Leaves

Chapter 165: A Leaf

The bell for class dismissal rang, and all the mist dissipated.

Wade looked at Dumbledore, who was also looking at him.

Through the thin lenses, Dumbledore's eyes seemed like deep blue oceans.

"You showed me Voldemort's life…" Wade deliberated before asking, "What was the intention behind that?"

Dumbledore extended his palm, and a leaf from outside the window drifted into his hand.

"Look at this leaf, child. What comes to your mind?"

Dumbledore answered his own question: "Some might say green, some might say nature, some might say environment, some might find it pleasing to the eye, some might see it as food for insects, and some might think of the passage of time and life. And then there are those who would simply say, a leaf is just a leaf."

After a brief pause, Dumbledore repeated, "A leaf is just a leaf, Wade."

"What you associate with it should be up to you."

He placed the leaf in Wade's palm and said with a smile, "It's lunchtime. Go eat. Today's lunch has trifle, and it would be a shame to miss it."

Dumbledore left, and Wade looked at the leaf in his palm, thinking for a long time.

In the story, Dumbledore takes Harry through Voldemort's memories, analyzing the human nature and weaknesses reflected in them, thereby guiding Harry to find the Horcruxes and defeat Voldemort in the future.

However, what Dumbledore showed him was Voldemort's life trajectory. There were no tedious details or lengthy lectures, just a simple presentation, leaving all the questions for Wade himself to answer.

Had Dumbledore found out about their "club activities"? Or did he discern something from Wade's push to reopen Sirius's case?

Wade thought for a while, then used the leaf as a bookmark, placing it in his book.

No matter what Dumbledore intended to convey, Wade wouldn't change his approach because of it.

...

Early the next morning, owls carrying mail flew into Hogwarts in droves, dropping thick newspapers onto the breakfast tables.

Wade opened the Daily Prophet, and the first thing he saw was a photo of Harry and Sirius embracing, with Lupin smiling in the corner, only half his face visible.

In another corner was a small photo of Peter Pettigrew in prison uniform.

"Look! Sirius Black has been acquitted! Peter Pettigrew got life imprisonment!"

Padma flipped through the newspaper, loudly telling Michael.

A cheer erupted at the Gryffindor table, and the Weasley Twins were wearing bizarre hats, bouncing around on their stools.

They had been involved in Peter's capture and had followed the case closely. Now that the case had a favorable outcome, the twins were as happy as if they themselves had been set free.

But their other two brothers weren't so pleased. Ron and Percy both had grim expressions, seemingly considering Peter having been their pet a source of shame.

"Unbelievable," one of Percy's dormmates loudly told him. "We actually lived in the same dorm as that creepy guy! Percy, I'll never keep a rat as a pet again!"

Percy's face darkened, and everyone around him burst into laughter.

Some girls were also whispering.

Wade overheard Cho Chang nearby telling her friend, "Marietta, I don't have anything against hamsters, but… uh… could you not keep it in the dorm?"

Marietta looked a bit uncomfortable. "Don't even mention it. I'm sending it back later. I'll ask my mom to keep it in the garden for me."

"By owl?" Cho Chang hesitated. "Won't it get eaten?"

"No, I'm sending the cage with it too…" Marietta said.

Because students could use the school's common owls for sending letters, many girls preferred keeping fluffy hamsters or small mice as pets. On nice days, they would even carry them out to play.

However, after Peter's case, the number of rodent pets in the entire school decreased by more than half. Even if some owners couldn't bear to part with them, they no longer kept them in the dorms.

So, two empty dorms in the Ravenclaw tower became designated areas for pets. Some people didn't even want to keep cats in their dorms, simply letting them stay in the common room.

Ravenclaw was better off; after all, there were fewer people and fewer pet owners. Heard that Gryffindor often argued about pets.

"Hey, Draco!" a shrill voice called out from the Slytherin long table. "Heard Sirius Black is your uncle? He's been acquitted, you must be thrilled!"

Draco Malfoy's face immediately turned very unpleasant.

"Sirius Black is the last heir of the Black family, but unfortunately, he's a Pure-blood traitor struck from the family tree," another Slytherin student named Morton deliberately added.

Many people snickered maliciously.

"Shut up, all of you."

For the sake of the Flying Broomstick, Marcus Flint spoke up: "What does a disowned traitor have to do with the Malfoy family? Draco hasn't even met the man."

Wade looked up, glancing across the long table.

Draco Malfoy had his back to them, so Wade couldn't make out his expression, but he saw Draco's hand beneath the table tightly gripping his Wand, its tip trembling slightly.

"Wade!" Michael clapped him on the shoulder and said, "Don't study this morning. Let's go to the Game Arena."

"Alright." Wade glanced over there again, put down his fork, and they both walked out of the Great Hall.

The grass was slightly damp but not muddy. Most of the plants had turned yellow, and fallen leaves covered the ground, feeling like a soft, thick carpet underfoot.

The Game Arena already had a dozen students gathered, waiting for the previous group to come out. When they saw Wade, their faces all turned pale.

"So, which type do you want to play?" Professor Flitwick, the referee, asked happily, holding his Wand. "A duel or a Battle Royale?"

A girl hesitantly raised her hand and asked, "If it's Battle Royale, will it be Wade's version or the professor's version?"

Professor Flitwick chuckled and glanced at Wade. "The professor's version, of course. Wade is a player today too."

Everyone collectively breathed a sigh of relief. "Battle Royale! We choose Battle Royale!"

Wade's face darkened, and Michael snickered beside him.

"Alright," Professor Flitwick said, pressing a timer. "You have five minutes to prepare."

The students rushed into the Game Arena. Those who had already agreed to team up went together, pulling out their Wands and starting to move surrounding debris to build defensive fortifications.

The Game Arena's environment became increasingly complex, largely thanks to the many imaginative students.

"Let's go..." Michael pulled Wade and rushed in, saying as they ran, "We need to find cover first... Once you see it, you'll understand why the professor's Battle Royale is so popular!"

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