Chapter 457: Invitation
Thursday turned out to be a relatively light day for Wade—just two overlapping Time-heavy Elective Classes in the morning, a Herbology lesson in the afternoon, and a single Astronomy class in the evening.
Still, since he had to pull out time from his schedule to attend Professor Mor’s Alchemy Course, Wade rose early and headed straight to the Infirmary to pick up the Pup Wolf.
As usual, he skipped the long corridors and staircases, opting instead to glide smoothly through the window on his broomstick. A minute later, he hovered silently outside the Infirmary’s window.
Wade placed his hand on the glass. With a silent, wandless Unlocking Charm, the latch inside turned halfway without a sound. He gently pulled the window open and was about to step in—when suddenly, a sharp cry pierced the air.
“Ah!”
Malfoy’s voice—high-pitched and startled, as if he’d just leapt straight out of bed.
Wade froze. Had he come to the wrong window?
He was about to quietly turn and leave when he heard another voice inside.
“Good morning, Draco,” a girl said, her tone lightly teasing. “Sorry—woke you up a bit abruptly.”
“What in Merlin’s name is going on?” Malfoy snapped, clearly furious. “My bed’s soaked! Madam Pomfrey’s going to be here any second!”
A ripple of laughter spread through the room—mocking, condescending, as if Malfoy’s reaction was childish and utterly predictable.
Wade cast a Disguise Charm over himself and hovered calmly outside the window, peering inside.
Five or six students stood around Malfoy’s hospital bed, forming a loose circle that seemed to enclose him entirely. Malfoy stood barefoot on the wet floor, dripping, his face flushed with embarrassment.
Wade glanced around, mentally noting the names of the others—then his gaze landed on one familiar face.
Kariel.
Though younger than the rest, he wasn’t short. He stood among them with an ease that made him seem like he belonged—like he’d always been there.
Wade suddenly realized how long it had been since he’d last seen Kariel.
Technically, they’d spoken just before the break, but barely a month had passed—and Kariel had changed.
His face, once round and soft, had grown leaner. His eyes, once bright and lively, now held a stillness, a quiet depth that made him look years older. There was something almost weary in his expression—something like sorrow wrapped in silence.
And while the others were laughing, Kariel stood still, eyes downcast, as if he hadn’t even fully woken up.
“Stop overreacting, Draco,” said another boy, still grinning. “A simple spell fixes this. Didn’t you learn that in Charms?”
He waved his wand. Instantly, the puddle vanished—leaving only a faint damp stain.
“Sorry,” Malfoy sneered, “I don’t need to learn these things. How do you put it? Home Magic? Can’t afford a House-elf at home?”
The boy stopped smiling, but didn’t rage. He just shrugged. “Not every family can keep their ancestral wealth growing like the Malfoys. Some just… squander it.”
One of Malfoy’s friends blinked in mock surprise. “Wait—do you really not have a House-elf at all?”
“Got one,” Malfoy replied. “But Bloo’s getting old. My mum said he could breed… but you know how it is. It’s not that simple.”
“Enough,” said a girl, her voice dripping with arrogance. “Let’s not talk about those filthy House-elves. The sight of them makes me sick. Draco—how long has it been since you joined us? You’re thinking of quitting?”
“I am quitting,” Malfoy shot back, “because I’ve been stuck in Detention nonstop! All because of that cursed spell you taught me—the Entrail-Expelling Curse! I’m supposed to serve a full year!”
The boy quickly hissed, “Shh—shh! You’ll bring Madam Pomfrey down here!”
Someone else chuckled from inside. “Can’t blame us, Draco. I warned you that spell was dangerous. But it is satisfying, isn’t it? When you use it on a Traitor—don’t you feel… powerful?”
“Powerful?” Malfoy spat. “I’m sick to my stomach!”
“Anyway,” the girl said, turning to leave, “I’ve got class. Malfoy—tonight’s the usual gathering. If you want in, just say you’re still injured and take a day off. But if you’re stepping out… well,” she paused, smiling with a smirk, “just say the word.”
The look in her eyes said it all: Try to back out, and we’ll tear your head off.
A beat passed. Then Malfoy’s voice, quiet but firm:
“…I’ll come.”
“Good,” she said.
The group filed out—Merpeople, laughing and jostling, the last one casually snatching a bag of Bit-Bit Flavor Beans from the foot of Malfoy’s bed.
Malfoy stood frozen by his bed, gripping the ring on his finger, his expression unreadable.
Wade didn’t watch any longer. He gently turned his broomstick and left the window behind.
He remembered the last time Malfoy had hurt Crabbe—how his parents had rushed in to deal with the incident. Dumbledore had sentenced him to a full year of Detention, the longest punishment ever given to a student.
And Malfoy hadn’t argued. He’d simply handed the matter over to Professor Snape.
Back then, Draco must have felt… safe. Because Snape’s favor toward him was well-known.
But the truth was the opposite.
This Detention had been brutal. Every day, Malfoy was either in class or locked away—his assignments could only be completed during the rare moments Snape allowed him time.
And somehow, Snape even reviewed his essays. For another professor, that would’ve been a rare opportunity to learn. But for Snape?
Wade could only imagine how much it must’ve felt like psychological torture.
He’d heard rumors—Malfoy had cried more than once on the way back.
Now, thinking about it—Dumbledore, Malfoy’s father, and Snape may have had different views on many things… but on this, they’d all agreed.
They’d used Detention as a cover—forcing Draco to cut ties with people he shouldn’t be around.
But Malfoy himself didn’t see it that way.
When Wade entered the Pup Wolf’s recovery room, he already knew what he had to do.
He wrote down everything he’d witnessed, copied it twice, and folded each parchment into a paper crane. Then, with a quiet motion, he sent them both flying out the window.
One soared toward the Headmaster’s Office. The other took flight toward Professor Snape’s quarters.
Malfoy’s gathering tonight would not go as planned. Whether the student society would be dismantled by the professors—well, that remained to be seen.
Wade stood by the window, watching the cranes vanish into the morning sky.
On the hospital bed, the Pup Wolf had already rolled over and pulled back the curtains just enough to peek through. Big, dark eyes watched Wade from the gap.
Wade suddenly turned.
The wolf flinched, let out a tiny “gurgle,” and scrambled back under the covers.
“Hello,” Wade said softly, not stepping closer. “I’m Wade Gray. How’s your wound feeling?”
After a pause, the little wolf peered out again.
“Better,” he said, voice pure and innocent. “Thank you for saving me… Where am I?”
“Hogwarts’ Infirmary,” Wade replied. “Come on—I’ll take you back to the Forbidden Forest.”
He reached out. The wolf hesitated, then slowly slid out of the bed. Wade caught him gently by the nape and lifted him into his arms.
The creature yelped, clinging tightly to Wade’s arm, tail stiffening in fear.
“What’s your name?” Wade asked as he walked toward the door.
“Morris,” the wolf said. “Maurice Holden.”
“How old are you?”
“Two,” Morris said proudly.
Wade blinked. He’d assumed the pup was only a few months old.
He remembered that ordinary wolves mature around two years old. But this one—his voice, his manner—still carried the softness of a child.
Perhaps it was the human bloodline. A longer childhood, but a much longer lifespan in return.
“If I take you back to the Forbidden Forest,” Wade said, “do you know how to get home? Don’t end up getting caught by some Beast again.”
“I know,” Morris insisted. “I just… slipped up once.”
As Wade stepped out of the room, he stopped.
Kariel stood against the wall in the corridor, smiling faintly.
“Good morning, Wade.”
“…Morning.” Wade closed the door behind him. “No classes this morning? What are you doing here?”
“I was waiting for you,” Kariel said. “I felt you. You were outside the window.”
“Felt?” Wade raised an eyebrow. “You mean… heard?”
“Haha, fair point.” Kariel chuckled, then turned his gaze to Morris. “This little one is yours?”
Morris flinched and buried his face into Wade’s chest.
“No,” Wade said. “I found him in the Forest. He was injured. I brought him here for treatment.”
“Oh,” Kariel smiled. “So you met him yesterday evening, right? I thought I had a good relationship with Professor Hagrid. But even he invited Malfoy’s kind of family—and not me.”
“Hagrid promised Malfoy long before you arrived,” Wade explained. “And Hagrid’s always done things his own way.”
“Like illegally keeping a Fire Dragon?” Kariel said wistfully. “That’s amazing. You can do whatever you want. And if you mess up? Someone’s always there to cover for you.”
Wade glanced at him. “Anything happen during the holiday? You seem… off.”
“Maybe I just partied too hard,” Kariel said, then added, “or maybe I didn’t get the Christmas gift I wanted.”
Wade stiffened slightly.
He hadn’t sent Kariel a Christmas gift… but when he returned from Gray Castle, he’d found one in the gift box: a Schedule Planner and a small packet of biscuits.
Simple. Ordinary. So normal that Wade had spent hours testing whether it was real—only to conclude he was the one being ridiculous.
He hadn’t eaten the biscuits. They still sat on the shelf, untouched. The closet had plenty of space—no need to worry about storage.
“By the way,” Kariel suddenly asked, “did you like the biscuits I gave you?”
“…They were okay,” Wade said vaguely.
“Haha, no need to lie. I know they’re nothing like my mum’s.” Kariel smiled warmly. “You remember—she was a great cook. You used to love her little biscuits.”
“Of course,” Wade nodded.
“But my favorite was her Seafood Soup,” Kariel added, his voice soft with memory. “She’d add cream, a little bay leaf, a hint of lemon—so good, it’d make you want to swallow your tongue.”
He sighed. “Too bad bloodline doesn’t make taste buds sensitive. Lately, her soup hasn’t been quite the same.”
Wade’s chest tightened. He looked at Kariel, unsure if this was a casual comment or something deeper.
“Hey,” Kariel said, suddenly bright. “You didn’t accept my invitation for Christmas. How about next Hogsmeade weekend? Come to my home. My parents bought a house in Hogsmeade—they’d love to meet you.”
His voice was full of enthusiasm. “My mum will cook a whole feast. Bring a few friends if you like.”
Wade frowned. “Your parents?”
“Yeah!” Kariel smiled. “You’ve been here for months—didn’t you notice?”
Wade stared. “Kariel… you’ve really never noticed…”
The smile vanished. For a split second, his eyes darkened—pale red, cold, bitter.
But it lasted only an instant. Then he smiled again, warm and bright, as if nothing had happened.
“Please, Wade,” he said, voice low, almost pleading. “This is something I need. You said no last time. This time… please say yes. Or my parents will be angry. I’m begging you.”
Wade held his gaze. After a long silence, he gave a small nod.
“Great!” Kariel lit up, grinning smugly. “I knew you’d give in! Don’t back out now! I’m off to breakfast!”
He waved, then skipped cheerfully toward the Great Hall.
Wade turned the other way, descending the side staircase.
Only when he was alone did Morris cautiously lift his head. He rolled over in Wade’s arms and looked up at the wizard who’d saved him.
The boy’s gray eyes were shadowed, full of sorrow and pity.
“Wade?” Morris whispered, pressing a paw gently against Wade’s arm.
“Hmm?”
“…That person back there—he smells of blood. He’s dangerous. You shouldn’t get close to him. And you shouldn’t accept his invitation.”
Wade simply said, “I know.”
“Huh?”
“I know he’s a Vampire.”
Wade stepped out of the castle, staring at the dark, endless forest beyond. He left the rest unsaid.
After a long silence, Morris finally tapped Wade’s arm with his claw.
“Even if I don’t know what’s happening,” he said softly, “my dad used to say: bad things don’t vanish just because you run from them. But if you keep walking… you’ll eventually crawl out of the mud.”
Wade smiled faintly. “You’re clever, Morris. Your father was wise.”
He paused, looking back at the towering castle.
“…But I’m not. I’m clumsy in some ways.”
He exhaled.
“Looks like I’m going to have to trouble Professor Dumbledore again.”
(End of Chapter)
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