After Drayne escorted Wade back to his room, he returned to the study to find Grindelwald seated in a chair, poring over a stack of documents.
He knew these were all the materials his subordinates had gathered on Wade Gray, including not only his academic performance at Hogwarts, his collaborations with Aslan's Magic Workshop, and evaluations from professors and students, but even his assignments from Muggle primary school, such as social surveys and writing exercises.
"Sir." Drayne bowed slightly.
"Did you send him back?" Grindelwald asked.
"Yes," Drayne replied. "Mr. Warverett was waiting by the door; he's very concerned about the boy."
Grindelwald glanced at him. "Drayne, what are you worried about?"
Drayne hesitated, then said, "Wade Gray is, after all, Dumbledore's person... If Mr. Warverett spends too much time with him, might it sway his will? He's quite immersed in Alchemy, and his ideas are rather... pure."
Grindelwald chuckled.
"Warverett is over a hundred years old; he won't be easily swayed. If he betrayed me, he'd be betraying his entire life's work."
"As for Wade Gray... though he's young, he won't blindly follow anyone. He has his own ideas and will independently judge right from wrong to determine his stance."
He pulled a social survey assignment from the pile of documents, pushed it forward, and said, "Look, this is something he wrote when he was nine."
Drayne stepped forward, picked it up with both hands, and after a quick read, raised an eyebrow in surprise.
This was a survey assignment on a current social issue, and Wade Gray had chosen "abolishing the death penalty," a topic highly unsuitable for a primary school student.
Many European countries, such as Austria and Germany, had already abolished the death penalty, and Britain had been hotly debating the topic for years. While no legislation had been passed, the general sentiment leaned towards agreeing to abolish capital punishment.
The Wizarding World had opposed killing and death even earlier, which was, of course, related to wizards' protection of souls. Thanks to this, Grindelwald had escaped the death penalty multiple times after being captured, and could rise again after escaping prison.
However, nine-year-old Wade Gray subtly expressed his opposition in his assignment, writing at the end of his survey:
The premise for protecting an individual's right to life is to respect and not illegally deprive innocent people of their right to life. If this premise is violated, I believe only the deceased have the right to decide whether to forgive, and whether to grant the offender a chance to reform.
Drayne said in surprise, "You don't think he means... criminals should go to hell to seek forgiveness from their victims, do you?"
Grindelwald burst into laughter.
"Isn't that interesting? From such an incompetent family, in such a weak and mundane Muggle society, yet such a uniquely thoughtful child emerged!"
He asked Drayne with a smile, "Do you still think he's entirely Dumbledore's person now?"
Drayne thought for a moment, then shook his head, gently laid the paper down, and remained silent.
"Dumbledore failed to stop Tom Riddle from becoming Voldemort, and didn't nip that little scoundrel in the bud early on. Now he's cultivated an even more terrifying one himself... yet he still hasn't realized it."
Grindelwald said mockingly, then suddenly frowned. After a moment, he said, "Tell me... is it because this child is particularly good at acting and disguising himself, or is Dumbledore's eyesight failing, making him unable to see people clearly?"
Drayne pondered for a while, then cautiously said, "Perhaps Dumbledore is just waiting... waiting to subtly bind this child with morality, to help him understand... the true meaning of love."
He silently endured the goosebumps rising on his arms as he spoke.
Grindelwald scoffed.
"Don't be brainwashed by his high-sounding words! Dumbledore doesn't understand what love is at all! He's colder than anyone you've ever met!"
Grindelwald seemed angry. He looked at a childish photo of Wade on a document, then suddenly understood something and murmured:
"Perhaps he knows it all along... he also wants to change, but he can't do it himself... he's tied up, so he places his hopes on others... it used to be me, now it's this child..."
"Dumbledore is so clever, clever enough to always see the darkness within others, but he can choose to ignore it for his own goals... He was originally my earliest supporter, if it hadn't been for that year..."
Grindelwald, accustomed to talking to himself in prison, now fell into a memory, his voice gradually fading until it was inaudible.
Drayne instinctively blocked out the sound and quietly exited the room.
Then he stopped a passing subordinate and said, "Alter that cloak and give one to Wade Gray tomorrow morning."
The subordinate was somewhat surprised. "Didn't you say earlier that you wanted to record some footage to use as leverage against him later? We've already prepared the Streaming Mirror for the recording."
Drayne shook his head and said, "Anyone can turn into him with Polyjuice Potion; such a recording wouldn't be very useful unless the British Ministry of Magic was determined to deal with him or Dumbledore. Only then would such a recording become leverage. And besides..."
And besides, their leader probably had other plans for the child, not just simple control or exploitation.
Using such underhanded methods now, putting aside what Wade Gray might think, Grindelwald might become very angry.
Drayne paused, not continuing, but simply following his intuition. "Don't ask too many questions. Just prepare it as I said."
...
After bidding farewell to the overly worried Warverett, Wade returned to his bedroom, looked at the crescent moon through the narrow window, then sat at the table and poured himself a cup of black tea.
The place's services were likely provided by House-elves, but Wade had never seen them. They weren't thoughtful enough to prepare hot water for him daily, so if he wanted something warm at night, black tea was his only option.
However... black tea was better.
Wade slowly finished his black tea, leaving a small amount to swirl around, then inverted the teacup, watching the residual tea flow in winding patterns. He gently tapped the bottom of the cup, letting the tea leaves settle.
Moments later, Wade picked up the teacup, turned the saucer, and observed the patterns on it.
Door: Change is coming.
Box: A gift is on its way.
Envelope: You will receive a long-awaited letter or item.
Rake: A crossroads of destiny.
The seemingly ordinary pile of tea leaves, when rotated in different directions, would reveal a unique shape to his eyes.
Everything else was good news, but…
A crossroads of fate?
Was he about to face a very important choice? What would happen if he chose poorly?
Wade furrowed his brow, thought for a moment, then replaced the teacup, washed up, and went to bed.
Lying in bed, he fretted for a while before deciding to stop thinking about the problem.
Until the choice arrived, he didn't even know what he'd be choosing, and thinking about it more would only cause unnecessary distress.
"That's why I don't like Divination…"
Wade grumbled to himself, pulled the blanket up to his chin, and closed his eyes.
A turning point… a gift…
All in all, it was mostly good news, right?
…
Late at night, a House-elf silently appeared in the bedroom.
He used a small spell to completely mute his own sounds, then carefully tidied the room. Seeing the inverted teacup on the table, the House-elf paused, then took it away exactly as he found it.
One minute later, the saucer and teacup appeared before Drayne.
"Tea leaf reading?" Drayne's companion said in surprise. "He still believes in this? Is he some kind of little prophet?"
"Wait, I remember his Divination Class grades were supposed to be very good."
Drayne flipped through Wade's file and saw Trelawney's usual evaluations.
Unlike his classmates, Wade didn't fabricate elaborate ways of dying, but Trelawney still gave him a "very talented" evaluation.
"It seems he's quite skilled in this area…" Drayne lifted the teacup, asking the House-elf at the same time, "You didn't mess up the tea leaves inside, did you?"
"No." The House-elf lowered his head and whispered, "Bippity was very careful. No shaking, no touching."
"Good." Drayne lowered his head, looking at the shape of the tea leaves. "A rectangle?"
"Wait, let me check!"
His companion pulled out a Divination book, rustling through it for a moment before saying, "Hmm… a rectangle symbolizes a break or split…"
"We're not his companions, so it can't be a break with us," Drayne mused. "So it's… a break with his former companions?"
He thought this was a good sign.
His companion turned the teacup, then continued flipping through the book.
"Like this, it looks a bit like a thicker cross, symbolizing attack… we are indeed preparing an attack; then there's a comb, meaning an improvement in appearance — I heard you had someone prepare a cloak for him?"
Drayne nodded.
"That matches too!" His companion's confidence grew, and he continued turning the teacup. "Like this… it's like a fence, which means a temporary restriction. He is indeed restricted by us right now…"
The latter three interpretations all aligned with their current situation, making the first interpretation seem even more credible.
A break…
Will Wade Gray break with Dumbledore?
—Mr. Grindelwald would be pleased if he knew, wouldn't he?
Drayne thought to himself.
His companion, meanwhile, shook the saucer, looking at the tea leaves inside, and said in surprise, "So tea leaf reading really is quite accurate? Why didn't I notice this when I was in school…"
"Stop playing around." Drayne took the saucer from his hand and gave it to the House-elf, saying, "We have two more people to interrogate tonight. Hurry up, try to finish the work before midnight."
"Got it!" his companion said nonchalantly.
The House-elf Bippity shivered silently, then, holding the teacup, vanished from the spot.
…
"Whoosh—"
A stream of hot water poured into the cup, causing the curled tea leaves to unfurl.
Ryan Trocar watched his nephew diligently pour tea for the little girl, and his friend, tears in his eyes, watering plants by the window. He found it all very strange.
"Why aren't you eating breakfast?" Ryan asked.
"I… I'm not hungry, Uncle Ryan," Garr forced a smile and said, "I'll eat later."
"Alright…" Ryan Trocar then turned to the other person, saying, "Don't bother, Mr. Lockhart, please sit down and rest for a bit?"
"No need, no need!" Lockhart waved his hand, his expression twisted, saying, "I like standing, I want to stand."
Ryan Trocar felt that both of them were acting strangely today, but they usually seemed to be hiding many secrets, so Ryan Trocar habitually didn't press for answers.
The children are grown. When it's time to let go, just let go. What if I meddle too much and they think I don't welcome them in my home?
Trocar then asked Mabel, "Have your parents been contacted?"
Mabel put down her fork, shaking her head with a crestfallen expression.
Trocar quickly reassured her, "Don't worry, maybe it's too far away, and the Owl hasn't arrived yet... Anyway, you can stay at my place until they come to pick you up."
"Thank you, Mr. Trocar," Mabel whispered her thanks.
Seeing her act like a shy little girl, Lockhart couldn't help but wince as if he had a toothache.
Last night, they had tried to ambush Mabel while she was asleep, intending to at least get this dangerous child under control, but they were nearly strangled!
What Lockhart and Garr hadn't expected was that when Mabel was asleep, the black monster on her didn't sleep with her.
Then Lockhart changed his mind and tried to escape from the house, but as he reached the front door, black mist wrapped around his ankles and dragged him back, upside down!
Lockhart never wanted to remember the bumps and scrapes from that journey. Even after drinking a potion, his tailbone still hurt so much today that he couldn't sit down at all.
Lockhart burst into tears.
How could anyone be this unlucky?
Were the fans he'd scammed all cursing him together?
...
After breakfast, Trocar hurried back to his study to prepare for class. He had seven full years of curriculum to organize, which was no small workload. Trocar had practically been living in his study these past few days.
As soon as he left, the atmosphere in the living room suddenly shifted.
Mabel's face darkened, and wisps of black mist subtly emanated from her body. Lockhart and Garr nearly knelt before her.
"No need for that," Mabel said, annoyed by their trembling behavior. "As long as you keep your promise, I won't hurt you."
Garr chuckled ingratiatingly, saying, "Yes, yes, yes," while rolling his eyes internally.
Last night, when the black mist ropes were dropping him from the roof, Mabel certainly wasn't saying that!
Fortunately, Vampires have tenacious vitality, and Garr could transform into a bat; otherwise, he would be in even worse shape than Lockhart today.
Of course, Garr observed Mabel's expression and, realizing she truly didn't remember that experience, felt a sense of relief.
An Obscurial and an Obscurus truly aren't one and the same... but that Obscurus is too terrifying. The three people in this house combined are no match for that thing...
"Why haven't I received a reply yet?" Mabel asked with a frown. "Can Owls really deliver packages? You two aren't tricking me, are you?"
"Oh, no, no, we wouldn't dare," Garr humbly offered an excuse for Wade Gray not replying. "Perhaps... perhaps he received too many Christmas gifts... or maybe he went abroad for the holidays, and the Owl hasn't found him yet!"
Mabel accepted the latter explanation and sighed, "He probably went abroad... I hope he comes back soon."
She unconsciously looked out the window, hoping to see a long-travelled Owl, but instead saw a spark streak across the sky.
"What's that?" Mabel asked.
Lockhart glanced at it and casually guessed, "Fireworks, maybe?"
*"Bang."*
A Firebird landed on the windowsill, wisps of smoke sizzling up. Its slender talons left several charred marks directly on the sill.
It tilted its head, looking at the people inside the room.
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