Chapter 231: What is a Gun?
Not long after, Wade’s heart gave a sudden lurch, and he snapped awake—surrounded by utter darkness, with only faint glimmers of light seeping through the cracks in the curtains.
Every inch of him ached, as though an elephant had trampled over him. He checked the time—exactly sunset.
As usual, he finished reciting the Animagus incantation. His voice, perhaps too loud, stirred someone nearby. Then came a soft whisper from within the room:
“Lumos.”
A gentle white light flared to life, illuminating the corner of the hospital ward. Wade saw two familiar silhouettes seated beside his bed.
“Theo? Liam?” Wade pushed himself up onto the edge of the bed, asking, “What are you doing here?”
“We heard you’d been injured and unconscious,” Liam said. “We stayed through the night to make sure the Slytherins didn’t take advantage of you.”
He jerked his chin toward the other side of the room. “Those lot over there are all Slytherins.”
Wade glanced over. A thick curtain blocked his view.
Theo stifled a laugh. “And at least half of them were sent here by you.”
“So their revenge is totally justified, right?” Liam added, then lit the candles beside the bed.
“Michael and the others wanted to stay too,” Liam continued, “but they’re injured themselves, and there’s not enough space. We convinced them to go back and rest.”
Wade sighed helplessly. “So I can’t even fight back properly, and I can’t even block a spell? Is that really supposed to surprise me?”
“You can’t judge others by our standards,” Theo said. “I heard even fifth-years haven’t learned the Shield Charm yet!”
“Want something to eat?” Liam asked. “We saved your dinner—roast meat, sausages, sandwiches, mashed potatoes, carrots, and hot chocolate.”
Wade shook his head. The mere thought of food made his stomach turn. He clutched his abdomen and said, “All I want right now is water.”
Theo stood immediately and poured a glass of fresh water. Wade took it, and immediately noticed it was just the way he liked it—slightly warm, not too hot.
He sipped slowly. After a few mouthfuls, he finally felt a little better.
Hot water had the same magic for Wade that chocolate did for Harry—something that soothed every ache, wiped away every shadow.
Then he noticed the two friends were silently watching him.
When he set the glass down, Liam finally spoke.
“Wade… how did you end up unconscious after fighting Professor Abigail?”
“Yeah,” Theo added. “You always preach about weighing risks and knowing your limits. Why didn’t you leave with Michael and the others earlier?”
“Hmm…” Wade tilted his head, thinking. “I guess… I just got caught up in it.”
“Oh… right,” Theo and Liam said in unison, both pulling down their lower lips and letting their eyelids droop—silent, dry expressions that said, ‘That’s a terrible excuse. I’ll pretend I believe it anyway.’
Wade couldn’t help but chuckle. Then his expression grew serious.
“Honestly… I think Professor Abigail is different from any wizard I’ve ever known. She feels… trained. Professional. Military-grade.”
Theo blinked. “You mean… she might be from another country? Like… an Auror?”
Wade shook his head. “No. Not magical training. I mean Muggle training—physical conditioning, hand-to-hand combat, reconnaissance, all kinds of weapons… and shooting.”
Liam’s eyes widened. “You mean she served in the Muggle military?”
“Exactly,” Wade said. “Now I get why she’s so strict in class. She’s treating students like soldiers.”
“The Muggle military’s really that harsh?” Theo asked, curious. “Sounds… strange. Almost cruel.”
Liam recalled something he’d seen on television once. He nodded firmly. “Yeah. That’s exactly how it is.”
“The idea of a wizard choosing to endure that kind of hardship… it’s incredible,” Theo murmured, awed. “She’s giving up magic for Muggle discipline?”
Liam turned to Wade. “So you fought her… just to confirm that?”
Wade was silent for a moment. Then he said, “She had something… on her. A gun. I’m not sure. I never got close enough to check.”
He’d used every plant-based spell Professor Sprout had taught him—nothing could dislodge it.
Theo paused, then asked slowly, “Gun… what’s that?”
Wade froze.
It was Liam who answered first.
“A metal wand,” he said firmly. “A weapon Muggles use to kill each other.”
“…Is it dangerous?” Theo asked.
“…If it hits a vital spot, you’re dead,” Liam replied, recalling stories from his Muggle relatives. “If it hits a limb or the stomach… it’s like tearing a hole in your body.”
“Sounds no worse than Harry breaking his arm last time,” Theo concluded.
“Extremely dangerous,” Wade said, voice low and serious. “It’s fast—faster than any spell. Once it fires, there’s almost no chance to dodge.”
The two Hufflepuffs grew visibly serious.
“Can a Shield Charm stop it?” Theo asked.
“I don’t know,” Wade admitted. “And there are different types—some are far more powerful than others.”
Liam exhaled deeply. “So it’s not just another Quirrell type? Could she be sent by the Dark Lord… or some other force, to cause trouble here?”
“But Hogwarts no longer has the Philosopher’s Stone,” Theo said.
“Not everything worth wanting is a stone,” Wade replied. “But Dumbledore hired her. He must know something.”
He paused. “I think I should try talking to him… when I get the chance.”
Of course, he didn’t know if the Headmaster would still be in the school come morning.
Professor Abigail was a character entirely absent from the original story. Wade knew nothing about her—couldn’t relax, couldn’t trust.
Maybe Dumbledore knew her past. But in the Defense Against the Dark Arts class, Wade had no faith in the Headmaster’s judgment.
Dumbledore always seemed to find the most troubled soul in a crowd.
Even Remus Lupin—Wade trusted him, liked him, admired him—still carried the risk. A werewolf was a ticking bomb for any ordinary young wizard.
Who was Professor Abigail? Why was she here? Wade needed answers.
But more than that, her style—her combat magic, her raw, unapologetic violence—held a strange fascination.
Power and skill weren’t hidden. They were written in the tightness of her muscles, in the way she moved—like a sleek, elegant cheetah, displaying strength without a single word.
Wade pressed his fingers into his own arm, feeling the firmness of his muscles. He let out a quiet sigh.
(End of Chapter)
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