When Lupin was recounting the event, Vid also saw scenes flash through his mind.
Such a curse could not have been set up with just a wave of the hand.
The person who did it would need at least five to ten minutes to complete it.
Although this street was secluded, it wasn't completely devoid of passersby, let alone the fact that there were quite a few wizards in the nearby inn.
Even if the other guests were accomplices of the attacker, Sirius and the Weasley Family were there, and if they had noticed anything amiss, they would not have just watched someone set a trap without doing anything.
And although Muggles could be driven away with spells like Confundus Charm or Expel Curse, Vid did not find any remnants of such spells nearby, and before they arrived, there weren't noticeably fewer Muggles than usual on the street.
So...
The person who acted didn't care about accidentally harming Muggles, which is a typical cold-blooded trait of a Dark Wizard.
However, to completely avoid those Muggles walking about leisurely from accidentally triggering the trap...
As everyone suspected, the perpetrator must have precisely grasped the timing of the action, knowing Vid and the others' whereabouts.
But the only ones capable of achieving this were Moody and Lupin, who had been traveling with him, and they were the least likely to betray him.
Eliminating his companions...
Faces flashed through Vid's mind one by one.
Ms. Picquery, Stella, those bodyguards and maid, Elijah Watkins standing outside the iron gate, the taxi driver, the people running the shops on both sides of the inn, the panicked passersby...
Viewed with suspicion, everyone seemed so suspicious.
But upon closer examination, none had the conditions to follow them continuously.
As expected, after listening to all the accounts, Selena looked at Lupin with suspicion in her eyes.
"Please forgive me..." she said carefully, "What was Professor Dumbledore's consideration... for entrusting Mr. Lupin to protect Mr. Vid Gray's safety?"
Lupin was taken aback, then showed a bitter smile, understanding the unspoken words of Selena—
The target of the opponent was most likely Vid.
But Vid wouldn't curse himself with such a terrible spell, and Moody, being the one to resolve the crisis, was also exempt from direct suspicion.
And he...
He hadn't noticed anything abnormal before, and upon close contact, these American Aurors must have subtly guessed his identity—
Werewolf!
Those who had lycanthropy from a young age, even when not transformed, had slight differences in appearance from normal people.
Like, their pupils were slightly more elongated, their teeth slightly sharper, they had scars from bites, and marks from going berserk post-transformation, etc.
If one had a keen enough sense of smell and was familiar with magic potions, they could also detect a faint scent on him— the smell of Wolf Poison Potion.
Despite Lupin's efforts to appear "normal," those subtle traces, which escaped the notice of ordinary people, couldn't evade the sharp eyes and experienced judgment of these Aurors.
Lupin's heart was suddenly gripped tightly as if by an icy hand, and he clenched the fist placed on his knee tightly, an all-too-familiar emotion surged into his heart—
Bitterness, helplessness, embarrassment...
Just like when he had sensed the suspicions and alienation from others in the Order of Phoenix before.
Lupin instinctively lowered his eyelids, avoiding that gaze, his lips even appeared somewhat pale.
In a weary tone, he said, "That's because..."
"Ms. Goldstein!"
At that moment, Vid's calm yet extraordinarily firm voice rang out: "The one who leaked the whereabouts couldn't possibly be Remus."
He paused, looking at Lupin, then turned back to Selena, saying word by word:
"And of course... it couldn't possibly be Mr. Moody either."
"I trust my companions."
"Moreover... if they intended to harm me, there's no need to use such a clumsy method."
"Please don't misunderstand the direction of the investigation."
These words, like a warm current, instantly dispersed the icy sting in Lupin's heart, and immediately after, he heard another young voice:
"What? You are suspecting Remus?"
Harry, who had just grasped the situation, said angrily: "That's impossible! He's one of the people we trust the most!"
Seeing Sirius, Ron, Hermione, and Michael, Harry quickly added: "... among others!"
Michael actually felt a cold suspicion creeping in his heart at the moment, but upon hearing Vid's support and Harry's awkward defense, he couldn't help but be amused.
"Mr. Lupin is a very close and trusted friend of ours."
Michael said, "Please believe, madam, those of us who spend day in and day out with him certainly understand what kind of person he is far better than those who've only met him a few times."
The unanimous statements from several children—especially Vid, who almost became the "victim"—slightly reduced the suspicion in Selena's eyes.
She nodded and said, "I understand, I will start investigating from other directions."
She did not apologize, nor did she entirely dismiss the suspicion, but at least, she temporarily shifted the main focus of the investigation away from Lupin.
Lupin let out a slow breath, unsure of what he felt in his heart.
"Excuse me, sorry to interrupt."
A brown-haired man stood at the doorway, slightly hunched, appearing very humble.
He said with a troubled expression, "If you don't mind, I'd like to understand what's happening here."
"Mr. Watkins." Vid stood up and said, "We meet again."
"Yes..." Elijah Watkins sighed and said, "Ever since you moved into this hotel, I knew this day would come sooner or later..."
"Wait, who are you?" Moody frowned and asked unceremoniously.
"Ah, sorry."
Elijah Watkins gave a slight bow and said, "I am Elijah Watkins from the Magic Congress' Magic Accident and Disaster Department, Accidental Magic Reversal Squad, mainly responsible for handling... similar incidents."
Upon hearing this, Mr. Weasley stepped forward, extended his hand with a friendly smile:
"Nice to meet you, Mr. Watkins! I am Arthur Weasley, from the British Ministry of Magic's Misuse of Muggle Artifacts Office."
He blinked and said, "Our work is quite similar; we're both dealing with endless troubles."
"Not the same."
Watkins' gaze swept over the room full of red hair, and he said slowly:
"Mr. Weasley still has time to take his family on trips, while I... I haven't enjoyed a proper vacation in three years."
Mr. Weasley was stunned for a moment, then realized the other seemed to be showing a kind of jocular humor.
He fell silent for a moment, gave a couple of awkward laughs, skipped the topic of work duties, and quickly recounted the course of events.
"Oh... so you're saying..."
Watkins quickly grasped the main point:
"The person most likely to leak the whereabouts, in your view, is the least likely to do so... right?"
"That's right." Selena said rigorously, "But until the attacker is found, I won't casually exclude anyone's suspicion!"
"Of course, of course, I understand."
Elijah Watkins said, "But maybe there's another possibility we also need to rule out."
He drew out his magic wand and faced Vid: "Please forgive my adventurous act, Mr. Vid Gray."
"What do you want to do?" Moody blocked in front of Vid and asked vigilantly.
Watkins said, "Just a small inspection."
"It's okay, Alastor."
Vid patted Moody's arm, stepped out and said, "I believe Mr. Watkins has no ill intentions."
The most important thing was, around them not only were Vid's companions and the Aurors of the Magic Congress, but also some hotel guests who had been inexplicably watching the progress from nearby. The personnel composition was very complex, making it not a good time for an attack, even if there were accomplices among them.
And with a poppet in hand, Vid's defense wasn't as fragile as it seemed.
He stood generously in front of Watkins and said, "Go ahead and inspect... do you need me to cooperate in any way?"
"No need, just stand there."
Watkins waved his magic wand, and beams of silver light from the spell fell on Vid.
Two seconds later, one of his shoes suddenly glowed slightly.
"As expected." Watkins sighed and said, "An ancient yet practical method... Most people change three sets of clothes a day but won't change their shoes, especially when traveling..."
Vid looked down at his shoes, his face darkening.
"What is this?" Ron asked aloud when no one spoke.
Watkins waved his magic wand, and a small, silver-glowing thing flew out from under Vid's shoe.
When the glow faded, everyone could see it was a tiny piece of paper, about the size of a grain of rice, and it would typically be overlooked even if seen.
Watkins showed a look of expected understanding, looked at Vid and said softly:
"This is a tracking type of Friendship Book. Aslan Magic Workshop once said it was for friends and family wanting to know each other's whereabouts, provided both parties were aware, but inevitably... someone uses it in inappropriate ways."
"I'm very sorry." Vid said with a gloomy face and low voice: "I'm sure this thing caused you a lot of trouble."
— Hence the well-practiced detection method.
"No problem."
Watkins still used a slow tone: "We actually use it too, it's quite useful for tracking suspicious individuals."
"I think this incident is a reminder for Mr. Gray as well—any new item can have potential negative impacts."
"So consider, think more... Don't just stand from your own or an ordinary person's perspective, try standing from a villain's point of view to consider what conveniences it might bring for wrongdoing."
"I'm enlightened!" Vid bowed slightly.
"Not necessarily guidance, just sharing my thoughts."
Watkins looked at Selena: "Then... I'll visit the nearby Muggles, hoping there won't be too many memories to handle."
Selena nodded: "We will continue the investigation."