Vid's words left Lupin in silence.
Recently, Sirius was suffering greatly, not like when he lost his best friend. It was only after his brother's death, over a decade later, that he truly came to know him. This was another kind of torment for Sirius.
The expression on his friend's face made Lupin feel countless times that Sirius wished more than anything that he had died in prison.
But Sirius did not unleash his pain without restraint, nor did he cry out loud.
After staying alone and silent for a long time, he came out and told Lupin he wanted to hold a funeral for Regulus.
What could Lupin say?
Seeing Sirius's immense sorrow, Lupin could only try his best to fulfill his request.
However, upon hearing Vid's words, Lupin also felt they made a lot of sense.
What surprised him was that Vid wasn't like him, wholly focused on Sirius; instead, he was considering things from the perspective of the deceased Regulus.
Ironically, this approach was more persuasive to Sirius at the moment.
After a moment of silence, Lupin said, "I'll first ask for Sirius's opinion. If he agrees, then we'll bring Regulus... home."
Of course, Sirius would not disagree.
It was as if that statement came directly from Regulus himself; how could he bear to refuse?
...
But to bring Regulus's body back, they couldn't just stuff the coffin into the fireplace, nor was it convenient to carry it via Apparition, so Lupin made another trip to borrow a carriage from Hagrid.
Just as the students had already departed by train, Hagrid had the Thestrals return to school on their own, bringing a carriage to the Black Family's house.
Lupin cast an Enlargement Spell on the carriage, and Hagrid carefully lifted the coffin with both hands, placing it onto the carriage.
With a dull thud, the coffin landed on the wooden plank with a low echo.
Hagrid couldn't help but shed tears, which pattered onto the edge of the carriage.
"Regulus... I never liked him before... I thought he was just like those evil Slytherins..."
Hagrid sobbed, pulling out his large handkerchief to wipe his eyes, choking up as he said, "I didn't know he was such a good person... Why didn't I invite him for a drink when he was still at school..."
Lupin gave a bitter smile, looking somber.
He didn't say that even if Hagrid had extended an invitation back then, the proud heir of the Black Family might not have paid any attention to a gamekeeper.
He merely thought that he, too, had never really looked at that boy back then.
Clearly his best friend's younger brother, but in their eyes, the "Slytherin" label was always more prominent.
At the same time, he felt a bit envious, envious that Hagrid could express his grief so plainly.
If only Sirius could cry like that, perhaps he'd feel a bit better?
Lupin didn't say much more, letting Vid board the carriage, and then he got on as well, saying, "Thank you, Hagrid, we'll be off now."
"Hmm." Hagrid nodded, his eyes red as he waved and said, "Don't worry about Ali and Louis, they'll fly back on their own once you get there."
"Alright, I understand," Lupin said.
Vid also bade goodbye to Hagrid. Lupin tapped the carriage with his Magic Wand, and the entire carriage, along with those on it, became invisible.
The two Thestrals spread their bat-like wings, lifting the carriage into the air. The high altitude winter wind was biting, and Vid immediately waved his Magic Wand a few times, creating a dome-shaped shield above the carriage to block the wind.
"Well done, Vid."
Lupin praised, one hand resting on the coffin, the other holding the reins to steer.
The Thestrals were very intelligent; a slight shake of the reins from Lupin was enough for them to know which direction to fly.
The carriage flew over fields and villages, over Muggle cities. Vid even spotted the Hogwarts Express racing along the tracks, trailing a gradually dispersing plume of white smoke.
To clear a mountain peak, the carriage flew higher and higher, gradually approaching cloud level.
Vid couldn't help but look up, seeing large, cotton-like clouds overhead, almost within reach.
From this angle, heaven and earth seemed reversed, the clouds like a soft, white bed inviting travelers to rest on them.
"Can we fly into them, Remus?" Vid asked.
High up, even with the magical shield blocking the wild winds, the rushing sound of the air filled their ears. Lupin didn't hear, so he raised his voice and shouted, "What?"
Vid had to ask loudly again.
"We can't fly in the clouds; we'll be soaked in an instant... oh..."
Lupin suddenly noticed the shield around the carriage and realized. With a tug on the reins, the Thestrals flapped their wings vigorously, diving into the thick clouds.
Instantly, their view turned into a vast expanse of whiteness.
It was as if the entire world had disappeared, leaving only their carriage surrounded by varying shades of white.
Vid could only feel his breath quiet down.
[Look—]
He told himself silently:
[I'm flying in the clouds—]
As though it had only been ten seconds, the carriage burst through the clouds. The Thestrals emerged covered in droplets and ice crystals, sparkling brilliantly, leaving a trail of melting ice behind them like a path paved with stardust.
Lupin had probably seen this sight before, unable to fully grasp Vid's feelings at that moment; he merely identified the direction and shook the reins again.
The Thestrals dived rapidly, heading toward a giant city. For the first time in his life, Vid saw London from this angle, the towering buildings and endless stream of vehicles reminding him that he lived in London in 1992.
It's a pity it was still noon; had it been nighttime, the city's lights would have made this scene even more resplendent.
Having lived at Hogwarts for so long, where there wasn't even a single electric light, often made one feel as if they were living in the Middle Ages.
But once back home, especially in Muggle Society, one could feel the disconnect with the world very clearly.
This might be why many Muggle-born students choose to live in the Magic World after graduation—
Not only because of the Confidentiality Law and their wizard identity, but also because adjusting to an ever-changing world outside is challenging.
The carriage landed on a grassy field. Of course, at that moment it was covered in snow, with no green in sight.
The magical shield disappeared, and Vid immediately felt the near-freezing temperature outside. He shivered, grasping the side to jump off the carriage.
Lupin thanked the two Thestrals and used Levioso to move the coffin off the carriage. The Thestrals took a couple of steps forward, then flapped their wings in unison, ascending into the sky again with the carriage.
With a "woosh," snowflakes scattered like a torrential shower, covering the two by the carriage with a layer.
Vid wiped the snow from his face, blinking, looking a bit bewildered.
Then he heard someone beside him speaking in a low, husky voice:
"Thank you, Remus, Vid."
"Leave him to me."