After Fiona left, Vid took another careful look at the two reply letters he had written. The more he looked, the more he felt that the overly formal and polite language made them seem cold.
After hesitating for a moment, he finally stuffed the first reply into an envelope.
...
"Nicolas Flamel... Nicolas Flamel..."
When Fiona returned to the living room, she couldn't help but mutter, recalling where she'd heard that name before.
"What are you talking about?" Ferdinand asked curiously.
"Ferdie, do you know who Nicolas Flamel is?" Fiona said, "He sent Vid an invitation letter, making the kid all anxious—I've never seen him like this before!"
Ferdinand was stunned: "...Nicolas Flamel?"
"Yes!" Fiona said, touching her chin, "I feel like I've heard someone mention it..."
Ferdinand paused for a moment, then found the book "Secrets and Practice of Alchemy" from the bookshelf, opened the first page, and pointed to the part introducing the author.
"An immortal alchemy master... The great wizard who is the only known person to successfully make the Philosopher's Stone... Until now, has lived over 600 years..."
Fiona covered her mouth in surprise, looked at her husband, and her eyes suddenly showed some worry after the shock: "The advice I gave Vid just now... might have been wrong?"
Ferdinand asked, "What advice?"
Fiona explained the whole story, and Ferdinand thought for a moment, smiled, and said, "No, you said the right thing. Being sincere is the basis of interacting with elders and teachers. Vid cares too much about the other's evaluation, which made him unable to think things through clearly."
"That's great." Fiona patted her chest, said relieved: "I was really afraid of holding him back."
"You won't." Ferdinand said gently: "Dear, you're so smart, you've already found the best option just by intuition."
Fiona blushed slightly, leaned in and kissed her husband's cheek, whispered: "Marrying you is also my best choice, Ferdie."
...
After finishing the reply to Nicolas Flamel, Vid saw that it was still early, continued to write letters of gratitude to those who participated in his rescue this time.
Though he had Friendship Books to contact most of them, and some had already bought Communication Peas, those convenient methods could not convey enough respect and gratitude like handwritten letters.
Halfway through writing, Ferdinand also came into the study with a glass of milk.
He did not disturb Vid, who was writing at his desk, and stood beside him quietly for a while. Seeing that Vid's letters didn't contain many elaborate phrases but were full of sincerity and earnestness, he couldn't help but smile with satisfaction.
But after quietly leaving the study, standing in the corridor, Ferdinand couldn't help but sigh.
"Mr. Gray, is there something troubling you?" Dobby stood in the corridor, looking up, concerned: "Can Dobby be of help?"
Ferdinand shook his head, walking as he bitterly laughed and said:
"Dobby, do you think all parents are this strange?"
"Afraid they won't learn to walk when they're young, and when they can run and jump, afraid they'll run too far out of sight."
"Afraid they'll make mistakes, but when they learn too fast and too well, somehow feel a bit lost."
Dobby looked at him blankly, seemingly about to have a question mark pop out of his head.
Ferdinand chuckled helplessly, took Dobby's hand downstairs, and asked: "Dobby, have you learned reading and writing?"
"A little." Dobby said shyly: "When at the Malfoy Family, older house-elves taught Dobby a bit, but not much known... Sorry."
For some reason, he suddenly felt a bit ashamed, couldn't help lowering his head to apologize.
"It's okay, I can teach you from scratch... starting with letters, then words and sentences." Ferdinand said gently: "Reading and writing are windows to understanding the world, extremely useful, must learn well."
"Yes, sir." Dobby's eyes sparkled, excited and grateful, said: "Dobby won't disappoint Mr. Gray!"
...
A few days of vacation quickly passed, and by Sunday evening, Lupin came to take Vid to school.
The luggage had been packed early, all stuffed into the wardrobe space. Fiona reluctantly helped him straighten his collar and said: "Take good care of yourself, write frequently... don't make me worry."
"I understand." Vid said softly.
"Don't act like before, just because you can become a Peregrine Falcon, recklessly running out of school. The Magic World is not peaceful now." Ferdinand also reminded.
"I know, I will be fine." Vid went forward, hugged his parents and said: "Goodbye, Mom and Dad, I'll miss you."
Fiona held back her tears, smiled, nodded, and said: "Me too."
"Dobby," Vid squatted down to the new member of the family and said: "I'll leave my parents to you."
"Yes!" Dobby puffed his chest and said: "Leave everything to Dobby! Vid sir, don't worry!"
"Let's go."
Lupin let Vid hold his arm, and the two of them Apparated together.
A slight dizziness later, Vid found himself already in Hogsmeade, the village rooftops covered in thick snow, as if wrapped by a layer of white blanket, some shop doorways fitted with sconces and colorful magic flames beautifully embellished the village.
"Actually, I can Apparate, Remus," Vid thought for a moment, feeling no need to hide it, so he said.
Lupin was startled, surprised, and asked: "Did you learn on your own?"
"Of course not." Vid said: "Professor Dumbledore taught me last term."
"That's good then." Lupin breathed a sigh of relief, and reminded again: "Knowing how is fine, but don't use it in public. There are too many people watching you, this spell can play an unexpected role at crucial times."
"I understand." Vid nodded and said, paused, then added: "How's Mabel adjusting?"
"Very well." Lupin smiled: "She doesn't talk much, but is easy to get along with, just always likes to take the initiative to do housework... and currently has learned three simple spells."
"That's impressive." Vid said, surprised.
Although he himself found learning spells generally easy, Vid knew many students spend weeks just to learn one spell. For instance, the Levioso spell taught in first year, was revised again before the Christmas holiday.
Vid decided to visit Mabel first before heading to school. The two walked together towards Lupin's house, the surrounding environment becoming more secluded, only the lights of Lupin's and Sirius' homes were lit nearby.
Upon arrival, Vid saw that Machioni was also sitting in the living room, and because she didn't want to see strangers, Mabel had hidden upstairs in a room, while Sirius was grimly entertaining the guest.
"Machioni?" Vid was first surprised, then realized: "You're here about the Flow Mirror matter, right?"
He actually explained a whole time in the letter before, now seeing the other person again, he apologetically said: "Sorry, I must have caused you quite some trouble."
"Oh, as long as it didn't delay everyone's enjoyment of 'Good Night, Sweetheart', then it's not too much of a problem." Machioni shrugged, smiled and said: "I just came to see you, to make sure my genius alchemist is safe and sound."
"Uh... Wasn't it to have me solve the signal hijacking issue?" Vid asked, bewildered.
"Solve? Why solve?"
Machioni poured himself a glass of honey wine, and expressed nonchalantly:
"If solved, next time the people found by the Witch Pure Party could be me... or worse, they might come looking for you again, produce a Flow Mirror of their own, taking away at least half my market."
"How nice it is now, I earn my profits, they build their reputation, we don't interfere with each other, both get what we want."
Machioni raised his glass, winked mischievously.
"Aren't you worried the Ministry of Magic will trouble you?" Sirius raised an eyebrow and asked.
"Oh, they've already tried."
Machioni leaned against the cabinet, said casually: "But I can't solve this problem, what can I do? Ask the Ministry to send someone who can, I'd certainly cooperate... Since they also can't solve it, then it's not my problem, but the Ministry of Magic's dilemma."
Machioni chuckled and emptied his drink.
Vid couldn't help but smile too.