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Chapter 212: Can Your Headmaster Read Minds?
Chapter 212: Can Your Headmaster Read Minds?
It was then that Fiona understood her husband's concerns, and she shuddered at the close call.
"Thankfully, you considered all possibilities... I almost couldn't stop myself from blurting it out."
Ferdinand reassured her, "There may not be any danger, I'm just taking precautions in case there is... Also, Ved..."
Ved, who had remained quiet until then, nodded, "I understand. I'll contact the professors at school and ask about the situation."
"Please do."
Ferdinand sincerely thanked his son and then couldn't help but remind him,
"Carril's disappearance is not just a matter for our family, but for Hogwarts and the British Ministry of Magic. You're only responsible for establishing contact; leave the rest to the adults, and don't go trying to play the hero."
Ved couldn't help but smile, "I know... I'm not a Gryffindor."
...
Ten minutes later, Dumbledore and Professor McGonagall, who had received the message, appeared outside the Greys' home.
Dumbledore wore a pointed hat in the style of a wizard, adorned with symbols of wind and water. Though it added an air of mystery, it couldn't change the fact that his attire resembled a bathrobe.
Fiona glanced at the sky, unsure... Though she didn't understand, she still showed respect.
Perhaps that's just how powerful wizards dress?
Fiona thought, filled with admiration.
Though it was the first time the Greys had met Dumbledore, they immediately associated him with the headmaster Ved had spoken of.
One could say that no one embodied the traditional image of a wizard more than the man before them.
As for Professor McGonagall, she appeared much more conventional. Her deep green robes wouldn't have looked out of place even in the Muggle world, and her fingers bore traces of ink, suggesting she had been writing something before her arrival.
Professor McGonagall held a roll of parchment, its pages yellowed and slightly curled.
Through the window, Ved saw them and opened the door before they could even knock.
"Professor Dumbledore, Professor McGonagall."
"Good afternoon, Mr. Grey, Mrs. Grey, and Ved," Dumbledore said in a measured tone. "I hope we're not disturbing your lunch."
The headmaster always seemed to exude calm confidence, and his expression helped soothe the Greys' agitation.
"I checked the admission list," Professor McGonagall said gravely.
"In September 1991, a student by the name of Carril Johnson was indeed supposed to enroll. However, after receiving his letter stating his intention to go to Ilvermorny, the school did not pursue further contact. There are detailed records of this."
"Didn't you contact Ilvermorny?" Fiona asked, and when Professor McGonagall looked at her, she quickly added, "I'm not blaming anyone... I'm just curious."
"It was indeed an oversight on our part..."
Professor McGonagall pressed her lips together and said,
"However, it's not uncommon for Hogwarts to allow students to pursue other options. Many young witches and wizards choose to study magic at home, with a mentor, or at another magical school, and Hogwarts does not stand in their way."
"It's a shame Landon didn't know that," Ferdinand muttered,
"He thought Hogwarts would forcibly take his son away, so he fled the country, only to play into their hands..."
"Where is Mr. Johnson now?"
Professor McGonagall asked seriously, "We need to understand the situation in more detail."
"He was in a traffic accident," Ferdinand replied. "I believe he's shared everything he can remember..."
"Magic can help us uncover details he may have forgotten.
Dumbledore said politely, "Please be assured, Mr. Grey, that there will be no harm done to him personally."
Ferdinand's face turned pale as he immediately thought of the Imperius Curse, though he did not voice his concern.
Dumbledore seemed to know what he was thinking and gently reassured him, "Of course, please rest assured..."
Ferdinand looked at Ved, wanting to ask—Can your headmaster read minds?
Ved blinked and turned to Professor McGonagall, asking, "Professor, aside from Carril, have there been other students who didn't attend school for similar reasons?"
Professor McGonagall's expression was grim as she replied, "There are a few every year."
As the Grey couple's faces turned pale, Dumbledore added, "Of course, not every child who refuses to attend school disappears like Mr. Johnson. The master-apprentice tradition is still a common method of teaching magic."
However, this did little to comfort Ferdinand and Fiona. It was evident that the perpetrator had easily taken Carril away, proving that they had most likely done this before.
Perhaps the parents of the previously missing children had believed the lies of the kidnappers, or maybe they had no means of contacting the magical world. It was also possible that they had died or forgotten about their children, which was why the incidents had gone unnoticed.
Subsequently, Ferdinand drove Professors Dumbledore and McGonagall to meet Landon Johnson, who was still being detained by the traffic police.
With Landon's consent, Professor Dumbledore extracted some of his memories, proving that Landon had not lied, and they also clearly saw the appearance of Mage Baird in his memory.
However, this did not hold much value.
His name, identity, and even his appearance could all be fake.
Even his gender and age might not be his true characteristics.
But if Baird was like many arrogant wizards who looked down on Muggles, he might not have bothered to hide his true appearance.
Next, Dumbledore contacted the Ministry of Magic and planned to visit Johnson's wife at the sanatorium.
"It's difficult to retrieve lost memories, and we can't torture her cruelly to help her regain her fragmented memories."
Dumbledore explained, "But magic has a way of expressing itself. Especially for wizards who haven't undergone formal magical education, their magic tends to manifest uniquely for each individual."
However, the adults did not include Ved in the subsequent process.
He only heard a small part of it from his father, and Ved was left in the dark about the investigation's progress and any potential leads that Dumbledore and the Ministry of Magic might have discovered.
As a student, the most important thing before him was to focus on his studies.
The short Christmas break ended swiftly, and students returned to school, with catching up on homework and copying assignments becoming the latest trend.
Ved had thought it would be a long while before he heard any news about the case, but on the third day after the break, he received a piece of information from the Weasley twins.
"It's said that someone sold a magical necklace to a Muggle, and the woman at the sanatorium was strangled to death by the necklace."
Fred shared, "My dad went to handle the situation and has been working overtime; he still hasn't returned home."
"...She's dead?"
Ved was stunned for a long while, and a thought suddenly popped into his mind—
Anne Johnson was killed after losing her memory... Why is Landon still running around seeking help?
(End of Chapter)
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