"If I'm not mistaken, I'm dreaming right now, but this isn't my dream. This is truly remarkable magic. So, who are you? And why did you bring Wade and me into your dream?" Dumbledore asked calmly, his gaze fixed on Wade's senior.
She pulled Wade towards her. "I'm the one who taught him how to use ancient magic."
A look of surprise and uncertainty appeared on Dumbledore's face, though he had already formed a few suspicions.
He turned to Wade. "Are you real, or merely an illusion?"
"Professor, I came here the same way you did," Wade replied.
Dumbledore looked around the dream and said in understanding, "So you've known her for some time. I thought you had been brought here tonight just as I was. That makes sense. The magical traces left by your hallucinatory magic are somewhat similar to those here."
"Professor, when did you examine the magical traces of that spell?" Wade asked.
"On the battlefield," Dumbledore replied calmly. "Once you can read the magical traces left behind, reconstructing the battle isn't particularly difficult."
Wade blinked.
The most impressive displays were always the effortless ones.
"Very well..." Dumbledore pulled over a chair and sat down. "It seems I have another long story to hear tonight. And you, Wade, clearly have a great deal to explain as well."
Under Dumbledore's stern gaze, Wade sighed. It seemed he would have to spend quite some time explaining himself later.
"See? I told you to leave earlier, but you insisted on staying. Regretting it now?" his senior said coldly.
Only then did Wade understand why she had tried to send him away and warned that he would be tired the next morning.
"This concerns both of us. How could I simply ignore everything and leave you to handle it alone?" Wade shook his head.
"You dishonest little brat. You're glib, and what you think is clearly different from what you say," she replied unhappily... wait, was she pouting?
Wade spread his hands. "No, no. What I say and what I think may appear different on the surface, but the meaning is ultimately the same. I simply express it differently. If what I say makes you feel better, isn't that a good thing? That's the art of language."
While Wade spoke with his senior, Dumbledore remained silent and quietly observed them.
He was still cautious.
After all, who could say whether the Wade before him was truly real?
"Let's return to the matter at hand." His senior ignored Wade and looked at Dumbledore again.
"Very well." Dumbledore picked up his cup and took a sip of tea.
His eyebrows rose slightly.
"This tea has a remarkably complex flavour."
Dumbledore was not particularly fond of tea, but he had tasted excellent tea before. He had never encountered anything with such a varied flavour.
It seemed to change constantly.
One moment it tasted of milk, the next of black tea, and then of Butterbeer.
"The tea isn't real, so its flavour changes according to my thoughts. These are also flavours from my memories," his senior said softly.
"Flavours from your memories..." Dumbledore heard the trace of sorrow in those words. "Then tell me your story."
She began recounting everything that had happened to her.
When Dumbledore learned that the young woman before him was actually the legendary transfer student who was five or six years older than he was, his expression became extraordinarily complicated.
A long time passed. Wade had already finished two pots of tea by the time she completed her story.
"That explains everything. I found it strange from the beginning. Wade is extremely talented, but even so, the speed at which he mastered ancient magic was almost absurd. Now I understand. You were teaching him," Dumbledore said in realisation.
After learning about her circumstances, many things that had once puzzled Dumbledore suddenly made sense.
And when he heard about the choices Wade had made, he was once again relieved that the boy had not allowed easily obtained power to cloud his judgement.
"So your plan is for Wade to strengthen his ancient magic, then act as a vessel to absorb the 'remnants' inside your body and free you?" Dumbledore asked with a frown.
"Yes!" she replied urgently. "I wouldn't dare ask this of anyone else because the temptation of those remnants is too great. But you've seen Wade. He's different. He desires power as well, but he possesses exceptional self-control. Even after absorbing the remnants, he won't become obsessed with them as I did. He also has a talent for ancient magic, so if I'm to escape, he is the best possible choice. Besides, freeing me will bring him enormous benefits as well."
"Is there no other way?" Dumbledore asked. "This is still far too dangerous. We don't know whether Wade can withstand it. What if he ends up like you?"
"He won't. Wade and I will share the burden of those remnants, so he won't reach the same state I did. Besides, Wade's body will only serve as a temporary vessel. We've already developed several new containers. He'll only need to extract the remnants from his body gradually, place them into those containers, purify them, and then use them. That way, they won't harm him at all."
"Could you create a container capable of transferring the remnants directly from your body?" Dumbledore asked. "Then Wade wouldn't need to take the risk."
Dumbledore's main concern was still Wade's safety.
The senior's situation was certainly pitiable, but at least her life was not currently in danger.
If the plan failed, two people could die.
"That won't work. Only someone with a talent for ancient magic can absorb at least half of the remnants inside me all at once. And only by absorbing that much in a single attempt can I be freed. The stronger his ancient magic becomes, the more he will be able to endure. So..."
"I understand what you mean," Dumbledore said with a frown. "But it is too dangerous for him to leave the school now. Many people outside have set their sights on him. Yesterday's attack on the Hogwarts Express is proof enough of their determination."
"As long as I remain at school, no one will know I've left," Wade suddenly said.
It sounded like nonsense, but Dumbledore understood immediately.
Wade intended to use the magic that could influence people's senses.
Dumbledore did not want Wade to take such a risk. However, he still believed Wade's wishes should be respected. And knowing Wade's personality, once the boy had made up his mind, objecting would accomplish nothing.
"Can you truly do it?" Dumbledore sighed. "This won't be easy."
There were more than a thousand people at Hogwarts. How could Wade deceive every one of them?
Wade smiled. "At my current level, I may not be able to fool you or Headmaster Dippet, but I'm confident I can deceive everyone else."
"I can find a reason to persuade Headmaster Dippet. But are you certain? This magic sounds as though it would require an enormous amount of magical power," Dumbledore said.
"It isn't that complicated," his senior said. "Creating a lifelike illusion that lives alongside everyone without being exposed would indeed be extremely difficult and consume a vast amount of magic. But we don't need anything so elaborate. We only need to plant a subconscious misconception in everyone, making them believe that Wade has been beside them and at school the entire time. That would require far less magic."
Wade snapped his fingers. "Exactly. They'll continue to feel as though I'm nearby, while the subconscious urge to interact with me will temporarily disappear. That way, no one will realise I'm gone. Even if those people try to investigate my situation at school, everyone will tell them that I've remained at Hogwarts the entire time. Besides, I'll be back soon, so the spell won't need to last very long."
"So this is nightmare magic? Remarkable..." Even a wizard like Dumbledore was deeply astonished after learning how it worked. "But how will you cast it on everyone? You can't possibly approach each person individually."
"I only need everyone to appear before me." Wade smiled. "Although those wizards yesterday came because of me, I still defeated them. Wouldn't that count as a great contribution?"
"Of course it would. Oh... I understand." Dumbledore considered it for a moment. "At tomorrow evening's feast, I'll award you another Special Award for Services to the School and have you come forward to accept it and give a speech. Everyone will be present."
Once the entire school was gathered, Wade could use the award ceremony as an opportunity to cast the spell on them all.
Then no one would know he had left Hogwarts.
Dumbledore even briefly considered maintaining the spell indefinitely and keeping Wade in the safe house, which would ensure his safety far more effectively.
But he quickly dismissed the idea. He knew Wade was not the sort of person who would tolerate hiding forever.
Dumbledore also knew that if nightmare magic had been capable of deceiving him, Wade would never have told him any of this. The boy would simply have acted on his own.
"However, there's one more thing I need your help with," Wade said.
"What is it?" Dumbledore asked.
"While I'm away from school, could you make sure Grindelwald doesn't appear at Hogwarts?" Wade asked.
Grindelwald was a wizard on the same level as Dumbledore, and Wade's nightmare magic would not fool him either. To avoid complications, it would be best if the old man stayed away from the school for the time being.
"Leave that to me. He has plenty to keep him occupied lately," Dumbledore said confidently.
"Then there's nothing else to worry about." Wade nodded.
"Can you manage it alone? Do you need my help?" his senior asked.
"I should be able to handle it. When the time comes, I'll let everyone experience my Kyōka Suigetsu... cough cough, I mean my nightmare magic."
____
[]~(￣▽￣)~*
Read 12 Advance Chapters—P@t- Captain69