Just as Vid had expected, the Slytherins did not report to the professor.
Seven or eight Slytherins ambushed a Ravenclaw of the same age, and not only did they lose, but they ended up crying loudly in fear— even someone like Malfoy, who constantly talked about "my father," wouldn't want others to know about such an embarrassing event.
After Vid left that day, they supported each other to the infirmary for treatment, claiming they accidentally caused an explosion while practicing magic potions privately. Such mishaps were common among students, but it was too much for so many students to be injured, and Madam Pomfrey believed Professor Snape had not fulfilled his duty of management, complaining for more than half an hour.
When Snape heard that many students from his house were injured, he hurried to the infirmary, only to hear Madam Pomfrey's complaints before he even stepped in.
A baffled Snape: "..."
Unaware of the situation, he thought it was genuinely his responsibility, so he stood at the door with a sullen face and endured the scolding.
—After all, when Snape was studying at the school, Madam Pomfrey was already the school doctor at Hogwarts. He often clashed with James Potter's group and got injured frequently, receiving quite a bit of care from Madam Pomfrey. Nowadays, Snape might argue with Dumbledore, but he would always restrain his temper in front of her.
Although he said nothing, his icy gaze swept over the faces of the students one by one. Snape immediately recognized that the patches of swelling on them were caused by a failed Scabies Potion, but they had been taking Magic Potion Class for over half a year; who could still make such a basic mistake?
If it were Gryffindor's Neville Longbottom or the "explosion expert" Seamus Finnigan, it might be plausible.
When Madam Pomfrey went to attend to other students, Snape approached and asked, "What happened?"
Malfoy, whose face was smeared with potion, lowered his head, making it hard to see his expression, and said softly, "I was careless myself, Professor."
Snape narrowed his eyes.
Draco Malfoy's demeanor seemed somewhat familiar to him—much like himself ten years ago when lying in the infirmary, saying the same thing to others.
But back then, he said it because he knew no one could help even if he told the truth, and revealing the truth would only lead to disdain and even more severe bullying... Draco Malfoy, who was always pampered by his parents to not know the height of the sky, what reason did he have to shield the perpetrator?
Yet since he was beaten along with a group of others, Snape couldn't be bothered to meddle too much—he actually always thought that with Draco Malfoy's arrogant and sharp-tongued demeanor, getting beaten was a matter of time.
...
The next day at noon, Michael and Vid went to the dining hall to eat, and when meeting the Slytherins, Michael subconsciously tensed up, only to see those two—Millicent and Noat—slightly lowered their heads, resuming their previous activities only after Michael and Vid had passed by.
"——What did you do to them?" Michael asked incredulously.
"Uh…" Vid thought for a moment, "To be honest, you might not believe it—I hadn't even entered the classroom yesterday when they already gave up resisting."
Michael looked at him suspiciously, then nodded knowingly: "If it's some kind of secret, then pretend I didn't ask."
"It's not really a secret," Vid replied slowly, "I can show you all, as long as you promise not to be scared."
"How scary could it be?" Michael initially didn't believe it, then thought of something and asked apprehensively, "——Did you get a Boggart?"
A Boggart is a shapeshifting magical creature capable of becoming what a person fears most.
Vid shook his head: "Not really... although if I have the chance, I'd like to encounter one…"
A group of Slytherin girls led by Pansy passed by, and upon seeing Vid, they nodded somewhat awkwardly.
After several encounters, Vid noticed that those Slytherins — at least some of the first-year Slytherins—had subtly changed their attitude toward him, showing not hatred, disdain, or readiness for revenge, but rather a mix of fear with a hint of admiration and reverence.
Slytherin students—it seems some of them have a tendency to admire strength...
This thought flashed through Vid's mind.
...
Without being targeted by the Slytherins, most of Vid's school life was occupied by studying. He didn't even watch the Gryffindor versus Hufflepuff Quidditch match, only hearing that Harry had caught the Golden Snitch in just five minutes, and the referee, Snape, reportedly looked very sour.
The Undetectable Extention Charm was unexpectedly difficult, especially since Vid wanted to create a storage trunk akin to a small world like Newt Scamander's, making it even more challenging. Professor Morry advised him not to rush.
In his spare time, Vid crafted two Alchemy Works to practice: one was a slowly rotating Mobius Ring with a little figure walking tirelessly on it; the other was a little crab that would automatically sweep and mop the floor, sometimes emitting colorful bubbles that lifted people's spirits, to the delight of both Hermione and Padma.
Incidentally, on Sunday afternoons, Vid brought his insect trainers to the Umbrella House, alarming everyone with unprecedented shrill screeches. Harry knocked off a mantis's forelimb with a powerful Disarming Spell, Hermione successfully used the Iron Armor Spell for the first time, and Michael set the spiders ablaze with Incendio, making them sizzle in panic.
It turned out that although the insect trainers looked ugly, they were greatly effective in teaching. By the end, even Neville made evident progress—jumping onto a spider's back and jabbing his magic wand into its enormous eye during Padma's attack.
Lupin's magic lessons had begun, and Vid's first request was to learn the memory extraction spell.
[Lupin: May I know—why do you want to learn this spell?]
In the Friendship Book, Lupin's writings carried a sense of caution as he subtly advised: [According to the Ministry of Magic's regulations, any spell that tampers with others' memories is illegal.]
[Vid: The user is myself.] A moment later, Vid's answer appeared on the paper: [I have forgotten something important and must remember it. Additionally, I want to learn Occlumency, do you know it?]
[Lupin: Of course. During the Wizard War, we all had to learn how to prevent the enemy from directly gaining intelligence from our minds. But honestly, I am not an expert in this area. The person truly skilled in such magic would be Severus Snape.]
[Vid: I just need to know the standard practice methods so that at least no one can silently invade my mind and seize my will.]
Vid would never ask Snape to teach him Occlumency because those skilled in sealing minds were often also adept at Legilimency, and he could never allow anyone to see through his thoughts and memories.
Communicating through the Friendship Book gave him a greater sense of security. Even if the learning effect was subpar, Vid could slowly improve through practice.
In the Room of Requirement, after writing a line, Vid looked up at the gray Stone Basin placed on one of the pillars while waiting for Lupin's reply.
The Stone Basin was flat and wide, empty inside, without a drop of water. However, the outer side was set with a circle of gemstones, looking sparkling and luxurious.