51

Chapter 51: Ferdinand's Fear

On the day of Professor Murray's party, Wade donned the dress robe and dragonhide boots that Fiona had carefully selected for him. After breakfast, he stood in front of the mirror while Fiona circled him, adjusting details here and there.

"So handsome, baby!" Fiona exclaimed, showering him with exaggerated praises. "You are definitely the most dazzling young gentleman at the party. Honestly, why don't you let me pick out a necklace for you? The bow-and-arrow-shaped pendant is super cool and will definitely make the other kids jealous."

"No, Mom, I'm not a three-year-old child," Wade firmly refused.

Fiona sighed. "You didn't even want to wear it when you were three years old."

"And at eleven, I still don't," Wade retorted.

Ferdinand glanced at his watch repeatedly and kept looking out the door. "The professor said he would pick you up at 10 o'clock, right?" he confirmed.

"Yes, that's what the letter said."

But it was one minute before 10 o'clock, and no one had appeared outside.

"Are they late?" Fiona guessed.

"Maybe something delayed them," Ferdinand said, glancing at the door again. "I just hope they don't suddenly appear at the door."

"That's impossible. There are ordinary people around here! Many would see them!" Fiona said firmly. "It must have been delayed by something. Maybe we'll receive an owl letter soon."

Fiona ran to open a window to let an owl fly in if needed. Just as she turned around, the flames in the fireplace suddenly turned green, filling the room with a greenish light, and a dark figure emerged from the fireplace.

Ferdinand jumped up, quickly reaching behind his clothes to pull out his pistol, while pushing Wade back with his other hand. "Who is it?!" he shouted.

"No—Dad, it's Professor Murray."

Wade hurriedly grabbed his father's arm, noticing how cold his father's hand felt.

He looked up in surprise and saw Ferdinand clenching his teeth, veins bulging on his neck, his expression cold and unfamiliar.

Wade was momentarily stunned.

Since receiving the acceptance letter to Hogwarts, the Grays had always seemed very happy. They were curious about the magical world and eagerly participated in it. They even seemed to know more about the wizarding world than Wade himself.

Wade had always thought this was true.

But at that moment, he realized his father might have harbored a deep fear of the wizarding world all along.

Fiona was startled at first but calmed down after hearing Wade's words. She took a few steps forward, asking curiously, "Is this Floo travel?"

Ferdinand quickly walked over, standing protectively in front of Fiona as if to greet the guest. Wade noticed this subtle action.

Stepping out of the flames was indeed Professor Murray. He patted the soot off his clothes and smiled. "Yes, it is a safe and convenient way to travel. Except for the soot, everything is fine. Hello, Mr. Gray, Mrs. Gray, I'm Terence Murray, as you know."

"Of course," Ferdinand had already put away his pistol, his face now calm. "Welcome, Professor Murray. I apologize; my fireplace hasn't been thoroughly cleaned in over two years."

Fiona peeked from behind him, asking, "Can we travel by fire too?"

"Oh, probably not," Professor Murray said with a smile. "The Ministry of Magic prohibits connecting the fireplaces of non-magical people's homes to the Floo Network. To pick up Wade, I had to temporarily gain permission to use the Floo Network. It will be disconnected once we leave. Wade, I'm glad to see you're ready."

"—Yes, Professor."

Wade glanced at his parents, then put his wand into the pocket of his dress robe and walked over. "Shall we leave now?"

"Of course, the guests are waiting for us!" Professor Murray magically pulled out a small bag containing sparkling powder. "Have you ever used Floo powder?"

"No, Professor."

"It's easy, just watch what I do."

He handed the bag to Wade, picked up a handful of powder, and threw it into the fire, turning the flames green.

"Remember, you must state the address clearly—Cypress Garden. Close your eyes and don't wander around in the fireplace, or you might get bruised and end up at the wrong place."

Professor Murray stepped into the fire and demonstrated, "Cypress Garden."

He disappeared in a whoosh.

Wade took a handful of Floo powder and approached the fireplace. Before throwing it in, he turned back and looked at his father deeply. "Dad, I'll be back in the evening."

Ferdinand swallowed hard, wanting to say something but holding back. "Follow your professor—don't get into conflicts."

"I understand," Wade nodded seriously.

Fiona put her hands on her hips, pretending to be angry. "What, you only say goodbye to your father and not your mother?"

"How could I forget you?" Wade smiled, stepping forward to hug his mother. "Goodbye, Mom."

He threw the Floo powder, and the flames turned green. Wade suppressed his instinctive fear of flames and walked in as if he were used to it.

The flames enveloped him like a warm breeze. Through the firelight, Wade saw the lingering panic in his father's eyes.

It was the unease and fear of having a stranger suddenly intrude into what was once a safe haven.

"Cypress Garden," Wade said clearly, looking at his father.

Instantly, his parents and the living room disappeared from view. He spun rapidly in the green flames, countless fireplaces flashing by. Wade quickly closed his eyes. When the dizzying spin abruptly stopped, a pair of strong arms caught him as he stumbled out.

"Not a pleasant experience, right?" a voice said. "I heard this is your first time using the Floo Network."

The man helped him out of the fireplace. Wade coughed, rubbed soot from his eyes, and saw a big man standing before him.

The man was very tall, about two meters, with a burly build and a somewhat fierce appearance. But his eyes were gentle as he bent down to look at Wade.

"Sorry—who are you?" Wade asked.

A glass of water was handed to him.

"Drink some water." The man took out his wand and used a cleaning spell, and the dust on Wade's body vanished.

"I'm Steven Murray, Terence Murray's son. My father was waiting for you here, but a friend from France just arrived, so he's greeting him. You can walk around and have something to eat."