Hogwarts.
Once they returned to Hogwarts and left Azkaban behind, Tom and the others finally breathed a sigh of relief.
Dumbledore's office was still as warm as spring. Thinking back on everything they had just seen and heard in Azkaban, it almost felt like a dream.
Wade thought they were exaggerating a little. Azkaban had felt rather cool and refreshing to him. What was so terrifying about it?
Other than the prisoners' screams being somewhat unsettling, there really had not been much else.
At that moment, Dumbledore and Grindelwald returned as well.
"I'll be heading back to the Ministry shortly to continue the investigation... but Tom, Wade, there's something I haven't had the chance to tell you yet," Grindelwald said.
"What is it?" Wade asked.
Tom was surprised as well.
This involves me too? I still don't even know exactly why you went to Azkaban.
Dumbledore looked at Grindelwald warily.
"Then sit down and rest for a moment first," Dumbledore said.
Once everyone was seated, Dumbledore brought out several cups of hot chocolate.
Tom and the others had just returned from Azkaban, so they really did need something warm to drink.
Wade noticed that this time, even Grindelwald had been given a cup.
"I told you before," Grindelwald began, "that I set a trap and captured that man..."
"Yes. I'm still curious about what kind of trap you used," Wade said.
"It was simple enough. Set out bait and wait for the target to come to you..." Grindelwald paused. "As for the bait, there's currently only one of its kind in all of Britain. Wade, didn't you hand some of your little inventions over to the Riddle family to sell as commercial products?"
Wade immediately understood.
Naturally, some of the products he had given the Riddle family contained potion ingredients. That was what made them effective enough to sell well.
However, Wade had been very precise with the quantities. After all, some herbs used in potions were considered magical ingredients by wizards, but to Muggles, they were simply highly effective medicinal herbs.
So the Ministry had no grounds to interfere with the Riddle family's business.
But that did not mean the Scourers, who hated the wizarding world, had failed to notice.
To the Scourers, the fact that the Riddle family were Muggles yet had somehow established ties with the magical world was naturally intolerable.
But the Riddle family itself was weak. Their security consisted only of armed Muggle guards, so one or two wizards would have been more than enough to deal with them.
That was why Grindelwald had managed to capture the Scourer while lying in wait.
Of course, the Riddle family had only been used as bait, and the other side had deliberately stepped into the trap. Even the wizard Grindelwald captured had merely been a scapegoat.
But that proved one thing beyond doubt.
The Riddle family had already attracted the Scourers' attention.
No matter what, they were now in danger.
"Looks like you've already figured it out," Grindelwald said. "In that case, I'll be going. If you need my help, just say the word."
He picked up his hot chocolate, drained it in one gulp, then left Hogwarts through the fireplace.
"What's going on? What did he mean? What does this have to do with my family?" Tom asked, beginning to panic.
Wade told him the information they had obtained in Azkaban that day.
After listening, Anne and André both turned to look at Tom.
Tom's face went pale, and he looked completely lost.
"Doesn't that mean Tom's family is in danger?" Anne asked hesitantly.
"From the looks of it, yes," André said. "We need to find a way to protect them immediately. My family still has some connections. I can ask them to hire a few trusted wizards to guard Riddle Manor."
"That still leaves room for something to go wrong," Anne said.
"Tom... have your family move into a safe house for the time being," Dumbledore said. "They can stay there until we've dealt with those people."
"But... but I don't know how they are right now. Grindelwald only told us this now. Maybe... maybe they've already..." Tom's thoughts were in complete turmoil.
He had only recently returned to that family, and strictly speaking, he was not particularly close to the people there yet.
But it was still his home now.
If something suddenly happened to them, Tom would not be able to accept it.
"Don't worry, Tom," Wade said. "If Grindelwald only told us now, that proves his people must still be watching the place. Besides, the chances of the Scourers attacking your family a second time are low. Doing that would be no different from delivering themselves straight into Grindelwald's hands. It wouldn't accomplish anything for them."
Tom relaxed slightly after hearing Wade's analysis.
"But we still can't leave them completely undefended," Wade continued. "So moving them into a safe house is probably best. I'll have Andrews go there as well and act as a liaison between your family and the outside world. That way, it'll be no different from them simply living somewhere else. Their other affairs shouldn't be affected much."
Strictly speaking, this situation could indeed be considered Wade's fault.
The attackers had been targeting him, and the business that had drawn attention to the Riddle family had also been provided by Wade.
He should have realised earlier that as the Riddle family's business continued expanding, they would eventually attract unwanted attention.
...
Grindelwald had not been lying when he said he would help.
Under the cover of the Alliance, the entire Riddle family disappeared from Riddle Manor without anyone noticing.
With Andrews handling matters outside, the Riddle family was barely affected. Even their family business continued running without interruption.
Grindelwald refused Wade's offer to assist with the investigation and even told him with complete righteousness that a student should focus on studying, while criminal investigations ought to be left to the Ministry's professionals.
If Dumbledore had not been standing nearby at the time, Wade might almost have believed his impeccably upright reasoning.
Although Grindelwald had declined Wade's help, given his decisive and forceful personality, the matter probably would not take long to resolve.
Things always had to settle down eventually.
Since Grindelwald was dissatisfied with the current outcome, unless the people behind everything intended to kill Grindelwald immediately...
Those powerful figures hiding in the shadows would have no choice but to offer up some more sincerity.
Because Tom's family had moved into the safe house, Tom Cat and Jerry found themselves somewhat uncomfortable there, so Wade had Toby bring them both to Hogwarts.
Cats and rats were both permitted pets at Hogwarts, after all, even if these two were a little unusual.
As for the potted plant covered in sharp teeth that Tom Cat carried around?
Small animals were allowed to have friends too. That was perfectly reasonable, wasn't it?
The flower was Tom Cat's. It had nothing to do with Wade.
Still, having all these little creatures living in the dormitory was indeed somewhat inconvenient.
Tom Cat and Jerry were not much of a problem, but Alduin could hardly spend all his time hiding in a cage pretending to be an owl.
So Wade once again brought out the suitcase he had borrowed from Newt.
Newt had already modified the case, giving it an enormous interior divided into many different natural habitats.
Wade had originally intended to keep magical creatures inside, but he had yet to actually put that plan into practice.
Now it could finally be put to use.
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Read 12 Advance Chapters—P@t- Captain69