[Danger] and [Danger]

"Professor?" Wade was a little surprised.

"Some people's danger isn't obvious on the surface," Professor Murray said, lacing his fingers together and looking at Wade. "How much do you know about curses and contracts?"

Wade thought for a moment. "I've read about the Unbreakable Vow and the Fidelius Charm in books. I also studied the magical contract you drew up for Mr. Marchioni and me last time, but I haven't systematically learned about this area yet."

He hadn't been studying magic for very long, and there was simply too much for him to learn. Knowing that each year would be more chaotic and dangerous than the last, Wade had always focused his studies on improving his own survival rate.

He no longer put his hope for safety in anyone else's hands, only urgently wishing he could possess the ability to handle any crisis.

Professor Murray nodded, not appearing disappointed.

—Or rather, finding something Wade didn't know actually gave him a sense of accomplishment as a professor.

Professor Murray said, "The Unbreakable Vow is an extremely powerful oath. Those who break the vow are destined to die, so it's only used in extreme circumstances. It's like a Blood Oath—it's the kind of vow that most people wouldn't make, even if they were willing to keep their promise. Let's set that aside for now."

—Blood Oath?

Wade's heart subtly stirred.

"The Fidelius Charm is extremely complex and powerful, a magical spell used for secrecy. But choosing the Secret-Keeper is key—if the Secret-Keeper betrays you, the charm becomes useless; if the Secret-Keeper dies, everyone who knows the secret becomes a new Secret-Keeper. So this spell places all hope in one person—"

Professor Murray paused, then said, "Harry Potter's parents died because of the wrong Secret-Keeper."

Wade knew this, but he still asked, "That person was—"

"Sirius Black."

Professor Murray slowly uttered the name with a tone of distaste, then said, "He, James Potter, Remus Lupin, and Peter Pettigrew were once the best of friends, but he betrayed them, leading to the deaths of the other two, and he himself was locked away in Azkaban. The only one still active outside is Remus Lupin, though I haven't heard from him in many years..."

Wade slowly nodded. "Are you worried he's a hidden Dark Wizard who might harm me?"

"Not just that, he's also..."

—A Werewolf.

Professor Murray hesitated, then swallowed the word.

It was perfectly normal for a few Death Eaters to appear among students; after all, almost all wizards in Britain had attended Hogwarts, and it housed all sorts of people. But if it became known that Dumbledore had admitted a Werewolf to the school, and that he had lived with other children for seven years, even wizards who supported Dumbledore would probably think he was crazy.

However, if Wade wasn't aware of this, he could also be in danger.

Professor Murray considered for a moment, then said, trying to be evasive, "He's also someone who shouldn't be approached on a full moon night—you're a smart boy, you should understand what I mean."

Wade nodded, saying directly, "In our Defense Against the Dark Arts class the other day, Professor Quirrell talked about various treatments for Werewolf bites, and I've learned a bit about them."

"Knowing that, do you still want him to be your proxy?" Professor Murray asked. "You know, this means he always carries an uncontrollable risk—if you need, I can introduce you to some reliable and safe people."

For a moment, Wade was genuinely tempted, because he knew that if Professor Murray said this, it meant he would use his own methods to confirm that the person he introduced was trustworthy.

But after a moment of hesitation, Wade still said, "I'm very grateful, Professor. But I've already promised to give him this chance... It's already a commitment to me... Unless his character is truly terrible, I don't want to easily break my word."

Professor Murray was subtly worried but not surprised.

"In that case," he said, raising his hand to summon several books, "we'll pause our Alchemy lesson today and talk about magical contracts—this is the most common way for unfamiliar wizards to build trust."

...

Time flowed smoothly and silently like a trickling stream, and in the blink of an eye, it was Saturday.

This wasn't a Hogsmeade Weekend, so most students were sleeping in their dorms. Early in the morning, Wade got dressed, wrapped a blue-green scarf around his neck, and went down to the Great Hall on the first floor.

It was extremely rare, but Professor Murray was also at the teachers' table in the Great Hall eating breakfast, which greatly surprised Professor McGonagall. She looked at him several times before cautiously greeting him, as if confirming whether this Professor Murray was an impostor.

"Don't be so strange, Minerva."

Professor Murray, while nodding with a smile at Wade, said to Professor McGonagall, "Occasionally, I also want to experience the lively atmosphere the children bring."

Wade bowed slightly to Professor Murray and sat at the long table. He then saw his plate filled with his favorite foods, and beside them, a few familiar candies.

He picked up a candy first and tasted it. It was sweet and refreshing, not cloying at all, exactly like the ones his mother sent.

It seemed the House-elf's culinary research must have been very successful.

After breakfast, Wade first went outside the castle gate. After a short wait, Professor Murray also came out, smiling and saying, "Hogwarts kitchen's dishes are getting richer and richer, and the taste is good too. I haven't been here in a long time; it seems I've missed many interesting changes."

Wade also smiled, casually saying, "There must be some House-elves who aren't just doing their job, but are genuinely researching their cooking skills, right?"

"Interesting thought—very interesting—" Professor Murray glanced at Wade and said, "Most people would assume a wizard gave them better recipes, and wouldn't think House-elves would actively research cooking themselves."

"Why not?" Wade asked, puzzled. "They have intelligence and rich emotions; isn't it normal for them to have personal hobbies and work hard at them, making breakthroughs?"

Professor Murray was startled by his words, then burst out laughing. "Wade, oh Wade... Even though you know a lot, you grew up in the Muggle world after all... Some things that are common sense to others, you know nothing about—that's normal, perfectly normal—"

He affectionately ruffled Wade's hair, looking at him as if he were a toddler learning to speak.

"House-elves have no self, Wade," Professor Murray said with a smile. "Or rather—House-elves with a self are... very dangerous to wizards. You should remember that, child."

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