Wade thought for a moment, then picked up his pen and wrote Tom a reply.
[To my most loyal second servant, Tom:
I'm very glad that even during your pleasant holiday you still remember me…
Of course, it would be even better if it wasn't only when you run into trouble that you think of me.
As for Grindelwald… without a doubt, the reason he's approaching you and me must be that he has his own agenda.
But you don't need to worry.
I'll teach you how to handle it right now…
Have you ever heard of something called the Scumbag Principle?
Originally, it was a tactic used by irresponsible, womanizing men to deal with women.
But in our current situation, it seems just as applicable!
The so-called Scumbag Principle is: don't refuse, don't take responsibility, don't take initiative, don't make promises!
If he offers you benefits, don't hesitate—just accept them.
But if he tells you to do something, you must absolutely ignore it—just pretend you didn't hear.
If he ever tries to force you to do something, then go straight to Dumbledore.
Of course, Dumbledore is watching him like a hawk right now, practically wishing he'd slip up as soon as possible!
If he really does try to use underhanded means, believe it or not—you won't even know yet, and Dumbledore will already be knocking at his door!
Alright, enough about business. When are you coming over to hang out with me?It's already the end of the holidays—are you really going to keep hiding at home?
I'm at Mr. Scamander's place right now, working with him on how to cure Nagini. We've made some initial progress…
And here at Mr. Scamander's, there are so many fascinating magical creatures! If you come over, it'll definitely be an eye-opener.
I bet you've never seen a depressed dragon!
Of course, there are plenty of fun stories I can't put into a letter—we can talk about them when we meet.
Your master and adoptive father—Wade Reynolds.]
...
After finishing the letter in one go, Wade found a spare owl at Newt's house to send it off.
After sending off the letter, Wade turned and went down to the basement of Newt's house.
For Nagini's recovery plan, Newt had specially cleared out the basement.
To make it easier to observe her physical condition, he placed a transparent glass tank in the basement.
Then, with magic, he constructed an environment inside the tank that was suitable for Nagini to live in.
Nagini usually stayed inside.
When Wade walked into the basement, Nagini was coiled in front of her nest inside the glass tank, flipping through a book with her damp forked tongue…
Ever since she regained clarity, reading had become her favorite pastime.
Since it was just for leisure, it naturally wasn't anything like spellbooks.
For this, Wade had even gone out to a Muggle bookstore and prepared quite a number of novels and periodicals for her…
When it came to storytelling, Muggles really had the upper hand.
Especially those novels suited for women…
"Hiss hiss…" When Nagini saw Wade come in, she gave a light nod as a greeting.
"How's your body today?"
"Hiss hiss…" Nagini indicated that she was fine.
"Then… has that other consciousness in your mind shown any signs of weakening?" Wade asked.
So many days had passed—by now, they should have been able to tell if it was working.
Nagini nodded, then shook her head. "Hiss hiss hiss…"
"Really?" Wade looked a little surprised.
He quickly extended a thread of Nightmare Magic to probe Nagini's soul… And then Wade's expression turned serious.
Their recent efforts had indeed nourished Nagini's body well.
And the Transfiguration had been continuously suppressing and weakening the beast soul.
But…
The beast soul had not weakened as they had expected!
Because, as Nagini's body was being nourished, the beast soul that had originally been weakened had actually begun to recover as well!
True, Wade really didn't have any potion capable of nourishing the soul, but the best potion for the soul was the body itself!In other words, as long as the body was being nourished, Nagini's soul was being indirectly nourished too!
And Nagini's soul also included the beast soul!
This was something neither Wade nor Newt had considered when finalizing the plan!
Nagini herself had actually felt the beast soul stirring restlessly in recent days.
And now, seeing Wade's expression, she understood that his recovery plan might not succeed.
Still, she was only disappointed for a short moment before she came to terms with it again.
To be able to stay conscious, to no longer live like a beast that killed and ate raw flesh—she was already more than satisfied! Since ancient times, how many Maledictuses like her had ever managed to remain conscious this long?
"Hiss hiss hiss…"
Hearing Nagini's reassurance, Wade couldn't help but feel a bit moved.
Nagini, as the patient, upon learning that the treatment plan had failed, her first reaction wasn't to ask if there were other methods, but to comfort him instead…
She truly was a kind and gentle woman…
Completely different from the cruel, bloodthirsty serpent she would one day become!
"Don't worry, I'll find a way," Wade said. "At the very least, as long as I'm here, you won't turn back into what you once were!"
"Hiss hiss hiss…" Nagini nodded, indicating that as long as she didn't become what she used to be, she was already content.
Wade walked heavily out of the basement, looking up at Britain's gray sky.
Was there a magic that could act directly on the soul without damaging it?
If there was, perhaps that magic could be used like a scalpel, to separate the beast soul directly from the main soul…
Wade decided he would ask Dumbledore or his Senior about this.
But Dumbledore might not know such magic—otherwise, back then, he couldn't possibly have allowed Nagini's condition to worsen.
So in the end, the last hope might have to rest with his Senior?
Even though when she was sealed, she had only her full strength left, not much scholarly knowledge.
After researching Nightmare Magic, her consciousness ran all over the place and she learned a lot of knowledge!
"Sigh, my arrogance again — I should have asked her from the start!"
…
Riddle Manor.
Tom burned Wade's letter with a sullen face.
That bastard even had to grab an advantage when writing a letter!
"Second servant? Adoptive father?"
One day I'll beat you until you call me 'Daddy'!
After making that threat, Tom calmed down and seriously considered Wade's advice.
He had to admit… Wade's suggestion actually wasn't bad at all.
With Grindelwald constrained for the moment, putting the Scumbag Principle into practice seemed perfectly appropriate.
Of course, if Grindelwald still acted like he used to and Dumbledore wasn't watching him, Tom wouldn't dare do it for all the world.
The old Grindelwald really would come crashing through your windows in the middle of the night — with the Killing Curse, no less!
Tom quickly thought of the other matter mentioned in the letter.
Treating Nagini…
Back then, he had already felt sympathy for Nagini's plight. That was the first time he'd ever had such a feeling. Perhaps… it was because she had the body of a snake.
After all, before meeting Wade, the only creatures Tom ever trusted were snakes…
Thinking of this, Tom began packing his things.
He planned to go find Wade right away.
First, although the Scumbag Principle seemed useful, in such turbulent times, staying close to Wade might be the safer option.
Second, he really did care about whether Nagini could be cured.
Lastly, the combat style he had been practicing with his father during this time… truly needed some real sparring between wizards.
Granted, dueling Wade was no easy thing to stomach.
But Wade was also the one who could always point out his flaws!
To grow stronger, what's there to fear in being beaten a few more times?
Endure!
I'll learn skills from him, then use those very skills to defeat him!
Kekeke…
…
Ministry of Magic.
Dumbledore walked down the corridor with a blank expression.
Every Ministry employee who passed him wisely refrained from greeting him as they usually would.
After all… ever since Grindelwald had joined the Ministry, Dumbledore had not been as genial as before.
Everyone knew why that was, of course, and no one blamed Dumbledore for it.
It was clear to all exactly who had forced the ruthless Grindelwald to sheath his claws.
Even though Grindelwald's threat still loomed—and even seemed greater than before—
At least now, people no longer had to worry about being kidnapped out of nowhere, or suddenly dying unnoticed in their own beds.
So, even if Grindelwald had not yet been completely defeated, Dumbledore's reputation stood higher than ever.
Only Dumbledore could stand against Grindelwald!
Even first-year students understood that much.
Under the watchful eyes of everyone around, Dumbledore strode forward and pushed open the door to Grindelwald's office.
Inside, Grindelwald had been instructing Abernathy about something.
But when he saw Dumbledore suddenly barge in, his expression darkened with irritation.
"Don't you know how to knock?"
"No." Dumbledore's reply was firm and absolute.
The unexpected answer caught Grindelwald off guard for a moment.
"You… is this the level of courtesy and education expected from a professor?"
"In fact, if you keep testing my limits, I can be even less courteous." Dumbledore's fingers were already resting on the hilt of the Elder Wand.
Grindelwald's face turned grim. Of course, he understood exactly what Dumbledore meant.
And truth be told, he really did fear that Dumbledore might drag him into mutual destruction.
"You're threatening me?" Grindelwald said coldly.
"Oh? Is the word threat something rare and unfamiliar to you?" Dumbledore replied with a smile.
Grindelwald frowned. "What on earth is wrong with you today?"
"I don't know what you're plotting with Tom and Wade," Dumbledore said, "but I'm warning you—don't. They are the future of the wizarding world."
"Of course I know they're the future of the wizarding world!" Grindelwald retorted. "Or are you here to give me grief because I helped Tom save his grandparents? That I truly don't understand. Wasn't that a good deed?"
Dumbledore remained silent.
Grindelwald let out a mocking laugh. "How pitiful… Prejudice is indeed a mountain. Just because I wasn't a good man before, now even if I do good, it's seen as ulterior motives? Dumbledore, where is that fairness you pride yourself on?"
_________
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