Chapter 761
Wade's Decision
Chapter 761 Wade's Decision
Wade pondered for a moment and said, "Thank you, Professor, for thinking so much about me... but I've decided to leave this to Dobby."
Moody's magical eyes suddenly stopped moving, and his expression looked somewhat frightening. He spoke without anger, only in a muffled, almost helpless tone:
"Don't you trust Sylvanus? I can take you to see him right now! Just seeing him in person will tell you what a reliable man he is..."
“No, Professor, it’s not that I don’t trust Professor Kettleburn.”
Wade interrupted him, shaking his head. "Actually, I noticed him even before he retired. I know Professor Kettleburn is a witty and upright man. But..."
He paused briefly, gathered his thoughts, and explained clearly and solemnly:
"The promise came first. I asked Dobby for help first, and he agreed. Then, I abandoned Dobby because I had other options? This not only hurts him, but also negates my own previous decision."
"Under no circumstances has it been my style to break a good contract that has already been reached."
"Moreover, when I made the request to Dobby, I was already placing my trust in him. This trust was not only an affirmation of his abilities, but also an affirmation of his character and loyalty."
Wade looked at Moody and said sincerely, "So Professor, just as I trust your experience and judgment as an Auror, please trust my choice and trust Dobby."
Moody's stern gaze swept across Wade's face, as if trying to find any trace of wavering, but there was none.
Finally, Moody let out a heavy sigh and put his prosthetic leg back in.
"Hmph! Fine, go ahead with your way then!" he muttered curtly. "Just don't regret it if something goes wrong!"
Wade smiled but didn't say anything.
Moody, however, felt as if he had been burned by that pure trust. He waved his hand impatiently and quickly steered the conversation back to the main topic:
"Time waits for no one! To ensure the operation goes smoothly, we'd better get there as soon as possible—you pack your things, and I also need to prepare some more. I'll pick you up the day after tomorrow morning to leave together."
Before he could leave, Wade quickly said, "Professor Dumbledore said that Remus will be going too?"
“I know!” Moody said. “I’ll discuss the schedule with him and get all the paperwork done tomorrow before those bureaucrats arrive at work!”
Now that the decision had been made, Moody walked out without hesitation.
As he passed the living room on the first floor, he saw Dobby standing on a small stool in the kitchen preparing dinner. After thinking for a moment, Moody walked over to him.
Seeing the former Auror walking towards him, Dobby immediately stopped what he was doing, nervously twisting his fingers, and secretly glancing at Moody's expression from below.
Moody stared down at the elf, letting out a clear, warning snort from deep within his throat:
"That kid has given you more trust than you deserve, you'd better not mess it up! If you let him down..."
He paused meaningfully, grinned, and revealed a terrifying smile that could stop a child from crying at night.
Dobby stared at him blankly, not immediately understanding what Moody meant.
After saying that, Moody didn't look at her again, turned around and quickly walked out. Then, the house-elves' excited screams came from the kitchen.
He paused, then looked back.
Dobby's barking drew the Grays out as well. Although they didn't understand why the house-elf was jumping around in the kitchen, Dobby's joy was infectious, and they both laughed. Despite being two humans and a house-elf, the scene looked surprisingly harmonious and warm.
Moody snorted and turned to leave.
Trust... Trust is a luxury.
James Potter and his friends had such a great relationship back then! They were together since they first entered university, almost ten years of friendship. In the Order of the Phoenix, the four of them were inseparable. Their closeness and tacit understanding were the envy of many.
And what happened? He still betrayed her just like that…
Moody's decades-long career with Auror made him acutely aware of one fact:
Whether it's between husband and wife, parents and children, or siblings, relatives and friends... no matter how inseparable the relationship seems, there is always the possibility of betrayal and mutual harm.
Until a life-or-death situation arises, no one knows whether the person beside them is a human or a demon... especially a house-elf.
With a pervasive sense of doubt and the deep anxiety it caused, he sighed deeply and slowly left.
……
Upstairs, Wade watched Moody's retreating figure and couldn't help but sigh.
He certainly understood Professor Moody's concerns; after all, not everyone had read the original work like he had. But there was another reason why Wade rejected Moody's suggestion:
He trusted Moody and Kettleburn, but... anything involving humans was questionable.
This was not due to emotional estrangement, but because Kettleburn, whom Moody trusted, could be perfectly disguised by any wizard using Polyjuice Potion.
Moody's Magic Eyes don't have the same function as Wade's eyes; they can't identify someone's identity at a glance.
But house-elves are different; no wizard will transform into a house-elf to disguise themselves.
Firstly, because the two species are completely different, using Polyjuice Potion rashly could lead to unpredictable and dangerous consequences, just like Hermione accidentally ingesting Polyjuice Potion with cat hair added in the original story. Even the antidote and the counter-curse could not immediately turn her back.
Secondly, even if they look exactly the same, it is difficult for a wizard to imitate the unique behavior and language habits of a house-elves, let alone replicate the unique magic inherent in this creature, and they will give themselves away in no time.
In addition, wizards are more easily controlled by confusion and impermanence spells, while house-elves are much safer in this respect due to their elusive nature and the wizards' consistent neglect and disregard for them.
Wade briefly explained all of this to Dobby, but the house-elf seemed to take it as a compliment and burst into tears.
“Mr. Wade…no one has ever trusted Dobby so much, entrusting such an important matter to Dobby…Dobby…Dobby will definitely not let Mr. Wade down…Dobby will make sure Mr. Moody sees this…”
"Then raise your head."
Wade crouched down and handed him the handkerchief, his voice gentle yet powerful:
"Dobby, I chose you because you are absolutely worthy of this trust... because you are an incredibly powerful house-elf, which is why I entrust my life to you, understand? So don't cry, just be brave and do it."
These words of affirmation seemed to have a magical power; Dobby's crying subsided, leaving only incessant sobs. He looked up at Wade with his teary eyes, his nose still twitching, but a brighter light appeared in his eyes.
"Yes... Mr. Gray! Dobby... Dobby... We're leaving now! Time waits for no one, and Dobby can't fall behind!"
He clutched the pencil case he had just put down tightly to his chest, nodded vigorously, tears still glistening in his eyes, and forced an ugly smile.
With a "pop" and a slight crackling sound, Dobby disappeared from the room.
(End of this chapter)