https://novelcool.info/chapter/Chapter-319-The-Lesson-of-the-Lesson-Book/13685286/
Chapter 320: The Gray Family in Spider Tail Alley?
Remus Lupin paused for a moment before asking, “When exactly was that?”
“July 19th,” Clare said firmly, clearly marking the date in her memory.
Remus Lupin recalled that they had been in Diagon Alley that day too—had even run into Will. It was the release day of the Streaming Mirror, and Diagon Alley had been packed with buyers from all over.
Thinking of Will’s enthusiastic smile back then, a dull unease settled in Remus Lupin’s chest.
He swallowed hard and asked, “Clare… how long can you usually detect a scent? How long would the smell have lingered on that person?”
Clare thought for a moment. “Beyond a week, the scent fades significantly—almost impossible to distinguish. As for that person… the time they spent in contact with Snake Skin Shed… it couldn’t have been more than three days.”
“…Are you certain?”
“Yes. I’m certain.”
That meant one of the people who had remained at Hogwarts between July 16th and July 19th—the time of the holiday, when the school was nearly empty—was the one who had entrusted Will with something.
He might not have caused Will’s disappearance, but he certainly knew something.
And during that period, there were no students at all. Even professors usually returned home to enjoy the break. Aside from Dumbledore, Filch, and Hagrid, most stayed away, relishing the holiday.
Still, some professors preferred staying at school—both for the convenience of daily life and for magical research. Others simply had no family to return to, and Hogwarts had become their home.
Dumbledore couldn’t forbid professors from staying during the holidays.
After a brief silence, Remus Lupin looked up. Clare was watching him with tense eyes. He spoke gently, “I’ll help you look into it… maybe Will just got caught up in something unexpected and couldn’t return on time.”
Clare hesitated, then nodded. “I hope… that’s all it is.”
They exchanged contact books—friendship ledgers—and Clare had to leave. She was due back at work, sorting through warehouse records.
Remus Lupin watched as the golden-haired girl lifted her skirt slightly and hurried away, her dry, brittle hair catching the sunlight like a patchwork of golden fuzz. Her faded dress, patched in several places, drew frowns and stifled smiles from passersby, as if she radiated an invisible stench.
He remained silent for a moment, then turned and walked back toward Sirius Black and the others.
At a small table outside Fosco’s ice cream shop, under a sunshade, three figures sat—two adults and a child—slowly savoring nutty ice cream.
Harry was animated, speaking with great enthusiasm. Sirius Black wore a faint, approving smile, as if saying, Good lad, you’ve got spirit. Wade, meanwhile, had already spotted Remus Lupin and waved.
A smile crept across Remus Lupin’s face. He unconsciously quickened his pace.
…
For the next few weeks, Wade’s life remained unexpectedly calm.
Harry was utterly captivated by his new Firebolt, and to let him enjoy flying freely, Remus Lupin had moved him back to Hogsmeade.
Wade noticed that Remus Lupin seemed preoccupied lately—but since he hadn’t volunteered anything, no one pressed.
Meanwhile, Sirius Black had unearthed some new leads on Lockhart and vanished again, diving headfirst into his hunt for Peter Pettigrew.
Wade had handed over the Bearded Man to Dumbledore and hadn’t expected to see him again.
He’d assumed Dumbledore would investigate the matter and hand the man over to the Ministry of Magic for detention. But days later, he heard something entirely unexpected from the headmaster himself.
“He’s already departed,” Dumbledore said quietly. “If you ever see him on the road, pretend you don’t know him.”
Wade blinked. “Professor… you mean—”
Dumbledore nodded slightly, a soft sigh escaping him. “He’s going to do something brave. A path of loneliness, yet fearless. Hate… it’s a terrible force. It can drive a man to sacrifice everything… even his life.”
Wade immediately thought of Snape.
Under the canopy of towering maple trees, shadows danced across the path, broken patches of sunlight scattered like scattered coins.
This was a quiet lane near Wade’s home—now empty except for the two of them.
After a pause, Wade asked, “Will the Ministry of Magic be involved in this?”
“Oh, Fudge already knows. But neither he nor Rufus Scrimgeour wants this to become public.” Dumbledore spoke patiently. “I understand their reasoning. Three escaped prisoners are still at large. If this news broke now, Britain’s Ministry of Magic would look like a failure. Especially with Fudge preparing for a major event—he’ll do everything in his power to maintain the Ministry’s image.”
Wade glanced up.
He doubted Dumbledore was truly indifferent to the Ministry’s politics—but he had no proof.
The headmaster’s expression remained unchanged, unreadable, impossible to probe.
“Then what about the investigation?” Wade asked.
“The Aurors will look into it,” Dumbledore said. “But… with no casualties, the urgency isn’t high.”
He glanced at Wade, who was frowning unconsciously, and smiled. “Don’t worry about your family. We’ve already taken precautions—since we discovered certain people are targeting underage wizards.”
Wade looked up, silent, questioning.
“You’ve never told anyone outside Hogwarts about your parents, Wade. That makes protecting you much easier.” Dumbledore explained. “No one—no matter who they are—can obtain a student’s family information from Hogwarts.”
“And if they try using Muggle methods to investigate… they’ll find that the Gray family has long since moved.”
“—Moved to Corkworth Town. To a place called Spider Tail Alley.”
“—Spider Tail Alley?” Wade murmured.
The name struck him instantly.
Dumbledore continued, “Yes. Severus’s home is there. And our guest will quickly realize—how dangerous it is for an uninvited stranger to face a wizard skilled in Potions.”
Wade stared. After a long silence, he finally said, “…This could put Professor Snape in danger.”
“I believe Severus’s methods of welcoming guests might cross legal lines… if someone actually breaks in. But don’t worry. The householder has the right to defend their home.”
Watching the calm smile on Dumbledore’s face, Wade felt a flicker of unease.
“Professor… you’re not going to ask me anything?”
After speaking with the Bearded Man, he knew he’d driven the Acromantula. Yet Dumbledore had shown no anger, no accusation, not even a test.
It felt unreal—like waiting for the second shoe to drop, but never hearing it land.
(End of Chapter)
Chapter end
Report
