Chapter 733
Light and Shadow
Chapter 733 Light and Shadow
As they left St. Mungo's Hospital, dusk had already fallen over London. On the way back to Hogwarts, Harry remained silent, the streetlights casting dappled shadows on his downcast face.
Dumbledore deliberately slowed his pace but never turned around. Wade walked beside Harry, maintaining a perfectly respectful distance so as not to disturb him.
They all understood what he was thinking at that moment—the Longbottoms must have reminded him of his own parents.
Frank and Alice endured terrible torment...and were lost for fourteen years...
But they survived, supported each other, and gradually emerged from their painful past.
And his parents? They're both dead... utterly and completely dead... never to return...
For a fleeting moment, Harry fantasized... fantasized that what walked out of the hospital room were actually his parents—though haggard, they would give him a real sense of warmth, rather than a few cold photographs.
But then Harry felt ashamed of his thoughts. He blinked hard, holding back his tears and suppressing the almost painful longing in his heart.
He was suddenly jolted out of his thoughts, only to realize that he had unknowingly fallen behind by several steps.
The shadow beneath his feet was illuminated by the lamplight, divided into several lines of varying brightness, which lengthened and shortened as he moved forward, swaying in his field of vision.
Harry quickened his pace to catch up with them, and when he reached them, he felt a sense of relief for some reason.
—It's as if loneliness and darkness are some incessantly murmuring demons, magnifying the monsters within.
Vader glanced at him, perhaps realizing something, and suddenly waved his wand.
Suddenly, a light bulb on the street emitted a "buzzing" sound, and then a ball of light on it popped out. Before it even hit the ground, it turned into a stag the size of a teacup.
The silvery-white deer ran through the air, leaping to Harry's side. The boy reached out his hand at the opportune moment, watching it land in his warm palm.
He carefully held the Light Deer, unable to suppress a smile—the light, though faint, was warm enough to dispel the cold shadows in his heart.
Why a male deer?
Harry recalled the little deer that had disappeared into the light a couple of days ago, feeling both surprised and puzzled by how "coincidental" it all seemed.
"Hmm?" Wade asked in confusion, "Isn't your guardian deity a stag?"
"Oh...right!"
Harry looked dumbfounded.
"Not bad." Dumbledore looked at the Light Deer and said approvingly, "Wade, have you already mastered this magic?"
“It’s not possible to do it on a large scale like before. I’ve tried many times, but I can’t bring out the same power as before. For now, I can only use it to perform small tricks like this,” Wade sighed.
Dumbledore smiled and said, “Take your time, child. Magic is like a tree you plant; it needs time to grow its roots in the dark.”
Vader nodded, gently waving his wand in his hand.
Dumbledore looked at the stag and felt the warm and bright power within it. He nodded to himself and swallowed back some of the admonitions he had originally intended to say.
hold on……
He told himself: Take another look patiently...
"what!"
Harry suddenly shouted and looked at Wade: "Wait, aren't underage wizards not allowed to cast spells outside of school?"
“I’m right next to Professor Dumbledore!” Wade said nonchalantly. “If the Ministry of Magic investigates, I’ll just say the professor cast the spell.” Harry was shocked: That’s possible? Is it really appropriate to say something like that to Dumbledore’s face?
When he looked at Dumbledore, he saw the headmaster stroking his long, silvery-white beard with amusement, nodding solemnly and saying:
"That's right, it's absolutely true, that was the magic I cast—oh dear, did I just transform into a guardian spirit? Getting old makes me forgetful..."
His expression was just like that of an ordinary old man with a fuzzy memory.
Harry couldn't help but facepalm, while Wade next to him was shaking with suppressed laughter.
"Okay, that's enough for now."
Dumbledore looked around as if nothing had happened.
This is a dark alley with ivy climbing on the mottled walls. There is a trash can lying on the ground nearby, with beer bottles and cigarette butts scattered around.
Dumbledore, however, said with satisfaction, “It’s a good place, isn’t it? Very quiet…grab my arm.”
The two of them had just reached out and grabbed his arm when they felt a sudden dizziness—
"Snapped!"
After a loud bang, Harry staggered and looked up to see the castle lights not far away.
As the three walked towards Hogwarts in the twilight, the iron rings on the oak gate in the distance suddenly swayed, and with a creaking sound from the hinges, the door was slowly pulled open, revealing Hagrid's face through the crack.
"I'm finally back!" Hagrid exclaimed happily. "Dumbledore, how was your trip?"
“Of course,” Dumbledore chuckled. “Wade and Harry were a great help.”
"I knew you could do it!"
Although he didn't understand what had happened, Hagrid still gave the two boys a thumbs up: "You must have done something amazing again, right?"
Harry and Wade exchanged a smile.
“We saw the Longbottoms… Neville’s parents,” Wade said. “They look to be recovering very well.”
“Yes,” Harry added, “Mr. Frank also said that they’ll be able to continue fighting once they recover!”
Hagrid's eyes immediately welled up with tears: "Oh, Frank and Alice... Merlin, thank goodness, this is wonderful... They are both good people and shouldn't have been tortured like that... Damn Death Eaters! Damn Lestrange!"
He closed the door again, cursed the damned Death Eaters for a while, and then planned to buy some gifts to visit the Longbottoms in the hospital.
“Give me a reference, Harry, Wade,” Hagrid said gruffly. “I never know what my patients need… I’ve hardly ever been sick.”
“As long as it’s not rock crust cake, I think it’s fine,” Harry said honestly.
“Speaking of which, you must all be hungry by now. Go to the Great Hall for lunch,” Dumbledore said. “You can have a good rest tomorrow.”
Hagrid patted his belly and said expectantly, "There must have been stew and Yorkshire pudding left in the kitchen. I wonder if there are any syrup tarts left..."
Harry and Dumbledore nodded goodbye. Wade glanced back, wanting to say something, but ultimately swallowed his words. They walked with Hagrid toward the brightly lit castle, their laughter fading into the distance.
Dumbledore stood motionless on the steps. He reached into his pocket and took out the slightly warm crystal bottle, the silvery light of memory reflected on his half-moon spectacles.
At this moment, his face was devoid of the previous gentleness and smile; every line was taut, and his expression was as solemn as an ancient stone wall.
(End of this chapter)