Chapter 321: Shocking! Umbridge Actually…

"Wade." Dumbledore stopped walking and said:

"I believe you are someone who thinks rationally, who weighs the pros and cons of a situation, who faces problems with clarity and seeks solutions… So tell me, do you think you did anything wrong?"

Wade thought seriously for a moment, then shook his head.

"Then follow your own judgment."

Dumbledore was unexpectedly lenient. He continued:

"I am not as wise and brilliant as many people believe. Just like when you asked me before—Is the Statute of Secrecy right? Is the current Ministry of Magic right? Is abolishing the death penalty right?"

"There are times when I, too, wonder—what exactly is right and what is wrong? Perhaps time will eventually provide the answer, but when we are in the midst of things, all we can see is the small stretch of road ahead."

"So… do what you will not regret, Wade. Every action has its price. I hope you will not be like me… Even years later, when you look back, you won't feel remorse for your choices."

Wade stared at him in silent shock.

Dumbledore's indulgence and trust in him were far greater and deeper than he had imagined.

Perhaps all truly wise people are like this—their past experiences carved unhealable scars into their souls while also granting them immense patience.

He did not make rash decisions, nor did he interfere in others' lives or dictate their futures. Even when something went against his own values, he would not simply say, "You're wrong! You must do as I say!"

And at that moment, Wade suddenly understood why, in the original story, Dumbledore always seemed to be retreating. Whether facing Fudge or Voldemort, his actions often appeared overly restrained, even weak.

Because he was always waiting.

Everyone believed in Dumbledore—but Dumbledore himself did not. His trust in himself was less than anyone else's.

Streetlights flickered along the tree-lined path, casting a soft glow through the leaves.

Dumbledore patted Wade on the shoulder and said, "It's dinnertime now—you should head home early."

"May I invite you to join us for dinner, Professor?" Wade asked. "Actually, when I left the house, my mother wanted to ask you this but was too shy to say it."

The invitation was somewhat abrupt, but Dumbledore smiled nonetheless. "I would be delighted to accept your invitation, Mr. Grey."

Dinner at the Grey household was, as always, abundant, visually appealing, and delicious.

Especially since Wade had bought a few cookbooks from a bookstore. The magic dolls—Coco and the others, infused with Wade's own thoughts—could read cookbooks and were eager to experiment.

After wasting some ingredients, dishes that suited Wade's taste finally began appearing on the table. Though the Grey couple initially found the flavors unfamiliar, they were happy to try them with their son and were quickly won over.

Even now, with the headmaster of Hogwarts as their guest, Fiona felt proud of the meal she had prepared.

After the initial nervousness faded, she soon enthusiastically invited Dumbledore to try the dishes.

"This roast goose is amazing! It's coated with syrup before roasting—fragrant, sweet, and absolutely delicious!"

The moment Dumbledore heard the word "syrup," his eyes lit up slightly. He happily used his fork to pick up a piece of the golden-brown roast goose.

"Have you tried this honey-glazed barbecued pork? I never knew pork could be prepared like this, aside from roast pork ribs and Roasted Suckling Pig! The sauce is made with honey, white sugar, and peanut oil—"

Dumbledore: Good, good!

Wade knew the headmaster had a sweet tooth, so the table was filled with sweet-flavored dishes. Even for first-timers, the flavors were easy to accept.

Dumbledore smiled contentedly as he ate, and at the same time, he noticed that despite having magic dolls to handle chores, the Grey family still actively participated in setting the table and other small tasks.

Mr. Grey wiped up a bit of spilled soup for Mrs. Grey, while Wade got up to pour drinks for his parents and Dumbledore.

With a gentle smile on his lips, his blue eyes shone with warmth.

There was mutual respect and understanding between the couple, and the love between parents and child was evident—harmony filled the room.

How can someone raised in a family like this ever be the same as Grindelwald or Voldemort?

Wade was born with something Dumbledore had never truly believed he possessed—

Love.

…

Dumbledore eventually left, carrying a box of homemade desserts from Fiona and a few of Wade's lingering worries.

Finally, Wade found time to assume his alias, Werner, and reach out to Claire, the werewolf girl he had been avoiding for over a week.

Although the bearded werewolf, Donovan, was already working on the same task as Snape, Wade saw no harm in maintaining this separate line of contact. After all, the only thing it cost him was a bit of salary.

Besides, if a cure for lycanthropy could truly be found, it would be a massive breakthrough for many.

From Lupin, Wade had learned that although werewolves possessed immense strength after transformation, it was nothing but suffering for them. Only a rare few with inherently antisocial tendencies might actually enjoy it.

For their first exchange, Wade didn't meet Claire in person. He simply asked them to send samples of their fur and blood, both before and after transformation.

In the wizarding world, many curses could be cast using hair or flesh. Upon hearing his request, Claire's werewolf companions all hesitated and backed out. But Claire herself, without a second thought, sent the samples.

[I'm not afraid of death.]

She wrote on the parchment: [If this can all end sooner, then even death would be a relief.]

When Wade received the package of materials, he felt as if his shoulders had grown heavier, weighed down by the girl's expectations.

He kept part of the samples for magical research, while the rest he sent to a private laboratory, spending a significant sum to commission a detailed analysis.

—For thousands of years, wizards had failed to solve the werewolf problem. Wade didn't believe himself to be smarter than the great sorcerers of the past.

But perhaps a Muggle approach could offer a new perspective—analyzing werewolves on a microscopic level to uncover what made them different from ordinary humans.

The day before the school term started, Wade came across a sensational headline in The Daily Prophet:

"The Dark Side of a Ministry Official—The Dolores Umbridge You Didn't Know."

Wade almost choked on his breakfast. He quickly took a large gulp of water before flipping open the newspaper.

"Huh? I remember this journalist, Rita Skeeter. Her articles are always highly provocative."

Fred, who regularly read the paper, also looked down at the article and muttered, "Is Umbridge about to be removed from office? How was this kind of report even allowed?"

Wade: …

Suddenly, he remembered the things he had said in front of Fudge.

Uh… could Fudge really have acted this fast?

Wade skimmed through the article, eager to see exactly what Skeeter had written.

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