Vid had always thought Lupin was very good, but now he increasingly felt that Lupin was even better than he had imagined.
Although Vid had given a lot of help to him, he knew that some people, even when favored by others, acted as if others owed them, enjoying condescendingly "guiding" others, or demanded unlimitedly without any regard for reciprocation.
There were also those who seemed to think it was a disgrace to be helped by others, or were unwilling to reciprocate, so they simply avoided the person, and those with black hearts even hoped for the benefactor's downfall, seemingly for a sense of psychological balance.
But Lupin was different, he was as gentle and inclusive as water, never using his teaching of Vid in magic to look down upon him, nor did he fawn because he was employed.
If he discovered Vid doing something dangerous and harmful to himself, he would gently advise him against it.
Yet when Vid was determined to do something, no matter how inexplicable, he would wholeheartedly see it through, without demanding answers under the guise of "for your own good."
This made interactions very comfortable, especially for someone like Vid who was full of secrets, it was even more so.
Like now, Lupin did not ask about Vid's conversation with Dumbledore, nor about his sources, or why they had to burn down the Gaunt Family's house, which was about to be overgrown by vegetation.
He simply came up with a plan immediately and began to work.
Beside the house was a large, tangled tree, its branches even piercing the rooftop and extending downward.
The glass was all shattered, and tall nettle grew densely, covering most of the windows. On the narrow windows, there was a thick layer of dust and dirt.
Fortunately, the vegetation had long since withered, making cleaning not too troublesome.
"Incendio!"
Vid and Lupin each pointed their magic wand, igniting the dry grass in front of them with a "boom."
If they lost control now, the flames would spread everywhere like natural fire, chasing combustible materials.
But the two maintained control, with the flames following the direction of their magic wands, moving and closing in from both sides to form a large circle of fire.
Lupin had long taught Vid the method of fire control.
Some wizards, to strengthen control, adopt curious methods like shouting spells loudly, striking specific poses, staring at flames with bulging eyes, or using magic items.
But essentially, it is a firm and clear belief, undisturbed by external forces.
After the circle closed, it gradually spread outward, with insects and small animals hidden in the grass scrambling to escape.
The flames spread at a slow pace; after a wildcat dashed out, it observed from the bushes for a while, then quickly returned to carry its child away.
Thick smoke drifted upward, resembling a forest fire.
The circle extended over ten meters before stopping, burning all objects within the flames before gradually extinguishing.
Vid waved his magic wand, conjuring a gust of wind to blow away the black ash on the ground, revealing the dark gray ground.
Lupin used the Aguamenti spell, letting streams of water sprinkle on the ground, preventing dead leaves from scattering.
Finally, only a small house hidden under the tree in the center and the surrounding weeds survived.
Throughout, Vid and Lupin never approached the house.
Vid looked up at the progressively spreading smoke above and said to Lupin, "Let's begin... Though the people of Little Hengton are asleep, it's unavoidable that some people from afar will see it and call to report it."
Forest fires are no trivial matter; as long as someone sees smoke, they will likely call the fire department.
It's just that it's far from the town's fire station, and the road is hard to navigate, so they have plenty of time.
Lupin nodded and said, "Remember what I told you, precise control is more important than power."
"Yes."
Vid stowed away his magic wand and replaced it with the wand crafted from Mountain Pear Tree paired with Phoenix Tail Feather bought from a second-hand shop, calming his breath and clearing his mind for better focus.
"Fiendfyre Curse!"
"Whoosh," an orange-golden flame shot from the tip of the magic wand, landing on a large tree next to the Gaunt Cottage, immediately blazing fiercely.
Vid did not lower his wand, he focused on the flame, faintly sensing a hidden and intangible connection between it and himself.
Lupin also held his wand, ready to act at any moment.
Fiendfyre, though dangerous and hard to control, had its own counter-spell. If there was slight loss of control, Lupin could temporarily hold it back with a barrier, giving Vid time to regain control.
The flames surged and expanded, suddenly morphing into the shape of a hound, seemingly about to devour someone, but swiftly dissipated; shortly a Hippogriff emerged from the flames, circling the house, igniting all flammable spots before merging back into the fire.
The flames constantly shifted forms —— dragon, phoenix, niffler, occamy, wolf, Chimera Beast...
Some flew, others ran, sometimes as if they were about to charge out, only to be hindered by Lupin's water screen.
Gradually, the movement of the Fire Beasts grew more nimble, though they no longer charged out of the circle. Lupin glanced at Vid with beads of sweat on his forehead, silently praising him.
Many wizards never dare to use the Fiendfyre Curse for fear of losing control. Magic is influenced by will; their fear of spells inherently raises the difficulty of learning.
Lupin himself learned this spell at around fourteen. Back then, he and a few friends accomplished big feats, fearing nothing, only disdainful of Dark Magic, with no reverence.
Even so, he spent plenty of time burning things on the beach before learning how to master Fiendfyre.
Lupin initially planned to teach Vid in the same way, preparing for Vid to fail several times and having to discard old wands, yet unexpectedly he succeeded slowly on the first attempt.
This kid was a natural wizard; he was destined to become as powerful as Dumbledore.
Maybe even surpass Dumbledore.
Lupin slightly squinted his eyes, watching as the flames formed a golden bird, resembling a phoenix yet somewhat different from Dumbledore's phoenix.
It soared in the flames, spreading its wings lightly. Those eyes seemingly formed by flames seemed to be watching them.
Within the flames, sporadic popping sounds were heard, sometimes sounding like glass shattering, other times like something exploding.
Lupin felt no surprise.
Being a wizard family before, there would surely be various spells around, but Fiendfyre's powerful force could destroy most spells.
But then Lupin's calm expression was disrupted.
Within the flames, familiar screams suddenly echoed!