The air around was quiet.
After a few seconds, Harry looked around and asked in confusion, "That person... which person? Who are you talking about?"
Lupin paused for a moment, then understood and gave a silent bitter smile.
When he was born, the rising Voldemort had not yet become synonymous with "terror." Lupin grew up hearing stories about the Dark Wizard Grindelwald, and that name left a deep impression in his memory.
But the kids like Harry were different. To them, Grindelwald was already a historical figure, probably no different from the Demon Emmerik or the Goblin Nertier, just another troublesome point in their textbooks.
Because Grindelwald was still alive and the Witch Pure Party's power was still lurking, the Magic History class did not detail that period of history. The school's focus was still on the Goblin Rebellions, the War of Giants, the Wizard Conference, and the evolution of laws.
Among the three children, besides Vid, who showed a thoughtful expression after the shock, Harry and Michael both looked bewildered.
Lupin suppressed the anxiety and unease in his heart, introducing to the children:
"Gellert Grindelwald, one of the most powerful Dark Wizards ever known... Dumbledore defeated him in 1945, and since then, he had been imprisoned in Nimongard Wizard Prison. But now... he has escaped."
Recalling Grindelwald's atrocities that spread across Europe and the United States, Lupin's heart raced.
"He's been imprisoned... for about fifty years?" Harry calculated and said in surprise, "At such an old age, what can he possibly do?"
"Anything is possible, but it certainly won't be quietly enjoying his twilight years." Lupin said worriedly, "Let's go, I'll take you back. Then I need to... find some people to discuss this."
Seeing his solemn expression, Vid and the others naturally wouldn't object, and they quickened their pace toward the entrance of Diagon Alley.
By now, there were far fewer people in Diagon Alley, and the once crowded streets now seemed empty. Mabel, hiding in the corner, inadvertently glanced around and saw the person she had been searching for.
She opened her mouth to shout, but seeing his companions alongside him, Mabel closed it again, pulled her hood up, and quickly followed.
She wanted to find an opportunity to talk to Vid alone.
Seeing those people about to pass through the archway, Mabel's heart raced, and she started jogging. Unfortunately, she accidentally kicked a cage placed outside the pet shop and fell with a "thud."
The shop owner neglected to scold her; he too had heard the news of Grindelwald's escape and was wandering aimlessly in the shop, like a rat looking for a hole to crawl into.
Mabel lifted her head, seeing the bricks of the archway rapidly closing, with the silhouette of people walking away behind the door.
"Wait—"
She couldn't help shouting, but the archway had already completely transformed into a brick wall, seamlessly separating two worlds.
...
Vid faintly heard a somewhat familiar voice, instinctively turning around, only to see dirty walls, with unmelted snow piled up in the corner.
"What is it?" Harry asked.
"Nothing..." Vid said, turning around and pulling up his hood.
They re-entered the Leaky Cauldron; the once noisy and lively crowd had vanished, leaving only a bald old wizard sitting in the corner, slowly drinking, and two seemingly intoxicated individuals asleep at the table with their black robes tightly wrapped.
The owner, Tom, mumbled curses as he waved his Magic Wand, returning scattered tables and chairs to their original positions. Hearing footsteps, he only glanced over, not greeting them, clearly in a terrible mood.
But then he saw a somewhat familiar figure, and his previous expression that looked like someone owed him a thousand Galleons suddenly blossomed into a smile.
"Oh, it's Mr. Potter!" Tom quickly made his way through the narrow passage between tables, enthusiastically saying, "Damn, I didn't see you until now! Would you like a cup of hot chocolate?"
Harry had to stop, shake his hand, and awkwardly say, "No, thank you. We're about to head back."
The old wizard in the corner raised his eyes, scanned Harry's face, then moved his gaze, looking at the others nearby.
"Alright... alright..." Tom released Harry's hand, watching them eagerly, regretting saying, "I'm always at your service, Mr. Potter."
Lupin led them across the bar, and as they reached the exit, Vid felt a coolness on his forehead.
He looked up to see goose-feather-like snowflakes finally starting to fall.
The dark clouds seemed to have descended to the tops of the buildings, with faintly visible black shadows darting back and forth, clearly not ordinary birds or clouds.
Harry's face suddenly turned pale; the biting cold made his hands and feet icy, and he almost shouted, "Dementors!"
Lupin glanced up and said, "They're not after us; probably just normal patrols... Let's move quickly!"
He stood by the street, flagging down a taxi while explaining:
"The Ministry of Magic prohibits them from causing large-scale disturbances, so these guys now move along with the clouds or start patrolling only at night."
A dark blue taxi slowly stopped nearby, and under Lupin's urging, Vid and the others quickly got into the car, which promptly started and sped away.