"You will learn it in the future." Vid retracted the homework, raised an eyebrow, and said, "You should complete your own homework independently."
He watched Carrel scratching his head over the homework and smirked maliciously. Then he saw when the young man ran his hand through his hair, his sleeve slipped down, revealing a long, dark mark on his arm.
Vid's gaze darkened slightly.
He knew it was a mark left by a whipping.
Sometimes, Vid couldn't understand whether Carrel, after being "educated" by Dumbledore, had truly turned over a new leaf and was willing to be an ordinary student?
Or perhaps, he remained loyal to the "organization," and his words and actions now were merely obeying orders with the current flow?
Apparently, he wasn't treated well over there either, but when interacting with him, one couldn't see the shadows from his past.
It's been over ten days since entering Hogwarts, and the students' curiosity about the transfer student had mostly faded. Carrel was thriving in Gryffindor and getting along well with students from other houses, too.
But during all this time, he never mentioned his parents once.
Vid had asked Relf and learned that Carrel hadn't secretly used the school's owls to send letters to the Johnsons, nor had he asked the headmaster to pass along any messages, as if those two once-close family members were merely passing figures in his life.
He couldn't figure it out, but for now, all he could do was get along with him as an ordinary classmate and observe slowly.
Suddenly, Carrel looked up and asked, "What's wrong? You keep looking at me..."
"You have ink on your face," Vid said.
"What? Where?"
Vid pointed, and Carrel quickly wiped it with the back of his hand.
...
After dinner, Vid turned an old oil lamp can and a water cup into a food box, and he and Harry took the sumptuous meal to the school infirmary.
Lupin had already returned to human form, and he had a private ward here.
The injuries inflicted by Hagrid had healed, but his body functions had suffered some damage, and he experienced a full moon transformation during that time, leaving him very weak, able only to consume liquid food, and mostly in a state of sleep.
In the past few days, Madam Pomfrey had limited their visitation time, allowing them only a glance each day, with almost no chance to talk to him.
But in recent days, Lupin's condition had improved quickly. Yesterday, Madam Pomfrey even told them they could prepare some regular food for him.
Outside the ward, Harry knocked on the door and then heard Lupin's voice: "Come in."
The door was pushed open.
Lupin sat on the hospital bed, holding a steaming cup with a grim face. The potent, unpleasant aroma spread around, making Vid feel not only suffocated but as if his eyes were being assaulted by the smell.
Without hesitation, he cast a Bubble Head Charm on himself, finally feeling a bit better.
Harry immediately grabbed his arm: "Please, Vid, help us out..."
Vid cast the Bubble Head Charm on him as well.
The two appeared as if they had transparent fishbowls over their heads, filled with fresh air, and they both took several deep breaths together before feeling alive again.
"Remus, what is this?" Harry asked with difficulty, "Wastewater from a chemical plant?"
"Chemical plant? Ah, this is a cup of Healing Potion."
Lupin closed his eyes, tilted his head back, took a sip, and then shivered with a pained expression.
Harry looked at Lupin with reverence and fear, just smelling that scent made him never want to drink such a magic potion in his lifetime.
Vid sympathetically said, "Remus, I brought some desserts, do you want to have some?"
Harry quickly put his food box on the table too: "Yeah, there's also pumpkin juice!"
"No, the taste of this kind of magic potion mixed with sugar becomes even more unbearable. I've tried it before."
Lupin looked like he was recalling some unbearable past, and with held breath and great determination, he finally finished the magic potion in one go.
Then he started shivering, looking as if he was very cold.
Vid took the cup from him and looked at the tar-like potion clinging to the sides. He couldn't help but feel intimidated.
He used his wand to tap on a clean cup next to it, and water immediately filled it within moments.
Lupin drank the entire cup of water, feeling a bit better.
Seeing both children worriedly watching him, Lupin made a funny face and said, "It tastes awful."
Harry couldn't help but laugh.
Vid opened the window and cast a small Scouring Charm to sweep the awful smell out of the room, then removed the Bubble Head Charm.
Lupin wasn't in the mood to eat dinner at the moment; he sat on the bed, treasuring the time he could talk to the two of them.
"Madam Pomfrey is even stricter than when I was in school," Lupin said. "Staying here all the time is suffocatingly dull, but it's lucky that you come to visit me."
Harry quickly said, "I'll come again tomorrow, we have time after lunch tomorrow—right, Vid?"
"Yeah," Vid said simply, casting a Scouring Charm on the cup.
"Too bad I don't have any tea to entertain you—Harry, I heard your Divination class wasn't pleasant?" Lupin asked.
"Even you heard?" Harry spread his hands, unconcerned, and said, "I don't believe Sirius is an omen; we all know Professor Trelawney loves spouting nonsense."
Actually, at first, he was indeed spooked, but after two or three days, the intimidation faded, and Harry just regarded seeing a black dog in tea leaves as a coincidence, finding Professor Trelawney's overreaction rather amusing.
Lupin laughed: "I underestimated you... I was worried you'd feel scared."
"There's nothing to be afraid of," Harry shrugged, showing he didn't care a bit. "Before I even chose the class, I knew Professor Trelawney was a fraud."
"Remus, what did those people inject into you?" Vid asked. "Why did it make you transform ahead of time?"
At that, Harry also looked over with concern: "Yeah, what was that magic potion?"
"It's not a magic potion," Lupin frowned. "Snape confirmed it wasn't any kind of magic potion, but it had more activity than most potions..."
"Snape?" Harry asked in surprise.
"Yes, he helped with the investigation and did a lot of work, kindly preparing the Healing Potion for me as well," Lupin said. "He's undoubtedly an expert in this field."
Harry immediately turned his head to look at the cup on the table, which was now clean, and muttered to himself, "I think I know where that smell came from now..."
Vid wasn't distracted by them and continued asking, "So? Has anyone found out what it is?"
"Yes, they did," Lupin said. "Snape visited Muggle University scholars, and they confirmed it as a substance called 'hormone,' and it's a previously unknown kind."