What kind of background did Wade Grey come from?
Although he was descended from wizarding blood, both of his parents were Squibs. In the eyes of true wizards, they were no different from Muggles.
Ferdinand gave Wade a detailed account of the chaos caused by Grindelwald in recent history and the brutal massacres brought about by the second Dark Lord.
In fact, the last piece of news they ever received about the magical world was that Wade's parents had been killed, one after the other, in the war.
"Wade, you're an excellent child. Your mother and I have always been proud of you. But you have to understand—within the wizarding world, lineage is what people value most."
"Pure-blood, half-blood, Muggle-born… in many people's eyes, you're naturally ranked into higher or lower classes. Around a dozen years ago, the most powerful dark wizard at the time—the one known as the Dark Lord—fanatically endorsed bloodline supremacy. He and his followers cruelly murdered many Muggles, Muggle-born wizards, and even pure-bloods who opposed him."
"Your mother and I were also forced to cut off all ties with the wizarding world at that time... Even though peace has returned now, I have no doubt that many wizards still cling to their pure-blood ideals, and they'll surely pass those prejudices and malice on to their children..."
"Wade, I'm really worried… Hogwarts might not be as wonderful as we imagined..."
Ferdinand spoke with deep concern.
Wade listened quietly, then smiled calmly.
"Don't worry, Dad. I'm sure there'll be other students at school with a background like mine. As long as I have enough friends around me, others won't dare to cause me trouble, right?"
He paused for a moment, then added, "Besides… anywhere you go, absolute strength can shatter any prejudice. I'll study hard and try to become the best."
But Ferdinand didn't feel much more at ease after hearing that. He thought gloomily to himself: But son… you've never shown much magical ability. It's possible your magic is only a little stronger than that of a Squib…
With that kind of power, how could you possibly talk about strength?
Still, out of respect for his son's pride, Ferdinand didn't say his thoughts aloud.
Minerva McGonagall arrived even sooner than Wade had expected.
The day after receiving the letter, just as the Grey family was having breakfast, there was a sudden knock on the door. Wade put down his knife and fork to answer it, and the moment he saw the visitor, he instantly recognized who she was.
It wasn't because she looked just like the movie version—he had long forgotten most of the plot, and the actors' faces didn't leave much of an impression.
Nor was it just because the woman in front of him wore an unmistakable green robe that no ordinary person would ever be seen in.
It was because floating above her head was a string of handwritten letters:
[Minerva McGonagall]
Wade fell silent, and suspicion stirred once again in his heart—Is all of this really real?
Or had he not transmigrated into the Harry Potter world at all, but into a game based on Harry Potter? Was he merely an NPC who had awakened memories from his past life along with self-awareness?
"Good day, Mr. Grey."
While Wade was lost in wild thoughts, Minerva McGonagall offered a polite smile—though her expression still seemed strict.
"I'm Minerva McGonagall, Deputy Headmistress of Hogwarts and Professor of Transfiguration."
Wade quickly snapped out of it and responded, "Welcome, Professor McGonagall. Please come in and have some tea."
The Grey couple hurried out when they heard voices. Looking at this woman who seemed to radiate mystery and sternness from head to toe, they momentarily found themselves speechless. They stammered:
"Yes, welcome—welcome—Professor, ma'am, please have a seat!"
Ferdinand forced a warm smile while sneaking a glance at his son, as if worried the witch might suddenly hex him.
Wade, on the other hand, remained calm—he knew this woman was upright and kind.
He made sure not to stare at the name above her head and stepped aside to let her in.
McGonagall had come for two purposes: first, to prove the reality of the magical school and convince the parents to let their son attend; second, to take Wade shopping for his school supplies.
She had seen it all before: Muggle families in disbelief, afraid she'd take their child away for secret experiments, or simply wanting the child to go to a Muggle school. She had several persuasive speeches prepared.
But this family didn't doubt magic at all. Instead, they were more concerned about the school's environment, which made her first task surprisingly easy.
Before long, the group arrived at Charing Cross Road in London. Professor McGonagall led them into the dingy, narrow Leaky Cauldron.
Perhaps it was still too early—there weren't many patrons in the bar. A hunchbacked man cleaning tables greeted them, "Good morning, Professor McGonagall."
He gave the Muggle-dressed family a glance, focusing especially on the shortest one—Wade—and said casually, "This kid a new first-year at Hogwarts?"
"Good morning, Tom," McGonagall replied. "I've brought Mr. Grey to purchase his school supplies."
They passed through the bar into a small courtyard in the back. Standing next to a dustbin, McGonagall took out her wand and pointed.
"Mr. Grey, please remember this place. If you want to enter Diagon Alley, you need to come through here. Count three bricks up, then two bricks across…"
She tapped a brick gently three times with her wand.
The bricks on the wall began to shift, as though an invisible hand were rearranging them. In the blink of an eye, a wide archway opened up, and a wave of noisy voices came rushing out.
"Woooow—"
The Grey family gasped in awe.
In front of them was a winding street lined with shops, filled with all manner of strange and wondrous items.
People in wizard robes bustled about—haggling, children pestering their parents, others playing and chasing each other. It was chaotic, but full of life.
McGonagall led the family through the crowd until they reached Gringotts. Ferdinand had come prepared. He took out a large bag of jingling British pounds and exchanged it for fifty Galleons.
Before they left, Professor McGonagall had warned them that Muggle paper money had limited exchange value at Gringotts, but metal coins, gold, or jewelry had no such restrictions.
After that, McGonagall guided them as they bought everything Wade would need: school robes, textbooks, a set of scales, a cauldron, a wand, and finally, an owl as a pet.
With a Hogwarts professor accompanying them, the shopkeepers remained perfectly polite, even though the Greys were dressed like Muggles.
As a side note, Wade's wand was made of poplar wood with a unicorn hair core, measuring twelve inches (about 30 cm). Since poplar symbolizes rebirth, Wade found the match quite intriguing.
It felt like the wand had seen right through his secret.
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