Vid recounted his previous experiences to Dumbledore in detail, including the reason he used the Polyjuice Potion to disguise himself as Harry.
After listening, Dumbledore was silent for a long time. Vid looked into the old man's calm eyes, and always felt that his current expression was quite difficult to describe.
After a while, Dumbledore gently asked, "You said the magic you used was taught by...Grindelwald?"
"Yes." Vid glanced at Dumbledore and said, "It's the magic that destroyed the cursed trees in the forest before."
He always suspected that Dumbledore was nearby at the time and was now testing it a little.
Dumbledore nodded, without questions or confusion, he simply said, "That person holding the bundle, do you know who it was?"
Vid shook his head and said, "I didn't wait for him to show his face... I guessed that the person coming here was likely Voldemort, and I didn't dare take a chance that after he got inside, I would still have an opportunity to act."
"Your decision was... very wise." Dumbledore slowly said, "It seems you have destroyed Voldemort's current vessel. He will become weaker, and it will take longer for him to resurrect."
"It's a pity that Barty Crouch Jr. got away." Vid said regretfully, "Without his help, perhaps Voldemort would have remained in a wandering state in the forest for many years... and might never find an opportunity to resurrect."
Dumbledore also sighed, but Vid looked at his expression and felt that their regrets might not align.
Vid recalled Voldemort's self-narration, when he lost his body, he was actually even less than the humblest wandering spirit, powerless like the weakest creature, every spell that could assist him required a magic wand, and his last usable magic was possession.
He could possess animals, for instance, snakes—perhaps because these creatures weren't very intelligent. But to possess humans, particularly wizards, he needed the other party willingly to open their minds to him and accept his possession.
Regardless of the possession target, Voldemort's presence would shorten the other's lifespan, and he could only keep changing bodies, living in a very painful way.
Vid felt that this mode of survival was practically torture, much crueler than killing him outright.
If Voldemort continued wandering like this, in a few years or decades, perhaps one day he would choose to end it all.
Take, for example, Helbo, the Dark Wizard who bred the Basilisk and inventor of the Soul Artifact, Tom Riddle followed Helbo's research and embarked on the irreversible path of soul fragmentation.
But after Helbo's death, there were no legends in the Magic World about this Dark Wizard ever being resurrected.
So Vid seriously doubted that guy had no friends or loyal subordinates, and perhaps didn't even know before he died that after his soul remained in the world via a Soul Artifact, how it would live on—perhaps he thought he would resurrect as easily as sitting up, but that wasn't the case.
The outcome was that Helbo's soul wandered the world for many, many years, never finding an opportunity for resurrection and finally, unable to bear the loneliness and torment, he dismally dissipated.
If this were to be Voldemort's end, Vid thought it would be fine, they just needed to find and destroy all the remaining Soul Artifacts of Voldemort, and not worry about the soul fragment on Harry's forehead—it would eventually die a natural death, taking that soul piece with him to the Netherworld.
Given the wizards' long lifespans and various Magic Potions and Alchemy assistance, Vid believed he could live for a long time, at least longer than Harry.
But Dumbledore seemed not to think that way.
Vid looked at the elderly face that showed little joy, thinking that Dumbledore still wanted to carry out his plan—eliminate all Soul Artifacts, making Voldemort destroy his final soul fragment himself, and then completely erase Voldemort.
He didn't want to leave threats for the long future and the currently inexperienced young wizards.
Vid looked at Dumbledore's calm expression, feeling like he saw a strong urge to control under the old man's gentle appearance.
Dumbledore asked a few more details, and after fully understanding the situation, he lightly tapped the armrest, and after a while said:
"Vid... Sirius was turned into a squirrel, and you helped him, which was good... but I hope that next time you encounter similar situations, you keep vigilant..."
He looked into Vid's eyes and softly said, "Be extra careful of those little animals suddenly approaching you, no matter what they claim."
Vid's heart stiffened slightly, and he gently nodded.
"Alright, go back and rest." Dumbledore smiled, "There's not much time left until dawn now."
"Okay."
Vid finished the water in his glass, turned and left. Just as he lifted the curtain to depart, he suddenly remembered something and turned back.
Under Dumbledore's somewhat questioning gaze, Vid opened the wardrobe space, and after a while emerged with a long, narrow box, opening it to reveal a collection of Magic Wands.
He awkwardly touched his nose, avoiding eye contact with the headmaster, and recounted the detailed events of being kidnapped during the alchemist meeting.
Including when he finally sent everyone back, their Magic Wands had been taken by those people. So after Vid retrieved the Magic Wands, without finding a suitable reason, they had been kept with him.
When returning from that base island, Vid had thought of asking Dumbledore to help return the Magic Wands, claiming they were discovered on the island.
But due to the incident with Mabel releasing the Obscurus, he forgot about it, later being sent back to school early by Professor Snape, and never managed to mention it.
Later kidnapped to Gray Castle, he followed with Grindelwald, witnessing the Witch Pure Party destroying those people's base.
Vid considered returning the Magic Wands on that occasion, but then reconsidered—how would others perceive Grindelwald, the Dark Wizard, kidnapping him and not only treating him well but allowing him to take all the seized spoils back? Was that reasonable?
The Witch Pure Party consisted of Dark Wizards, not philanthropists passionate about charity.
If possible... at least in the public realm... Vid still wanted to stand on the side of light and justice.
Even Delaine and the others carefully kept his identity secret, Vid certainly couldn't expose himself recklessly.
Thus procrastinating again and again until now, Vid almost forgot why he kept this trouble, resulting in not comfortably using his own Magic Wand in school.
This latest attack, no one knew who the attackers were, right? So that Dark Wizard could have been any person—why couldn't it be a member of the group that once kidnapped the alchemists?
Now, Vid didn't worry about revealing a more real part of himself in front of Dumbledore.
He just suddenly realized, when facing Grindelwald, Dumbledore was his confidence; conversely, in front of Dumbledore, Grindelwald's regard also supported him in some part.
He no longer felt he had to look like "a good person" everywhere.
After leaving the trouble for Dumbledore, Vid didn't look up at the headmaster's increasingly complex expression, quickly said his farewells, and left.