The Riddle House of the past had indeed been impressive. Even though it now lay abandoned, traces of that grandeur could still be glimpsed.
The entrance hall here was extremely spacious, but unfortunately, the parquet floor was covered in a thick layer of dust. Walking across it felt a little like stepping into wet, soft mud, giving off a sticky, hollow sensation, and even the sound of footsteps was greatly muffled.
Farther in was the drawing room. A huge Persian carpet lay on the floor, but it had long since been chewed beyond recognition by insects. All that remained were faded, tattered scraps of cloth scattered messily everywhere.
Most of the glass had also shattered long ago. To keep out wind and rain, every window had been sealed tightly with wooden boards. They looked like hideous old scabs of dried blood, ugly yet impossible to peel away.
"More or less!" Andrew answered Dumbledore's question, his tone full of matter-of-fact certainty. "People lived here before, but they moved out very soon."
"As for why they moved, some said it was because the place was haunted, and some said it was because of that Bryce... After that, no one came to live here anymore, and the whole house was abandoned. It became a place for us to explore."
"A place to explore? Because it was haunted?" Vizet picked up the thread. "Sir, could you tell me in detail about the haunting?"
"Haha! Young people are always interested in this sort of thing!" Andrew grinned, as though reminiscing about his youth. "Actually, there was no such thing at all!"
"When I was young, I secretly spent a night here, and it was even in that study. Didn't anything happen? Nothing at all!"
Vizet pressed, "Sir, was the place rumored to be the most