"Test it yourself. Don't drag me into this," Tom said calmly.
"No can do. What if something happens to me." Wade said with a troubled look.
"Are you deaf or something? Don't you think I'm also afraid of something happening to me?" Tom's anger level was visibly rising.
Wade sighed. "Tom, I know the Cushioning Charm. Do you?"
"Cushioning Charm? I… haven't learned that yet…"
"But I can use it! Look, if you fall, I can catch you. But if I fall, you don't know the Cushioning Charm, so you won't be able to catch me!" Wade smiled.
Tom sneered. "And what's the problem? Just have Toby catch you. Didn't you tell me yourself not to underestimate a house-elf's magic?"
"…Fine, forget it if you don't want to." Wade gave up, seeing that Tom wasn't falling for it at all.
After getting scammed so many times, this kid had finally grown resistant.
"Toby! Stop what you're doing. Come help me with a magic experiment!" Wade called toward the kitchen.
"Coming!" Toby answered immediately, then turned to the utterly dejected cat and said, "Remember, when you're done washing dishes, rinse them at least three times with clean water… Oh, right, you don't know how to use magic yet. Then use a dishcloth."
Tom the cat looked completely defeated.
Meaooow!! Since when did being a pet cat involve doing the dishes?
After quickly finishing his instructions to Tom the cat, Toby walked over to Wade, bowed respectfully, and said, "Master Wade, please give your command."
"Toby, help me test a spell... I might be flying in a moment, and if I fall—"
"Please rest assured, Master Wade. Toby is fully capable of catching you," Toby replied confidently.
As an experienced house-elf, something like this was no problem at all.
"Excellent! I trust you, Toby. Unlike some people… Hmph, I was even planning to offer this spell as payment for helping with the experiment. But since he's not interested, forget it." Wade said as he stepped out the door.
Tom scoffed. As if you'd actually give me something that good.
Still, when Wade walked out, Tom followed after him.
Not because he'd changed his mind or wanted to learn the spell—but purely because he wanted to watch that bastard fall flat on his face.
That would be so satisfying. Absolutely delightful.
In the yard, Wade glanced at the greenhouse he'd set up, then looked at the empty space nearby.
"This place is too small. Is there somewhere bigger… and more hidden around here?" Wade asked.
"There is. On the east side of the village, there's a forest with a small lake in the middle. Hardly anyone goes there. If it's for flying magic, being over water might be safer," Toby squeaked.
While Wade and Tom were at school, Toby had stayed in Godric's Hollow unless summoned. Following Wade's instructions, he would occasionally go out for walks—Wade had told him it was good for relaxation and mental health, to avoid turning into a neurotic house-elf like Kreacher.
Thanks to that, Toby was now very familiar with Godric's Hollow and its surroundings.
"Perfect! Let's go! Tom, stay home!" Wade said.
Tom frowned. "I'm not staying home! I'm not your servant. You can't tell me what to do!"
"That's weird… I wasn't talking to you," Wade said, pointing at Tom the cat, who was sneakily peeking out from the kitchen door. "I meant him. Don't take it personally."
"You—! Can you just change that cat's name already?!" Tom growled, barely holding back his rage.
The only response he got was the back of Wade's head as he walked away.
Tom inhaled sharply to calm himself. "Fine. I hope you crash and die, you walking disaster."
…
The little lake was in an excellent location, surrounded on all sides by dense woods, secluded and quiet.
"Master Wade, if you practice flying here, even if Toby fails to catch you, the trees or the lake can help cushion the fall," Toby said sincerely.
"Didn't you just say you could catch me with one hundred percent certainty?"
"That's… also for your safety, Master Wade…" Toby replied cautiously.
"Alright." Wade glanced over at Tom, who was sitting on a rock not far away, secretly watching.
Toby immediately added loudly, "Master Wade, don't worry. I'll keep an eye on Master Tom and make sure he doesn't try anything!"
Toby's voice was so loud that Tom's face darkened instantly. Merlin's beard, he thought, I swear I wasn't planning anything!
It's not like he didn't want to mess with Wade… the problem was, he couldn't beat him!
This was the same guy who dared to go head-to-head with Grindelwald. If Tom really wanted to start something, he'd better think very carefully about the consequences.
Last time, Wade only did a little prank, and he almost got sorted into Azkaban instead of Slytherin.
If Wade were serious… he might actually end up in Azkaban.
Wade, of course, wasn't too bothered by any of this.
In truth, he didn't really need Toby or Tom's help at all.
In fact, the reason Wade told Toby and Tom to come along was simply so they could witness him creating a completely unprecedented new spell with their own eyes. Hu Hu Hu~~
A wizard proficient in Apparition—how could he possibly be afraid of falling to his death?
Wade drew his wand, hesitated for a moment, then pulled out a second one—an old, battered wand.
It was this very wand he had used when he pulled that stunt against Grindelwald.
For the first attempt at casting this spell, Wade softly recited a long incantation.
Immediately, Tom and Toby noticed black mist starting to swirl around Wade's feet.
In just a few moments, the black mist had enveloped his entire lower body.
Then Wade's figure began to float shakily upward.
He floated until he was level with the treetops, then began drifting left, right, forward, and backward.
The black mist rolled along with his movements, rippling outward.
Watching this, Tom instinctively opened his mouth wide in disbelief.
He had thought Wade was just experimenting with some half-baked idea…
Turns out… the guy had already succeeded!
As Tom realized this, Wade's flying speed was getting faster and faster.
By the end, he had practically turned into a streak of black mist, darting rapidly through the treetops.
Suddenly, several spells shot out from within the black mist, hitting the rock right next to Tom with pinpoint accuracy.
Tom jumped in shock, but more than anything, he was utterly stunned.
So fast… and he can still cast spells while flying…
He had to admit, he was seriously tempted now.
A flight spell that not only allowed for high-speed movement but also left the user free to cast spells—this was no small thing.
Thinking back to how he'd just turned down Wade's offer without knowing the value of it, Tom instantly felt a wave of regret.
If he could learn this flight spell, even if Wade scammed him a little in the process… it would totally be worth it!
Whoosh!
The black mist landed quickly, and Wade emerged from it looking completely refreshed.
"Flying without a broom… feels fucking amazing!" Wade sighed contentedly.
Back then, his senior had even suggested that he buy a broomstick before venturing into the Forbidden Forest.
That way, he wouldn't have to stumble through the rough terrain on foot.
But now, with the Flight Charm mastered, who needed a broom anymore?
"Master Wade! Congratulations! You've successfully created a new spell!" Toby squealed in excitement. "Toby is so lucky to have a master like you!"
"Hehe, it's nothing, it's nothing. Toby, do you want to learn it? I can teach you. Even though house-elf magic is a bit different from wizard magic, no harm in giving it a try," Wade offered with a smile.
"Really? Toby can learn too?"
"Of course!"
"That's wonderful! Toby is willing to try!"
Tom, standing off to the side, finally couldn't hold it in anymore when he saw Wade was even willing to teach a house-elf.
"Ahem… Wade… can I learn it too?" Tom asked, shamelessly.
In this world, only those with thick skin get to eat.
Tom had long since learned the art of bending and yielding—especially under Wade's constant pressure.
"You said earlier you weren't interested, didn't you?"
"No, I never said I wasn't interested, Wade. What I emphasized was that I was… limited in my ability to help you test the spell," Tom replied without blushing or skipping a beat.
"Tsk..." Wade stared at him, clearly impressed. "Tom, your skin's gotten a lot thicker, hasn't it?"
"All thanks to your fine teachings, Professor Reynolds," Tom said with a fake smile.
"Tut tut, well, since you've put it that way, it'd be rude not to teach you. Come then, let your master pass this spell on to you!" Wade said proudly.
A flash of genuine surprise flickered in Tom's eyes. He hadn't expected Wade to agree so easily. He'd fully prepared himself for Wade to mess with him first.
Wade waved him over. "Come closer."
When Tom leaned in, Wade whispered, "First do this... then this... and then this... and you'll be flying."
Tom: "???"
"You're hopeless! Fine, I'll just tell you the incantation directly!"
"In fact, you could've just told me the incantation from the start… Professor Reynolds," Tom muttered.
A few moments later, he had memorized the entire spell. But as soon as he came back to his senses, he realized there was a rope tied firmly around his waist.
"What's this for?" Tom asked, frowning.
"Oh, well... it's your first time casting the spell. It's really easy to overshoot and—whoosh—you go flying off. So I had no choice but to tie you down," Wade explained, carefully securing an unnecessarily complex knot. "Unlike you, who just stood by watching when I was testing the spell, not lifting a finger to help."
"Is that so..." Tom felt like something was definitely off, but couldn't quite put his finger on it.
"Of course!" Wade nodded seriously.
"…Alright... Wait, hold on. The spell you just taught me, that was for takeoff, right? What about landing… or moving?" Tom suddenly asked suspiciously.
"The spell I just taught you, what was it? Say it back to me. Let me check if you've got it right."
Tom had no choice but to repeat the incantation.
The moment he finished the last syllable—
Whoosh!
His whole body shot straight into the air like a rocket.
Wade shouted, "And the balloon goes-Weee!"
"Wait! Hold on! How do I land?! Why am I still going up?!" Tom was truly panicking this time.
"Relax, you're tied down," Wade said as he firmly gripped the rope.
Tom breathed a sigh of relief. "Good… Now, please tell me how to—wait, what are you doing?!"
Before he could finish his sentence, Tom watched in horror as Wade grabbed the rope and started jogging along the lakeside.
"Are you—ARE YOU FLYING ME LIKE A KITE?!"
Tom was filled with despair.
There is no escape... Wade's schemes are everywhere! ಥ_ಥ
__________
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