"Hmm? Now this really is strange," Ren muttered as he stared at Dumbledore.
"What's strange?" Dumbledore asked.
"Out of all the people who've come asking about Wade these past few days, you're the first one who didn't leave immediately after asking about him," Ren said in surprise.
"That's because I still have a few questions I'd like to ask you, Mr Chang," Dumbledore replied with a smile.
Looking at Dumbledore's warm expression, Ren stroked his chin.
"You look like a good person. Please, come in. I have quite a few questions I'd like to ask you as well."
As it happened, Ren was home alone. After inviting Dumbledore into the sitting room, he fetched a tea set and began preparing tea himself.
Dumbledore watched with great interest as Ren demonstrated the elaborate process of making tea.
However, Ren's question came before the tea was finished.
"You don't look like an ordinary man. So... who exactly are you?"
"My name is Albus Dumbledore. I'm a professor at Hogwarts... and also the Deputy Headmaster," Dumbledore replied.
He had deliberately added "Deputy Headmaster", not out of vanity, but because it would make the conversation easier.
After all, Hogwarts carried considerable prestige throughout the European wizarding world. Every Hogwarts professor was highly respected, let alone its Deputy Headmaster.
Sure enough, upon hearing Dumbledore's title, Ren visibly paused in the middle of preparing the tea.
"Please." Ren pushed a teacup towards Dumbledore. "Since you're a Hogwarts professor, that puts my mind at ease. Besides... I've heard the name Dumbledore ever since arriving in Britain."
Dumbledore picked up the hot teacup and copied Ren's example, taking a gentle sip.
It was slightly bitter at first, but the flavour lingered sweetly afterwards. Even though Dumbledore was not particularly fond of tea, he had to admit that this was excellent.
"Wonderful tea," Dumbledore said with genuine admiration.
"I knew you'd appreciate it," Ren replied with a smile. "If you like it, you can take some home with you."
"Thank you very much. Now then, since I'm the one visiting today, if you have any questions, you should ask them first," Dumbledore said as he set down his cup.
"Who exactly is Wade Reynolds? And why have so many people come here asking about him?" Ren asked immediately.
Dumbledore looked at him in surprise.
If Ren was asking that question, then he clearly wasn't a member of Wade's family.
"Wade is a student at Hogwarts. As for why so many people have come asking about you... it's because they want to know whether you're a member of the mysterious family backing him," Dumbledore explained.
Ren looked at Dumbledore in confusion. The answer had only given rise to more questions.
"I assume you've seen the Daily Prophet's report about St Mungo's discovering a potion capable of effectively treating Dragon Pox?" Dumbledore asked.
"Of course. It was front-page news. Malfoy became the first person to be completely cured of Dragon Pox. You'd have to try very hard not to see a story like that," Ren replied with a sigh.
"The mysterious person mentioned in the report, the one who provided the potion formula to St Mungo's... was Wade," Dumbledore said with a smile.
"So everyone has started suspecting that he has a powerful family behind him? And that this potion formula came from them?" Ren said, beginning to understand. "If that's true, then the family behind Wade must be extraordinary. They're handing out cures for Dragon Pox as if they were nothing."
Dumbledore nodded.
"Many people want to find Wade's family and discuss possible cooperation with them. After all, if they can produce a cure for Dragon Pox without a second thought, then they presumably possess many other things of even greater value. Mr Chang, you happened to join the Ministry of Magic at this exact moment, and... a month ago, both you and Wade appear to have travelled through the Soviet Union."
Ren froze.
Recalling his chance encounter with Wade that day in Diagon Alley, he suddenly understood.
"So that's what this is about. In truth, Wade and I only met once. That day in Diagon Alley... he popped out of nowhere and bumped into me, we chatted a little longer than usual. He did tell me that he'd been in the Soviet Union as well. But in reality, we never met there. The only reason we knew we'd both been in the Soviet Union was because we'd each encountered and dealt with the same group of thugs."
Dumbledore blinked.
"As far as I know, about a month ago, the daughter of the Head of the Soviet Auror Office disappeared. The Ministry dispatched Aurors throughout the Soviet Union to search for her."
"That had nothing to do with me!" Ren immediately replied.
Dumbledore sighed.
"I know it may have had nothing to do with you. But when it comes to that child, Wade... it's difficult to say. He's a good boy, but... he does have a habit of getting himself into trouble."
In truth, after learning that Wade had secretly travelled to the Soviet Union, Dumbledore had already begun to suspect that Wade was involved.
After all, Wade had never been a particularly well-behaved child, and Dumbledore still didn't know why he had suddenly gone to the Soviet Union in the first place.
"A child who frequently causes trouble can hardly be called a good child, right?" Ren remarked casually.
Dumbledore smiled.
"It's perfectly normal for children to be mischievous. As long as they don't lose their way when it truly matters, they can still be called good children."
"Very well." Ren poured Dumbledore another cup of tea. "I've finished asking my questions. Now it's your turn."
"Actually, while answering your questions, I managed to figure out a few things myself. Accordingly, I have far fewer questions to ask you," Dumbledore said, taking another sip of tea.
Ren Olds Chang looked at Dumbledore and waited for him to continue.
"What I'd like to ask is this..." Dumbledore suddenly said. "Do you think Wade really has a mysterious family behind him?"
Ren stroked his thin moustache.
"First of all, I don't really know how that boy ended up in Britain. When I first met him, he told me he was an orphan. However, the abilities he displayed didn't resemble those of an orphan with no one to rely on."
"He has always performed exceptionally well at school..."
"Does Hogwarts teach Apparition to students his age?" Ren asked.
Dumbledore shook his head.
"We've never taught him. He seems to have learned it on his own. And I never questioned him about it. After all, everyone is entitled to their own little secrets."
Dumbledore knew that many of the Dark Arts Wade knew had come from the tower in the Forbidden Forest.
However, magic such as Apparition was notably absent from that tower's extensive collection of Dark Arts.
"Then there you have it," Ren concluded. "From the moment I met him, I had the impression that he came from a very respectable wizarding family. Yet he told me he was an orphan."
Dumbledore pondered this for a moment.
"You come from the same country as his family. In your opinion, which family might Wade belong to?"
Ren smiled.
"In our country, there are countless wizarding families with the surname Chang, Li, and Yuan. Knowing only his surname tells you absolutely nothing about which family he belongs to."
"And besides..." Ren continued, "the wizards in our country are very different from yours. They prefer to remain hidden. There are countless secluded families living deep in the mountains and forests. You hide yourselves from Muggles, but we hide ourselves even from fellow wizards. In fact, our Ministry of Magic is little more than a formality. Most wizarding families don't recognise its authority."
China was simply too large. With such an enormous population, the number of native-born wizards was naturally substantial.
Yet China had no magical schools. Most magical education took place within families.
As a result, conflicts between wizarding families over resources and inherited knowledge were commonplace.
For this very reason, Chinese wizards were often even more wary of their magical peers than they were of Muggles.
Under such circumstances, the emergence of secluded families that quietly developed their strength was perfectly natural.
Therefore, even Ren, despite being from the same country, had no way of knowing which outstanding family Wade might belong to.
Dumbledore suddenly asked with curiosity, "What about Muggle-born witches and wizards? They wouldn't receive family education."
Ren replied, "Not every family remains hidden. Those that live openly all have their own territories of influence. Any magical child born within those territories is taken in and educated from a young age. By adulthood, they naturally become members of those families. Since talented individuals continue to emerge, these families only grow stronger. In fact, within their territories, their authority often surpasses that of the Ministry of Magic."
"On the other hand, some of the truly secluded families have gradually declined. As a result, much valuable knowledge and many traditions have slowly disappeared into history."
No matter the country, the wizarding world was less developed than the Muggle world.
As a result, wizarding societies in different countries knew very little about one another.
Even a wizard like Dumbledore could only learn about it through Ren's explanations.
"Is it difficult to understand?" Ren asked with a smile after seeing Dumbledore's expression. "Actually, it's quite simple. Our country is very large, so naturally there are more conflicts."
Dumbledore understood.
The more people there were, the more conflicts there would be.
That was true everywhere.
"I understand," Dumbledore said as he rose to his feet. "I will tell others that you are not a member of Wade's family. That way, no one will trouble you anymore."
After all, he had already learned most of what he had come here to discover.
"It won't help," Ren sighed. "Even if you clear my name, they won't believe you."
He was all too familiar with the mutual suspicion and greed for one another's resources that existed among wizards.
"In fact, you don't fully believe me either, do you?"
Dumbledore opened his mouth, then sighed.
"Mr Chang, although I dislike admitting it... you're absolutely right. However, my purpose in coming here today was simply to learn about Wade's background. I had no other intentions."
"And to prevent Grindelwald from joining forces with Wade's family. That was one of your objectives too, wasn't it?" Ren added.
Dumbledore sighed once more.
"You're right. I don't want ambitious people to destroy a young man with such extraordinary potential."
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Read 12 Advance Chapters—P@t- Captain69