By the time Wade finished eating, Tom had already escaped from the Pensieve.
Given the way Wade's improved Pensieve worked, that meant Tom had completely cleared the battle memory and successfully defeated the Nundu. Otherwise, he would not have been able to get out.
"Congratulations on clearing it. Go eat something first. I saved you a big chicken leg," Wade said cheerfully.
Tom simply glared at him without moving.
"Wade, you went too far!"
The corner of Wade's mouth curled upward. "Really? So you don't like it? I thought... you'd be quite fond of something that can make you stronger so quickly."
"I don't like it," Tom said coldly.
"I see... all right. I've already done everything I should. The Pensieve is there, and so are the combat memories. What you choose to do with them is up to you."
Wade turned and left, unwilling to argue with Tom any further.
Tom watched his back disappear through the doorway, then looked at the Pensieve again, his expression conflicted.
"I do want to become stronger, but... does it really have to hurt this much?"
"If you want to become powerful quickly in a short amount of time, then there are some hardships you simply can't avoid."
Miravia leaned against the doorframe, quietly watching Tom.
Tom understood what she meant.
If he was willing to grow stronger step by step, then he certainly would not need to suffer this much.
But if he wanted to catch up to Wade quickly at his age, then he would have to endure far more than everyone else.
"It's really unfair..." Tom said gloomily. "I've never seen him suffer like this. Why does he get to be so strong?"
Miravia could not help laughing.
"That's an interesting thing to say, but that's simply how the world works. You envy Wade's talent and complain that it's unfair, but plenty of people envy your talent too and complain about the exact same thing. Besides, how do you know Wade has never suffered somewhere you couldn't see?"
Tom fell silent.
Of course he understood the logic.
There were spells he could learn after seeing them once, while others might struggle for an entire month before mastering them.
It was the same principle.
But...
Would someone like Wade really be willing to endure hardship?
"You want to become stronger quickly, so Wade has already laid out the path for you," Miravia said. "The road is difficult, yes, but the choice really is yours. You can walk it, or you can refuse."
She continued, "But whether you choose to walk it or not, don't resent him. He's already done more than enough for you. You don't seriously think improving a Pensieve like that was easy, do you? Think about how many days went by without you seeing Wade leave his room."
After saying that, Miravia left the training ground as well, leaving Tom alone with a complicated expression as he stared at the Pensieve.
"I really do want to become stronger, but I honestly hate this method..."
Tom frowned.
"And Wade spends all his time researching and improving things, forgetting to eat and sleep... Does that mean he actually enjoys burying himself in work all day?"
After trying to look at things from Wade's perspective, Tom only felt even more conflicted.
...
Wade was sitting at his desk writing letters to his friends.
A set of soft footsteps came from outside the room.
Without even looking up, Wade knew who it was.
Only someone as skilled as Miravia could walk with footsteps as quiet as a cat's.
"You said too much at the end," Wade said, putting down his quill and looking up. "That sounded way too sentimental."
"Oh? So you were listening the whole time?" Miravia said. "Haha~ I was only telling the truth. And I think those truths needed to be said."
She once again claimed Wade's personal sofa for herself.
"Do you really want Tom to become stronger while also growing to hate you?"
"Hate me?" Wade laughed. "Tom has hated me since the day we met. The whole reason he stays around me is to learn everything he can, become strong enough, and then stab me in the back."
"But people change, Wade."
Miravia curled up comfortably on the sofa and started helping herself to Wade's snacks.
"I've exchanged quite a few letters with Dumbledore about the power of love..."
She raised one pale finger.
"A wizard who has truly understood the power of love won't betray just anyone. And Tom understands it now, doesn't he? So how can you keep judging him by who he used to be?"
Wade smiled but did not answer.
Instead, he silently reached across the table in front of Miravia and rescued some of the snacks Hufflepuff had sent him.
"Actually... you're not as cold and heartless as you pretend to be, are you, Wade?" Miravia said with a smile. "Otherwise, you wouldn't have worked yourself half to death making that Pensieve. That wasn't something simple to create."
Wade spread his hands.
"That kind of alchemical device is extremely useful for training people. Tom isn't the only one who can use it. Nagini, Anne, or anyone else could use it too. So I didn't make it specifically for Tom."
"Keep pretending."
Miravia did not believe him at all.
She only found the friendship between those two incredibly awkward.
One of them constantly talked about surpassing the other and trampling him underfoot, yet when the other suddenly disappeared, he had searched for him to the ends of the earth.
And the other constantly insisted that he did not trust him at all, yet never left him out whenever something good came along.
"Don't overthink it. I'm just training an exceptionally capable subordinate," Wade said while eating a small cake.
"Aha! I knew you'd say that!"
Miravia was delighted that Wade was being exactly as stubborn as she expected.
"You know, having an extremely capable assistant is very useful for my career," Wade continued.
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Read 12 Advance Chapters—P@t- Captain69