It rained last night.
The rain was drizzling and dense, lasting for a good two to three hours.
When the sun rose, the ground of Diagon Alley was still very wet, with green moss creeping along the corners and crevices of the bricks.
Vid pulled his hood up as he walked down the street, his worn boots stepping over the moss and leaving green footprints on the gray-black stones.
At this moment, he appeared as a middle-aged man, with a gaunt face and dark circles under his eyes. His wizard's robe was patched and worn, making him look rather downcast.
The number of guests in Diagon Alley at this time was still not many, totally incomparable to Lockhart's new book launch yesterday.
Some shop owners were directing brooms and cloths to clean up, and when they saw Vid walk by, they only gave him a lazy glance, not interested in greeting him at all.
A few children were running and jumping around on the street, and some were already peering through the windows of the Broomstick Shop, fascinated by the latest Nimbus 2001 inside.
Next to the Broomstick Shop was a small White Deer Beverage Shop. A young boy was organizing the shelves and shouted to the children:
"Be careful not to bump into anyone."
"Got it!"
The children responded loudly.
But agreeing is one thing, actually doing it is another.
There weren't many people on the street, so the children played with little regard.
A child was running forward while calling out to his friends and accidentally bumped into a wizard in a black robe standing by the roadside.
"Sorry, I didn't mean to!"
He quickly apologized, his head still lowered, when he suddenly felt a claw-like hand grab the back of his neck.
"You think a simple apology is enough after bumping into someone?"
Skeletal fingers pinched his neck from behind, and the sinister voice sounded anything but friendly.
The boy from the beverage shop saw this and hurried out:
"I'm sorry, he's my brother. I apologize on his behalf... uh, can I offer you a drink instead?"
He looked up at the wizard, feeling a chill down his spine.
The pale-faced wizard's eyes seemed to glow green, his cheekbones were prominent, and there was a sinister scar at the corner of his mouth, exuding a strange smell.
He licked his lips with his tongue and curled his lips into a chilling smile.
"I don't need a free drink."
He rasped, "If you wish to show your apology, show some sincerity... How about doing me a small favor?"
The boy's scalp tingled, yet he dared not back away rashly. Swallowing hard, he asked, "… What favor?"
"Deliver a letter for me, how about it?" The wizard drew out a thick letter and asked.
The boy glanced at it; the address on the envelope was nearby and not in a notorious place like Knockturn Alley.
He hesitated, glanced at his brother holding back his tears under the wizard's grip, then accepted the envelope with both hands.
"Alright, is there anything else you would like me to do?"
The wizard's cold gaze swept over the two of them, and he chuckled coldly:
"The recipient has a bad temper. If you bring your brother, he might be a bit kinder to you."
Upon hearing this, the boy felt a sense of relief.
If that was the case, it made sense that the wizard did not want to deliver the letter himself.
"Also," the wizard released the boy's brother and continued: "When you took this letter, you were cursed by me."
As the boy's expression changed, he chuckled darkly, "If you don't deliver the letter in time, I can't promise what might happen to you."
The boy took a deep breath: "I will deliver the letter on time."
"Alright then, good luck," the wizard sneered, turning to leave.
The boy's lips tightened, and he patted his brother's head with his free hand, saying, "I'm going to deliver the letter; you head home quickly."
"No, I want to go with you!" The little brother cried.
"It's just delivering a letter; it's not dangerous. I'll be back soon."
"No, I want to go with you!"
The little boy didn't understand what had happened just now; he only knew he had caused trouble for his brother and was crying in fear.
Moreover, he remembered that person's words—bringing him along might make the recipient more forgiving towards his brother.
The boy tried to persuade him for a while but to no avail, so he had to leave a note on the counter, close the shop door, and head to the address on the letter with his brother.
—If all goes well, we should be back in a few minutes.
He thought optimistically.
Moreover, his dad was at Gringotts to withdraw money and should be back soon. Seeing the note on the counter, he would definitely come looking for them.
The boy didn't see that the wizard soon returned, pushed open the shop door, entered, and after a while, came out again, heading in the direction where the boy had left.
A middle-aged man resting on a bench by the road sighed, slowly stood up, and watched the direction where the few people departed.
...
The boy held the envelope, compared the shop numbers along the road, and gradually walked into a secluded alley.
He walked back and forth but could not find the address written on the letter.
"Brother..." The little boy gripped his hand tightly.
"What is it?" the boy asked.
"I'm a bit scared..." the little boy said, his voice trembling with sobs.
The boy looked at the narrow alley and the tightly closed doors on both sides. He made a decisive turn: "Let's go back and have Dad bring us to deliver the letter."
But they had barely taken two steps when their bodies froze.
The wizard who sent them was standing at the mouth of the alley.
"Naughty children, not keeping promises."
He spoke in a voice as if his throat had been scratched: "The letter hasn't been delivered, and you're already thinking of going home."
The boy swiftly drew his magic wand, shielding his brother, desperately trying to explain: "I haven't broken my promise; I just couldn't find the place."
The wizard walked closer to them, saying, "I know the place; let me take you there."
"You can go deliver it yourself!"
The little boy suddenly shouted: "We're going home! Dad is waiting for us!"
"No, he won't be waiting for you. He doesn't even know where you've gone."
The wizard tossed a crumpled piece of paper at their feet, and the boy looked down to find it had his handwriting.
It was the note he had left for his father.
Fearful, he backed up two steps, then his wand suddenly twitched: "Stupefy!"
The red beam shot towards the wizard, who hadn't expected such a young-looking child to know the Stunning Spell. In his haste, he dove to the ground!
The spell brushed past his hair and hit the wall.
"Run!"
The boy, unaware his spell hadn't hit, pulled his brother to run, when suddenly he heard a shout: "Petrificus Totalus!"
Both of them immediately fell rigid to the ground.
A gray-haired witch appeared before them, slowly putting away her magic wand.
The witch let out a laugh like nails scratching glass, saying, "Even cubs have claws, don't they?"
The wizard, cursing and wiping away a bloody nose, walked up from behind and kicked the petrified boy, making him roll over. Pointing his wand at the boy's chest, he coldly said: "Crucio!"
"Bang!"
With a loud bang, blood suddenly burst from the wizard's chest, and his entire body flew backward.