The man standing at the door looked as though he'd reverted to how he was before Wade knew him—tired and haggard, his clothes dirty and torn, with a patch on his elbow.
Remus Lupin had only heard the news of the attack on the Hogwarts Express this morning and had rushed over immediately.
"Sirius really wanted to come see you too, but Dumbledore's task for him isn't finished yet."
Lupin explained on behalf of his friend.
"What task did Dumbledore give him?" Harry asked curiously. "What have you two been so busy with lately? You haven't even had time to check the Book of Friends."
He had to admit, when he woke up from his unconscious state and saw no messages from Remus or Sirius in the Book of Friends, and no familiar faces on the platform, a hint of resentment had crept into Harry's heart.
Upon seeing Lupin, he felt like complaining, but he swallowed those words before they could escape.
He didn't want to ruin the joyful mood of the moment.
"I'm sorry, Harry," Lupin said apologetically. "It's a secret. Until I get Dumbledore's permission, I can't... well... I can't just reveal it."
"Oh, okay..."
Harry pouted, but still went up and hugged Lupin, saying, "I'm so glad to see you, Remus."
"Me too." Lupin stroked his hair, then gestured. "It's only been a little over a month, and you've grown taller again, Harry."
He saw Wade and Michael coming downstairs and chuckled, "Long time no see, Wade, Michael, how have you been?"
Only then did Harry remember his two other friends in the house, and he awkwardly let go of Lupin.
"It's fine, you can hug him a bit longer," Michael said with a mischievous grin. "I'll still make fun of you anyway."
"We're doing well, but you don't seem to be, do you?" Wade asked. "What happened to you?"
"Oh... this..."
Lupin raised his arm and looked at the patch, smiling unconsciously, then said with some annoyance, "I've just been too busy. I haven't had time to buy new clothes. Tonks... I mean, a kind colleague helped me mend it."
"Oh... a colleague..." Michael raised an eyebrow, drawing out his words.
Somehow, Lupin felt a bit daunted by the boy's knowing gaze. He quickly changed the subject, "I'm relieved to see you all safe... Uh... if it's convenient, I'd like to freshen up first."
...
By the time Lupin was cleaned up and came out, the table was already laden with food.
Of course, there were no Magic Golems doing housework in this house, but being in central London, ordering takeout was very convenient. There was an authentic Chinese restaurant not far away, which was Wade's favorite.
After eating, Harry eagerly brought up the time he'd fainted when facing a Dementor, saying in annoyance, "I'd already mastered the Patronus Charm, but at that moment, I felt weak all over and couldn't summon my Patronus properly."
Lupin looked at him gently and said, "Dementors affect you more than others because others haven't experienced the kind of terror you have, Harry. There's nothing to be ashamed of. Anyone with the same experiences as you would also collapse when facing a Dementor."
"Wade said the same thing. But I..." Harry gritted his teeth and said, "I don't want to seem so useless anymore... If I encounter a Dementor again, I hope I can fight them! Remus, do you have any ideas?"
Lupin pondered for a moment, then said, "There is a way... Harry, do you know about Boggarts?"
"I do!" Harry nodded. "Professor Abigail taught us about them in class."
"That saves me the explanation... I'll try to find a Boggart. It should transform into a Dementor when it sees you," Lupin said.
"Will a Boggart-turned-Dementor still have that terrifying feeling?" Harry asked worriedly.
"Yes," Lupin confirmed. "It will turn into your greatest fear, mimicking its appearance and aura perfectly... Of course, it won't actually have the same abilities."
"Then I understand." Harry took a deep breath, feeling a mix of unease and eagerness. "I must truly master the Patronus Charm."
Lupin watched his determined expression, unable to help but smile with satisfaction.
"In an ancient castle like Hogwarts, there are usually one or two Boggarts. I'll write a letter to Hagrid and see if he can help me find one."
"Uh... can Hagrid catch a Boggart?" Harry asked, unable to hide his skepticism.
Of course, Hagrid was an excellent Care of Fantastic Beasts professor, but when it came to his Spell-casting abilities... Harry could only say that Hagrid's fists were usually enough for a fight.
Boggarts were not monsters that could be dealt with by brute force.
Lupin smiled and said, "Hagrid's kind and simple nature gives him a great advantage when facing a Boggart."
Harry didn't quite understand, but he knew he might soon see a counterfeit Dementor, which made him feel nervous.
After Lupin left to write his letter, Harry practiced the Patronus Charm in the empty living room.
Michael, who had finished a solo game, found it boring to play alone when Harry hadn't returned to the attic, so he came looking for him.
He leaned against the stair railing, watching the silvery-white stag run through the air. For a fleeting moment, he could almost hear the thudding sound, and a wave of warmth passed over him as it glided by.
Any creature, when transformed into a Patronus, was incredibly beautiful, seeming even more sacred than a Unicorn.
Michael watched the stag lean against Harry, and a feeling of envy suddenly arose within him.
He struggled internally for a while, but ultimately, the desire not to be a burden overcame the laziness deep within him.
"Teach me the Patronus Charm, Harry." Michael closed his eyes and said with determination, "I can practice Potions with you every day after school starts!"
Although Snape always liked to pick on Harry, if Harry performed well in Potions Class, even Professor Snape couldn't unfairly deduct points every lesson.
Harry paused, then smiled and said, "Of course! If you want to learn, I can teach you even without conditions... But why didn't you ask Wade? Wade is more skilled than me."
Michael sighed and said, "He's too busy... You know? Sometimes it feels like he has to squeeze out time to breathe."
"Hmm... indeed..."
Harry and Michael exchanged glances, then sighed in unison.
Having a hyper-achiever among them wasn't exactly a pleasant experience, but they couldn't bring themselves to blame Wade for being so diligent.
Even someone as oblivious as Harry could sense that Wade seemed to be constantly driven by something, working incredibly hard... He was already so outstanding, yet he still looked like he was under immense pressure.
—Perhaps it's because Voldemort never truly died that Wade feels such a sense of crisis?
Harry mused, a strange feeling of shame rising within him, as if he hadn't completed his own task.
...
"While I don't think I should be telling a child these things, Dumbledore believes you have a right to know."
Lupin told Wade, "The owner of that island was a Muggle businessman named Roger Milton. When our people found him, he had already been dead for half an hour by suicide."
Wade frowned and asked, "Suicide?"
"It appears so. The Ministry of Magic's Aurors found no signs of him being murdered either," Lupin said.
Wade was silent for a moment, then asked, "Remus, do you trust the Ministry of Magic's conclusion?"
Lupin chuckled, "Perhaps some Ministry officials have left a bad impression on you, but there are also highly capable wizards among them. Especially the Aurors—incompetent individuals easily perish in such a position—Aurors are elites with outstanding academic records and exceptional abilities. Kingsley Shacklebolt is the elite of the elites."
Wade nodded slightly.
Kingsley Shacklebolt, he certainly remembered that name. Although he didn't appear much in the original story, he was indeed a shrewd and capable individual, who later became the Minister for Magic.
"It's unlikely that a single force could have done something like this, especially those machines targeting wizards," Wade asked. "Did you check Roger Milton's correspondence? And his computer, phone, and other devices?"
"Shacklebolt knows a lot about this area. He brought in a Muggle expert, someone who is said to work for the British Prime Minister. But..."
Lupin's voice grew heavy. "I imagine you've guessed it. We didn't find anything more valuable."
Not finding anything was itself a discovery, proof that there was a greater shadow behind this matter.
But this realization served little purpose beyond deepening one's worry and distress.
Lupin brightened up and said with a smile, "Oh, I haven't thanked you yet—the Communication Pea is truly excellent and has helped us a great deal. I hear it's going to be sold in Diagon Alley tomorrow?"
"Yes, Marchioni plans to make a killing during Christmas!" Wade said. "The retail version has many functions removed; it's not as complete as the one I gave you, but it significantly enhances the calling feature."
"I think it's already very good, even more convenient than Muggle phones—at least you don't charge for calls, and you won't be affected by Magical Power."
Lupin said, "Get some rest tonight. I'll take you to Diagon Alley tomorrow."
...
Marchioni's advertising this time was massive; everyone who should see it, and even those who shouldn't, saw it.
"Communication Pea? A magical version of a phone?"
Byrd flipped through the newspaper advertisement, muttering, "Those useless researchers—they haven't even figured out the Book of Friends yet, and now a more advanced product has popped up! But it doesn't mean much to us, only you'd find it useful—Sera, didn't you hear anything about this pea when you were at school?"
Abigail said expressionlessly, "No. I'm just his Defense Against the Dark Arts professor, not his Alchemy professor!"
In front of them, a Magic Golem Troll sat on the ground, yawning lazily and picking its nose, a pair of rather sinister-looking small eyes furtively scanning its surroundings.
It looked very impatient, but under command, it sat obediently, a wooden club as tall as a man lying beside it.
A foul odor emanated from the Magic Golem Troll, no different from a real Troll, yet a man stood closely beside it, seemingly unbothered, as if his nose had stopped working.
The man's face was pale, with heavy dark circles under his eyes, and he wore a haphazardly mismatched, vibrantly colored outfit. He circled the Magic Golem Troll, continuously uttering praises—
"Oh my god! It's perfect! Absolutely a masterpiece! Look at these muscle lines! Look at these thick arms, look at these nimble little eyes!"
He climbed onto the Magic Golem Troll's arm and reached out to poke its eyes, but the annoyed Magic Golem Troll grabbed his arm and threw him, letting out an angry roar.
With a *crack*, the man's arm was dislocated.
"Ah—"
He cried out in pain, but after being pulled up from the ground, he became even more excited.
"Oh, oh... did you see that? It has a temper too! Hahaha... I like it more and more!"
He circled the Troll twice, then threw himself at Abigail's side, pleading, "Please, let me see the Werewolf and Vampire you have! This would be incredibly helpful for my research! Just one of each! Really..."
"No!" Abigail looked down at him, refusing mercilessly. "They aren't as obedient as Trolls. You might be torn to shreds."
"But you're here, aren't you?" The man didn't give up, pestering her. "You can command them to stay quiet, right?"
"Why don't you understand?" Abigail said coldly. "The preciousness of these Magic Golem lies in their own thoughts and personalities, and even great potential for growth! They will indeed obey commands, but if you anger them, there's a possibility they might disobey!"
"Ilari, these Magic Golem were made for combat; they are inherently aggressive," Byrd also advised. "They might be safe for most wizards, but your physique is only at an ordinary person's level."
They had long discovered in their research that even without using Magic and Potions, wizards' physiques, cell vitality, and recovery speed were all significantly stronger than those of ordinary people.
But someone like Ilari, who had almost zero exercise and was only obsessed with Alchemy without delving deeply into Magic, had lost his innate advantage.
"Alright..." Ilari grudgingly gave up pestering Abigail, saying, "But you absolutely must bring me that Wade Gray. My research cannot do without him!"
Abigail's eyebrow twitched slightly, but when Byrd looked over, her expression returned to normal.
"Can't you replicate it just by looking at the finished product?" Byrd frowned and asked, "Aren't you Nicolas Flamel's disciple?"
"Sigh, I only studied Alchemy with that old man for a few days while I was at Beauxbatons. What kind of disciple is that? Murray personally brought Gray into the world of Alchemy; that's a true disciple."
Ilari said with resentment and jealousy, "And this kind of Magic Golem... hmph, I doubt Nicolas Flamel could even make one... that hateful genius..."
-----------
Machine Translation by: https:// randomtranslator.com/
Read ***+ original & fanfic translations in English, Español, Português, Deutsch, Français, or Русский
Or Translate for free at : https:// randomtranslator.com/translate
Join our Discord: https:// discord.com/invite/XXUR9nkjwa
-----------