The Secret in the Attic

In truth, Dumbledore's relationship with his younger brother was not as bad as he had made it out to be.

At the very least, Aberforth had not refused to let the homeless Li Weide and Tom stay.

In Li Weide's view, Aberforth was simply sharp-tongued but soft-hearted when it came to his brother.

He might not spare his brother with his words, but he would still do his utmost to carry out whatever his brother asked of him...

Li Weide and Tom ultimately stayed.

Aberforth arranged a room for them on the second floor.

Because Aberforth had taken Li Weide in, Toby was now extremely grateful to him.

So he volunteered to help Aberforth run the bar.

In his view, as long as he worked hard enough, his master, who was temporarily living under someone else's roof, could have a better life.

Aberforth did not object. Having an extra House-elf to help out would make things easier for him as well.

As a result, his attitude toward Li Weide and the others became a little friendlier too.

"Other than the attic, which you are not allowed to enter, you can go wherever you like. If you want something to drink, you can get it from the cellar yourselves. Oh, and there are plenty of other shops in Hogsmeade Village. If you want to buy anything, you can go take a look around."

After saying that, Aberforth turned and left the room with Toby, who had willingly signed up to work.

After Aberforth left, Li Weide turned and lay down on his bed. He had barely rested since last night, and he was feeling somewhat tired now.

Tom, on the other hand, sat on the other bed, took out a Spellbook, and began reading it with complete focus.

For him, only relentless study could make him stronger—strong enough to escape the clutches of that damned pervert, Li Weide!

"Tom, what do you think is in the attic? Why won't Mr. Aberforth let us go in?"

"This is someone else's home. People have their privacy. What's so strange about that?"

"Fine... Sigh, this is so boring. Tom, how about we go out for a walk?"

"No! Go by yourself."

Tom immediately refused. He had been researching magic last night when the Followers of Grindelwald had interrupted him. Now he had to make up for the progress he had lost!

Li Weide pulled the blanket over himself and tucked it in properly. "Study needs a balance between work and rest... At the very least, you need to rest well, or you'll get half the result for twice the effort. You should take a nap."

"I don't care if I get half the result for twice the effort. As long as I'm improving, that's enough. If you want to sleep, sleep by yourself. Don't bother me," Tom said coldly.

So what if it was tiring? I wanted to do it!

After a while, Li Weide sat up in bed.

"I'm sleeping while you're studying... Tom, how could you do something so harmful to our unity? You're making me feel terribly guilty!"

"None of your business. I can't sleep, so what's wrong with studying? And your snoring is keeping me awake!"

Li Weide narrowed his eyes. "You said... you can't sleep? That won't do..."

"Y-you... what are you going to do?" Tom immediately sensed danger and stared at Li Weide warily.

"Nothing much. I just want to help you. Insomnia isn't good for you... Stupefy!"

"Weide! You're such a bastard..."

Tom fell asleep before he could finish cursing, sleeping especially soundly...

"Ahem, no need to thank me, Tom."

Li Weide clapped his hands, and the blanket on Tom's bed automatically covered him.

How could Li Weide sleep in the same room as Tom if Tom was still awake?

After checking Tom's sleep quality, Li Weide lay down in satisfaction and pulled his own blanket over himself again.

That night had exhausted him. Unlike Tom—Li Weide had fought the Followers of Grindelwald for as long as Tom had slept, so naturally Tom could still be so energetic now!

Li Weide slowly closed his eyes, drifting hazily toward sleep.

Suddenly, a muffled sound came from upstairs.

Thud!

Li Weide paid it no mind and continued resting with his eyes closed.

Just as he was about to fall asleep again—

Thud!

The muffled sound came again.

After the sound appeared many times in a row, Li Weide finally could not sleep anymore.

The sound was not loud, but strangely enough, it woke Li Weide from sleep every single time.

Li Weide stared suspiciously at the ceiling. This time, he did not try to sleep. Instead, he quietly waited for the sound to come again.

It did not make him wait long. About a minute later, the sound came again.

It was like a wooden stick being pressed against a thick carpet.

"Tap!"

Li Weide sat up in bed. At last, he had picked up on something.

That sound actually contained a faint trace of magic.

Moreover, that magic seemed capable of stirring the magic within other wizards' bodies. That was why the sound kept waking him up!

Li Weide had seen plenty of magical items imbued with magic in Diagon Alley.

But a sound that carried magic... aside from the sounds of wizards chanting spells, he had never heard anything else like it.

If even this kind of sound could carry magic, then did that mean that whatever made it only needed to produce this knocking sound to cast magic?

That was quite an interesting idea. If he could figure out the principle behind it, could he create some sort of device that cast magic automatically without a wizard needing to chant a spell?

Just then, the sound rang out again.

This time, Li Weide heard it more clearly. More importantly, he keenly sensed that the magic contained in this sound was far stronger than before!

Li Weide looked up at the ceiling again. Upstairs... wasn't that the attic Aberforth had forbidden them from entering?

What exactly was up there?

Li Weide's curiosity was piqued...

Logically speaking, since Aberforth had told them not to go to the attic, he should not go there, nor should he even ask about it.

But this sound was far too unusual. It seemed capable of waking wizards from their sleep.

Tom had not woken up because he had been hit by a Stun Spell... If he had been sleeping normally, he likely would have been startled awake by the sound as well.

So... Li Weide decided to ask Aberforth directly.

That sound had been troubling him, so asking about it was perfectly reasonable.

What if Aberforth was willing to tell him?

Even if he was not, it was still better than saying nothing and secretly going up there to pry into someone else's secrets.

Li Weide listened for a while longer. Only after noticing that the magic in the sound was growing stronger and stronger did he get up, take his coat, put it on, and open the door.

Like the Leaky Cauldron, the Hog's Head Inn also had guest rooms for lodgers.

It was simply smaller than the Leaky Cauldron. It had only three floors, a few fewer guest rooms, and all of them were concentrated on the second floor.

Li Weide and Tom occupied one room, while none of the others had guests that day.

Thus, when Li Weide stepped out of his room, he found himself in a somewhat narrow corridor.

One side of the corridor was a wall, while the other was lined with guest room doors.

At either end of the corridor were staircases—one leading downstairs, the other up to the attic.

Li Weide closed the door, glanced at the stairs leading up, then turned to head for the stairs downstairs.

The instant he turned around, he suddenly felt a chilling, sinister presence behind him.

A ghost? Li Weide guessed inwardly as he turned his head back again.

"Whoa..."

When he saw what was across from him, Li Weide could not help widening his eyes.

From the staircase leading upstairs, strange black mist was continuously flowing down like water...

And that mist was gradually gathering together, slowly filling the entire enclosed corridor!