The Headmaster's office was quiet. Only two wizards, one old and one young, silently faced each other.
Suddenly, an almost imperceptible buzzing sound rang out.
A mirror floated out beside Dumbledore and Sean almost at the same time.
"He's gone."
Only three words drifted across Dumbledore's mirror, and the old wizard's expression instantly grew solemn.
On Sean's mirror, two anxious faces appeared.
"Mr. Green, I hope we're not disturbing you."
Lupin spoke respectfully, though with a hint of urgency.
"Don't dawdle at a time like this—"
Sirius's voice reached Sean's ears.
"Respected Mr. Green, they've left. I'm certain it was them. The people you asked us to find—not just one person. In any case, they've left Little Hangleton. If they use Apparition, we won't be able to keep up—"
"Should we intercept them?"
Lupin's calm, firm voice followed.
"No."
After a few breaths, Sean spoke softly.
Voldemort was leaving Little Hangleton. What was he going to do?
Sean did not know. But he knew that even without having fully revived, Voldemort could still create Horcruxes.
Before they found the final Horcrux—perhaps not even the final one—it would be best not to drive away a venomous snake already exposed beneath the sunlight.
"Then what should we—"
Sirius sounded even more impatient.
"Padfoot!"
Lupin reminded him in time.
"Mr. Sirius, Mr. Lupin, is there anything else you want to tell me?"
Sean asked.
"Oh, of course, Mr. Green. During the time we were watching them, we heard a place name several times."
Lupin quickly said.
"Albania, sir."
Sirius added.
"Mm—gentlemen."
Sean's voice grew much more serious.
"May I ask whether you brought a full set of fairy-tale biscuits?"
"Of course."
Lupin and Sirius exchanged a glance, then looked into the distance, answering one after the other.
Only then did Sean nod.
Speaking of which, fairy-tale biscuits had gained many new varieties.
As the Ministry of Magic had expected, a full set of magical-creature transformations was extremely unpredictable when used together.
The functions they could provide were practically limitless.
Especially after a certain Mr. Hermes developed controllable transformations.
"No matter what, preserving yourselves is the most important thing, gentlemen.
I must remind you, respected gentlemen, that what you are about to do is more dangerous than anything else."
Sean could not help warning them.
Lupin's and Sirius's faces carried a frightening determination, and gradually faded away.
The mirror returned to calm.
Sean considered whether that full set of fairy-tale biscuits would be enough to protect Mr. Lupin and Mr. Sirius.
Bowtruckle biscuit: its effect was to transform the user into a magical creature like a twig. Such a twig, when hanging from a wizard's robe or inside a pocket, was usually impossible to notice.
Demiguise biscuit: its effect was to grant brief invisibility. Perhaps it could also allow one to foresee some of the future, though this was impossible to know.
Sean had not managed to test that part, but he could not completely deny it either.
Diricawl: known for its extraordinary means of avoiding danger. It could disappear without a trace with no effort and reappear somewhere else.
It was a simpler and more convenient substitute for Apparition, usable under any circumstances—especially when a wand was unavailable—and had received unanimous praise from the wizarding world.
Who wouldn't want to buy a biscuit that could help them escape danger at any moment?
Sean had heard that someone had kept one in their mouth at all times and ended up being transported away while bathing.
As for the remaining dragon biscuits and Occamy biscuits, Sean believed they should be useful in battle.
Only after considering everything did Sean relax slightly.
"It seems an old man has finally found a place to spend what little warmth he has left."
Dumbledore slowly walked to Sean's side.
"Hogwarts Castle, child, I leave it to you. I believe you will do better than I did. At the same time, I imagine Severus and Minerva will be very willing to help you."
Sean froze.
Did Headmaster Dumbledore mean—
"As for me, I need to contact a few old friends. Oh, perhaps I will be quite busy from now on?"
Dumbledore said with a smile.
"Hogwarts Castle still needs you."
Sean could only say slowly.
"In the past, that was true."
Dumbledore thought of the giant blocking everything in the Borderland. He knew this child had already grown to a level where none of them could lightly say they could defeat him.
"Forgotten? Perhaps forgetting is better—some wizards do not need to be forced to grow faster than they should."
He murmured softly.
"Our lessons are about to end. Let us treat this as the final lesson, dear Mr. Green."
Dumbledore's somewhat heavy words made Sean listen carefully, not daring to breathe too loudly.
Their lessons were ending?
Sean felt as if he had forgotten something. It was the part about a wizard's blind confidence.
"Oh, are you worried about the part you didn't learn?"
Dumbledore smiled.
"You learned it long ago, child. In a dream."
Sean lifted his head even higher.
"The final lesson—do forgive an old man's rambling, Mr. Green."
Dumbledore glanced at the stone tablet on the young wizard's chest, which now bore two cracks. He remembered what Godric Gryffindor had told him in that world.
"The Void Talisman is merely a stone, just as the sun is merely a star. Only when we are awake is it truly dawn.
Only when a wizard's will is obeyed in the Borderland can the Void Talisman function. My student Albus, for that child, the cracked stone tablet instead represents his will merging into that land.
But is that a good thing? If a wizard takes power through this, he will also step toward death through this. Perhaps toward something worse than death. Who can say?"
"Use that sacred object of the soul carefully, child."
Dumbledore's expression softened, kind and full of wisdom.
"I understand, Headmaster Dumbledore."
Although he could not easily understand it all, Sean still answered seriously.
"You have completed your apprenticeship, Mr. Green. Across nearly a century, perhaps the only thing I can truly be proud of is having been your Headmaster."
Dumbledore crouched down, his tall figure no longer blocking the sunlight.
The sunlight fell across both their faces. Sean saw Dumbledore smile with great gentleness.
"Minerva's eye was better than all of ours. I suspect what I am doing now may also be better than anything I have done before."
"You're going to find him? Perhaps this still isn't the right time."
Before Dumbledore left, Sean could not help asking.
"Of course I know that, child. However, I am going to take responsibility for my mistakes. We all are."