Even though Wade and Dumbledore were certain that Rita Skeeter had sent a distress signal from this island, and that there were indeed weapons targeting wizards here, they didn't immediately view the inhabitants as enemies.
The attacking Magic Golems, while appearing ferocious, each actually followed a single command: do not kill.
As for losing a hand, a foot, or a few ribs, that was considered no big deal in the Wizarding World.
The two infiltrated the island to investigate the identities of these people. They hadn't found that specific information yet, but they first discovered a large number of experimental reports, rosters, and transaction logs.
0203: Mario Hogan, 15 years old, heart match, blood match, healthy…processed.
0241: Benedict Duke, 13 years old, kidney match, blood match, healthy…processed.
0128: Molly Camille, 14 years old, liver match, bone marrow match, heart match, healthy…processed.
1957: Anastasia Joy, 9 years old, heart and lung match, bone marrow match…infected with contagious disease, destroyed.
Behind these simple lines of text were gruesome images of organs and the forced demise of vibrant lives.
These were just a few samples Wade had casually pulled out; the unopened files were neatly stacked, countless in number, on the shelves.
Folders labeled "Magic" contained even more detailed personal profiles.
The first page showed photos of young children, followed by detailed information comparable to political vetting forms, with some bloodlines traced back to great-great-grandparents.
Then came medical reports detailed down to hair growth speed, and records of countless experiments completely devoid of humanity.
Under these cruel experiments, young wizards quickly became expendable. Some, in desperation, erupted with exceptionally powerful magic, causing immense damage to the base.
They then learned various methods to restrict wizards, primarily through the mutual interference of electromagnetic fields and magical energy fields. Now, underage wizards all wore collars called Restraint Collars, which completely prevented them from using their powers normally.
This meant the children had no choice but to endure the base's cruel treatment, unable even to commit suicide.
"Foolish Muggles," Dumbledore said coldly after seeing these files. "This will have terrible consequences—I hope they haven't made a grave mistake yet."
Wade glanced at the security guard lying nearby.
He was a chubby man, with a round face, round body, and round eyes, looking like an innocent raccoon. He was the caretaker of this place.
When they first broke in, Wade had only used a Stunning Spell to put him to sleep. But after looking at a few files, he used Veritaserum, forcing the plump administrator to reveal the truth—
"I don't know how many people were sent here in total; I didn't count… no one needs to know that…"
"Children are sent every month, sometimes twenty or thirty, sometimes one or two hundred… there's no pattern, but if I had to say, when there's a war, there are more people, and it's the same during natural disasters or calamities…"
"After raising them for a while, if we find a suitable buyer, we can sell them… blood, organs, bone marrow, skin… anything."
"Even if they have a contagious disease and their organs can't be used, there are still people who specifically collect bones and eyes… the Sphenoid Bone, that butterfly-shaped bone at the front of the head, has the most collectors and sells for the most expensive…"
"Actually, everyone sent to us here is a reject. The good-looking children, and young wizards who are talented and easy to brainwash, are sent to other places… We just pick up other people's unwanted trash and make use of it…"
The plump administrator spoke terrible words in a casual tone.
After pressing him a few more times, Wade discovered that this seemingly simple and honest man actually had several lives on his hands.
The "cleaner" work was originally unrelated to him, but to relieve work pressure, and for the absurd reason of "fun," he specifically bribed other colleagues, asking them to let him participate.
Just as Wade was about to do something, a humming sound suddenly began, and the two had to start resisting the pain of boiling magic. The plump administrator was put back into a coma, to prevent him from taking advantage of the situation.
When it was over, Wade asked, "Professor, do you think… we still need to hold back against these people?"
He had originally wanted to appear more "righteous and upright" around Dumbledore, but at this moment, he felt he couldn't endure it any longer.
Dumbledore sighed. "I never want you to be too merciful to your enemies, Wade—I only want you not to undervalue the worth of life."
"I understand…"
Wade beckoned, and the firebird Mihail excitedly poked its head out from the Wardrobe Space. Its flames danced, and for a moment, the temperature in the room seemed to rise by several degrees.
But Dumbledore pressed his hand lightly on Mihail's head from a distance, and the firebird looked at him blankly.
"Go back," Dumbledore said.
The White Wizard's words seemed to contain a powerful magic, and Mihail involuntarily retreated into the Wardrobe Space.
Wade frowned. "Professor?"
"There's no need for you to do this, Wade," Dumbledore said. "I don't want to see your soul scarred."
As soon as he finished speaking, he waved his hand, and a ball of scorching flame enveloped the plump administrator's body.
The man suddenly woke from his coma, immediately stood up, then instantly collapsed, mouth wide open, dying in a posture of wanting to scream but making no sound.
Wade ignored the scorching heat behind him and looked at Dumbledore, asking, "Then what about your soul, sir?"
"Helping innocent children escape torment and death, and sending those demons who wander the earth to hell, will not harm my soul."
Dumbledore said gently, "Wade, I've come through two wars, not by shouting slogans or by trying to change my enemies with love—I know when to make up my mind."
"But you are still too young, child. I'm not worried about your magical ability—I know you have the power to eliminate all enemies before you; they are as powerless as scarecrows compared to you."
"I know you are mature in thought and outstanding in magic. I have always been very proud of you, Wade."
"But I am very concerned—I fear you will confuse fighting for protection with fighting for killing. I fear you will become addicted to the pleasure of life and death, treating taking others' lives as a routine method of solving problems."
"I have seen the most brilliant wizards in this world fall into depravity. I know many excellent young people initially only wanted to speak up for the persecuted, but eventually became the very darkness that harms this world."
"They believe in their power, believe their sacrifices are all for saving the world, but ultimately get lost on the path of salvation…"
"Those people have lost their reverence for life and death, and their compassion for ordinary people. Even if they slaughter an innocent baby, they only pity their own suffering, not the innocent victims."
"So wait a little longer, Wade. I'm not underestimating you; I just hope that you don't let your soul be corrupted before you build a sufficiently strong mental defense."
Wade: "…"
At this moment, he truly wished Dumbledore would treat him like he treated Harry in the original books—either ignore him completely or simply forcefully prevent him from participating.
—That way, Wade could justifiably disregard Dumbledore's opinion and act according to his own wishes.
But he truly couldn't resist such gentle, sincere guidance and careful instructions from others.
There was no time for them to confide in each other or persuade one another, so Wade could only say, "Then what should I do? Are you just asking me to watch?"
"Of course not." Dumbledore smiled. "I need you to protect those children and find Rita Skeeter to ensure their safety—you can do that, right?"
"—Of course."
…
*Boom!*
*Boom!*
*Boom—*
Explosions continuously roared, fierce flames shot skyward, utility poles snapped, underground cables flew into the air, twisting and coiling, and the machinery that had been thrumming underground suddenly flew out, exploding in mid-air.
After experiencing a strong magnetic field attack, Dumbledore had completely pinpointed the locations of these things.
He didn't need to know how they worked; he just needed to destroy them enough that they couldn't function properly.
The Headmaster knew very well how fragile Muggle machinery was.
The black-clad figures charging forward fell in waves, and the white-coated researchers fled in a panic, only to clutch their chests and collapse halfway.
This time, the Headmaster showed no mercy.
It was then that Wade saw in him the terrifying aura that made Grindelwald wary and Voldemort fearful.
He knew that because there were still some innocent children on the island, as well as unfortunate wizards who had unexpectedly fallen captive, Dumbledore was still holding back.
Otherwise, the entire island would already be a sea of fire, and where would these people have a chance to struggle and escape?
But—
When needed, it was: "Let me teach you magic."
When not needed, it was: "You are still too young, Wade."
Wade was still grumbling indignantly in his heart as he ran towards the dungeon.
But he still faithfully carried out Dumbledore's orders… or rather, his request.
He couldn't help it.
"I need you."
—Though ordinary, this sentence always held immense power.
The fat administrator naturally knew the dungeon's location; it wasn't a separate building but hidden beneath the research lab, separated by two entire floors.
So even though it was chaos above, it remained quiet as usual here, except for a few guards frequently pacing the corridor in the center of the cells.
When the humming stopped, Rita Skeeter quickly transformed back into a beetle, and the children, who had deliberately blocked the front of the beds, then scattered.
The sound of boots colliding with the ground rang out again.
They sat on the floor, silently watching the guards pace back and forth in the corridor with furrowed brows, occasionally pressing their earpieces to speak in low voices, or exchanging glances with the person next to them, then continuing to walk.
The children in the cells were also whispering to each other—
"What happened?"
"They don't usually patrol this frequently…"
"Do they need more people over there again?"
"I don't think so, they seem to be in some trouble."
"Mabel, what do you think? Mabel?"
Mabel stared blankly at the sky for a long while before saying, "I don't know."
Luke looked up at the outside, then lowered his head again, as if uninterested in anything.
The back of his hand had been scraped earlier, and he was now licking his wound over and over, like a cat licking its paw.
Rita wanted to say something to them, but she knew that for safety, making no sound herself was the best arrangement for all of them.
She restlessly crawled around on the old blanket when she suddenly heard a "thud," "thud."
The guards in the corridor collapsed without warning, with a "bang," their noses seeming to have been flattened.
They heard footsteps, and everyone became quiet again.
Then, Rita heard a young man's voice ask, "Just these few guys? Are there any other guards here?"
No one answered him; the frightened and injured children just stared at him silently, as if they didn't understand English.
Rita froze, then suddenly leaped forward, transforming back into her human form. She grabbed the bars and shouted, "Wade! Wade Grey! Is that really you? Have you come to rescue us?"
Like the other children before her, she frantically squeezed her face between the iron bars, almost distorting it, completely forgetting she could have transformed into a beetle and flown out.
"Rita?"
Wade was also surprised. He quickly walked over and said, "Thank Merlin, it's good you're alright. I didn't expect you to be hidden in a cell."
As he spoke, he used an Unlocking Charm to open the cell's lock.
Rita Skeeter immediately rushed out, excitedly about to embrace Wade, but was met with the tip of a wand pointed at her nose.
"Just a moment, prove you are Rita Skeeter herself."
Wade said expressionlessly.
Rita Skeeter, who was about to burst into tears, instantly froze. She pitifully raised her hands, trying hard to recall her pitifully few interactions with Wade.
"I... you gave me the Invisibility Cloak..."
"That was borrowed... but never mind." Wade lowered his wand and asked, "Where is the Invisibility Cloak?"
"They broke it," Rita said anxiously. "Never mind that—how many people did you bring?"
"Two."
"What? Only two?" Rita shrieked.
"The other is Dumbledore," Wade said.
"That's good then, escaping from here shouldn't be a problem." Rita breathed a slight sigh of relief and quickly asked, "Where's Dumbledore? You didn't fall into the Muggles' trap, did you? That buzzing sound..."
"The magic isn't affected by sound waves, but by the magnetic field here..."
Wade stopped mid-sentence, realizing Rita wouldn't understand, so he simply swallowed the rest of his words.
"Get ready, I'll take you out of here."
He waved his wand, and all the cell locks around them sprang open. The thin, pale children looked at each other, and after a long while, someone finally bravely stepped out first.
"If you can save us, can you also save Hailey?" a girl suddenly said loudly. "She was taken away by those people!"
The corridor suddenly fell silent.
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