Even though Wade and Dumbledore were certain that Rita Skeeter had sent out a distress signal from this island and that the place was equipped with anti-wizard weapons, they didn't immediately view its inhabitants as enemies.
The attacking magical dolls appeared terrifyingly ruthless, yet each one followed a strict command—no killing.
As for broken arms, shattered legs, or fractured ribs? In the wizarding world, such injuries were hardly a big deal.
The two infiltrated the island to investigate the identities of those in charge.
However, before they could uncover that information, they stumbled upon a massive collection of experimental reports, name lists, and trade records.
[0203: Mario Hogan, 15 years old, heart match, blood match, physically healthy… Processed.]
[0241: Benedict Duke, 13 years old, kidney match, blood match, physically healthy… Processed.]
[0128: Molly Camille, 14 years old, liver match, bone marrow match, heart match, physically healthy… Processed.]
[1957: Anastasia Joy, 9 years old, heart-lung match, bone marrow match… Carrier of an infectious disease, Destroyed.]
Behind these brief and cold statements were gruesome images of organs, each representing a young, innocent life brutally stolen.
And these were just a few files Wade had pulled at random. The documents he hadn't yet opened were neatly arranged on the shelves, densely packed.
In the folders marked [MAGIC], the records were even more detailed.
The first page of each file contained a photograph of a young wizard, followed by an extensive background check that traced their lineage—sometimes as far back as their great-great-grandparents.
Then came excruciatingly detailed medical reports, down to the growth rate of their hair, along with pages upon pages of inhumane experiment logs.
Under these cruel experiments, young wizards quickly became disposable test subjects. Some, in their despair, unleashed extraordinary bursts of magical power, causing significant destruction to the base.
That was when the researchers learned how to suppress wizards—mainly by interfering with magic through electromagnetic fields.
Now, every underage wizard on the island wore a Restraining Collar, rendering them completely incapable of using their powers.
This meant that no matter how much suffering they endured, they couldn't even take their own lives to escape it.
"Foolish Muggles," Dumbledore said coldly as he read through the files. "This will lead to catastrophic consequences—I only hope they haven't already made an irreversible mistake."
Wade glanced at the unconscious security guard lying nearby.
The man was round-faced, round-bodied, and even had round eyes, making him resemble a harmless raccoon—yet he was one of the keepers of this facility.
When they first entered, Wade had only used a Stunning Spell to knock him out.
But after reading just a few of these documents, he decided to use Veritaserum to force the man to reveal the truth—
"I… I don't know how many have been sent here—I never counted… Nobody needs to know that…"
"Every month, children are brought in… Sometimes as few as twenty or thirty, sometimes over a hundred or two… There's no real pattern, but… when there's a war, we get more. When there's a disaster, even more…"
"Raise them for a while, and once we find the right buyer, we sell them off... Blood, organs, bone marrow, skin—anything goes."
"Even if they have infectious diseases and their organs can't be used, there are still buyers who collect bones and eyes...
The sphenoid bone—the butterfly-shaped bone at the front of the skull—is the most sought-after by collectors, and it sells for the highest price."
"To be honest, the ones sent here are just the rejects. The good-looking children, the talented young wizards who are easier to brainwash—they're sent somewhere else...
We're just making use of the trash others don't want, repurposing waste, that's all..."
The fat administrator spoke casually, as if discussing something completely ordinary, while describing horrors beyond belief.
After a few more questions, Wade discovered that this seemingly simple and honest man had blood on his hands as well.
The job of a "Scavenger" had nothing to do with him originally, but he bribed his colleagues just to have the opportunity to take part—for fun, as a way to relieve stress.
Just as Wade was about to make his move, the buzzing sound suddenly echoed through the air again.
Both he and Dumbledore had to brace themselves against the searing pain of their magic boiling inside them, while the fat administrator was knocked unconscious again—to prevent him from doing anything while they were vulnerable.
Once it ended, Wade asked, "Professor, do you think… we still need to show mercy to these people?"
He had originally wanted to act more righteous in front of Dumbledore, but at this moment, he couldn't hold back any longer.
Dumbledore sighed. "I have never wanted you to be overly merciful to your enemies, Wade—I only hope that you never lose sight of the value of life."
"...I understand."
Wade gestured with his hand, and Mikael, his firebird, eagerly peeked out from his wardrobe space. Flames danced across its body, and for a moment, the temperature in the room seemed to rise by several degrees.
But before it could act, Dumbledore simply pressed his palm into the air—as if gently holding Mikael's head from a distance.
The firebird stared at him in confusion.
"Go back." Dumbledore said.
There was something deeply powerful in the white wizard's words, and Mikael obediently returned to the wardrobe space.
Wade frowned. "Professor?"
"This is not your burden to bear, Wade." Dumbledore said. "I do not wish for your soul to be scarred."
As soon as he finished speaking, he waved his hand, and a scorching firestorm engulfed the fat administrator's body.
The man jerked awake, but before he could even scream, he collapsed and his mouth was wide open in silent agony, and he died without a single sound.
Wade barely noticed the heat behind him. His gaze was fixed on Dumbledore.
"And what about your soul, sir?" he asked.
"Saving innocent children from suffering and death—sending the devils of this world to hell—will not harm my soul."
Dumbledore said with a calm voice.
"Wade, I have lived through two wars—not by shouting slogans, nor by believing that love can change our enemies—but by knowing when to make hard decisions."
"But you are still young, my child. I have no concerns about your magical abilities—I know you have the power to destroy every enemy before you. Compared to you, they are nothing more than straw men, helpless and weak."
"I know you are mature, intelligent, and exceptionally skilled in magic. I have always been immensely proud of you, Wade."
"But I worry—"
"I fear that one day, you will no longer understand the difference between fighting to protect and fighting to kill."
"I fear that you will come to enjoy this power—the ability to decide life and death—that taking lives will become your habitual way of solving problems."
"I have seen the greatest wizards fall into darkness, Wade. Many brilliant young people started off wanting to fight for the oppressed… only to become the very darkness that threatens the world."
"They believe in their own power, convinced that their sacrifices are made to save the world—yet in the end, they become lost on the path of salvation..."
"These people lose their reverence for life and their compassion for ordinary people. Even when slaughtering an innocent infant, they only pity their own suffering, but feel no sympathy for the truly innocent victims."
"So wait a little longer, Wade. I do not underestimate you—I only hope that before you build a strong enough mental fortress, you do not allow your soul to be tainted."
Wade: "..."
At this moment, he truly wished Dumbledore would treat him the same way he did Harry in the original story—either ignoring him completely or forcibly preventing him from getting involved.
—That way, Wade could disregard Dumbledore's opinions without guilt and act purely on his own will.
But he could not ignore such gentle, sincere guidance—this careful, patient counsel that carried deep concern.
There was no time for a heart-to-heart discussion or an argument over perspectives. Wade could only ask, "Then what should I do? Do you want me to just stand here and watch?"
"Of course not." Dumbledore smiled. "I need you to protect the children and find Ms. Skeeter. Make sure they are safe—you can do that, can't you?"
"—Of course."
…
BOOM!
BOOM!
BOOM—
Explosions roared in rapid succession, and flames shot skyward. Utility poles snapped, underground cables were ripped from the earth, twisting and writhing in the air.
Machines that had once buzzed beneath the ground were suddenly hurled into the sky, only to detonate midair.
After enduring one round of the electromagnetic attack, Dumbledore had already mapped out the entire facility.
He didn't need to understand the mechanics of these devices—he just needed to destroy them beyond repair.
The headmaster knew all too well how fragile Muggle machines were.
Waves of black-clad enforcers collapsed one after another. Researchers in white lab coats fled in terror, only to clutch their chests and collapse midway.
This time, Dumbledore did not hold back.
For the first time, Wade saw the terrifying presence that had made Grindelwald wary and Voldemort afraid.
He knew that because there were innocent children on this island, as well as trapped wizards, Dumbledore had restrained himself.
Otherwise—
The entire island would have already been reduced to a sea of flames, leaving no chance for anyone to struggle or escape.
But—
When needed, just say: "I will teach you magic."
And when he wasn't needed, it was: "You're still too young, Wade."
As he ran toward the dungeon, Wade was still grumbling in frustration in his mind.
But he still faithfully followed Dumbledore's orders—or rather, his request.
There was no other choice.
"I need you."
—These words, though simple, always carried immense power.
…
The dungeon's location was something the fat administrator naturally knew. It wasn't a separate structure but was hidden beneath the research facility, located two floors down.
So, even though chaos had erupted above, everything here remained eerily quiet—except for the guards pacing back and forth in the corridor between the cells.
…
As soon as the buzzing noise stopped, Rita Skeeter quickly transformed back into a beetle. Only then did the children huddled in front of her bed scatter.
The sound of boots striking the floor echoed again.
The children sat on the ground and silently watched as the guards frowned and paced back and forth in the hallway.
From time to time, they pressed their earpieces, whispered to themselves, or exchanged glances with their colleagues—before continuing their restless patrols.
Inside the cells, the children began whispering among themselves—
"What's going on?"
"They don't usually patrol this often..."
"Could it be that they need more people again?"
"I don't think so. It looks like they're in trouble."
"Mabel, what do you think? Mabel?"
Mabel stared blankly at the ceiling. It took her a while before she finally muttered, "I don't know."
Luke glanced outside before lowering his head again, and he looked completely uninterested in what was happening.
His hand was scraped earlier, and now he was licking his wound, over and over, like a cat grooming its paw.
Rita wanted to say something to them, but she knew that for their safety, it was best if she didn't make a sound.
She anxiously scurried back and forth on the tattered blanket in her beetle form—when suddenly, she heard a thud... thud...
Without warning, the guards collapsed onto the ground, landing with a heavy "thud", their noses seemingly smashed flat against the floor.
The children heard footsteps—and everyone fell silent once more.
Then, Rita heard a young male voice ask, "Just these guys? Are there any other guards here?"
No one answered him.
The children, who had suffered so much fear and abuse, simply stared at him in silence, as if they didn't even understand English.
Rita froze for a second.
Then suddenly, she leaped forward and transformed back into her human form. She grabbed the bars of the cell and shouted—
"Wade! Wade Grey! Is that really you? Did you come to rescue us?!"
Like the children before her, she lost all composure and pressed her face against the iron bars, squishing it so hard it almost looked deformed—completely forgetting that she could simply turn into a beetle and fly out.
"Rita?"
Wade was momentarily surprised but quickly stepped forward, saying—
"Thank Merlin you're alright! I didn't expect to find you locked up in here."
As he spoke, he cast an Unlocking Charm to open the cell door.
Rita Skeeter rushed out immediately, excitedly preparing to give Wade a hug—only to find the tip of his wand pointed directly at her nose.
"Hold on a second. Prove that you're actually Rita Skeeter."
Wade said this with a completely expressionless face.
Rita, who had been on the verge of bursting into tears, froze in place. She pitifully raised her hands and desperately tried to recall the few interactions she'd had with Wade.
"I… You gave me an Invisibility Cloak…!"
"That was a loan… But whatever." Wade lowered his wand and asked, "Where is it?"
"They ruined it!" Rita said anxiously. "Forget about that—how many people did you bring?"
"Two."
"What? Only two?!" Rita shrieked.
"The other one is Dumbledore." Wade replied.
"Oh, that's fine then. Escaping from here shouldn't be a problem." Rita let out a small sigh of relief before quickly asking, "Where is Dumbledore? You didn't fall into the Muggle traps, did you? That buzzing sound…"
"It's not the sound that interferes with magic—it's the magnetic field…"
Wade started to explain, but then realized Rita wouldn't understand, so he simply swallowed the rest of his words.
"Get ready. I'm taking you all out of here."
With a wave of his wand, all the cell doors around them swung open.
The pale, frail children looked at each other hesitantly. After a long pause, one child finally gathered the courage to step out first.
Then—
"If you're here to save us… Can you save Haley too?"
A girl suddenly spoke up loudly.
"They took her away!"
The hallway fell into sudden silence.
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⭐Harry Potter: Becoming a Study God (HP:BSG)- +235 Chapters
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