Chapter 792
Wade's Book
Chapter 792 Wade's Book
"Don't mess around!"
The old man keenly noticed his strange expression and immediately warned, "It's one thing under normal circumstances, but at a time like this, a reporter who's covering sensitive topics suddenly dies? Are you afraid people won't suspect you?"
"He's an unpredictable element, Sir... We can't control which target this mad dog will set his sights on, and his writing is incredibly inflammatory..."
Corbett lowered his voice and said, "I can arrange an 'accident,' and I guarantee no one will notice... and those who handle such incidents will all be my people..."
"madness!"
The old man flatly refused, saying, "Recently, the remnants of the Purifiers have started to stir again. The Aurors and the International Wizarding Federation are already focused on New York. Your reckless actions at this time will only get us into bigger trouble!"
"Corbette, I hope you have a clear understanding—what we need is to keep a low profile, to let that reporter's speculation be seen as nonsense as before, instead of adding fuel to the fire!"
Beneath the harsh tone lay the old man's anger at the man's barbarity, danger, and recklessness, but he could only suppress his rage and try to speak calmly:
"Don't focus on those small fry, Corbett. We must always keep our eyes on the most important goal... Perhaps we should try a different approach..."
His voice grew softer and softer, and Corbett's eyes gradually brightened.
Through the window and across the street, a brightly colored car slowly drove by, its humming electronic rendition of "Jingle Bells" breaking the afternoon's tranquility, interspersed with a few low "putt-putt" sounds from its horn.
The child who was squatting by the roadside playing in the mud suddenly looked up, listened for two seconds, and then shouted excitedly, "The ice cream truck is here!"
In an instant, all the children in the neighborhood were summoned and ran towards the ice cream truck that was already parked by the roadside.
Before them, a disheveled man in a blue jacket had already absentmindedly pulled out his wallet.
"Hello, sir, here's your ice cream." Through the window, a vendor wearing a mask handed over the ice cream.
The man in the blue jacket took his ice cream cone from the skinny vendor, ate half of the white cone in one bite, and then slowly walked toward the shadows below the tall building.
Once downstairs, he glanced at the bright glass of the shops below and his eyes met those of the smiling female celebrity on the poster inside.
"What is that Aldridge Corbitt guy doing in this Muggle building?"
Tom Heck took a bite of half an ice cream cone and muttered to himself, "I knew I wasn't wrong... this guy really does have a secret!"
He gulped down the rest of his ice cream in a few bites, feeling a shiver run through his body from the cold. Then he took out his notebook and pencil from his pocket and quickly wrote down lines of text.
……
An antique, gold-embossed envelope lay on the table, its seal adorned with an exquisite coat of arms.
Wade opened the letter and saw that it was written in elegant italics:
To Mr. Wade Gray:
Ms. Serafina Picqueli cordially invites you to afternoon tea at her private residence on the Upper East Side of New York City at 3 p.m. tomorrow.
Looking forward to your reply.
Your loyal Wyatt Harper
Although he had already made an agreement with Madam Picqueli, she still sent him an invitation. In fact, the invitation wasn't delivered by an owl, but by a young witch wearing white gloves who personally delivered it to his hotel room.
Seeing Wade's expression, Remus explained knowingly, "Ms. Picqueli has a special status, and this formal invitation is a necessary procedure. Wade, you need to write a reply to indicate that you accept the invitation."
Wade nodded—he knew this would happen again, because the witch who delivered the message hadn't left, but was sitting in the downstairs hall waiting.
As Wade sat down to write the letter, he heard Moody tap hard on his prosthetic leg beside him, making a dull thud, and say in a hoarse voice:
"Hmph! It's all a waste of time and bureaucratic tricks! Remember, kid, no matter how friendly those people are, don't let your guard down! Especially keep an eye on your head, and don't agree to anything! Those kinds of people are masters at using politeness and rules to trap people!"
His resentful tone clearly indicated that he had suffered a great loss in the past.
Wade nodded again and wrote a fluent and polite reply.
He knew very well that the more distant he appeared from Ms. Picqueli, the more likely his mission would succeed.
……
A day passed in the blink of an eye, and Wade changed into a neatly pressed dark blue robe, which Lupin had bought for him in Echo Lane just yesterday.
The style of the robe is very popular in the American wizarding world. It looks very similar to a Muggle trench coat, so even if you wear a robe and walk on the streets of Muggles, you won't attract any strange looks.
The simple and well-fitting cut outlines his tall and straight figure. Although he still retains the slenderness of a young man, he already exudes a calm and reserved demeanor.
Lupin's gaze clearly showed that he was extremely satisfied with Wade's attire.
Moody muttered, "Why dress up so nicely? It's not a beauty pageant! If you ask me, it's safer to dress a little sloppily and ugly—Wade, why don't you change into that robe you usually wear for research?"
Remus smiled, then decisively refused.
"Appropriate attire is a sign of respect for the person you are meeting, Wade," Remus said earnestly. "And given Ms. Picqueli's status, if you're not dressed appropriately, they might refuse you entry—don't doubt it, they have that right!"
Accompanied by Moody and Lupin, Wade arrived by car at a mansion on New York's Upper East Side.
Of course, ordinary people cannot see this place. In their eyes, it is just an abandoned, unfinished building, because it is overgrown with weeds and bushes, and even homeless people subconsciously do not want to live in such a place.
After Wade presented the invitation, the towering iron gate opened silently for them, revealing a neatly manicured courtyard and an elegant three-story stone house.
Ms. Piqueli's residence was not ostentatious; if it weren't for the various protective magics surrounding it, it would look no different from the Muggle buildings around it.
A male wizard dressed in a black robe, with a serious expression, stood at the edge of the steps, bowing slightly. Behind him, two young and beautiful girls stood quietly with their hands clasped together.
“Welcome, Mr. Gray. I am Wyatt Harper, the butler of the Picquarly family.”
The wizard said, then turned to Moody and Lupin: "Gentlemen, please rest in the drawing room, where refreshments to the English taste are prepared."
Moody frowned, his eyes fixed on the butler, and asked with a grim expression, "What? You want to take Wade away alone?"
The butler smiled politely and said, "Only Mr. Wade Gray received an invitation, didn't he?"
Lupin gently pressed Moody's arm, then nodded to the butler, "Okay, thank you." He then looked at Wade, who nodded slightly.
Lu Ping was relieved and asked with a smile, "Excuse me, which side is the living room?"
"plz follow me."
The maid standing behind the butler spoke softly, leading the two to the living room.
Vader watched his two protectors leave, then nodded to the butler. The butler gestured, leading Vader through a thickly carpeted corridor, past portraits and landscape paintings, towards the heart of the mansion.
Finally, they stopped in front of a stained-glass door that let in warm light. The butler knocked, and Mrs. Picqueli's voice came from inside: "Come in."
The butler opened the door for Wade, gestured for him to enter, and then quietly stepped aside.
Wade straightened his collar, took a deep breath, and stepped into the sunlit, elegantly furnished room.
Ms. Serafina Picqueli was sitting in an armchair, wearing a dark green robe, without much jewelry, and with her hair down. She seemed a little weaker than she had been seen at the game that day.
They weren't alone in the room. When Wade entered, the butler followed, magically producing a tray with two steaming cups of coffee on it.
He entered the room like a shadow, put down the coffee, and then stood quietly to the side, with no intention of leaving.
Ms. Picqueli was holding a hardcover book and seemed to be engrossed in reading it.
When Wade's gaze swept over the book's cover, he involuntarily paused slightly.
On the smooth cover, there was even a picture of Wade himself!
He subconsciously thought of Gilderoy Lockhart—the flamboyant professor who was keen on printing his “perfect smile” on all publications and signing every parchment he passed.
However, the image of Wade on the book cover does not show a silly grin; instead, he looks serious and solemn, like a warrior standing amidst the smoke and fire of war.
—Of course, because this photo is obviously taken from a live video of Wade participating in the league.
The fact that the "Wade Gray" on the cover wasn't grinning foolishly made Wade somewhat relieved. But seeing his own picture on someone else's book still gave him a pang of heartache.
It can only be said that although Lockhart did not teach for long, the psychological trauma he suffered was long-lasting.
For example, Wade and Harry weren't particularly interested in fame because being adored would trigger certain memories, causing them to replace Lockhart's image with their own, which in turn caused a kind of physical and psychological discomfort.
When Wade saw the photo, he even forgot the greeting he had prepared, and his expression instantly crumbled.
Ms. Picqueli couldn't help but laugh: "I thought this was a book you wrote! But judging from your expression, it's like you're seeing it for the first time!"
Wade sighed, walked over and sat down beside him, extending his hand and asking, "May I take a look, ma'am?"
“Of course.” Ms. Picqueli placed a bookmark in his hand and then put the beautifully made book in Wade’s hands.
A line of large, gold-embossed words on the cover—
[Making it Easy: Vader Grey teaches you advanced spells step by step]
Wade: "..."
His lips twitched slightly. After opening the cover, he saw a line of text written on a separate page inside—
The entire content of this book comes from the selfless teachings of Mr. Wade Gray.
He randomly flipped to a page and saw that it was written in an extremely grateful and respectful tone:
He often said, "A spell is not about obeying commands, but about reaching a consensus with the magic."
Imagination, focus, confidence—these things are even more important than your spell-casting gestures…
Wade casually flipped through a few more pages, which read:
Mr. Gray often encouraged us to think proactively, experiment, and even make mistakes safely, thereby truly internalizing knowledge... He also cast various interesting little spells to inspire us to actively explore the possibilities of magic...
He had turned nearly half the pages when what came into view was no longer his own name, but a gleaming silver eagle guardian.
Of all spells, the Patronus Charm is perhaps the most unique and personal. It doesn't rely on the strength of pure magic or the precision of hand gestures, but rather points directly to the heart, focusing on the purest and happiest memories, transforming intangible emotions into tangible protective power.
[When many students (including the editors) once thought this spell was unattainable and wanted to give up, Mr. Gray provided a revolutionary and highly inspiring way to help many of us get a basic grasp of the Patronus Charm.]
He first helped us analyze that the happiest memories are not necessarily earth-shattering ecstasy, but rather those subtle, warm moments that make us feel our own value...
Mr. Gray introduced the concept of emotional anchors; here are his exact words when he taught us…
Under Mrs. Piqueli's smiling gaze, Wade felt his face burning. He slammed the book shut, almost throwing it away!
Antoine had mentioned this book to Vader, and Vader had actually seen most of its contents, but he only reviewed the technical parts and made sure there were no errors in the teachings on spells.
Little did they know that in the printed version, Antoine and his colleagues would add so much... even overly flattering language...
Looking only at those nostalgic words, an uninformed person might think that Wade was some... an old professor who had passed away! Heaven knows he was only fifteen years old!
Ms. Picqueli took in his subtle reaction and a knowing smile appeared on her lips.
She said gently, “There’s no need to feel embarrassed, Mr. Gray. This just proves that your value extends far beyond the alchemical console.”
Her eyes held genuine admiration: "To selflessly share one's knowledge and methods with others, and truly enlighten their minds, without harboring arrogance or contempt because others are far inferior to oneself—this is a far more valuable ability than creating powerful magical items."
Her gaze fell on the book, and she smiled as she said, "And your classmates—these young people who call themselves editors but haven't even left a single name—are equally commendable for being willing to share their own unique wealth and pass on the sparks of knowledge."
"Having a group of students like you... no wonder that Hogwarts' three champions were able to reach the finals of the Magic League. While it's partly due to your help to others, this spirit of mutual support is perhaps what Ilfamoni lacks."
Ms. Picqueli sighed and said, “Dumbledore must be very proud of you... If I had the chance, I would love to talk to him in person and ask him how he teaches his students.”
(End of this chapter)