Right now, Snape was more concerned about another question. "Is there really some unspeakable secret about Vizet?"
"Of course there is!" Dumbledore smiled, his light tone making it sound only natural.
Only when the piled-up sugar cubes nearly hid the black tea did he finally put down the tongs. His fingertips tapped lightly on the tabletop, and the tea rippled with the motion, then formed a tiny whirlpool.
"Severus, everyone has secrets they cannot tell, don't they?" he said, as if talking to himself, and as if answering Snape's question.
"You have secrets, I have secrets, and naturally Vizet is no exception... But I think his secrets are not actually a very big deal."
"If he relied only on those so-called secrets, he could never have come this far." He looked straight at Snape and asked in return, "Severus, what do you think?"
Snape had long since grown used to this way Dumbledore spoke.
What was more, Dumbledore was indeed right. Every step Vizet had taken on the path of magic had actually been extremely solid.
Snape still remembered that after he had first discovered Vizet's outstanding talent, he had warned him like this: it was best not to keep using a certain technique all the time, lest he develop a dependence on it; he should brew potions through rich experience instead.
Vizet had listened to his warning, and he had always done exactly that, never once showing the slightest slackness.
At that thought, Snape also understood. The answer to this question was actually meaningless.
"The Dark Lord has changed quite a lot..." he continued. "Compared to the face he had not long ago, he should have changed to another face again, one that is even more refined."
"How did it feel to you?" Dumbledore asked curiously. "Some things require