Over the next week, news of the Dark Wizard hunt dwindled in the papers. Reporters, however, were thrilled to document the spectacular scenes of Ministry of Magic officials from various countries bickering, passing the buck, yelling at each other, and even taking off their shoes to fight in meeting rooms.
It was said that the British Ministry of Magic was inundated with Howlers. Every day, countless people complained and accused them of security issues at the World Cup, demanding compensation. Fudge, appearing on the Streaming Mirror, looked more haggard by the day.
Meanwhile, Umbridge, who had been quiet for a long time, suddenly made a strong comeback. Her brave defense of the Minister during several of these brawls finally earned her Fudge's trust and favor once more.
Compared to these headlines, the minor incident of "a lost Wand unexpectedly returning" was only a brief mention casually written by a reporter in the Daily Prophet, attracting little attention.
The Ministry of Magic was currently overwhelmed, and the entire wizarding world was abuzz with discussion. Nevertheless, none of this would affect the normal start of the school year.
Before school began, Lupin accompanied Wade to Diagon Alley to buy supplies and, while there, had a set of dress robes and matching dragonhide boots custom-made.
"The notice says you'll need dress robes... I imagine you might also need to find a dance partner. If I were you, I'd think about who to invite beforehand, otherwise it could be quite troublesome."
Lupin spoke evasively, like many British parents, a mysterious smile playing on his lips.
Wade, understanding, played along, asking, "When? When is that? I'm not planning to stay at school for Christmas."
"No, you'll all be staying at school then," Lupin said. "I can't say much more, because the Ministry of Magic considers it top-secret information and it can only be announced at the appropriate time."
Wade glanced at him, thinking, No wonder!
No wonder these parents are all keeping secrets from their children. It's not just a wicked sense of humor; the face-saving Ministry of Magic is involved too.
Fudge is probably worried that if he announces it too early and the Triwizard Tournament can't be held successfully, he'll lose face.
Although the World Cup already made the British Ministry of Magic lose face completely, if Hogwarts performs well in the Triwizard Tournament, it could still help Fudge pick his face up off the ground.
The problem is, this isn't a secret outside of Britain, is it? Probably only Hogwarts students and parents are still adhering to the Ministry of Magic's confidentiality rules.
"All in all, you really shouldn't be such a loner this term. I hear even Harry and the others often can't find you, and that won't do."
As he took Wade home, Lupin couldn't help but remind him again, smiling as he said, "Otherwise, when everyone else is dancing with their partners, are you going to ask Myrtle? When James was your age, he'd already been pursuing Lily for three years!"
"What about you, Remus?" Wade asked curiously, blinking. "You're so nice, you must have been pursued by many girls when you were at school, right? How many relationships did you have?"
Remus: "..."
His playful smile froze, and his eyes darted subconsciously from side to side. He feigned composure and said, "It was wartime back then; who had the mind for such trivial things... Go pack your bags. I'll come pick you up for the station in a couple of days."
Wade sighed, "Can't I just Apparate directly to school?"
Lupin also sighed, "Did you forget? You haven't passed the Ministry of Magic's test yet. Every Apparition you make now is illegal..."
Wade said, "I can go directly to school from Hogsmeade."
But Lupin didn't agree. "Taking the train to Hogwarts with friends is a wonderful experience. You might not think much of it now, but you'll definitely miss it later."
He patted Wade's shoulder and said, "Don't rush, Wade. You're in the best time of your life right now. Slow down, just a little bit more... Enjoy it. Time passes much faster than you think."
...
The holiday did end quickly; in a blink of an eye, it was the first day of school.
It had been raining for a while, and on this first day of school, it poured. The "whooshing" sound of rain had started early and looked like it would continue until evening.
Fiona hurriedly pulled out a raincoat and put it on Wade.
It was a bit bulky, and it would get water everywhere in the car. Wade would have preferred an umbrella.
"There's still a walk from the car to the station!" Fiona insisted. "In this heavy rain, what good would a small umbrella do? Just a few steps would be enough to drench your clothes!"
Beside her, Ferdinand silently pulled out two old raincoats, one for himself and one for Lupin.
Dobby rushed downstairs with the owl cage, shouting, "Wade forgot his owl! Eva is super angry!"
"No, don't bring it. Leave the trunk at home for now," Ferdinand said. "Dobby, I remember you know the Hogwarts House-elves?"
"Yes!" Dobby said.
"Then after the rain stops, can you help Wade deliver these things to school?" Ferdinand asked. "It's raining so heavily outside; dragging a trunk is too inconvenient!"
"Yes, Dobby can help!" Dobby immediately exclaimed loudly, very happy.
He loved feeling needed.
So Wade only put a handful of Galleons in his pocket. Then Ferdinand drove Wade and Lupin to King's Cross Station.
This time, Ferdinand didn't get out of the car. He stopped by the side of the road, watching his lightly packed son walk into the station accompanied by Lupin. Suddenly, his nose felt a bit stuffy, and his eyes were a little red.
"He's grown up..."
Ferdinand murmured to himself, lighting a cigarette. The car windows were covered in raindrops, making it impossible to see the people outside clearly.
A few minutes later, the man started the car and slowly merged into the stream of traffic, tail lights flashing.
...
Inside the station, the deep red train was already at the platform, and people were everywhere, seeing others off.
Fortunately, Wade arrived relatively early. He easily found an empty compartment and leaned out the window to say goodbye to Lupin.
Not far away, a first-year student was clinging to his mother, unwilling to let go, and wailed loudly when he was pulled away.
Wade and Lupin exchanged glances.
Lupin hesitated. "Perhaps you need a hug too?"
"No, not really," Wade said. "We might see each other in Hogsmeade next weekend."
"You're right," Lupin said with a laugh, not lingering like other parents. He waved and added, "Take care of yourself. If anything unexpected happens, contact me right away."
Wade twitched an ear and replied, "Understood."
Soon after, Sirius also brought Harry to the station. Leaning against the train, he said regretfully, "Your year is going to be very interesting. I really wish my time at Hogwarts had been as exciting."
"What?" Harry looked bewildered as his godfather ushered him onto the train.
"Hey, what's going on?" Fred yelled in exasperation from a short distance away. "You all know, but you're keeping it from us?"
The adults exchanged knowing smiles. Wade remained expressionless, speechless internally.
Suddenly, he noticed Antoine standing by a pillar not far away. He was dressed in a Muggle suit and trench coat, smiling and waving in their direction.
The train let out a long whistle, its wheels clattering against the tracks as it carried the students towards Hogwarts.
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