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

“Child, isn’t it Hogsmeade weekend today? Did you sneak out of school?” She walked over and asked somewhat seriously.

“I have an appointment to meet someone here, and I’ve already asked the professor for permission,” Wade said, already noticing the wizard sitting in the corner. He nodded. “Excuse me, ma’am. Could I please have a non-alcoholic beverage?”

After he finished speaking, he walked towards that corner.

Remus Lupin looked even more haggard and aged than he had imagined; it seemed he had had a difficult time these past few years. As Vader approached, his eyes widened, and a clear look of astonishment crossed his previously calm face.

"You...you are..."

“Wade Gray.” Wade extended his hand and said, “I think my father should have introduced you to him?”

“Yes, yes…” Lupin shook his hand somewhat awkwardly. “He said you have some business that needs help managing, but I thought… uh… I thought you should be a bit older…”

“I can understand that many people think that first-grade students should not know anything.”

As he spoke, Wade chose to sit opposite Lupin. Embarrassingly, the bar chairs were quite high, and his feet dangled in the air after he sat down.

Wade leaned back in his chair, casually glancing at Lupin: "Let me reintroduce myself. I am Wade Grey, the inventor of the Book of Friends, a first-year student at Hogwarts. As you know, this invention has brought me considerable profits, and I have had other collaborations with Aslan's Workshop of Witchcraft and Wizardry since then—ah, thank you, madam."

"Please enjoy."

The tavern owner, Mrs. Rosmerta, smiled, placed a glass of butterbeer on Wade's table, glanced at Lupin, and then left. After thanking her, Wade looked at the bright yellow color and creamy foam, and suddenly fell silent.

Butterbeer is actually a non-alcoholic beverage?

What knocked him out last time? Just two chocolate-covered liqueurs?

—Impossible! Absolutely impossible! Butter beer must contain alcohol, otherwise what would it be called?

Perhaps the woman didn't hear his request clearly.

Vader withdrew his gaze, recalled for a moment, and returned to the previous topic: "—So I need an agent to communicate with the Aslan Magic Workshop on my behalf. In addition, because my personal learning progress far exceeds what is currently taught at school, I also need a magic teacher."

Lupin thought about the job posting: "—You want to learn Patronus Charms? And Animagus?"

“Not only,” Vader said. “There are also Disillusionment Charms, Apparitions, and memory spells, and so on. I want to learn any magic I don’t understand.”

Lupin paused for a moment, then asked, "—Including dark magic?"

Chapter 86 The Contract, Galon

Wade had already considered this question, and asked calmly, "Do you also know black magic?"

"...I know a little." Lu Ping hesitated for a moment, but did not hide anything.

Wade nodded: "I read in the book that during the Wizarding Wars, the Ministry of Magic authorized Aurors to use the Unforgivable Curse against Death Eaters. Dark magic intended to harm can also be used to protect others, which shows that the nature of magic is secondary; the key is the person using it."

“Dark magic is evil because it silently erodes the user’s heart.” Fearing he might mislead minors, Lu Ping quickly added, “Moreover, dark magic is extremely dangerous and unpredictable. Once out of control, it can cause serious harm, both to others and to oneself—that’s why Hogwarts forbids students from learning and using dark magic.”

“Understood,” Wade said. “If I accept the job, then you will be my teacher. If you think I shouldn’t learn dark magic, then of course I won’t be taught.”

Lupin smiled slightly, looking slightly more relaxed.

He had assumed that someone who had achieved fame at a young age would be arrogant, but the young man in front of him was surprisingly rational and able to accept other people's opinions.

This is a really good start.

At that moment, Professor Morrie pushed open the door and came in. He glanced around the bar, not paying any attention to Wade and his companion, but instead sat down at a nearby table and ordered a mead.

"If I accept this job, what do I need to do now?" Lupin asked. "How should our magic teaching be conducted at school?"

“We’ll talk about that later.” Wade took a roll of parchment out of his pocket and placed it on the table. “Take a look at this contract first. If you can accept the terms, sign your name. That’s how you officially enter into a contract.”

Lupin's expression turned serious. He unfolded the parchment and began to read through it line by line.

The contract is simple, with the entrusted matters being the same as those discussed earlier. It additionally stipulates that the agent (Lupin) has obligations such as protecting the interests of the client (Vade), keeping the client's secrets, and not causing harm to the client. He is also required to help the client purchase alchemical materials and magical items, and as a tutor, his responsibilities include teaching knowledge, developing appropriate teaching plans, and doing his best to protect the students' safety during their magical studies.

Lupin nodded to himself—this was all perfectly reasonable.

Further on, upon seeing the agency fee, Lu Ping was taken aback, wondering if there was a mistake in the writing.

“A base salary of 30 Galleons per week?” he exclaimed in surprise. “That’s three times what’s advertised in the job posting.”

“Hmm.” Vader nodded: “Agents get 10 Galleons per week, tutors get 20 Galleons per week. That’s the base salary. In addition, you can get a commission for the transactions you are in charge of.”

Lupin was even more surprised when he heard this. He continued to unfold the parchment and saw that it indeed contained detailed provisions on this matter.

Of course, the contract also states at the end that if he fails to perform his duties diligently and causes additional losses to the client, Wade has the right to unilaterally terminate the contract.

Wade knew that given Lupin's situation, he would accept even a very low salary, since few people would want to hire a dangerous werewolf. Furthermore, Lupin's higher moral standards wouldn't allow him to gain profit through illegal means.

However, low wages, contracts, and moral obligations could only make Lupin dutiful, not wholehearted. What Vader needed from Lupin was not a exploited and overworked worker, but a teacher who could impart all his knowledge, a comrade-in-arms who could face danger with him, and a partner he could entrust with the rear.

These things cannot be done without a high degree of responsibility and commitment.

If Galen could buy the loyalty of such a wizard, Vader would not hesitate to empty his coffers. But the truth is, if he offered a higher salary, Lupin might think he was up to no good.

Lu Ping looked at the contract repeatedly, and hesitated, saying, "This...this is too high."

He originally only wanted to find a job with a weekly wage of 10 gallons, just enough to make ends meet, but the much higher salary than he expected made him somewhat apprehensive.

“I expect you to give me something in return.” Wade thought for a moment, then added, “If not, I’ll fire you next month!”

These words, which sounded like a threat but also had a touch of childishness, actually eased Lu Ping's tension. He smiled and said gently, "It seems I must give it my all to satisfy my little boss."

—Or perhaps, he'll be fired immediately after his werewolf identity is exposed?

Lu Ping thought to himself, then lowered his head and carefully signed his name on the contract.

Wade also signed his name, and thus the contract was finalized.

Vader took out the new Book of Friends and the Soft Light Badge from his bag and said, "Now, let me tell you about my new creation. Mr. Machione, the owner of Aslan's Magic Workshop, will be arriving with the Three Brooms in about half an hour. I think you should be prepared before then."

Lupin stared blankly at the objects: "The agent's work... is it already beginning?"

“Of course.” Wade raised his eyebrows and tapped his friend’s book with his finger. “—I always make the most of every second.”

……

Soon after, Machioni arrived.

As soon as he pushed open the door, he saw Professor Morrie and Wade sitting at two tables, and with a quick glance, he understood the situation. So he pretended not to see Professor Morrie and greeted Wade warmly in the corner.

Subsequently, upon learning that Lupin was Vader's agent, Machione completely disregarded the werewolf's tattered robes and disheveled appearance, seamlessly transitioning into the working relationship. He also praised the Soft Light Badge highly, even seeming to value it more than the Book of Friends.

"You've finally grasped the true meaning of making money, Wade."

With Professor Morrie right behind him, Marchionne blinked and said in a very low voice, making a very eager promise: "Next time you have this kind of product, be sure to come to me! I guarantee I'll give you the highest price! No one can possibly go higher than me—because those stupid guys simply can't understand the greatness of this kind of work!"

The brown-haired wizard came and went in a hurry, disappearing like a gust of wind in the blink of an eye, without even touching the butterbeer he ordered.

"So... that's it?" Lupin's face still showed a hint of confusion.

“Yeah, you’ll have to get used to it. I’ve said it before—” Wade said cheerfully, “We’re racing against time.”

Lupin paused for a moment, then asked, "So what do we do now?"

"There's no rush."

Vader gave Lupin a friend's book for contact and handed him a bag of gallons.

"This is your first week's pay. I think you can... uh... take care of yourself first?"

……

Professor Morrie sipped his mead slowly, squinting as he sized up his student.

The young man smiled as he spoke to the wizard opposite him, displaying a rare air of confidence, determination, and composure, as radiant as the rising sun.

So outstanding.

Time... takes some people away, changes others... decades, centuries pass, and in the end, it seems... nothing has changed...

Chapter 87 Conflict, Fragments

Over the weekend, Hogwarts seemed to be empty—almost all the students were at the Quidditch pitch, where Ravenclaw played against Slytherin.

As a Ravenclaw, Wade naturally joined his classmates in the audience.

In fact, Wade had never been interested in Quidditch at all—it certainly felt great to fly freely in the sky on a broomstick, but to him it was just too stupid to risk breaking his neck and compete at a height of fifty feet.

The viewing experience wasn't great either. The Golden Snitch was so small that it was practically invisible except for the occasional flash of gold, and the Seeker seemed to be aimlessly flying high in the air most of the time. The other players were sometimes faster than cars on a highway, and the tiny Quaffle and Runner were passed around so quickly between players that Wade suspected most people couldn't even see where the game was going and relied entirely on the commentators to know when to cheer.

But the students still love the sport—of course, anyone confined to a boarding school and studying all day would love any group activity unrelated to studying—even something as simple as mowing the lawn or picking up trash from the nearby streets.

Vader was an exception, because the joy and sense of accomplishment he derived from learning magic surpassed all forms of competition.

A sudden burst of cheers erupted from the stands. Wade paused for a moment before politely joining his classmates in applause.

Ravenclaw won the match.

The Seeker was an older boy who held his right hand high, the Golden Snitch's wings flapping between his fingers. He circled rapidly around the field on his broomstick, showing the Golden Snitch to everyone. Countless people stretched out their hands, wanting to clap their hands at him like he was a superstar.

"Ravenclaw! Ravenclaw! Ravenclaw!"

Even the Gryffindor students in the stands were roaring along—seeing the Slytherins lose made them happier than anything else.

The Slytherin students left with gloomy faces.

"We're close to Hufflepuff in points, and we beat Slytherin—" On the way back to the castle, Michael calculated the scores of the two matches and said excitedly, "Maybe Ravenclaw can lift the Quidditch Cup this time!"

"I've never seen you this enthusiastic during the Academy Cup!" Wade complained.

“How can that be the same?” Michael said dismissively. “I heard Shulaya from the third year say that even if you win the College Cup, all you get is to change the Great Hall decorations to your college’s colors for the end-of-semester dinner—what’s the point?”