"So, I guess you understand now how foolish your actions were?" Madam Pomfrey said seriously. "You're still young, with much room to grow. Don't be in such a rush to defeat adult wizards."
"Yes, I understand. I'm very sorry," Vid replied.
His attitude was so good and sincere that Madam Pomfrey couldn't even find a reason to scold him. In the end, the school nurse only gave a light rebuke before hurriedly leaving.
There were still a few young wizards in the ward who hadn't been discharged yet!
As the staircase automatically spiraled down, Dumbledore in the office also visibly breathed a sigh of relief.
Vid raised his hand, about to knock on the door, when he heard Dumbledore say, "Come in, Vid."
He entered and saw the Headmaster's Office filled with its usual aura of mystery. Next to him, the Pensieve sat on a shelf, swirling with silvery mist inside.
On the walls, portraits of previous headmasters were lightly snoring. It was unclear if they were truly asleep or just pretending.
Vid had read in books about how these headmaster portraits had a mysterious contract with the school. Hogwarts' magic provided them with sustenance, and regardless of their personalities in life, as portraits, they were obligated to assist the current headmaster.
Of course, someone like Umbridge, unrecognized as "headmaster," was not included within the contract's scope.
At this moment, Dumbledore was taking off his glasses and wiping them, looking a bit weary as he said:
"Bobbi is one of the people I find most challenging, but thankfully, she likes you a lot."
A soft cooing sound came from the side, and Vid turned his head to see the phoenix Fox, now fully feathered in golden-red, flapping its wings on a perch.
Earlier, when he entered, he hadn't seen this phoenix. He didn't know when it had settled on the perch.
"Oh, right," Dumbledore chuckled. "Fox also likes you."
"Likes the Poppet Pets I made, right?" Vid quipped, then asked, "Professor Dumbledore, I came to ask how much you know about Professor Abigail?"
"I guessed you wanted to talk about this," Dumbledore said with a wink. "I heard you had quite the enthusiastic welcome yesterday."
"Yeah," Vid said. "I almost broke my bones. I've never encountered a wizard so skilled in combat."
"Honestly, you surprised me as well."
Dumbledore said, waving his magic wand, and two boxes of pink ice cream appeared on the table.
"But we can enjoy some treats while we chat."
Vid casually picked up one of the boxes and said, "Did she train in the Muggle military?"
To avoid Dumbledore's potentially evasive answers, he asked directly.
"Indeed,"
Dumbledore took a bite of ice cream, squinting slightly at the chill, and then said, "Professor Abigail's life experiences are rich and colorful. She's a rare wizard who understands Muggles very well—she lived in Muggle Society for many years."
The headmaster looked at the student, who was seriously listening while holding ice cream, smiled, and said, "But I can't disclose someone else's privacy. If you want to know the details, let Professor Abigail tell you herself once you're familiar."
Vid opened the lid, scooped a bite, hesitated for a moment, then raised his head and asked, "Do you know if she's possibly carrying a gun? A Muggle gun?"
"I know; it's Professor Abigail's personal habit. Just like how we always carry a magic wand to feel secure."
Dumbledore said, "I can assure you that Professor Abigail won't use such weapons on students, and unlike your previous two professors, she's a reliable person."
—Really?
Vid looked at him skeptically.
"And I don't think it's a bad idea for students to learn about Muggle weapons."
Dumbledore continued, "In fact, Professor Abigail had applied to me to show you the power of Muggle weapons in the Defense Against the Dark Arts class."
"Did you agree?"
"Of course."
"But..." Vid paused, then said, "As far as I know, handguns are the most insignificant kind of Muggle weapon..."
"That's why Professor Abigail prepared some special... surprises."
Dumbledore said casually, "You all need to learn not only to defend against Dark Creatures but also Muggles' methods."
This surprised Vid inwardly.
In the original plot, Dumbledore never conceived such an idea. Everyone in that story held an invisible arrogance and disdain towards Muggles, with the two worlds almost isolated.
Was it Professor Abigail who made him feel this necessary?
Or was it...
"Professor," Vid looked up and asked, "Did you all encounter something during your previous investigation?"
Dumbledore looked at him, his expression hidden behind his glasses.
After a while, he finally said, "We discovered little, child."
"No... discovery?" Vid's eyebrow slightly twitched.
"Yes... That's more frightening than discovering something."
Dumbledore sighed, "We thought that if magic couldn't track it, perhaps Muggles might have some clues... but there was nothing."
"No witnesses, no rumors, not even when we had a Muggle check the surveillance at airports, there was any finding."
"Our enemies... they have infiltrated deeply into Muggle Society, so much that they can erase all traces. In this regard, we are far behind."
Dumbledore's voice carried an unmistakable weariness and worry.
But then, seeing the innocent face of the boy in front of him, he quickly realized his lapse and hid all his emotions.
"It's unusual, you know... Most wizards know nothing about Muggles and even less about their technological developments."
Dumbledore continued in a calm tone, "We need to find a new direction for our investigation, or wait for their next move. Once they act, there will always be traces left. As long as the time isn't too long, we can surely find something."
After the Muggle couple realized the problem, more than a year had passed, making it so difficult to find people.
If it were days or even weeks, Dumbledore would have a way to track those subtle traces.
Scamander was also adept in this aspect.
Vid didn't doubt this, but after leaving the Headmaster's Office, he looked back at the gradually fading lights, and a heavy sense of worry filled his heart.