Wade didn't comment much on what Carlyle's punishment would be.
Carlyle's age was his greatest shield.
Just as Dumbledore had been willing to wait for him to come to his senses while he was at school, the Ministry of Magic wouldn't easily throw someone into Azkaban just because he was thirteen.
For a Wizard, being expelled from school and having their Wand snapped was already a very severe punishment.
Of course, buying a second-hand Wand wasn't difficult, but this punishment also meant the Ministry of Magic forbade Carlyle from using magic again and from owning a Wand. If he were caught buying a second-hand Wand, he would be punished further.
Just like Hagrid, who could easily afford a hundred Wands with his wealth, but in the past could only hide his Wand in a ridiculous, broken pink umbrella.
Wade no longer paid attention to Carlyle. He put away his Wand and walked down the stairs. The busy Wizards in the hall couldn't help but look up at him, some even going out of their way to shake his hand and introduce themselves.
In a flash, Wade found himself holding several slender "pods," which were essentially the Wizarding World's "business cards," recording a Wizard's name and the specific magical signal of their Communication Pea.
Afterward, as long as Wade placed the "pod" and his own Communication Pea together for three seconds, the pea would record the information. From then on, he only needed to hold down the Communication Pea and speak the other person's name to make a call.
It took him over ten minutes to finally leave the dimly lit wooden house and step outside.
Next to a somewhat overgrown vegetable patch, Kingsley was talking to one of his Aurors.
"...Lock him up, no bail allowed. We need to gather more evidence, and we also need to confirm the identities of these Vampires and their nests..."
Upon seeing Wade, Kingsley patted his subordinate's back, told him to get to work, and then walked towards Wade.
"Hello, Wade." Kingsley's usually stern face broke into a faint smile. "That Sunlight Charm was excellent."
"Thanks," Wade said. "The Vampire who escaped..."
"It matches the information you sent. He is indeed Garr Troka, who escaped from Azkaban."
Kingsley continued, "And the person he took from the storage room, although his appearance has changed significantly from before, we can be almost certain it's another escapee, Gilderoy Lockhart."
"I didn't expect those two to still be together," Wade said earnestly. "Then Peter Pettigrew is very likely with them too... or maintaining some kind of connection."
Kingsley nodded. "That rat has vanished without a trace since his escape. These two are the only leads we have... But if Peter Pettigrew is cautious enough, he might abandon them both and go into hiding alone."
No, Peter Pettigrew would go to Voldemort... if he's still alive.
This thought flashed through Wade's mind, then he chuckled, "If they're confirmed to be of no use, then it's not too late to capture them—as long as the Tracking Charm hasn't failed or been discovered."
"Don't worry, it's impossible to discover," Kingsley said. "Hestia used a very obscure Spell that Lockhart couldn't possibly know. I asked several professors who taught him before, and they all said Lockhart's pursuit of fame far exceeded his desire to learn magic; he only delved into the parts he liked best."
After Kingsley left, Wade pressed the Communication Pea in his left ear and whispered, "Drayne?"
A moment later, he heard a voice say, "Wade Grey."
"Mill Town, number 25. They want to take me there."
"Got it."
"Thanks."
"No need to thank me. Mr. Grindelwald is also very interested in these individuals."
The call ended. Wade removed the Communication Pea and turned to look at the Magic Golem following him like a shadow.
Seeing the face he saw in the mirror every day now as a separate entity behind him felt strange.
Wade said, "Change your appearance. Haven't you noticed how oddly people are looking at you?"
The Magic Golem shrugged. "For me, external gazes hold no meaning whatsoever."
Despite saying that, his appearance subtly changed—he became slightly shorter, his body beneath his robes grew a bit stockier, his black hair turned brown, and his grey eyes became deep blue.
After walking a few steps, the Magic Golem looked like an ordinary student, completely different from Wade's appearance.
The road to the village was still as deserted as it had been on the way there, but without Carlyle present, Wade no longer had to be careful about what the Magic Golem said.
"Lockhart and Garr Troka have finally shown themselves, so it's time for you, Peter Pettigrew, to 'resurrect'," Wade whispered. "As long as the three of you are together, no one will suspect that one of you is fake."
The Magic Golem, who was actually Peter Two, nodded and said, "I'll find a suitable opportunity to meet up with them."
"Did you bring that rat?" Wade asked.
Peter Two nodded, putting his hand into his pocket, but actually reaching directly into his stomach, then pulling out a grey rat with shedding fur and a missing toe.
The rat cleverly looked around, flattened its ears, and lay motionless in Peter Two's palm.
This rat was naturally also Wade's Alchemy creation, a small body with great wisdom, just as intelligent as the real Peter Pettigrew.
Peter Pettigrew was a world-renowned Animagus, but Peter Two couldn't truly transform into a rat because the magical materials Wade used on him far exceeded the body mass of a rat.
Peter Two could change his appearance and become taller and more imposing—it was simply a change from solid to hollow. But he could only compress himself to the size of a seven or eight-year-old child at most; he couldn't become as small as a rat that could fit in a palm.
So when he needed to transform into an Animagus, this rat would have to step in, and Peter Two would hide or activate an Invisibility Spell.
"This method can only fool Lockhart and that other fellow; it can't fool truly powerful Wizards. You need to use it cautiously," Wade admonished.
"Yes," Peter Two said.
"And—" Wade opened his palm, revealing two dull black eyes. "These are the eyes I recently made for you. They can't change color, but they might be useful at critical moments."
Peter Two took the two eyes, lowered his head, dug out his original eyes, and inserted the new ones.
These eyes, like Moody's magical eye, rolled around in their sockets, each going in a different direction. It took a while for them to find their proper positions and settle down.
Peter Two looked up at Wade, his gaze much dimmer. It wasn't like before, when even if it was cold, it still had a certain vibrancy.
The bustling street was just ahead. Through this alley, many students could be seen coming and going.
Wade stopped, looking at Peter Two. "Go on, I hope everything goes well for you."
Peter Two didn't leave immediately. He murmured, "Master, I have a request."
Wade was a little surprised, then said, "Speak."
"I'd like you to give me a new name," the Magic Golem said. "Peter Pettigrew was a despicable coward, and I don't want to be called Peter Two forever. Even if no one ever knows, I want a true name of my own."
Wade paused for a moment, then suddenly asked, "Has this been your thought all along, or is it a new idea?"
The Magic Golem seemed puzzled why he asked, but honestly replied, "I've always disliked Peter Two, but it's true that I only found the courage to make this request as I was preparing to leave."
Wade looked at its eyes, constructed from inanimate material yet revealing a touch of sincerity, and chuckled. "Indeed... 'Peter Two' is a bit too casual. Let me think..."
His gaze swept over the Magic Golem, then out to the distant mountains and forests, and further to the gray-white rocks and earth.
"...How about Locke? It means 'rock,' and also symbolizes resilience and tenacity," Wade asked.
"Locke?" A smile appeared on the Magic Golem's otherwise ordinary face. "I like it very much."
...
Number 25 Mill Town was actually an abandoned, uninhabited villa in the suburbs. The entire family who owned the villa had died over ten years ago, but there were no injuries found, nor any fatal diseases, leading to bizarre rumors about the incident.
Rumors persisted that restless ghosts still wandered the villa, so the town residents never went near it.
However, in the past few days, people had been witnessing strange figures suddenly appearing and disappearing inside the villa. Sometimes, bats would circle around, and a few new ghost stories quietly spread through the town.
The protagonists of these ghost stories had spent a full day, under the cover of night, rigging bombs inside and outside the building and setting up various heavy weapons, all aimed at the roaring fireplace.
"What's wrong with Byrd?" someone impatiently asked. "Did the operation fail?"
The leader checked his watch. "Five more minutes. If they don't show up by then, we leave immediately!"
No sooner had he spoken than the villa door suddenly exploded. Several figures stood in the doorway. Before anyone could get a clear look at them, they all shouted in unison:
"Arcayus-Tomio!"
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