Hearing the command for class dismissal, the students practically sprinted out of the Defense Against the Dark Arts classroom. Wade remained behind, enduring Michael's gloating gaze.
Even with private tutoring, most people wouldn't envy a student who received special treatment from Professor Moody.
Once everyone had left, Moody spoke to Wade in a slightly gentler tone: "Your Spell proficiency is good, but in my Defense Against the Dark Arts class, you'll have more opponents... Are you scared?"
Wade replied, "Of course not."
"Good lad." Moody grinned. "From now on, set aside an hour every Sunday, and I'll tell you what those illegal Dark Magic Spells are like, and how to deal with them."
Wade asked, bewildered, "You're not going to teach them in class?"
"In class? To those little brats who don't even have the instinct for self-preservation?" Moody scoffed, shaking his head.
Wade hesitated, then said, "Actually... they're not that bad, are they?"
He genuinely thought so, because many people had just used the Disarming Charm, and a few could even cast the Shield Charm.
Wade remembered that in the original story, many people only learned these two Spells in their fifth year, following Harry—including even older students like Cho Chang.
"Their Spells are a bit stronger than I expected, but I can tell by their eyes that they're just a bunch of poor little things wearing adult clothes. If they were truly pulled into the battlefield of our time, they wouldn't last two rounds."
Moody said disdainfully, "Have they seen death? If injured, can they refrain from screaming and instead endure the pain to immediately counterattack? After witnessing the power of Dark Magic, can they control their desires and avoid curiosity and obsession?"
Moody leaned on his cane, using his bird-claw-shaped prosthetic leg to pull a chair over and sit down, unconsciously letting out a long sigh.
He spoke slowly: "Some doors should never be opened. I've seen many young people fall into darkness without a second thought, and then they're either crippled, insane, or end up in Azkaban... It's better if they just die quickly."
Wade asked, "Then aren't you worried I'll fall into darkness too?"
Moody glanced at him and said, "I can tell by looking at your eyes; you've witnessed darkness, but you definitely don't enjoy it... I bet you think Voldemort is an idiot, don't you?"
Wade smiled but said nothing.
"Arrogance is also dangerous," Moody grumbled, "but it's better than being both stupid and greedy."
He pulled the cork out of a bottle, raised it, and took another large swig.
Wade sniffed, feeling as though he smelled Potions.
He instinctively glanced at the top of Moody's head again, and only then did he feel at ease.
Moody noticed Wade's subtle movement and grinned. "This isn't alcohol... it's the price, Wade."
"The price?"
"Some injuries caused by Dark Magic are incurable, lad. They don't just leave a scar on your body."
Moody's facial muscles twitched slightly, and he said in a grim tone, "They always hurt, like ants gnawing at your bones, like someone scraping your nerves with a dull blade... Potions help me suppress the pain and stay clear-headed."
Wade looked at Moody's scarred face and hands, and his missing chunk of nose, remembering how this man, who was always like an angry lion, seemed to struggle just to stand up from his chair due to the torment of his ailments.
"Is there no other way?" Wade asked with concern. "Tears willingly offered by phoenixes and unicorns, or dragon's blood..."
Moody smiled and said, "Go back, child. Don't forget to come to class on time."
Clearly, he had already tried every method and now held no hope for a solution.
Moreover, would an experienced, mature Auror like him have less knowledge than a student like Wade, who was still in school?
So Wade said nothing more and walked out of the classroom.
...
When there were no classes in the afternoon, Wade took his homework and books and went to the Umbrella Room, a place he hadn't visited in a while.
As soon as he entered, he heard Padma telling Hermione about what happened in class that day.
"...Then I used a Tripping Charm and took care of Pansy, and before I could even catch my breath, Michael, that sneaky guy, attacked me from behind..."
"Sorry about that, you were just in such a convenient spot," Michael said with a chuckle.
Neville said, his face pale, "So... when we have Defense Against the Dark Arts class, we'll have to duel like this too?"
"Neville!" Harry reached out and pressed Neville's shoulder, saying, "Haven't you been to the maze many times? How is this any different from dealing with the creatures in the maze?"
"It's a huge difference, okay?" Theo, who was nearby, said speechlessly. "Some of the creatures even make a sound before they attack!"
"You're not scared too, are you, Theo?" Michael raised his voice.
"Michael," Ryan suddenly asked, "Why did you only talk about the second time? What about your first duel? Why didn't you mention that?"
Michael: "..."
He was secretly trying to compose himself, thinking about how to gloss over the truth, when he suddenly saw Wade entering. He immediately jumped up and shouted, "Wade, you attacked me by surprise!"
"Sorry," Wade said with a smile. "You were just in such a convenient spot at the time."
Michael: "..."
Padma let out a giggle, and then everyone burst into laughter.
After writing essays and practicing Spells, they realized it was already time for dinner.
After dinner was the scheduled Spell tutoring session.
Anthony was quick; at noon, he sent a message on the Book of Friends saying that he had already tidied up the club's classrooms. To apply for the classroom, he had even given it an unpretentious name: the "Spell Study Group."
Although Wade felt that the SSC members didn't need to attend this Spell Study Group, since it was their first activity, everyone still went along to watch the fun.
They climbed to the fifth floor of the main castle, took a few turns, and then saw a long corridor. Along the corridor, the classroom doors were adorned with various signs, some enchanted with decorative magic, others simply bearing a name.
Wade saw names like the Gobledegook Club, Wizard's Chess Club, Potions Research Society, Magical Creatures Enthusiasts Group, and Spell Innovation Society. There was also a sign for the Baking Magic Club, the wooden plaque shaped like a cake and emitting a sickly sweet aroma.
He didn't find the name "Spell Research Society" until he was almost at the very end of the corridor.
The wooden sign looked hastily made, the ink on it not yet dry. Around the edges were some intricate patterns, which, upon closer inspection, turned out to be swirling silver snakes.
Wade paused, slightly stunned. Anthony didn't even have time to write the club's name properly, but he had time for these small decorations?
Could this sign... have been here originally, and he just changed the name?
Wade pointed his Wand at the wooden sign and murmured, "Trace Revelation!"
A faint silver glow appeared beneath the ink, gradually forming a string of characters:
Midnight Society · V
Wade looked at the final "V," then at the font, which felt vaguely familiar, and his mouth twitched slightly.
Could this "V" stand for Voldemort's "V"?
The clubroom Anthony managed to secure, was it originally a secret society founded by Voldemort during his student days?
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