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Chapter 131: Secret Passage
The first Defense Against the Dark Arts class of the new term saw Lockhart, apparently having learned a lesson from yesterday’s disaster, refrain from summoning any creature he couldn’t handle. Instead, he made the students spend half an hour writing a test paper, then spent the rest of the class reviewing their answers—occasionally calling on students to open his books and read aloud the particularly heroic passages.
The ones that highlighted his own strength, bravery, and unwavering spirit.
And so, without effort, he floated through another class.
Even so, when the bell rang, a few students lingered around him, asking for autographs.
“If he does this again next time,” Michael grumbled to Wade, “I might just fake a sick day.” He glanced sideways. “Honestly, I thought you’d never even try to answer that test paper properly!”
“I had a few books I wanted to borrow from the Restricted Section,” Wade replied.
“Seriously? That guy’s such a narcissist, it’s almost impossible to resist.” Michael pulled out a few sheets of parchment, used a copying charm to duplicate the photos of Lockhart on his textbooks, then called out, “Padma!”
“Padma, Wade needs some autographs. Can you help?”
Padma swung her braid behind her shoulder and smiled confidently. “Leave it to me.”
Today, she wore a Phoenix-shaped badge at her collar, her skin flawless and radiant under the light. Like the other girls, she sidled up to Lockhart, and within minutes returned with several sheets of “signed” parchment.
“Whenever you need them, just ask,” she said, tossing the sheets to Wade with a casual wave. “All I have to do is smile. He doesn’t even glance closely—he can sign a hundred in a single sitting!”
Michael gave her a thumbs-up. “Good thing you’re on our side. We’d never pull this off.”
Wade tapped the parchment with his wand. The copied images vanished, leaving only the original, flowing signatures of Lockhart.
A small smile tugged at his lips.
His mood was high—but not because he now had blank permission slips.
As they stepped out the door, Michael bumped his shoulder. “Easy, wasn’t it?” he murmured.
“Wade, you don’t have to solve everything yourself. You can lean on us.”
“Sometimes, something that feels impossible for one person becomes simple with a little help, right?”
…
Wade awoke from the dream of the Luminous Labyrinth, pushed open the window, and let in a breath of fresh, damp air—cool and crisp, washing away the stale atmosphere inside.
It had rained last night. The windowsill was still wet.
He remembered the faceless figures in his dream…
The memory of his father in his previous life, nearly bankrupted by bailing out his “best friend.”
The betrayal of a so-called “friend” in university, who stole his research, published it first, then deleted his files, accused him of plagiarism, and incited online mobs to attack him.
He’d thought he’d buried those memories long ago.
But Michael’s words, Theo’s gentle reminder, echoed in his mind.
Friends…
Childhood trust came easily. The older you got, the harder it became.
But doubting everyone was just as wrong as trusting blindly.
Without trust, loyalty and friendship would eventually drift away.
He took a deep breath, exhaled, and let go of the long-held weight in his chest.
…
After afternoon classes, Wade and Michael met on the fourth floor near the Hunchback One-Eyed Witch. They leaned against the window, waiting until the corridor emptied.
“I’m going,” Wade said.
Michael nodded. “If anyone inside asks, I’ll make sure they let you through.”
He pretended to admire the view, watching for movement. Wade, meanwhile, tapped the stone witch with his wand and whispered, “Left and Right Separated.”
The hunched figure’s torso slid open, revealing a narrow passage.
Wade waved goodbye, stepped inside, and hurried through.
Michael watched the passage seal shut, then stuffed his hands into his pockets and strolled down the stairs—just as Filch passed by.
The caretaker glared, dark and sour. Michael gave a polite nod.
His eyes flicked toward a group of Slytherin students. A spark lit in his gaze. He turned and walked straight toward them.
…
Wade slid down a steep stone incline for what felt like ages, then pressed forward through a damp, cold tunnel. The ground was uneven, rough—clearly not carved by human hands.
Darkness pressed in from all sides. Only the tip of his wand cast a steady, bright light.
The secret passage stretched on for over an hour. Finally, he saw a long staircase ahead—rising far into the distance, hundreds of steps winding upward into the dark.
At least I only have to climb this once, Wade thought, resigned.
He began the ascent.
Time blurred.
Eventually, a hatch appeared above him.
He pushed it open. A hand reached down, grabbed his arm, and pulled him out.
Remus Lupin cast a Scourgify spell, brushing the grime from his clothes. “Rough trip, wasn’t it?”
Wade steadied his breathing, still catching his breath. “Longer than I expected.”
His legs felt like lead.
But he was young—maybe that helped. Or perhaps it was the resilience of wizardkind. After a few moments, the exhaustion began to fade.
“This passage is indeed long and treacherous,” Remus said. “There’s another secret passage beneath the Whomping Willow—one that leads to the Shrieking Shack. Just press the scar on the trunk, and the tree will freeze.”
“If the Vanishing Cabinet is fixed,” Wade said, “I won’t need this path anymore.”
“Why must you fix the Vanishing Cabinet?” Remus asked. “You know, compared to this passage, it’s inherently more dangerous.”
“But this passage only gets me near Hogwarts,” Wade explained. “If I want to go farther, I don’t have the time. Even during school days, I don’t want to waste hours just traveling.”
Remus didn’t press him on where he wanted to go. He was too wise for that.
“Be careful,” Remus said. “I’ll give you an Invisibility Charm.”
He tapped the top of Wade’s head with his wand.
Wade closed his eyes. A cold shiver ran down his spine, spreading through his body.
He looked at his hand. No matter how he moved, his skin blended perfectly with the surroundings—like he’d vanished.
Only someone with exceptional eyesight might detect the faintest ripple in the air.
“We’re ready,” Wade said. “Once the Vanishing Cabinet is fixed, I’d like to learn this spell before I return to school on Sunday.”
“It’s not easy,” Remus admitted. “It’s advanced Transfiguration application. But if anyone can do it… it’s you.”
He shut the hatch behind them and walked beside Wade, guiding him up the stairs.
They emerged behind the counter at Honeydukes.
Remus flicked his wand. A bottle on the shelf suddenly tipped and fell.
The balding middle-aged shopkeeper rushed to catch it.
In that moment, Remus and Wade slipped out from behind the counter—just like shadows.
(End of Chapter)
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