Chapter 301: Wade – The Raging Flames

"They think it's the people they kidnapped," Wade said.

"And—actually?" Skeeter pressed on.

Wade smiled slightly. "If the truck door opens, remember to keep your distance."

His smile remained gentle, but somehow, Skeeter felt a chill run down her spine and an inexplicable sense of unease.

She rubbed her arms and looked away. She deliberately adopted a skeptical tone and said: "I don't see anything special about these people. They just look like ordinary folks… You're not lying to me, are you?"

"If I were lying to you, you could just make up rumors about me in the papers," Wade said with a smile. "You can even report me to the Ministry of Magic for being an unregistered Animagus."

On the way here, Wade had instructed Skeeter to transform into the beetle while he himself turned into a peregrine falcon, allowing them to make it back to the ship before it set sail.

Skeeter snorted. "I'm an unregistered Animagus myself. Doesn't that mean I'd end up in Azkaban too?"

"Exactly. We both have dirt on each other. Isn't that the best kind of alliance?" Wade said. "You can't betray me, so I won't mess with you either."

"Fine." Skeeter took a deep breath and flashed a mischievous smile.

"If I really do get a big scoop, the looks on those Ministry guys' faces would be priceless! It'd be worth writing another article about it. But…"

She fiddled with the gemstone ring on her finger and glanced at Wade. "If it really gets dangerous, I'll run for my life first."

"Of course, your safety is the priority."

Wade rummaged in his pocket and pulled out a piece of parchment.

"This is a Book of friends' parchment linked to me. It has a tracking function, so you can use it to contact me anytime."

"Alright." Skeeter took it and then asked, "If I run into danger, can you bring Dumbledore?"

"Depends on the situation."

Wade then pulled out a paper bag. Opening it revealed something gleaming with a silver sheen.

Skeeter gasped. "An invisibility cloak!"

"Take it." Wade handed it over. "Keep it hidden; I think you might find it useful."

Although Skeeter's insect form was discreet, she still needed to eat, drink, use the parchment to contact Wade, and, if necessary, revert to her human form to hide or use magic. The invisibility cloak would significantly enhance her safety.

This cloak wasn't the Deathly Hallow that Harry's father had left Harry but rather one Wade had bought at a second-hand shop during the previous holiday.

When Wade purchased the cloak, it had lost its invisibility magic, but most of the material was still intact. During his studies in alchemy, Wade spent some time repairing the cloak, and now it was ready to be used.

Skeeter, utterly flattered, took it with wide-eyed surprise. "Are you really giving this to me? This is so rare and valuable!"

"You're overthinking it. I'm just lending it to you temporarily," Wade said. "But if you can help me locate their hideout, the cloak can be your reward."

"Deal!"

Rita Skeeter's eyes immediately sparkled with determination. Her plump fingers gripped the cloak tightly, making it clear she had no intention of returning it.

Wade watched as Rita Skeeter carefully stored the invisibility cloak and the Book of friends' parchment, then transformed into a tiny beetle and flew onto the truck's roof.

Wade casted an invisibility spell on himself and stood nearby to observe for a while.

The beetle lingered on the truck roof briefly. Seeing that the two men inside the truck's cab were fast asleep, her intense curiosity got the better of her, and she crawled toward the truck's rear compartment.

The hole Wade had previously broken through had been repaired, but the compartment wasn't completely sealed. The beetle scurried back and forth until she found a narrow gap.

For humans, it was merely a slit too small for even a finger to fit through. But for the tiny beetle, it was more than enough.

She wriggled halfway through the gap and took just one glance before recoiling in terror, flinging herself out of the slit and crashing into a protrusion at the back of the truck's cab with a soft "thud."

The sound was faint, but it was enough to wake the mustache man sleeping in the cab. He groggily opened his eyes, still half-asleep, and sniffed the air suddenly.

"What's that smell… Bloody hell! Did you wet yourself in the truck?!"

He was utterly shocked and immediately kicked the freckled driver awake.

A loud "bang" echoed from the truck's door.

The freckled driver, startled awake by the sudden kick, swung a punch at the mustache man without even opening his eyes.

Not to be outdone, the mustache man roared angrily and lunged back at him!

The two began a chaotic scuffle, trading punches and kicks in the confined space. The truck's cab swayed noisily from the commotion.

While the ship continued its voyage, other secured vehicles also rocked slightly, making the shaking of the truck less conspicuous.

Wade listened for a while, but neither of the men expressed any doubts about their earlier sleepiness or the memory gap they had experienced. The argument remained focused on the alleged wetting incident and soon devolved into pure brawling.

Skeeter perched at the corner of the truck window and watched the scene with great amusement. If she had a pen in hand, she likely would have already begun scribbling furiously.

Wade slipped away unnoticed.

…

By the time Wade returned to London, dawn was breaking.

A pale blue mist draped over the unevenly spaced buildings, and a flock of pigeons soared together above St. Paul's Cathedral.

Wade located the small museum he was looking for. The glass doors were locked, and the shy-looking girl who worked behind the counter was nowhere to be seen.

Wade grasped the door handle and muttered silently, "Alohomora!"

With a click, the lock opened. He pushed the door open and entered, he noticed that the elevator display remained unlit.

The elevator had been locked and required a specific key or code to operate again—neither of which Wade possessed. Drawing his spare wand, he lashed it like a whip.

The iron doors groaned and creaked as they twisted apart, creating a large gap.

Descending into the elevator shaft, he saw that the elevator's cables had been crudely severed, and the elevator itself had crashed to the bottom, serving as a barrier set up by the wizards.

Although most alchemists had limited practical skills, given enough time, they would have found a way to breach such a blockade and escape.

However, at that time, they were all covered in golden dust, which dulled their senses and slowed their reactions. Instead of devising alternatives, they had stubbornly fixated on forcing their way through the iron doors.

In reality, this building was never designed to function as a prison, nor was it like the millennia-old Chamber of Secrets at Hogwarts, hidden miles underground.

Naturally, there were staircases connecting the basement to other floors. But during the chaos, this staircase had been concealed.

After some effort, Wade uncovered the stairway that had been hidden by a Disillusionment Charm. He descended to the basement and found another locked iron door.

Wade opened the lock, but didn't step inside. Instead, he pointed his wand into the room and murmured softly,"Incendio Maxima!"

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