Fiona finally understood her husband's considerations and shuddered with fear.
"It's a good thing you thought it through... I almost blurted it out..."
Ferdinand consoled, "It might not necessarily be dangerous. I'm just taking precautions against potential danger... Also, Vid..."
Vid, who had been silent the whole time, nodded, "I understand. I will first contact the school professors to inquire about the situation."
"I count on you."
Ferdinand thanked his son earnestly and couldn't help but remind him:
"Carrel's disappearance is not just our family's concern; it's an issue for Hogwarts and the British Ministry of Magic. You're only responsible for communication, leave everything else to the adults, and don't try to be a hero yourself."
Vid couldn't help but smile, "Understood... I'm not a Gryffindor."
...
Ten minutes later, Dumbledore and Professor McGonagall, who had received the message, appeared outside the Riddle family door.
Dumbledore wore a pointed hat with distinctive wizard flair, adorned with symbols of wind and water. Although it looked mysterious, it couldn't change the fact that his outfit resembled a nightgown.
Fiona couldn't help but glance at the sky... She didn't understand, but still showed respect.
Perhaps all powerful wizards are like this?
Fiona thought with admiration.
The Greys, though meeting Dumbledore for the first time, instantly connected him with the headmaster Dumbledore Vid had mentioned.
It could be said that no one fit the traditional impression of a wizard more than the person before them.
As for Professor McGonagall, she appeared much more ordinary, wearing a dark green robe that didn't seem out of place even in the Muggle world, and her fingers had ink stains, indicating she was probably writing before coming.
Professor McGonagall held a roll of parchment, the yellowed pages slightly curling.
Seeing the two through the window, Vid opened the door before they could knock.
"Professor Dumbledore, Professor McGonagall."
"Good afternoon, Mr. Gray, Madam Grey, and Vid," Dumbledore said unhurriedly, "I hope we haven't disrupted your lunch."
No matter the time, this headmaster always appeared confident, and his demeanor greatly calmed the anxious Greys.
"I checked the enrollment list."
Professor McGonagall said sternly:
"In September 1991, there was indeed supposed to be a student named Carrel Johnson enrolled. However, since he wrote asking to go to Ilvermorny, the school didn't contact him further. This is all recorded in detail."
"Didn't you contact Ilvermorny?" Fiona asked, hastily adding when Professor McGonagall looked over, "Sorry, I didn't mean to accuse..."
"It was indeed an oversight on our part..."
Professor McGonagall pursed her lips and said:
"However, Hogwarts doesn't force every student to enroll. Many young wizards choose to study magic at home or with a tutor, or attend other magic schools. Hogwarts doesn't prevent this."
"Unfortunately, Landon didn't know this."
Ferdinand said quietly:
"He thought Hogwarts would forcibly take his son, so he fled the UK, unexpectedly walking into a trap..."
"Where is Mr. Johnson?"
Professor McGonagall said seriously, "We need to understand the situation in more detail."
"He got into a traffic accident," Ferdinand said, "I think he's told us all he can remember..."
"Magic can help us uncover some details he may have forgotten," Dumbledore said politely.
Ferdinand's face changed.
He immediately thought of Legilimency but didn't voice it.
Dumbledore seemed to know what he was thinking and said gently, "Rest assured... it won't harm him."
Ferdinand looked at Vid, wanting to ask — Can your headmaster read minds?
Vid blinked and turned to Professor McGonagall, asking:
"Professor, besides Carrel, are there other students who didn't attend for similar reasons?"
Professor McGonagall's face looked grim, "Every year, there are."
As the Greys' faces turned pale, Dumbledore said:
"Of course, not every child who refuses to attend school disappears like Mr. Johnson. Master-apprentice inheritance remains a relatively common teaching method in the magic world."
Yet this didn't provide much comfort to Ferdinand and Fiona, as it was clear the person could take Carrel easily, proving they had done this before.
Those missing children might have parents who believed lies fabricated by fraudsters, or they couldn't reach the magic world, or they had died or forgotten about their children, hence there was no attention drawn to it.
Afterward, Ferdinand drove the two professors to see Landon Johnson, still in the custody of traffic police.
With Landon's consent, Professor Dumbledore extracted some of his memories, proving Landon wasn't lying, and clearly saw the appearance of this Maye Baird in the memories.
But this didn't offer much reference value.
Because the name could be fake, the identity fake, and even the appearance might be fake.
Even the gender and age might not be what they seemed.
But if Baird, like many arrogant wizards, didn't regard Muggles as threats, he might not bother to disguise his real appearance.
Next, Dumbledore contacted the Ministry of Magic and planned to visit that Mrs. Johnson at the sanatorium.
"Lost memories are hard to recover, and we can't use cruel methods to torture her into recalling her memory fragments."
Dumbledore said, "But magic expresses itself. Especially wizards who haven't undergone formal schooling, each of their magic is different."
However, the adults didn't involve Vid in these later processes.
He only heard parts from his father. What Dumbledore and the Ministry of Magic would investigate next, or if there were any clues, Vid didn't know.
As a student, his most important task remained attending school.
The brief Christmas vacation ended quickly, and students returned to school, with completing homework and copying assignments becoming the recent trend.
Vid originally thought it would be a long time before he heard any follow-up on this matter, but on the third day after the start of term, he got a lead from the Weasley Twins.
"... It's said that someone sold a magic necklace to a Muggle, causing that woman at the sanatorium to be strangled by the necklace."
Fred said, "My dad rushed to handle it and hasn't come home yet because of overtime."
"... Dead?"
Vid was stunned for a long time, and a thought suddenly popped into his mind—
Annie Johnson lost her memory and was killed... Why was Landon still alive and running around seeking help?