Wade lifted the flap of the tent—and saw Sirius Black at a glance.
He was leaning against a nearby support pillar with a campfire lit in front of him, and his grey eyes were fixed on the flames, lost in thought. He was still wearing the wizard robes Dumbledore had conjured for him when he returned to human form.
Hearing the sound, Sirius looked up and asked, "Done talking?"
"Yeah," Wade replied, walking over. "You've been waiting here the whole time?"
"Tonight's camp's not exactly peaceful," Sirius said, pointing toward the nearby Ministry of Magic tent. "Figured I'd stick around and eavesdrop a little. Their arguments are more entertaining than Muggle talk shows."
"They're still arguing?" Wade glanced over instinctively. That tent now looked perfectly quiet—possibly under a Silencing Charm.
"Not anymore. They just had a fight. You should've seen it—"
Sirius grinned. "The Bulgarian Minister of Magic charged out of the tent like a wild boar and knocked Fudge flying. Then this huge woman ran out and leapt onto the Bulgarian Minister—nearly crushed the life out of him."
Wade genuinely regretted missing that scene and sighed. "If only they'd fought a little later… No reporters caught it on camera?"
"Hard to say," Sirius said with a snicker, then tilted his chin toward the sky. "SMC's got plenty of those things flying around. Wouldn't be surprised if the two Ministers make tomorrow's Streaming Mirror news!"
Up in the night sky, a small blue bird perched on the roof of a nearby tent, staring unblinkingly in the direction of the Ministry's tent.
By now, most of the wizarding world knew that these birds were SMC's recording mirrors—highly agile and clever. They often captured shocking or hilarious footage from all around.
Rumor had it the Ministry had even scrambled to form a special news department, trying to draft regulations for what Streaming Mirror broadcasts were allowed to show.
Marchionne, however, had played it smart. His goal was always to make money—not stir up political wars. So Streaming Mirror content rarely touched on politics or sensitive issues. Most of it was light-hearted, funny, or filled with Muggle film and TV adaptations.
If Fudge passed some new laws, Marchionne wouldn't use his programs to criticize them.
But two Ministers brawling with their bare hands?
Now that was entertainment. There was no way he'd skip that story.
Wade smiled knowingly.
Sirius didn't ask what Wade had discussed with Dumbledore, but instead gave him a warning similar to the Headmaster's—not to trust unfamiliar animals, using the Weasley family as a cautionary tale.
Wade couldn't exactly say he had "cheat-skills," so he nodded obediently and agreed.
By the time they returned to the tent, the sky was beginning to brighten. Around the campsite, many were packing up and heading toward Portkey manager in hopes of leaving as soon as possible.
Seeing the long line, Wade paused and said, "I won't be leaving with you guys."
He looked toward the noisy wizards dragging their children around and said, "This'll probably hit Streaming Mirror very soon. I want to get home before my parents start panicking."
Sirius stared at him for a few seconds, then suddenly grinned, reached out, and ruffled Wade's hair.
"All right then. Be sharp when you're home—and stay safe."
"Moody lives right next door to us," Wade said with a smile. "He's probably the most vigilant wizard in the world."
He returned to his bedroom and quickly packed up a few things. Since Harry and the others were apparently still asleep, he didn't say goodbye to anyone and simply Apparated away.
The campsite was far from Wade's home, and to be safe, he Apparated twice before reaching the town.
Worried that the loud pop of Apparition—like a gunshot—might frighten his parents, Wade first appeared in a nearby alley, then walked the rest of the way home.
As soon as he opened the front door, the living room lights switched on, and a moment later, Fiona came rushing out at full speed, hugged Wade in a tight hug, and her body trembled slightly.
"Thank God… you're alive… you're finally home…" Fiona said in a choked voice with tears in her eyes.
Wade could feel the strength in her embrace—tight enough to nearly squeeze him into her. He gently patted his mother's back and said softly, "It's all right, I'm home now. I'm totally fine, not even a scratch…"
"As long as you're safe, we can talk about everything once we're inside."
Fred pulled Fiona aside and wrapped both his wife and son tightly in his arms, then led them into the house.
On the Streaming Mirror in the living room, scenes of the rampaging Irish leprechauns were playing. The Streaming Mirror broadcast wasn't censored, so the bloody images hit the eyes directly, and the screams were loud and clear.
"It's actually over now—this is just earlier footage. I heard all the leprechauns and Veela have been subdued, and the Ministry's investigating what drove them into madness."
Wade sat down and said casually, "We stayed the whole time in Sirius Black's tent. You know, ancient magical families always have some powerful protective enchantments, so we never encountered any danger."
"That's good," Fiona said, patting her chest in relief. "I was terrified… I kept thinking something terrible had happened to you."
Hearing that, Wade touched the communication bean still in his ear, puzzled, and checked that he hadn't missed any messages. He asked:
"If you were that worried, why didn't you contact me? I thought you were asleep and didn't know what was going on at the camp."
Fred, sitting beside him, said helplessly, "That's what I said too. But your mother was afraid that calling you at that moment might distract you."
Fiona said seriously, "You know how in movies, the main character is fighting an enemy or sneaking into danger, and a sudden phone call nearly gets them killed?"
"So I'd rather be worried sick myself than put you in that kind of danger."
Fred glanced at his wife with a gentle smile, clearly finding her endearing.
Now that Wade had returned safely, the couple finally had the heart to relax and joke around. They avoided mentioning the obvious casualties at the camp and instead chatted about the just-finished Quidditch World Cup.
SMC had broadcast the entire match live, allowing those who couldn't attend in person to still fully enjoy the spectacle.
As they talked, Wade let out a yawn. Fiona, knowing he hadn't slept all night, quickly urged him to go upstairs and rest.
When the sound of the bedroom door closing came from upstairs, the air in the living room suddenly grew quiet. The smiles on the Grays' faces faded.
"…Fredy, I'm starting to regret sending him to Hogwarts," Fiona said softly, leaning against her husband's shoulder. "Time after time… it's just so dangerous! He didn't get caught up in it this time, but… what about the next?"
—Didn't get caught up in it? Not necessarily.
Fred recalled the look in his son's eyes and thought silently.
When a boy becomes a man, the things he goes through, the growth of his awareness and sense of responsibility—they all show in his eyes.
Fred didn't voice his suspicions. Instead, he pulled his wife into a hug and said quietly:
"I know. We both know how dangerous the wizarding world is. But did you see Wade's eyes when he was studying magic? He loves it. And he loves the friends he's made there."
Tears welled in Fiona's eyes, but she still nodded. "Yeah… I remember how bored Wade always looked in regular school… He had a few kids to hang out with, but he always kept his distance from everyone…"
"So… maybe he was always meant to belong in the wizarding world. We can't take that happiness from him."
Fred gently held Fiona's hand and said, "Even if we're no longer able to protect him ourselves, we have to trust him. Support him. Respect his choices. Whatever challenges he faces, we'll always be there for him."
Fiona nodded, closed her eyes, and nestled deeper into her husband's arms. Fred lowered his head and kissed her forehead.
At that moment, the Streaming Mirror screen turned to static. After a few flickers, a new, pitch-dark scene appeared.
Fred immediately understood: the Alliance had hijacked SMC's signal again to push their propaganda.
He reflexively looked up, expecting more of their usual black-magic-driven messaging. But the next moment, Fred suddenly sat bolt upright and cold crept over his limbs as he stared at the screen—
Countless towering trees—like ancient demonic titans—were thundering toward the floodlit stadium.
And between them and the stadium, only a few dozen wizards stood shoulder-to-shoulder, forming what looked like a fragile, hopeless wall of defense.
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⭐Harry Potter: Becoming a Study God (HP:BSG)- 200+ Chapters
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