After a long time, Dumbledore said, "No need."
"If he truly feels ashamed and remorseful for the terror he has brought to the world... then he should confess to those he has harmed."
Everything in the illusion dissipated like mist. Vid blinked, and when he came to his senses, he saw that he and Dumbledore were still in the Headmaster's Office.
It was as if they had never left.
Phoenix Fawkes and the Sorting Hat were still teasing a few small magic pets, and the portraits of headmasters on the walls were dozing off.
Or maybe they were pretending to doze.
Dumbledore sat down in the armchair, looking extremely old and weary, as if he could collapse at any moment.
But his back never bent.
Vid sat beside him, slightly shifting his gaze away, avoiding looking at Dumbledore at this moment.
After a long time, Dumbledore finally spoke: "If you want to ask me anything, you can ask now."
Vid wondered, what did Dumbledore think he would ask?
Was it about his relationship with Grindelwald? Was it about his brief transgressions?
Or was it about the Elder Wand in his hand, or his past pursuit of the Deathly Hallows?
Vid shook his head lightly: "I have nothing to ask."
After a few seconds, he added: "What do you want to ask me?"
Dumbledore looked down at Vid, his eyes slightly moist, making them look very much like Ariana's in the illusion.
Of course, he knew that when Vid asked this, the subtext was the same as his –
As long as you ask, I will answer. Sincerely and honestly.
Vid wasn't someone who easily trusted others, but...
When an old man lays bare his most unbearable and painful wounds, just to tell you what's right and wrong, what reason is there to hide anything?
And for Dumbledore, those words were enough.
He saw Vid's honesty and trust, just like he had once seen the cruelty and coldness in Grindelwald's heart.
A hundred years ago, he had ignored the warnings from his subconscious.
And this time, he decided to listen to his inner voice.
"I have nothing to ask as well." He said: "I think I'll wait until the moment you want to tell me... any time, anything."
The conversation ended there, and Vid knew it was time for him to leave. He stood up to say goodbye, but just as he was about to exit, he hesitated.
"Professor." He turned and asked: "Do you have any plans for next weekend?"
"Besides planning to grab a drink at the Three Broomsticks, nothing of much importance." Dumbledore said.
"I do have a place... I'd like to invite you to." Vid contemplated and said.
Dumbledore smiled: "I would be delighted."
...
December 8th, another full moon night.
The night sky was beautiful, with a massive full moon hanging in the sky, its deep and shallow shadows outlining evocative patterns.
Vid took out a leaf, Sirius carefully inspected it, and beside them, Lupin, who had already turned into a werewolf, lay on the ground, also leaning in to look at the Mandrake Leaf.
He had taken the Wolfsbane Potion, so although he had transformed, he was still conscious. Sirius leaned casually against the werewolf.
"Very good, and complete," Sirius smiled with satisfaction, then said, "Just to be sure... you haven't taken it out of your mouth even once this month, right?"
"No," Vid shook his head, carefully placing the leaf back into a transparent Crystal Bottle, letting it bask under the moonlight.
Lupin sighed in relief.
"I've seen you speak as usual several times, without seeming disturbed at all, and thought you'd already failed."
Vid didn't mention it, mindful of the young man's pride, and Lupin didn't ask further. He simply thought about finding some little tips to help him when they started over next month.
He didn't doubt that Vid would persevere, just worried he'd be upset if he got discouraged.
Sirius couldn't help but say: "How did you do it? When I practiced, I kept accidentally swallowing that damned leaf, failed several times, and ended up having to stick my teeth together to barely last a month."
Vid chuckled and said: "I used the Sticky Spell too, and in daily life, I practiced getting used to its presence."
Sirius shook his head, still in disbelief.
Lupin said: "Let's move on to the next step."
Vid nodded, pulled out a strand of his hair, placed it into the bottle, then added a silver teaspoon of dew and a cocoon of the Death's-head Hawkmoth.
Sirius picked up the bottle, gently shaking it to observe the mixture's state.
"It's about right," he put down the bottle.
He and Vid took the Crystal Bottle and walked into the basement in the yard. The basement was deep enough, and Lupin had prepared a narrow, deep hole just big enough to place the Crystal Bottle in.
Then Vid stuffed it with straw, covered it with a stone slab and felt, and as they left the basement, Sirius locked the trap door as well.
"This won't be opened until the next thunderstorm," Lupin said. "Sirius and I have set up protective spells around the area to prevent rats from sneaking in and causing damage."
The Crystal Bottle used for Animagus practice needed to be kept in a quiet and dark place, ensuring it wouldn't be spied on or disturbed.
This meant it couldn't be placed where people or animals frequently moved, or be checked on frequently either.