At this moment, the professor the little girl was thinking of was not at school. He was in his own Wilson's Automatic Alchemical Wand Shop in Diagon Alley, specifically in his favorite underground facility.
Only a few lights had deliberately been left on in the dim underground shooting range, making everyone inside look sinister. In the darkness, there were only shadows darker still, wavering with the sound of breathing.
"Lucius, you made the right choice." Someone smoked a cigarette, and the smoke he exhaled lingered in the empty basement. The faint red ember illuminated only a tiny area, revealing black-and-yellow hand armor. "This will ensure that your family remains standing in the days to come."
Across from him stood a middle-aged man in formal black robes, with long platinum-blond hair. He was handsome and carried himself with noble poise, but at the moment, he looked deeply gloomy and terrified.
"Please, don't harm my wife and son. I can cooperate with you in anything." He struggled to speak, unable to even summon the courage to draw his wand. "I've already done as you instructed. If Voldemort finds out, he definitely won't spare me. You don't need to worry that I'll betray our shared secret."
At that moment, someone emerged from the shadows behind Lucius. A head of short golden hair rested on his shoulder. "I never worried about that, Lucius. Voldemort is not me. He cannot understand what people are capable of doing for love, but I understand it, and I respect those who have love."
There was nothing particularly provocative in those words, and the man behind him even spoke gently. Yet Lucius was so tense that even the roots of his hair seemed stiff.
His lips moved a few times, pressed tightly together, before he forced out a few