"Professor, Little Rey... he's actually here."
Hagrid walked out from the corner. He had originally come to report Rey's disappearance to Dumbledore. However, before he could even finish his sentence, he saw Rey standing there, much shorter than himself.
Dumbledore nodded to Hagrid. Hagrid said no more and walked over to stand beside Rey.
"Sorry, Hagrid. I lied to you just now." Rey looked up and apologized to Hagrid.
The honest Hagrid looked down and chuckled softly. "As long as you're okay. I'm not that petty."
The Minister for Magic had come to Hogwarts with two subordinates, and was accompanied by Cabor Doric.
This scene was a bit confusing for a moment.
"Doric, is this the missing child?" Cornelius Fudge asked, looking at Rey.
"Yes. I was in the Forbidden Forest that night too. He might have mistaken me for the vampire chasing him. I don't know if his memory has been tampered with, turning his rescuer into his attacker."
Doric responded, then gave Cornelius Fudge, the British Minister for Magic, a helpless, awkward smile. His expression told everyone around him that although Rey had mistaken him for a vampire, he was magnanimous enough not to blame the boy.
This was a classic case of the thief crying "stop thief," except this thief was a respectable Auror, a wizarding police officer.
Tampering with someone's memory to alter specific details was harder than simply erasing it, but the existence of such dark magic couldn't be ruled out.
Doric's not-quite-joke made the two Aurors beside him chuckle. A young Auror said, "Senior Doric is our role model. I can't believe he was mistaken for a dark creature like a vampire."
"To think a vampire infiltrated Hogwarts. Dumbledore, I think we should increase the manpower here to ensure the students' safety."
Cornelius Fudge turned to Dumbledore, hoping the Headmaster would agree.
"Fudge, doing so would cause unnecessary panic among the students. Since you've already decided to let Doric handle this matter, it's better to keep the impact contained within our control."
Dumbledore made no concessions. If too many Aurors were stationed at Hogwarts, it would be big news in the wizarding world.
Judging from Rey's case, this vampire infiltrating Hogwarts had a specific purpose; it wasn't a mad dog biting random people.
Moreover, Doric had suddenly reported to the Minister today, and the group had come to Hogwarts to discuss this matter with him. No matter how he looked at it, something was fishy.
---
"Hagrid, Easter is approaching, and the kitchens need to stock up on a large amount of fresh ingredients. Could you please go and help coordinate that?"
"Rey, come here, my boy. I think we need to talk alone."
Dumbledore sent Hagrid to help in the kitchens, then beckoned to Rey.
Minister Cornelius Fudge exchanged a few pleasantries with Dumbledore before preparing to leave. Doric naturally escorted them out of the castle.
As he passed Rey, Doric wore a relieved smile and said, "It's really good that you came back safe and sound."
The smile was filled with deep concern, seemingly genuine. But beneath that smile, Rey sensed a profound, mocking sneer.
Watching them leave, Rey walked up to Dumbledore.
"Professor Dumbledore!..."
"I know, my boy. Don't rush. We can talk slowly in a moment."
Rey opened his mouth to speak, but Dumbledore interrupted him gently. Dumbledore was wise; hearing his voice always had a way of calming an anxious heart.
Dumbledore led Rey up the steps to the stone gargoyle.
Rey had been to the Headmaster's office a thousand years ago.
However, this was his first time seeing the stone gargoyle.
A thousand years ago, the Hogwarts Headmaster's office didn't have this guardian. And in this era, after enrolling, this was Rey's first visit.
Approaching the gargoyle, Rey felt its lifelike presence.
It had two horns on its head, a dog-like head with an eagle's beak. Its upper body resembled an eagle, covered in scales from head to chest.
Its lower body was defined by sleek muscle, devoid of feathers or scales; its smooth, crouching legs radiated power.
A pair of wings wrapped forward from its back, covering two-thirds of its body. As Rey and Dumbledore stood on the steps, they were right within its embrace.
Walking here gave Rey the feeling that the stone beast was alive, ready to push off with its legs and soar into the sky at any moment.
"Professor, this statue...?"
Rey was amazed and couldn't help but ask.
"It's called a Ferry Eagle, a legendary beast said to be able to fly to heaven or hell."
"Of course, that's just a legend."
Dumbledore explained, then whispered a short password. The stone gargoyle began to rotate upward, carrying the two of them.
"When did it appear? It didn't seem to be here before." Rey continued to ask.
Dumbledore looked down at Rey, a hint of surprise in his eyes, but then he explained calmly, "The night one of Hogwarts' founders, Rowena Ravenclaw, passed away, it suddenly appeared here."
"What?"
Rey looked up at Dumbledore. Having traveled a thousand years, it felt like he had just seen Rowena Ravenclaw not long ago, but in the blink of an eye, people and things had changed.
This... it made his chest feel tight, leaving him with an indescribable silence.
---
The rotating beast acted like an automatic elevator, quickly bringing Rey and Dumbledore to the door of the Headmaster's office.
After hearing about Rowena Ravenclaw's death, Rey didn't speak again. Sensing his silence, Dumbledore didn't speak either.
Dumbledore's office was completely different from the layout Rey had seen a thousand years ago.
The walls on either side of the entrance were filled with small compartments housing various trinkets. Higher up the walls and on the ceiling hung portraits of important figures from wizarding history.
Ancient magical artifacts dazzled the eyes. Most of them were things Rey had never seen before.
When Dumbledore led Rey into his study, Fawkes the phoenix let out a soft trill.
Unlike Harry Potter, the first thing Rey noticed here was Fawkes. This colorful turkey with beautiful tail feathers.
Rey thought it looked very much like a turkey, especially if it molted most of its feathers. The image of it before its rebirth in the movie was fresh in Rey's memory.
"Hey, Rey MacFusty. The boy who always feels strangely familiar. Do you still like Ravenclaw?"
The Sorting Hat, perched on a shelf, began to chat with Rey.
"Hi, Mr. Sorting Hat. I like Ravenclaw very much. Thank you for sorting me there."
As the Sorting Hat chattered on, Rey answered casually. Dumbledore didn't interrupt. After Rey had observed the office and conversed with the Sorting Hat for a while, Dumbledore waved his right hand, and a small box flew from the shelf.
The box was filled with candies. Dumbledore took one out and handed it to Rey. "These are my favorites. Try one. The taste varies from person to person."
Rey hadn't expected Dumbledore to keep candy in his office; sometimes his mindset really rivaled that of a child.
"Thank you, Professor!"
Rey took the candy, unwrapped it, and popped it into his mouth.
It was sour with a hint of sweetness—his favorite, lemon drop flavor. Rey couldn't help but lose himself in the taste.
For many, many years, Rey hadn't tasted this flavor. Or rather, he had only tasted it in his previous life. He hadn't expected to taste the same flavor in this life.
---
"These candies are actually magic that uses food as a carrier."
"They have no taste themselves, but they trigger the memory of the most beautiful and profound flavor hidden in your mind, allowing you to experience it again."
Dumbledore explained with a smile. Rey listened, feeling the explanation was somewhat ambiguous. He felt that Dumbledore's words weren't as simple as they seemed, perhaps carrying a deeper meaning.
"If you don't understand, don't think about it for now. Sometimes, understanding comes like a mischievous child, suddenly appearing in your mind."
The candy box flew back to the shelf. Dumbledore summoned two chairs, gestured for Rey to sit, and then said, "My boy, now you can tell me what you want to say."