The man standing at the door seemed to have reverted to the appearance before knowing Vid—his expression was weary and haggard, his clothes filthy and torn, with a patch on his elbow.
Remus Lupin had only heard about the attack on the Hogwarts train this morning and rushed over immediately.
"Sirius actually wanted to visit you as well, but the task Dumbledore gave him isn't completed yet."
Lupin explained on behalf of his friend.
"What task did Dumbledore give him?" Harry asked curiously, "What have you been up to lately? You don't even have time to look at the Friendship Book."
It must be said, when he woke up from unconsciousness and saw no word from Remus and Sirius in the Friendship Book, and saw no familiar figures on the platform, Harry couldn't help but feel a bit resentful.
After seeing Lupin, he couldn't help but want to complain a little, but those words were swallowed by Harry before they could come out.
He didn't want to spoil this moment of joy.
"Sorry, Harry," Lupin said apologetically, "It's a secret; I can't... um... divulge it without Dumbledore's permission."
"Oh, alright then..."
Harry pouted but went up to hug Lupin instead, saying, "I'm really glad to see you, Remus."
"Me too." Lupin patted his hair, gesturing, "It's only been a little over a month, and you've grown taller already, Harry."
He saw Vid and Michael coming down the stairs, and with a smile, he said, "Long time no see, Vid, Michael, how have you been lately?"
Harry then remembered the other two friends in the house and embarrassedly let go of Lupin.
"No worries, you can hug a little longer." Michael said with a mischievous grin, "I'll tease you all the same."
"We've been doing well, but you seem to be having a tough time?" Vid asked, "How did you end up like this?"
"Oh... this..."
Lupin lifted his arm to look at the patch, inadvertently smiled, then said somewhat vexedly, "Just too busy to buy new ones, Tonks... I mean, a kind colleague helped me patch it up."
"Oh... colleague..." Michael raised an eyebrow, drawing out his words.
For some reason, Lupin felt a bit intimidated by the knowing look from this child, and quickly shifted the topic, saying, "Seeing you're all okay puts my mind at ease... uh... if it's convenient, I'd like to freshen up first."
…
After Lupin tidied up, the table was already laden with food.
Of course, there were no Little Demonic Puppets here to do the chores, but being in Central London, takeout was quite convenient. Not far away was a Chinese restaurant with very authentic flavors, a favorite of Vid's.
After eating, Harry couldn't wait to bring up the time he fainted in front of a Dementor, saying regretfully, "I clearly mastered the Patronus Charm, but at that time I felt weak all over and couldn't successfully summon a Patronus."
Lupin looked at him gently and said, "Dementors affect you more than others, that's because others haven't experienced the terrifying feelings you have, Harry, there's nothing to be ashamed of. If anyone else had gone through what you did, they too would faint when faced with a Dementor."
"That's what Vid said too. But I..." Harry gritted his teeth and said, "I don't want to seem so useless again... If I encounter Dementors next time, I want to be able to fight them! Remus, do you have any advice?"
Lupin pondered for a moment and said, "There is a way... Harry, do you remember the Boggart?"
"Of course!" Harry nodded and said, "I remember before, you spoke to us at No.12 Grimmauld Place about how to deal with those... Professor Abigail also mentioned it in class."
"Then I don't need to explain... I'll find a way to get another Boggart; it should transform into a Dementor when it sees you." Lupin said helplessly, "The original one was borrowed by Professor McGonagall for your Defense Against the Dark Arts Class."
"When a Boggart turns into a Dementor, will it have that terrifying feel?" Harry asked worriedly.
"It will," Lupin confirmed, "It will take on the scariest form in your mind, completely mimicking from appearance to presence... Of course, it doesn't actually have the same abilities."
"I understand." Harry took a deep breath, feeling a bit uneasy yet eager, "I must truly master the Patronus Charm."
Lupin couldn't help but smile with comfort at his eager appearance.
"Within a castle as old as Hogwarts, usually one or two Boggarts can be found, I'll write a letter to Hagrid, see if he can help me find one."
"Uh... can Hagrid catch a Boggart?" Harry couldn't help but ask in doubt.
Of course, Hagrid is an excellent Care of Magical Creatures teacher, but as for his Magic Spell level... Harry could only say, Hagrid could solve things with his fists.
Boggarts aren't creatures that can be dealt with by brute force.
Lupin smiled and said, "Hagrid's kindness and simplicity give him a big advantage when facing a Boggart."
Harry didn't quite understand, but he understood that he might soon see a counterfeit Dementor, which made him involuntarily nervous.
After Lupin went to write the letter, Harry practiced the Patronus Charm in the spacious living room.
After finishing a game alone, Michael, noticing that Harry hadn't returned to the attic, felt it wasn't fun to play alone and decided to come down.