Newt Scamander (Part One)

After finishing the Chocolate, Black in the portrait and his teacher—who was presumably also a former Headmaster—were still grappling and tearing at each other.

A group of old men and women gathered around to watch.

The spacious Headmaster's Office had instantly turned into a senior activity center.

"Child, don't listen to Old Black's nonsense. Ever since he learned that the last male heir of the Black family had been thrown into Azkaban, he went mad."

A kindly voice came from beside him.

Vaughn looked toward the voice and saw that a red-haired old woman had appeared in a blank portrait that had previously hung near the desk.

In the Wizarding world, seeing that red hair left little need for thought.

Vaughn bowed. "Hello, Headmaster Weasley. Sorry, I don't know how I should address you."

She was undoubtedly a Weasley ancestor. But Arthur and Molly had eloped back then and been disowned by the family long ago. They had not brought any documents recording the family lineage, so the younger generation, including Vaughn, knew nothing about Weasley history.

The plump old woman looked kind and benevolent. "Don't worry about that. I've been dead for a long time. Whatever Weasley seniority I once had no longer matters."

Vaughn went along with it.

If the dead woman herself did not care, there was no need for him to get to the bottom of it. He changed the subject. "You said the last male heir of the Black family. Did you mean Sirius Black?"

"Yes. That was ten years ago. I still remember Old Black's mad howls when Dumbledore told him the news."

"One of the Sacred Twenty-Eight Purebloods, passed down for a thousand years, was about to become dust in history. We could understand his pain, but from then on, he kept trying to lure Slytherin students into helping him rescue Sirius from Azkaban..."

Headmaster Weasley sighed. "That went too far. Dumbledore had no choice but to confine him to the office because of it."

She looked at Vaughn with affection and warned, "You are still young. Perhaps you long for power, but you must remain wary and restrained when studying the Dark Arts."

"Some ignorant Dark Wizards always say that power itself is neither good nor evil, and that Wizards decide good and evil. But the Dark Arts require extreme, negative emotions as nourishment. If one remains in such intense emotions for long, who can guarantee they will not go mad?"

Vaughn nodded.

That was his view as well.

Which was why he was curious how Dumbledore and Snape had solved this problem.

After chatting with the Old Ancestor for a while longer and watching the spectacle for a bit, Vaughn grew bored as the two old men showed no sign of stopping their fight. He began wandering around Dumbledore's office.

In a cabinet near the Fireplace, he found a Pensieve.

Vaughn vaguely remembered that Dumbledore had preserved many memories concerning Tom in order to investigate why Tom would not die.

But he did not see them. Dumbledore had probably hidden them with Magic.

Then, in a corner near the door that was blocked by a shelving unit, he discovered a full-length mirror covered with black satin.

Vaughn did not lift the satin. He knew what it was.

"That is the Mirror of Erised."

Apparition disturbed the still air in the office as Fawkes brought Dumbledore back.

After going out and apparently confirming something, the old man seemed to be in a fine mood. Smiling, he said to Vaughn, "Legend says it can reflect a person's deepest desires. Mr. Weasley, aren't you going to take a look?"

Vaughn smiled and shook his head. "I read about it in a book on Alchemy. It can only reflect desires, not fulfill them. No matter how long you look, it is still fake."

"But I think it can help you determine what your Inner Heart truly wants."

"I know perfectly well what my Inner Heart desires, Headmaster. A person's understanding of themselves should begin with themselves, not depend on a mirror."

Vaughn answered, growing a little impatient. He could not help taking a jab at Dumbledore. "And what did you see in the mirror?"

"..."

For an instant, Dumbledore looked lost.

He could not help recalling how, over the past while, he had stood before the mirror every day in a daze. Reflected within were four young children, their voices and faces exactly as they had been over ninety years ago.

Unlike reality, they had no conflicts and had not brought about tragedy. They laughed happily, close and joyful together.

But the great Wizard quickly suppressed the surging emotions in his heart and winked at Vaughn. "I saw many Woolen Socks. You must understand, child, how much an old man over a hundred hopes that someone will give him a pair of warm Woolen Socks for Christmas."

"Heh heh..."

Vaughn responded only with an inscrutable laugh.

He did not want to keep playing this game of feigned madness with Dumbledore and asked directly, "Did you discover anything?"

Dumbledore shook his head regretfully, but still replied, "Yes, Mr. Weasley. Your guess was correct. A powerful Dark Wizard is plotting to obtain Unicorn blood, attempting to brew the Elixir to Induce Euphoria to sustain his... ugly, wretched life, flickering like a candle in the wind!"

As he said this, a complicated emotion flashed through his bright blue eyes.

But his tone soon became light again. "Although I did not find him, fortunately, I found the Unicorn herd. No Unicorn has died because of this so far. Your discovery was timely, Mr. Weasley. On behalf of the Unicorns, I thank you. What a good person—"

Dumbledore movedly wiped at the corner of his eye.

Drama Queen!

Vaughn's mouth twitched a few times. Compared to this, he still preferred playing with Ron and Harry. These old monsters who had lived too long were just awful!

What a pity. It seemed Tom had not gone to the Forbidden Forest tonight. If the two of them had run into each other, that would have been interesting.

Vaughn sighed inwardly in regret, then suggested, "Headmaster, I suggest moving the Unicorns somewhere else. The Forbidden Forest is no longer suitable for them to live in, and Hogwarts does not have enough people to guard against thieves all day."

"A very good suggestion, Weasley... oh, may I call you Vaughn? It would feel more intimate."

Vaughn gave a dry laugh. "Then can I call you Albus?"

To his surprise, Old Dumbledore did not mind at all and replied with a smile, "Of course. Aren't names meant to be called?"

As he spoke, before Vaughn could continue laughing dryly, he said, "I also think the Unicorns should no longer remain in the Forbidden Forest, so I have decided to ask an Old Friend for help. Come, Vaughn, come with me. He is a good person too. You will definitely like him."

Vaughn did not refuse.

He walked to Dumbledore's side and grabbed his wrist. Fawkes gave a cry and landed on Old Dumbledore's shoulder.

"Have you experienced Side-Along Apparition before? Relax. It will only feel unpleasant for a moment."

"All right, Albus!"

"Don't struggle midway through. Splinching is terrifying. If your head flies off, I'm afraid it will be difficult for me to find it again, child."

"All right, Albus!"

"...I don't think you need to keep calling me by name."

"All right, Albus!"

Whoosh—

The two twisted out of sight, leaving only the portraits in the office still chattering noisily.