Chapter 351: He Is Wade Gray
The sky had been dim, and the Bats were small—Wade hadn’t gotten a clear look at the other person’s face. But when he heard that voice, he instinctively leaned forward, trying to peer around the edge.
Before he could move further, Wade snapped to attention. He froze, listening in silence.
In that moment, the image of Uncle Landon—his father’s old friend—flashed before his mind: a face etched with despair, exhausted and broken. It had been so long since Wade had heard from him.
Now, he couldn’t tell if Landon was truly in trouble… or if his own mind had simply cracked under the weight of cruelty.
Kariel, on the other hand, showed no concern for what had become of his family after he left. His voice remained bright, lilted with energy, full of life.
A second, raspy voice echoed from deeper within the cave: “Good job, Kariel.”
As it spoke, the cave was filled with strange screams and guttural roars.
Wade hesitated, then slowly, cautiously, peeked out.
Inside the dark, damp cavern, a mirror stood—half a man’s height—glowing with a streaming image. The scene it showed was Hogsmeade.
Hagrid and Remus Lupin were locked in a brutal fight, tearing through the streets from one end to the other. The camera followed the werewolf relentlessly. Wade even caught a glimpse of the Weasley Twins’ heads as they fled past the frame.
Wade frowned.
That the others had a streaming mirror wasn’t strange. But that they could broadcast live footage of Hogsmeade meant they possessed at least one Mother Mirror—and that the signal wasn’t being routed through Aslan Magical Workshop’s central platform.
He instinctively wanted to investigate, but after a moment’s thought, he felt a pang of resignation.
Aslan had sent out dozens of journalists across the globe, all chasing wizarding content. Some reckless ones even ventured into dangerous places—like a Fire Dragon’s nest—where losing or damaging a Mother Mirror was common.
And let’s be honest: the real magic wasn’t in the device. It was in the idea. Once the concept existed, replication became inevitable.
Wade focused, squinting.
The raspy voice belonged to a middle-aged man—balding at the crown, deep wrinkles under his eyes, a wild beard, and a prominent eagle-shaped nose. He wore a loose shirt, a brown jacket, and dark jeans, looking like a middle-aged telephone operator facing a personal crisis.
His name was Hasgr Graynwhite.
He sat on a stone, eyes fixed on the mirror’s image.
Kariel, with golden-brown hair, sat cross-legged on the ground, his pale face twisted into a smirk. He found the panic of the fleeing wizards utterly amusing.
In his hand was a soda can, and as he watched the screen, he muttered:
“Come on! Bite him! Bite him! Just clawing isn’t enough for a real werewolf!”
On the screen, Hagrid had already subdued the werewolf, lifting him high into the air.
Kariel made a disgusted noise. “Pathetic. He didn’t even kill anyone. Not a single scratch. I doubt that mouth of his is more than a decoration.”
“Normal,” Graynwhite replied calmly. “This is near Hogwarts. You don’t know how many powerful wizards are concealing themselves here. Pack up. We’re leaving, Kariel.”
“Wait—now?” Kariel whined. “I want to see how this ends. I want to see if the wizard he trusted most will sentence him.”
“Reading the newspaper will tell you the outcome,” Graynwhite said firmly.
Kariel sighed, then rose to help gather their things—tent, water flask, sleeping bag, coffee pot…
They meticulously cleaned up every trace of their presence, leaving not even a single strand of hair behind.
Wade burrowed deeper into the leaf pile, trying to stay hidden.
What struck him was that both men were clearly masters of magic—far beyond the amateurish, one-or-two-spell wizards often found in the wild. Their spells were varied, precise, and executed flawlessly.
Scourgify, Hover Charm, Restoration Spell, Wingardium Leviosa, Summoning Charm—Kariel handled them all with a skill that rivaled even an ordinary third-year student.
Yet there was something off. The magic was inconsistent—sometimes smooth, sometimes stuttering, like Neville’s.
Wade immediately realized why: their wands were poorly suited.
They didn’t have magical tents, nor had they enchanted their parcels with Invisible Expansion Charm.
So after packing, each of them stood before a giant, bulky parcel—clearly much larger than it should have been.
But neither of them seemed the least bit burdened. They simply lifted the parcels onto their backs with ease.
Graynwhite was the last to pack up the streaming mirror. On the screen, Hagrid had already carried the werewolf into The Hog’s Head. The door slammed shut. The feed cut off.
Graynwhite sighed. “Too bad… the half-giant was one of theirs.”
“A half-giant?” Kariel blinked. “Strange. I’ve never seen one so tall. Just a pair of fists, and he took down a mad werewolf?”
“Yeah,” Graynwhite said, his tone heavy with regret. “He was supposed to be one of us. We just didn’t realize it soon enough.”
“Don’t feel sorry for him,” Kariel sneered. “Look at how he stood in front of the wizards—already brainwashed. He’s just a dog for the wizards now.”
“No one’s born a believer,” Graynwhite said. “Not everyone can see the truth of this world like we do.”
He raised his hand and pressed it against the top of the mirror. It shrank instantly into palm-sized, folding neatly into his pocket.
“This streaming mirror is amazing,” Kariel said, arms crossed. “Way more convenient than a photography device. Too bad it’s so expensive… Those wizards are greedier than capitalists.”
Graynwhite gave him a strange, sidelong glance.
“What?” Kariel asked, puzzled.
“You know who invented this?” Graynwhite asked.
“Hmm… I think I heard… some old man named Mor?” Kariel tried to recall.
“No,” Graynwhite corrected. “You’re wrong. It wasn’t Terence Mor. It was Mor’s student—someone he took on just a few years ago. Wade Gray.”
“Wade Gray?” Kariel paused, then laughed. “Funny. I know someone with that name too… haven’t seen him in ages.”
“Then you might get the chance to meet him this time,” Graynwhite said.
Kariel frowned. “What do you mean?”
“Because the Wade Gray I’m talking about… is the one you know. He’s at Hogwarts.”
(End of Chapter)
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