Improving the Disappearing Cabinet was a familiar task for Vid, he completed it in only half the expected time.
Learning the Disillusionment Charm was somewhat complicated, but Vid had actually been self-studying for a long time, and had a solid foundation in Transfiguration Technique. On Saturday evening, he finally mastered the Disillusionment Charm.
Currently, his Disillusionment Charm only changes color, but careful observation would reveal it. If one's mana is strong enough, the charm can achieve complete invisibility.
Additionally, the repair of the Invisibility Cloak also requires the use of the Disillusionment Charm.
With the expected work completed, Vid had one day left for the weekend.
"Perhaps you could take a stroll in Hogsmeade Village? Or you could go adventuring around."
Lupin suggested his favorite student activity from his student days: "There are many interesting places nearby; I can be your guide. If there's anything you want to buy, I can help get it for you."
However, Vid asked, "Remus, do you know the Imperio?"
Lupin's expression was a bit unnatural: "The Imperio is one of the three Unforgivable Curses… You know the Unforgivable Curses, right?"
"I know." Vid said calmly, "The Imperio, Cruciatus Curse, and Killing Curse are the three Unforgivable Curses. Once used on someone, they lead to a lifetime sentence in Azkaban."
"Since you know, you should understand I absolutely cannot teach you such a spell!"
Lupin said decisively, "These are evil Dark Magic spells; no one should learn or even encounter them!"
"It's getting late, you should return to school."
He turned to open the Disappearing Cabinet.
"Don't be so sensitive, Remus."
Vid said, "I'm not asking you to teach me the Imperio, I just want to ask if Occlumency can resist the Imperio?"
Lupin realized he misunderstood, slightly embarrassed, but he felt he couldn't be blamed for being overly sensitive—
Vid wanted to learn everything, and learned things quickly, surpassing many graduates' level, yet seemed unsatisfied.
This insatiable greed and thirst for knowledge… sometimes left Lupin feeling startled.
After learning the proper magic, would Vid turn to stronger Dark Magic?
Lupin didn't know but his sense of responsibility often made him worry about this.
He thought for a while before saying, "With enough willpower, you can resist the Imperio. However… Occlumency does indeed help."
Actually, Occlumency can not only resist the Imperio, but also prevent possession, and even counter Veritaserum's effects.
The Wizengamot once suspected Sirius might know Occlumency, making it hard to ensure he spoke truthfully even under Veritaserum during questioning.
Adding to the situation back then… Sirius having murdered Peter, and being the notorious Secret Keeper, yet the Potters were killed by Voldemort in their own home…
Ultimately, Sirius Black was sent to Azkaban without trial.
Lifetime imprisonment.
It's been years, and Lupin hasn't had the chance to ask his former friend… why…
Lupin was slightly dazed before hearing his student's voice.
"I've been practicing Occlumency for a while now." Vid said, "I'd like to ask you to help evaluate my progress."
The clearing of one's mind via Occlumency, while not complex, seemed to blur between introspection and emptiness.
Without truly experiencing external mental infiltration, it was hard to confirm if one's Occlumency could fend off such intrusions.
Lupin paused before asking, "You're not afraid I'll see your memories?"
"I trust you won't randomly inspect them. Besides, if it truly involves privacy, I'd use other magic to resist." Vid replied.
In the storyline, Harry's experience showed that when prepared, aggressive spells can interrupt Occlumency.
Like the Disarming Spell.
"...Alright."
Lupin had no reason to refuse; he took out his magic wand, "If you're ready, let's begin."
"Of course..." Vid also draws his wand, "Let's start."
"Three, two, one… Mind Reading!"
Magic invasion… Lupin felt strong resistance, he read only emptiness.
A second, two seconds…
After ten seconds, suddenly it was as if a soap bubble burst, countless images flashed by…
Eating in the dining hall… attending classes… doing homework… eating in the dining hall… walking through the castle corridors with friends… doing homework… attending classes…
He actively interrupted the spell.
"Did you not resist?" Lupin asked, surprised.
Given his knowledge of Vid, he expected a longer duration for the Occlumency's resistance.
"If the mind is completely empty, doesn't that indicate there's something to hide?"
Vid said uncomfortably, "I tried not recalling anything, but later thought... using irrelevant memories to cover important ones might be better..."
Lupin couldn't speak for a while.
Vid was uncertain, "Did I mess up?"
He remembered Snape was a master of Occlumency, even being an undercover agent for Voldemort. Wouldn't Snape show empty memories when Voldemort tried to view his mind?
Surely he'd let the Dark Lord see what he wanted rather than simply resisting.
Vid had been striving in this direction.
"No." Lupin finally spoke, "Most wizards cannot reach this level… But if you can learn to overlay memories, even forge them, that's unquestionably better."
"We need a different practice method."
He took a red apple from the shelf, placed it on the table, "Look at it, memorize this image. Then hide this memory, don't let me find it."
Vid stared at the apple.
Lupin asked, "What's your favorite fruit?"
Vid casually replied, "Watermelon… Mangoes and cherries are nice too…"
"Mind Reading!" Lupin suddenly cast.
Dining in the hall… attending classes… doing homework… dining… attending classes… flying on a broom… a tapestry with a troll… reading… red apple…
A red spell suddenly knocked Lupin's wand away, Vid staggered, almost falling.
His head buzzed loudly, aching severely.
Lupin supported him to sit, pouring a cup of hot chocolate.
"Very good, achieving this level initially is remarkable." Lupin praised.
Vid drank the chocolate, seemingly imbued with strange magic, soothing his throbbing forehead.
"I couldn't resist." Vid sighed in disappointment.
He knew, at that moment, he instinctively wanted to hide the Room of Requirement, and thereby exposed the apple.
"Don't be so hard on yourself, Vid." Lupin softly reassured, "Trying such a complex magic cannot be instantly learned; it inherently requires prolonged practice."
Vid rested for a while, putting down the cup, raised his wand again.
"Again!"