Chapter 32: The Most Correct Decision

Wade returned to the dormitory and was startled to find an unexpected visitor standing in the center of the room—a house-elf wrapped in a tea towel, her large, gray-green eyes fixed unblinkingly on him. The sudden appearance nearly made him cast a spell before he recognized her.

“Zoe?” he said, exhaling in relief. “What are you doing here?”

House-elves were traditionally proud of remaining unseen by their masters, so Wade had never before seen one outside the Kitchen. It was unusual—and slightly unnerving.

Zoe twisted her long, slender fingers together, clearly nervous. “Wade Gray did not eat dinner,” she whispered. “Zoe was worried. Zoe knows she should not be here, but Zoe came anyway. Zoe wants to know if Wade Gray is unwell.”

“I’m fine,” Wade said, crouching down to her level. “It’s just that the Giant was incredibly smelly. I’ve got no appetite right now.”

Zoe nodded solemnly. “But not eating is bad for the body. Wade Gray gave Zoe a Gift. Zoe likes it very much. Zoe cares about Wade Gray’s health. Zoe does not want Wade Gray to go hungry.”

As always, the House-elf spoke in the third person—referring to herself and others alike, even when face to face.

Wade looked at her, noticing the tiny Pumpkin Carriage hanging from her waist, its lantern flickering softly.

“Alright,” he sighed. “Could you please bring me some Fruit? Just fresh Fruit—no jam, no pudding. I’ll eat some after I’ve showered and then go to bed.”

“Of course, sir!” Zoe beamed, her eyes lighting up. With a sharp pop, she vanished.

When Wade emerged from the bathroom, dripping slightly and wrapped in a towel, he found a basket of Fruit neatly laid out on the table—apples, pears, bananas, a few strawberries, and a cluster of green grapes, all washed clean and glistening with droplets of water.

He picked up an apple, took a bite, and was struck by how juicy and sweet it was. A wave of nostalgia washed over him.

In his past life, his mother had been obsessed with wellness, insisting that people needed to eat twelve different foods daily to stay healthy. Vegetables and fruit were especially sacred—sometimes she’d go a full month without repeating a single item.

Now, in Hogwarts, the food was far richer than what he’d had at home, but mostly consisted of roasted meats and desserts. Vegetables were few and far between, and their preparation was always the same. Fresh fruit had never once appeared on the Long Table.

In that moment, Wade made up his mind: after graduation, he would go to the East—magic was the wings of wonder, but the future lay in the East. And here, in this world, there were ancient, hidden powers. Maybe he’d even see wonders beyond imagination.

…

Padma’s induction into the SSC went smoothly, with not a single objection. The girl was intelligent, poised, and undeniably beautiful—her deep, expressive eyes seemed to hold quiet emotion, making Theo and the others blush faintly.

Hermione, meanwhile, was dedicating more and more time to studying, driven by the pressure Wade had unintentionally put on her. In the most recent Transfiguration class, Wade had successfully turned a mouse into a delicate little teapot—its curves so precise and elegant it looked like a piece freshly displayed in a shop window. Professor McGonagall had praised him loudly, even saying his skill was now strong enough to earn an “O” on the final exam.

Hermione also knew Wade had received a full set of Standard Spells and Intermediate Transfiguration from Diagon Alley via Owl post. Though she was already the top student in Gryffindor House, she still felt behind. Her frustration grew daily, and she snapped at Ron several times—though now, after she’d knocked out the Giant, Ron had stopped complaining and whispering behind her back.

Now, Ron actually looked forward to her guidance, realizing she was usually right. But Hermione had finally begun to curb her tendency to lecture. She started ignoring minor rule-breaking by her housemates, which slightly improved her popularity. Especially with Harry—now, they were almost friends.

Wade heard Hermione complain almost every day:

“Honestly! We had a whole weekend to write our assignment—just wrote a title! Then suddenly, it’s due, and everyone panics. Hermione, please, let me copy your assignment!”

“Did you let him?” Wade asked, still writing.

“Of course not!” Hermione wrinkled her nose in disdain. “Copying won’t help him learn anything. But I did promise to check it when he’s done!”

“But Hermione,” Padma said, puzzled, “won’t that just make it harder for you?”

Hermione stared at her, incredulous. “That’s how you learn! You don’t just copy—you understand.”

The two girls exchanged a glance, then, after a moment, quietly changed the subject.

When Padma finished her assignment, only Neville remained, chewing on his quill, still struggling.

She slipped her parchment into her backpack and skipped lightly past the partition wall—Wade had recently added a bright blue one in the Umbrella Room, dividing it into a 1:3 ratio. A Silence Charm had been cast in the middle to keep the writing zone undisturbed.

On the other side, two rows of dummies stood in place—many were old and battered beyond repair, even for a Reparo Spell, but still serviceable.

The far wall was lined entirely with mirrors. “So you can watch your movements and correct them instantly,” Wade had said.

Michael kept setting the dummies on fire with Fiendfyre and dousing them with Aguamenti. Theo alternated between Diffindo and Reparo, mercilessly tormenting his dummy. Hermione was casting a Dance Spell on a spider, its long legs flailing wildly in the air. Liam stood before a cautious gray mouse, muttering:

“Petrificus Totalus!”

The mouse froze instantly—its body rigid, only its tail twitching slightly. Then, in a flash, it shot forward and exploded mid-air into a small twig.

“Petrificus Totalus,” Wade said, waving his wand. The twig floated in the air. He tapped it once with his wand tip, and it instantly reverted to a mouse.

“Petrificus Totalus!” he demonstrated again. This time, the mouse’s limbs and tail clamped tightly against its body, stiff as wood. Its black eyes seemed to bulge with panic.

It hit the floor with a thud, landing as solid as a stone.

Wade released the spell, letting Liam try again. Then he walked over to Padma.

“Would you like to start with Slippery Surface, or practice another spell first?”

“Well…” Padma hesitated, sticking out her tongue playfully. “Actually… I’m not even sure I can do Repairo Spell consistently…”

She braced herself for Wade’s reaction—perhaps a look of concern, or even disappointment.

Instead, he tapped his wand lightly against a dummy. The wooden target split cleanly down the middle.

“Then we’ll start with Repairo,” he said calmly. “Let me see what you can do.”

Padma raised her wand, her arm trembling slightly.

And then—she realized it.

This might be the most correct decision she’d made since arriving at Hogwarts.

She would learn so much here.

“—Reparo!”

(End of Chapter)

Chapter end