"Ah... this is Miss Lovegood, isn't it?" Looking at the two who emerged from the book, Dumbledore first greeted Luna. He nodded slightly with a warm smile. "Mr. Lovegood and I have met many times."
"Headmaster Dumbledore, hello." Luna was exceptionally respectful towards the old wizard.
'But you were just spreading rumors about Dumbledore and Lord Grindelwald...' Lyla thought, subtly hiding behind Luna. She tucked the spatial storage book tightly into her embrace, desperate to prevent Dumbledore from seeing the cover.
She already knew exactly why Dumbledore was here. He had hired her as a Ministry Consultant to use her against Voldemort. However, Lyla secretly believed she was the one using him.
"It looks like you have something to discuss with Lyla, don't you?" Luna tilted her head slightly, glancing at Dumbledore. "Then I'll take my leave first."
"Goodbye, Lyla! Goodbye, Headmaster Dumbledore!" Luna skipped away, light as the wind, leaving behind a flustered Lyla and a smiling Dumbledore.
"Miss Hamilton, you seem to have succeeded," Dumbledore said, slowly sitting down. Lyla stood rigidly before him like a student about to be harshly reprimanded.
"Succeeded..." Lyla subtly glanced at Dumbledore. That old face, perpetually smiling, revealed absolutely nothing of his true thoughts.
'Is he angry? Or not...' Lyla's mind raced. 'Or has he forgotten? After all, given his age, isn't that a possibility?'
"That's good. This way, you should be able to continue your work as a consultant at the Ministry of Magic, shouldn't you?"
'Great, he hadn't forgotten at all!'
Hearing 'Ministry of Magic,' Lyla's body trembled. She took a few steps back and heavily leaned against the table. "Of course... I was just... a bit... forgetful... Ah... no... I wasn't feeling well..."
'What excuse did I give the Ministry of Magic at the time?'
"It should have been 'visiting relatives,' right?" Dumbledore said with a knowing smile. He took a candy from his pocket and offered it to Lyla.
'It was this, was it?' Lyla was silent for a few agonizing seconds before reluctantly taking the candy.
"This... is..." Lyla subconsciously thought it was another Bertie Bott's Every Flavour Bean. She had genuinely tasted boogers in those beans before. But upon closer inspection, it didn't seem to be.
"These are Honeydukes Fizzing Whizbees," Dumbledore introduced, popping one into his own mouth. "Sweet honey... reminds me of happy times."
'Your happy times? Was it when you defeated Lord Grindelwald?' Lyla thought bitterly.
"So, Miss Hamilton, when was your happiest time?"
"I..." Lyla thought carefully. She didn't seem to have any particularly happy times.
'Did becoming friends with Mr. Lupin and Miss Lovegood count?' After all, Remus Lupin was her handler and her very first genuine friend.
Or perhaps her days with Lord Grindelwald in Nurmengard? But for some reason, she couldn't confidently say she felt the happiest back then. The superlative term didn't seem to apply cleanly to these things.
Seeing Lyla's silence, Dumbledore shook his head gently. "In that case, go and search for it properly. Perhaps you'll find it at Hogwarts."
'Certainly not... Even if I do, it would be the day I defeat you...' Lyla shook her head, sweeping these treasonous thoughts from her mind.
She then asked a question she was far more concerned about. "Is Director Scrimgeour... angry?"
"Rufus... is always like that," Dumbledore shrugged. "I don't know if he's angry."
"But don't worry, he won't suck your blood." Dumbledore also seemed to know about what Miss Lovegood had mentioned.
'Hmm, he must have heard it from Mr. Lovegood...' Lyla showed a slightly awkward, terrified smile. Scrimgeour, the intense Head of the Auror Office, was highly suspicious of her alias.
"However, a Mr. Guster Parkinson seems to miss you very much," Dumbledore added.
"Parkinson...?" Lyla was stunned for a moment before immediately remembering that obnoxiously talkative young Auror.
He was probably the wizard she disliked the most—well, second only to Dumbledore. The thought of spending time with this tireless gentleman again made Lyla feel physically ill.
Seeing Lyla's face turn completely pale, Dumbledore smiled. He seemed to be enjoying something.
"Then... then when is the next... next time?" Lyla tried desperately to control herself.
She wanted to describe going on a Ministry raid as 'going to the execution ground.' Considering she had barely survived her first Auror raid at the Rosier estate by fainting, the fear was justified. But Dumbledore still heard the sheer panic in her trembling voice.
"Tomorrow morning," he said slowly. "And... the morning after tomorrow..."
"And..." He paused for dramatic effect. "The morning after the day after tomorrow."
'Should I be glad English doesn't have a specific word for 'the morning after the day after the day after tomorrow?'
"Don't worry, the day after the day after tomorrow is the last time," Dumbledore said, effortlessly seeing through Lyla's spiraling thoughts.
"Then... that's good..." Lyla let out a soft sigh of relief.
'Otherwise, before achieving Lord Grindelwald's great cause, I might first use a curse on Mr. Parkinson because I simply cannot stand him.'
"By the way, Miss Hamilton," Dumbledore seemed to remember something. He looked at the array rubbings on the table. "You've met Mr. Scamander, haven't you?"
"Uh... uh-huh." Lyla looked at Dumbledore with a spike of surprise.
'Did Mr. Lupin tell you? Or Newt? It couldn't be Miss Lovegood, could it? So are you Dumbledore's spy too?'
"I had a chat with Mr. Scamander a few days ago, and he mentioned you," Dumbledore said slowly. "He believes you are a true Magic Array scholar."
"I... I've only grasped a tiny bit..." Lyla stuttered.
'Newt, you shouldn't talk nonsense! My understanding of Magic Array Studies is far from that of an expert.'
Lyla said somewhat awkwardly, "Many people know much more than I do."
"Is that so..." Dumbledore nodded thoughtfully at her words. "But it certainly gave me some new ideas."
He slowly got up from his chair. "However, these ideas are a bit late now. Miss Hamilton, good night."
He walked to the door of the room. Then, as if suddenly remembering something, he turned his head slightly.
This made Lyla's recently exhaled breath quickly get sucked back in.
"Miss Hamilton, do you still want some Honeydukes Fizzing Whizbees?"
"No... no, thank you."
"Click."
The door closed. Lyla finally exhaled properly, collapsing completely onto the bed. She rolled over a few times, letting out several more shaky breaths.
Lyla felt much of the suffocating tension in her chest dissipate. With Dumbledore gone, the pure joy of completing the spatial storage book surged back.
She had finally completed an attempt she hadn't finished in the past fifty years. It was truly wonderful. She revealed a slight, genuine smile, her pointed Veela ears wiggling as they popped out from under her hood.
Next, she needed to find time to write proper notes. Her father had always said that after every Magic Array drawing, one should take notes to check for omissions and fill any theoretical gaps.
But these next few days seemed like they would be far too busy. The mere thought of serving with those Aurors tomorrow gave Lyla a massive headache.
'Never mind... I'll just rest... I wonder when Mr. Lupin will be back?'
Abruptly, right before falling asleep, her thoughts drifted to her very first friend.