Those are dangerous creatures even grown Wizards avoid.
And now, under Vid's interference, the Basilisk hasn't had a chance to show up. Perhaps Professor Dumbledore, wanting to train Harry, would hint to someone to deliver clues to him?
——When Harry proposed stealing the investigation results, Vid suddenly had this thought.
After finishing their homework, everyone went to practice Spells. Theo gave Vid a look, and they both sat in the lounge area with a plate of small cakes on the table.
"Vid..." Theo leaned in, lowering his voice, "Maybe my focus is a bit strange..."
"Any detail could become a clue." Vid asked, "Did you notice something amiss?"
"In that matter you mentioned earlier, after the Johnson family went to the United States, it was Maye Baird and an old Witch who took Carrel Johnson away, right?"
Theo said, "All the focus is on Byrd, but why isn't there any clue about that old Witch?"
"Because even in Mr. Johnson's memory, the Witch only showed half her wrinkled face. You could barely make out she was female and small in stature, but nothing more."
Vid said, "No distinctive jewelry or facial features. There are countless old Witches in Britain and America alone, it's untraceable."
Theo was silent for a while before saying, "Maybe I overthought it, but... Do you remember during the summer, when you saved me and my brother?"
"There was also an old Witch that time."
Theo said, "After you left, my father and the others used... some means to interrogate that Werewolf, Chad Brick."
"From his mouth, it was learned that the Witch claimed to be Ursula, usually in Knockturn Alley, selling human eyes or nails as Black Magic Materials. She even sold children's spine bones and sphenoid bones."
"You know, such practices are extremely evil even among Dark Wizards. My father and the others were enraged and tracked her down. Coincidentally, the Witch had an Apparition accident, and they quickly found the Witch's upper body."
"But when they found her, she was already dead."
"——In a little alley in Knockturn Alley seldom visited, strangled by a Magic scarf."
"...Strangled by a scarf?" Vid finally understood what Theo wanted to say.
"Yes." Theo said, "Maybe it's just a coincidence, but aren't these two deaths very similar?"
Vid silently nodded.
Both were females, both strangled, even the circumstances before their deaths were somewhat similar.
But to conclude their deaths are definitely related from this would be too presumptive.
Vid asked, "This matter hasn't appeared in the newspapers?"
The Magic World is overly peaceful now; even small matters are greatly publicized in the newspapers. An Apparition accident followed by a strangulation death, such a bizarre murder case would surely occupy a conspicuous spot in the papers.
Unless it's unknown to the public at all.
Sure enough, Theo then said hesitantly, "My father and them... dealt with the body. And the Werewolf too... "
Because of this reason, during the discussion, he couldn't share the information he knew.
"I see." Vid wasn't surprised.
When everyone has a Magic Wand, it's equivalent to everyone holding a gun——private justice isn't uncommon in the Magic World.
Especially when a child's life and safety are threatened, angry parents are like beasts, capable of anything.
"Did they get any valuable information from the Werewolf's mouth?" Vid asked.
Theo thought for a moment and said, "I'll write a letter to my father, saying Mr. Vener, who saved us, wants to know, he'd surely be willing to tell you all the information."
"In that case, I'll write the letter myself."
Vid said, "If Mr. Mancini knows 'Vener' contacted you privately, he might get concerned. "
Theo was startled for a moment before realizing, "That makes sense."
He almost forgot, in his parents' eyes, Vener isn't a trustworthy classmate but an unknown Wizard with unclear motives.
'Vener' seeking things through Theo at school, in Mancini's family's view, is it a request or a threat, it's really hard to say.
…
Vid quickly finished writing the short letter and sent it out via the Owl Post Office at Hogsmeade Village over the weekend.
Next was study time.
Vid, wrapped in a thick Cloak, returned to Lupin's home to find the others had gone shopping or playing, leaving only Harry in the drawing room.
"I think you could learn this Spell together."
Lupin said, "Although it's a very advanced Magic, many seasoned Wizards can't successfully perform it, but I think both of you have reached the level necessary, there's a big chance to master it."
Harry held his Magic Wand, a bit excited, "What Magic is it, Remus?"
"It's called the Patronus Charm." Lupin explained, "This Spell summons a Guardian God that can repel most of the Black Magical Creatures including Dementors, preventing them from invading the inner self."
"What does a Guardian God look like?" Harry asked curiously.
"Vid, why don't you explain?" Lupin said, "I know you've done your homework."
"Yes." Vid looked at Harry and said, "A Guardian God is a positive force, also an emblem of inner self, generally in the form of an animal, somewhat like an embodied Ghost. The key to using it is to focus on happy things, as it itself symbolizes joy and hope."
"Absolutely right." Lupin laughed, "By the way, James' Guardian God is a stag, Lily's Guardian God is a doe, because they love each other."
"What's your Guardian God then?" Harry asked.
"...It's a wolf."
Lupin hesitated a moment before smiling and speaking.
After a long period of resentment and resistance, he once again tried to confront his Werewolf identity, no longer avoiding the topic.
He cleared his throat, raised his Magic Wand, gesturing to the two Young Wizards to watch seriously, then said, "Expecto Patronum!"
A silver-white wolf suddenly emerged from the tip of his Magic Wand, stepping on air, swiftly running around the room, its silver-white fur floating as if without gravity.
——"So cool!" Harry exclaimed from the heart.
Vid nodded, thinking the same.
After running two laps, the silver wolf turned into silver mist and vanished. Lupin smiled and said, "Are you ready? Let's start practicing now."
He reiterated the Spell and wand movement tricks, and gave them a few minutes to focus on happy memories from the past.
Vid maintained a calm expression, though his heart was awash with emotions that gradually settled down.
With the Pensieve's help, many things he thought he had forgotten were recalled.
He realized, his happiest moments weren't from learning advanced Magic, acing exams;
nor from destroying the Dark Lord's Soul Artifact, saving the doomed;
nor from receiving the acceptance letter, confirming his Wizard identity;
Even not the past life, the first time his parents took him to the amusement park.
But long ago, one evening he couldn't pin down, his father fished out a waterlogged watermelon from the well, sliced it in half with a single cut, and handed one half single-handedly to him when he was still young.
He held the watermelon, dug in with a spoon, with a sweet fragrance filling the air.
Father cut the remaining half into pieces, handed a slice to mother. They ate watermelon, talking about the pine trees in the backyard at home, the sparrows on the telegraph poles, the rain that lasted half the night, and the annoying mosquitoes at night.
The young him ate watermelon listening to his parents' whispers, with no worries, only indescribable ease and lightness.
"Expecto Patronum——Expecto Patronum——Expecto Patronum!"
After repeated attempts, Harry suddenly saw silver mist spurt from the tip of his Magic Wand, excitedly shouting, "Remus, did you see! There——"
A silver light suddenly streaked past his eyes like light!
Harry stood completely still, dazed for a moment, before abruptly turning around!
A majestic eagle spread its powerful wings, trailing silver mist, gracefully circling in the narrow room!