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Wade bought the lighter for ten knuts.
The fact that he was able to make the purchase at such a low price indirectly proved that it wasn't just Tom who couldn't see the blue glow above it...
If everyone could see this glow, the price would definitely not be so cheap.
After Tom picked up a few magical manuscripts in the second-hand bookstore, the two of them returned to the agreed-upon meeting point.
Toby had already been waiting there with a large bundle of packages.
Then, as before, Toby led them both back to the Hog's Head Inn.
After entering, Wade casually asked Aberforth about the lighter at the bar.
However, Aberforth also couldn't see the blue glow on the lighter.
After hearing Wade's description, he suggested that Wade wait until Albus's next visit and bring it out for him to examine.
Wade thought this was a reasonable suggestion. Albus Dumbledore was highly skilled in alchemy, so he likely knew something about it.
Thus, Wade decided to temporarily set aside the issue with the lighter.
Anyway, Dumbledore would be back soon, so Wade wasn't in a hurry.
...
After returning to the room, Tom immediately picked up the book he had put down and continued reading.
Thinking constantly about getting stronger was now Tom's sole pursuit...
Meanwhile, Wade left the house with the five old wands he had just bought.
He had seen quite a bit of dark magic in the wizard tower last night, and Wade was eager to try out some interesting spells.
When you're in the business, you need to have some defensive trump cards.
And to practice dark magic, he needed a secluded place...
Wade already had a place in mind, and that was the ground floor of the wizard tower.
The ground floor of the tower had originally been used as a laboratory, but now that the experimental instruments had all been sold off by the previous owner, it was empty.
It was just the perfect place for Wade to practice dark magic without any worries.
When Aberforth saw that Wade had just returned and was leaving again with Toby, he didn't say much.
Previously, Dumbledore had told him that as long as Wade didn't do anything outrageous, there was no need for intervention.
This clearly showed that Dumbledore trusted Wade a lot.
This was thanks to the good impression Wade had left on Dumbledore earlier.
Of course, this was also the purpose behind Wade's constant effort to show off his acting skills in front of Dumbledore.
He certainly didn't want to end up like the Tom Riddle in the original story, who, no matter how well he performed at school, was always closely monitored by Dumbledore and never gained trust.
That was because he hadn't left a trustworthy impression on Dumbledore from the very beginning!
...
Toby led Wade directly to the ground floor of the wizard tower.
It looked completely different from when Wade had seen it before.
The floor and the surrounding shelves were spotless, and the clutter had been completely cleaned up.
It was obvious that Toby had put a lot of effort into the cleaning.
"Young Master Wade, if you need anything, feel free to command Toby."
Toby was also very happy to return to the wizard tower. For him, it truly felt like coming home.
"Mm, I might need some targets for practicing dark magic, preferably ones that are sturdy," Wade said.
"Of course, these are ready, Young Master!" Toby replied, snapping his fingers.
Immediately, five or six black humanoid targets appeared in front of them.
Wade slapped one of the dark-colored humanoid targets, feeling its solid texture.
Considering that the Somnolen family's entire collection of books consisted of dark magic...
It made sense that the practice targets here would be sturdier.
If they weren't sturdy, they wouldn't be able to withstand the dark magic attacks from the family members over the years.
But now, all these things had become available to Wade.
"Great, place these targets over there," Wade said with satisfaction.
At Wade's command, Toby immediately snapped his fingers, and the heavy humanoid targets floated up, accurately landing in the designated spot.
I must say, having a house-elf to help really made things a lot easier for Wade.
Wade suddenly had a thought, "Toby, if I want to learn Apparition, can you help me?"
Toby nodded. "Of course, but... Young Master Wade, it's better to wait until you're a bit older before attempting to learn Apparition. You're still young, and if you try to learn it now, the chances of splitting will greatly increase..."
Wade immediately caught onto the key point and eagerly asked, "So, if something goes wrong, you can help put my body back together?"
"Yes," Toby nodded. "When Master Sofik first started practicing Apparition, it was Toby who assisted him..."
"Great! Then I'll leave my safety to you, Toby!" Wade said, happily patting Toby's shoulder.
House-elves never lie to their masters, so since Toby said he could help Wade practice Apparition, Wade had full confidence that he could.
Once he mastered Apparition, it would add another trick to his arsenal. In the future, if he ever found himself in a tough situation, he would have an escape route.
Moreover, if he could truly master Apparition, this spell would provide him with a huge advantage in combat!
Hearing how much his master trusted him, Toby's face briefly lit up with joy, but then concern quickly overtook him.
"Young Master Wade, you trust me so much, and it touches me deeply! But... but you're still young. Trying to learn Apparition at this age is very dangerous..."
Toby continued to persuade Wade. While it was true that Wade wouldn't face life-threatening danger with Toby there, if they could avoid the fear of splitting, why take the risk now?
Wade smiled, "With you here, I'm not worried at all."
"Oh... my master! Toby will do everything in his power to help you learn Apparition!"
Toby screamed excitedly, even changing his address from "Young Master" to "Master."
This shows just how much Wade's simple words of trust moved the house-elf...
Wade had always believed that in order to get someone to help you wholeheartedly, you first need to give them enough in return.
If you want a horse to run fast, you have to let it eat enough grass.
For a creature like a house-elf, a word of trust from their master was the best kind of nourishment!
"Master, do you want to practice Apparition now? Toby will prepare everything right away!" Toby trembled with excitement.
Wade had initially planned to wait until next time to learn, as he hadn't planned on starting Apparition just yet, so he was completely unprepared.
But now... the atmosphere was already set up, so why not... try?
If he was going to try, then he would go for it!
Apparition was much safer than the dark magic he had planned to practice!
Also, once he mastered Apparition, he wouldn't need Toby's help to travel to and from the Wizard Tower anymore.
"Let's give it a try then!"
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