Chapter 275: The Moving Black Dot
With a long, echoing whistle, the Hogwarts Express finally departed from the station. Harry was on board, and the thought of returning to the Dursleys filled him with unease. Ron and Hermione tried their best to cheer him up, but for a minor, there was only so much they could do.
Wade and the others had smoothly claimed an empty compartment. Not long after boarding, an unexpected visitor arrived.
“Hi!” Cedric tapped on the doorframe, standing at the entrance with a radiant smile.
“Cedric!” Theo and Liam both waved enthusiastically.
“Hello!” Cedric grinned. “I just wanted to say—Gray, thanks for your History of Magic notes.”
“Huh?” Wade blinked, then replied, “Oh… uh, you’re welcome. Did they help?”
He’d nearly forgotten about it.
“Of course,” Cedric said. “I have to say, your notes are incredibly thorough. They helped me score very highly on the final exam—and they’ll be a huge help for my OWLs next year.”
“That’s great,” Wade smiled. “If you ever need help with anything—just let me know.”
Cedric glanced down, a hint of embarrassment in his voice. “Actually, I’ve wanted to talk to you for a while, but you’ve always seemed so busy. I never found the right moment.”
“No need to be so formal,” Wade said. “You’ve helped us plenty, haven’t you?”
After Cedric left, the compartment filled with more students—mostly pure-blood nobles.
One invited Wade to spend his holiday at their family estate. “Sorry,” Wade said politely, “Professor Mor has already arranged my holiday.”
Another came on behalf of their family, proposing a collaboration to produce and sell streaming mirrors. Wade responded, “I’ve entrusted that matter entirely to Mr. Machionni. You can contact him directly.”
A third offered him money—though he didn’t need it.
After turning away the Nth visitor, Michael slammed the door shut and exhaled heavily.
“I finally understand why you’re always disappearing, Wade,” Theo sighed. “As soon as you give someone the chance, it feels like a whole crowd comes knocking.”
Michael rubbed his temples, weary. “Even in the common room, you’re impossible to find. People are always asking me: Michael, where’s Wade? Michael, can you pass a message to Wade? Michael, can you give him my photos? I really want to get to know him.”
He mimicked different voices with exaggerated flair, making everyone laugh.
Before he’d even finished, the compartment door was knocked on again.
Michael’s face fell.
“I’ll see who this is this time.”
He yanked the door open, scowling—then his expression shifted instantly from annoyance to delight.
It was the witch with the trolley, pushing her miniature cart down the corridor.
The group each bought a few cakes, chocolates, candies, and beverages, piling them onto the table. It would be their lunch—and likely dinner—until the train reached London Station in the evening.
For two years, guessing the flavor of Bit-Bit Flavor Beans had remained a timeless game. Wade still hadn’t eaten two identical beans.
“Try this!” Liam tossed a bright red bean toward him.
Wade held it up, studying it closely, about to voice his guess—when his expression suddenly changed.
“What’s wrong?” Liam asked, frowning, leaning in to look at the bean.
Wade shook his head, set the bean down, and pulled out the Book of Friends from his bag. He extracted a small rectangular piece of parchment and enlarged it.
On the blank sheet, a tiny black dot moved steadily—like a tiny tadpole swimming through water.
Wade stared at it, his expression grave. After confirming the dot’s direction hadn’t changed, he tucked the book away and turned to the others.
“Everyone, I need to leave for a bit. Don’t let anyone know I’ve gone while I’m away.”
“The train’s moving,” Liam frowned. “How are you going to disappear? Ride a broomstick?”
Michael cut in, watching Wade intently. “Where are you going?”
“Sorry, confidential,” Wade said.
“Is there danger?” Theo asked.
“Not necessarily… but if there is, I’ll find a way to get out quickly.”
Michael nodded. “I understand. If anyone comes looking, I’ll tell them you’re thinking through a alchemy problem and don’t want to be disturbed.”
“Thanks,” Wade said. He shoved his wand into his bag, transformed his backpack into a pencil case, then pulled open the window. He took a deep breath—the midday wind instantly tousled his hair.
In the next instant, Wade vanished.
A falcon appeared in the compartment.
Liam recoiled, his mouth dropping open in shock.
He watched as the bird seized the pencil case in its beak, the parchment tucked securely inside, and shot through the window in a blur.
He scrambled to the window and stared after it—watching the falcon soar higher and higher, until it vanished into the cloud layer.
A student inside the adjacent compartment noticed the bird too and pointed out the window, shouting, “Look! There’s an eagle out there!”
Liam sank back into his seat, stunned. After a long silence, he turned to the others, voice filled with disbelief:
“—An Animagus?”
Michael nodded. “Remember, confidentiality. Wade hasn’t registered with the Ministry of Magic yet.”
Liam nodded numbly, still dazed. “You two knew?”
Theo shook his head. “He never told me… but for a while, Wade barely spoke at all. I noticed he’d been chewing on a leaf—just once, when I wasn’t looking. That’s when I guessed.”
But even so, seeing Wade actually transform into an animal left Theo deeply shaken—though he didn’t show it.
Liam remained speechless. “Wade… how many kinds of magic has he actually learned?”
“Who knows?” Michael shrugged. “Even I don’t know what he’s capable of—unless he tells me.”
“He’s definitely not behind the professors in skill,” Theo said, staring at the sky. “Just… lacks experience.”
A quiet worry crept into his voice. “I just hope nothing’s happened. I hope he’s not being reckless.”
“I just hope,” Michael said, “that if Wade ever meets an enemy, he doesn’t hesitate. He’s too kind-hearted.”
“He’s got Dumbledore’s Book of Friends,” Liam said, trying to offer reassurance. “If there’s real danger, the Headmaster could come right away.”
“Let’s hope so,” Michael said.
(End of Chapter)
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