The air around them grew still.
After a few seconds, Harry looked around, asking curiously, "That person... which person? Who are you talking about?"
Lupin paused, then understood, a silent, bitter smile playing on his lips.
When he was born, the nascent Voldemort hadn't yet become synonymous with "terror." Lupin had grown up hearing stories of the Dark Wizard Grindelwald, and that name had left a deep impression in his memory.
But for children like Harry, Grindelwald was already a figure of history, probably no different from the demon Emeric or the goblin Norwelt, just a troublesome fact to learn in textbooks.
Even because Grindelwald was still alive and the Alliance's influence still lay dormant, the subject of A History of Magic didn't delve into that period in detail. The focus of school learning remained on goblin rebellions, giant wars, Wizard conferences, and the evolution of laws, among other things.
Among the three children, aside from Wade, who looked thoughtful after his initial shock, Harry and Michael were both utterly bewildered.
Lupin suppressed the anxiety and unease in his heart and began to explain to the children:
"Gellert Grindelwald is one of the most powerful Dark Wizards of all time... Dumbledore defeated him in 1945, and since then, that man has been imprisoned in Nurmengard wizard prison. But now... he's escaped."
Recalling Grindelwald's atrocities across Europe and America, Lupin's heart rate quickened considerably.
"He's been locked up in prison for almost... fifty years, hasn't he?" Harry calculated, surprised. "He's so old, what could he possibly do now that he's out?"
"Anything is possible, but it certainly won't be quietly living out his golden years," Lupin said worriedly. "Come on, I'll take you back. Then I need to go... find some people to discuss this with."
Seeing his extremely solemn expression, Wade and the others naturally didn't object. They quickened their pace towards the entrance and exit of Diagon Alley.
By then, Diagon Alley was much emptier. The crowded street instantly seemed deserted. Mabel, hiding in a corner, inadvertently turned her gaze and saw the person she had been searching for so desperately.
She opened her mouth to call out, but seeing that he had several companions with him, Mabel closed her mouth again, pulled down her hood, and quickly followed.
She wanted to find a moment when Wade was alone to talk to him.
Seeing that the group was about to pass through the archway, Mabel grew anxious and simply started to jog. Carelessly, she kicked a cage placed outside a pet shop and fell with a loud "thud."
The shop owner didn't bother to scold her; he had also heard the news of Grindelwald's escape and was now pacing around his shop in a panic, like a mouse desperately looking for a hole to hide in.
Mabel looked up and saw the bricks of the archway rapidly sealing shut, and the figures behind the gate moving further away.
"Wait—"
She couldn't help but cry out, but the archway had already completely transformed into a brick wall, sealed tight, as if separating two worlds.
...
Wade faintly heard a somewhat familiar voice and instinctively looked back, only to see a dirty wall, with unmelted snow piled in the corner.
"What's wrong?" Harry asked.
"Nothing..." Wade said, turning his head and pulling up his hood.
It must have been the wind, he thought.
They re-entered The Leaky Cauldron. The once noisy and bustling crowd had vanished. Only a bald old Wizard sat in a corner, slowly drinking, and two others, seemingly drunk, were sleeping slumped over a table, their black robes wrapped tightly around them.
Tom, the owner, grumbled indistinctly while waving his Wand, making the messy tables and chairs return to their proper places. Hearing footsteps, he merely glanced up without a greeting, his mood clearly terrible.
But then, he saw a somewhat familiar figure, and his face, which had looked as if someone owed him a thousand Galleons, instantly broke into a wide smile.
"Ah, Mr. Potter!" Tom quickly walked through the narrow passage between the tables, saying enthusiastically, "Damn it, I can't believe I'm only seeing you now! Would you like a hot chocolate?"
Harry had no choice but to stop and shake his hand, saying awkwardly, "No, thank you, we're heading back."
The old Wizard in the corner raised his eyes, his gaze sweeping over Harry's face, then shifting away to look at the others beside him.
"Alright... alright..." Tom released Harry's hand, looking wistfully at the group, and said regretfully, "You're welcome any time, Mr. Potter."
Lupin led the group through the pub. As they exited, Wade felt a chill on his forehead.
He looked up to see feather-like snowflakes finally drifting down.
The oppressive dark clouds seemed to be pressing down on the tops of the tall buildings, with faint black shadows moving within them, clearly not normal birds or storm clouds.
Harry's face suddenly turned pale, the biting cold making his hands and feet go numb. He almost cried out, "Dementors!"
Lupin looked up and said, "They're not coming for us, probably just normal patrol... Let's go!"
He stood by the street, hailing a taxi, while explaining:
"The Ministry of Magic forbids them from causing large-scale disturbances, so these creatures either move with the clouds now or only patrol at night."
A dark blue taxi slowly pulled up. Wade and the others quickly got in at Lupin's urging, and then the vehicle started, speeding away in an instant.
Wade leaned by the window, wiping away the fog from the glass, and looked back.
He couldn't shake the feeling that the Dementors' altitude seemed to be steadily dropping... Were they trying to take advantage of the snowfall, when everyone's visibility was poor, to absorb a wave of happy emotions?
Christmas was approaching, and ordinary people had no idea about the Dark Wizard's escape. The entire city was filled with a festive atmosphere, with cheerful Christmas songs playing everywhere.
This atmosphere must have been incredibly tempting for Dementors.
But before Voldemort began his rampage, the Ministry of Magic still had a strong grip on the Dementors.
Those creatures had been wandering this island for nearly ten days, and apart from the one attack on the Hogwarts Express, they had otherwise behaved themselves.
So Wade withdrew his gaze. As he turned around, he heard Harry quietly ask Michael, "Are we still going to the department store?"
"We can go tomorrow morning," Michael said casually. "I just remembered, I'd heard of that Grindelwald before too. But even at his peak, he couldn't conquer Britain."
Harry nodded, relieved—he hadn't finished his Christmas shopping and didn't want to have to slap together some last-minute gifts to send out tomorrow.
Neither of them thought Grindelwald's escape was a big deal—it was like how, even if Hitler came back to life, people on the other side of the world would still live normally. They wouldn't drop everything and spend their days consumed by fear and anxiety.
If Voldemort had made a grand announcement of his resurrection, that would indeed be cause for fear, because Harry Potter would undoubtedly become Voldemort's primary target.
But when Grindelwald was imprisoned, not only Harry but even Harry's parents hadn't been born yet. There was no animosity between them, much less a life-or-death struggle.
Lupin, sitting in front, heard their conversation and suddenly realized he had been overly anxious—perhaps the attitudes of those around him had influenced his judgment, making him exaggerate the seriousness of the situation.
Thinking back, most of the people who reacted most strongly to the news were foreign Wizards... British Wizards were slow to follow suit in leaving.
Lupin slowly exhaled, inwardly mocking himself for being less composed than a few children.
However, Dumbledore was the one who defeated Grindelwald back then... Perhaps this time, that man would make Britain his first target to conquer.
But he had only just escaped prison. Whether it was gathering people or planning something, it would take time...
...
Mabel knelt on the ground, bewildered and unsure where to go.
A pair of arms helped her up, and a gentle voice said, "Are you alright, child?"
Before Mabel could react, she was easily lifted from the ground. By the time she belatedly tried to pull up her hood, it was too late.
Damn! My face was seen!
Mabel was in a panic. She lowered her head, not daring to look at this kind Wizard, waiting for him to recognize her and scream.
Black mist swirled at her feet, but she suppressed it.
Even if the other person had only shown her a small kindness... Mabel didn't want to hurt him.
Just then, the Dementors hovering high above seemed to be drawn by something. They had been drifting aimlessly, but now they sharply turned and flew directly downwards!
"You look a bit familiar..."
On the street, the Wizard recalled for a moment, then chuckled, "Are you one of the children from the bookstore just now? Where are your parents?"
Mabel: "..." He didn't recognize me?
How is that possible?
Her photos were plastered all over the streets... they even dominated the front page of newspapers for days, and even appeared in Muggle news!
She suddenly looked up and realized this Wizard was actually the owner of the house she had been hiding in for several days.
If she remembered correctly, his name was Ryan Trocar, a Vampire who didn't drink human blood.
But at that time, Mabel had only occasionally snuck into the kitchen to steal a bit of food or to read a newspaper. She had barely interacted with the people in the house.
At this moment, Mabel was so tense her hairs stood on end. She stared intently at Trocar, only to see him grasping her arm, looking around as if searching for her nonexistent "parents."
Trocar looked down and asked, "Did you get separated from your family? Where's your home? I'll take you back."
Mabel looked at him with suspicion and uncertainty, wondering if he was toying with her.
When he looked around, didn't he see her photo on the wall?
Although Mabel was much thinner now than in the photos, her hair was tied up, and her clothes were different... her appearance hadn't undergone any earth-shattering changes. How could he not recognize her?
Trocar saw that this seemingly frightened girl refused to say a word and couldn't help but rub his temples in frustration.
Sigh... she's going to be my student anyway. I can't just leave her here alone. What if she runs into trouble? Would I still have the face to be a professor at Hogwarts?
Trocar thought Mabel had been chasing her family just now and couldn't help but inwardly scold the irresponsible guardians a few times. He forced a smile and said:
"Don't worry, I'm not a bad person. How about I take you to The Leaky Cauldron? Maybe your parents will go there to look for you."
Mabel hesitated, then nodded.
If this person was trying to trick her back... she wasn't without the power to resist.
Trocar saw that she finally responded to him and couldn't help but smile, leading Mabel towards the entrance of Diagon Alley.
His gaze swept over the wanted posters on the wall, feeling vaguely familiar, but he couldn't remember where he had seen them.
He had felt this way several times today—including the child who bumped into him at the bookstore, Trocar also felt he had seen him somewhere before, but had no clear memory of it.
Children's faces... they probably all look similar, right...
As Trocar thought this, his steps suddenly halted.
The surrounding temperature rapidly dropped, making them shiver. All joy seemed to leave them, replaced only by despair and sorrow...
He looked up to see hundreds of Dementors descending from the sky, flying straight towards the two of them!
Mabel also saw the terrifying scene, knowing that these were the "special forces" sent by the Ministry of Magic to capture her. She was about to jump up and run, but her arm suddenly tightened!
"Let go of me!"
She screamed, half her body instantly transforming into black mist.
Trocar, however, didn't see this. He was intently watching the Dementor leading the charge. He suddenly yanked Mabel towards him, and with a slide of his foot, he began to spin with her.
*"Bang!"*
Amidst a massive explosion, the Vampire Wizard, carrying the Obscurus, instantly vanished from the spot!
The Dementors missed their target, with the first few crashing directly into the ground. Without a target, they searched the street for a few moments, their withered, decaying forms filled with anger, before fading into nothingness.
...
Mabel swayed, and before she could steady herself, she heard the Vampire beside her say angrily:
"What is the Ministry of Magic doing letting these damn things out? This is the second time they've attacked innocent passersby! It seems the attack on the Hogwarts Express last time must have been due to Dementors out of control. I almost believed their nonsense!"
Trocar complained irritably. Seeing the little girl staring blankly at him, he thought she must be terrified and gently reassured her:
"I'm sorry, child. It was an emergency, so I brought you back here first. I'll take you back to Diagon Alley after those monsters leave in a few hours, alright?"
Mabel cautiously said nothing.
Trocar was somewhat used to her silence. He took her silence as agreement and said with a smile, "Make yourself comfortable, have some snacks, I'm going to write a letter... Garr—"
Trocar raised his voice, shouting to his nephew, who was doing who-knows-what in his bedroom, "Garr—you entertain this child for me."
"Okay, Uncle Ryan—"
Garr shouted back from behind the bedroom door.
Ryan Trocar heard shuffling footsteps and smiled at Mabel, relieved, before returning to his study.
He himself didn't have much power, but he could complain to Headmaster Dumbledore!
Another minute or two passed before Garr emerged from his bedroom, yawning as he pulled on a sweater.
He ran his fingers through his messy hair, walked directly to the refrigerator, opened it, and asked, "What do you want to drink? Water, cola, or black tea?"
As he spoke, he casually glanced at the little guest his uncle had brought back, and his eyes widened. The cola he had just taken out fell to the ground with a thud.
Garr opened his mouth to shout, but was suddenly pressed to the ground by something like black paint. His neck was choked, and it felt as if his breath had been stolen!
"What's that noise, Garr?"
Lockhart, who was doing his skincare in the bathroom, opened the door. Before he could even clearly see the scene outside, he was dragged by an immense force and pressed to the ground, becoming Garr's fellow sufferer.
The slender girl stood in the center of the living room, her eyes now white. Half of her body had transformed into a massive black shadow, pinning the two men down like a giant beast, rendering them unable to move!
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