Chapter 118: Emergency Evasion Failed (Patreon)

After leaving the room, Wade couldn't stop cursing under his breath.

A genius could rack his brain for days, yet one impulsive move from a fool could ruin everything.

All of his careful planning over the past few weeks had been aimed at controlling the pace of Harry and the others' investigation, waiting for the perfect opportunity to maximize his gains.

Only then could he claim both the Basilisk and Gilderoy Lockhart's fortune without leaving behind any evidence.

Even if that opportunity never came, it didn't matter much. He already knew how to open the Chamber of Secrets. Once he had fully digested the Sequence 6 Faceless potion, he could enter the Chamber himself and kill the Basilisk alone.

This school year, squeezing a fortune out of Lockhart would have been enough. Considering everything Lockhart had done, he deserved nothing less than life in Azkaban. Wade felt absolutely no guilt about blackmailing or coercing him.

But Ginny Weasley had ruined all of it.

By stealing the diary, she had thrown his entire plan into chaos, introducing countless unpredictable variables.

"Complaining won't solve anything. The priority now is getting the diary back and preventing another attack. If that fails... I'll have to report everything to Professor Snape. Once they kill the Basilisk, I'll see if I can at least claim the spoils."

Before advancing to Angel, Wade wanted to remain hidden behind the scenes—not stand in the spotlight. The more often he appeared, the more attention he would attract.

Taking a deep breath, he calmed himself and quickened his pace downstairs.

The Gryffindor versus Hufflepuff Quidditch match was about to begin. If nothing unexpected had happened, Ginny Weasley would be at the stadium watching the game.

However, when Wade reached the fifth floor, he happened to run into Hermione, who had just left the library.

"Wait, Wade."

She hurriedly stepped in front of him.

"Something wrong?"

"Yes. Something important."

She hesitated for a moment before asking,

"Did you borrow a book from the library recently?"

Wade's expression shifted ever so slightly.

Once again, he couldn't help admiring Hermione Granger's brilliance.

The book contained information about the Basilisk. He had deliberately borrowed it, intending to reveal its contents to Harry Potter when the timing was right.

Now it looked like he'd have to do it sooner than planned.

"Which book are you talking about?"

"The... the one about snakes."

"Oh."

Wade nodded as if he had just remembered.

"Right. I borrowed it to compare the differences between the skins and venom of various snake species."

He paused before asking,

"Wait. How did you know? Madam Pince shouldn't have told you."

Embarrassment flashed across Hermione's face.

"I... I looked through Madam Pince's borrowing records while she wasn't paying attention."

"Huh."

Wade looked at her teasingly.

"Gryffindors are getting bolder every day."

"Forget that. Do you still have the book?"

"It's in my dormitory. I haven't really looked through it since borrowing it. Do you need it?"

"Yes. I think I may have discovered—"

"What?"

"N-Nothing."

Hermione swallowed her words.

Before confirming her theory, she couldn't risk saying anything. Otherwise, she and Wade might both be placed in danger.

"Just take me to the book. It's urgent."

Wade shrugged and led Hermione toward the Slytherin common room.

Ginny Weasley had stolen the diary, and Hermione was now on the verge of discovering the monster inside the Chamber of Secrets...

One unexpected development after another.

"Looks like taking everything for myself is impossible now. I'll just have to grab whatever benefits I still can."

Then—

He suddenly stopped.

Every hair on his body stood on end.

That horrifying sensation...

The same feeling of being watched by the Basilisk had returned.

Damn it!

You've got to be kidding me!

Ginny had stolen the diary only yesterday, and she'd already unleashed the Basilisk today?

Releasing it was one thing, but why had it targeted him again?

Did he really look that easy to bully?

...Wait.

Today was another Quidditch match.

The realization struck him instantly.

Most of Hogwarts Castle was nearly empty because everyone was watching the game.

And Hermione Granger...

...was Muggle-born.

The Basilisk's real target was probably Hermione.

He had simply been caught in the crossfire.

Damn it!

Wade nearly cursed aloud.

He wanted to vent, but escaping this situation took priority—especially while dragging someone else along.

"What is it?" Hermione asked.

"I suddenly have a bad feeling."

Keeping his explanation vague, Wade quickened his pace toward the corridor ahead.

The moment they rounded the corner, before Hermione could react, he grabbed her hand and sprinted.

"W-Wait! What are you doing? There's no need to rush this much!"

"Trust a Seer's intuition. I can tell we're in serious danger."

There wasn't enough time to explain further.

As he ran, he glanced toward the nearby window.

Fortunately, today he was wearing his Levitation Cloak.

Jumping out a window this time wouldn't leave him nearly as battered as before.

"Hermione."

"Don't let go of my hand."

"And whatever happens... don't open your eyes."

"But—"

"No buts."

"You have to trust me."

Without waiting for another response, Wade pulled her straight toward the nearest window.

Bang!

They leapt out together.

Instead of plummeting, Wade used the Levitation Cloak to glide steadily toward the lawn below.

The instant his feet touched the ground...

The suffocating feeling of being watched disappeared.

"We're safe."

Wade let out a long breath of relief.

But almost immediately, he realized something was wrong.

The soft hand he had been holding...

...had become stiff as stone.

Gulp.

Slowly, he turned toward Hermione.

She stood completely motionless like a statue.

Her eyes were wide open, frozen in terror.

The glasses she wore—his gift to her—were emitting wisps of smoke. Countless cracks covered the lenses, and most of the enchanted magic circuits embedded within them had been burned away.

Smack!

Wade slapped a hand against his forehead.

He had successfully carried out an emergency escape...

But he hadn't accounted for every variable.

"You're lucky you were wearing the glasses I gave you."

She had still been Petrified...

But at least she was alive.

Besides, the Mandrakes were almost fully mature. Compared to Colin Creevey and Justin Finch-Fletchley, Hermione wouldn't have to remain Petrified for very long.

After a moment of silent thought, Wade sighed.

He gently laid Hermione down in the first-floor corridor before hurrying toward the castle entrance.

Pretending he knew nothing was no longer an option.

Unless he killed Hermione to permanently silence her, today's events would inevitably come to light once she recovered.

Several minutes later, Wade arrived at the Quidditch pitch.

It was his first time watching a match in person.

He had to admit...

The atmosphere was incredible.

Even before Gryffindor and Hufflepuff took the field, banners waved everywhere, magical fireworks burst overhead, and the cheers of the crowd filled the stadium with excitement.

Scanning the stands, Wade soon spotted the professors' seating area.

Among them sat Dumbledore, along with several other professors.

Adjusting his expression, he immediately hurried toward them.