Two ragged n stumbled out of the forest, half-walking and half-rolling down the mountain path.
On the hillside stood a grand house, but its roof was missing tiles, the windows were boarded up, and its walls were covered with creeping ivy, giving it a desolate look.
The two swallowed nervously, hiding behind a tree as they observed the building that resembled a haunted house.
"This place looks deserted," one man said, "Maybe we can rest here for a few days without worry."
"You know, these old houses usually co with ghost stories passed down through the years," the other man said.
They exchanged a glance.
Gall saw desire in Lockhart’s eyes—this Wizard had been through a lot recently, and he was eager for a place to rest.
So much so that he almost forgot the utter fear and desperation when he was caught and used as fodder by the Vampires.
Lockhart also saw caution in Gall’s eyes—this bat, true to its kinship with rats, was just as timid.
The two locked eyes for a mont, neither willing to back down.
Lockhart said, "What’s there to be afraid of with ghosts? I saw them every day at Hogwarts."
"I’m not afraid of ghosts, but I am worried if it’s people living in there," Gall said, "A haunted house away from the crowds, a nice big house with no one living in it—the description sounds familiar, doesn’t it? You wizards love living in such places."
At the ntion of that sensitive term, Lockhart couldn’t help feeling a bit nervous, subconsciously gripping his Magic Wand tightly.
His own Magic Wand was snapped by those damn Vampires, but fortunately, when Gall escaped, he managed to snatch an old wand for him.
It wasn’t quite handy, but at least it worked.
Holding the wand gave Lockhart a bit of courage back.
"I didn’t sense any Magic around...at least there’s no Muggle-Repelling Charm. Even if soone’s inside, it’s probably not a Wizard; even if it is, it’s likely one of those old folks still stuck a century back in ti."
Lockhart urged, "I’ve dealt with such people many tis. It’s actually simple—catch them off guard and cast a Forgetfulness Spell, and everything’s settled."
Gall was tempted but still didn’t agree.
Lockhart coaxed further, "What are you afraid of? You can transform into a bat and scout ahead! If soone’s there, it’s your food; if not, we have a place to hide for a while... It’s getting dark, Gall, and we’ve had overcast skies recently."
Gall couldn’t help but shiver.
The dark was quite normal, and in the United Kingdom, gloomy skies were normal too, but for the two of them, such dreary weather always made them think of Dentors.
On the day he fled Hogsade carrying Lockhart, Gall noticed Aurors in ambush nearby; he even confird that a Wizard had seen them. However, possibly because the group of Vampires was a bigger target, the Aurors didn’t manage to catch them.
To avoid being sent back to Azkaban, Lockhart used various Concealnt Spells on them, preventing the Aurors from tracking them, but unfortunately, Gall couldn’t get help from his uncle anymore.
Since then, they had completely lost contact with the Magic World, living a life on the run, always looking for places to hide at the slightest sign of bad weather.
They had hidden in tree holes, lived in caves, hid in sewers, and even cramped themselves into a car trunk once. They were just short of crawling into a mouse hole.
—They still didn’t know that the Ministry of Magic, to avoid affecting the World Cup matches, had sent all the Dentors back to Azkaban.
It wasn’t just Lockhart who craved a stable, comfortable environnt; Gall was reaching his limit too.
Thus, after a bit more persuasion from Lockhart, Gall was swayed, though he put forward his own condition.
"Give a sip," Gall licked his lips and said, "I haven’t eaten in two days. I’m out of energy, and if there’s danger, I can’t even fly fast enough."
Lockhart was reluctant, "There’s a village down the hill. You can steal a chicken or a little pig, and we’ll have enough food for both of us."
"No way. Muggles will notice quickly, raise the alarm, and it might draw the Ministry of Magic’s attention." Gall decisively refused.
Whether human or animal, a blood-drained corpse was bound to be spotted for its oddity. Gall didn’t want to take that risk.
"The Ministry of Magic isn’t that perceptive," Lockhart said.
But seeing Gall standing firm, a few seconds later, Lockhart finally relented, "Do you have a cup?"
Gall, of course, didn’t carry a cup, so he picked a broad leaf, rolled it into the shape of a cup, and looked expectantly at Lockhart.
Lockhart had no choice, drawing his Magic Wand and pointing it at his wrist. A thin wound appeared, and bright red blood began to flow.
Gall’s eyes turned blood-red in an instant.
As soon as the leaf-cup was half full, Lockhart imdiately healed the wound, his heart tightening upon seeing Gall’s eyes mixed with greed and hunger.
Though they had been escape companions supporting each other, every ti Gall wanted blood, Lockhart felt like he was just an ergency food source the vampire carried around.
This look made him uneasy, yet he knew that leaving Gall wouldn’t guarantee his survival.
"Go check out that haunted house," Lockhart said, feigning calmness. "With luck, it could be our new hideout."
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