Wade felt as if time sped up the moment he arrived at school. It began to pass in weeks, and in a blink, Monday would turn into Friday, followed by the weekend.
Students heading to Hogsmeade Village were already waiting by the school gates, gloves and scarves on.
"Don't forget the Boggart training, Wade!"
As he jumped off the carriage, Michael waved and shouted, then walked off with Harry and the others.
Wade smiled and nodded. He then saw Carlyle wave goodbye to his Gryffindor friends and walk towards Wade, breathing into his hands.
"Damn it!" Carlyle complained, hands in his pockets. "This weather is bloody cold!"
"If you didn't underdress to look cooler, you'd find today's temperature quite comfortable," Wade said, a slight smile playing on his lips.
"I'm bigger than you. They say I look like a bear if I wear too many layers – and my home is a bit further away."
Carlyle led Wade, and the two walked along the path between the houses, heading towards the edge of the village.
"Who are 'they'?" Wade asked from behind him.
"Just… girls."
"Then you should find someone who appreciates your strength, instead of trying to please a bunch of girls who mock you for looking like a bear," Wade said. "Besides, they won't think you look cool by underdressing; they'll just think it's foolish."
"I was lying… I'm not actually cold," Carlyle insisted stubbornly.
"Your snot's practically freezing," Wade mercilessly exposed his pretense.
As soon as he finished speaking, both of them paused, suddenly feeling a sense of returning to their childhood.
Back then, Carlyle was also constantly messing around, doing inexplicable silly things, and Wade, who was dragged along to play, would complain about him.
Most of the time, Carlyle knew Wade was right, but because he found it amusing, he would just do whatever he wanted without much thought for the consequences.
So, after a day of playing, Wade would return home clean, while Carlyle often had bruises everywhere, unable to explain how he got them.
But those days were truly happy!
Carlyle's steps grew slower and slower until he suddenly stopped when a wooden cabin, almost entirely obscured by tall trees, appeared at the edge of their vision.
"Wade?"
"Hmm?"
"I said you could bring a few friends… why didn't you?"
"I'm already a guest; it wouldn't be right to bring other uninvited guests, would it? Besides, Michael and the others already had plans today."
"Then did you inform… did you tell any professor?"
"Why would I need to tell a professor if I'm just visiting your house for half a day?" Wade's voice sounded a bit surprised. "Carlyle, what exactly are you trying to say?"
"Nothing."
Carlyle walked ahead with his head down for a few steps, then realized the footsteps behind him hadn't followed.
He turned around and saw Wade standing still, the shadows of the houses on either side casting down, as if to engulf him in darkness. Yet, his light gray eyes were calm and bright, as if washed by moonlight.
The morning sunlight fell on Carlyle, but he felt no warmth, only a chilling cold that penetrated to his bones, making his hands and feet icy.
Carlyle forced a smile and asked, "Why aren't you walking, Wade?"
"Do you want to talk, Carlyle?" Wade said. "Right now, right here… Is there anything you want to say?"
Carlyle was silent for a moment, then asked, "…Say what?"
"I don't know… perhaps anything."
Wade said, "Like how your parents came to Hogsmeade, or the purpose of this invitation, or your experiences before coming to Hogwarts… anything you want to say. If you need it, you know I can help you too."
Carlyle gave a helpless laugh and said, "You're just a student; what can you help me with?"
"Don't beat around the bush; you know what I mean, Carlyle," Wade said calmly.
For a moment, scenes of his conversations with Dumbledore flashed through his mind.
…
The old man, who rarely appeared outside of meal times, didn't just stay in the Headmaster's Office all day writing letters, reading newspapers, and playing with figurines. Behind the scenes, he did many things others couldn't imagine—
Presiding over Wizengamot trials, helping the Ministry of Magic solve various problems, investigating Voldemort, hindering Grindelwald's expansion… and, of course, investigating a certain Vampire student.
"Wade, I believe Carlyle must have realized certain issues, such as his current parents not being his true parents."
Dumbledore sat in his high-backed chair, a look of pity on his face, sighing softly.
"I had planned to tell him the truth before the holidays and help him completely escape that so-called Vampire family, but Carlyle refused."
"He has other plans in mind, unwilling for me to know, and he doesn't want to shake off that fake couple. I feel the boy seems to want to do something very dangerous."
"Then what do you plan to do, Professor?" Wade asked. "Wouldn't it be simpler to just kill those adult Vampires?"
"Patience, Wade. The Vampires seem to be gathering. And I also want to give the boy a chance… he's not even fourteen yet. He deserves a chance to correct himself."
…
"This is an opportunity, Carlyle," Wade said. "Once we step into that house, perhaps everything will change. But for now, you can still turn back."
Carlyle suddenly smiled. "You still told Dumbledore, didn't you?"
"Of course."
"Do you know he's busy today? He'll be tied up."
"I trust Dumbledore."
"Ha! Trust! Must be nice, having the most powerful wizard in the world at your beck and call." Carlyle sneered. "I'm truly jealous of you, Wade. Why does bad luck never seem to find you?"
"Is that what you think?" Wade asked calmly. "Just because you got caught in the rain, you wish I didn't have an umbrella?"
Carlyle hadn't heard that before. He paused, slightly taken aback, then quickly understood. He gritted his teeth and said, "If you'd gone through what I have, you wouldn't be so calm right now, Shakespeare!"
"I'm not as oblivious as you think, Carlyle." Wade said, "If I were in your shoes, I would definitely seek revenge, but I would never inflict tragedy on my friends."
"Revenge?" Carlyle asked, annoyed and unconvinced. "What good is revenge? It changes nothing!"
"And being manipulated by those people is beneficial?" Wade countered.
Carlyle's nostrils flared, his expression exceptionally angry, but he didn't continue the argument.
"I'll return your words, Wade—you still have a chance to turn back now. You'd better run fast, because my enthusiastic friends will catch up to you soon. Or you can keep going, but I must warn you, the Dumbledore you trust might not always be able to protect you."
They stared at each other, a wand poking out from Carlyle's sleeve.
He seemed convinced Wade would try to take him down first, his body tense and ready to cast a spell at any moment.
After a few particularly long seconds, Wade suddenly stepped out of the shadow in the corner, walked past Carlyle, and headed towards the old wooden house.
Carlyle was stunned for a moment, then hurried to follow him.
Now Wade was in front, and Carlyle was behind. He looked at the seemingly unguarded back, his eyes struggling with unprecedented intensity. His fingers curled slightly, lifting and lowering several times as if wanting to reach out.
As if in a daze, the wooden house was suddenly right in front of them.
Who knew how many years of wind and rain this house had endured? The walls looked crooked, yet it miraculously remained standing. The garden was overgrown with weeds, with only a narrow path leading to the front door.
Wade vaguely felt someone watching him. He turned to look but only saw the rough window frame.
Through the wooden wall, he couldn't see the name of the person inside, but then a slightly plump woman walked out.
She wore an apron, her hands clasped together, dressed like a maid, and smiled as she said, "Oh, dear Carlyle, and this handsome young guest, please come in... They've been waiting for you!"
-----------
Machine Translation by: https:// randomtranslator.com/
Read ***+ original & fanfic translations in English, Español, Português, Deutsch, Français, or Русский
Or Translate for free at : https:// randomtranslator.com/translate
Join our Discord: https:// discord.com/invite/XXUR9nkjwa
-----------