Inside the wizard tower.
Dumbledore looked around the empty laboratory before him with curiosity.
Fortunately, after what had happened with Slytherin, Wade had not conducted any forbidden experiments here again, so there were no troubling traces left behind.
Wade snapped his fingers, and the floor and walls of the ground-floor laboratory began to change.
Before long, the empty laboratory transformed into a warm living room.
The shelves that had once held experimental materials became a softly glowing fireplace.
"This is my house-elf, Tobby. It belonged to his former master, but they're gone now, so I obtained this place from him," Wade said briefly.
In the wizarding world, building a house did not require complicated procedures. As long as Muggles were not exposed and the International Statute of Secrecy was not violated, one could build anywhere.
So with Tobby's former master gone, there was nothing wrong with Wade moving into this ownerless house.
Dumbledore naturally had no objections. After seeing the laboratory on the ground floor, several of his doubts had already been resolved.
For instance, Wade's new potions, novel spells, and things like the Marauder's Map all required a quiet place for experimentation.
He had previously wondered where Wade had developed these things.
Now it seemed the answer was here.
Slytherin's account was very detailed, though it concealed certain things for Wade.
For example, Wade's little "harmless" experiments.
The more Dumbledore listened, the heavier his expression became.
Because throughout Slytherin's story, everything revolved around a single key point.
Ancient magic.
Whether it was the ancient sage Slytherin spoke of, or Slytherin's own soul that had been imprisoned for a thousand years, all of it was inseparable from ancient magic.
And in this era, as far as Dumbledore knew, Wade was the only one left with a talent for ancient magic.
That left Dumbledore deeply uneasy, as if Wade might be schemed against and killed at any moment.
"I know what you're worried about, Professor Dumbledore. It is also what I'm worried about," Slytherin said in a low voice. "I have already fallen into their scheme and been manipulated. So I do not wish for this boy to suffer the same fate. Even if the legacy of the ancient sage has been lost, I still hope that one day, he can rediscover his purpose. So please, promise me you will protect him."
It was clear that Slytherin held a deep attachment to the ancient sage who had once taught him.
Dumbledore nodded solemnly.
"Even if you hadn't said so, I would have done the same," he said, then paused before continuing, "There is something I must apologize to you for."
Slytherin asked, "For what?"
"Forgive me for being frank, but I cannot agree with some of your views. So when I found traces of chicken droppings in the Chamber of Secrets, I thought…"
"Thought what? That I intended to hatch another Basilisk and purge the castle?" Slytherin burst out laughing.
Hatch a Basilisk? Of course. Just not me, but your most trusted student.
Naturally, Dumbledore had no way of knowing what Slytherin was thinking.
In his view, since Slytherin intended to go out personally to investigate the truth of the matter, he naturally would not have the time to hatch another Basilisk in the Chamber of Secrets and purge the Muggle-born students from the school.
This matter was likely just a misunderstanding.
Or rather… someone else was trying to hatch the Basilisk.
Thinking of this, Dumbledore could not help but glance at Wade, who stood nearby with an innocent expression.
Even though Slytherin had not said it outright, Dumbledore had already guessed.
When it came to sheer audacity, there was no one in all of Hogwarts who could match this boy.
The key was that he rarely acted recklessly alone. More often than not, he would pull in others who could be of help and charge ahead together.
So… if he intended to hatch a Basilisk this time, who would he bring in as an accomplice?
Dumbledore did not need to think long. A plump figure immediately appeared in his mind.
Of course… in all of Hogwarts, only Horace would go so far for a student, with so few scruples.
Even so, being able to persuade Horace to help was proof that Wade truly had his own capabilities.
Sigh, Wade was indeed a good child, but he often failed to consider the consequences of his actions.
That bad habit had to be corrected. Such a promising talent could not be allowed to go astray.
Wade could not help wiping the sweat from his brow. The occasional glances Dumbledore cast his way gave him a very bad feeling.
At that moment, Slytherin smiled and said, "I admit that I was indeed biased in the past. I believed that Muggle-born students were crude and foolish, like pigs… but this boy Wade convinced me. Well, although I did not admit it to his face before… his words truly did persuade me."
"In the past, Muggle-born students seemed foolish because, before enrolling, they had never received any systematic education. Many of them could barely even read, so of course they appeared slower. It was something I overlooked back then. Looking at it now, I truly am inferior to the other three… I could not achieve the same ideal of teaching without discrimination."
Wade looked at Slytherin in surprise. "I didn't expect someone as proud as you to admit your mistakes today. When I said this to you before, you were furious."
"Do you think I was angry because I refused to admit my mistake?" Slytherin snapped. "I was angry because you didn't give me any face at all! I'm one of the four founders, you know. Would it have killed you to show me a little respect?"
Dumbledore said with relief, "So that's how it is…"
Even someone as stubbornly devoted to pure-blood ideals as Slytherin had his views changed by Wade.
Could it be that this child's talent lay in influencing others? He truly was a good boy.
Slytherin let out another sigh. "As for my disappointing descendants, I already know their fate. So be it… let pure-blood ideology be buried in the dust of history. Besides, I now have more important matters to attend to."
"Do you have any leads?" Dumbledore asked.
"Not for the moment. But I will revisit the places I went to a thousand years ago and see if I can find any clues," Slytherin said with a frown.
There were no leads at all for now. He could only return to old haunts and rely on chance.
"If you find nothing, then return to Hogwarts," Dumbledore said seriously. "From what you've told me, the one behind all this has already made a move against Wade…"
Slytherin recalled how, upon his awakening, he had nearly killed Wade himself. "Indeed…"
"So it would be better for you to remain at Hogwarts. At the very least, if that person makes another move, there will be one more to protect Wade. With some luck, we may even uncover new clues," Dumbledore said thoughtfully.
The one behind everything was far too mysterious and seemed extremely powerful. Having another ally would only help.
"I'm not that weak, you know…" Wade muttered.
He wasn't as fragile as a second-year Harry. He had plenty of magic and methods at his disposal.
In fact, if that person could scheme against him without a trace, then what difference would it make even if both Dumbledore and Slytherin were at Hogwarts?
Besides, the two of them could not stay by his side all the time.
Dumbledore had heard Wade's words and said seriously, "In my opinion, you still need training. More rigorous training."
Wade's eyes widened. "Wasn't our previous training strict enough?"
"I used to think it was, but now… after learning that your potential enemy possesses such strength, I find it far from sufficient. If it were any other young wizard, I wouldn't have such expectations. But you, Wade, must fully develop your potential," Dumbledore said solemnly.
It was simple. For ordinary young wizards, there were limits. At their age, no matter how much they trained, their strength could only grow so much.
Magical power had to be built up gradually, and it also increased with age.
But Wade was different. His magical power was already formidable, which meant he could skip the process of strengthening it and move straight to honing it.
Wade swallowed and turned to Slytherin. "Sir, how about you don't leave?"
If Slytherin stayed, Dumbledore's attention might shift to him instead of focusing entirely on training Wade.
"Heh, you'd better listen to your professor. You wouldn't actually want me to stay," Slytherin said, baring his teeth in a chilling smile. "You don't think my training methods would be gentle, do you?"
"Then you should definitely leave," Wade said quickly, waving his hands.
Slytherin's skills had all been honed through life-and-death battles. If he were the one to train Wade, it would undoubtedly be far harsher than Dumbledore's methods.
The worst-case scenario would be both of them training him at the same time. Who could endure that?
"Wade, I will train you properly," Dumbledore said meaningfully.
Wade felt an overwhelming pressure bear down on him.
This is bad!
Only now did Wade remember that Dumbledore of this era was not as kind and approachable as he would be in later years.
No matter what, he had deceived him. There was no way that this shrewd old man would not quietly take his revenge.
With a mournful expression, Wade raised his hand. "Can we bring Tom along?"
"Tom?" Dumbledore asked in surprise. "Why bring him?"
"It's to save time, Professor. He already comes to you often to learn about love magic anyway. We might as well train together," Wade said with an honest smile.
Slytherin cast him a sideways glance. "You're planning to drag my descendant into this as well, aren't you?"
He knew Wade all too well. The moment he realized he was about to suffer, he would pull someone else down with him so he wouldn't have to suffer alone.
Wade spoke with complete sincerity. "Sir, I mean well. You should know that Professor Dumbledore is the greatest wizard of this century. Do you have any idea how many people would envy the chance to be personally taught by him?"
"Wade, I am hardly the greatest wizard…" Dumbledore said quickly.
At this time, he had not yet defeated Grindelwald, and his reputation was nowhere near what it would become, so he had never been called that before.
"Professor, there's no need to be modest. It's only a matter of time," Wade replied at once.
Slytherin, however, truly began to consider it. He was well aware of Dumbledore's strength.
For someone so "young" to already possess such power, his future achievements would be limitless. If his descendant could receive personal guidance from him…
After pondering for quite a while, Slytherin turned to Dumbledore and said, "My descendant… could I entrust him to you? No matter what, Tom is Wade's closest friend. If Wade is drawn into this turmoil, Tom may not be able to escape it either. So he, too, must grow stronger."
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Poor Wade and poorer Tom XD
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