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Chapter 558: Crying
Chapter 558: Crying
Wade was always the last to leave the Spell Study Circle meetings.
Some people liked to save all their questions until the end, while others, who had done their homework, would discuss spell applications with him. There were also those who seemed to stick around just to build connections, chattering away with meaningless small talk.
Before he knew it, the meetings would extend for over half an hour. On his way back to the common room, Wade often felt utterly drained.
But these study sessions weren't just about helping and giving.
In teaching others, Wade felt as if he was reassembling his knowledge, deepening his understanding of the spells and clarifying his thoughts.
Even though the others weren't as skilled as he was, their perspectives and ideas often gave him new insights. The more he delved into the subject, the simpler the knowledge seemed to become.
As he walked, Wade mentally organized the day's learnings. The castle was unusually quiet at this hour, with only the echo of his footsteps in the empty corridors.
"Once proud and haughty, now cowering in the corner, a snake without venom, no one fears... la la la la la la... no one fears..."
Through the floors, Peeves' song could be faintly heard, his coarse voice sounding like an eerie background tune.
Suddenly, Wade felt a chill beside him. A Poltergeist with a vacant gaze and a robe stained with silver blood spots appeared through the wall, glanced at Wade, and then sank through the floor without a word.
Soon after, Wade heard Peeves' scream, which grew fainter and fainter...
The song faded away.
As the surroundings grew completely silent, a faint sound became clearer.
At first, Wade thought it was the pipes or Moaning Myrtle crying in one of the toilets. But after listening closely, he realized it was a muffled sob, a boy's voice, somewhat familiar.
Wade stood still in the corridor. Perhaps the quiet environment made the person relax, and the sobs grew louder, accompanied by heavy breathing and the sound of blowing his nose.
"Damn... damn... damn!"
The faucet turned on, water splashing as Malfoy washed his face, then coughed violently from the cold water.
Wade didn't linger to witness someone's vulnerability and pain. He quietly changed direction and quickly left.
...
Before long, it was the morning of October 30th, and the castle had been thoroughly cleaned, even the portraits in the corners were spotless.
Passing through the entrance hall in the morning, Wade heard Gryffindor complaining loudly, "The dust on my clothes is an antique! You little pests, show some respect!"
The Cleaning Crabs ignored him and crawled over Gryffindor's face, leaving a trail of transparent bubbles. When they passed, the portrait was clean as a whistle.
Gryffindor was not pleased, unusually refraining from nagging the students in the entrance hall. Instead, he turned his back, showing only a sulky silhouette.
The crabs then crawled over and cleaned his back.
"Rude little brats, clean your dirty shoes!"
Filch's roar echoed, and two first-year students scurried away in fright.
The approaching event had the caretaker on edge, his yellow eyes scanning every student like a spotlight, bellowing from time to time—
"Clean the dirt off your clothes! Every student must be spotless!"
"Filthy brats, look at those footprints! Your parents should be ashamed of you!"
"No eating in the corridors! No bread crumbs on the floor!"
"Terrifying, isn't he?" Michael, who had been scolded for a bit of dust on his sleeve, sat next to Wade with a dazed look.
"If anyone dropped a Dungbomb in the corridor now, I wouldn't be surprised if Filch picked up a statue and smashed the culprit's head in!"
"Though his methods are a bit extreme, he's just trying to maintain the school's honor", a gentle voice said from behind them.
"Oh, you sound just like Hermione, but the one getting scolded can't be as rational as you", Michael's lips twitched, turning around with a forced, cute smile, and said in a high-pitched voice, "Good morning, Professor Flitwick."
"Good morning!" Professor Flitwick, who didn't stand as tall as Michael even when standing, said cheerfully, "I hope you don't have any Dungbombs hidden in your dorm, Michael."
"Of course not... of course not", Michael said earnestly, bowing his head. "I was just saying, but you know, Professor—I never do anything that foolish."
Two passing Gryffindors rolled their eyes at Michael.
"Excellent", Professor Flitwick said. "You have dirt on your elbow, did you know?"
He pointed it out, and as Michael checked, Professor Flitwick nodded at Wade and walked toward the faculty table.
Wade casually cast a Cleaning Charm, eyeing Michael curiously. "What were you doing to get so dirty so early in the morning?"
Their clothes were put in the laundry basket each night and cleaned by house-elves, always returning clean and pressed in the morning.
Of course, some boys were careless with their clothes, throwing them around or hiding dirty socks under their beds or in trunks. The house-elves wouldn't disturb such messes, but Wade knew Michael wasn't one of those.
Michael blinked, a mysterious smile playing on his lips. "Not only you wake up early, Wade. But the Black Lake in the morning is truly enchanting."
Wade understood. "You found a new girlfriend?"
Michael's lips curled up lazily, a satisfied smirk on his face. "Well... how should I say it?"
Suddenly, someone bumped into his back, nearly causing him to face-plant into the cake. Michael angrily turned around to see Padma and a few other girls chatting and laughing, not even glancing at him.
He felt a bit guilty, wiping the cream from his nose, and sat down with a huff.
"Let's go, we have class", Wade said, standing up with his backpack.
Michael pushed away the cake and followed him out. Almost immediately, Filch's hoarse voice echoed from the doorway:
"You! Yes, you! What's on your face? Cream! All over your face! Clean it up right now, or I'll make you scrub armor with a toothbrush! I mean it!"
(End of Chapter)
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