Chapter 648: Restoration
Fudge stormed into the Headmaster’s Office, slamming the main gate open with a furious glare. Umbridge hurried after him, her face twisted into a servile smile. Wade couldn’t help but admire her resilience—after being openly scorned by her superior, she’d clawed her way back into favor, even regaining Fudge’s attention.
Neither of them noticed Wade standing beside the door.
Only when their silhouettes vanished down the spiraling staircase did Wade drop his Disguise Charm, stepping forth from the air as if materializing from thin mist.
The door to the Headmaster’s Office remained ajar. With polite precision, Wade tapped lightly on the wooden panel before stepping inside.
Dumbledore stood beside the Pensieve, a thoughtful light flickering in his eyes.
“Professor,” Wade said softly. “Something strange happened in the Forbidden Forest today.”
Dumbledore turned, his gaze sweeping over the toad in the birdcage before pausing. “What happened?”
Wade set the cage onto the table, then recounted simply and without embellishment the events of the day—Lucas the Werewolf’s agitation, Lady Gray’s warning, the sudden resurgence of the Ancient Lily of the Valley deep within the woods.
Throughout, Dumbledore said nothing. He simply listened.
Finally, Wade pointed at the toad and said, “This is the so-called ‘uninvited guest.’ It seems unable to reverse its transformation.”
He paused, then added, “But I don’t know whose Animagus form this is, nor do I understand why he infiltrated the school. So I brought him to you.”
Inside the cage, the toad exhaled a silent sigh of relief—thankful that its identity remained undetected.
On the way, Wade had encountered Draco being cornered by Crabbe and the others. The moment he saw Lucius Malfoy’s fury, he’d sensed something was off. It hadn’t felt like mere coincidence. Now, with the truth laid bare, he finally relaxed.
Yes, his identity would surely be exposed. But Dumbledore was a man even the Dark Lord feared. He’d once been Lucius Malfoy’s Headmaster and teacher. To embarrass oneself before him was nothing short of inevitable.
Lucius Malfoy had traveled across continents, fleeing the Malfoy Manor to reach Hogwarts—not to help his son.
He knew Draco despised toads. His wife, Narcissa, felt the same. But Lucius had gambled on one truth: Dumbledore would never deliberately humiliate another wizard. He would never stand by and watch a cursed wizard die.
As for what came after the Transfiguration was undone?
Well, Lucius Malfoy was still a Hogwarts Trustee. Could anyone truly kill him here, without cause? No.
And Dumbledore—of all people—wouldn’t gossip like a gossiping house-elf about the moment Lucius Malfoy had been reduced to a toad.
For all his pride, Lucius Malfoy, a Death Eater, actually trusted Dumbledore more than most ordinary wizards did.
But the toad, lying motionless in its cage, didn’t see the flicker of amusement in Dumbledore’s eyes.
After all this time, and after so many observations, Dumbledore had sensed it—Wade was lying.
Still, he drew his wand and blinked slowly, feigning casualness. “Then let’s remove the magic. Let’s see what’s really going on.”
The toad stiffened instantly.
But Wade stood, smiling. “Professor, with you handling this, I can return to my studies in peace.”
“Don’t you want to know who he is?” Dumbledore asked again.
Wade bowed slightly. “Witnessing someone’s humiliation isn’t exactly fulfilling. Whoever he is, I hope the next time I see him, I won’t be reminded of a toad.”
He turned and left, closing the door behind him. Outside, the sound of the spinning staircase descending echoed through the corridors.
The toad looked up at the white beard swaying before the cage, then let out a soft, plaintive croak.
“Goo…”
Please. Just undo the spell already.
He didn’t want to be a toad for another second.
“Oh,” Dumbledore murmured, turning his gaze back. “I imagine you have quite a story to tell, unfortunate gentleman. I haven’t seen a Transfiguration of this caliber in years.”
He tapped the cage with his wand. The delicate metal cage instantly reshaped, transforming into a forked branch.
A second tap, and a golden ring—clinging to soil—fell from the toad’s body with a clatter onto the table.
A flash of golden light, and the toad began to swell, its limbs expanding like overinflated balloons, bulging in odd places. Tiny claws elongated into hands, grotesquely misshapen. Then the head burst outward—long, pale golden hair cascaded like a waterfall.
Dumbledore’s eyes widened with recognition.
The transformation was brief, but the image was unforgettable—Lucius Malfoy, once a proud and elegant man, now stood before him, gaunt and trembling, his once-pristine silk robes crumpled and clinging to his frame.
He staggered, barely able to keep his balance, hands braced on the table. Even Dumbledore, who harbored deep disdain for the man, felt a flicker of pity.
Without a word, he waved his wand. A tall stool shot forward and settled behind Lucius Malfoy, gently nudging him into a seated position.
Another tap on the table—his teapot floated up, pouring a steaming cup of hot chocolate. Then four or five plates appeared, piled high with the evening’s dinner: perfectly grilled steaks, fragrant mashed potatoes, warm buttered bread, and a steaming pie.
Lucius’s fingers clenched and unclenched. He wanted to maintain the Malfoy pride, to refuse such common fare. But before he could speak, his stomach growled—loudly.
When he’d been trapped as a toad, he’d forced himself to eat just enough to survive. He’d eaten without pleasure, only to avoid dying.
And now, after months of hibernation, he couldn’t even understand why he was still alive.
His pride crumbled beneath the weight of hunger. He picked up his fork with a touch of ancestral grace, but when he bit into the steak, it was clear—he was devouring it like he might swallow the fork whole.
Dumbledore waited silently until Lucius finished the last bite of mashed potatoes.
Then, slowly, he spoke.
“I think it’s time we talk, Lucius Malfoy. I suspect you’ve been through quite a lot lately. I imagine you have much to say.”
(End of Chapter)
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