Hogwarts: Even Voldemort Can't Stop Me From Studying

Chapter 630: Chapter 21: Wizard Camp

Vid strode out of the fireplace and saw a man who looked like a monkey tinkering with things like bones, eyeballs, and shells, with two glasses and a bottle of rum on the table before him.

This was a very small bar, with only four or five tables in total. On the walls hung the heads of a bizarre three-headed dog, and the ceiling was adorned with countless live bats.

Hearing the noise, he glanced up at Vid, then his gaze fell on Lupin.

”Long time no see, Remus.” The man showed a delighted smile and said, ”I heard you’ve been doing well lately. Want to buy something?”

”Thanks, Acosta.” Lupin nodded and said, ”I’m not buying anything today, just using your fireplace for transit.”

”Alright then.”

The man’s smile instantly vanished, and the bottom he was preparing to lift also fell back down. He said listlessly, ”Just this time, next time don’t bring any brats to my shop.”

Lupin smiled, not minding his attitude. He said to Vid who held onto his arm, ”Get ready, we’re going to Apparate!”

With a ”pop,” a loud noise echoed through the bar, and the two who had just arrived vanished like apparitions.

Acosta lazily lay on the table, continuing to handle the sticky eyeball in his hands.

This eyeball was from a Fire Dragon, as large as an adult’s fist. Acosta held the tweezers and slowly peeled off a layer of slime.

With a ”bang,” the bar’s door was suddenly pushed open, and the light from outside spilled in. Acosta instinctively shielded his eyes.

”Why is everyone so unruly?” Acosta loudly complained, ”Mate, we’re not open during the day.”

”Sorry, but I absolutely need to buy something.”

A figure wearing a hood and cloak walked in, lifted his head, revealing a pale face.

Acosta smiled upon seeing him.

”Ah, if it’s you, of course exceptions can be made. But in exchange, you have to tell me how you broke out of Azkaban... Gall.”

Gall tugged at the corner of his mouth, showing a half-cry, half-smile expression.

...

Lupin and Vid Apparated to a forest, the trees around were lush, and noises came from afar.

”Who is that Acosta?” Vid curiously asked, ”He looks like a...”

”...like a Dark Wizard?” Lupin laughed, ”Actually, he’s a Vampire. His bar doesn’t cater to ordinary people, and most Wizards don’t know about it. Only outcasts like us - Werewolves, Vampires, or Dark Wizards - can buy some hard-to-find items from him.”

Vid nodded thoughtfully, ”Is he your friend?”

”Not really... this way.” Lupin led Vid through the forest and said, ”I’ve helped him a few times, and he’s given me a few jobs.”

”Mercenary kind of?” Vid asked.

”Sort of, but I never help with killing or casting curses, just occasionally help lift curses or unlock certain Magic Traps,” Lupin said calmly.

Even during his hardest times, he never chose to fall, but he did indeed question if his persistence was still worthwhile.

He was very clear that if he slightly lowered his bottom line, he could live much better than many others.

Talking about those days of struggle for survival, Lupin could now speak casually, as if those weren’t much, and even found them rather amusing.

Through the forest, Vid saw the campsite built by the Wizards. The tents of various sizes were neatly distributed, many people were coming and going, some seemed to have just arrived, struggling to set up tents.

”Follow me, Vid, our tent is over there.”

Lupin led Vid inside, saying, ”Technically, this is still Muggle land, and there’s a Muggle family living on the outskirts of the camp - really don’t understand why the Ministry of Magic doesn’t just cast a spell to send them on vacation or to visit relatives - anyway, no magic is allowed here, Vid.”

Before he finished speaking, Vid saw a Wizard seemingly tormented by poles and screws, head aching. He sneakily looked around and then, drew out his Magic Wand, gently waved it under his cloak.

The cloak immediately stood upright, various small parts swiftly ran to their respective positions, and a hammer rapidly nailed all the screws in place.

The Wizard nodded contentedly, then pulled a huge snakeskin bag from his pocket, reached inside, and pulled out a handful of clover, heaped it all over the tent.

Then, a child lay on a toy broom, slowly gliding over the ground, letting out a giggling laugh from his mouth.

Probably his mother, a red-haired woman, came chasing from behind, grabbed the child and shouted, ”Kevin! I told you to stay in the tent, no running around!”

The child cried loudly, and the woman thundered more irritatedly, ”Samuel! Samuel! Come out and control your son!”

A Ministry of Magic official saw the child fly out and was about to deal with it; upon hearing the red-haired woman’s shout, he hesitated, daring not to approach, standing procrastinates, craning his neck to look.

Vid turned to Lupin, ”No magic allowed?”

Lupin laughed, ”Well, it’s no magic allowed in broad daylight. Once more people arrive in a few days, I doubt the Ministry can control it.”

”That’s why they should have made the nearby Muggles leave temporarily,” Vid said calmly, ”The Muggle-Repelling Charm isn’t difficult.”

Hearing Vid’s tone laden with disdain and discontent, Lupin smiled helplessly.

The Quidditch World Cup was in full swing, and the final in a few days might draw Wizards from all over the globe, yet the Ministry still had the Muggle Administrator Robert standing at the entrance collecting fees.

The Wizards couldn’t conscientiously adhere to the Ministry’s ”no magic allowed” rule, and poor Robert saw all sorts of magical phenomena daily, only to have his memory and perception constantly altered by Confundus and Forgetfulness Spells.

Many had complaints about this, but the Ministry’s reason was: Robert’s family playing the role of toll collectors made the site appear normal, thereby avoiding attracting other Muggles’ attention.

Whether this reasoning was sound or not, the Ministry - or Fudge and the other top officials - never listened to others’ opinions anyway.

After passing many tents, Vid eventually saw their destination -

A tent, about the size of a two-bedroom apartment, stood grandly, looking prominent yet not displaying obvious ”Magic Traces.”

The tent’s top was ornamented with a majestic lion statue and surrounded by lots of golden and red silk decorations, very ”Gryffindor” in style. The lion looked extremely realistic, almost as if it could roar.

Undoubtedly, this was the work of Sirius and Harry.