"I understand."
Vid bowed his head in contemplation for a moment, took a deep breath, and said, "Regarding the Magic Book he gave me... Professor... do you have any advice?"
Dumbledore didn't reply immediately. He rummaged through his drawer and then handed over a box of toffee.
"Don't frown, have a piece of candy? Sweet treats always cheer people up."
"...Thank you, Professor."
Vid took it, unfolded the wrapper, the candy's surface had a slight golden sheen, exuding a rich caramel aroma and sweetness.
He ate one and found that this toffee might be Maki's handiwork.
Unlike its appearance, this toffee was aromatic but not overly sweet.
Sweets that aren't too sugary, meat that's not greasy, that's the flavor Vid likes. Among the House-elves in the kitchen, only Maki is well aware of this and adjusts the sugar content according to his taste.
—Perhaps some House-elf accidentally delivered the wrong candy, sending what Maki prepared for Vid to Dumbledore.
Vid thought like this, and slightly squinted his eyes in contentment from the taste.
The House-elves in the Witch Pure Party Castle are also skilled in culinary arts, but they prefer pickling and smoking, then pairing with various rich sauces.
Once they even served him a dish of minced beef mixed with pickles and raw egg yolk. Vid thought that mosaic-looking dish was some peculiar punishment. But when he approached Vorvillet, he found the old man eating it with relish...
Dumbledore sat at his desk, his gaze silently observing Vid through his glasses, his hands folded, fingers tapping unconsciously, a look of profound and elusive intent.
After a while, he asked, "Do you like this toffee?"
"Of course." Vid nodded.
"That's great, then take this box with you; it's too bland for me." Dumbledore pulled out another box and said, "Would you like a Jelly Slug?"
"I'd rather not," Vid quickly replied.
Dumbledore said regretfully, "It's only made to look like a slug, the taste is quite good, and this candy is also popular at Honeydukes... Oh well, if you don't like it, never mind."
After a pause, he suddenly said, "Those books... if you want to learn a bit, you can keep them."
Vid paused, looking at him in surprise.
Dumbledore nodded slightly with a smile, "I won't stop you, Vid—knowledge in itself isn't wrong; what's wrong are people's ambitions and desires."
"I believe you have grown into a discerning wizard. No matter what you learn, you can hold onto the light within yourself... Of course, if you ever feel lost, you can always come to me—I am always willing to listen to your thoughts."
"Thank you, Professor," Vid said gratefully.
"Now then, go have lunch." Dumbledore stood up and said, "I hope today's kitchen has prepared creamy cakes for us."
Vid hesitated for a moment, "Professor, I'd like to take a few days' leave... go home and visit, my parents must be really worried, is that okay?"
"Of course," Dumbledore said gently, "Who can stop a child from visiting their parents? Also, I guess you haven't looked at your Christmas gift yet?"
"No, I haven't," Vid replied.
"Then you should sort through them properly," Dumbledore winked mysteriously, "There are some things in there... I suspect will surprise you greatly."
...
The Phoenix's firelight flashed, but instead of going out for lunch, Dumbledore stood by the window, watching the students bouncing around on the lawn.
The portraits pretending to sleep on the wall all opened their eyes, some even walked into other frames, shielding their mouths with their hands, whispering.
From over two hundred years ago, the Healer Headmaster Dilys Derwent spoke bluntly: "Albus, I thought you'd never allow your students to dabble in dark magic, especially one... who seems very likely to cross the line."
Dumbledore replied calmly, "I have confidence in Vid."
Dumbledore's predecessor—Armando Dippet said grumblingly, "To be honest, I once had great faith in Tom Riddle."
"I have studied dark magic myself. Only by understanding it and mastering it can we better resist it and use it by legitimate means—" Dumbledore emphasized, "Dark magic isn't that terrifying."
Phineas Black nodded in agreement, "Exactly, the children from the Black Family have been exposed to dark magic since childhood. But look at Regulus... and Sirius... they're both good kids."
Phineas briefly hesitated in the middle, pondering which of these two mischievous youngsters to remove from his list of praises, but after a moment of indecision, he finally included both.
After all... although both were excessively foolish, one was already dead, and the other was the only remaining Black. As a great-great-grandfather, he decided to be a bit more forgiving...
Dilys Derwent snorted angrily, "But the majority who dabble in dark magic have twisted and corrupted hearts! Albus, you should firmly prevent that child from learning dark magic; luckily he listens to you!"
Armando Dippet nodded in agreement, "Yes... you can't have too much trust in students; you don't know what they'll become decades later."
"I know! I warned you long ago, remember? Dippet."
Phineas Black said gleefully, "I always said that Riddle kid didn't look like a good thing, but you didn't believe me and told me to shut up!"