The flames in the fireplace blazed, warming the room comfortably.
Vid tossed a few pinewood logs into the fireplace, poked them twice with the fire tongs, and then settled into the sofa to start reading.
After he helped Moro edit videos and taught him how to use them, Vid's treatment quietly improved. Delaine not only switched him to a suite with a fireplace but also sent over quite a few magic books.
One downside was that most of the books were in German, and some were even in ancient writing styles.
Vid hadn't studied German, so he got a dictionary and tried to understand while reading, finding it somewhat laborious.
Fortunately, English and German share the same roots from long ago, with similarities in their writing; some words are even identical, making it not as difficult as learning a completely new language.
Moro would come by when idle, sometimes helping Vid by translating the German books into English, and sometimes teaching him some German writing and reading methods. When Vid mispronounced words, he often saw the guy clutching his belly, laughing and pounding the floor, leaving it unclear what sort of connections he had made.
At that moment, the book in Vid's hand recorded some famous witchcraft incidents from ancient Germany, including events misinterpreted as witchcraft which were in fact just Muggle persecutions.
In the United Kingdom, or specifically at Hogwarts, books of this kind were rare, as most were likely hidden away, banned from student access and reading. Vid had seen a few at the old Black residence but not many.
However, with Grindelwald, he did not mind young wizards learning about the dark past.
For instance, in the 16th century, the Archbishop ordered the purging of witches, Protestants, and Jews. Hundreds from 22 villages in Trier, Germany were burned alive, many of whom were local sheriffs, judges, and councilmen, even priests were not spared.
The author personally experienced the witch hunt movement, writing at the end of the record:
[The unfortunate Weber family was the only genuine wizard family to perish in the incident. When neighbors knocked on the door, he perhaps thought they were inviting him for a couple of pints, only to be greeted by a sharp axe.]
[After Weber's demise, neither his wife nor his two children under ten were spared. More sadly, the neighbors who first attacked them did not gain any benefits from this betrayal, instead were suspected of being possessed by the devil and sentenced to immediate execution.]
[From the capital to the villages, from Trier to Saxony, from governors to shepherds, anyone suspected of being a wizard was subjected to severe punishment, regardless of location or identity.]
[Hanging, burning, breaking on the wheel, dismemberment, explosion... people used any torture they could think of to deal with their peers, even if only one wizard existed among a thousand, or none at all, they resolutely carried out this massacre.]
[They showed no concern about mistakenly killing peers, or perhaps that was one of their objectives.]
[The execution scenes were cruel and terrifying, yet onlookers cheered and applauded, as if forgetting they themselves might become the next victims. This collective madness filled me with deep fear, as if everyone had transformed into devils, the human world was a terrifying hell.]
[Masking Spell doesn't always work; Duds and naturally talented individuals hiding among Muggles can see through magical disguises.]
[I dared not use magic again, burned all the magic books and hid my magic wand in the deepest part of the basement, narrowly escaping this round of purge. But when will the next come?]
[The Schmidt family has lost contact for more than two months; I don't know if they're still alive. Tonight, I inadvertently used wandless magic to fix a broken wheel; I wonder if Miller next door saw it as his gaze seemed peculiar.]
[Perhaps hiding among Muggles is not a sensible approach. The only true way to protect ourselves is to completely distance ourselves from them, even living underground like ancient wizards, to prevent encountering a similar tragedy.]
[Living away from the crowd would certainly be inconvenient, but compared to the fear of awaiting the fall of the butcher's knife, a peaceful night's sleep is more valuable than anything...]
"Knock knock knock."
The door was knocked a few times, Vid put down the book, shouting, "Come in!" while adding a few more logs to the fireplace.
Actually, the house was very warm, but the content he had just read made him feel a chill that couldn't be dispelled throughout his body.
"Hi, Vid!"
Sure enough, it was Moro who entered, smiling and saying, "You're reading again! They've all returned and are holding a banquet in the hall, come join the festivity with me!"
"Banquet?" Vid shook his head and said, "I'm not going."
"I know you don't want to expose your identity, don't worry, I've prepared everything!"
Moro took out a bottle of Polyjuice Potion and placed it on the small table next to Vid, saying, "Attend, otherwise spending all day in the room, I'm worried you'll turn foolish! Besides, Mr. Grindelwald didn't say he wanted to imprison you."
Vid looked at the bottle of Polyjuice Potion, feeling tempted.
He wasn't interested in the banquet but indeed needed to get out. Especially after reading the section more terrifying than a horror story, Vid felt the need for the hustle and bustle to dispel that chill.