Chương 81: 81
Chapter 81: Secret Passage
[Wade: Dad, if you find him trustworthy during the interview, please inform him—I'll meet him at the Three Broomsticks in Hogsmeade village this Saturday morning.]
[Ferdinand: Can you get away from school?]
[Wade: I have a method.]
[Ferdinand: Is it safe?]
[Wade: Don't worry, Hogsmeade is always under Dumbledore's watchful eye.]
...
Between the pages of the book lay a moving magical photograph—the loving gaze of parents and the joyful smile of a child, forever captured by the camera.
Ferdinand stared for a long moment before closing the friendship account. Though the words vanished from the parchment, they etched themselves into his memory.
Parting ways at the station, father and son lightly brushed against the veil of "calm before the storm." From then on, Wade began to record in the friendship account truths that had been concealed from them.
For instance, Slytherin still advocated pure-blood supremacy and often clashed with Gryffindor. For another, Wade planned to practice more advanced spells with a few classmates to prepare for the future.
Wade had also sought Ferdinand's help, placing a recruitment ad in the Daily Prophet. The replies were to be sent to a guest room in the Leaky Cauldron—Ferdinand had reserved the room for a month and visited daily after work to review the applications. Tom, the bar owner, appeared stern but was actually warm-hearted, assisting Ferdinand in organizing the numerous applications received each day.
The ad outlined stringent conditions but offered only average pay. Yet, letters poured in from every direction. Wade had specifically warned Ferdinand that some wizards might include curses or harmful potions, advising him not to open the letters himself.
Not that Ferdinand needed reminding—he himself was wary of magic. He had even paid Tom to ensure the safety of the letters. Ferdinand believed that running a bar on a bustling street like Diagon Alley and maintaining it securely despite its dismal hygiene standards attested to Tom's considerable magical prowess.
Among the letters, some included Hogwarts grades, pleading for higher pay; others boasted of their abilities without credible proof beyond their own words.
But none of it mattered. From the outset, Ferdinand knew the advertisement was meant for one person—Wade had heard a wizard's name somewhere and insisted on hiring only that individual. No matter how impressive other applicants seemed on paper, none could compete.
And now, that person had finally arrived.
Ferdinand was here to oversee it for his son. If this Remus Lupin turned out to be a facade or had questionable integrity, Ferdinand would not allow him to stay near Wade under any circumstances.
"Knock, knock, knock!"
A knock at the guest room door was followed by Tom's voice from outside. "Mr. Gray, Mr. Lupin has arrived at the bar."
"Very well, I'll come out immediately." Ferdinand took a deep breath, adjusted his collar, and stepped out.
On the ground floor of the bar, Ferdinand followed Boss Tom's lead and spotted the man—a mixture of brown and gray hair adorned his head, his well-worn wizard robes patched in places. Despite his youthful appearance, his weary face gave him the air of a middle-aged man, jobless and desperate, holding a sign at Canary Wharf.
Ferdinand frowned.
A wizard who struggled to make ends meet—this was Ferdinand's initial impression of Remus Lupin.
According to Ferdinand's knowledge of magic, wizards generally found it easier to earn a living than Muggles—how dire must his circumstances be for him to not afford new clothes?
Or perhaps... did he believe that appearing slightly ragged would garner sympathy from his potential employer?
But this was the person Wade had been seeking.
Resolute, Ferdinand approached him.
The wizard noticed his approach and looked up attentively. Despite his fatigue, his eyes exuded calmness and wisdom. His quick, covert wand movements betrayed a keen alertness.
Suddenly, Ferdinand understood—this was indeed the man Wade had been waiting for.
...
"Hey, something's odd."
Padma muttered, flipping through the newspaper during breakfast.
"What's odd?" Michael, munching on a pie, asked absentmindedly.
"A recruitment ad I saw every day seems to have vanished," Padma said, tilting her head, scanning the newspaper as if searching for the missing ad.
"We've hired someone!" Michael said nonchalantly.
"Impossible!" Padma responded doubtfully. "We discussed it in the dormitory too. Ten Galleons per week—logically, we shouldn't be able to attract wizards of that caliber—"
Wade remained silent, finishing his breakfast quietly.
After classes, Wade ascended the stairs alone. The moving staircase carried him to the fifth floor, where, after a brief search, he found the person mentioned by Marchioni in the letter—a tall mirror.
Wade tapped the mirror with his wand, whispering, "mostrar la verdad"!
The mirror swung open, revealing a dark passage behind it. Wade illuminated it with a Lumos spell, stepping inside, only to be met with a surprising sight.
The passageway was only a few steps deep. Beyond lay a collapsed tunnel filled with rubble, bricks, and soil. Dark magic traces adorned the walls, evidence of a powerful explosive spell that had destroyed the secret passage.
Wade exited quietly, restoring the mirror, and retrieved the Book of Friends.
[Wade: The passage has collapsed.]
[Marchioni: What? I used it just before leaving school! Doesn't the castle's magic prevent such collapses?]
[Marchioni: Never mind, I know another secret passage behind Paracelsus' portrait on the sixth floor. Easy to find. He wears a furry red hat and is chubby. He loves a good chat, especially about alchemy or divination—he'll spill anything...]
Wade sighed inwardly.
Marchioni's student life must have been quite colorful.
He climbed the stairs and easily found the portrait of a bored-looking man, fingers crossed. Wade was about to address him when he felt an unseen gaze upon him. Turning, he spotted Mrs. Norris squatting nearby, lazily licking her paws, casting a sidelong glance at him.
Mrs. Norris was Filch's pet cat, aged and thin, her fur lackluster but her senses keen. Upon catching a rule-breaking student, she would hurry off to fetch Filch, ensuring the offender faced punishment—much like her master, she was despised by most students.
Man and cat locked eyes.
Walking the school corridors in broad daylight posed no rule violation. However, reopening the secret passage would inevitably attract Filch's attention.
More critically, Filch likely knew of this secret passage's existence, rendering it unsafe for further use.
Wade decided to depart.
"Hey, Wade!" Fred and George appeared out of nowhere, greeting him enthusiastically and whisking him away.
Slapping an arm around Wade's shoulders, Fred whispered conspiratorially, "Are you searching for the castle's secret passages?"
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