The consistent slant of the letters, like a wave of wheat blown by the wind, smoothly appeared in sequence on the parchment.
[Antoine: Barty Crouch Senior also has something odd about him. His subordinates say that Crouch took a long leave not long ago and only recently returned to the Ministry of Magic.]
"Took a long leave?"
Vid murmured, somewhat concerned.
[Vid: Was there anything unusual after he came back? Like becoming exceptionally haggard?]
[Antoine: Not exactly, but it's said that he seems like a changed man, showing no enthusiasm for work, and he's even inattentive during Wizengamot meetings. At last Monday's trial, he even got the suspect's name wrong.]
[Antoine: Such mistakes might be nothing for Fudge, but when Crouch got the name wrong, everyone was reportedly astonished.]
[Antoine: Some say Crouch has become disheartened due to some matters recently, and is contemplating retirement... What do you think? Does this information help you?]
Sunlight filtered through the window, casting dappled shadows on Vid's face.
He stood in the corridor, and after a long silence, replied: [Very helpful, thank you, Antoine.]
The tip of the pen scratched across the parchment with a rustle, flashes of recent encounters with several people surged through Vid's mind—
The blurred figure by the Black Lake;
The mysteriously appearing Dumbledore;
Professor Morry, whose smile was as warm as ever;
And when setting up the stands, Flitwick vigorously waving his magic wand on a chair, a sternly frowning McGonagall, Moody with his perpetually suspicious expression, and Snape with his cold, cutting gaze.
Chaotic figures danced in his mind as he walked slowly down the stairs, countless thoughts emerging only for him to push them down again.
Suddenly, a voice came from the shadows.
"Hey, what's with that funeral-like expression of yours?"
Vid looked up to see Draco Malfoy leaning against the railing at the end of the staircase, his pale blonde hair gleaming softly. The monotonous school robe looked quite textured, and his face bore a half-smiling expression.
His previously perpetual anxious demeanor seemed to have vanished, returning to the arrogant and detestable "Young Master Malfoy," with a sardonic smile on his pale face.
Vid lifted his eyelids: "I was just thinking."
"Oh?" Draco Malfoy exaggeratedly raised an eyebrow: "Even the invincible champion has problems that can't be solved?"
He tapped the railing, casually asking, "Do I have the honor to hear them?"
Vid pondered silently for a moment.
Having been imbued with Slytherin's ideology from birth, Malfoy's thoughts were unlike most, which might provide some perspective.
Vid descended the stairs, turned, and asked, "If there was a wolf disguised as a sheep in a pen, how would you find it?"
Malfoy was taken aback at first, then let out a snort: "What kind of foolish question is this? Why would a wolf disguise itself as a sheep?"
"Perhaps it wants to eat a particular sheep without being detected by the shepherd."
Vid slowly said, "Once discovered, it would be killed."
Malfoy was stunned again, suddenly realizing that even though Vid's story sounded absurd, his attitude was quite serious.
He thought for a moment, then asked, "The shepherd can't tell which one is the wolf either?"
Vid nodded: "It disguises itself too well."
"Then how do you know there's a wolf hiding in the pen?" Malfoy asked again.
A trace of appreciation flashed in Vid's eyes, and he said, "Maybe because... bones with bite marks and bloody fur were found in the pen?"
Malfoy's mouth stiffened, a flicker of shock passed over his pale face. He instinctively glanced around and forced a smile onto his face.
"Okay, you scared me, Gray... This kind of joke isn't funny."
Vid quietly watched him, seeing Malfoy's smile grow increasingly stiff, gradually exposing a deep-seated panic.
"Forget it." Vid stepped forward, saying, "Just pretend I was joking."
As the two passed by each other, Malfoy suddenly retreated half a step, making way for the corridor's pathway.
He watched Vid walk past him, and suddenly spoke: "I once asked my father why, when not paying attention, house-elves seem non-existent... Clearly, they were just beside me, tidying up toys I scattered."
Vid turned around to see Malfoy, whose face showed a hint of reminiscence.
"My father said..."
Malfoy knocked on a nearby statue, saying, "The reason they're not noticed is not that they've hidden themselves but rather because these things are like corner decorations, within sight but beyond the gaze."
He raised his chin, turned sideways, and asked, "Did you 'see' this statue when you came down?"
Vid's eyes fixed suddenly, then moved to the statue over a meter tall, with the hairs on the back of his neck suddenly standing up, like countless tiny ice needles piercing his skin, his temples pulsing as well.
He naturally knew there was a statue here just now.
But until this moment, it was as if he realized this was a statue of Baba Yaga (a legendary child-eating evil witch), the statue's base resembling a small wooden house supported by chicken legs.
Just now, he saw it, but did not "see" it.
So that's it... so that's how it is...
Vid turned and left, his steps hurried, the robe fluttering behind him like a gust of wind disappearing around the corridor corner.
Draco stood in place, staring at his departing figure, habitually tugging a mocking smirk to his lips.
"Hmph, Ravenclaw!" He drawled disdainfully, "No basic manners, as expected..."
His words suddenly caught in his throat, muscles in his cheeks twitching slightly.
He used to habitually say "Mudblood," but now it felt like it would burn his tongue, swallowed down hastily.
...
It had just rained near the castle, the humid air filled with the scent of earth and fallen leaves, and the distant call of an owl.
Vid hurried across the lawn and, rounding a pile of stones, suddenly heard a rustling sound from a nearby bush.
He turned his head warily and saw a huge black dog poke half its body out of the shadows, looking around before transforming into an extraordinarily handsome man.
"—Sirius?" Vid asked in surprise, "What are you doing here?"
"I've been secretly protecting Harry, and Dumbledore knows, he's allowed me to sneak in and out of the school," Sirius asked, "But you, where are you going so late?"
"I need to see Hagrid for something," Vid said vaguely.
"Wait, I'll go with you."
Sirius tapped his head with his magic wand, and his figure vanished from top to bottom into thin air.
Vid raised an eyebrow and asked, "In the school, are you still worried about my safety?"
"I should conjure a mirror so you can see your expression now." Sirius's voice came from the air: "You look like you're more about to commit murder than see Hagrid."
"Not that exaggerated."
Vid muttered, rubbing his face a few times, and as he raised his head, he heard Sirius's voice with a hint of laughter, "Hmm... now you somewhat look like a fourteen-year-old kid."
Vid rolled his eyes at him subtly, striding towards Hagrid's hut, then reaching out to bang vigorously on the door.
"Knock, knock, knock..."