"Honestly, your current gloomy mood is making me a bit uncomfortable."

In their shared bedroom, Harry watched Draco, who had barely spoken all morning since their return, as he peeled an apple and spoke.

"Then what do you want me to do? Do you want to hear me yell at you?" Draco suddenly shouted.

Harry shrugged.

"You can if you want, but I can't promise I won't beat you up."

"That Muggle was so stupid! That man had already lied to her about the Squib! And she still chose to believe him! Idiot! Fool! Imbecile!"

Draco ranted, snatching the freshly peeled apple from Harry's hand.

Harry's eyebrows shot up, and he was about to grab it back when Draco took a big bite out of the apple.

"Fine, fine." Harry sat back down and opted for a banana instead, "I've realized something now. As Professor would say, you can see the truth… it's just not the truth you want to believe."

"That's not the truth at all!" Draco stubbornly insisted.

"Then what is the truth? Should the French Minister of Magic personally tell you? Those Aurors already went to the Rosier Family to verify Patrick's birth parents."

"How do you know that?"

"Isabelle told me." Harry said casually.

"Isabelle?" Draco's voice rose, "Who's that?"

"The witch guarding the detention room. She just graduated from Beauxbatons this year and is still in Auror training. She takes on some light, non-dangerous work in her free time."

Harry reopened his spellbook, chewing his food absentmindedly.

"She said Patrick's actually quite pitiful. Not only was he abandoned by his parents, but the perpetrators also hit him with numerous Confundus and Memory Charms. The Aurors managed to remove most of them, but since he's not a wizard, his mind's definitely been affected. It might even impact his daily life in the future."

At this point, even Draco couldn't keep arguing. He just sulked, gnawing viciously at the apple as if channeling all his inexplicable anger into it.

Around lunchtime, Severus and Lupin returned.

They came straight to Harry and Draco's bedroom, and the four of them ate lunch together there.

Harry was thrilled to see them back and eagerly recounted their morning's events.

"Patrick's had such a rough life. It's like he's never had a single stroke of luck since the day he was born."

Harry sighed.

Severus was deep in thought and didn't respond, but Lupin shook his head and said, "His greatest fortune was meeting his wife. That's far more important than anything he's lost. That's why, after seeing you, he was so desperate to have you apologize to her for him."

"You said Rosier was adopted from a Paris orphanage?" Severus suddenly asked.

Harry blinked in confusion but nodded.

"That's what he told me himself."

At this time, Lupin also caught on and exchanged a glance with Severus.

"The same one we visited this morning?"

"An orphanage specifically for Squibs? It has to be."

Severus nodded as well, and he said thoughtfully, "What I'm more curious about is whether Rosier himself knew that the orphanage he grew up in was specifically for people like him."

"What difference would that make if he did?" Lupin asked, puzzled.

Severus pointed to his head.

"He's been hit with multiple Memory Charms and Confundus Charms. In the hands of an expert, those spells can almost replicate the effects of Legilimency… just far more brutal. They cause greater damage to the victim's mind and yield far less precise information."

"Rosier's memories have clearly been scrubbed raw. That's why his trip to Edinburgh was riddled with so many inexplicable mistakes. His cognitive functions have been irreparably damaged by the spells."

"With that level of Memory Charm usage, the perpetrators undoubtedly rifled through his memories. If they were only interested in the apartment he and his wife rented, why use so many Memory Charms? The only explanation is that they couldn't use Legilimency but still wanted to extract something from a Squib's mind. But what could they possibly want? Rosier's identity?"

"A pure-blood Squib's identity?" Lupin's breath hitched.

"Those are the two most unique things about him. His current predicament must be tied to one or both. And if the perpetrators weren't just after his apartment, if they were also interested in his status as a pure-blood Squib, then once they learned about an orphanage in Paris specifically for pure-blood Squibs, wouldn't they act again?"

"That's a critical lead!" Lupin declared, "We need to warn Yuma immediately and have him prepare!"

As he said this, he couldn't help but stare at Severus.

"I never realized back at Hogwarts that you had such sharp... detective instincts!"

"It's called logical thinking, a basic skill anyone with a Muggle's science education should possess." Severus said calmly, "At my father's insistence, I attended Muggle primary school, and I've continued cultivating that mindset ever since. It's also the foundation of my talent in potions."

Lupin exclaimed in amazement, "Did your father have the foresight to think of all this in advance?"

"No. He was an alcoholic and abusive. My mother hid her magical identity when she married him. When he found out the truth, he flew into a violent rage. Even after I showed early magical talent, he still forcibly enrolled me in a Muggle school." Severus said calmly.

Lupin looked uneasy and apologized.

"I'm sorry for bringing this up, especially in front of the children."

"It's fine." Severus smiled slightly, "Those painful memories, once you truly forgive and accept them, they no longer feel shameful. Because the past didn't break us. It made us stronger. Right?"

As he said this, he glanced at Harry, who immediately raised his head and declared loudly:

"Absolutely!"

Lupin's lips also curled into a smile, "You're right."

Draco stayed silent, merely lowering his head and quietly curling his lip… his silent protest against Severus praising Muggle education.

After lunch, they went to find Yuma again.

When they met, Yuma had good news to share.

"It's confirmed! That man is Shafiq! We contacted the German Ministry… they'd arrested the bastard before and had records on him. After cross-referencing the information they sent, it's definitely him!"

"As soon as we confirmed his identity, the Ministry alerted all Aurors searching for him. Just now, we got word from Lyon, they found traces of him at a rural farmhouse! Do you want to come along?"

But instead of sharing Yuma's excitement, Severus narrowed his eyes and gripped the African wizard's shoulder.

"You just confirmed Shafiq's identity with Germany, and now he's conveniently left clues for Aurors to chase him to Lyon?"

Hearing this, Yuma froze.

Then, as if doused in cold water, he sobered up immediately.

"That is too much of a coincidence... but it's the only lead we have to keep investigating!"

"Because it's the only lead, most of Paris' Aurors will rush there!" Lupin, clearly on the same page as Severus now, interjected.

"Once they leave, Paris will be practically unguarded. If something happens here, will they even make it back in time?"

Yuma swallowed hard, staring at Severus and Lupin.

"What could happen in Paris?"

"How many Aurors have already left?" Severus strode toward the fireplace. There were restrictions within the French Ministry and Apparition could not be used.

Yuma hurried after him.

"Aside from the three standard guard units, everyone else was sent to Lyon!"

"What about your team?"

"They're still here, waiting for me."

"Then gather your team and send one person to warn Girard… if they don't catch Shafiq immediately in Lyon, pull some Aurors back to us at once!"

At the Ministry's Floo network, Yuma stopped, watching as Severus and Lupin grabbed Floo powder, ready to step into the flames.

"Where are you going now?"

"The orphanage we visited this morning." Before vanishing into the green fire, Severus left one last remark: "After kidnapping the Flamels, Shafiq's group might not have achieved their real goal yet."

As his voice faded, Severus and Lupin disappeared into the green flames.

Yuma frowned deeply. He quickly pulled out a notepad, scribbled a message summoning his team, then beckoned toward the shadows along the wall.

A sleek black cat emerged soundlessly, its movements graceful as it took the note from Yuma's hand.

"Auror Command, Office of the 7th Unit. Deliver this to Philippe Dumont."

After hearing the address, the cat bounded away, melting back into the shadows.

Without delay, Yuma rushed toward Girard's office.

He had to personally relay Severus's warning.