Reflection

"I was indeed considering that plan." Dumbledore looked Wade straight in the eye and said calmly, "After all, you were the one who obtained this diary. I thought I should seek your opinion first."

That day, Lucius Malfoy had briefly fallen under Braun's control. But when Wade contacted them afterward, he learned that Grindelwald had not taken Lucius back to Grey Castle—

After delivering Dumbledore's letter, the man had slipped away as soon as he sensed trouble. Braun had given the Acolytes instructions in advance, so they had not stopped him.

"How can we ensure that this fence-sitter will cooperate?" Wade frowned. "To be honest, I can't trust him."

"Don't worry. He will cooperate."

Dumbledore gave a sly smile and said slowly, "Otherwise... when Voldemort discovers that something has gone wrong with his Horcrux, no matter how Lucius professes his loyalty, I'm afraid he won't escape death."

Wade's eyes lit up. "You mean... the Diary...?"

Dumbledore nodded slightly. "We can't let the Horcrux truly drain a life, only to kill another... Innocent people should not suffer for this, but we need to wrap the trap in honey before delivering it into the enemy's hands."

Wade finally relaxed and smiled. "As long as it can end Voldemort for good, you may do whatever you wish with that diary. I have no objections."

After a slight pause, he added softly, "If there is anything I can help with... Professor, please do not hesitate to tell me."

Dumbledore froze unusually, his eyes widening slightly as his gaze went unfocused for a moment.

Even when Wade rose and said goodbye, Dumbledore seemed quieter than usual. Considering that he had already had more than enough worries lately, Wade did not find it surprising.

Dumbledore was not made of iron. There were times when he needed