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Chapter 209: Do You Believe in Magic?
For the remaining two weeks of the holiday, Wade had no intention of stepping outside the house. He’d copied over a dozen magic books from the Black family library, and Dumbledore had generously lent him a box of books—titles he personally considered worth reading. Professor Flitwick had advised that occasionally setting down one’s wand to deeply study Theoretical Magic would make the wand feel more intuitive when picked up again.
Learning magic was fascinating, but no matter the subject, theory was always dull. Even though Wade was more capable than most in this regard, he still had to clear his mind of all distractions to truly absorb the dense, arcane texts.
Of course, he still had his holiday assignments—but that was the least of his concerns. Wade had finished them all the day before the break began.
Lost in the sea of books, Christmas holiday slipped by unnoticed. Fiona began preparing Wade’s luggage for returning to school.
That morning, when Wade came downstairs for breakfast, he noticed his father in unusually high spirits. Ferdinand even pulled out a bottle of rum from the cellar—something highly unusual, since Fiona usually forbade alcohol before dinner.
“Get ready,” Ferdinand said cheerfully. “Your Uncle Landon Johnson is coming to visit.”
“Landon Johnson?” Wade asked, sidestepping the mention of the troublesome boy. “I thought your family moved to America?”
“Yes, they did. About half a month before you received your Hogwarts letter, they all relocated to the States. Since then, we’ve had no contact.” Ferdinand adjusted his house tie in the mirror as he spoke. “Landon even said he’d hoped Kariel could attend the same school as you. But I told him no—your academic performance is more than enough for St. Paul’s. Kariel… well, he’s still a bit behind.”
“Behind?” Fiona scoffed, carrying a plate of fried eggs into the room. “He’s not just a little behind—he’s miles behind. Good thing they moved. Otherwise, if you hadn’t gone to St. Paul’s, Mrs. Johnson would’ve been asking all sorts of nosy questions.”
“Now, now, my love,” Ferdinand said, trying to placate her. “She doesn’t mean any harm. She just likes to compare. And Landon’s a genuinely kind man—you know that.”
Fiona grunted in reply, saying nothing more.
Wade knew Landon Johnson well. The man had once been a business partner of his father. Though they’d parted ways professionally, Landon had proactively ceded part of his stake, and their friendship hadn’t suffered. In fact, without the burden of financial interest, their bond had grown even purer.
But Kariel Johnson? That was another story entirely.
Perhaps because his mother was American, Kariel carried unmistakable American traits—loud enthusiasm, open spontaneity, flamboyant speech, and a carefree, reckless attitude. Ferdinand always assumed Wade and Kariel were close friends. But in Wade’s eyes, he was merely enduring a bear child, occasionally helping out when the older one was inconvenient.
The thought of Kariel’s arrival made Wade frown slightly.
Fiona, aware of her son’s distaste, chuckled. “Don’t go out of your way to be overly friendly. Just be polite.”
After breakfast, the Gray family tidied up. Wade locked all his magic-related materials away in a closet space and secured his bedroom door. He couldn’t afford for Kariel—ever the curious, careless sort—to stumble upon anything magical. If he did, it might not just land Wade in trouble, but could even trigger a Memory Charm from the Ministry of Magic.
Wade knew the Ministry was swift and efficient—only when enforcing the Confidentiality Act.
Once everything was in order, they returned to the living room. Ferdinand collapsed onto the sofa, exhausted. Soon after, the sound of a car arrived.
“Must be Landon,” Ferdinand said immediately, springing to his feet.
He opened the door and locked eyes with a pair of tiny, beady green eyes.
“Doll!” Ferdinand exclaimed. “Fiona, your doll’s still wandering around the living room!”
The doorbell rang.
“Oh no! I completely forgot about them!” Fiona rushed forward, snatching Coco from the edge of the doorway and shoving her hastily onto a bookshelf. “Don’t move. Don’t make a sound!” she whispered urgently. “This is important!”
Coco covered her mouth with both hands, nodding solemnly.
Fiona exhaled in relief—just as she noticed two other tiny humans busily polishing a vase beside her.
“Stop that,” Wade said flatly, tapping the shelf. “Just stay still. Don’t move.”
Ari and Rena, one holding a cloth, the other a tiny broom, dropped into place on the shelf, perfectly still—like two elegant ornaments.
Meanwhile, Ferdinand’s enthusiastic voice echoed from the entrance:
“Landon! It’s been so long—how have you been?”
Fiona and Wade turned toward the doorway.
Landon Johnson had once been a plump, cheerful businessman, always wearing a neatly trimmed gray hat and sporting a refined little mustache, his face lit with a warm, endearing smile. But now, he looked gaunt and haggard, his mouth downturned, dark circles beneath his eyes—evidence of sleepless nights. Only the familiar gray hat remained on his head.
And yet, his wife—always loud and overly expressive—was nowhere to be seen. Nor was Kariel.
“Good morning, Fiona, Wade,” Landon said, removing his hat and offering a weak smile. He handed over a gift. “Merry Christmas, Wade. I’m sorry this is a few days late.”
Wade took the old suitcase, puzzled. “Uh… thanks?”
Landon suddenly realized his mistake and snatched the suitcase back. “Oh—my apologies. I got mixed up.”
He turned, stepped back outside, and rummaged in the car for a moment before pulling out a large gift box. He handed it to Wade.
“This… this is the real gift,” he said, as if only just remembering. “Congratulations on getting into St. Paul’s. I’m sure school life is wonderful.”
Wade took the heavy box. Inside was an expensive, high-end model car—beautiful, but utterly unsuitable for him.
He doubted Landon had even considered what he was buying. It was the kind of impulse purchase driven by price alone: “Just give me the most expensive one.”
Still, Wade politely thanked him and said, “Actually, I’m attending a different school. It’s not quite like St. Paul’s, but the life there is truly fascinating.”
“Is that so?” Landon mumbled absently, nodding. “St. Paul’s is excellent. You’re clearly brilliant to get in. Kariel… he could really use some of your focus.”
Wade blinked.
Ferdinand placed a hand on Landon’s shoulder. “Landon, is everything all right? You seem… off.”
Landon looked at him. Then, suddenly, tears welled up in his eyes.
“Ferdinand… my friend… do you believe in magic?”
(End of Chapter)
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