Vid had already gotten used to everyone's illogical faith in the headmaster's power at Hogwarts.
After being steeped in it for so long, he couldn't help but wonder—
After Voldemort's resurrection in the original storyline, did Fudge and the others dare to act so boldly because they also believed that Voldemort would ultimately be dealt with by Dumbledore, and thus they seized some benefits for themselves?
After this thought flashed through his mind, Vid chuckled self-deprecatingly.
Actually, the reason doesn't matter; there are just some people in this world who, despite their high positions, are both foolish and malevolent, with shortsightedness that only allows them to see their own petty gains.
...
After bidding goodbye to Filch, Vid placed a few pots of flowers in the Umbrella House. He turned an unused old pen holder into a watering can and watered the flowers.
Theo saw this and liked it very much. He and Leian made a few supports to help the plants grow successfully, and also shared a bit of fermented dragon dung to fertilize them.
As soon as Michael entered, he was captivated by the fragrance. He stood beside them, admired the flowers for a while, then remembered to ask, "Where did the flowers come from?"
"Vid brought them," Theo said, wiping his forehead, leaving a dirt mark on his face.
Michael grinned mischievously, pointed to the side of his face, and said, "Hey, you have some smudge here."
"Really?"
Theo didn't doubt him, wiped a couple of times, and turned himself into a painted face.
Across from them, Leian saw it but didn't say anything, his shoulders shaking from suppressed laughter.
"Is it clean now?" Theo asked, unaware.
"Yeah, it's clean,"
Michael nodded, holding back laughter, and returned to his seat, hiding his face behind a book as he chuckled, then turned to Vid.
"Which girl?"
"Huh?" Vid was puzzled.
"Don't pretend." Michael elbowed him, exaggeratedly gesturing: "Tomorrow is Valentine's Day—and you received flowers!"
"Sorry to disappoint you," Vid shrugged and said, "It's a token of thanks from Filch—I helped him fix the Cleaning Crab."
"…Filch?" Michael paused for a moment, then suddenly said, "I remember the things you made before weren't that easy to break?"
Vid smiled silently.
Michael understood—everyone hated the mean administrator, but some students realized that if they could get on his good side, pranks or nighttime excursions could be unimpeded.
But Filch is an unyielding person. Gifts, even gold, hold no attraction for him, and the smiles of pretty girls mean nothing more than the Tree-Protector Lofa to him.
He never showed leniency to students because of these things; it seemed his only joy was to make things difficult for students.
But Vid broke this consensus.
And it was Filch who asked for his help, which was much cleverer than trying to curry favor with the difficult administrator.
Michael silently gave him a thumbs-up.
Vid thought, even if he said he genuinely just wanted to lend Filch a hand, others would find it hard to believe, wouldn't they?
But Filch is a Dud, and Vid's parents are Duds too. He naturally thought that it must be very difficult for a non-magical person to survive in a magic school.
Besides, Filch is already in his sixties or seventies, and he's still working hard doing various odd jobs. For a wizard, it's a small problem that can be solved with a wave of a magic wand, but he has to work hard to do it, and some kids often deliberately cause trouble for him.
So even without any reward, Vid wanted to help him out.
...
The next day was Valentine's Day, but for most twelve-year-old kids, this day was no different from usual.
They still had classes, and for lunch, the variety of chocolate just became more abundant than usual.
But as soon as they entered the hall, a striking scene crashed into everyone's sight.
Heart-shaped confetti fell like snow from the ceiling, the surrounding walls were filled with pink flowers, and the long tables were almost engulfed by flowers.
Mistletoe wound around the candles, turning the candlelight pink. The colors were so vivid they filled the view, making some people feel sick.
A girl with a sensitive nose kept sneezing and eventually had to flee the hall.
However, at the staff table, the person who arranged all this seemed not to notice at all. He wore a pink robe and clapped his hands happily.
"My dear colleagues, students, and my lovely fans—"
Lockhart winked at the girls, pleased to hear a chorus of suppressed screams.
"Happy Valentine's Day! I hope you like the surprise I've prepared for you—"
The Weasley Twins simultaneously made a vomiting gesture.
"—And there's more! I've invited friendly little Cupids with greeting cards!"
Lockhart cheerfully waved his magic wand, and the door suddenly opened. A group of dwarves with sullen faces, donning golden wings, walked in from outside.
They walked along the aisle between the long tables, playing harps and singing sentimental love songs in raspy voices.
Almost everyone showed an expression of endurance.
"Suddenly, I'm not very hungry. I'm leaving."
Vid put down his fork, patted Michael's shoulder, and got up from the table.
"Wait, I'm coming too."
Michael grabbed a sandwich, then saw Padma still staring at Lockhart with admiration, feeling a bit annoyed, he tugged her arm.
"Let's go, Padma."
The girl reluctantly stood up from the table and walked out with them, muttering as she left:
"Although the song those dwarves sang was pretty awful, Professor Lockhart truly put effort into this, didn't he? Those flowers are nice; Valentine's Day at Hogwarts has never been this romantic..."
Michael looked at her expressionlessly and asked, "Who are you? Are you Hermione, and have you drunk Polyjuice Potion?"
Padma burst out laughing and said, "Oh my god, Michael, you're so cute when you're jealous!"
"I'm not jealous!" Michael said stubbornly, "I'm only stating my opinion."
"Alright, alright. Sorry, I just think today is perfectly pink."
Padma good-naturedly linked her arm through his, and as their bodies touched, Michael's discontent quick faded away.
Vid silently rolled his eyes and distanced himself from them a bit.
As they exited, they could still hear Lockhart's voice—
"They'll be roaming the school, delivering Valentine cards for you! ...Why not invite Professor Snape to teach you how to make Love Potions? Or learn captivating magic from Professor Flitwick... that sly old dog!"