Chapter 1244: Unspoken Advice

The queue leading to Ravenclaw Tower wound its way up the spiral staircase, filled with the laughter and chatter of students.

It had been weeks since they last met, and previous minor conflicts seemed trivial now; each familiar face brought the joy of a reunion.

At least at this moment, the atmosphere in Ravenclaw was extremely harmonious.

Of course, this harmony usually doesn’t last three days… at the latest by tomorrow morning, new conflicts will emerge.

Michael walked beside Vid, his pace neither hurried nor slow.

He spoke in a voice that only the two of them could hear, whispering:

“Listen to what he said… not taking over specific duties.”

He paused, a hint of sarcasm at the corner of his lips.

“Research and investigation.”

Michael paused again.

“In other words… isn’t that just being able to appear anywhere, do anything he thinks needs doing, and not be accountable to anyone?”

“Percy Weasley used to be good at bureaucratic talk, and now he’s even better.”

Vid said nothing; he turned his head and looked over the railing downwards.

Percy, accompanied by Filch, was walking towards his new office.

Perhaps due to the reflective material of his robe, even his back looked full of spirit, making the hunched-back Filch beside him appear more like a leprechaun.

Two seconds later, he turned a corner and disappeared from Vid’s view.

Michael stood next to him, also having seen the red-haired figure.

“Vid, don’t be fooled by that ‘I’m just visiting, won’t cause trouble for my alma mater’ appearance because of your fond memories of the twins.”

Michael’s tone lacked its usual frivolity, instead carrying a calm, almost sharp scrutiny.

“And don’t treat him as the former student council president who chased freshmen with school rules.”

“His performance is more natural than Fudge’s was in the Flow Mirror.”

Michael turned his head, glanced at the silent Vid, and said:

“The current Percy Weasley is a bureaucrat with power in his hands and backing behind him.”

“He probably has little goodwill for us; in his eyes, there’s only ‘in accordance with procedures’ and ‘not in accordance with procedures.’

“Or rather, he might prefer to unearth some sensational ‘security risks’ from the school—just like when he caught Peter Pettigrew before.”

“If possible, I suspect he might even sacrifice Hogwarts as a stepping stone for his promotion.”

After a while, he finally heard Vid’s voice: “I know.”

“Percy broke ties with his own family during this holiday to move upward without hindrance.”

“How?” Michael frowned, “To people like them, peaceful family relationships aren’t important capital? Even as a pretense, he should act close to his family!”

Vid said, “Unless he received signals from the Ministry of Magic, making him believe that completely severing ties with family is the wiser choice.”

The two exchanged a look.

Then, they continued up the winding staircase.

Michael furrowed his brows tightly, pondering: In what situation would Percy deem his family a burden?

As far as he knew, aside from being known for poverty and fertility among Pure-Blood clans, the couple from the Weasley Family were upright people, and the children were outstanding, showing no signs of wrongdoing.

Percy doing this… could it be…

The answer seemed ready to burst from his throat.

Just then, a sharp, familiar voice interrupted Michael’s thoughts:

“Vid, come here!”

Michael lifted his head, seeing Professor Flitwick standing at the corner of the stairs, his small figure casting a long shadow in the torchlight.

He waved to Vid, who gestured back to Michael, left the queue, and walked towards the professor.

Seeing the expression of Professor Flitwick in the shadow, Michael took a deep breath, then slowly exhaled.

To most students, Percy’s arrival was just a small novelty.

Some might be pondering complaints or simply curious about this “excellent senior,” yet completely unaware of what it truly signifies.

But the professors’ faces already revealed the signs of an impending storm.

“Michael?” Terry’s voice came from behind, “Why are you standing there daydreaming? Curfew’s coming.”

“Coming!” Michael responded, unable to resist glancing back once more.

Those two had already walked into a place where the torchlight couldn’t reach, in the darkness, only the silhouettes of a tall and a short figure could be seen.

—What would they discuss?

Michael pondered silently.

…

Professor Flitwick looked up, his expression rarely complex, concern mixed with a touch of hard-to-conceal disappointment.

“You heard what Percy just said, right?”

Vid nodded.

“Good,” Professor Flitwick said, “To be safe, during this period—by that I mean recently—don’t sneak out of school anymore.”

“Leave school?” Vid’s expression showed surprise.

Professor Flitwick’s lips curved into a helpless arc:

“Don’t think I don’t know. More than one person has seen you few roaming in the village outside Hogsmeade weekends.”

“Especially that kid Michael, daring to secretly buy spirits when he was only in his second year; you’ve found a secret passage, haven’t you?”

“The shop owners there I’ve known for decades; would they lie to me for some kids like you?”

Vid was silent for a second, then chuckled apologetically:

“Thank you, professor… I’ll be careful.”

“Just remember.” Flitwick nodded, “It’s not that I want to control you; it’s… well, you should understand.”

He turned to leave but paused after a step.

He looked at the Ravenclaw students continuously passing by on the stairs, his voice suddenly soft and light, as if talking to himself:

“Percy is one of the few students who can dismantle theoretical spells so clearly.”

“Ah, of course… can’t compare with you.”

“But his meticulousness, diligence, effort, more than make up for the lack of talent.”

Vid said nothing.

“He should have been an outstanding researcher.”

Professor Flitwick’s voice was heavy: “That child who pursued me in class, asking ‘why can’t Leviosa be reverse-engineered’… where did he go?”

The professor didn’t await Vid’s answer.

He shook his head, took a step, and disappeared into the shadows at the corner of the stairs.

Vid stood in the flickering torchlight in the corridor, gazing at the long and winding stairway leading to the tower.

He knew what Professor Flitwick left unsaid—

[Don’t be like him, Vid… don’t let us down.]