Chapter 302: Go Home Immediately!
A red beam of light shot out and exploded with a deafening roar as fierce flames engulfed the entire room.
Wade controlled his magic, directing the flames to circle along the walls.
Moments later, he heard the screams of the portraits.
In the wizarding world, portraits could move between other paintings, but if their original frame was destroyed, the figures within the portraits would wither away like a tree losing its roots and eventually "die."
The screaming persisted for a while, but the crackling of the fire lasted even longer.
It wasn't until all sounds gradually faded that Wade stepped inside.
The portraits, curtains, and carpet were entirely incinerated, leaving the room cloaked in darkness. Only the statues remained intact.
Wade cast a Protego charm on himself and followed it with a Bubble-Head Charm before raising his wand.
"Boom! Boom! Boom! Boom! Boom! Boom! Boom!"
A series of explosive blasts echoed as the statues shattered into countless fragments, leaving enormous cracks across the walls and floor.
Gentle currents of air swirled softly, gathering the golden dust released by the explosions. The dust drifted into crystal vials Wade had prepared in advance.
While the golden dust initially seemed plentiful as it erupted, when collected, it barely filled a single ordinary cup.
Inside the crystal vial, it resembled a shimmering, golden mercury—flowing smoothly, reflecting metallic glints, and appearing as polished as a mirror when still.
With a slight shake, the dust sparkled with tiny flecks of gold, as though countless stars were trapped inside, radiating an extraordinary brilliance.
Wade found himself captivated, and stared at it for a long moment before reluctantly tucking it away.
He didn't know what this substance was, but he was certain of one thing—it was a rare and highly specialized alchemical product that had never been seen on the market.
From his own experience, the golden dust only caused sluggishness and drowsiness. Similar effects could be achieved with a simple Stupefy spell or Draught of Living Death potion.
The golden dust's true value lay in its undetectable nature, which seemed at odds with its remarkable properties.
Whoever created it might not have been an exceptionally skilled alchemist, but they had definitely used some extraordinary materials…
Wade's heart raced with excitement. He wished Rita Skeeter would locate their hideout immediately, so he could acquire more of the raw materials.
—Perhaps this was also why those people are hunting alchemists.
Not just to produce war- and murder-oriented magical constructs, but because they possess a treasure trove of resources they can't fully exploit…
As these thoughts churned in his mind, Wade continued to thoroughly dismantle the exhibition hall, ensuring its original state was unrecognizable.
Afterward, he set the upper and lower floors ablaze before slipping into the secret passageway he'd used to exit earlier. He made additional arrangements to cover his tracks before finally relocating all the alchemists, except for Gull, out of the building.
The golden dust on everyone was also collected. Wade tossed his spare wand into his wardrobe space, which transformed into a pencil case before he stuffed it into his pocket.
Next, he lay down on the ground, closed his eyes, and stretched out his hand while chanting, "Aguamenti!"
A stream of water gushed forth, drenching everyone.
As Wade pretended to sleep with his eyes shut, he heard someone coughing and sputtering.
"Cough, cough… Oh, damn! Where are we? I can't see anything! Why is it so dark? … Lumos! Where's my wand? My wand is gone!"
The first person to wake up was a restless young man who shouted loudly, quickly rousing everyone else.
A wizard skilled in wandless magic soon lit up the passage, bringing some light to their surroundings.
"What is this place? What happened?"
Though everyone knew the others were just as confused as they were, they couldn't stop asking questions.
A groggy Professor Murray wiped the water off his face, propped himself up on the floor, and looked around anxiously and called out, "Wade! Wade!"
"I'm here, Professor!"
Wade responded, squeezing past the others to reach Professor Murray's side.
His hair was equally soaked, and his clothes were smeared with dirt, making him look just as disheveled as the rest.
Professor Murray sighed in relief. "I'm glad you're alright… Are you hurt?"
"…No," Wade hesitated for a moment before adding, "But I can't find my wand."
"Neither can I," Professor Murray sighed again. "I have no idea what Gull is trying to do… Let's focus on getting out of here for now."
"We can't Apparate… We're still inside an Anti-Apparition jinxed area," another wizard said nervously.
"Do you think we've been imprisoned?" someone else asked in fear.
Despite their confusion and unease, no one was willing to sit idly by and wait for their captors to show themselves.
At one end of the tunnel, heat radiated with visible flickers of firelight, so the group naturally decided to move in the opposite direction.
As they walked, someone ahead suddenly let out a startled exclamation and came to a halt.
"What's wrong?" someone in the back asked. "Why did you stop? Is there no exit ahead?"
"…No," the person in front replied as they turned around slowly with a strange expression. "It seems Gull left us a message."
"What?!"
Everyone crowded forward, but due to the limited space, they eventually decided to have the person at the front read the message aloud to everyone.
In the silent passage, only the sound of heavy breathing could be heard. After a few seconds, a slightly trembling voice began to speak:
"They want to imprison and use you.
I was controlled by the Imperius Curse, becoming their accomplice.
At the last moment, I regained clarity... I don't know how long it will last.
If you wake up free,
Go home immediately! Go home immediately! Go home immediately!
Do not make it public. Do not report it to the Ministry of Magic!
Their people are everywhere!
I am so sorry, my friend—"
A chilling sense of dread filled the group, leaving everyone speechless for a long time. A mixture of fear, grief, regret, and nostalgia swirled in their hearts.
After a while, someone stammered, "We... we should leave quickly... What if they come back? We don't even have our wands..."
The group snapped out of their daze. "Yes, let's go! Quickly!"
"Where are our wands?"
"What else could have happened? Those thugs must have taken them!"
In their rush, no one had the presence of mind to debate or question the oddities of the situation.
Perhaps, if there were only one or two of them, they might have thought things through more calmly. But in the grip of collective panic, they all began running blindly down the passage.
However, as each person passed the inscription, they couldn't help but pause briefly.
The words carved into the earthen wall were already distorted, revealing how "Gull" must have written the message in a state of extreme fear and urgency. The final line was unfinished; the last stroke of the letter "e" was dragged out into a long streak.
It was unclear whether "Gull" had been overtaken by the Imperius Curse again or encountered danger that forced him to flee.
Imagining the scene, some among them felt tears well up in their eyes.
They emerged from the tunnel without wasting time on discussion. After agreeing to reconnect later via their Book of Friends, they quickly Apparated away from the spot.
[Go home immediately!]
"Gull's" repeated warning was firmly etched into everyone's minds.
"Come with me, Wade!"
Professor Murray, who had stayed at the rear, stretched out his arm and grabbed Wade's tightly to Apparate with him.
"Professor!" Wade pressed down on his hand and said, "I want to go home, Professor."
Professor Murray frowned. "By yourself…?"
"Alastor Moody lives next door to me," Wade replied.
"Alright." At this, Professor Murray relaxed. He changed his Apparition destination and disappeared with a loud "crack!"
"Bang!"
The last two figures vanished from the scene.
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