Watching Old Tom grow more alert before his eyes, Tom's emotions became increasingly tangled.
He had heard people say that right before death, many experience a sudden return of energy—that final flare of brightness before the end…
So, was Old Tom—his father, the father he met for the first time only today—about to die?
"Cough.. I think I might be dying… Strange, isn't it, Tom? We only just met today… but why do I feel so much regret? And you… why do you look so sad?" Old Tom's complexion was turning redder by the second.
"Sad? Am ..I sad?" Tom questioned himself.
Only now did he realize his voice had gone hoarse.
"Really? If you're not sad, then why are you crying?"
"Crying? Me? That's ridiculous!" Tom shot back loudly—but just then, a cold droplet landed on the back of his trembling hand.
"I've never cried… not once since I was a child…"
And then he felt the liquid trail down his face, slipping into his mouth—salty and bitter.
"Ha… Even if we only met for the first time today, I'm still your father… Shedding a few tears.. cough.. for me isn't something to be ashamed of…" Old Tom's voice suddenly sank lower, and the flush on his face began to fade to an ashen gray. "If only… I hadn't met your mother…"
His voice grew fainter and fainter, almost inaudible…
"You can't die! You owe me so many years! You think you can just die and be done with it?"
Tom shouted furiously as he continued applying the last of the dittany and healing potion on Old Tom.
But the life was still draining from Old Tom's body…
"I-I order you! You are not allowed to die!" Tom bellowed, then reached into his pocket again.
His expression froze. It was only now that he realized—all his healing supplies were gone…
His hand dropped limply. A sense of despair welled up inside him.
"Someone save him… save my… If only Wade were here, maybe…"
"Maybe I'd die of anger because of you!" came a familiar voice from behind.
"Wade?!" Tom turned around in excitement.
Sure enough, Wade was standing behind him, carrying a suitcase. No one knew when he'd arrived.
"You—"
"Move!"
Before Tom could even get a word of plea out, Wade kicked him aside.
"He's bleeding out! What's the use of dittany now, you idiot? You only remember to stop the bleeding after he's lost all his blood? Tch… what a waste of good stuff. Do you know how expensive my healing potion ingredients are? I've told you countless times to learn some basic healing spells, but you never listen. And now, when it really matters, you're flailing around like a headless chicken! Useless. Absolutely useless!"
Even though Wade was tearing into him without mercy, Tom—for the first time—felt a deep sense of relief.
Because despite all the scolding, Wade's hands never slowed down.
He first pulled out a vial of Blood-Replenishing Potion and poured it into Old Tom's mouth. Then, he began muttering incantations over the wounds, repairing the damaged internal organs.
Once that was done, Wade waved his wand again.
A large bundle of fine thread flew out from his suitcase, automatically threading needles and swiftly stitching up Old Tom's wounds.
Next, Wade pointed his wand at the freshly stitched areas and quietly chanted another spell.
In the next second, wisps of pale smoke rose from the wounds, and the fine stitching thread slowly fused into the flesh!
At the same time, the gruesome injuries began to heal rapidly as the thread integrated.
Though the wounds closed up, they still left behind a terrifying scar.
Wade then pulled out another glass bottle.
Large red letters were scrawled across the label: "For Human Use Only! Stop Grabbing the Wrong One! Anyone who takes the wrong one will have their dried fish confiscated!"
After pouring a bottle of the nutrient solution into Old Tom's mouth, the pallor of his face quickly returned to a healthy pink.
If this had happened in the Muggle world, Old Tom would've been a goner for sure—blood loss on this level couldn't have been saved, even with a transfusion.
But in the wizarding world, with all sorts of magical potions and spells, he still stood a chance.
Take the blood-replenishing potion he just drank—it worked far faster than any transfusion!
Add a bit of nutritional support to help the body recover its lost vitality, and the lost blood could be swiftly replenished.
The entire operation was complex but carried out in a smooth and orderly fashion.
The knowledge from those books Wade exchanged from the system had certainly proved their worth.
In just a few short minutes, Wade had flawlessly applied all the knowledge of Potions and Spellcraft he had mastered.
"Watch your father. I'm going to look for others," Wade said as he packed up his things and walked to the other side.
Tom nodded. Watching Old Tom, who was finally breathing again, and thinking back to everything that had just happened, he felt as if a lifetime had passed in the span of moments.
"Hiss hiss hiss..." From his wrist, Nagini lifted her head, as if saying something.
Wade glanced at Tom, who was silently watching his father. "Don't worry. He's going to be fine."
"Toby! I command you to appear before me at once," he said, clutching the enchanted Galleon used for communicating with Toby.
In the next second, the house-elf's figure popped into view.
"Oh! Merlin! What happened here?" The freshly summoned Toby was visibly startled by the devastation of the Riddle Manor.
But he quickly composed himself and bowed respectfully. "Master Wade... what are your orders?"
"There's been an incident here, Toby. Don't call the Aurors yet. First, find Professor Dumbledore for me," Wade instructed.
There was a reason for that. He wasn't sure how many questionable spells Tom had used earlier. Even if it was under duress, if the Ministry found out, it would definitely be trouble.
What's more, with so many witches, wizards, and Muggles dead, this already qualified as a major case.
If they tried to destroy the bodies and cover it all up, the risk would be too great. If something went wrong, it could lead to even bigger problems.
So, calling Dumbledore over was the better choice.
After all, he was already aware of Tom's family situation, and he would definitely understand Tom—and could help deal with the Ministry of Magic.
As for the cause of tonight's incident…
When Wade saw Morfin Gaunt's head lying in the garden, he had already guessed most of the story.
After sending Toby off to find someone, Wade once again turned to treating Mr. and Mrs. Riddle, as well as the butler, Mr. August.
They were afflicted with several dark curses—most of which were for torture.
For the sake of their mental wellbeing, Wade had to erase part of the pain they had suffered during their torment…
Just as Wade was working on treatment, Dumbledore's figure appeared at the Riddle Manor.
"What on earth happened here?!" Dumbledore was stunned by the devastation.
The Muggle guards' dismembered corpses had turned the entire road red with blood…
"Professor… we were attacked in revenge…" Tom looked up and said.
Dumbledore's gaze landed on the barely-breathing Old Tom on the ground. The terrifying scar across his body had only just begun to heal.
"Don't worry, Tom… it's all over now… Leave the rest to me… child, you need to rest," Dumbledore said gently, full of concern.
This child had finally started to improve, only to nearly lose his entire family…
If his whole family had actually died… the consequences would have been unimaginable.
This boy—who had just begun to walk the right path—might have been pushed onto a road of no return because of this.
"I'm the only one who knows how all of this started… Wade just arrived not long ago, and… I don't want to rest…" Tom said weakly.
Even though everything that happened tonight had drained him mentally and physically, he still refused to sleep.
"Alright then… tell me exactly what happened here."
While Tom recounted the events, Wade was already busy conjuring several stretchers with Transfiguration. Then, using the Levitation Charm, he placed the Riddle family members onto them, ready to send them to St Mungo's.
By the time he finished those tasks, Tom had also finished telling the story. After all, the situation wasn't overly complicated.
"Alright, stay with your family. Leave the rest to me," Dumbledore said after understanding what had happened. He bound up the unconscious Dark wizards lying on the ground, then casually summoned Fawkes to deliver a message to the Ministry of Magic.
…
An hour later, the entire Riddle Manor was sealed off.
Aurors moved about the manor, handling the aftermath.
Some were dispatched to investigate the surrounding area, worried that the incident might have drawn the attention of nearby Muggles and potentially violated the Statute of Secrecy…
After all, in the middle of the night, there had been a barrage of gunfire—hardly surprising if it had alarmed the neighbors.
Even the Minister for Welfare rushed to the scene to offer condolences to the victim… that is, to Tom.
Just as Wade had anticipated, with so many Muggles brutally murdered by Dark wizards, this case had escalated to a major incident.
No one dared to take it lightly.
The Riddle family had already been sent to St Mungo's Hospital for Magical Maladies and Injuries as an urgent case.
As for Tom… ever since earlier, he had been sitting silently by the roadside flowerbed, staring at the massive crack in the wall across the manor window.
Even when the Minister came to speak with him, he barely reacted.
Everyone assumed he was traumatized—a victim.
Even with a few Dark wizards killed by Dark magic, the Aurors hadn't suspected Tom in the slightest.
What kind of eleven-year-old could cast the Killing Curse to murder someone—let alone unleash a single spell that sliced through both man and building?
Anyone who dared suggest such a thing would be ridiculed to death by the public.
Even Dumbledore assumed those Dark wizards who died from Dark Magic had fallen to infighting.
"Your emergency treatment might stink to high heaven, but I have to admit… your spellcasting has improved a lot," Wade said as he sat down beside Tom, both of them gazing at the massive crack in the distance.
That smooth, clean split was caused by the Sectumsempra Tom had unleashed earlier.
At that moment, several Aurors were using Reparo to fix the damage caused by the explosion spells throughout the manor.
Soon, even that crack was fully repaired.
A long time passed in silence.
Finally, in a hoarse voice, Tom asked, "…I've been practicing that spell for ages, but no matter how hard I tried, I couldn't even cut through a tree stump. So… why did it work this time, and with such power?"
"I asked Professor Dumbledore almost the same question back then…" Wade replied.
"What did he say?"
Wade spoke softly, "When you finally figure out what you're fighting for… you'll discover you're capable of power you never imagined. So… Tom, when you cast that spell—who was your wand fighting for?"
~~~~~~~~
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