Chapter 302: Return Home Immediately!
Red’s beam shot forth, erupting in a thunderous explosion. Flames roared, engulfing the entire room. Wade controlled his magic, guiding the fire to spiral around the walls.
Then he heard the screams—voices from the portraits.
In the magical world, portraits could move between one another, but if their original frame was destroyed, the souls within them would wither like trees uprooted, fading swiftly into death.
The screams lasted for a while. The crackling of burning wood echoed even longer. Only when every voice had faded into silence did Wade step inside.
The portraits, curtains, and carpet were all reduced to ash. The room was pitch black, save for the statues still standing.
Wade cast a Shield Charm and a Bubble-Head Charm on himself, then raised his wand.
Boom, boom, boom, boom, boom—
A series of violent detonations shattered the statues into fragments. Even the walls and floor were riddled with massive cracks.
Gusts of wind swirled gently, gathering the golden powder that spilled from the shattered statues, funneling it into a crystal vial Wade had prepared in advance.
At first glance, the gold powder seemed abundant. But when collected, it barely filled an ordinary water cup.
Locked inside the vial, the powder shimmered like liquid gold—bright, metallic, flowing like mercury. When still, it reflected light like a mirror. A gentle shake sent tiny sparks dancing through it, as if a thousand stars had been trapped within.
Wade stared at it, entranced, before reluctantly placing it away.
He didn’t know what it was, but one thing was certain—this was a炼金产物 (alchemical substance) never before seen on the market.
He’d tested it firsthand. The powder only induced drowsiness and sluggishness—effects easily replicated by a Stun Spell or a Life-and-Death Elixir.
Its only advantage was its invisibility, its ability to catch one off guard. But that hardly matched the spectacle it presented.
The alchemist who made it might not have been skilled—but they had used something extraordinary, something beyond the ordinary.
Wade’s heart burned with desire. He wished Rita Skeeter could track down their hideout right now, so he could secure more raw materials.
—Perhaps this was why they sought The Alchemist.
Not just for crafting magical puppets for war and slaughter… but because they possessed a treasure trove they couldn’t even begin to unlock.
As he thought, Wade continued his destruction, razing the entire exhibition hall until no trace of its original form remained.
Then, he set fire to the floors above and below, burned the house to the ground, slipped through the secret passage he’d used to escape, and rearranged the trap one last time—before finally dragging the rest of The Alchemist group out, except for Gul.
All the gold powder on their bodies was collected. Wade tossed his spare wand into the closet space, and the closet reshaped itself into a pencil case, which he slipped into his pocket.
Then he lay down on the ground, closed his eyes, and whispered: “Fresh Water Spring!”
Water gushed forth in a torrent, drenching everyone inside.
Wade lay still, pretending to sleep, as he heard someone coughing violently.
“Cough cough—oh, dead! Where the hell am I? I can’t see anything! It’s pitch black! Lumos! Where’s my wand? My wand’s gone!”
A young man with messy hair screamed, startling everyone awake.
A master of wandless magic quickly lit the passage, providing light.
“Where are we? What happened?”
They all knew the others were just as confused as they were, yet the questions kept pouring out.
Professor Mor, still dazed, wiped water from his face, pushed himself up from the floor, and scanned his surroundings.
“Wade! Wade!”
“I’m here, Professor!” Wade called, squeezing past the crowd to stand beside him.
His hair was soaked, his clothes caked in dirt. He looked just as disheveled as the others.
Professor Mor exhaled in relief. “You’re alright… Are you hurt?”
“…No.” Wade hesitated. “My wand… I can’t find it.”
“Same here.” Professor Mor sighed. “I don’t know what Gul’s planning… But first, we need to get out of here.”
“We can’t Apparate,” one wizard panicked. “We’re still in an Anti-Apparition Curse zone.”
“Are we… trapped?” another whispered, trembling.
But no one sat still. They couldn’t wait for the mastermind to appear.
The tunnel ahead was steaming, flames flickering in the distance. Without hesitation, they turned toward the opposite end and began walking.
Then, the man in front suddenly screamed and froze.
“What’s wrong?” the others asked. “Is there no exit?”
“…No.” The man turned slowly, his face pale. “Gul… left us a message.”
“What?!”
Everyone surged forward. With little space, they agreed the first man should read it aloud.
Silence fell. Only ragged breathing filled the tunnel.
After a few seconds, a voice—shaky, strained—broke the quiet:
“They’re going to imprison and use you. I was under the Imperius Curse, forced to help. At the last moment, I woke up… I don’t know how long I’ll stay conscious. If you wake up free—
Return Home! Return Home! Return Home!
Don’t make a sound. Don’t report to the Ministry of Magic. Their spies are everywhere.
I’m sorry… my friends—”
The message ended abruptly.
A chilling silence followed. Fear, dread, sorrow, longing—emotions tangled in their chests.
Finally, someone whispered, voice trembling: “We… we should go. What if they come back? We don’t even have our wands…”
The others snapped to life. “Yes! Run! Quickly!”
“Where’s our wands?!”
“Don’t need to ask! The criminals stole them!”
There was no time to think, no time to question. Panic took over.
Perhaps if only one or two had been left, they might have stayed calm. But in the grip of group hysteria, everyone bolted forward, running blindly.
Yet every person paused—just for a second—when passing the words carved into the soil-stained wall.
The handwriting was frantic, desperate. The last line was unfinished. The final stroke of the “e” stretched long, as if written in terror.
No one knew whether Gul had been re-Cursed by the Imperius, or whether he’d fled from a deadly threat.
They imagined the scene—the fear, the last-second escape, the agony of knowing he might not survive.
Tears welled in their eyes.
They burst out of the tunnel without a word, agreed to meet in the Book of Friends later, then Apparated away in an instant.
Return Home!
The command echoed in every mind.
“Come with me, Wade!”
Professor Mor, bringing up the rear, reached out and grabbed Wade’s arm.
“Professor!” Wade gently held his wrist. “I want to go home.”
Professor Mor frowned. “You’re alone—”
“Alastor Moody lives next door,” Wade said.
“Ah.” Professor Mor relaxed instantly. “Then yes. We’ll go there.”
He changed their destination and Apparated.
Boom!
The last two figures vanished from the spot.
(End of Chapter)
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