Three Broomsticks

The conversation about House-elves didn't continue, as Hagrid approached through the morning mist, pulling a carriage hitched to a Thestral.

"Hello, Hagrid, thank you for preparing the carriage for us," Professor Murray said, gently and politely.

"No problem, Professor!" Hagrid said cheerfully. "Happy to help you—hello there, kiddo."

He bent down to greet Wade.

"Good morning, Mr. Hagrid," Wade said, looking up.

His gray eyes appeared indifferent and serene, suddenly making the vague impression Hagrid had of him concrete.

"Oh, you're... you're... Wade from Ravenclaw, aren't you? Harry told me about you..." Hagrid looked at him curiously, then puzzled, "Uh... you should be a first-year, right?"

He looked at Wade, then at Professor Murray, clearly a bit awkward.

Professor Murray, though smiling, said in an unquestionable tone, "Wade is my student. I'm taking him to Hogsmeade for Alchemy studies."

Hagrid scratched his head.

Although he didn't understand why one would go to Hogsmeade to study Alchemy... after all, he only attended school until his third year and hadn't even fully grasped basic magic, so how would he know what conditions were required for Alchemy studies?

So Hagrid hesitated for a moment and didn't question it further. He comfortingly patted the Thestral's neck, seeming to whisper something to it, then said, "Professor Murray, Wade, you can get in. This one will take you to Hogsmeade. It will bring you back when you're done."

"Alright, thank you, Hagrid."

Professor Murray said politely, boarding the carriage first, then added, "Come on up, Wade."

Once both were seated, the Thestral stepped through the thin mist and morning light, and the carriage creaked as it left the school. Behind them, Hagrid pushed the massive oak doors shut with force.

The Thestral occasionally stretched its black wings, as if wanting to fly, but ultimately remained quietly on the road.

"You can see Thestrals?" Professor Murray suddenly asked, noticing where Wade's gaze landed.

"Mm."

"Who did you see die?" Professor Murray asked, then immediately added, "Oh, you don't have to answer if you don't want to."

"...A Muggle friend," Wade said after a long pause. "Many years ago, he died of illness... I watched it happen, watched his parents' pain and despair, but there was nothing I could do..."

His eyes were dark and somewhat hollow, as if he was still immersed in the grief of that time.

Professor Murray patted his back comfortingly and whispered, "I understand—losing a friend is like losing a part of yourself, but time will slowly heal everything... Perhaps your friend's parents have also moved past their sorrow, and might even have new children."

"Mm... perhaps so..." Wade was a little dazed and said softly, "I hope so..."

The carriage moved forward in silence, and Hogsmeade Village gradually emerged from the mist.

Since it wasn't Hogsmeade Weekend, the small village was very quiet, with only two or three Wizards walking in the street. From a distance, they saw the Three Broomsticks pub.

Orange-yellow light glowed from the pub windows, making it appear warm and bright. Through the glass, they could see that it was bustling inside, as if it had many customers even early in the morning.

Wade jumped out of the carriage and looked back.

"Go on in, kid—I'll be in in two minutes," Professor Murray said from the carriage. "If everything goes well, I won't need to show my face. But if that fellow is late, don't hesitate, just fire him... hmph, just a werewolf... I'll introduce you to someone better."

The old man's protective and domineering words made Wade couldn't help but laugh. He nodded and said, "Of course, I've got it, Professor."

Pushing the door open, the wind chimes jingled. The pub was brightly lit even in the early morning, with two hungover Wizards slumped over tables, presumably asleep.

A graceful lady stood behind the bar, directing a rag to wipe tables by itself. Hearing the sound, she immediately put on a warm smile, but seeing it was a student clearly not tall enough, she came over with a look of surprise.

"Child, it's not Hogsmeade Weekend today, is it? Did you sneak out of school?" she asked, approaching with a somewhat stern expression.

"I have an appointment to meet someone here, and I got permission from the Professor," Wade said, having already spotted the Wizard sitting in the corner. He nodded. "Excuse me, Madam. Could I please have a non-alcoholic drink?"

After speaking, he walked towards that corner.

Remus Lupin, he looked even more haggard and older than Wade had imagined; it seemed he had a difficult life these past years. He watched Wade approach, his eyes widening, and a clear look of astonishment appeared on his usually calm face.

"You... you are..."

"Wade Gray," Wade extended his hand and said, "I think my father must have told you about me?"

"Yes, yes..." Lupin awkwardly shook his hand. "He said you needed help managing some business, but I thought... uh... I thought you'd be older..."

"I understand, many people assume first-year students don't know anything."

Wade said, choosing to sit opposite Lupin. Awkwardly, the bar stools were quite high, and his feet dangled once he sat down.

Wade braced his hands on the seat and shifted back, then looked at Lupin as if nothing was amiss. "Let me reintroduce myself. I'm Wade Gray, the inventor of the Book of Friends, and a first-year student at Hogwarts. I imagine you know this invention has brought me considerable profit, and I have other collaborations with Aslan's Magic Workshop in the future—ah, thank you, Madam."

"Enjoy your drink."

Madam Rosmerta, the pub owner, smiled and placed a Butterbeer on Wade's table. She glanced at Lupin, then left. After Wade thanked her, he looked at the golden color and creamy foam, suddenly falling silent.

—Butterbeer is non-alcoholic?

Then what knocked him out last time? Was it really just two chocolate liqueurs?

—Impossible! Absolutely impossible! Butterbeer must have alcohol, otherwise why call it beer?

Perhaps this lady didn't hear his request clearly.

Wade withdrew his gaze, recalled for a moment, and returned to the previous topic: "—So I need an agent to communicate with Aslan's Magic Workshop on my behalf. Additionally, because my personal learning progress far exceeds what's currently taught at school, I also need a magic tutor."

Lupin thought about the content in the job advertisement: "—You want to learn the Patronus Charm? And Animagus?"

"More than that," Wade said. "Also the Disillusionment Charm, Apparition, and memory-related spells, and so on. Any magic I don't understand, I want to learn."

Lupin was silent for a moment, then asked, "—Including Dark Magic?"

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