Hogwarts: Voldemort, don't stop me from studying!

[Steven: I've collected some information about bird snakes and sent it to you. I hope it will be helpful. By the way, Mr. Scamander replied to me and said he welcomes my help! I'm so happy, Wade! I never thought this day would come! It's all thanks to you; thank goodness you reminded me, my friend!]

[Marchioni: I'd like to discuss the Book of Friends revision with you in person—can we meet at Hogsmeade on Saturday? I know that third-year students can only get permission to go out, but perhaps Professor Murray can take you out? Actually, I also know of a secret passage that leads off-campus…]

[Ferdinand: Wied, I received a reply from the person you mentioned.]

Vader's eyes lit up, and he quickly wrote on the parchment—

[Wade: Remus Lupin?]

[Ferdinand: Yes. Just as you requested, he claimed in his letter that he was proficient in most Defense Against the Dark Arts spells, including the Patronus Charm, had excellent grades in Transfiguration, was familiar with Animagus training methods, and was willing to accept 10 Galleons per week. It was signed Remus Lupin. I've arranged to meet him at the Leaky Cauldron tomorrow.]

Wade let out a long sigh and couldn't help but smile.

He could consult Professor Flitwick about Defense Against the Dark Arts, but he couldn't always ask him. Professor Flitwick had to teach, grade papers, manage Ravenclaw, patrol the castle, and relax with friends at the pub in his spare time. Vader couldn't always occupy his time, and the same applied to Professor Morrie.

During the Christmas holidays, Professor Flitwick gave Vader a copy of "The Complete Book of Spells," which Vader later discovered was an abridged version. Most of the dark magic, curses, and poison spells had been removed by Professor Flitwick, and he also removed some spells that he believed Vader should not be exposed to at his current level—such as Apparition, Disillusionment, Animagus, Portkey, and so on.

Professor Flitwick's attitude was clear—although he thought Vader was exceptional in Charms, he insisted that as a first-year student, Vader should learn safe and harmless spells, and advanced magic should be learned gradually in later years.

Wade didn't want to argue with the professor about whether his concern was what he needed, because Professor Flitwick was, after all, a very upright and kind person. However, some of the things Wade wanted to learn were things Professor Flitwick could never teach him. And even with his cheat-like abilities, practicing them on his own would be quite dangerous.

In each chapter of the textbook, more than half of the content usually emphasizes the same thing—that failed spells can have extremely serious consequences. Some lead to the death of wizards, some turn humans into non-human creatures, and some cause damage that magic cannot reverse.

Therefore, he needs a teacher.

A highly skilled, trustworthy, yet not overly rigid teacher.

Is there a better option than Remus Lupin?

Chapter 81 Secret Passage

[Wade: Dad, if you're sure he's someone you can trust during the interview, please tell him—I'm meeting him this Saturday morning at the Three Broomsticks pub in Hogsmeade Village.]

[Ferdinand: Can you leave the school?]

[Wade: I have a way]

[Ferdinand: Is it safe?]

[Wade: Don't worry, Hogsmeade is always under Mr. Dumbledore's watchful eye.]

……

Tucked inside the open pages is a magical, moving photograph—the love in the parents' eyes and the happy smile on the child's face are permanently captured by the camera.

Ferdinand stared for a long time before closing the friend's book.

Although the words have disappeared from the paper, they have been engraved in his mind.

At the train station, the father and son subtly unveiled a veil of "whitewashing." From then on, Wade gradually began to write down some of the facts he had previously concealed from them in his friends' notebook.

For example, Slytherin still upholds the supremacy of pure-bloods and often clashes with Gryffindor; for example, he is preparing to start practicing more difficult spells with some classmates to prepare for the future.

Wade also asked Ferdinand for help, placing a job ad in the Daily Prophet with the mailing address in a room at the Leaky Cauldron—Ferdinand had booked the room for a month and would check the mail every day after get off work. The pub owner, Tom, might seem unapproachable, but he was actually a kind man who helped Wade organize all the job applications every day.

The advertisement listed harsh conditions, but the salary was only average. Even so, many letters arrived every day from all directions. Wade specifically warned him that some wizards would include curses or harmful potions in the letters, and advised him not to open them himself.

Even without Wade's reminder, Ferdinand was already very wary of magic. He specifically spent money to have the bar owner, Tom, check the mail for safety—Ferdinand believed that Tom's magical abilities must be quite high to have been able to run a bar in a major thoroughfare like Diagon Alley and survive so well despite its extremely poor hygiene.

In the letters, some people attached their Hogwarts graduation grades and demanded a higher salary; others boasted about their abilities, but could not provide any effective proof other than their boasts.

But none of that mattered. From the beginning, Ferdinand knew that the job posting was actually for one person—Wade had heard the wizard's name from somewhere and insisted on hiring only that one person. No matter how impressive someone else's resume was, they wouldn't be hired.

And now, that person has finally arrived.

Ferdinand was determined to make sure his son was properly vetted. If this man named Remus Lupin was all show and no substance, or if his character was questionable, Ferdinand would never allow him to be near his son.

"Tap, tap tap!"

There was a knock on the guest room door, and the owner Tom's voice came from outside: "Mr. Gray, Mr. Lupin has arrived at the bar."

“Okay, I’m coming.” Ferdinand took a deep breath, straightened his collar, and went out.

Upon arriving at the bar on the first floor, Ferdinand, guided by Boss Tom, saw the man—brown hair streaked with white, his extremely worn wizard robe patched in several places. He looked quite young, but his face was haggard and aged, like one of those middle-aged unemployed men holding up signs looking for work in Canary Wharf.

Ferdinand frowned.

His first impression of Remus Lupin was that of a wizard who seemed to have trouble even making a living.

Based on Ferdinand's understanding of magic, it should be much easier for wizards to earn money legally and legitimately than for Muggles... How bad must one's skill level be to not even be able to afford a new outfit?

Or perhaps... he felt that dressing in shabby clothes would evoke more sympathy from his employer?

But this is the person Vader wants to find.

Ferdinand still went over.

The wizard noticed the commotion from afar and looked up sharply. Although he looked exhausted, his eyes revealed composure and peace, and his quick and discreet grip on his wand showed his alertness.

Ferdinand suddenly realized—this was indeed the person Wade had been waiting for for so long.

……

"Hey, that's weird."

At breakfast time, Padma flipped through the newspaper and muttered to herself.

"What's strange?" Michael asked vaguely while eating a pie.

“A job ad that I used to see in the newspaper every day has disappeared.” Padma tilted her head, as if trying to find the missing ad in the margins of the newspaper.

"They've hired someone!" Michael said nonchalantly.

“That’s impossible!” Padma said in disbelief. “We even discussed it in the dorm. Ten Galleons a week shouldn’t be enough to recruit a wizard of that caliber—”

Wade didn't say anything and quietly finished his breakfast.

After class, Vader walked up the stairs alone. The ever-changing staircase led him to the fifth floor. After searching for a while, Vader finally found the mirror that Machioni had mentioned in his letter, which was taller than a person.

Vader tapped the mirror with his wand and whispered, "mostrar la verdad (Reveal the Truth)!"

The mirror suddenly flipped, revealing a dark passage behind it. Vader lit his wand with a glow-in-the-dark charm, stepped inside, and froze in shock.

There was only a few steps of open space ahead. Further ahead, the passage had completely collapsed. The once spacious passage was completely blocked by rubble, bricks, and mud. Traces of black magic could even be seen on the walls.

Someone used a very dangerous explosive spell here to completely destroy this secret passage.

Wade silently withdrew, restored the mirror, and then took out the Book of Friends.

[Wade: The passage has collapsed.]

[Machioni: What? It was still working when I was in school! Even the castle's magic couldn't stop it from collapsing?]

[Machioni: Never mind, I also know a secret passage, behind the portrait of Paracelsus on the sixth floor. It's easy to find; he wears a fluffy red hat, is chubby, and loves to chat. If you talk to him about alchemy or divination, he'll tell you anything...]

Vader: ...

I always felt that Marchionne's student life was also very colorful.

He climbed a flight of stairs and easily found the portrait of someone so bored he was picking his fingers. Just as Vader was about to strike up a conversation with him, he suddenly felt a hidden gaze. Turning around, he saw Mrs. Lorris squatting on the ground, licking her paws, her eyes fixed on him out of the corner of her eye.

Lady Lorris is the pet cat of Filch, the castle caretaker. Like her owner, she is old and thin, her fur dulled, but still sharp-witted and quick-reacting. Upon spotting a student breaking the rules, she dashes off to her owner to ensure the offender is punished. Like Filch, she is deeply hated by most of the students at the school.

The person and the cat stared at each other.

Students walking around the school in broad daylight are not breaking any rules. But if he opens the secret passage, Mrs. Lorris will definitely attract Filch's attention.

Most importantly—Filch should also know about the existence of this secret passage, making it no longer safe to enter or exit it.

Wade prepared to leave.

"Hey, Wade!" Fred and George appeared out of nowhere, greeted him warmly, and then took Wade away with them.

Fred put his arm around Wade's shoulder and asked quietly:

"Are you looking for the secret passage in the castle?"

Chapter 82 The Secret Passage, McKee

Wade paused for a moment: "Is it obvious?"

“Others might not notice, but to us, it’s too obvious!” Fred said with a smile. “We saw you come out of the corridor where the mirror was, and now you’ve found the portrait of Paracelsus. Aren’t you looking for the secret passage?”

“But it’s no use. Filch knows about the secret passage behind the portrait, and he’s very vigilant! Even if you sneak in, he’ll definitely catch you when you come out.” George continued, “That guy has access to all four secret passages in the castle.”

"But we know more! If you really want to sneak out of school to do something—"

"What we mean is—to go to Honey Duke and buy some sweets or something—"

"Then go to the middle of the fourth-floor corridor and find a statue of a one-eyed, hunchbacked witch—"

The password is 【Separate Left and Right】——

"The export is at Honey Duke."

“Well then—” Fred winked mischievously, “I look forward to a great adventure for you!”

"Why are you telling me?" Wade asked curiously. "You didn't tell many people about this secret passage, did you?"

"Of course! Even little Ronnie doesn't know!"

“But you have already found two secret passages by your own strength—qualifying you to become the next generation of lawbreakers!” Fred said solemnly, as if he were carrying out some serious succession.

“We’ve also received some help from our predecessors—well—very valuable help—” George said vaguely, “so we should also help some like-minded people!”