Chapter 667
Within Sight, Beyond the Line of View
Chapter 667 Within Sight, Beyond the Line of View
The letters, all at the same angle, emerge smoothly one by one on the parchment, like waves of wheat swaying in the wind.
[Antoine: There's something fishy about Barty Crouch Sr. too. His subordinates say Crouch recently took a long leave of absence and only just returned to the Ministry of Magic.]
"You took a long leave?"
Wade murmured to himself, somewhat concerned.
[Wade: After he came back, was there anything unusual about him? For example, did he become very haggard?]
[Antoine: No, but I've heard he's become a different person, lacking enthusiasm for his work, even appearing distracted at the Wiesengamo meeting. During his trial last Monday, he even mispronounced the suspect's name.]
[Antoine: This kind of mistake wouldn't be a problem for Fudge, but when Crouch mispronounced a name, everyone was reportedly extremely surprised.]
[Antoine: Some say Crouch has recently become disheartened by something and is considering retirement... What do you think? Is this information helpful to you?]
Sunlight streamed through the window, casting dappled shadows on Wade's face.
He stood in the corridor, silent for a long time, before replying: "Very helpful, thank you, Antoine."
The pen scratched across the parchment, and Vader's mind flashed through the names of several people he had recently met—
Blurry figures on the shore of Black Lake;
Dumbledore appeared mysteriously;
Professor Morrie's smile was as warm and friendly as ever.
There's also Flitwick, standing on a chair waving his wand while setting up the stands; McGonagall, frowning and serious; Moody, always with a suspicious expression; and Snape, with his cold and mean eyes.
A jumble of figures flickered in his mind as he slowly descended the stairs, countless thoughts surfacing only to be suppressed by himself.
Suddenly, a voice came from the shadows.
"Hey, what's with that funeral-like expression on your face?"
Wade looked up and saw Draco Malfoy leaning against the railing at the end of the stairs, his pale golden hair gleaming softly, his uniform school uniform looking quite sophisticated, and a half-smile on his face.
His previous anxious and fearful demeanor seemed to have completely vanished, and he had reverted to the arrogant and obnoxious "Young Master Malfoy," a mocking smile on his pale face.
Wade raised his eyelids slightly: "I'm just thinking."
"What?" Draco Malfoy raised an exaggerated eyebrow: "Even the invincible warrior has problems he can't solve?"
He tapped on the railing and asked casually, "I wonder if I would have the honor of listening?"
Wade pondered for a moment.
Malfoy was influenced by Slytherin thought from birth, and his ideas were different from those of ordinary people, which might provide him with some insights.
Wade walked down the stairs, turned around and asked, "If there's a wolf disguised as a sheep in the sheepfold, how do you find it?"
Malfoy was taken aback for a moment, then let out a sneer: "What a stupid question! Why would a wolf disguise itself as a sheep?"
"Perhaps it wants to eat a special lamb, but doesn't want to be discovered by the shepherd."
Wade said slowly, "If you find out, you'll be killed."
Malfoy paused again, suddenly realizing that although the story Wade was telling was absurd, his attitude was very serious.
He thought for a moment and asked, "Even a shepherd can't tell which one is the wolf?"
Wade nodded: "It's disguised too well."
"How do you know there's a wolf hiding in the sheepfold?" Malfoy asked again.
A hint of approval flashed in Wade's eyes as he said, "Perhaps it's because... gnawed bones and bloody hides were found in the sheepfold?"
Malfoy's lips froze, a look of surprise flashing across his pale face. He glanced around instinctively, then forced a fake smile onto his face.
“Okay, you scared me, Gray… This kind of joking doesn’t make any sense.”
Wade watched him silently, noticing Malfoy's smile growing increasingly stiff, gradually revealing the panic hidden deep within. "Never mind," Wade said, stepping forward. "Just take it as a joke."
As the two passed each other, Malfoy suddenly took half a step back, clearing the way for the stairwell.
He watched Wade walk past him and suddenly said, "I once asked my dad why the house-elves seem to disappear when I'm not looking... They were right next to me just now, and they cleaned up the toys I messed up."
Wade turned around and looked at Malfoy, whose face held a hint of reminiscence.
"My dad said..."
Malfoy reached out and tapped on a statue near the stairs, saying, "The reason we didn't find them isn't because they hid themselves, but because these things are like decorations in the corner; they're within sight, yet out of view."
He raised his chin, turned to the side, and asked, "Did you see this statue when you went downstairs just now?"
Wade's gaze suddenly froze, then moved to the statue that was over a meter tall. The hairs on the back of his neck suddenly stood on end, as if countless tiny ice needles were piercing his skin, and his temples throbbed.
He naturally knew there was a statue here.
But it was only at this moment that he seemed to realize that it was a statue of Baba Yaga (a legendary evil witch who ate children), and the base of the statue was a small wooden house supported by a chicken's foot.
He saw it just now, but he didn't "see" it.
So that's how it is... So that's how it is...
Vader turned and left, his steps hurried, his robes billowing behind him, disappearing around the corner of the corridor like a gust of wind.
Draco stood there, staring at his departing figure, a mocking smile habitually tugging at the corner of his mouth.
"Hmph, Ravenclaw!" he drawled, "No basic manners at all, just as expected..."
His words suddenly caught in his throat, and the muscles in his cheeks twitched slightly.
He used to say "muddy seed" so often, but now it felt like it would burn his tongue, and he swallowed it hastily.
……
It had just rained near the castle, and the damp air was filled with the scent of earth and fallen leaves, while the hooting of owls could be heard in the distance.
As Vader hurried across the lawn and around a pile of stones, he suddenly heard a rustling sound coming from the bushes not far away.
He turned his head alertly and saw a huge black dog emerge halfway out of the shadows, look around, and then transform into an exceptionally handsome man.
"—Sirius?" Wade asked in surprise, "What are you doing here?"
“I’ve been secretly protecting Harry, and Dumbledore knows that. He allowed me to enter and leave the school undetected.” Sirius asked, “But you, where are you going so late?”
“I need to speak with Hagrid,” Wade said vaguely.
"Wait, I'll go with you."
Sirius Black picked up his wand and tapped it on his head; his figure vanished into thin air from above.
Wade raised an eyebrow and asked, "Are you still worried about my safety at school?"
"I should conjure up a mirror so you can see your expression right now," Sirius's voice came from the air. "You don't seem like you have something to ask Hagrid; you look more like you're going to kill him to cover your tracks."
"How can it be so exaggerated?"
Wade muttered, rubbing his face a few times. When he looked up again, he heard Sirius's voice, tinged with laughter, say, "Hmm... you're starting to look like a fourteen-year-old now."
Wade gave him a disapproving look, strode toward Hagrid's cabin, and then knocked hard on the door.
"Dong dong dong..."
One update tonight
(End of this chapter)