## Chapter 175: Friendship and the Game
Ever since Sirius had been freed, Wade felt like his impression of Lupin as a gentle, tolerant elder was being shattered.
Lupin had become much livelier, and every now and then, a hint of his more cunning side would subtly emerge.
Of course, when facing Wade, he was still that gentle and understanding friend.
Lupin glanced out the window and said, "Let's go. The Vanishing Cabinet has already been placed where you said."
Wade had initially planned to do just that, but then, seeing Lupin's seemingly unintentional gaze towards the Quidditch Pitch in the distance, something suddenly struck him.
"You want to see Harry's match too, don't you?" Wade asked.
Lupin shook his head and said, "There will be many more matches. Since you believe it's necessary to act at this time today, naturally, serious business comes first."
"My business is certainly important, but this match isn't dispensable either."
Wade pushed the cabinet door shut again.
"Harry flies wonderfully. Professor McGonagall said he flies just as well as his father."
Wade said, "Watching the match before we leave won't delay us much, but we need to get to the Pitch quickly."
Lupin paused slightly, then smiled, accepting Wade's goodwill.
He also used a Disillusionment Charm to conceal himself and followed Wade out the door. They quickened their pace towards the Quidditch Pitch.
Snake-like lightning flickered across the sky, and dull thunder rumbled in the distance.
Lupin looked up at the gloomy sky and said, "It's going to rain."
"Hmm." Wade also looked up and suddenly chuckled, "I don't know why, but I always get the feeling that important matches happen on rainy days."
Lupin smiled. "What's the connection between the two?"
"Muggle films and TV shows like to portray it that way," Wade said.
"You seem to talk about Muggle-related things often. Your inventions have also drawn on their ideas."
Lupin said, "That's quite special... because most of the Wizards I know who come from the Muggle world try to avoid talking about it. Even as adults, they choose the Wizard way of life."
"I'm from the Muggle world, so why should I avoid talking about Muggles?" Wade retorted. "The witch hunts were hundreds of years ago, and yet both sides are still so isolated. I find that quite unbelievable."
"Perhaps it's because many people, while seemingly despising Muggles, secretly find them terrifying?"
Lupin said, "For us, the greatest punishment is the Crucio, which causes unbearable pain; but Muggles..."
"I once read in a book that Muggles invented all sorts of horrific and cruel punishments to use on their own kind. Extremely cruel... Wade... that level is far beyond what a child like you can imagine."
"Bathilda Bagshot, who wrote A History of Magic, didn't even dare to include those things in her book."
"Wizards' horrors are no less than Muggles'!" Wade said. "I read in Modern Magical History that Grindelwald once unleashed Fiendfyre and burned half of Paris?"
Lupin shook his head.
"How many people like Grindelwald are truly capable of taking a life without hesitation and feeling no remorse whatsoever? He wasn't twisted by Dark Magic; people like him are probably born belonging to the darkness."
Lupin said with a heavy tone, "But most Wizards who use Dark Magic have their minds twisted, and killing causes irreparable damage to the soul."
Wade thought of Tom Riddle's once very handsome face, which later turned into a noseless monster.
His transformation was due to his soul being torn into pieces, which caused his body to undergo horrible mutations as well.
Under the grey sky, their conversation gradually faded, each of them contemplating something rather oppressive, so much so that a strange silence permeated the air.
Until the students suddenly erupted in a huge cheer, breaking the silence.
"It looks like the match has started," Lupin said.
They quickly ascended the stairs, reaching the highest level of the stands before finding a few empty seats.
The two sat down and, like all the spectators, looked up at the sky, where a dozen players were swiftly darting through the air.
Suddenly, something furry brushed against Wade, followed by two barks.
"Sirius?" Lupin, also under a Disillusionment Charm, spoke up. "I'm over here."
The sound of panting suddenly stopped, followed by Sirius's complaint:
"I completely forgot — I'm invisible now, I don't need to transform to avoid being seen... Remus, Wade, why are you so late? You almost missed the start."
He didn't seem to suspect at all that Lupin was intentionally teasing him.
Lupin said, "You have four legs, of course you're faster than us."
"...Right." Sirius quickly forgot about it and said excitedly, "Can you tell which one is Harry, Remus? I'm telling you, he's the one flying highest... He flies just as well as James..."
Wade leaned back in his seat, listening to the two invisible adults conversing beside him, feeling a mix of surprise and admiration.
Anyone who had gone through what Sirius had would likely become silent and gloomy, resentful, or even misanthropic, insane, and neurotic.
But at this meeting, he found that Sirius showed none of those dark and painful aspects. If not for his body still being much thinner than a normal person's, it was as if those eleven years in prison had left no trace on him.
Wade felt that this was truly good.
The pain of the past certainly wouldn't vanish so easily, but Sirius was trying to heal himself, trying to rediscover that once spirited young man with his friends, instead of remaining trapped in that desperate, dark prison.
No wonder he felt Lupin had become livelier lately... he must be helping Sirius in his own way, right?
The players in the sky were locked in a fierce battle, and with Sirius's commentary, the excitement of the game doubled. Wade also began to understand the flow of the match a little better.
Suddenly, his forehead felt cold. He instinctively closed his eyes, then raised his Wand and quietly muttered a Spell.
A ring of air shot from the tip of his Wand, forming an invisible umbrella overhead. The "umbrella" was large enough to cover all three of them.
"Perfect!" Sirius said with relief. "I hate getting wet."
Wade suddenly felt a gaze. He turned his head and saw Professor Dumbledore nodding slightly at him, a kindly smile on his lips.
Wade: "..."
"Remus," Wade said, "I think Dumbledore knows you guys are here."
"Ah, well..." Lupin sighed. "It's not surprising. Skilled Wizards can detect traces of the Disillusionment Charm."
"Hmm, as long as Professor McGonagall doesn't find out!" Sirius said casually. "Dumbledore will probably pretend not to see us."
He looked up at the sky worriedly and said, "Harry wears glasses, so the rain will affect him more than his opponents... I wonder if he knows a Waterproof Charm."
Wade also watched the two teams entangled high above, thinking, Will a Bludger go out of control this time too?
The Bludgers flew wildly around the Quidditch Pitch, hit by players from both sides, and targeting the Seekers was a common tactic. In the heavy rain and poor light, it was impossible to tell if the small Bludgers were moving in any unusual trajectory.
Zoe and the others were already prepared... Would Dobby still come?
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