Crack! Crack! Crack!
More than a dozen dark figures Apparated in front of Wade and Slytherin.
Wade gripped the Elder Wand and silently observed the masked figures before him. All of them wore identical black skull masks, while his magic was already poised to strike.
However, the expected attack never came.
The wizard in front walked forwards and tossed over a stack of parchment.
The papers did not scatter. They floated gently through the air and landed neatly on the flying carpet.
"Who are you?" Wade asked in confusion.
The wizard said nothing. He merely raised his head, revealing a brief flash of red around his neck.
Then the dozen dark figures Apparated away again.
"Who were those people?" Slytherin asked, completely baffled by the group that had arrived and vanished so quickly.
Wade sighed and picked up the stack of parchment.
"It seems we won't be returning quite so soon after all."
Slytherin looked over and saw that the parchment contained yet another map.
"Oh... new locations." He looked up at Wade. "Well, boy, it seems that senior of yours isn't exactly peaceful either. Without anyone noticing, she's gathered quite a few subordinates, and they can even track our movements precisely."
Wade smiled. "That's hardly surprising, old man. I figured it out long ago. Where do you think the first set of maps came from?"
Someone capable of enslaving an entire group of goblins at her secret base could hardly have avoided recruiting wizards to serve her as well.
"Hah. You should still be careful. Don't let her sell you off while you're busy helping her count the Galleons."
...
Hogwarts.
Tom arrived outside Dumbledore's office looking exhausted.
"Ah... a lost young wizard? Oh! It's Lord Wade's little brother, Tom! You seem terribly troubled. Have you come to ask the great and esteemed Professor Dumbledore to solve your problems? Then you've come to the right place! Professor Dumbledore is one of the finest professors in Hogwarts history! One day, he'll even become Headmaster..."
The Lantern, hanging around the neck of a suit of armour, shouted loudly.
Tom stared speechlessly at the one-eyed lantern spouting nonsense.
Only someone as bored as Wade would create something so pointless.
And he had even given it to Dumbledore, who had actually placed it outside his office and seemed to like it.
"Jack, don't talk nonsense. Tom, come in," Dumbledore's voice called from inside the office.
Tom suddenly understood why Dumbledore kept the thing outside.
There was no need to knock. After the lantern shouted a few sentences, Dumbledore already knew who had arrived.
Tom opened the door and saw Dumbledore sitting behind his desk, busy with his work.
"You call that thing Jack?" Tom asked with distaste.
Dumbledore set down his quill and removed the half-moon spectacles from the bridge of his nose.
"Yes, yes. He rather likes the name. Sit down, Tom."
A faint smile appeared on Dumbledore's face.
Tom pulled over a chair and sat down.
"Tea, or..."
"No tea!" Tom said.
He didn't like tea, but that bastard Wade loved it and often "encouraged" him to drink it.
Which meant Tom had no choice but to drink it often, since he couldn't beat him.
"I see. Then how about a glass of honeyed pumpkin juice?" Dumbledore tapped the desk with one long finger.
The next moment, a large glass filled to the brim with honeyed pumpkin juice appeared in front of Tom.
Only after watching Tom take a sip did Dumbledore ask, "Tom, you seem troubled."
"I feel like something's been wrong with me lately," Tom said with a frown.
"Oh?" Dumbledore raised an eyebrow slightly. "Are you feeling unwell? Perhaps you should visit the hospital wing."
"No. It isn't a physical problem. I know it isn't." Tom frowned. "It's a strange feeling. I keep thinking I've forgotten something."
Dumbledore folded his hands on the desk.
"Perhaps you've been under too much pressure lately. Third-year classes are more demanding than before, especially with the additional elective subjects."
"That's not it. Professor, you know me. These classes aren't difficult for me." Tom struggled to describe the strange feeling in his heart. "I just... keep feeling as though I forget something every day. Whatever it is seems important, but forgetting it hasn't caused me any problems at all. That's what makes it so strange. If it were truly important, forgetting it should have had some effect."
Dumbledore quietly studied Tom's troubled expression, a trace of surprise appearing in his blue eyes.
"So you believe something is wrong with you?"
"Yes. I feel like something's wrong. Constantly feeling as though I've forgotten something is driving me mad." Tom pressed his lips together, his face full of frustration. "After thinking it over, I decided I could only ask you or Wade."
At the mention of Wade, a thought suddenly occurred to Tom.
Right. Wade.
When he returned, he could ask him as well. Wade knew plenty of strange things.
Dumbledore said calmly, "Your description is rather vague. It's difficult for me to determine what has happened to you."
"Professor, I suspect I may have been cursed," Tom said hesitantly.
He now wondered whether he had accidentally triggered some unusual curse when he once sneaked into the Restricted Section.
"Then let me examine you."
Dumbledore stood, drew the Elder Wand, walked over to Tom, and lightly touched the tip to his forehead.
Of course, Dumbledore knew perfectly well why Tom felt this way. The examination was merely for show, while he considered how to invent a convincing explanation and send Tom away for the time being.
However, the moment the Elder Wand touched Tom's forehead, Dumbledore sensed an unusual magical force lingering around his mind.
Could this be Wade's nightmare magic?
He noticed that the magic was constantly stimulating Tom's brain.
Perhaps this was how nightmare magic influenced the subconscious.
Dumbledore withdrew his wand and returned to his seat.
"Well, Professor? Am I under some kind of curse?"
"No, Tom. You're perfectly healthy. I believe the affairs of the Mutual Aid Society have placed you under considerable pressure. You're also extremely diligent. Diligence is a good thing, but you must balance work with rest. If you never allow yourself to relax, your nerves will remain constantly strained. That can leave you exhausted and even produce unpleasant sensations," Dumbledore explained.
"Is that so?" Tom frowned thoughtfully.
He was somewhat persuaded.
After Wade's display of strength at the beginning of term, Tom had indeed begun working even harder than before.
Ten minutes later, Tom left Dumbledore's office.
"Fine. I'll go back and rest. Perhaps Professor Dumbledore is right. I should slow down for a while before pushing myself again," Tom muttered with his head lowered.
Just as he was about to leave, the lantern hanging from the armour beside him spoke.
"Hah! Brother Tom! Aren't you usually with Lord Wade? Why isn't Lord Wade with you this time?"
"That's because we chose different subjects..."
Tom suddenly stopped.
Then he hurriedly rummaged through his schoolbag for quite some time before pulling out a course selection form.
A completely blank course selection form.
____
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Read 12 Advance Chapters—P@t- Captain69