"All right, since we've got what we came for, let's head back," Wade said, a little impatient.
"Haha~ Don't rush off yet, Wade. Since you're already here, it's not too late to have lunch together before leaving," Aberforth said quickly.
Wade stroked the box in his hands. "But I already ate at noon."
"I only had one pie," Tom said quietly, raising his hand.
Wade glanced at Tom, then at Dumbledore beside him, who seemed to want to say something but held back. In the end, he set the box down.
"Fine. I suppose I can still eat a bit more."
At Wade's words, a hint of delight flashed in Dumbledore's eyes.
"Ahem… may I stay for a meal as well, Aberforth?" Dumbledore asked.
Aberforth shot him a sidelong look. "Of course you can. But…"
"I have to pay, right? I understand." Dumbledore reached into his pocket and placed a few gold Galleons on the bar.
Seeing this, Aberforth did not make things difficult for him.
"Toby, could you keep an eye on the shop for me?" Aberforth asked.
Toby looked toward Wade. If he was going to help, he needed Wade's approval.
Wade asked, "Toby, have you eaten?"
Toby blinked, and then his large eyes suddenly turned red.
"Master Wade actually asked if Toby has eaten first! Oh… Toby… Toby is so moved! Waah! waah! Wuwu…"
"Uh… Toby, so have you eaten or not?"
"Huh?" Hearing Wade repeat the question, Toby immediately acted as if he had committed a grave mistake. He grabbed Dumbledore's sherry and tried to smash it against his own head.
"Bad Toby! Bad Toby! Toby didn't answer Master's question right away!"
Wade reacted quickly, snatching the sherry away, finally ensuring that Dumbledore's Galleons had not been wasted.
"Stop that. Just answer the question. Without my permission, you are not allowed to punish yourself."
"Wuwuwu… Toby understands! Toby…" Toby sniffed loudly, then continued, "Toby answers Master's question. Toby has already eaten."
"Good. Then help Aberforth watch the shop for now," Wade said with a nod.
"Toby understands!"
After the brief commotion, Wade followed Aberforth and the others into the living area behind the bar.
Toby, meanwhile, stayed in the front with Tom-the-cat to tend to the customers.
When Wade and Tom were staying at the Hog's Head, Toby had worked as a bartender before, so he was quite familiar with the job.
As for Tom, he set the flowerpot in a corner of the bar counter, then leaned against it and fell fast asleep.
Now that he fed on nutrient solution, Tom was no longer as interested in ordinary food as he used to be.
Before going to cook, Aberforth deliberately pulled Dumbledore aside.
"Wade is a good kid who even respects house-elves. You mustn't let that bastard lead him astray!"
"Don't worry, Aberforth," Dumbledore said seriously.
…
The lamb chops Aberforth cooked were excellent.
Even Wade, who was already full, ate two more pieces.
During the meal, Aurelius brought up Nagini's whereabouts.
Wade said, "Before she left, she told me that her past life felt like a cage. Now, she just wants to travel and see the world."
"But… the Muggle world is at war everywhere right now. It's not safe for her to be traveling," Aurelius said worriedly.
"Don't worry. Not long ago, she sent me a letter saying she's currently learning magic from a powerful wizard, so I shouldn't worry," Wade said with a smile.
"I see…"
Although Aurelius felt somewhat relieved upon hearing this, he was still saddened by Nagini's deliberate distance.
Even if she didn't want to stay, they were still friends, weren't they? Had she really become unwilling to write him even a single letter?
…
Crack!
Inside the stone chamber, a bolt of lightning descended from above, shattering more than a dozen sturdy wooden targets into splinters.
Nagini let out a light breath. This difficult weather spell was finally mastered today.
"Very good." An ethereal voice came from behind her.
Nagini turned around and saw Wade's senior.
As always, she wore that green wizard robe embroidered with silver patterns.
Only today, a pair of glasses rested on her pale nose, making her appear more refined than before.
"Teacher," Nagini said with a nod.
Previously, the senior had told her to address her however she liked. After some thought, Nagini felt it was more appropriate to call her teacher.
It suited the situation, after all, since she was indeed learning magic from her now.
Still, perhaps she was being overly sensitive, but Nagini felt that her teacher seemed somewhat different today… as if she had grown a little more sorrowful.
She had only been away for half a month…
"In terms of combat, you have already mastered enough spells and techniques. Next, you may choose to leave, or you may stay and continue learning other areas of knowledge," the senior said calmly.
Nagini fell silent for a moment before asking, "After I leave, can I come back?"
"Of course. Since I promised Wade, I will do my best to train you well."
Nagini said, "In that case, I'd like to go out and travel for a while."
The senior nodded. "Going out for a while is good. Staying cooped up here all the time is indeed unpleasant… I understand that better than anyone. Then go. As for how to return here, I assume I don't need to repeat it."
Nagini nodded. "Yes, I understand, Teacher."
With a wave of her hand, a pale green wand floated gently to Nagini's side.
"This is a wand I had goblin craftsmen make for you using a new technique. Take it."
Nagini reached out, her face full of joy as she accepted the wand.
The moment it touched her hand, a faint green glow spread around her…
She couldn't tell what material it was made from. It didn't feel like wood, more like metal.
Seeing this, the senior nodded in satisfaction. "It suits you well."
Goblins might be greedy creatures, but when it came to craftsmanship, they were unmatched.
In the past, wizards had monopolized the making and use of wands. Otherwise, the Ollivander family's wands might not have held such a high standing.
After all, the techniques passed down within a single family were difficult to compare with the collective effort of an entire race.
Especially when dealing with a group of goblins who had been enslaved to the point of losing themselves, their minds empty of distractions, knowing only how to research and work…
"Be careful while you're out. If you have the time, capture some Dark wizards for me. The more wicked, the better. Bring them here after you catch them. It just so happens you also need some practical combat experience," the senior said in a detached tone.
Nagini was a little curious, but she didn't dare to ask.
"No need to overthink it. I simply need some human wizards to work for me. And only by enslaving those truly unforgivable individuals will Wade have no objections."
Nagini had no issue with that.
She had already seen the methods her teacher used to enslave people.
Enslaving those utterly wicked Dark wizards was far better than enslaving good people. After all, they deserved it.
Only…
"Teacher… what if I can't defeat them…"
"Have more confidence, Nagini. I understand your strength better than you do."
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