Chapter 83: Badge, Approval

Wade noted McGee's warning, but he didn't need to consider it for now.

He used to practice Potions frequently when the Potions classroom was empty, and some Slytherin students had probably seen him a few times. But they didn't know that since discovering the Room of Requirement, Wade rarely went there anymore.

As for who those people were, Wade naturally had a good idea.

He decided to let them stew for a few days, but not too long—if it dragged on, those Slytherins might just give up on their own.

After classes on Thursday, Wade went to the Astronomy Tower as usual to see Professor Morrey. On the way, he unexpectedly ran into a few seventh-year students. They were much taller, but they all looked dejected, inexplicably making them seem a bit shorter.

One girl was saying to the person next to her, "I'm going to kill Jennifer! She used to tell me that the Alchemy course was interesting, and Professor Morrey's requirements weren't high—is this 'not high'?"

"Professor Morrey really was easy to talk to before! Remember? When we were in sixth year." Another student sighed. "It's just that this year, the professor took on a new student, and suddenly he can't stand the sight of us—he used to like me a lot."

The girl in front said resentfully, "Self-studying runes in first year? That's insane! If we weren't all at school, I'd definitely think it was a lie!"

A student lamented, "Sigh... why doesn't he spend more time on Quidditch?"

"Has anyone here studied the Book of Friends?" a boy suddenly asked.

"I tried."

"It's hard."

"Can't crack it."

"Making it glow or display characters with a Transfiguration spell is simple, but simultaneously displaying complex text and even pictures on fragile parchment, and ignoring spatial distance, that's a bit..."

The boy's incessant talk was cut short when someone poked his arm. His voice abruptly ceased.

Around the corner of the corridor, the students and Wade suddenly met.

They stared at each other. Seeing Wade Gray, still looking like a child, and then recalling what they had just said, they all felt extremely awkward. After a brief frozen moment, they stiffly nodded and passed each other.

It was a long distance later before their voices started up again.

"—Is that Wade Gray?"

"Yes."

"—He's... quite good-looking."

"Hmm."

"...He probably didn't hear us, right?"

"—He heard us, I guess."

"Ahhhhh... why did you say that! Couldn't you have just lied to me?"

"Stop shaking... I want to die too right now... seriously."

...

"Huh?" Professor Morrey looked at Wade, asking in confusion, "You seem... a little different today?"

Wade smiled and asked, "Professor, how do I seem different?"

"It seems there really is a change... hmm..." Professor Morrey stroked his chin, scrutinizing Wade. After a long while, he said uncertainly, "It's like... you've become better-looking than before? But it's not the effect of a Beauty Potion..."

Wade smiled, taking a badge from his chest.

Immediately, the visual sensation of flawless, seemingly faintly glowing skin vanished. Even though his features were still exquisite and his appearance handsome, he no longer shimmered as brilliantly as before, no longer involuntarily drawing all eyes to him.

"Oh?"

Professor Morrey, highly interested, took the badge in his hand to examine it. The item Wade showed the professor naturally had no anti-detection spells cast on it.

"Illumination Charm... Reflection Charm... and Solidification..." Professor Morrey looked at Wade with a smile in his eyes. "You're using light?"

"Yes," Wade said. "As you know, I've been taking a lot of photos recently. In that process, I discovered that the core of photography is using light—properly utilizing light can conceal facial imperfections, make one look slimmer, highlight facial contours, and make one look better. So, I created this Soft-Light Badge. It casts just the right amount of light reflection onto the wearer, making them appear more... dazzling."

In short, it was the wizarding version of a beauty filter.

"You always have astonishingly brilliant ideas," Professor Morrey praised. "Many people have to drink a Beauty Potion for a twenty-minute effect, and you've achieved it with a small badge—how long does this thing last?"

"About ten days," Wade said.

"That's not bad," Professor Morrey didn't dwell too much on such a small item, saying casually, "Some silly young girls will like it. Are you planning to have Marchionne's Magic Workshop produce and sell it again?"

"Yes." Wade pulled out an application to go to Hogsmeade Village from his pocket and said honestly, "Actually, I came today because I also wanted to ask for your permission to go to Hogsmeade on Saturday. I need to meet Mr. Marchionne to discuss the modifications to the Book of Friends and the production of the Soft-Light Badge in detail."

"Just for that?" Professor Morrey was a bit unconvinced.

He had gotten to know Wade quite well during this time. Given Wade's personality, he would never specifically apply for special permission for issues that could be resolved through correspondence.

"Uh... actually, I also want to meet someone," Wade said, a little embarrassed. "You know it's not very convenient for me to do many things at school. My father isn't suited to frequent dealings with wizards either; I'm worried he might encounter danger because of it. So I found an agent—this Saturday, I also plan to meet him."

"An agent?" Professor Morrey shook his head disapprovingly. "An unreliable agent is more dangerous than none at all. Who is this person you found? Did you know him before? Or is he connected to your parents?"

"No, I don't know him," Wade said "honestly." "I asked my father to place an advertisement in the newspaper, and he sent a job application. After meeting him, my father believed him to be a gentle and reliable person, so he chose him as the agent—his name is Remus Lupin."

Wade knew he didn't need to explain to his parents why he trusted a stranger—they would choose to believe him without any excuses; it had always been that way since he was little. But to Professor Morrey, to Dumbledore, and to others in the wizarding world, he needed a proper reason to explain this matter.

So Wade slightly inverted the cause and effect—it wasn't that he specifically recruited someone, but rather that someone applied for the job after seeing the advertisement, and was thus hired.

"Remus Lupin?" Professor Morrey frowned slightly, his expression seeming a little wistful, mixed with memories.

"You know him?" Wade asked curiously.

"Hmm." Professor Morrey lowered his eyes, his voice low. "He and his three friends were once quite the popular figures at Hogwarts, causing quite a stir at school. Not many people didn't know them. What a shame..."

"—A shame?"

"Someone died, someone became a traitor, that's all—these things were common during the war, nothing more to say." Professor Morrey changed the subject. "You said you scheduled to meet him on Saturday?"

"Yes."

"I can approve it." Professor Morrey interlaced his fingers, saying sternly, "But I must be present."