When everything returns to calm.
The real Dumbledore speaks to give thanks.
For the greater good.
This is absolutely not just a slogan.
It is a choice that Dumbledore knows he would make in any possibility.
He withdraws his gaze.
The real Dumbledore looks at the two people beside him.
"Legilimency." Snape's voice is like poison, he turns to the real Dumbledore, eyes burning with cold anger, "Has the other version of you become so unscrupulous? Is there nothing you care about?"
In comparison to Hermione.
At this moment, Snape seems to have guessed at certain things as well.
He has only guessed not much.
So he wants to seek confirmation from the suspicious but not yet too suspicious Dumbledore beside him, albeit in a rather unique way characteristic of him.
Dumbledore gives a bitter smile.
"Professor..." Hermione's voice is as light as a feather.
"Who is that person exactly?"
She still feels like she has encountered a counterfeit Dumbledore.
The confusion is the same as Snape's.
"Every wrong choice creates another me." Dumbledore puts away his magic wand, turning towards the Bronze Gate out of which another version of himself no longer continues to spin.
"In a sense, he is indeed me—another possible me." This kind of answer might not be well understood by Hermione, but internally Snape is already greatly agitated.
That kind of turbulent emotion cannot be concealed even by his emotionless face.
"How can such a thing be possible!"
Snape's voice trembles, his worldview seemingly being reshaped. Previously, without an explanation, he couldn't make sense of it, but now that Dumbledore has given an explanation, he instantly understands. The Professor of Potions at Hogwarts is merely at a relatively low tier, not lacking intelligence, nor simply without the thought process a wizard should possess.
"This world is vast, this universe is vast, there are always many things we have never known hidden there—in truth, I feel as surprised as you do now."
Albus Dumbledore's voice carries its usual gentle feeling, simply from his expression and demeanor, truly it's hard to discern what kind of emotion lies in his heart.
"It's not just simple surprise."
Snape holds onto his head, desperately wishes he were dreaming. If there weren't others here, he might even have wanted to slap himself a few times to see if he could wake himself up.
Of course.
Even though the reason not to do so is because there are people around, Snape still secretly pinches his thigh, the skillful look indicates he is already quite proficient at this.
There's no choice.
With a nephew like Ian, of course there would be occasional doubts about whether one is living a dream, Hogwarts' little wizards simply do not understand the torment Snape has endured this past year and a bit.
"Hiss~"
Due to exerting too much force.
Snape takes a sharp breath.
"What's wrong, Professor?"
Hermione looks at him in confusion, the perceptive little witch notices the abnormality in the Professor of Potions beside her, but does not know what has caused Snape's abnormality.
The continuous events have left Hermione looking slightly jittery.
"It's nothing."
Snape responds with a poker face, as he has already confirmed he is not actually dreaming, he looks at Dumbledore, "Right now my mind is unwilling to believe such a thing."
"I am not surprised, I am shocked, terrified." He expresses his inner thoughts, Hermione is jittery just like him, feeling horrified by the events that just occurred.
"Me too."
Dumbledore returns a gentle smile.
"..."
Snape wants to hit someone.
But he knows he cannot beat Dumbledore; he would only end up being beaten. Thus, after taking a deep breath, he changes the topic.
"That other version of you... what does he mean by abandonment?" This is what Snape still hasn't figured out, he thinks he can surely get an answer from Dumbledore.
Indeed, he can.
Dumbledore does not immediately reply. His gaze falls on Snape, seeing the black-robed wizard still rubbing his temples subtly—the intrusion of the impostor clearly left some after-effects.
And this.
Is what the other version of him has done.
"In countless possibilities." Dumbledore finally says softly, "There are moments when even our firmest beliefs can waver."
"And these moments of wavering can breed countless different possibilities." Saying this, he turns to the Bronze Gate, his eyes flickering slightly as he pauses before continuing.
"This gate seems to manifest those wavering possibilities." It's not exactly the theory of parallel universes, but far more difficult to comprehend than that theory.
Anyway, Hermione looks completely bewildered.
And Snape frowns, unable to understand for quite a while.
"What do you mean by wavering possibilities?"
He asks again.
Dumbledore remains patient in his response, "You can understand it this way, that in our lifetime every choice has another path of development we haven't chosen, it doesn't mean that it couldn't happen, and this gate collects all those unchosen possibilities."
"It gathers these possibilities, merges them, and thus comes the other me we just faced, or rather the collective of all possibilities I haven't chosen."