In the evening, Harry and Vid returned to Hogwarts through the Disappearing Cabinet.
Their other classmates at most spend a couple of hours playing in the Wizard Village during the Hogsmeade weekend, and then return to school before the students get back.
Michael and others are sometimes recognized by those students above the third year who are eligible to go to Hogsmeade, everyone thinks they have found a secret passage not discovered by Filch.
Considering their relationship with the Weasley Twins, such things are not surprising—
That pair of brothers sneaked into the Forbidden Forest during their first year and wandered around Hogsmeade before reaching the age requirement.
Most of the senior students simply smile tolerantly or make some good-natured teasing, sometimes advising them to avoid the Three Broomsticks for a while because some professors are inside drinking and chatting.
But there are also some unfriendly students who secretly report them to Filch—everyone suspects it's the doing of Slytherin.
Last Hogsmeade weekend, Michael and Padma were almost caught by Filch during their date at Madam Puddifoot's Tea House—
Unexpectedly, that caretaker also went to Hogsmeade over the weekend!
You should know, normally he wouldn't even come close to this Wizard Village, but to catch some sneaky students, Filch went from shop to shop.
Fortunately, Michael has good connections; a student spotted Filch and rushed to inform them, allowing them to hurriedly return to school without being punished.
Filch was furious, but there was nothing he could do.
It's well-known that at Hogwarts, breaking the rules as long as you aren't caught doesn't count as breaking them.
From then on, they started returning to school an hour earlier.
Today, only Vid and Harry stayed behind because they wanted to learn magic.
When there are no classes, the castle's main building always seems quieter, and as curfew approaches, the corridors become empty.
Even Filch and Mrs. Loris don't come this way because on weekend evenings, they either watch for students not returning to their dormitories on time or guard the foyer to prevent students from bringing mud into the castle.
After coming out from the Room of Requirement, Vid habitually glanced at the Silly Barnabas painting, and then heard Harry say:
"Once the bait operation has results, Sirius should inform us, right?"
The young Savior said sincerely, "I hope those missing children are alright."
Vid shook his head: "Such operations won't have results in a short time... might even have no effect at all."
"Why?" Harry asked in surprise.
"Because wizards need to disguise as Muggles, especially as Muggle children. It's like a husky mixing into a wolf pack. No matter how much they resemble outwardly, a little attention can identify them."
Vid said: "Do they know local slang and dialects? Do they know the latest video games? Do they ride the bus and subway?"
Harry couldn't help but be speechless, recalling Mr. Weasley asking him about things like plugs.
Then he rebutted: "But they could choose those wizards born to Muggles... or wizards who married Muggles. They surely wouldn't make those basic mistakes."
"They may be able to disguise as Muggles, but very hard to play the role of Muggle children."
Vid said: "Those truly suitable for the bait plan should be kids like you and me who still keep close contact with Muggle Society."
Upon hearing this, Harry couldn't help but feel tempted and eager to try.
"What do you think, if we suggest to Professor Dumbledore..."
"Impossible, don't even think about it! Unless all adult wizards died, it wouldn't come to a twelve-year-old child stepping up," Vid said decisively.
If Dumbledore entirely handled this matter, Harry's idea might have some possibility. But as the complexity of those involved increased, adventurous strategies were less accepted.
Harry was then a bit disappointed.
The two reached the corridor corner and simultaneously stopped.
Although Gryffindor and Ravenclaw are both in the tower, the towers are far apart, with only a corridor on the third floor connecting them other than the courtyard.
So they have to part ways at the end of the corridor.
Harry cheered himself up.
"The questions you mentioned, Dumbledore and they surely considered, they will surely perfect the plan... so the bait plan still has a chance of taking effect, right?"
Vid hesitated a moment, then nodded.
Harry smiled.
"Think positively, Vid, maybe when we wake up tomorrow morning, we will hear good news!"
He waved his hand, pushed the door open, and stepped onto a staircase. The moving staircase slowly rotated once, sending Harry in another direction.
Behind him, Vid walked to the balcony, raised his Magic Wand, and summoned his broom with a Summoning Charm.
The old broom swooped through Ravenclaw's Tower and stopped with a 'swish' in front of Vid—as he used it longer, the broom became more and more spiritual.
Vid mounted his broom without directly returning to the dormitory but first flew two circles over Hogwarts.
The castle was even more majestic under the night sky, and the spire where the Headmaster's Office was located looked like a small strawberry adorning a cake.
The Headmaster's Office was still emitting a gentle glow—the Magic Candle didn't need to worry about electricity costs, but Dumbledore himself was certainly not in the office at this moment.
Vid thought again of Harry's optimism and negated it in his heart.
When more participants and stakeholders get involved, the reaction time becomes slower, procedures become more complex, and the executors usually won't choose the most appropriate one.
Not that Dumbledore couldn't see the issues... it's just that this Headmaster never seized power, which often forces him to endure some idiots clamoring before him, then doing even dumber things.
So the bait plan having no outcome is the best in Vid's eyes.
If there was a bounty... he'd only suspect whether it represents a plan to hunt wizards.
The broom passed through the night wind and landed on Ravenclaw Tower's rooftop. Vid smoothed his wind-blown hair, carried his broom, answered the Eagle-Shaped Door Ring's question, and returned to the common room.
Michael was sitting at the front of the common room reading a book, he waved as soon as he saw him come in.
"How was the learning?"
He winked, not mentioning the Patronus Charm's name with others in the common room.
"Very smoothly," Vid said.
"How long did it take before succeeding?" Michael asked, very interested.
Vid didn't hide it and directly said: "Once."
"Cool!" Michael said excitedly: "If I didn't know how difficult it is, I might think it's as easy as the Scouring Charm! They should award you a Merlin Medal!"
He was as happy as if he learned it himself.