Chapter 1034
Long Talk 4
Chapter 1034 Long Talk 4
Vader's thoughts raced through his mind, and for some reason, he suddenly had the illusion that he and Machione were deeply sinful.
He coughed softly, took a sip of hot cocoa, and steered the conversation back to the main point:
"Leike's cooperation with the fairies is probably due to their enormous wealth, powerful magic, and racial unity, all of which can provide him with great assistance."
"At the same time, the fairies will not stop him because his actions will harm the magical world; they will only applaud him."
"And what do the fairies want by cooperating with Rex?"
After a moment's thought, Wade guessed, "To achieve some kind of...revenge, or revival for the fairies?"
Dumbledore touched the tips of his fingers together and sighed:
“That’s exactly what I was worried about. Amanda is probably not an ordinary goblin radical. The fact that she can form an alliance with someone like Rick means that her ambition and vision are extraordinary. What she wants is not just a typical demand for power.”
"Especially—"
Dumbledore paused, his voice carrying a heavy, impending tension.
"Voldemort has most likely joined forces with them."
Wade's eyes shifted slightly as he continued, "That golden jug... it was controlled by two Muggles. And behind the Muggles, the one who orchestrated all of this, might just be Sophie Raik."
Dumbledore nodded, his eyes showing approval.
The feeling of being able to immediately understand and comprehend a word simply by uttering it is truly wonderful, eliminating all the tedious explanations and leaving only the crisp resonance of ideas colliding.
Wade continued, "Voldemort's pursuit of immortality and power is endless, and Rake's theories and time magic are fatally tempting to him."
Dumbledore said softly, "And Rake, he needs resources, he needs experiments, and he needs great power to deal with any resistance that may arise."
"Whether the fairy Amanda wanted to use the wizards or was seduced and used by people like Rick, her goal was to weaken the wizarding society."
"When these three forces combine, they will form a relatively stable alliance. When they think they are ready... Vader, then we will face not just a war, but a crisis that could shake the common foundation of magic and the Muggle world."
As Dumbledore finished speaking, the air in the room seemed to grow heavier.
The firelight reflected off his glasses, the tinkling of the silverware slowed, the portraits on the wall fell silent, and even the feigned snoring disappeared.
Wade sat in his chair, his gaze slightly lowered. He looked at the patterns on the table, but in his mind he was sketching out a picture of various forces intertwined.
After a full minute, Wade raised his eyes but didn't say anything. Instead, he picked up his hot cocoa and took a large gulp.
The delicate sweetness and slightly bitter taste slid down the throat, seemingly improving one's mood.
“Professor,” Wade said, “you should eat something too! Even if you’re thinking about how to save the world, you can’t neglect your health. These were all carefully prepared by the house-elves; they’d be heartbroken if they were sent back untouched.”
After he finished speaking, he picked up the plate of pudding first, scooped up a piece and put it in his mouth.
The pudding has an extremely delicate texture, with a rich milky and fruity aroma, and just the right amount of sweetness, which is exactly the flavor that Wade likes the most.
Wade nodded slightly, acknowledging McGee's skill.
Across the table, Dumbledore was visibly taken aback by this sudden, unexpected, and considerate gesture, before his serious expression softened into a more complex and warm one.
“You’re right, Wade… I do feel a bit hungry.”
Dumbledore's deep-set features softened slightly. He picked up the adorable gingerbread snake in front of him and crunched it into his mouth. Then he picked up the mead, took a sip—the kind of cloyingly sweet flavor he preferred—which made the headmaster squint his eyes contentedly.
For a moment, only the faint sounds of chewing and the light clinking of cups, saucers, and teaspoons filled the office. The atmosphere seemed to have instantly shifted from a crisis concerning the survival of the world to dinner time by the fireplace.
The portraits on the wall stared at each other. Phineas was about to say something when Delis glared at him sternly, forcing him to shut his mouth.
After Wade finished his pudding and hot cocoa, two steaming cups of black tea quietly appeared on the table.
He took two sips and felt the sweetness on his tongue being neutralized and diluted by the tea, eventually turning into a gentle tranquility.
Along with it, the last trace of restlessness in Wade's heart was also swept away.
He looked at Dumbledore, patiently waiting for the other to put down his cup, before saying, "I'll go."
Dumbledore's gaze had been lingering on the sugar box when he heard this, and he froze, his expression momentarily frozen as if time had stood still.
He looked at Wade, his gaze softening for a moment. He opened his mouth, as if to say something. But the old man's Adam's apple bobbed, and for some reason, no sound came out.
He wanted to drink some tea to soothe his throat, which felt stuck in the syrup, but his movements were a beat slower than usual.
Wade looked at him and said again, "This holiday, after I go home to see my parents, I'll go to Cape Adam."
"If the rift in the world is there, then Rick and Amanda will be there, and even Voldemort... That place is the center of conflict, and the only place where the crisis can be resolved."
"I have a puppet; I won't personally go into danger. Only if necessary..."
Before Wade could finish speaking, Dumbledore raised his hand and said, "Wait, Wade, wait a minute..."
The principal instinctively wanted to give his usual reassuring smile, but his lips only lifted halfway before trembling slightly and falling back down.
He picked up the cup, but didn't drink. Instead, he repeatedly rubbed the warm rim of the cup with his thumb, his gaze fixed on the rising steam.
After a long silence, Dumbledore spoke softly in a voice that was hoarser than usual: "Wade, your determination and your assessment of the situation make me feel... very gratified."
"But this time, you don't need to take the risk yourself."
Dumbledore lowered his head to take a sip of water, and when he looked up again, his expression finally appeared more composed.
"I plan to go to Cape Adam myself."
"As for the situation in Britain... it might be a bit too early to say... but there are some things I can only entrust to you for now."
A look of surprise flashed in Wade's eyes.
"Of course, I will also remind Kingsley and McGonagall."
Dumbledore continued, "But Kingsley has a heavy workload at the Ministry of Magic and it's difficult for him to be involved in everything, especially not enough to devote much of his energy to Hogwarts."
"As for Minerva... she's equally busy. Most importantly, she has to take care of the entire school's students, which makes her less responsive to crises."
“And Wade, you have the ability, you know the inside story, and you have unique resources to mobilize... You know what I'm worried about, and when problems arise, I believe you also have the ability to make the right judgments.”
(End of this chapter)