Chapter 456: The Favor of Fate
"I'm sorry, Dad," Pup Wolf Kalen said through Innocence’s Voice. "We... we were just curious about Hogwarts. Morris and I just wanted to take a peek... I swear, we only meant to look from a distance!"
"But on the way, Morris suddenly shoved me aside—he got grabbed by that giant Lizard. I went into the cave to find him, barely escaped... then got surrounded by venomous Spiders."
"Then, a Wizard appeared out of nowhere. He was a Student, but he had a Bird with him—something like a Phoenix. The Spiders scattered in terror. He took Morris away..."
His voice trailed off, the round head drooping, the three-horned ears folding down. Shame and sorrow hung heavy in his small frame.
The man remained silent for a long time, staring toward the distant silhouette of Hogwarts. "Did I ever tell you not to run beyond our hunting grounds?"
"Yes, Dad," Kalen murmured, head bowed.
"Did I warn you—again and again—about the area near Hogwarts?" The man’s voice boomed, eyes flashing with anger. "The Forbidden Forest is most dangerous right around that Castle. You were forbidden to go near it!"
"I'm sorry," Kalen whispered, trembling. "We... we just couldn’t help being curious. We thought just looking from afar wouldn’t hurt..."
"Wouldn’t hurt?" The man roared. "Because of that careless guess, your younger brother nearly died! And now you’re telling me ‘wouldn’t hurt’?"
Pup Wolf lay nearly flat on the ground, face buried between his front paws, his small body shaking with guilt.
Suddenly, the white Wolf stepped in front of him, one claw gently nudging the pup aside. She shot a sharp glance at the man—her eyes full of warning, of defiance.
The man met her gaze. A faint twitch passed through the muscles of his horned brow, then he turned away.
"Vera, take the children back," he said.
"Uuuh?" The white Wolf rumbled low in her throat.
"I'm staying," the man growled, eyes blazing. "If that young Wizard doesn’t return Morris, I’ll go in myself and bring him back."
Vera hesitated, then glanced at her other cubs. Nodding once, the pack turned and departed, their footsteps fading into the forest.
A short distance away, the voice of a young female pup rang out:
"So, Kalen—did you see any school?"
"No," Kalen replied, crestfallen. "Only Morris was taken. I stayed hidden in the bushes. I didn’t come out."
"Ha! Coward," came a taunt.
"Shut up, Avy. What if it were you? I don’t think you’d be so brave."
"I’d be fearless!"
"Keep it down—what if a Centaur hears?"
"Ha! Coward Leen!"
"I’m just being cautious! Centaurs, Fire Dragons, Acromantulas, Merpeople, Hippogriffs, Night Kneazles... I heard there was even a Serpent Monster once. And a thousand-year-old giant squid lives in the lake. How can a place like that be so dangerous? Don’t the wizards living there ever fear it?"
"Maybe they’ve got special ways to protect themselves," Kalen mused. "Maybe they can avoid harm from dangerous beasts. They’ve lived there for centuries. To them, the Forbidden Forest is like home—of course they aren’t afraid."
"Do you think there’s a magic school out there that would accept wolves like us?" one pup asked. "We can’t do magic, but we’re smart. We can even talk!"
"Dream on," another laughed. "Even in dreams, that’d never happen."
Their voices faded into the distance. The man’s sharp ears, tipped with russet fur, quivered slightly.
As the last note of their hopeful words drifted through the air, he lowered his eyes and silently counted the weapons strapped to his belt.
Then, he shouldered his pack, parted the leaves and underbrush, and began walking toward Hogwarts. His one remaining pair of trousers bore fresh tears, torn by thorns and brambles, leaving behind strips of ash-green fabric clinging to the jagged tips.
...
Madam Pomfrey was tending to a student’s wounds when Wade slipped into an empty room with practiced ease. He first treated the pup’s injuries—though wizard magic could heal quickly, it couldn’t instantly mend everything. Otherwise, Moody wouldn’t have been a walking patchwork of scars, and Professor Kettleburn wouldn’t have been reduced to one and a half limbs.
Once done, Wade realized Madam Pomfrey had been standing behind him for some time, silent and watching. He hadn’t even noticed.
"Not bad," she said, approvingly, stepping forward to take over. "I didn’t expect you’d bring back a wolf."
"Nobeta," Wade replied.
Madam Pomfrey nodded. "Of course. Who else could it be?"
She ran a few standard diagnostic spells with her wand, then paused, her brow furrowing.
"Back up, Wade. This wolf is... unusual."
As she spoke, her wand flared with blue-white light, enveloping the pup entirely. The glow faded after a moment. The pup remained still, his brow furrowed even in sleep—as if in pain.
"He’s not an Animagus," Wade said.
Madam Pomfrey frowned. "But his magical energy is extraordinary. Nothing like a normal wolf."
"He’s a descendant of a Werewolf," Wade explained. "He said his father was one. And he can speak human language."
A knowing look crossed her face. "Ah. So that’s the one from the Forbidden Forest."
"You all knew?" Wade asked, surprised.
"Of course," she smiled. "After enough time at school, you pick up a few secrets."
"Tell me," Wade said, his smoke-gray eyes alight with curiosity.
Old wizards like Madam Pomfrey rarely resisted the earnest look of a young mind eager to hear a story. As she worked, she began:
"Long ago, two Werewolves mated in wolf form under the full moon. They gave birth to a litter of true wolf pups—intelligent, beautiful. Though they looked like wolves, they had human hearts. With Dumbledore’s permission, they were secretly brought to live in the Forbidden Forest."
"Two Werewolves?" Wade frowned. "But this pup only said his father was one."
"Many years have passed," she said gently. "This little one is likely third-generation. His mother mated with another Werewolf."
She sighed, sympathy in her voice. "It was a poor choice... poor child."
"Poor?" Wade repeated.
"The mother should have mated with a regular wolf," Madam Pomfrey said. "The more human blood in the lineage, the smarter they become. But the more intelligent they are, the more pain they feel—trapped in a body that can’t truly belong."
Wade fell silent.
She finished the treatment in no time. "Nobeta’s claws and teeth carry venom. This pup needs to stay here overnight. Bring him back to the Forbidden Forest tomorrow morning."
"I understand, Madam Pomfrey," Wade said, glancing at the sleeping pup. "I’ll come back first thing tomorrow."
...
The eagle-shaped door knocker chimed, its voice soft and melodious:
"I never speak, yet I answer every question. I never move, yet I carry you to any place. I never think, yet I grant wisdom. What am I?"
"Books," Wade replied.
"Correct," the door opened.
Wade stepped into the Ravenclaw Common Room. Michael and several others who’d visited the Forbidden Forest were surrounded by eager students, recounting their adventure with theatrical flair.
"Was she really sixty feet tall?" a girl asked, wide-eyed and trembling.
"More than that," Michael said seriously. "I looked up from the ground—you know how hard it is to judge height that way."
"Wouldn’t you be terrified? A creature that big... I’d probably die of fright."
"Truthfully, I was scared at first," Michael admitted. "But when Nobeta lowered her head and let me touch her neck... I felt this strange warmth. Can you imagine?"
A ripple of envy spread through the circle.
"I wish I could touch a Fire Dragon myself... too bad I’m not a Hagrid-type student."
"Actually," Michael leaned in, lowering his voice with dramatic flair, "Professor Hagrid left us an extra essay. If anyone writes a passionate, well-researched paper showing true love for Fire Dragons, maybe we’ll get invited back next time."
Wade shook his head and slipped past the crowd, heading up the stairs.
He knew Michael wasn’t trying to trick anyone into doing his homework. He just didn’t want to be the only one stuck with the extra work.
Before Michael could finish, a chorus of "Pfft" echoed through the room. Most students dispersed, but a few lingered—already preparing to take on the challenge.
...
Back in his dormitory, Wade tidied up and spent some time in his Closet Space.
The initial renovation was complete. The white functional rooms—bathroom, bedroom, dining area, alchemy lab, potion room, storage—were now connected in a seamless flow. Every space was thoughtfully arranged, perfectly satisfying all his needs.
As a result, he rarely visited the Room of Requirement anymore. It was inconvenient, far away, and had a portrait that never stopped watching. Though Wade had no real issue with Dumbledore or Sibbald, he preferred the feeling of total ownership over his private sanctuary.
Exiting the Closet Space, it was already late. On his desk, the Communication Pea glowed faintly.
Wade slipped it into his ear and pressed gently.
"Hey, Wade?" His father Ferdinand’s voice came through, calm and gentle. "Still up?"
"You too," Wade smiled. "Still buried in paperwork?"
"Just one file left. I’ll be done soon." Ferdinand paused. "Wade... I found the person you were looking for."
Wade blinked. "...What?"
"What?" Ferdinand echoed, surprised by the tone. "You can’t have forgotten what you entrusted me with, can you? The werewolf illness... the scientific expert?"
Wade fell silent. Then, slowly, it returned to him—the distant request, buried under layers of time and other events.
A Werewolf named Clare had sent him her blood sample, hoping he could help cure the condition. Wade had anonymously sent it to a university lab for testing. But nothing came of it. Later, other things happened—events that made him realize: entrusting magic research to strangers was risky. Muggles weren’t just ordinary people. Some knew far too much about the magical world.
So he stopped buying samples. And when he had time, he’d casually mentioned to Ferdinand—just a wish, really—that he’d love to find a true expert, build a private lab.
But it had been little more than a Christmas wish. A private lab required immense funds. And top-tier scientists? They weren’t growing on trees.
He’d once envied a certain small detective—his neighbor had a magical cat who could fulfill any invention, and later, a genius girl who could even brew a rejuvenation potion.
Now, Ferdinand had actually found someone. And after all this time?
"Like you said," Ferdinand continued, voice steady, "this person is deeply skilled in genomics, evolutionary biology, bioinformatics. I don’t understand the science, but everyone I’ve spoken to speaks highly of him. He was once a leading expert in his field."
"...Sounds like you got scammed," Wade frowned. "How could someone like that just be ours?"
"Because he’s ill, Wade," Ferdinand explained patiently. "He’s suffering from a severe, progressive illness. I saw him. He’s unconscious, paralyzed, unable to speak. He’s been in a sanatorium for over three months. No one’s visited him. His family abandoned him. He won’t live much longer."
"So we’ll need to heal him first," Wade sighed, lying on his bed. "But Dad... I don’t know if magic can save someone so close to death."
"Try anyway," Ferdinand said. "If we can’t, then we can’t. But Wade, a young man who’s strong, brilliant, loyal, and wise—such a combination rarely exists. And even if he did, he wouldn’t be easy to bring into your service."
"I understand, Dad," Wade smiled. "Finding him... that took a lot of work. Thank you."
"Anything that helps you is worth it," Ferdinand said, warmth in his voice. "We were just lucky."
"Luck..." Wade murmured, glancing at his desk.
There, nestled in a small, magical fish tank, a tiny Cthulhu-shaped aquarium pulsed with life. Inside, enchanted fish swam endlessly, never stopping.
Wade smiled.
"...Yeah. Luck, indeed."
(End of Chapter)
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