The Headmaster's Office quieted down again, with only the revolving armillary sphere emitting a rhythmic "ding ding" sound, like wind chimes playing a melody.
Dumbledore's face relaxed slightly, his smile settling, as he exhaled gently, pinched the bridge of his nose, and looked up to ask:
"Vid, I suppose the prophecy Mr. Weasley Junior just recited might differ somewhat from the actual content?"
"Yes, Professor."
Vid met Dumbledore's gaze and said, "What Professor Trelawney actually mentioned earlier was—two shadows vying for the extinguished sun. One shadow crawls out from the grave, weaving a web of time..."
With a clear and calm voice, the young man repeated the peculiar prophecy word for word.
The obscure symbols and malicious metaphors, under his straightforward and somewhat indifferent tone, not only didn't diminish that eerie feeling, but instead radiated an even more chilling power.
As if... what he was describing wasn't a vague prophecy, but was outlining the trajectory of future fate.
When the final word fell, Dumbledore's expression had become extremely grave.
He stood up, his face devoid of any relaxed expression, and quickly walked to a complex silver instrument, tapping it lightly with his magic wand.
"Ding, ding ding ding... ding dong ding dong..."
Accompanied by the crisp sound inside the silver instrument, wisps of light smoke sprayed out from the top silver pipe, instantly spreading into a large expanse.
They gathered, flipped, twisted, transformed in the air, stretching out silhouettes of confronting figures at times, expanding into majestic buildings at other times, and sometimes converging into a giant pupil...
Vid held his breath as he watched.
Even though he was adept at divination, well-versed in numerous ancient magical runes, and had mastered a vast array of magic spells, at this moment, he still couldn't comprehend what those swiftly changing smokes were expressing.
He could only shift his gaze to Dumbledore's side profile, observing his expression, trying to guess his thoughts at this moment.
After a long time, the silvery smoke gradually dispersed, and the silver instrument on the table also slowly returned to calm, only occasionally emitting one or two reverberating soft hums.
Seeing Dumbledore's actions finally ceased, Vid softly asked, "Professor, what are the results?"
Dumbledore slowly lifted his head, wearing a highly complex expression—astonishment, worry, heaviness, hope...
Before Vid could discern them clearly, he saw that all emotions had been concealed beneath a calm exterior.
Dumbledore turned and walked to the window, standing silently facing outwards.
The Hogwarts courtyard was covered in thick snow, with some students strolling, having snowball fights, leaving crooked footprints, laughter spreading like silver bells.
Hagrid was erecting a huge fir tree in the courtyard, with a few students waving their magic wands, wrapping sparkling ribbons around it.
As if an entire century had passed, Dumbledore finally spoke:
"I... still need to look further, Vid... I must verify some... some ancient records, contemplate the multifaceted meanings of these symbols..."
Vid's eyebrow rose suddenly, realizing a certain unpleasant fact—
At this moment, Dumbledore seemed to be dismissing him as he did Ron and Harry earlier.
This thought caused a slight sinking feeling in his heart, his lips following suit.
Just then, the old man's voice came somewhat floaty, as if talking to himself:
"I hope... I sincerely hope, this isn't the worst of what I fear..."
Vid gazed at his back, speculating: "Do you mean... the complex symbols revealed by the prophecy might represent an extremely dire future?"
"...Complex symbols?" Dumbledore sighed softly: "Vid, what I fear is... this prophecy might be more straightforward than you and I imagine..."
...
Vid walked alone in the empty corridor, Dumbledore's final words echoing repeatedly in his mind—
"What I fear is... this prophecy might be more straightforward than you and I imagine..."
Straightforward.
Vid ruminated on that word internally, the prophecy's every word repeating endlessly in his mind.
"Ah, look who it is!"
A sharp and familiar voice suddenly came from ahead at an angle.
Vid looked up and saw Professor Flitwick standing on the steps, his white beard like fluffy cotton.
He had been busy waving his magic wand, hanging crystalline icicles on the handrails.
As their eyes met, the short professor put his hands on his hips with a mock displeased expression:
"My finest student has finally stepped into the classroom, only to go to Magic Potion and Divination classes, instead of visiting his poor, long-missing old professor? It's truly saddening!"
Vid couldn't help but laugh, then stopped in his tracks, his face showing a hint of guilt.
"Professor, precisely because I value your class so much, I need to refresh myself in Magic Potion class and check in Divination class to see when is best to visit your office. After preparing everything, that's when I come to see you."
"Oh..." Professor Flitwick raised his chin: "Looks like my sudden appearance disrupted your plans?"
"There's no need to feel guilty for that." Vid consoled him: "Meeting earlier is a pleasant surprise, isn't it?"
The two exchanged a glance and laughed together.
Professor Flitwick chuckled, shaking his head, and pointed at Vid saying: "How come a trip turned you from an eagle into a fox?"
Vid's mind flashed with images of Laira turning situations around several times, and he sighed: "What sort of fox am I, I just borrowed a bit of fur from a real fox."
"Seems like you experienced a lot this time, the journey must have been meaningful."
Professor Flitwick clapped his hands and came down the stairs, saying cheerfully: "But for now, put aside those worries! I need a clever and capable helper here... Come along, child, this is much more fun!"
Without further ado, Professor Flitwick waved his magic wand, and a pile of sparkling decorations flew down the stairs, almost overwhelming Vid.
Vid gave a wry smile, "forced" into joining the corridor decorating work. Turning around the corner, he ran into Michael, Anthony, and others who were busy.
"Ha! Even you got roped into this!"
Michael, who had advised him to avoid Anthony before, now laughed gleefully.
Vid gave him a look and lightly waved his magic wand, using Levicorpus to hang the holly wreaths, turn the ribbons into colorful sources of light pollution, and prevent the little fairy lights from tangling with each other.
Professor Flitwick stood on the ladder, busily directing:
"A little higher on the left, child, your wreath looks like a lopsided troll!"
"Oh, those colors are too dazzling, just a bit hard on the eyes... add some silver white!"
"Bells! Don't let the bells ring now; even Professor Snape in the dungeons can hear it..."
A few younger students passed by, curiously and excitedly watching them, eager to help by passing things. Anyone who snagged a small task would be happy all day.
Gradually, Vid's tense nerves relaxed, and he effortlessly directed a golden star to securely settle atop the fir tree, then begin slowly rotating, sprinkling soft stardust.
This visual achievement, and the clear completion of each stage of work, truly brought a satisfying joy.
At this moment, many heavy and cold things seemed temporarily blocked out of this warm, busy, lively corridor.
"Not bad, very good!" Professor Flitwick jumped off the ladder, clapped his hands and said: "This corridor is already decorated, that's it for today, go have dinner, children... We'll continue tomorrow!"
In the crowd, various voices rang out, students complaining yet mostly leaving with smiles.
Professor Flitwick walked over to Vid, who was looking at the golden star, and softly said:
"Vid, I know what's in your mind might be more than many adult wizards think in a lifetime, more complex, so your worries outweigh those of anyone else."
Vid lowered his gaze, looking at the professor, who was almost only half his height.
Professor Flitwick smiled warmly: "My dear child, sometimes, when we find ourselves in a complex and vast maze, unable to find the exit, it might be because we're looking too closely, too focused, thus caught up in details."
"At that time, don't forget to step back and view the layout as a whole—"
"A small cloud in the sky can cast a huge shadow on the ground. The problem you're worried about might simply be a shadow cast by some straightforward object magnified in your view."
Professor Flitwick looked at Vid with eyes warm and filled with trust.
"You're a smart kid, Vid, smarter than I and Albus were at your age. But sometimes, the smart ones are prone to winding themselves into dead ends..."
"Remember, even the most complex spells are composed of basic syllables. The answer you seek may lie in those things you've long since mastered."
He paused, finally saying: "And don't forget—magic stems from life, and life needs to breathe in rhythm. If a string is too tight, it can easily break..."
"Go have dinner, then enjoy the Christmas holiday. The walls of Hogwarts are thick enough to temporarily block the storm outside."