Chapter 320: The Grey Family in Spinner’s End?

Lupin was stunned for a moment before asking, "When did this happen?"

"July 19th," Claire replied firmly, clearly she had a strong impression of the date.

Lupin recalled that they had also been in Diagon Alley that day and had even met Will.

It was the release day of the Streaming Mirror, and Diagon Alley was packed with buyers from all over.

Thinking of Will's enthusiastic smile at the time, Lupin felt a dull ache in his heart.

In a hoarse voice, he asked, "Claire… How many days old scent can you track? How long do you think the smell on that person had been lingering?"

Claire thought for a moment and said, "If it's been more than a week, the scent would be very faint and hard to distinguish… As for that person, their contact with the snake's shed skin shouldn't have been more than three days ago."

"…Are you sure?"

"Yes, I'm very sure."

That meant that between July 16th and July 19th, someone who had stayed at Hogwarts had given Will the commission.

They might not have been directly responsible for Will's disappearance, but they certainly knew something.

And during that period, it was the school holidays—there were no students, and even most professors had left. Generally, aside from Dumbledore, Filch, and Hagrid, everyone else would return home to enjoy their break.

However, some professors found it more convenient to stay at Hogwarts for both living and magical research purposes; others had no family and considered the school their home.

Dumbledore never forbade professors from staying at the school during the holidays.

Lupin lowered his eyes in thought for a moment, then looked up to see Claire watching him nervously. He spoke gently:

"I'll help you look into it… Maybe Will just got caught up in something and couldn't return in time."

Claire hesitated before nodding. "I hope… that's the case…"

The two exchanged contact information. Claire had found a job organizing a warehouse, so she had to return to work and could only bid a hurried farewell.

Lupin watched as the blonde girl lifted the hem of her dress and jogged away. Under the sunlight, her dry hair appeared fluffy and golden.

Her faded dress had several patches sewn onto it. Some passersby instinctively wrinkled their noses or covered their mouths as she passed, as if she carried an unpleasant odor.

Lupin remained silent for a moment before turning back to find Sirius and the others.

At a small table outside Fortescue's Ice Cream Parlor, one adult and two children were leisurely eating nut-flavored ice cream under a sunshade.

Harry was speaking animatedly, while Sirius wore a faint smile, as if saying, "Good kid, well done." Meanwhile, Wade had already noticed Lupin and waved in greeting.

Lupin smiled and instinctively quickened his pace as he walked toward them.

…

For a while, Wade's days were unexpectedly peaceful.

Harry was completely fascinated by his newly acquired Firebolt. To let him fully enjoy the thrill of flying, Lupin took him back to Hogsmeade.

Wade noticed that Lupin seemed to have a lot on his mind lately, but since he didn't bring it up himself, no one pressed him about it.

Meanwhile, Sirius had somehow dug up some leads on Lockhart and had once again rushed off in pursuit of Peter.

After handing over the bearded man, Donovan, to Dumbledore, Wade hadn't expected to see him again.

He originally thought Dumbledore would conduct a thorough investigation and then hand Donovan over to the Ministry of Magic for imprisonment. But a few days later, Dumbledore told him something completely unexpected.

"He's already left. If you ever run into him again, remember to act like you don't know him."

Wade was taken aback. "Professor, are you saying…"

Dumbledore gave a slight nod and sighed. "He's about to embark on a brave journey—one that is both lonely and fearless… I must say, hatred is a terrifying force, strong enough to make one forget about life and death."

Wade guessed that Snape must have crossed Dumbledore's mind at that moment.

The tree-lined path was bathed in dappled light as tall maple trees casted shifting shadows on the ground.

This was a small road near Wade's home, and at the moment, only the two of them were walking along it.

After a brief silence, Wade asked, "Will the Ministry of Magic get involved in this matter?"

"Oh, Fudge already knows. But both he and Scrimgeour want to keep it under wraps…"

Dumbledore patiently explained:

"Of course, I understand their reasoning—those three escapees are still at large. If news like this got out, the British Ministry of Magic's reputation would take a severe hit. 

Especially since Fudge is in the middle of preparing for something big, he'll do everything he can to maintain the Ministry's shining image."

Wade glanced up.

He suspected Dumbledore was subtly mocking the Minister of Magic—but he had no proof.

Dumbledore's expression remained calm, revealing nothing of his true thoughts.

"And the investigation…?" Wade asked.

"The Aurors have promised to look into it, but… since there were no casualties, this case won't be a high priority."

Dumbledore looked down at Wade, who was unconsciously frowning, and smiled. 

"You don't need to worry about your family being harmed because of this… Ever since we discovered that certain people have been eyeing underage wizards, we've taken some necessary precautions—"

Wade looked up at the headmaster, silently asking for more details.

"You've never introduced your parents to unrelated people, Wade. That has made our job of protecting you much easier."

Dumbledore explained, "No one—no matter who they are—can obtain a student's family information from Hogwarts."

"And if they try to investigate using Muggle methods, they'll find that the Grey family moved away long ago—"

"—To Cokeworth, to a place called Spinner's End."

"—Spinner's End?" Wade murmured.

That distinctive name immediately made him realize something.

Dumbledore continued, "Yes—Severus's home is there. And our 'guests' would soon discover just how many surprises a skilled Potions Master can prepare for unexpected visitors."

After a long pause, Wade finally asked, "…Will this put Professor Snape in danger?"

"I imagine Severus's way of welcoming guests might carry certain… legal risks—if someone really did break in. But don't worry, a homeowner has the right to defend themselves against intruders."

Seeing the smile on Dumbledore's face, Wade couldn't help but feel a bit puzzled. "Professor… don't you want to ask me anything?"

After his encounter with Donovan, after learning that I commanded Acromantulas—Dumbledore still hasn't questioned me, accused me, or even tested me?

Wade felt a strange sense of unreality, like someone waiting for the other shoe to drop, yet it never did.

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