Vid cast an Enlargement Spell on the goblet, scooping up an amount nearly equivalent to half a basin.
However, when the goblet left the water's surface, the Magic Potion remained at its original height, as if it had never diminished.
He controlled the "Toad-Man" transformed from a piglet, directing it to drink the Magic Potion in the cup.
With practice from various insects, Vid's Confundus Charm had become quite proficient; he easily made the piglet believe the drink in the cup was its favorite food, and it gulped it down with a few "gulps."
As it swallowed, the liquid level in the Stone Basin finally began to decrease. However, it only reduced a little, not matching the amount it had drunk at all.
"Wow—"
Even Dumbledore couldn't help but exclaim in amazement, having never imagined such a clever method would actually work.
Vid, however, was still somewhat dissatisfied: "The amount of Magic Potion reduced was less than expected."
"I think it's because its internal Magic Power is too weak." Dumbledore said, "Perhaps only Magic Power can digest it."
"But... the Poppet also has Magic Power!" Vid said puzzled.
"The Poppet's Magic Power isn't innate but rather spells cast upon it by others."
Dumbledore speculated, "Perhaps the Magic Potion did decrease earlier, but the amount was too little, not even offsetting the basin's automatic restoration of the Magic Potion."
Vid continued to pour a second cup of Magic Potion to the piglet. By the third cup, even the Confundus Charm wasn't working well; it resisted and struggled for a few seconds before finally drinking it down.
The piglet began to roll on the ground in pain, and the Transfiguration Spell cast by Professor Dumbledore was also failing. A few seconds later, parts of the piglet's body reverted to its original form, making its appearance even more terrifying.
Suddenly, it calmed down again—Dumbledore stepped in. He let the piglet drink the fourth, fifth, and sixth cups of Magic Potion before stopping.
The piglet, completely reverted, lay weakly on the ground, panting and looking as if it were on the verge of death.
Dumbledore put away his Magic Wand, saying: "There's still a chance it can be cured now, but if we continue, it will only lead to death."
"Professor, there are pork chops and lamb chops on the dining table too," Vid reminded him.
"Yes," Dumbledore said, "but to survive by killing other animals is different from killing a benefactor who has helped us, child."
"Alright, you've convinced me," Vid shrugged. "Luckily, I have a lot of animals."
He turned and entered the wardrobe space again.
Two Diricawl cubs were playing under a tree, while a female Poppet was tending to the Tree-Protector Lofa above, and a Broom was chasing a Diricawl that had plucked its twigs.
The scene was lively everywhere.
Vid walked through and placed a young Silence Bird, which had landed on his shoulder, back into the tree.
These Magical Creatures were gifts from friends, and they were all very close to him, so Vid naturally wouldn't sacrifice them to drink poison.
But there were some Magical Creatures in the wardrobe space brought in for other reasons by him.
Vid turned around a large rock, facing a building resembling a prison, surrounded by high walls, the top sealed with barbed wire and a Magic Spell.
He opened the door, and after a momentary pause, the creatures inside rustled and rushed toward the entrance.
It was a group of man-eating Acromantulas.
They had eight long, hairy legs, massive pincers, and excitedly struck the ground, their eight eyes fixed intently on Vid, eager to tear him apart and eat him.
When Vid "picked them up," they were probably only the size of a basketball. But they grew fast; now each one was larger than an ordinary goat.
Their reproductive ability was also strong, with each laying a hundred eggs at a time. If not magically confined in this limited space, the entire wardrobe space would already have been overrun by them.
But now, due to limited space and food, which was not provided in infinite supply, the Acromantulas were forced to control their numbers, never exceeding fifty at most.
Vid waved his Magic Wand, controlling the fastest few Acromantulas and, after shrinking them, took them out.
"Puh!"
One spider behind suddenly spat a web at Vid, trying to capture him this way.
An invisible armor appeared out of nowhere, blocking the sticky webbing.
Immediately after, Vid closed the door, and the flash of a spell glimmered.
"Chirp chirp!"
A bird's cry sounded overhead, and Mikhail folded its wings, diving down from the sky, through the narrow gap between the wires, landing directly on the Acromantula that had attacked Vid.
Flames spread downward, making the Acromantula screech miserably. In the blink of an eye, it was reduced to a pile of black ash.
Mikhail proudly raised its head, flapping its wings, and issued a taunt at the spiders, which were several dozen times larger in size than it.
The spiders all withdrew, shrinking into the corners.
Vid smiled, casually transforming a rock into a box, packed it with the shrunken and petrified spiders, and left the wardrobe space.
"Professor." He opened the box and asked, "Do you think they might work too?"
Acromantulas are born Magical Creatures, classified as danger level five-X by the Ministry of Magic, on the same tier as Fire Dragons and Dementors, unlike the piglet with merely one-sixteenth bloodline.
The liquid level in the Stone Basin began to decrease at a visible rate.
The last spider, unable to withstand the power of the Magic Potion, fell to the ground, its eight legs twitching uncontrollably.
At the same time, the Golden Pendant Box within the Stone Basin finally revealed its true form.
Vid sent several Acromantulas back to the wardrobe space. Upon coming out, he saw that Dumbledore had already fished the Pendant Box from the basin, examining it intently.
"Professor?"
"Ah, Vid."
Dumbledore put down the Pendant Box and said: "Unfortunately... I think we targeted the wrong one."
He turned his palm to let Vid have a clear view of the Pendant Box.
"As far as I know, Voldemort indeed had a Golden Pendant Box, something from Slytherin, with a distinctive 'S' mark on it. But on this... there's nothing."
"Not to say there's nothing... he was a brave man who left this world's... last trace..."
Dumbledore opened the Pendant Box, revealing a folded piece of parchment inside.
Vid unfolded the paper, reading a familiar message:
[To the Dark Lord:
By the time you read this, I will have long been dead,
but I want you to know, I discovered your secret.
I stole the real Soul Artifact and intend to destroy it as soon as possible.
I gambled with my life, hoping you'll be killed when faced with an opponent.
R.A.B.]
"R.A.B." Dumbledore said in a solemn voice: "Regulus Arcturus Black, he wasn't murdered by his master, but died defying Voldemort with his life."