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The best course of action for now was to conceal Wade's ability to use Ancient Magic as much as possible—at least until the truth behind this matter could be uncovered. That was the only way to avoid him suffering the same fate.
"But… Professor, how could something so strange even be possible?" Wade still found it hard to believe. "And what would be the point of doing something like this? If someone wanted to erase all traces of a person, what's the use in only erasing their name?"
Dumbledore frowned. "You're right. But I believe the goal wasn't merely to erase her name. Although I've never heard of such a spell before, I suspect the original intent was to erase her entire existence. Something must have gone wrong during the process, which is why only her name was lost, while everything else about her remains."
To erase a person's name so thoroughly that no one—not even the person themselves—realized it was missing… what if that same magic were used to erase the entire person?
Wouldn't that mean someone could vanish without a trace, and every record, every memory of them would disappear, with no one ever realizing they'd been erased?
Just imagining that was enough to send a chill down one's spine.
This level of magic… the darkness of it… could no longer be simply described as "dark magic."
"You're afraid that I might be the next target?" Wade asked.
"Yes… fortunately, very few people know that you can use Ancient Magic," Dumbledore replied.
In fact, he hadn't told anyone about Wade's affinity with Ancient Magic.
As of now, only Dumbledore, Wade, and the tiny Nagini in the cage—who had been silently listening—knew about this matter.
When Dumbledore had asked Headmaster Dippet about the former student, he had merely said he couldn't recall her name and hadn't mentioned Wade at all.
In hindsight, his caution had been very necessary.
"Alright, I won't ask about or look into any more information regarding that senior," Wade said.
And that was actually the truth. After all, the whole idea of looking into records was just a pretense to fish for information from Dumbledore—there was no real need.
If he truly wanted to learn more about her, what could be easier than asking the person herself?
"Good… it's not ideal, but this is the best course for now. Leave the investigation to me," Dumbledore said.
In fact, now that he suspected something terrible might have happened to her, Dumbledore could never simply ignore it.
"Professor… please be careful… If the situation becomes too dangerous, you must prioritize your own safety. You're far too important to the wizarding world," Wade said, a trace of unease in his voice.
Because of his butterfly-effect-like presence, many things had already begun to change.
And if such an eerie and powerful force really existed, Dumbledore delving too deeply could lead to unpredictable consequences.
If it weren't for his reminder, Dumbledore would never have noticed that the senior's name had disappeared—he wouldn't have taken the initiative to investigate the matter.
And right now, Dumbledore was one of Wade's most crucial allies. Nothing could be allowed to happen to him this early.
"Ahaha~ You don't have to worry, I won't investigate them openly. I'll start by quietly studying that kind of magic… As long as I figure out what sort of magic can erase a person's name, everything else will follow."
Wade nodded. If it was just about researching magic, it certainly wouldn't raise any suspicion.
Of course, that was only true as long as no one else found out he could use Ancient Magic.
If word got out about that, and Dumbledore began researching such magic, it could draw the wrong kind of attention—alerting whoever was behind all this.
So in the end, the key to everything rested on him.
Wade decided he needed to visit the senior again tonight.
The one who had erased her name—maybe she had some clue about them.
At the very least, she should have some idea of what she'd done to provoke such a thing…
"Alright, now let's talk about the second matter," Dumbledore said, pulling forward the cage containing Nagini. "Compared to the first, this one's actually good news."
Dumbledore opened the cage as he spoke.
The miniature version of Nagini slowly slithered out.
Wade noticed that her eyes were now clear, completely different from the blood-red, savage state she'd been in that night.
"She's conscious?"
"In fact, it's precisely your Ancient Magic that has allowed her to remain that way," Dumbledore said with a smile. "That's also why she's the only one I didn't keep your ability a secret from."
"My Ancient Magic helped her?" Wade looked a bit confused.
"Yes." Dumbledore nodded and recounted the conversation he'd had with Nagini at Newt's home, as well as his own conclusions.
After hearing everything, Wade suddenly understood. No wonder the system had rewarded him merit points and said he had prevented Nagini's descent into darkness.
"So as long as I continuously reinforce the Transfiguration spell using Ancient Magic, she can remain conscious?"
"Exactly. You don't need to cast the spell again—just keep extending its duration. But of course… you'll have to use your Ancient Magic to do so," Dumbledore added.
Wade quietly focused inward, sensing the flow of Ancient Magic within his body.
After a night of rest, Wade's Ancient Magic hadn't fully recovered yet, but it was mostly back.
"What do I need to do?" Wade asked.
"It's not difficult—just like regular Transfiguration. But you'll need to use your Ancient Magic to cast it. Here, follow me," Dumbledore said.
He then demonstrated how to properly extend the duration of a Transfiguration spell to its maximum.
Wade already had a deep understanding of Transfiguration, and with Dumbledore—an undisputed master of the art—guiding him, he quickly succeeded in using his Ancient Magic to extend the Transfiguration cast on Nagini. Unlike the first time, when it had consumed all of his Ancient Magic, simply extending the spell didn't use up much energy.
After Wade successfully performed the spell, Dumbledore checked Nagini's condition once more.
"It appears that every time you cast with Ancient Magic, it weakens the transformed subject's soul to some degree. And this weakening seems to be cumulative," Dumbledore said.
"Since this Transfiguration is affecting Nagini's beast soul, each extension further suppresses it—without harming her human soul. If this continues, we might truly be able to destroy the beast soul and lift the blood curse…"
"You're planning to leave Nagini in my care, aren't you?" Wade asked.
From everything he'd just heard, Wade had more or less figured out Dumbledore's intentions.
Dumbledore said, "Yes. Only then can you extend the Transfiguration on her at any time. And I also think this is a great opportunity to practice Ancient Magic. The more you practice, the better you'll be able to truly master it."
Wade's face showed a trace of concern. "But maintaining Ancient Magic for a long time would also weaken her body. If I keep extending it like this, her body will become too frail. After all, her human soul and beast soul share the same body…"
Dumbledore nodded and handed him a bottle.
"That's easily solved. This is a nutritional potion, crafted by Professor Slughorn himself—a true Potions Master. We have ways to deal with physical weakness. When it runs out, just ask me for more."
"…Alright," Wade said as he took the potion. "But… if I'm constantly using Ancient Magic on Nagini, what if someone notices and realizes there's my Ancient Magic on her?"
"They won't," Dumbledore replied confidently. "I've already used certain enchantments to conceal your Ancient Magic. No one else will notice. Even if someone inspects her closely, they'll only sense my magical signature. They'll assume it's my Transfiguration."
Damn.. As expected.
Whenever Dumbledore made a decision, he always had everything thoroughly prepared, with every angle considered.
"So, how long can one of my extensions last?" Wade asked.
"About three days. So be careful not to forget."
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