Early in the morning, Wade and the others were ready to head out—cloaks, scarves, hats, gloves, and non-slip dragonhide boots.
"Seriously, I feel like a bear right now."
Michael took a few clumsy steps, pretending to be awkward, and even let out a howling "Awoo!"
Harry burst into laughter: "Haha... I think you look more like a penguin!"
"Did you know it's the male penguins who incubate the eggs?" Michael yelled, "Feel the power of my egg-incubating abilities, baby Harry!"
He launched himself like a ball, crashed into Harry and pinned him to the ground. Harry struggled to get up, slapping the floor and calling for help.
Lupin opened the door: "Let's go. The car I called is here."
"Coming!"
Wade gave his wand a flick and levitated the two flailing boys off the ground, then tucked the wand back into his pocket.
The two of them shoved each other playfully as they squeezed through the narrow doorway, acting like a pair of preschool kids.
Wade stepped outside and glanced up at the gloomy, dim sky. Thick clouds loomed overhead—it looked like snow was coming.
Ever since the Dementors began floating endlessly over the skies of Britain, clear and sunny weather had become a rarity.
"The weather's not great today," Wade frowned. "Honestly, it'd be better if we waited a couple more days to go to Diagon Alley... Today's the launch of the communication beans—it's bound to be packed."
"But you're not just an ordinary visitor, Wade," Michael said with a grin. "You have to go. You're giving a public speech, remember?"
Wade couldn't help but let out a deep sigh.
—That is exactly why I don't want to go.
He recalled Professor Murray's words of advice in a letter—
[Dear Wade, your name is no longer a secret within certain circles. I've received multiple reports of people trying to kidnap you for your wealth and technological knowledge. Others want to use Veritaserum or love potions on you...]
[Continuing to hide won't help anymore. On the contrary, embracing your identity as a 'young alchemy genius' might actually be safer for you...]
And so this time, Marchionne made a big deal of printing Wade's name in the newspaper, he even bought a whole page to introduce his alchemical works from recent years, stacking up praise without restraint.
It was too flashy... Just imagining people crowding around to gawk at him like they did with Harry made Wade feel incredibly uncomfortable.
But he knew it was something he had to go through—he could only force himself to face it.
As they got into the car, Lupin looked down and asked:
"Got your speech ready?"
"Of course," Wade replied. "The whole 'tech nerd' persona is pretty misleading, huh?"
Lupin didn't fully get what he meant, but he could tell Wade had his own plans, so he sat comfortably in the front passenger seat.
It was a regular Muggle taxi, and the driver was just an ordinary person, so once they were all inside, they avoided talking about anything magical. Instead, they started chatting about what they wanted to buy.
"I'm thinking of getting Hermione a book... or maybe a quill. For Ron, a box of toffees. And for Neville… how about a pack of rare seeds?" Harry said thoughtfully.
"Nice one!" Michael was holding a notebook, listing all the people he was buying gifts for—it was already several pages long.
"We can get different types of seeds, and we could get something for Theo too… For Ryan, I'm giving him a model of the moon. You guys better not get the same thing as me."
"Don't worry about that," Wade said. "When we get back, I plan to stop by Harrods Department Store—they have some great astronomy models… I might pick up a few books from a nearby bookstore too."
"I'll go with you! I wanna see what kind of cool stuff that… that department store sells. Who knows, maybe we'll find some new games!" Michael said excitedly. "What do you think, Harry?"
"Of course… uh…"
Harry patted his pockets and suddenly remembered—he only had wizarding currency.
"But before that, I'll probably have to stop by Gring—uh, the bank."
"Don't forget to buy a gift for your aunt and uncle too, Harry," Lupin said suddenly.
"What?" Harry immediately pulled a face. "For them, the best gift is to see me in trouble."
Lupin sighed. "I don't like them either, but they did raise you, Harry. Gift-giving goes both ways."
"...Fine," Harry grumbled, then turned to his friends and said, "I'll get them a box of toothpicks—they gave me one last year. I'm not that petty… I'll give them a whole box!"
"You're joking—one toothpick?!" Michael was appalled. "That counts as a Christmas gift?"
"Apparently," Harry said, half-laughing at himself.
…
The car soon arrived at Charing Cross Road. The group got out, and after the taxi drove off, they stepped carefully over the snow-covered street toward the Leaky Cauldron.
The dark, grimy little pub was surprisingly packed, full of chatter and voices from every direction. The bartender, Tom, was rushing around, too busy to even glance at the few people passing through his place.
In the small courtyard behind the bar, Lupin tapped a brick on the wall with his wand. Instantly, the archway to Diagon Alley appeared.
As they stepped through, Wade immediately spotted Marchionne. He was the one dressed like a bear, pacing back and forth in front of the archway.
When he heard footsteps, Marchionne quickly turned his head. At first, he saw what looked like a group of Muggle kids and shifted his gaze away in disappointment.
Then he spotted Lupin, paused for a moment, and suddenly twisted around. Through the narrow gap between scarf and hat, he finally recognized Wade's eyes.
"Oh my gosh! Wade, you're finally here!"
Marchionne strode over in one big step, immediately grabbed Wade's arm, and said urgently: "The launch event is about to start—come with me, quick!"
"We won't be late. There are still twenty minutes," Wade replied calmly.
"—Exactly! Only twenty minutes left! And there's no way I'm letting you go on stage looking like this."
Marchionne rattled off like a machine gun:
"Proper attire is your armor in the business world! If you dress impressively enough, everyone will look at you differently—ugh, I knew you'd just throw something on and show up—Remus, I'm taking him now!"
Lupin didn't even get a chance to say a word before Marchionne grabbed Wade and disapparated on the spot.
POP!
With a loud pop, Wade barely found his footing when Marchionne pointed at him and said to someone, "Move! In fifteen minutes, I want to see a brand-new Wade Grey!"
Three or four extravagantly dressed individuals swarmed around him, their genders hard to distinguish. They held measuring tapes, scissors, and glittering gemstone pendants.
"Hold up!" Wade took a quick step back and raised a defensive hand. "I'm not dressing up like some flashy peacock!"
"Relax, I know exactly what style suits you!" Marchionne said confidently.
Honestly, once Wade took off his cloak, his outfit underneath wasn't inappropriate at all—a black wizard's robe with blue trim. It was perfectly suitable for classroom lectures or even the future Triwizard Tournament ball.
But to Marchionne, it was far too plain—he'd get lost in a crowd.
So, with a single command, the stylists closed in, and Wade nervously swallowed.
His pointy wizard hat was now set with gemstones and embroidered with intricate, arcane patterns in gold thread; the robe bore matching golden designs.
His belt wasn't just decorative—it held small, finely crafted magical trinkets: some slowly rotating, others glowing softly, and a few ticking audibly.
Beyond that, gloves, pocket watch, boots, pendant… Every piece shimmered with the aura of wealth and arcane craftsmanship—mystery and splendor fused into one dazzling look.
"A walking work of aesthetic brilliance! Extraordinary charisma and poise! Dimensional! Flawless! Perfectly balanced! Oh heavens, I'm overwhelmed—please accept my admiration and my love…"
The mirror in front of him gushed praise nonstop for five whole minutes, making Wade wonder if it had lost its mind.
Just then, Professor Murray walked in and caught the tail end of the mirror's ramblings. He looked Wade up and down, then smiled and nodded.
"Mm, very fitting."
Wade said helplessly, "Professor, I can barely remember how to walk."
Professor Murray chuckled, "If you had brought your cloak, we wouldn't have needed all these extra embellishments."
Thinking of that metallic-thread cloak, Wade said with a bit of a headache, "That thing would probably rather run off with all the jewels here."
That cloak, for some reason, was obsessed with shiny objects—just like the dragons in old legends. Wade had tried several times to make it look more plain, but the cloak had outright refused.
With alchemical creations like that, if they strongly resist something, even spells cast on them will slowly wear off. Eventually, Wade just gave up and let it do as it pleased.
Just then, an employee from the magic workshop rushed in and called out, "Boss, it's almost time."
"Alright," Marchionne said after giving everyone's outfits one last check. "Let's go… And Wade, don't forget—this is a battlefield too."
Wade nodded seriously.
…
Harry and Michael followed Lupin and managed to blend into the venue.
Inside the hall, around a hundred or two people were already seated. Everyone was dressed extravagantly and carried an air of importance. Many were even foreign wizards.
Compared to them, the trio's simple attire made them look like ugly ducklings among a flock of swans.
"Hey, look—Malfoy!" Michael nudged Harry's arm.
At a table near the front sat the entire Malfoy family.
Their pale blonde hair and fair skin seemed to glow under the lights. Sitting at the same table was Cornelius Fudge, the Minister of Magic, grinning broadly as he chatted with Mr. Lucius Malfoy.
No doubt, it was the Malfoy family's wealth that had won the Minister over.
Harry thought this to himself—when he suddenly heard someone nearby say,
"Il y a longtemps que je ne t'ai vu, mon cher ami."
The strange pronunciation caught Harry's attention, and he looked over to see two tall wizards enthusiastically shaking hands.
"What are they saying?" he asked Michael in a low voice.
"Sounds like French," Michael replied, though he wasn't too sure either. He didn't think much of it and popped a grape into his mouth from the table.
"Remus, aren't those communication earpieces being sold in other countries too?" Harry asked curiously. "Why are there so many foreign wizards coming to Britain?"
"Probably because the launch event is only being held here," Lupin answered.
"So…" Harry began to understand. "All these people came just to see Wade?"
He suddenly felt a wave of unreality crash over him—like he was only now realizing that the friend he did homework with every day actually stood in a completely different world.
And that feeling became even more intense when the trio finally appeared—
Jewels were glittering brightly, their presence on stage was radiant and noble, like a living masterpiece in motion.
Marchionne introduced the recent, eye-catching achievements of the Aslan Workshop…
Terrence Murray spoke proudly of his remarkable student…
Then it was Wade's turn. He introduced the functions of the communication bean, the design concepts behind it, and its future development potential…
The young wizard spoke eloquently, with clarity and confidence, transforming the complexities of alchemy into language that was easy to understand, allowing everyone in the audience to grasp the essence of this invention.
When he spoke of the specific alchemical techniques, his words became deep yet concise, filled with references and tight logic. A number of alchemists in the audience nodded repeatedly in agreement.
After Wade finished speaking and paused briefly, the hall erupted into warm applause.
Draco Malfoy, glancing around, hesitated for a second before clapping as well—mostly to avoid looking clueless. Then he leaned over and whispered to his mother:
"Mother, what on earth was he talking about? I almost thought it was some kind of secret code… It sounded like English, but it felt like it wasn't…"
Narcissa Malfoy smiled gently and said, "When it comes to alchemy, it's a tower of knowledge only professionals can ascend."
"Oh…" Draco answered in a daze, then asked, "But can you understand it?"
Still smiling, Narcissa replied, "I'm not an alchemist."
Draco was about to say something else when his father said quietly, "Quiet, Draco."
Harry, on the other hand, wasn't too bothered. He was content to forgive himself for knowing absolutely nothing about alchemy and simply felt happy that his friend had delivered such a successful speech.
Wade's words were like a precision-crafted machine. Even if most people in the hall didn't fully understand, they could still feel the professionalism and depth—hence the heartfelt applause.
There had been vague rumors before—claims like Terrence Murray was using his own work to promote his student, or that Wade Grey was actually Murray's illegitimate son—but all of it vanished in the face of undeniable talent.
Meanwhile, in a corner diagonally across from Harry sat a group of foreign-dressed wizards. One man among them, with panda-like dark circles under his eyes, was trembling with excitement.
"Are you having a seizure?" Baird asked warily.
"I get it! I think I finally understand!" Illary said, visibly shaking. "So that's how the spell is embedded! Ah… I've finally seen the light of the lighthouse! I've caught the key note! I've found my Venus!"
Baird furrowed his brow and looked like he was ready to leap up and restrain the man having a full-on episode.
Illary suddenly grabbed his hand and said, "Do you understand, Major? I finally know how to make that kind of magic doll!"
"Really?" Baird blinked, surprised and delighted.
"Of course! I still can't create brand-new ones, but replicating them won't be a problem… Hahaha! It's actually so simple—I finally understand! Soon we'll be able to mass-produce magic dolls, Major! This world will fall into the hands of the Organization!"
Abigail, sitting next to them, said nothing. She simply cast a spell to mute the sound around their table. Then she looked up, puzzled, at Wade, who was stepping down from the stage.
She and Baird were both using Polyjuice Potion to disguise their real appearances. But for some reason, Abigail felt like—during the speech—Wade looked over in their direction several times…
—Was it just my imagination?
She wasn't sure.
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⭐Harry Potter: Becoming a Study God (HP:BSG)- +235 Chapters
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