Chapter 215: The Happiest (Two-in-One)

Chapter 215: The Happiest (Two-in-One)



That afternoon at the umbrella shop, Weasley briefly recounted the incident with Carlyle to the group.

Upon hearing this, Hermione and Harry were particularly shaken.

"It's a good thing Hagrid was the one who came for me," Harry said. "I mean... if I had run into that Beird first, I would have fallen for it too."

"You wouldn't have," Hermione reassured him. "The entire wizarding world has their eyes on you!"

Hermione shuddered as she spoke. "But for families like mine, who are completely Muggle-born, it's impossible to discern what's trustworthy."

"I don't know any more than you do, Hermione," Harry said. "As long as I could get away from the Dursleys, whoever came to get me, I would have gone with them."

Ever since he was young, he had often dreamed of a long-lost relative suddenly appearing to take him away, but that dream had never come true. It was only when he had given up on those dreams that the world of magic suddenly opened its doors to him.

Then, Remus and Weasley had taken him away from the Dursleys, and he even had a godfather...

Sometimes, Harry wondered if the reason his early life had been so miserable was that God or Merlin had reserved all the good things for after he turned eleven.

"Oh, Harry," Hermione said, biting her lip guiltily. "I'm so sorry..."

She had just been thinking about Harry's immense fame and had forgotten about everything he had given up.

Harry shook his head without saying a word.

The group discussed the Carlyle incident further, but as they were only teenagers, none of them could offer any useful suggestions. At best, they simply reorganized the scarce information they already had.

"The professors at school must know which Muggle-born students haven't arrived yet," Padma finally said. "It would be great if we could get our hands on that list; maybe we'd find something."

Neville shook his head. "But that kind of list is definitely with Professor Dumbledore... or Professor McGonagall, and they're not going to give it to us."

Everyone's eyes sparkled with anticipation, except for Neville.

"That's not necessarily true..." Fred blinked. "We don't necessarily need the professors' permission to find out information..."

"As long as someone can distract Professor McGonagall," George continued, pretending to hold a book. "'Professor, I have a question I don't quite understand...'"

Everyone turned to Hermione.

"Um... I do have some questions I'd like to ask..." Hermione began, then suddenly stopped and cleared her throat.

"...I mean, stealing from the professors is against the school rules! And who knows the new password to Professor McGonagall's office?"

Everyone looked at Weasley again.

Weasley shook his head.

"Sorry, I can't agree to this plan, and I won't help with your actions... Isn't it obvious to the professors what we're thinking? They must have already investigated what needs to be investigated."

"That's right," Michael agreed. "The professors have much more experience and magical knowledge than us. They can also use Disillusionment Charms, so they might be able to investigate all the Muggle-born students in a single day. Even if we get the list, what can we do with it?"

Harry's eyes widened as he realized something. "So what we should steal is the investigation results!"

"Yes!"

The Gryffindors expressed their agreement and praised Ravenclaw's thoroughness.

Michael was speechless. "...Why does your train of thought always revolve around stealing? We're saying that stealing is pointless, and conducting a private investigation is inefficient and a waste of time. The best strategy right now is to wait for the professors and the Ministry's investigation results."

"We know that!" Harry said. "But now that we know about this, can you really hold yourself back from getting involved?"

"I can!" Michael asserted.

"He can," Fred said at the same time. "He's a Ravenclaw!"

There was no mockery in these words, only friendly teasing, so everyone laughed, including Michael himself.

"Alright, do whatever you want..."

Michael shrugged. "If you're caught by the professors, I'll try to help reduce your punishment."

"Weasley..."

The Gryffindors turned to the person who knew the password.

Weasley still shook his head.

"I can't just give the password that the professor told me to others without permission..."

As the other Gryffindors lowered their heads in disappointment, Weasley averted his gaze to the potted plant in the corner and said softly, "But... if someone insists on coming with me when I go to find Professor McGonagall... I can't just drive them away, can I?"

The group was overjoyed, and Michael winked at Weasley.

Weasley smiled awkwardly.

It seemed to be a consensus between Ravenclaw and Slytherin that the adventure and the blame could be left to Gryffindor.

But even if the Gryffindors noticed this, they probably wouldn't mind and would still be eager to take the lead.

After all, they didn't fear such things; courage and adventure were what they sought.

Once again, Ved didn't think Harry and the others would be able to uncover anything substantial.

Especially those from wizarding families, they might not even know whether Oxford was west or south of London, nor be aware of the activities Muggle-born children often participated in. How could they possibly sift through library records to uncover the reason behind the students' disappearances?

Anything they could investigate, the adults had surely already looked into. And what they couldn't fathom, the adults might already have their suspicions about.

Yet, Ved also recalled that during this particular year in the story, Dumbledore had tacitly allowed Harry to confront and slay the Basilisk in the Chamber of Secrets alone.

That was a dangerous creature even adult wizards would avoid.

And now, with Ved's interference, the Basilisk hadn't had a chance to appear. Perhaps, for Harry's sake, Professor Dumbledore would hint for certain individuals to deliver clues into his hands?

As Harry suggested stealing the investigation results, Ved suddenly had this thought.

After finishing their homework, the group moved on to practicing spells. Theo gave Ved a subtle signal, and the two sat in the resting area with a plate of small cakes on the table.

"Ved..." Theo leaned in and lowered his voice. "...my area of concern might be a bit odd."

"Any detail could be a potential clue," Ved replied. "Did you notice something amiss?"

"In the incident you mentioned earlier, after the Johnsons arrived in America, it was that Majer Beird and an old witch who took Carlyle Johnson away, right?"

"All the focus is on Beird. Why aren't there any clues about that old witch?" Theo asked.

"Because even in Mr. Johnson's memory, the witch only revealed half of her face, which was full of wrinkles. One could barely make out that she was a female with a slender build, and that's about it," Ved explained.

"Without distinctive jewelry or facial features, there are countless old witches in just Britain and America alone. There's no way to track her down," Ved added.

Theo remained silent for a moment before speaking again. "Maybe I'm overthinking this, but... do you remember that time during the summer when you saved me and my little brother?"

"There was an old witch involved that time as well," Ved acknowledged.

"After you left, my dad and the others... they used some methods to interrogate that werewolf, Chad Bulstrode," Theo said.

"From him, they learned that the witch called herself Ursula, and she usually sold human eyes, fingernails, and other dark magic materials in Knockturn Alley. She had also sold children's spinal cords and butterfly bones," Theo continued.

"As you know, such practices are considered extremely evil even among dark wizards. My dad and the others were furious, so they tracked her down. Fortunately, the witch had a corporeal split while Apparating, and they quickly located her upper body," Theo explained.

"But by the time they found her, she was already dead," Theo said.

"She was found in a small alley in Knockturn Alley, strangled by a magically enhanced scarf," Theo finished.

"...Strangled by a scarf?" Ved finally understood what Theo was getting at.

"Yes," Theo confirmed. "Perhaps it's just a coincidence, but aren't these two deaths remarkably similar?"

Ved silently nodded.

Both were female, strangled, and there were even certain similarities in the circumstances leading up to their deaths.

However, to conclude that their deaths were definitely linked based on these similarities alone would be overly hasty.

"Did this incident make it to the newspaper?" Ved asked.

In the current peaceful era of the wizarding world, even the smallest happenings would be blown out of proportion in the papers. A bizarre case of a body-bound witch being strangled to death would undoubtedly occupy a prominent spot in the newspaper.

Unless, of course, no one knew about it.

As expected, Theo hesitated before continuing. "My dad and the others... they disposed of the body. And the werewolf as well..."

That was why, during the earlier discussion, he couldn't share the information he knew.

"I see," Ved said, though he wasn't surprised.

In a world where everyone possessed a wand, it was akin to everyone carrying a gun—vigilante justice was not uncommon in the wizarding world.

Especially when children's lives were at stake, angry parents could become ravenous beasts, capable of unspeakable acts.

"Did they get any valuable information from the werewolf?" Ved asked.

Theo thought for a moment. "I'll write a letter to my dad, saying that Mr. Venal, our savior, wants to know more. He'll definitely be willing to share all the information with you."

"In that case, I'll write this letter myself."

"If Mr. Mancini finds out that 'Venal' contacted you privately, he might get worried," Ved said.

Theo paused, then realized something. "That makes sense."

He had almost forgotten that in his parents' eyes, Venal was not a trustworthy classmate but a stranger with unclear intentions.

Through Theo at school, 'Venal' was asking his parents for things. Whether this was a request or a threat was hard to tell, from the Mancinis' perspective.

...

Ved quickly finished writing the short letter and sent it out through the owl post office in Hogsmeade Village over the weekend.

It was now time for their studies.

As Ved returned to Lupin's house, wrapped in a thick cloak, he found that everyone else had already gone out for a walk or to play, and only Harry remained in the living room.

"I think you two can learn this spell together."

"It's a highly advanced form of magic that many senior wizards struggle to perform successfully," Lupin explained. "But I believe you both have reached the appropriate level and have a good chance of mastering it."

Harry gripped his wand, excited. "What spell is it, Remus?"

"It's called the Patronus Charm," Lupin explained. "This spell summons a Patronus, which can protect you from most Dark creatures, including Dementors, and prevent them from eroding your mind."

"What does a Patronus look like?" Harry asked curiously.

"Ved, why don't you explain?" Lupin said. "I know you've done your research."

"Yes," Ved said, looking at Harry. "A Patronus is a positive force and a symbol of happiness. It usually takes the form of an animal and resembles a ghostly entity. The key to casting it is to focus your mind on a happy memory, as it is inherently a symbol of joy and hope."

"Absolutely correct," Lupin smiled. "By the way, James' Patronus was a stag, and Lily's was a doe, because they loved each other."

"What about your Patronus?" Harry asked.

"...It's a wolf."

Lupin hesitated for a moment, then smiled as he continued.

Having gone through a long period of resentment and resistance, he was now trying to accept his werewolf identity and was more open about it.

He cleared his throat, raised his wand, and signaled for the two young wizards to pay attention. Then he said, "Expecto Patronum!"

A silver wolf suddenly appeared from the tip of his wand, treading on air and running swiftly around the room. Its silvery fur floated as if gravity had no hold on it.

"Wow, it's so cool!" Harry exclaimed in awe.

Ved nodded in agreement; that was exactly what he thought.

After running two laps, the silver wolf transformed back into silvery mist and vanished. Lupin smiled and said, "Are you ready? Let's begin practicing."

He emphasized the spell and the wand movement technique once again and gave them a few minutes to concentrate on happy memories from the past.

Ved's expression was calm, but his mind was filled with turbulent emotions that gradually settled into a peaceful state.

With the help of the Pensieve, he recalled many memories he thought he had forgotten.

He realized that the happiest moments in his life were not when he mastered advanced magic and scored high on exams;

nor were they when he destroyed Horcruxes and saved lives destined to perish;

not when he received his acceptance letter and confirmed his identity as a wizard;

not even when he was a child and his parents first took him to an amusement park.

Instead, it was a distant evening long ago when his father pulled a wet watermelon out of the well, cut it in half with a single slice, and handed him one half.

He hugged the watermelon and poked a spoon into it, filling the air with a sweet fragrance.

His father cut the remaining half into wedges and offered a piece to his mother. As they ate the watermelon, they talked about the pine tree in their old home's yard, the sparrows on the power lines, the midnight rain from the previous night, and the annoying mosquitoes that came with the evening.

The young Ved ate the watermelon and listened to his parents' soft murmurs, his heart filled with nothing but a sense of peace and contentment.

"Expecto Patronum—Expecto Patronum—Expecto Patronum!"

Harry, deep in concentration, suddenly saw a wisp of silver mist emerging from his wand tip and exclaimed excitedly, "Remus, look! I—!"

A streak of silver suddenly flashed before his eyes, like light!

Harry froze, then whipped around in awe!

A majestic eagle spread its powerful wings, trailing silvery mist as it gracefully soared in the narrow room!

(End of Chapter)

Chapter end