Cornelius fell silent for a moment, looking at the eccentric, talking Cloak, and whispered, "Magic?"
The Cloak: "..."
It twirled around twice, speechless, and retorted, "Look at me! Open your eyes and look at me! Do I have wires? A voice box? A propeller?"
"I certainly don't see any... But technology has advanced to such a degree that, for an old man like me, left behind by the times, it's indistinguishable from magic."
Cornelius sighed and said, "Stop trying to trick me. What do you really want? Just tell me."
The Cloak: "...So, even if I were to turn invisible and fly you around, or play a game of chess with you right now, you'd still think it's all human technology, right, old man?"
Cornelius's eyes widened in shock. "You can do all that?" he asked.
The Cloak ignored his last question. It flew over to Wade and said, sounding wronged, "Master, he doesn't believe it."
Cornelius's gaze also shifted to Wade.
Earlier in the car, Mr. and Mrs. Gray had already introduced him to their son, who was supposedly a young Wizard, exceptionally talented and hardworking. In just a few short years, he had achieved things others couldn't in a lifetime, inventing many impressive Alchemy creations.
According to Mr. and Mrs. Gray, their child was so perfect in both ability and character that he seemed unreal. It was also this child's decision to cure Cornelius and hire him to participate in a certain research project.
Honestly, as a staunch materialist, Cornelius didn't believe a single word of it.
He thought the poor couple might have been brainwashed by some cult, or were suffering from some kind of delusional disorder.
He had followed the couple back to thank them for curing his illness, to find out the exact situation, and then to help them return to sanity and reality.
But after stepping into this house, Cornelius felt his worldview truly beginning to crumble—
Incredibly realistic and lively Magic Golems, moving photos on the walls, and a lively Cloak that moved like a person, yet was only a thin layer, completely empty inside.
Most importantly, Cornelius had paid attention to the newspapers and TV during his journey and knew he hadn't "slept for twenty years." He also saw that people on the streets were, at most, walking cats and dogs as pets, not carrying such flexible "smart robots."
Cornelius tried to use his familiar scientific theories to explain everything before him, attempting to stabilize his collapsing cognitive system.
He looked up at the young man coming down the stairs, his gaze trembling slightly, both fearful and expectant.
Wade came before him, smiled, and without speaking, simply drew his Wand and touched a button on Cornelius's clothes.
The gilded button twitched as if itching, then suddenly transformed into a golden-yellow butterfly right before Cornelius's eyes. It flapped its delicate wings and suddenly flew up.
Because both his parents were Squibs, Wade rarely performed such "small tricks" at home.
At this moment, Mr. and Mrs. Gray's gazes also couldn't help but follow the butterfly, watching it dance in the air, its wings like golden gauze.
A moment later, the butterfly flew back, and Cornelius couldn't help but extend a hand.
So the golden butterfly landed in his palm, its black antennae trembling slightly, as if sensing the surrounding air.
Its tiny feet moved gently on Cornelius's palm, the touch delicate and subtle, a slight tingling sensation, like a feather lightly brushing.
Cornelius dared not breathe loudly, fearing he might disturb this frail little life.
He held the butterfly, which still had some button patterns on its wings, feeling as if his heart had been swept by a destructive hurricane. The once towering structure had collapsed, and he stood amidst the chaotic ruins, yet he saw a broader world, and his mind became clear and peaceful once more.
"Is this magic?" Cornelius whispered.
"Yes," Wade said.
"Can magic create life?" Cornelius asked.
"Yes, magic can create life, transform species, and prevent death."
Wade said, "However, this butterfly is just the effect of Transfiguration. I can turn non-living things into ordinary creatures, and I can also turn creatures into various objects."
"Transfiguration?" the old man asked, his voice trembling.
"Transfiguration, Potions, Spells, Herbology, Divination, Alchemy, Astronomy... these are the main aspects of magic," Wade said. "If you're willing, we can work together to study them using scientific methods."
Cornelius looked up, and the confusion, perplexity, and lifelessness in his eyes had all vanished, replaced by a blazing flame—a yearning and reverence for a new world.
"Of course, I'm willing," he said eagerly. "Where do we start?"
...
Wade entrusted the laboratory and all the equipment to his father. It took Ferdinand nearly a year to gradually prepare everything.
House Gray was originally just an ordinary family with modest assets, not particularly wealthy.
However, ever since Wade entered the magic school, on one hand, he used Alchemy to accumulate significant assets for himself in the Wizarding World; on the other hand, Ferdinand, following Wade's advice, made some investments, and their wealth unknowingly swelled.
The way Wade convinced his father was simple: he just said, "I have some talent in Divination," and that was enough for his parents to trust his judgment.
Although the world of Harry Potter was not entirely the same as Wade's previous world, the development of certain things was a historical trend. By seizing just a few opportune moments, one could ride the wave of the times and gain immense benefits.
However, House Gray did not become the world's richest family because of this. Ferdinand had a cautious personality and rarely took risks. He would rather watch opportunities slip away than take a risk that could lead to his family's bankruptcy.
And Wade himself didn't have a high pursuit of money, because once wealth accumulated to a certain extent, it was merely a useful tool for him; enough was sufficient.
However, with the support of this wealth, House Gray's laboratory was like a castle shimmering with technological brilliance, also permeated with the scent of money, making Cornelius's eyes light up.
"Is this heaven? Am I actually dead?"
The old man caressed the state-of-the-art laboratory equipment with affection. It was a long time before he reluctantly tore his gaze away and looked at Wade.
"If you want me to study magic, are you going to be my research subject?"
"Thanks, but I have no plans to be a guinea pig right now."
Wade took out a blood sample and said, "Let's start with this tube of Werewolf blood."
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