The secretary smiled apologetically and praised, "Such a noble ideal... So Mr. Adler provides a significant amount of funding every year to support your organization..."
Adler looked at her with tears in his eyes, hoping she would say more.
But Abigail also petrified the secretary and continued with a blank expression, "I am well aware that sacrifices are necessary to achieve this goal, and innocent people will surely get hurt."
"I am even willing to be the knife for the organization — using my identity as a wizard to steal secrets from the magic world, alter people's memories, harm those I originally did not want to harm, kill innocent parents and pitiful children, and send kids who could have attended school normally into the organization's base to be trained as competent warriors."
"They told me that those unwilling to sacrifice anything cannot change anything at all. There will definitely be short-term pain and loss, but these will lead to greater transformation and progress, which is to let future generations live in a better, more just world."
"I was deceived."
Abigail said, seemingly calm.
"Of course, the ones who deceived me were not you, but you are also a part of the organization's evil... as well as foolish me."
The secretary wanted to say something but was hit in the chest by a green Killing Curse. She screamed, bounced her body once, fell onto the chair, and was already dead.
The witch rotated her magic wand, pointing at the other terrified eyes.
"Sorry, everyone... I hope we all can be ordinary people in the next life."
...
Several flashes of green light appeared in the car, and the dark windows flickered a few times, but due to the blackout film, the faint light went unnoticed by pedestrians.
All the bodyguards slumped in their seats, their faces pallid, without any injuries, but all were dead.
Adler was about to wet his pants.
He widened his eyes, his pupils almost bursting out of their sockets, staring at Abigail in horror, trying to convey his plea and bargaining terms with his gaze.
Abigail saw it, but had no intention of sparing him; the magic wand pointed at Adler's head, and she whispered, "Legilimency!"
...
Half an hour later, the witch wearing a baseball cap got off the car with her head lowered. She stuffed the crystal bottle containing silver memories into her backpack, glanced around, and closed the car door.
By then, the black smoke in the distance had thinned considerably, and people gathered at a small pub a few hundred meters away, drinking and excitedly discussing the unlucky Adler family.
There was no one else around.
The magic wand hidden in her sleeve gently shook, and the parked car seemed to start, slowly sliding forward. It sped up along the downhill road, eventually crashing through the railing and rushing toward the free sky.
"Boom——"
A violent explosion sounded from the steep slope below.
Abigail watched the blaze, recalling the various scenes presented in the flow mirror video.
The truths she had long ignored were so abruptly and vividly exposed, comprehensively revealing the cruelty, brutality, and cold-bloodedness of the organization she served and the colleagues she trusted. They had neither ideals nor principles, only endless greed and plunder, not even human.
Those parasites indulged in extravagant lives, seeking powerful strength and eternal life, treating wizards and normal people outside themselves as expendable materials, showing no trace of compassion or guilt.
Having looked over Adler's mind, Abigail further confirmed this.
She joined such an organization seeking revenge for her parents, but the organization's actions were far more wicked than those two reckless wizards, by countless times more?
Abigail slowly exhaled and turned to walk towards the dense forest beside.
...
Vid held a teacup, sitting in Hogwarts's Headmaster's Office, feeling leisurely and wanting to lie down for a nap.
This reassuring environment doesn't seem special when possessed, only noticed as precious when lost.
But it wasn't time to sleep now.
After bringing him back, Dumbledore said he had to fetch others, hurriedly leaving and seemingly would return soon.
Vid drank a cup of hot cocoa and casually walked around the room.
The sleeping portraits and spinning silver instruments were as usual. Unexpectedly, a large space by the wall had appeared, containing a richly landscaped miniature world, as if nature's essence had been concentrated within an inch.
Three or four feet high mountains stood by the wall, a small winding river flowed from them, and the riverbed was even strewn with tiny pebbles, with rice-sized wildflowers distributed on the grasslands by the riverside.
To one side of the mountainous area was a miniature forest, where a few of Dumbledore's animal poppets were scattered in their preferred spots, with even more in number, like fingernail-sized rabbits and pea-sized squirrels.
At the foot of the mountain stood a house, where a small family of five humanoid poppets lived, some fetching water, some feeding chickens, some sleeping on haystacks, while two lay on the loft floor, seemingly playing a game of Gobstones.
After a while, the 'mother' who finished feeding the chickens used the feeding spoon to stir her sleeping son, and then called down the two children playing games upstairs. The family carried baskets, heading out together, apparently to pick mulberries.
That primitive lifestyle, though simple, carried a carefree feeling, which quieted one's heart when watching.
Vid watched for a long while, and when they embarked on their return journey, he intended to fetch himself a glass of water, only to see Dumbledore had returned.
He seemed unchanged from before, smiling kindly, waving for Vid to sit opposite him.
"Professor," Vid said after sitting down, "Your miniature world is getting richer."
"Yes," Dumbledore smiled, "Sometimes, when I feel upset, watching them calms me down... Though perhaps I've said it many times already, I must compliment yet again — it's quite an amazing invention, Vid."
Vid smiled, "Thank you, Professor."
"Tell me about your experiences lately," Dumbledore said, "I imagine you must have a lot you want to share."
...
The candlelight in the Headmaster's Office dimmed from brightness to a complete extinguishment.
Because outside, daylight brightened, warm sunlight passed through the windows, spilling inside, outlining the window frame's blurred edges.
Vid could even hear the students' noisy commotion in the campus, with several figures flying and chasing afar in the Quidditch pitch, players training for Quidditch.
Suddenly he remembered, in about a month it would be the match between Ravenclaw and Slytherin, perhaps one of the teams trained now.
"Grindelwald's attitude confuses me, Professor," Vid said. "I mean... I somewhat understand his intended portrayal, but I can't grasp..."
"Why you?" Dumbledore asked, fingers interlaced.
"Yes... Witch Pure Party, Durmstrang, or other countries also have numerous talented young wizards."
Vid said, "I don't underestimate myself, but I'm after all your student. I think... in retrospect, Grindelwald's primary reason for approaching me is likely aimed at... targeting you."
Dumbledore laughed.
"You're underestimating your worth, Vid. If I were Grindelwald, I would pin high hopes on you — though I am not suggesting you trust him unconditionally."
A cold and complex gleam flashed in Dumbledore's eyes, gazing through half-moon spectacles at the sunlight spots on the desk.
"Like I've told you before... Gellert Grindelwald, he's very dangerous, can easily inflame hearts with words, turning his ideals into others', even leading to their death."[p>
"His most perilous quality is convincing others that his goals are noble, his methods justified, his actions for human progress... But in truth, he resorts to all means, sacrificing others to achieve his ends."
"I trust you won't be swayed by him, Vid. As you possess not only a lucid mind but also loving parents and friends, even for them, you wouldn't take the dark path of destruction like Grindelwald."
"Yet sometimes, what we do isn't decided by ourselves but always urged by external forces. Hence, I must remind you..."
"Stay vigilant, Vid; wary of the allure of power and poisonous thoughts, frequently introspect your heart... Remember, choices reflect a person's essence more than capabilities."