Lupin paused for a mont before asking, "When did that happen?"
"July 19," Claire replied confidently, clearly having a vivid mory of the date.
Lupin rembered that they were in Diagon Alley that day, and they even t Will.
It was the day the Flow Mirror went on sale, and Diagon Alley was packed with buyers from all over.
Recalling Will’s enthusiastic smile at the ti, a vague lancholy filled Lupin’s heart.
He asked hoarsely, "Then, Claire... how many days’ scent can you sll at most? Do you think the scent on that person has been there for how long?"
Claire thought for a mont and said, "If it’s over a week, the scent becos faint and hard to distinguish... as for that person, the contact with the Snake Shedding shouldn’t be more than three days."
"...Are you sure?"
"Yes, I’m quite sure."
This ans that between July 16 and July 19, soone who was still at Hogwarts was the one who gave Will the task.
They might not have caused Will’s disappearance, but they certainly know sothing.
And during this ti, it’s a holiday, with no students at the school, and even professors staying on campus are few. Typically, except for Dumbledore, Filch, and Hagrid, everyone else would go ho and enjoy their vacation leisurely.
However, so professors find staying at school more convenient for life and magic research than going ho; or maybe because they have no family, they consider the school their ho.
Dumbledore doesn’t prohibit professors from staying at school during holidays.
Lupin pondered for a mont, then looked up to see Claire watching him nervously. He said warmly:
"I’ll help you inquire... Maybe Will just had sothing co up and couldn’t return on ti."
Claire hesitated and nodded: "Hopefully... that’s the case..."
The two exchanged contact information using their Friendship Books, and Claire, who had found a job organizing a warehouse, had to hurry back to work, so she bid farewell briefly.
Lupin watched as the blonde girl, holding her skirt, dashed away. Her dry hair glead golden and fuzzy in the sunlight.
The washed-out skirt had several patches sewn on it, and so passersby instinctively frowned and covered their mouths as she passed, as if she exuded an unbearable sll.
Lupin stayed silent for a mont, then turned back to find Sirius and the others.
At a small table outside Fosco Ice Cream Shop, one adult and two kids ordered nut ice cream, leisurely enjoying it under the parasol.
Harry was animatedly talking about sothing, with Sirius wearing a faint smile, as if to say "Good boy, you’ve got it." Vid had already noticed Lupin, waved his hand, and greeted him.
Lupin’s face broke into a smile, and he instinctively quickened his pace towards them.
...
In the following ti, Vid found his days surprisingly calm.
Harry was enamored with his new Firebolt, and to let him enjoy the joy of flying freely, Lupin moved him back to Hogsade.
Vid felt that Lupin seed a bit more preoccupied lately, but since he didn’t bring it up, no one pressed him.
anwhile, Sirius had found so clues about Lockhart and hurried off on the trail of Peter.
After handing the bearded Donovan to Dumbledore, Vid hadn’t planned on seeing the man again.
He initially thought Dumbledore would investigate thoroughly and hand him over to the Ministry of Magic for imprisonnt, but a few days later, he heard sothing unexpected from Dumbledore.
"He’s already gone, and if you run into him on the road in the future, rember to pretend you don’t know him."
Vid exclaid in surprise, "Professor, are you saying..."
Dumbledore nodded slightly, sighed, and said, "He’s about to do sothing courageous, to walk a lonely and brave path... It’s undeniable that hatred holds a terrifying drive—enough to make soone risk their life..."
Vid speculated he was surely thinking of Snape at this mont.
On the shaded path, large maple trees on both sides cast dappled shadows, with bright spots breaking through unevenly.
This was a small road near the Riddle Family residence, and at the mont, only the two of them were there.
Vid fell silent for a while, then asked, "Will the Ministry of Magic be involved in this matter?"
"Oh, Fudge already knows. But he and Scrimgeour both hope this matter won’t go public..."
Dumbledore patiently explained, "Of course, I can understand their thoughts—since the three who escaped have yet to be caught, and if news of this gets out, the image of the British Ministry of Magic will surely plumt. Especially since Fudge is busy with a major event recently, he will do his utmost to uphold the Ministry of Magic’s shining image."
Vid glanced up.
He suspected Dumbledore of subtly mocking the Minister of Magic, but had no proof.
Dumbledore remained composed, his thoughts unreadable to others.
"What about the investigation..." Vid inquired.
"The Aurors promised an investigation, but... since there were no casualties, this matter won’t be a high priority."
Dumbledore looked at Vid, who had unconsciously furrowed his brows, smiled, and said, "Don’t worry about your family being endangered because of this... Ever since noticing so eyeing underage wizards, we’ve taken necessary actions—"
Vid looked up at the headmaster, silently inquiring.
"You’ve never introduced your parents to outsiders, Vid, which makes protecting you much easier for us."
Dumbledore explained, "No one—regardless of who they are—can obtain student family records from Hogwarts."
"And if they used Muggle ans to investigate, they’d find the Grey Family had moved long ago—"
"—moved to a place called Spider’s Tail Alley in Cokeworth Town."
"—Spider’s Tail Alley?" Vid murmured.
This peculiar na imdiately made him aware of sothing.
Dumbledore continued, "Yes—Severus’s ho is there. And our guests would quickly discover how many surprises a wizard skilled in Magic Potion could prepare for uninvited guests."
After a while, Vid finally asked, "...Would this put Professor Snape in danger?"
"I suppose Severus’s thod of entertaining might risk breaking the law—if soone did break in—but no need to worry, a hoowner is entitled to self-defense against intruders."
Seeing the smile on Dumbledore’s face, Vid couldn’t help but wonder, "Professor... aren’t you curious to ask sothing?"
After communicating with the bearded man, knowing he controlled the Acromantula, you still didn’t question, criticize, or even test ?
Vid felt sowhat unreal, as if he was soone who had never heard the second boot drop.
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