Click!
Bright flashes of lightning rent the silent sky, and the shanty was on the verge of falling apart with the thunderous rumblings. The heavy rain, like silver swords, struck the earth fiercely and wildly in every corner.
A swarm of bats conjured by magic spread their wings and soared through the fierce rain. At every door of every household, Jack-o'-lanterns with candles burning adorned the entrances. Mysterious songs floated through the streets and alleys of the village of Hogsmeade, even the thunder and heavy rain could not stop the joy that Halloween brought to the villagers.
"I must leave early today, Krulker mountain."
The sky was as black as ink, but it was still only dusk. After tidying everything up, Amortas looked at the ginger cat with a big yellow fur that was squatted in the corner of the living room and sighed. "I've got to go," he said.
Ever since the last time Krulker Mountain tasted the sweet deal from Amortas, it had taken a special liking to wandering around this house. Alone most of the time, Amortas was not opposed to having a little companion to talk to, so he hadn't made any effort to drive it away.
Miao.
Krulker Mountain mewed softly, not following the usual order to leave the shanty.
"It's Halloween today, and I'm not quite sure if those mischievous little kids in the village might suddenly get the idea to play an adventure game in this haunted house, and also, I have a dinner date with a friend tonight."
Amortas walked over and squatted down to massage Krulker Mountain's fluffy fur on the top of its head, speaking gently.
"Messy, isn't it?" Krulker Mountain grinned at him as if it knew exactly what he was thinking. "You could easily have earned a second chance, but you just gave up so easily." It shook its head in disappointment. "I thought you had more determination in you."
Miao--
Krulker Mountain lowered its head even further, as if it didn't want to leave. Facing Amortas's puzzled expression, it raised its paw and pointed to the sky, then turned and scratched another hillside. And it kept repeating this motion over and over again.
It wasn't until a long time later that Amortas, half-dazed and half-guessing, finally understood Krulker Mountain's meaning.
"Hmm... You want to invite your stray dog friend to come here for some shelter from the rain?"
Krulker Mountain let its paw fall to the sofa, nodded, and tensed up its body. A faint hint of tension flashed across its yellow eyes.
"Just for being so loyal..."
Amortas laughed, but he didn't immediately agree.
If Krulker Mountain's friend was a cat, Amortas would be fine with it, but if it was the large, overly black dog that he had seen from afar that night, he would be worried. After all, the house was in disrepair, and if left to a energetic dog to play around here, Amortas wasn't sure what he would find when he came back tomorrow. It might not be much more than a pile of rubble.
"Alright--"
After some hesitation, Amortas nodded and agreed, speaking with a slightly serious tone.
"The stairs leading to the second floor are about to collapse, so I hope you two will stay in the living room. Also, the spider and rat in the cage can be your Halloween feast, but you must tell that dog not to mess around. Otherwise, I'll treat you both as material for experimental magic!"
...
The Joke Shop of ZoCo is the most eye-catching magical store this Halloween. The store owner, inspired by an unknown source, placed a swelling spell on a pumpkin lantern, making it grow to the size of the house and controlled by a spell to float in mid-air.
Under the lightning and thunder, the huge pumpkin lantern swayed with the strong wind and rain, creating an undoubtedly very visually striking scene. Even Amortas, who had just come down from the mountain, couldn't help but stand and look twice at the street.
Several little kids, each wearing rain cloaks, joyfully shouted as they ran out of Amortas's house. Each one was holding a big handful of elaborately packaged candies. In the narrow alleyway, Amortas smiled and leaned aside to let the group of kids pass.
Turning around, he saw that Lee is standing at the doorway, smiling at him.
"How is your research going, Amortas?" Lee kindly greeted.
"Still the same, no breakthrough."
Amortas said lazily, then passed by Lee and went in first. Upon seeing the interior of the house, he hesitated for a moment, his expression slightly surprised.
The dim and outdated living room was brightened up by hundreds of neatly arranged candles floating in the air, surrounding the room. Golden ribbons twisted and turned on the walls, and the ceiling of the living room was also enchanted with magic similar to that of the Great Hall of Hogwarts. At this moment, it was shining in the rolling dark clouds and thunder above the sky.
The original greasy and dirty rectangular dining table was replaced by Lee with a new long table that took up half the area of the living room. The table was piled high with succulent lamb chops, sausages, grilled eels, chocolate pudding and other delicacies that were bursting with color, aroma and visual appeal.
Looking at everything, Amortas was silent for a few seconds, then turned to look back at Lee who was gazing at the shantyhouse in the rain. His expression seemed a bit strange.
"Are all of these things you prepared?"
"In fact--"
"Lupin turned back his gaze, smiling."
"Amortas shook his head. "It's not that," he replied, his voice sounding determined. "I want to find out what the beast is after. It's driving me crazy." He paused for a moment before continuing. "And I don't think it's related to the pumpkin lantern at all," he added, referring to the giant pumpkin lantern that had appeared in the village earlier. "I've been investigating it, and there's something else going on here."
Huh--
Amortas smiled meaninglessly, furrowing his brow and nodding gently.
"Anyway, thank him for his hospitality. Bring me the money for dinner later--"
"Why, Amortas?"
"Lupin chuckled at this, as he was about to sit down in one of the chairs."
"If you were wary of Dumbledore before because of your identity as a ‘Ginny Viper’, it seems clear now that he has no intention of pursuing anything about it. Why do I always feel like you're very reluctant to get involved with him?"
Amortas sat at the other end of the table. Lee's question did not elicit much reaction from him, but he smiled and gestured toward the bottles of wine on the table, quietly asking,
"Do you know what kind of wine this is, Lee?"
"It's Ogden's Flaming Whisky, at least 80 years old."
Despite his financial difficulties, Lee, who had been wandering the magical world for decades, was clearly an experienced wizard. After fixating his gaze on the bottle for a moment, he quickly answered the question.
"That's why I don't like getting too involved with him, Lee," Amortas said.
The bright golden candlelight was jumping in Amortas' pale violet eyes. He maintained a thin smile and spoke to Lee, who was confused,
"Dumbledore is a very wise wizard, but the problem is that sometimes he's a bit too smart for his own good... I'm keeping my distance from him so that there's a relatively good relationship between Albus Dumbledore and me. If the two of us get too close--"
With Lee's thoughtful gaze, Amortas gave a cold smile and did not speak further.
Since leaving Hogwarts, this was the first time Amortas had celebrated Halloween properly. Whether the relationship between him and Lupin was mutual exploitation or a bit of mutual appreciation, tonight, he still thanked Lupin's gesture.
Time passed by, and the atmosphere at the dinner table was very pleasant. They didn't talk about Sirius Black or Dumbledore, who had been both the head of Defence Against the Dark Arts at Hogwarts for two generations. Instead, they mostly discussed the young wizards at school. During this time, Lupin also mentioned his encounter with Harry today.
The sudden and heavy rainfall made the already chilly October evening even colder, but both Amortas and Lee didn't feel it as they had been drinking quite a bit of strong alcohol.
"Oh, right--"
"The table is a mess," said Lee, with a blush on his cheeks, asking casually.
"Why would you choose to go to the haunted house for magical experimentation, Amortas? That place...when I was in school, I and some friends went there. The environment inside is very poor, and it seems that wild beasts often appear there."
"I haven't seen any wild beasts," he said.
Drunk and a bit dazed, Amortas said, "There's this cat that often likes to go there to catch mice to eat... It's very quiet, Lee. No one would disturb me there."
Hearing this, the corners of Lupin's eyes relaxed slightly, and he smiled again, raising his cup towards Amortas.
Boom!
The deafening crack of thunder made the ground tremble slightly. Amortas lifted his glass in a toast to Lupin, but he stopped mid-motion, turning his head towards the door.
"What's wrong, Amortas?"
The eyes like a bottomless abyss made Lee shiver, and for a moment, the young man opposite had transformed from Amortas Breanne to the Ginny Viper.
Clack!
"Something has happened."
Amortas put down his glass, calmly said.
