It was as though his memories of the previous night were rapidly disappearing, sliding away like sand through open fingers.
"Hm? Wait! No!"
His memories shifted like a surging tide.
But Dumbledore reacted even faster. With a mere thought, his Occlumency immediately began to operate.
The memories that were being altered and erased were successfully preserved.
At the same time, new memories flooded back into his mind, sharp and uninvited.
Dumbledore's eyes widened in shock. He abruptly raised the newspaper in his hand.
There, on the front page, Wade's back instantly came into view.
Dumbledore shot to his feet.
"Merlin's beard! This is bad!"
...
"Ugh..." Wade sat up on the flying carpet and pulled the blanket tighter around himself. "Seriously, is camping in the sky in weather this cold really a good idea? It's fucking freezing!"
Slytherin was still sitting at the front of the flying carpet. Hearing him complain, he picked up a lighter and lit a stick of incense with a click.
After taking a deep breath, he said comfortably, "How would I know whether it's cold or not? I'm a ghost. I don't feel cold. Besides, you're a wizard! I've never seen a wizard afraid of the cold before. Don't tell me you don't know even one simple Warming Charm."
"Shit... I really can't argue with that," Wade said helplessly.
He had fallen asleep while reading the previous night, so he genuinely had not thought to cast a Warming Charm or two on himself. The thin blanket did little against the high-altitude chill.
"All right, stop complaining. I made you some breakfast. Eat up, and then we'll continue on our way."
Slytherin lightly waved his wand.
A large spread of food appeared on the simple dining table nearby.
There was a large jug of hot milk, steaming bread, several kinds of cake, perfectly fried bacon, and more. The scent rose immediately, rich and warm against the cold air.
Wade stared at Slytherin in shock.
"You actually made breakfast for me?"
"I'm a person who clearly distinguishes debts and favours... a ghost, anyway. I liked the incense you made yesterday, so consider this my thank-you gift."
Slytherin took another breath of incense before continuing, "Hmph! It's only a matter of waving a wand, after all. Go on, try it. These are all recipes Helga gave me. No one these days gets to taste them anymore."
"Then I definitely have to try them properly!"
Wade walked over curiously and sat down at the makeshift dining table.
"Heh. Enjoy it. This is a taste from a thousand years ago!" Slytherin said proudly.
Wade happily picked up a small cake and took a bite.
It was crisp on the outside, sweet and soft within.
Damn.
He had to admit, it was genuinely good.
Just as Wade speared a piece of bacon with his fork...
Pop!
A fiery red bird suddenly appeared on the dining table.
Wade jumped in surprise.
"Eh? Fawkes? What are you doing here, buddy?"
Fawkes dropped the letter in his beak in front of Wade, then casually snatched the bacon straight off his fork.
Wade had no time to care about the stolen food.
If Dumbledore had sent Fawkes to deliver a letter, then something urgent must have happened.
He quickly opened the letter and skimmed through it.
"Oh no... this is bad..." Wade frowned deeply. "What does he mean Tom is missing?"
"What happened now? What's wrong with Tom?" Slytherin drifted over, then glanced at Fawkes. "Hm... a phoenix."
"I have some bad news, but I need you to stay calm when you hear it," Wade said with a frown.
"Stop dragging it out and tell me!"
"Your great-grandson is missing."
"Hm? What do you mean?" Slytherin stared at Wade in confusion. Then, as though suddenly realising what he meant, he tossed the incense burner aside, grabbed Wade by the shoulders, and shook him back and forth.
"What did you say? What do you mean my great-grandson is missing?"
"I mean Tom is missing..."
"I know Tom is missing! I'm asking what happened!"
"I don't know either... Something may have gone wrong with the ancient magic I left at Hogwarts."
Wade handed Slytherin the letter.
While Slytherin read it, Wade rapidly considered what could have caused this.
"Didn't you say that magic of yours was foolproof? How could something go wrong? If anything happens to Tom, I'll never forgive you!" Slytherin said furiously.
"The nightmare magic I left at Hogwarts only slightly stimulates people's subconscious, making them feel as though I've always been around them. In theory, it shouldn't cause any harm."
Wade did his best to remain calm.
"Forget about your ancient magic! Go and find Tom right now!" Slytherin shouted anxiously.
"Of course! Even if you hadn't said anything, I'd still bring him back!"
Wade returned to his desk, pulled out a blank sheet of parchment, and began rapidly writing and drawing on it.
"Dumbledore said he may have gone out looking for you! Can't you just send him a letter?" Slytherin asked urgently.
"You're too worried to think clearly."
Wade's gaze remained calm, his mind clearer than ever.
"If a letter could simply call him back, Dumbledore wouldn't have sent this one to me."
As Wade spoke, the parchment in front of him rapidly filled with runes representing various magical pathways.
"Why wouldn't sending a letter work?"
"According to what Professor Dumbledore wrote, any letter we send to Tom will have its contents altered the moment he opens and reads it. Anyone who gets close to him will also have their memories and perceptions unconsciously changed."
Wade frowned.
"That is indeed a characteristic of nightmare magic, but if it were only nightmare magic, what I don't understand is why even Dumbledore could be affected. My nightmare magic simply isn't powerful enough to do that. Unless... something happened to Tom that I don't know about."
If Wade's guess was correct, Tom had essentially become a walking hotspot.
Anyone who came near him would automatically connect to a network that made them forget who Wade Reynolds was.
____
[]~(￣▽￣)~*
Read 12 Advance Chapters—P@t- Captain69