lit, and the room was instantly filled with warm candlelight.
"Remus, I learned the fire-making Spell!" Mabel said.
"Hmm, it's very precisely controlled," Wade's voice came from the doorway. He asked, "But aren't you worried about setting the table on fire?"
Hearing his voice, Mabel spun around, surprised, and said, "Wade!"
She paused, then added a little reservedly, "…Mr. Gray."
"Just call me Wade," Wade walked over, his gaze falling on her right hand. He asked, "You have a Wand now?"
"Yes, Mr. Lupin took me to Diagon Alley to buy it," Mabel said softly, gratitude in her eyes. "I used the money you gave me, and the Polyjuice Potion."
"The pronunciation and gestures for the fire-making Spell are both perfect," Wade said with a smile, a hint of approval in his eyes. "You learn very quickly, Mabel."
After a pause, he added, "I'm heading back to school today. Seeing that you're adapting quite well, I'm relieved."
"Mr. Lupin and Mr. Black are both good people; they take great care of me."
Mabel smiled, about to say something more, but she hesitated and swallowed her words.
Wade noticed her expression and asked, "Are you having some difficulties? Oh…"
He suddenly realized that although Mabel looked young, she was actually thirteen or fourteen, in her adolescence. Perhaps she had some… special troubles that the two adult Wizards might find hard to notice or help with.
"Madam Rosmerta at the Three Broomsticks pub is warm and kind. If you have any problems, you can ask her for advice—she's a trustworthy person and can definitely give you some useful suggestions."
Wade said, "Hogwarts is nearby, so you basically don't have to worry about safety in this village. You… um… you don't always have to hide indoors. Occasionally, you can go out, buy things you like, relax… This is an interesting place, you'll like it."
"Mr. Lupin said the same thing, I just…" Mabel's voice gradually lowered, a trace of hesitation and unease in her eyes.
She was silent for a long time, finally saying softly, "I want to know how Hailey is. If possible, I want to see her."
The girl's voice trembled slightly, sounding particularly cautious.
"Of course!" Before Wade could speak, she added eagerly, "I know the Ministry of Magic might still be watching her. I won't meet her, I just want to… see her from afar, just to confirm she's safe, and then I'll be at ease."
Hearing this, Wade's eyes softened. He thought of the pale little girl who was like a sister to Mabel, and a warmth welled up in his heart. He could deeply understand Mabel's feelings at that moment.
He nodded and said gently, "I'll help you ask Dumbledore and arrange for you to meet… I don't think that should be difficult."
Mabel's body, which had been slightly tense, instantly relaxed at his words, and a relieved smile spread across her face. She said gratefully, "Thank you, Wade."
…
It was late at night when Wade returned to school.
Filch held a dim yellow lamp, standing by the main gate. When he saw Wade, a rare smile appeared on his usually stern face.
"Finally back," the caretaker said, turning slightly and dragging his heavy footsteps towards the castle, asking, "Is everything at home settled?"
Wade was momentarily surprised, then vaguely replied, "Yes, it's all taken care of… By the way, where's Mrs. Norris?"
"Oh, she's with the little ones!" Filch's smile deepened, and he said affectionately, "Sometimes, when the little Cleaning Crabs are tidying up, they accidentally get stuck in a corner. Someone always has to rescue them."
In his words, both Mrs. Norris and the Cleaning Crabs seemed like adorable children.
"No breakdowns recently?" Wade asked.
"No… Oh, actually, there was one." Filch said, "But they fixed themselves. Those little ones are really getting smarter and smarter."
Wade nodded.
The Cleaning Crabs were among his early creations. At first, they were like low-level AI, rigidly following commands. But they also possessed simple learning capabilities, and their intelligence naturally grew over time.
Upon reaching the castle entrance, Wade saw several figures moving in the corridor from a distance. He turned to Filch and asked, "It should be past curfew by now, shouldn't it?"
"Of course." Filch also saw the figures, and his face suddenly darkened. He said indignantly, "There are always some brats trying to break the rules. Just wait until I catch them; I'll deal with them!"
Remembering Wade was still beside him, he added, "Oh… you just got back, so you don't count. Hurry back to your common room!"
The key-keeper quickened his pace, rushing into the castle, ready to catch the rule-breaking students. At that moment, he ran so fast it was hard to believe he was a man in his seventies.
Wade shook his head, raised his Wand, and cast a Spell: "*Broomstick, come!*"
Although Hogwarts might have hundreds of broomsticks, when Wade cast the Spell, there was only one clear image in his mind, and it would only summon that specific Flying Broomstick.
"Whoosh—"
Accompanied by a sound of cutting through the wind, a slightly worn but well-maintained broomstick flew over. It even bounced twice as it hovered beside Wade, as if it, too, was very happy.
"Feels like ages, old friend."
Wade chuckled softly, gently patting the broomstick's handle, then gracefully mounted it.
He first flew a circuit around the castle and the Black Lake before slipping through the window into his bedroom.
The House-elf had already put everything in perfect order. The room was warm and tidy, everything just as he had left it last term, as if time had stood still in this place.
Wade exhaled comfortably. The moment his feet touched the ground, he couldn't help but compare this place to Grindelwald's gray castle.
That room wasn't as warm, the bed was a bit hard, the bare walls lacked decoration, and the view outside the window was too monotonous. Most importantly, the House-elves there weren't as considerate; they wouldn't arrange everything just right.
It's good to be back at Hogwarts.
Wade truly felt this, opening his Wardrobe Space to put his belongings back in their places. As he was tidying his bookshelf, he suddenly heard a knock at the door.
"Come in," Wade said, looking up.
"Hi, Wade!"
After Michael entered, his eyes first found Wade's location, then excitement slowly surfaced in them.
"I just heard a Flying Broomstick fly through the window and thought it might be you returning… And it is!"
Michael walked over quickly, sighing in relief.
"Long time no see, Michael." Wade put down the book in his hand, went to greet him, and chuckled, "Not that long, actually… Less than a month, right?"
"You've been gone for twenty-three days, mate!"
Michael grabbed Wade's arm, looking him up and down, concern in his eyes. But he didn't dare ask directly, vaguely asking:
"While you were there… uh, what did you encounter? Is there anything you want to talk about? I promise I'm a great listener."
"It's not as bad as you think. I just went to deal with a small… technical issue."
Wade closed the door, then sat down and briefly recounted his previous experiences.
"Peculiar… So peculiar…"
Michael rested his chin on one hand, a thoughtful expression on his face.
"Honestly, if you'd gotten a beating, I'd find it more normal. But… from old news, Grindelwald isn't exactly a kind and reasonable person, is he?"
"Ever since He-Who-Must-Not-Be-Named called himself the Dark Lord, most Wizards in Europe think he's only the second generation. The first Dark Lord should be Grindelwald."
"For someone like him to be so polite to you…"
As he thought, Michael suddenly shivered, as if a cold wind had blown across his back.
"Wade…"
He called out faintly.
"What is it?" Wade asked strangely, as he was brewing tea.
"Death Eaters have the Dark Mark on their arms," Michael said slowly. "The Alliance didn't leave you some… strange symbol like a triangle in a circle, did they?"
He stared intently at Wade, as if trying to discern some unusual expression on his face.
However, Wade merely paused for a moment, then put down the kettle and said calmly, "If I had truly joined the Alliance, I wouldn't have come back to school. You wouldn't think, with my Alchemy, that the Alliance would send me to Hogwarts to be a mere spy, would you?"
"Ah… I guess not."
Michael scratched his head awkwardly, saying apologetically, "Sorry, I guess I got the wrong idea."
"Actually, your idea isn't entirely wrong."
Wade pushed the fragrant teacup over, saying calmly, "Someone did want me to join the Alliance, but Grindelwald didn't use any coercive methods. In fact, he voluntarily let Professor Dumbledore and me leave."
"He'd be that kind?" Michael asked skeptically.
"Kindness? No, I'd say it's more about his demeanor, wouldn't you? As a leader, he certainly possesses a basic level of magnanimity and grace—"
Remembering how Grindelwald, disguised as a passing old man, had attacked him in the supermarket, Wade added, "—though sometimes he really doesn't play fair."
Seeing this, Michael couldn't help but laugh.
A thousand explanations couldn't prove one thing as effectively as Wade's spontaneous complaint: he truly hadn't been abused or controlled by the Alliance.
Michael felt a huge weight slowly lift from his chest.
Lupin wasn't the only one tormented day and night by responsibility, guilt, and self-disappointment after their friend was captured; Michael and Harry also found it incredibly difficult to forgive themselves.
Now that Wade had finally returned safely, Michael felt as though he, too, had been released from a cage.
"Michael, besides you two, does anyone else know why I didn't come to school on time?" Wade asked.
"No, Professor Flitwick told everyone that you took a few days off for some family matters… Oh, right, here's your schedule."
Michael suddenly remembered a task he had, pulling a piece of paper from his pocket. He looked at the dense list of courses on it and said with lingering apprehension:
"You have five classes just tomorrow morning… I've written down all of last week's assignments, but will you have time to finish them?"
"Oh, I'm afraid I'll disappoint you." Wade said calmly, "Before coming to school, I already spoke with the professors. They said since I've already mastered the basic knowledge, I don't need to do last week's assignments."
Wade flicked the parchment, a smile on his face: "And right now… the one thing I have plenty of is time."
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