Chapter 1028
Shocking News
Chapter 1028 Shocking News
Harry paced back and forth in the Great Hall's foyer, watching his classmates leave one after another, chatting and laughing, having just finished their meal.
With only two days left until the Christmas holiday, even fifth-grade students are finally able to relax and are filled with the joy of the holiday.
But Harry felt heavy-hearted and couldn't help pacing back and forth while waiting.
In the portrait hanging on the wall, a woman wearing an ornate headdress noticed him and exclaimed, "Oh, look at this gloomy-faced little fool! I bet he's heartbroken!"
In another portrait, the red-haired wizard leans against the frame with a grin, saying, "Come on, Cassandra. In my experience, he's definitely gotten himself into a terrible mess and is waiting to get a beating! Isn't that right, Potter brat?"
Harry wasn't interested in paying attention to them, so he pretended not to hear them and tried to ignore the stares of the passing students.
Suddenly, Harry spotted Wade walking out of the Great Hall and quickly went over, calling out, "Wade!"
Wade stopped and looked over.
But at this point, Harry didn't know where to begin, nor did he feel that the foyer was a suitable place to talk.
Wade noticed his unease and offered, "The weather's nice, shall we go for a walk by the lake?"
Harry nodded immediately: "Okay."
They descended the steps, crossed the snow-covered meadow, and headed towards Black Lake.
The lake was covered with a thick layer of ice, which shimmered white in the sunlight. Even the withered grass on the shore was covered with frost and thin ice, which crunched underfoot.
Vader drew his wand and casually waved it. Several warm flames appeared out of thin air, hovering around them and quietly radiating heat.
Harry stared at the effortless magic for a moment, momentarily lost in thought.
From first grade to fifth grade, magic was no longer as difficult for him as it had been at the beginning. He could clearly perceive his progress and changes, and sometimes his performance even surprised Sirius.
But compared to Wade...
Harry couldn't even tell how big the gap was between them.
With that thought in mind, Harry no longer cared about how to start the conversation—no matter how tactful he was, Wade was smart enough to understand his true meaning.
So Harry took a deep breath and decided to confess: "I'm sorry, Wade. That day... the day you started classes... I saw you go to the infirmary that night, so I followed you... I didn't mean to eavesdrop, it's just..."
"You're just worried I'm injured, so you want to know what happened?" Wade asked.
Harry looked at Wade in surprise and blurted out, "Neville told you everything?"
“No, he didn’t say. I just saw it when I went out.” Wade laughed. “You’ve grown taller, Harry—taller than a statue.”
His gaze shifted upwards, and Harry subconsciously touched his hair before realizing what was happening.
"So that's how it is..."
The most difficult part was brought up, especially since Wade didn't seem angry or nervous. Harry relaxed a bit, and the questions that had been on his mind naturally came out:
“I also saw a baby in the medical wing… Is he the Auror office director mentioned in the newspaper?” “Yes.”
Wade did not deny it: "Ezra Hughes was tricked by time magic, and his condition is very complicated. Currently, only Hogwarts has experience in successfully curing him, so Mr. Hawthorne, the former president of the Magical Congress of the United States, sent him here."
"They are not like the fabricated speculations in the reports; they are actually brave and upright people. Professor Dumbledore and Mrs. Pomfrey have agreed to help with the treatment, so Mr. Hughes will have to stay here for a while until he is fully recovered."
"As for me..."
Wade paused, then continued, "As you know, I've been affected by time magic before. Although the situation is different, there are some things I can help with during the treatment process, and I can provide some... references."
After hearing this reasonable explanation, Harry felt much relieved and even felt a little ashamed of his previous suspicions.
As if trying to make amends, he said urgently, "Me too! I was shrunk by that golden kettle before! Is there anything I can do?"
Wade shook his head and said, "Your situation is different, Harry. You were turned back directly by that water bottle without any side effects; it was all thanks to Lady Luck. Ezra Hughes's situation is much more complicated, and the same method cannot be used."
Upon hearing this, Harry was somewhat disappointed, but mostly relieved.
The reason why Wade was involved without knowing it was not because Dumbledore treated him differently, but simply because their circumstances were different.
The two walked along the lake for a while, chatting about exam preparation, holiday plans, and so on. The atmosphere was much more relaxed than before, and Harry even had a smile on his face.
Just as they were about to return to the castle, they suddenly saw several figures rushing toward the castle at an astonishing speed in the direction of the Quidditch pitch in the distance. Each of them had a head of fiery red hair, like several clusters of flames leaping forward on the snow.
Fred and George were running in the lead. Their long legs moved incredibly fast, their faces were tense, and there was none of their usual playfulness. In the blink of an eye, they ran past the two men.
Following closely behind was Ginny, the girl pale-faced, silently following her twin brother in front of her, not even noticing Harry not far away by the roadside.
Finally, there was Ron, with his long arms and legs. He looked like he had rolled on the ground, his robes covered in mud and weeds, and one of his legs was a little unsteady. He stumbled and fell to the back.
A sudden sense of foreboding washed over Harry. He rushed over and grabbed Ron's arm, asking loudly, "What's wrong, Ron?"
Ron looked at Harry, his eyes wide, and grabbed his friend's wrist with a look of terror on his face, saying:
"Professor McGonagall came to the stadium and said... she said that I and my father were seriously injured at the Ministry of Magic... in critical condition... and had been taken to St. Mungo's..."
Ron's expression went blank, and he said as if in a daze, "What... what does 'life-threatening' mean? Why is this happening? He texted me last night saying he would give me a great birthday present..."
He suddenly raised his hand and wiped his face, as if he had been startled awake from a dream. Without saying another word, he turned around and ran towards the castle with all his might, his back view showing panic and helplessness.
Harry stood frozen in place, a chill running through his body.
Mr. Weasley…that kind, upright…Mr. Weasley who was full of curiosity about Muggle life, like a child…“dying”?
He dared not think too much; his body had already instinctively followed the figure in front of him.
Just then, a silver phoenix suddenly flew in front of Wade. The phoenix opened its beak and emitted Dumbledore's slightly tense voice:
“Wade, if it’s convenient for you, please come to my office.”
(End of this chapter)