"Everyone has two sides, Professor."
Vid began: "I've interacted with Mr. Fontana a few times. Although the time was short, I could see—he is indeed a responsible and beloved headmaster to the students and colleagues he approves of, just as you know him."
"However, to those born of Muggle heritage, who in his eyes do not deserve magic and even tarnish its purity, regardless of their age, character, or ability, he classifies them all as enemies."
"To enemies, he shows an extremely cold and exclusionary side, as if dealing with them in any manner is justified."
Vid paused, seemingly considering how to express himself more accurately.
"This divided perception is not entirely Fontana's personal flaw."
"The American Magic World has experienced the painful Salem Witch Trials, using harsh laws to separate both societies. In the American Wizards' minds, distrust and even hostility towards Muggles have been ingrained in their system and culture."
"Fontana grew up and came into power in such an environment. His views are a product of this historical shadow. Even though Rappaport's Law was repealed, people's perceptions cannot change instantly."
At this point, Vid's words grew lighter until they became silence.
An unmentioned but unavoidable question is—Rappaport's Law was repealed in 1965. So, what happened to young wizards of Muggle descent before then?
In a country where forming close friendships with ordinary people resulted in severe punishment, naturally, Muggle-born young wizards were not accepted by magic schools. How would they understand their powers? When magic suddenly erupted, would they be "handled" by the Magic Congress?
In the environment of the American Magic World, it is indeed more prone to breed Scourers, those monsters who even deny their own existence.
"The weight of history indeed shapes the choices of the present."
Dumbledore spoke slowly, picking up a toffee but not putting it in his mouth, just fiddling with it thoughtfully.
"You have seen the threads behind the behaviors, Vid, and that is precious."
"But we must also see clearly: history may be part of shaping humanity, but it should not be an excuse for crimes."
"No matter the past, an educator, a leader, who chooses to categorize people and impose injustice and harm under the guise of 'protection' betrays both their position and humanity."
Vid sighed lightly: "So I'm grateful...grateful I was born and grew up here. If I had been in the United States back then..."
He shook his head, not finishing the sentence.
Even with the wisdom of a second life, but knowing almost nothing about the American Magic World, driven by a desire for magic, Vid would likely have unwittingly stepped into a trap.
For his former self knew nothing about Rappaport's Law or the Salem Witch Trials. His knowledge of the American Magic World mostly came from the films with Scamander's perspective.
The movies blurred the oppressive system and racial segregation behind them, downplaying the irreconcilable relationship between wizards and Muggles.
What he saw then was a pair of lovable sisters—the upright and resilient Tina Goldstein and her passionate, romantic sister Queenie. Queenie even fell in love with a chubby Muggle veteran.
Dumbledore's eyes behind the half-moon spectacles flickered slightly, as if a stone was thrown into the calm surface of a lake.
He did not respond immediately, placing his fingertips together lightly, contemplating something.
After a while, Dumbledore said: "Imagining another possibility in life indeed is an inspiration for us now. It breaks the framework we take for granted, letting us see that the things we have and cherish are not inevitable."
Vid looked at him, noticing that the headmaster was not boasting or comparing himself to Fontana, but was speaking sincerely and forcefully:
"But sometimes, beyond just being thankful 'it's not me,' we might also think... 'What can we do?'"
"This relatively inclusive and peaceful environment we have was not created out of thin air, nor is it indestructible."
"It needs maintenance, understanding, broader recognition, and more capable people like you to think..."
"To think whether this inclusiveness can be more than just the luck of the British Isles but can find resonance in a broader world, even gradually healing the scars of history?"
Vid raised his eyebrows, feeling quite surprised.
He noticed the subtle shifts in Dumbledore's words—
Previously, the headmaster always taught him, overtly and covertly: to understand the necessity of rules; to see clearly the existence of boundaries, not to be tempted by darkness; to learn to exercise power and wisdom within established frameworks, learning to restrain one's power and certain destructive thoughts.
However, at this moment, Dumbledore's words... though not encouraging Vid to reshape the world as he pleased, subtly opened a crack, hinting that he might cross a line to actively do more.
Vid had already begun doing so a long time ago.
But in this moment, he felt clearly—
[Dumbledore's thoughts have changed!]
This idea flashed through Vid's mind like lightning.
Perhaps it was Grindelwald's resurgence, perhaps the pressure from Voldemort's revival, or the cracks and crises exposed in the American Magic World...
Various events have combined to subtly tip the scales in Dumbledore's heart, as if some of his more flexible and adventurous ideas from his youth had quietly grown after being suppressed for many years.
Vid gently exhaled a breath, rubbing the picture card in his hand, speaking with a clarity beyond his years: "It's not easy."
"Sir, like you... willing to bear such broad responsibilities on your shoulders, even willing to make tremendous concessions and sacrifices for it, such people are ultimately few."
"The vast majority, whether wizards or Muggles, purebloods or Muggle-born, first consider their own situation, family interests, immediate gains and losses... 'What can I get' is often more important than 'What can I do'... much more important."
He paused for a moment, then slowly spoke of his experiences in the United States.
He talked about Laira Piqueley's ambition and methods, Fontana's extreme conservatism, the conspiracies of the interest groups within Congress, the collusion between the upper echelons and Scourers.
Also of Hosone's tragedy, the manipulated and toyed-with public opinion, the Witch Pure Party's involvement in these events, Prometheus's unrelenting pursuit of magical power.
Only a small part of this appeared in newspapers;
Kingsley and Moody's reports to Dumbledore were just a corner of the giant curtain, as Vid rarely utilized the strength of those people.
Even in the past, while Vid and Dumbledore had communicated, limited by the way of Friendship Book communications, Vid had not written very specifically. Some things Dumbledore could not know in full.
But no one more than Vid, who experienced it all firsthand, understood the many intertwined threads behind these events.
As he sequentially articulated and analyzed these thrilling experiences, it was not merely a reorganization and depiction of a series of shocking changes in the American Magic World but silently demonstrated the rapidly growing abilities of the youth, and the weight quietly accumulated.
The student, who spent most of his time obsessed with Alchemy in the laboratory, when he first set foot in the deep vortex of the international magic world, could, with an exceptional calmness and sharpness beyond his years, quietly set the compass, directing the course of the American Magic Congress.
The destinies of countless people were radically changed because of him, yet on Vid's face, the old headmaster could not see smugness or arrogance, only solemn and cautious contemplation.
As if what he did was taken for granted, needing no surprise, or special emphasis. What he focused on was always the grander picture and the complex driving forces behind various events.
Dumbledore quietly listened.
In a daze, he seemed to see a new star, rapidly shedding the final veil of nebulous clouds around it, its light piercing the darkness, stirring a larger universe.
The sky outside the window quietly transitioned from inky black to iron gray, gradually revealing a light like the belly of a fish, illuminating the world covered by thick snow.
The flames in the fireplace had diminished, leaving only glowing embers spreading warmth, casting long shadows of the two on the thick carpet, gently swaying with the occasional flickering of the embers.