Lupin had just secretly scrutinized Peter the Second, confirming it wasn't the escaped Wormtail, and smiled as he heard the words: "Did you make all these yourself?"
"Yes." Vid sighed, "When I first infused them with thought, I imagined they would have serious and honest personalities, but they turned out to be more lively than expected."
"That's the interesting part about Poppets, each one may have a different personality."
Sirius laughed, "I know a guy from the Ministry of Magic, who is shy and can't argue, so he specifically bought a Poppet that loves to swear to curse people for him."
Vid looked at him, feeling a bit surprised.
It wasn't an illusion; it seemed Sirius no longer looked as full of deep hatred as before, faintly regaining some of the youthful grace.
He secretly kept this discovery in mind and turned to ask Mabel, "Where have you been hiding all this time? Actually, Professor Dumbledore has been worried about you."
Mabel, who had been observing the attitudes of the two adult wizards, froze for a moment and unconsciously drew circles on the ground with her feet.
"I... I've been hiding, living in attics where no one goes."
"That must have been hard," Lupin said gently, "It's not easy to persevere until now."
Mabel's eyes reddened, and she forced a smile, "It's nothing... Most people are no match for me."
"Since we're already here, why not come with us to Hogwarts?" Vid invited, "Don't worry about Dementors finding you; they don't dare linger near the school."
Unlike the original plot, Dumbledore's attitude now was tougher. Ever since the train attack incident, Dementors were not allowed anywhere near the school.
And Fudge was a pushover; once Dumbledore stopped relenting, Fudge became much more agreeable.
Mabel looked up at him, then quickly lowered her gaze and shook her head stubbornly, "No! I know you mean well, but I can't trouble you guys... I'm not a Hogwarts student, hiding there would easily get discovered."
"Then why not stay in Hogsmeade?" Lupin suggested, "There are no Dementors there either, and Hogwarts students often come to visit. You could stay at my place..."
He paused, suddenly realizing he was suggesting a thirteen or fourteen-year-old girl stay with a single adult man, quickly added while pointing at Sirius:
"— I live with this guy. We're neighbors, so we can help each other out if anything happens."
"Yeah." Sirius, seeing her still hesitating, encouraged, "Since you crossed the channel to rescue Vid in an unfamiliar country, we're all friends now! Accepting help from friends is also a form of giving, not a burden."
Mabel hesitated for a moment, looked at Vid, saw him smile and nod at her, finally revealing a slightly bashful smile and softly saying, "Thank you."
Dumbledore and Vid had both greatly helped her in the past; now, thinking she would be living near them both made Mabel feel much more secure.
Vid accompanied Mabel, first following Lupin and the others Apparating to Hogsmeade, tidied the room a bit, and Lupin moved his belongings to the Black family home, preparing some daily necessities for Mabel.
"It's too late today; let's buy some supplies tomorrow."
Vid said as he took out a large bag of Golden Galleons and handed it to Mabel.
With the wardrobe space back by his side, his resources and money promptly filled up again, and Vid also left Mabel a few bottles of Polyjuice Potion along with a small handful of hair Ferdinand had once helped him collect.
"This magic potion can make you look like someone else, so you won't be recognized. If you go out, remember to take a sip every hour."
The multitude of gifts made the girl anxious, refusing to accept them. Vid looked into her eyes and said:
"I know you're strong, but everyone needs help at some point. Since you didn't hesitate to save me, why see my help as a burden?"
Mabel reluctantly accepted, murmuring her thanks, her eyes slightly reddened, lowering her head, afraid to show her expression.
"No need to be so polite." Vid shook his head and said, "I'll send you my study notes later. Since the birth of an Obscurus is due to magic being suppressed and unable to release, accepting one's magic ability and using magic correctly might effectively control the power of the Obscurus."
Mabel once hated the fact that she had magic power because this force caused her to lose her parents and endure endless suffering.
But now, her view on wizards and magic had subtly shifted, and after a moment of silence, she nodded and said, "I'll study diligently."
"Yes." Vid smiled, "Let's work hard together."
...
Afterward, Sirius stayed behind, and Lupin Apparated Vid back home.
The street was very quiet, and Lupin accompanied Vid, walking towards Gray's house and softly said, "Vid, once an Obscurus forms... it won't be easy to disappear."
"I know, but one must always have hope, right?"
Vid looked at the road ahead and softly said, "An Obscurus is also a kind of magical creature, representing the dark side of the mind. If she can receive enough care and security, accepting correct magical education, it would at least help in alleviating the Obscurus outbreak."
"As long as you understand." Lupin sighed, "If she stays in Hogsmeade, in case the Obscurus' power erupts, we can also promptly find a way to control it, avoiding the kind of destruction that Credence caused in the past, almost fully exposing the secrets of magic to Muggles."
Vid nodded slightly.
When the two adult wizards warmly and strongly persuaded Mabel to live in Hogsmeade earlier, he had thought their goal wasn't just to help a poor little girl, but also to contain the crisis within an easily controlled area.
Even if there were some cold calculations in it, the help given to Mabel was genuine. If the Obscurus erupted, Sirius and Lupin would be the first to face the crisis.
"One more thing, I think you already know, Vid..."
Lupin said compassionately, "The Obscurus greatly harms both the host's body and spirit, and it's said that Obscurials rarely live past ten years old."
"Credence decades ago was an exception, but I heard that although he was very powerful once, he soon became extremely weak... possibly due to the damage caused by the Obscurus."
Recently, Lupin had researched a lot, learning about those almost buried histories.
Mabel currently seemed fine, but who knows when her vitality would be completely worn out by the Obscurus?
Although it's cruel, Lupin didn't want Vid to face his friend's death unprepared. It's better to maintain a proper distance now to avoid too much sadness later.
"I know, Remus." Vid said softly.
As they reached Gray's doorway, Lupin stopped, watching Vid enter, letting out an almost inaudible sigh.
...
Vid's mood wasn't as heavy as Lupin imagined.
His understanding of the Obscurus was no less than Lupin's; after first seeing Mabel release the Obscurus' power, Vid had recalled all relevant information.
Moreover, Vid had "foreseen" far more deaths than Lupin imagined; if he brooded over every future "death news," he would feel sentimental seeing each person, making life unlivable.
So currently, Vid's mindset was very optimistic—Dumbledore and Scamander had both tried saving Obscurials before; although they failed, their past experiences might still be useful, and this time... might not end in failure either.