At eight o'clock in the evening, Vid arrived outside the Headmaster's Office, and the ugly stone beast tilted its head to stare at him.
"Cream Tarts." Vid said.
The stone beast moved aside, and Vid stepped onto the spiral staircase, which rose slowly, revealing the oak door with a brass door knocker.
Vid knocked on the door knocker, and the door quietly opened. He walked in, seeing Dumbledore bending over something, a large desk in front of him, with the Sorting Hat beside it.
The walls were covered with portraits of previous headmasters, and as Vid entered, he heard them all chattering noisily.
As the door opened, all the sounds ceased, and the numerous portraits turned to look at him.
If it weren't for the Headmaster's Office being as bright as day, with never-extinguishing candles emitting warm light, the scene would have been somewhat terrifying.
Dumbledore's Phoenix stood on the candle-bearing brass ring. Compared to last year, it now looked feeble and its feathers sparse, appearing close to death.
"Oh, Vid, you're right on time."
Dumbledore stood up and said, "Come and see, I obtained a rather interesting toy today."
"Good evening, Professor Dumbledore. This is..."
Vid said as he walked over, seeing several Magic Pets on the table.
There were small Phoenixes, Fire Dragons, Pegasi, and a Remu Ox; some were drinking water, some were playing, and some were resting. Each pet had a delicate nest.
A wizard of the same size, wearing a pointed hat, lived alongside them, with a fairytale-like mushroom house nearby, smoke faintly wafting from its chimney.
They seemed to live in a real village.
The wizard was arguing with the Fire Dragon—
Fire Dragon: "Move forward a bit, I have no space!"
Wizard: "I was here first, you go over there!"
Fire Dragon: "You need such a small space! Just squeeze a bit!"
Wizard: "Fine, fine, you can have the whole space!"
The thumb-sized wizard angrily moved aside, while the dragon approached with a silly grin to apologize.
Remu Ox joined in to mediate: "Alright, alright, don't fight. It's just that the space our master gave us is too small, otherwise we wouldn't have to squeeze together."
"If I had money, I'd want a nest made of Gold." Phoenix said gloomily, "This wooden house always feels like it's going to burn, making me afraid to move."
Pegasus: "ZZZ..."
"Don't trouble the master!" Fire Dragon said, "It's not his fault he has no money; he's worked hard to provide us a good environment. Don't worry, master, I still love you!"
It looked up and said to Dumbledore, politely nodding at Vid: "Hello, Young Wizard."
Dumbledore couldn't help but laugh, stroking his splendid beard, which had a bow tied in it.
"Look at these adorable little guys; they've added a lot of fun to my life." Dumbledore said, "I heard this was your invention?"
"Yes." Vid replied succinctly.
"Very impressive, Vid... Simply delightful; Fox and the Sorting Hat also love them. They can chat with these little creatures all day..."
Dumbledore said with slight concern, "But they always hint that I should buy them things. Is there any solution?"
Vid: "...Sorry, Professor. The pets' personalities are formed during the making process, and while it's not impossible to change them, it would essentially mean killing the current ones."
The mini pets immediately hid in their houses upon hearing this, leaving only the rear of the Remu Ox visible;
The Fire Dragon and wizard lying on the lawn couldn't bother to quarrel anymore, and they hugged each other, shivering, looking at the two with fearful yet pleading eyes.
"No... please..." the wizard said tremblingly, "I don't want to die..."
The Fire Dragon nodded vigorously.
"In that case, let's leave it as is." Dumbledore said, "Actually, their current miserly personality is rather amusing."
The pets all breathed a sigh of relief and soon resumed playing without worry.
"Ravenclaw is quite nice, isn't it? I still remember you told me you wanted to go to Hufflepuff."
The Sorting Hat suddenly spoke, "But I believe I placed you in the most suitable house, Vid Gray, you're truly born for Ravenclaw."
"Thank you." Vid said with annoyance, "But I believe I could excel in Hufflepuff as well. Knowledge doesn't differentiate based on houses."
The Sorting Hat fell silent; its tip twitched slightly, as if it were pondering a retort.
Fox suddenly squawked, seemingly mocking the Sorting Hat, and then a few feathers fell from its tail, which Vid casually caught and placed on the table.
"You can keep them."
Dumbledore said, "Phoenix Tail Feather is useful for making Magic Wands, brewing Magic Potion, or Alchemy. Don't be fooled by Fox's frightening appearance, its tail feathers still contain great power."
"Thank you, Professor. And thank you, Fox."
Vid didn't feign politeness, pocketing the Phoenix Tail Feathers, his mind flashing with possibilities for precious Magic Potions or Alchemy Products.
"You're welcome." Dumbledore said, "I look forward to more surprises and changes from you; I suppose Terence feels the same way."
Terence is the name of Professor Morry.
"Is there anything you need me for, Professor?" Vid asked.
He hadn't deliberately thought about his recent activities, but had come prepared before arriving.
Since the burn marks in Little Hengerton Village had made the newspapers, it surely couldn't be kept from Dumbledore.
The old headmaster not long ago took Vid for a visit there, only for Gaunt's Old House to then be burnt down, sparking normal suspicions.
Or maybe Lupin gleaned the secret of the Soul Artifact from the two operations and dared not hide it, reporting it to Dumbledore.
Lupin was once a member of the Order of Phoenix, trusted Dumbledore more than Vid, which Vid could also understand.
Vid rested his hand on the table's edge, standing in a relaxed posture, waiting for an answer.
Dumbledore slightly smiled and gently said, "I guess you surely remember our last visit to an old friend's place, correct?"
"Of course." Vid nodded, "Voldemort's growth process is indeed impressive. Despite being Half-Blood, he constantly emphasized Pure-Blood ideology, which surprised me most."
"Because he detested the Muggle half of his own bloodline as well. He needed to attract like-minded followers and build his own power." Dumbledore explained.
"Why don't you publicly expose his background on the newspapers?" Vid asked, "His followers keep praising the glory of Pure-Blood, if they knew their master was actually Half-Blood..."
Vid didn't continue, but the meaning was clear.
Dumbledore chuckled, with a deep gaze somewhat showing distant affection, as if Vid were a naive and simple child.
Vid pursed his lips unhappily, realizing he'd asked a rather silly question.
Dumbledore said, "Though very few know Voldemort was formerly known as Tom Riddle, he hasn't deliberately concealed his background."
"His earliest followers and core Death Eaters know Voldemort has a shameful lineage with a Muggle father and are aware he personally killed his father."
"Voldemort doesn't shy away from mentioning these things; he conquers followers with strong Magic Power. He considers himself inherently different and sees Muggles as inferior creatures, not believing he belongs to the same race as them."
"This fact hasn't shocked the Death Eaters. They never mention Voldemort's Half-Blood lineage and even boast he is a Pure-Blood Slytherin heir to avoid staining their leader."
"Voldemort governs Wizards using Pure-Blood ideology, disapproving of Muggle-borns; it's his belief. Today, I wish to take you to visit another old friend."
Dumbledore extended his hand.
"Do you want to embark on another journey, Vid?"