Vid was stunned.
After Winky was banished by her master, she was in utter despair, drinking heavily and crying bitterly. But did she ever try to return?
Later on, when Barty Crouch and his son frequently traveled to Hogwarts for the Triwizard Tournament, what was Winky doing?
Did she ever want to help her former master who was under the Imperio curse?
And what about other house-elves who were either banished or inadvertently granted freedom by their masters? Would they try to return to their former master and restore their employment?
Or would they just collapse to the ground, sobbing in anguish, and then accept the fact and wander away?
Although Vid knew many house-elves, they all belonged to Hogwarts. They were mostly satisfied with their current lives; none expressed a desire for freedom, nor had any been banished.
Including Zoe and Maki... they only wanted kindness and respect from wizards and didn't have any intention of seeking freedom.
Professor Morry did not linger long on this topic.
After a brief comment to Vid, he said, "Many wizards became passionate about Life Alchemy after they saw some successful precedents."
"But it's not an easy task. Quite a few people were killed by their creations, and Life Alchemy gradually became a Forbidden Technique. What truly led to the complete prohibition of this magic was the birth of another kind of creature."
"In the fifteenth century, a wizard named Exter built a castle on a certain island and lured Muggle ships to the island. He did horrifying things to those Muggle sailors and crew."
"It is said that later on, those who were ordered to investigate the island refused to talk about what they discovered there. And the least horrifying part was that the place became a haven for Dementors."
"And that place is Azkaban."
"Dementors feed on happiness; merely approaching them causes people to feel depression and despair. They can also suck out human souls, turning people into soulless beings like themselves. The effective means to counter them is the Patronus Charm."
"These creatures cannot be completely killed; even if they temporarily die, they will re-emerge from the putrid darkness. They transcend life and death."
"Humanity's coveted 'immortality' has been possessed by Dementors since their inception."
"—So in some sense, this form of Life Alchemy can be considered extremely successful, just useless to wizards."
Vid suddenly had a question: "Professor, wizards can use the Patronus Charm to fend off Dementors, but Muggles can't even see these creatures, let alone resist them..."
"Yes, correct." Professor Morry asked, "Worried that these monsters might harm your parents? In the early eighteenth century, the Ministry of Magic reached an agreement with Dementors to have them guard Azkaban's prisoners and not allow them to leave."
"Though I always thought it was a foolish decision. But for now, it seems to be working quite well."
Vid shook his head and softly said, "Actually, I wanted to ask—during the Wizard War, why didn't the Witch Pure Party and Death Eaters harness the power of the Dementors?"
Professor Morry paused for a moment before saying, "Because to Dementors, the magic-filled soul of a wizard is far more enticing than a Muggle's... moreover, there are actually very few wizards who can use the Patronus Charm..."
He continued, "The story is about here. I think you should understand—Life Alchemy can be described as both wondrous and dangerous."
"It allows wizards to create species that transcend the level of their own life... each instance of Life Alchemy is an unreplicable process. There are no identical humans in the world, nor are there any identical alchemical lives."
"Creating life is originally the domain of the gods, but wizards can steal a small part of this authority."
"This temptation is incomparable, and any alchemist with some ability will eventually walk this path sooner or later. No matter how much the Ministry of Magic prohibits it, there will always be wizards who attempt to explore the forbidden zone of life."
"I only hope that when you find yourself interested in alchemical life one day, you'll remember what we've discussed today, the failed examples, and what I've taught you—"
"Boldly imagine, carefully verify."
"On the path of Alchemy, one can never be too cautious."
"Of course, today we are going to learn the very basics—how to imbue a lifeless object with thought..."
...
Professor Morry's Biological Alchemy class lasted only three days, after which he gave Vid a few books and a pile of alchemy materials, letting him gradually understand them through practice.
After dinner, Steven invited Vid to come to his farm.
"If you have friends you play well with, you can invite them too. There are many interesting little animals on my farm, which kids really like," Steven said.
Vid asked, "Wouldn't that be too disturbing?"
"No. Some little fellows love kids; they will be very happy."
Steven joked, "If there's a girl you like, this could be a great opportunity!"
Vid said slowly, "I'm only twelve, what do you mean by romance?"
"Quite right." Professor Morry nodded approvingly: "You should study well while at school and not be distracted by such matters. However, you—"
He suddenly looked at Steven, saying irritably, "When are you going to find a girlfriend? Do you plan on living with Occamys for the rest of your life?"
Steven shrank his neck, muttering in a low voice, "You told me the same thing when I was in school... but my classmates who dated while at school all got married right after graduation..."
"You've been graduated from Hogwarts for twenty years! So much time has passed, love affairs could have happened eight times if you weren't staying on the farm all day! At the last banquet, wasn't the Shafeek family's daughter always smiling at you? Did you try to continue contacting her?"
Steven was dazed for a while, then said blankly, "Was there someone from the Shafeek family last time?"
Professor Morry glared, and Steven immediately fell silent.
Professor Morry didn't continue to reprimand his son, for Vid was also there.
After dinner, Steven pulled Vid to pack up luggage upstairs.
Upstairs, Steven said with a bitter face, "Let's quickly leave... or else Dad will remember for sure and scold me again..."
Vid had no objections. He took out his pencil box and silently cast a spell; the pencil box expanded into the size of a backpack, and Vid filled it with books, alchemy materials, and some personal items.
Then the backpack returned to the size of a pencil box.
That's the advantage of Occamy skin.
When Vid received it, it looked only the size of a caterpillar, but it could itself extend very large.
So Vid folded it back and forth seven times, allowing it to show different sizes—
The smallest is a pencil box, which is the only one not using The Undetectable Extension Charm; the largest is a wardrobe, with a larger internal space.
The other benefit of The Undetectable Extension Charm is that no matter how many items are placed inside, it is as if they are placed in another space, and the user feels only the weight of the box itself.
So, he could carry it freely in his clothes pocket.