Tom watched from the side as Wade persuaded Anne to switch allegiances.
His face showed no expression, but his thoughts were complicated.
Though he could never accept being stepped on by Wade, he had to admit—Wade's abilities always left him with no choice but to yield.
It wasn't just that Wade was powerful; he was frighteningly intelligent.
Anne had only managed to deduce that Wade was manipulating everyone like chess pieces through guesswork.
But Tom—he had witnessed it all firsthand.
From setting the trap to outmaneuvering Grindelwald afterward, Wade had never once hidden anything from him.
Perhaps I'm just another piece in his plans too…
That unwilling thought echoed in Tom's mind, filling him with an unfamiliar heaviness.
Could he really ever catch up to, let alone surpass, someone like that?
Unlikely… the hope felt far too faint.
"Tom?"
Tom came back to his senses and saw Wade looking at him calmly.
The oppressive aura from moments ago had completely vanished.
The "dark lord" Wade had once again turned back into "friend" Wade.
Tom felt a strange sense of absurdity rising in his chest.
"All done?" he asked.
"Yeah, all done. Starting today, Anne is one of us," Wade said with a smile.
"You trust her that easily?" Tom asked cautiously.
"Tom, I've told you before—trust isn't necessary. As long as our goals align, we'll naturally walk the same path."
"I see." Tom nodded slowly.
And he truly did understand—Wade trusted only in his own judgment.
In other words, if he could see through a person's thoughts and actions, then trust itself was meaningless.
However, Tom couldn't help but feel that Wade's excessive confidence would one day come back to bite him.
"What should I do next?" Anne asked seriously after wiping away her tears.
"Did Grindelwald give you any specific orders?"
"No," Anne frowned. "He didn't say anything clearly this time, but I can feel he definitely wants me to do something. He's just waiting for the right moment to tell me."
"He's guarding against me, Anne," Wade said with a faint smile. "That means he's already figured out everything about the trap I set for him last time."
Clearly, Grindelwald had realized that if he revealed his plans to Anne in advance, Wade would likely find a way to extract them from her again.
This time, Grindelwald wouldn't dare underestimate Wade's intelligence.
Better not to tell this silly girl anything—just give her the order when the time comes.
But what kind of mission would require a compromised, exposed girl to carry it out?
"If he's already figured everything out, will he still act according to your expectations?" Tom asked.
"He's the Director of Magical Education now, and things are going smoothly for him. Even if he knows this is what I want him to do, he can't stop anymore. It all looks far too beneficial for him," Wade replied with a smile.
Hearing this, Tom suddenly understood. He had once guessed that Wade's goal was to steal Grindelwald's victory—and Wade hadn't even denied it back then.
And to steal Grindelwald's victory, the key was figuring out how to approach him in a reasonable way.
Right now, what Wade was planning might very well be the first deliberate step in getting close to Grindelwald.
Think about it—he's only twelve, yet his suggestions had already allowed Grindelwald to make a successful comeback. Would someone like that ever go unnoticed by Grindelwald?
Of course, Grindelwald had always paid attention to Wade—but who could say what his motives were before?
Maybe he'd intended to use Wade as some sort of "sacrifice," a pawn to be consumed for his greater cause.
No one knew what Grindelwald had seen in his prophetic visions.
But now things were different—Wade had fully demonstrated his worth.
That would make Grindelwald realize Wade was far more useful than he'd originally planned.
This way, when Wade eventually infiltrated Grindelwald's ranks, he would quickly earn his trust.
Then, once Grindelwald trusted him completely, Wade could help him conquer the world.
And in the final stage, he would seize Grindelwald's triumph for himself—fulfilling his own ambition.
Heh. As expected of you, Wade.
"Tom? Why have you been spacing out all day? Did I hit you so hard last time I turned your brain to mush?" Wade asked curiously.
"No! No! I'm not dumb! Keep going…" Tom replied cautiously.
Wade gave him a suspicious look — could this guy be doing self-persuasion again? Suddenly acting so polite made Wade a little uneasy.
Anne asked worriedly, "Wade, he really didn't tell me what to do… can you guess his purpose?"
"I can't either," Wade smiled.
"Ah? Then… I guess we'll just wait until he gives the order and I'll tell you…" Anne said.
"No, by then it might be too late." Wade shook his head.
"What should I do then?" Anne asked.
Wade smiled. "I don't understand Grindelwald, but someone else does."
"You mean…"
"Heh~ Anne, once we get to Hogwarts, you should go to Dumbledore and confess. Tell Dumbledore everything you've done before. Remember, tell him everything!"
"What?!" Anne cried out, jumping to her feet. "If I tell him everything, I… I might be sent to Azkaban…"
"I don't know Grindelwald well, but I do know Dumbledore to some extent. Don't worry, you won't be sent to Azkaban. You're only twelve. Dumbledore has always been lenient toward children," Wade said confidently.
Tom muttered in protest, "Really? Then why wasn't he lenient with me before?"
"Ha, because your first impression was terrible! Think about the nonsense you used to pull! Have you no self-awareness at all?" Wade said, exasperated.
"I… fine…" Tom gave up.
"Besides, after seeing how much you've changed, isn't he being lenient with you now?" Wade added.
Tom couldn't help but nod. Dumbledore really had stopped targeting him lately and even looked after him—he'd even mailed him notes on Dark Arts! That was genuine trust.
Hearing Tom's words, Anne guessed he must have done something awful in the past but had been forgiven.
That thought brought her a bit of comfort, though worry still lingered.
"Will… will this really work? After all, I…"
"You're just a confused little girl who was once deceived and has now awakened. Even adults have been swayed by Grindelwald—how could you be blamed?" Wade smiled. "From my experience, sincerity is always the ultimate weapon when dealing with Dumbledore."
Anne pressed her lips together, lost in thought.
"You can even tell Dumbledore about the turmoil you just felt. Treat him as an elder and confide your troubles to him," Wade said.
Then his tone suddenly turned serious. "But remember this—if you confess, you must not hold anything back. Show your genuine regret, too. I can almost guarantee that Dumbledore will use Legilimency on you. However, since he's Dumbledore, he'll only check whether you're lying, not roughly dig through your thoughts."
Tom couldn't help but chime in. "Trust Wade. He knows Dumbledore better than you think. Look, last year Dumbledore was still wary of me, but I just lightly imitated his manner once, and now he's mailing me Dark Arts manuscripts!"
"When in doubt, imitate Wade. And if that still doesn't solve the problem—just ask Wade."
That had practically become Tom's code of conduct now.
Because, as he'd learned, it really worked like a charm.
Wade shot Tom a glare before continuing, "Once Dumbledore understands your predicament, he'll definitely help you keep an eye on Grindelwald—and he'll even conceal your confession to protect you. He wouldn't want Grindelwald to find out and hurt you."
"That way, Dumbledore can protect you openly, while I protect you from the shadows. At the same time, Dumbledore will learn through you that Grindelwald came with ulterior motives, and that you're a key figure in his plan. Then Dumbledore will be able to track his movements more easily. When Grindelwald's next scheme gets 'thwarted,' you'll be completely cleared of suspicion."
Tom couldn't help but smirk to the side. With that level of understanding, no wonder Wade had earned Dumbledore's trust even before enrolling.
Honestly, Tom was convinced—if Wade ever used Dark Magic to kill someone right in front of Dumbledore, the man's first reaction would probably be, 'Wade must have been forced… the other guy was definitely the villain!'
Still, Tom couldn't understand—Wade had never actually met Dumbledore before, so where did he get all this insight from? How could he know him so well?
Then Tom couldn't help but start thinking about Wade's so-called background again.
Right! It had to be that big family behind him! A family like that would naturally have every kind of information at their disposal!
Tch! Damn pure-blood families!
Anne took a deep breath and finally made up her mind. "Alright… I'll do as you say. Whatever happens, happens…"
Wade pulled out a small vial and pressed it into her hand. "This is Felix Felicis. Take one drop before you go—it'll help."
Anne accepted the vial with deep gratitude.
Tom, however, looked at Wade in shock. Knowing Wade's stingy nature, giving away a bottle of Felix Felicis was a huge deal!
It seemed clear now… in Wade's grand scheme, Anne was definitely a very important piece.
Still, what exactly was his plan? And Grindelwald—what was he thinking?
Tom's head started to ache from all the scheming.
Forget it. He wasn't going to think about it anymore. All these people plotting behind each other's backs—how dirty-minded could they get!
If it were him, he'd just grab his wand and start blasting!
See? He was way purer than all of them! A person as straightforward as him could never guess what those schemers were plotting!
_________
o(*￣▽￣*)ブSupport and read two weeks ahead of WN at-
Patreon/Captain69